Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

35. What a Shit-stirrer

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Cao Mo slept like a baby that night, he heard Moqi and Xiao Yi whispering at each other when he opened his eyes the next morning.

“What are you guys talking about? Behind my back?” Cao Mo pouted.

Xiao Yi turned around and squeezed Cao Mo’s cheek, “Haha, your older brother is marrying my younger brother, how interesting, how are you going to address him? I suppose you are his elder brother-in-law, and he should pay respect to you rather than the opposite.”

“What?” gasped Cao Mo.

“Lady Lu… how could Lady Lu agree?” stammered Cao Mo.

Xiao Yi looked at Cao Mo and said, “She had to. Cao Le cut his wrist last night, which left Lady Lu no other choice. And…”

“He did what? How shameless!” exclaimed Cao Mo, he sat up straight and asked, “And what? Tell me everything!”

Xiao Yi put on a meaningful smile and said, “Grandmother awarded your brother a Jade Ruyi!”

Cao Mo got up and put on his clothes, he sat down on a chair and tried to digest what Xiao Yi just said, “It looks like your grandmother likes Cao Le a lot, is this her habit? Rewarding people with Jade Ruyi? I have one too.”

Xiao Yi shook his head, “His Jade Ruyi is different from yours, his is a Royal one. It’s bestowed by His Majesty, how do I put this, our entire family should revere Ruyi, so it’s like an amulet that grandmother gave your brother. I suppose grandmother gives your brother a better one to demonstrate seniority, he is older than you after all. And secondly, grandmother is giving Cao Le something to talk back to Xiao Jin and Lady Lu.”

“You mean, no one dares to mess with him as long as he has the Royal Jade Ruyi?” Cao Mo stuffed a comb in Xiao Yi’s hand, signaling Xiao Yi to comb hair for him.

“You are right!” said Xiao Yi, he took the comb and continued, “However, it’s a double-edged sword in my eyes.”

“Ah~ you mean grandmother is encouraging him to be a shit-stirrer, especially against me?” asked Cao Mo.

Xiao Yi nodded, Cao Mo’s metaphor was vulgar but correct.

Cao Mo grinned, “Haha, I won’t fall for it. I will just avoid him.”

Xiao Yi frowned and made a face, “I’m afraid there’s a limited number of avoiding we can do, you see, we need to congratulate him on the reward he just got. Otherwise people will talk, they will say we are being jealous.”

Cao Mo almost sprang up from his chair in a fury, “This makes no sense to me at all! Why do we have to visit him and congratulate him just for appearance’s sake? I don’t want to go!”

Xiao Yi covered his mouth and chuckled, “Haha, don’t worry, the silver lining here is we are still grounded by father, so we can justify ourselves if anyone asks. But I need to remind you we need to behave ourselves when we are dealing with him in the future, somehow grandmother is on his side.”

Cao Mo shot Xiao Yi a glare for the prank, then he said, “Actually I’ve never seen him as my brother, never mind, you don’t get it.”

Xiao Yi hugged Cao Mo from behind and said, “I do get it. You hate him for abusing you, I totally get it, I have a brother who wishes my death everyday. But what can we do? Sometimes we just have to act against our will, don’t we?”

Cao Mo felt sorry for his husband but he shook his head and said ‘I don’t belong in this time and space, so my family are strangers to me’ in his heart.

Cao Mo turned around and kissed Xiao Yi on his cheek, “Yi, can we separate from the family and live apart? Do we have to deal with the nonsense and scheme against those people before they scheme against us?”

Xiao Yi hesitated, “We can, but we need a really good excuse! People will accuse us of being unfilial if we cannot justify ourselves.”

Cao Mo’s heart sank when he heard that.

Even though Xiao Yi and Cao Mo were grounded, Xiao Yi still asked Moqi to send congratulations on behalf of them, Xiao Yi picked a collection of books and a set of Calligraphy Brush Pen to Cao Le.

However, Xiao Yi found the tear stains on Moqi’s face when he came back.

Cao Mo asked promptly, “Moqi, tell me everything? Did he bully you?”

Moqi shook his head and replied, “No, it’s just my heart goes for the Third Lady, Cao Le gave him such a hard time in Third Lady’s house. I’m worried for what has in store for us too, especially you, Young Madam.”

Cao Moand Xiao Yi exchanged a look, ‘Third Uncle and Third Aunt are living apart!’

“Yi, we have a great example right in front of us, can we ask Third Aunt why are they living in their own house?” asked Cao Mo, his tone cheerful.

Xiao Yi thought for a while and replied, “Mo, it’s not that easy, not for us.”

“Why not?” Cao Mo pouted.

“Because I know Lady Lu very well, I’m going to attend the provincial civil service examination after this Spring Festival, no way will Lady Lu let us go easily, she will do everything she can to ruin it!” Xiao Yi showed a bitter smile, “Mo, I have to pass the provincial civil service examination, otherwise she will use that as an excuse to bully us for the rest of our lives!”

Cao Mo patted Xiao Yi’s back as a comfort, “Yi, don’t worry. Have you heard ‘Out of thirty-six stratagem, the best is to get away’? So don’t worry, we can always run away from this bullshxx.”

Xiao Yi looked at Cao Mo’s eyes and forced a smile, “Don’t you think I’ve thought about eloping too? But it’s a complicated process to even apply for the provincial civil service examination, they will check my entire family tree to my grandparents’ name and professions. I won’t be able to apply for it if we just run away.”

Cao Mo replied, “Geez, it’s that strict, hey? Hmm, let’s come up with other plans.”

Xiao Yi squeezed Cao Mo’s hand and said, “We have to stay low key at the moment at least, we cannot act rashly and alert Lady Lu.”

Cao Mo nodded, “Yeah, don’t worry, I won’t confront that twat head-on. Hopefully, you will pass the provincial civil service examination and be assigned somewhere else to assume an official position.”

Xiao Yi was so touched, he cuddled Cao Mo tighter and tighter, “I will definitely study harder and repay you with your sincerity, Mo!”

The two smooched and chatted for quite a while before Xiao Yi asked Moqi to set the table for lunch.

Cao Mo noticed Moqi’s mopey face at lunch, he put down his bowl and looked at Moqi, “Moqi, is there anything else you want to tell me, anything at all?”