Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

55. I Know My Son Too Well

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Xiao Yuzhen stumbled all the way back to Lotus House while Moqin tried to catch him and put the shoe back on his foot.

Xiao Yuzhen heaved a sigh of relief when he saw Liu Heng like a lost puppy found his owner.

“Yuzhen, what happened? Why do you look like a drowned mouse?” Liu Heng asked with concern.

“I didn’t do anything, I swear… I swear I’m a good boy.” Xiao Yuzhen stared at Liu Heng and then he jumped on the bed.

Liu Heng was worried sick, ‘Is Yuzhen possessed? What happened to him?’

Moqin came rushing in, pouring with sweat, “Your Lordship, here, here is your shoe… …”

Liu Heng asked promptly, “Moqin, what happened, tell me everything.”

“Get out and watch your mouth!” Xiao Yuzhen rebuked. Moqin dropped the shoe and withdrew the room.

“Yuzhen, what have you done? Just tell me what happened.” Liu Heng asked anxiously.

“I went to Magnolia House as I told you earlier this morning, I was negotiating with Mo about the instructions of the lube product, I offered his fifty and fifty, but he turned me down, can you believe it? Fifty and fifty, and he said no?” Xiao Yuzhen’s voice got bigger as he explained this to Liu Heng.

Liu Heng knew Xiao Yuzhen’s temper, he wasn’t able to handle rejection well.

“So you forced him to join you?” Liu Heng asked.

“Not exactly, I just grabbed him and tried to make him listen to me, I didn’t do anything, we were just talking, I mean I was just talking… …” Xiao Yuzhen’s voice got lower and lower.

Liu Heng asked, “And Yi came back home, pushing the door open and saw it?”

Xiao Yuzhen nodded, averting his eyes.

Liu Heng sighed, “Yuzhen, you should have stayed and explained the situation to Yi. I knew you so well, let me guess, you panicked and ran away, didn’t you?”

Again Xiao Yuzhen nodded.

“It’s not a short way from Magnolia House to our Lotus House, imagine what would people say when they saw you fleeing the scene with Moqin running after you carrying a shoe?”

“Yeah,” Xiao Yuzhen jumped out from the bed, “I haven’t done anything, why did I run away instead of explaining?”

Liu Heng was amused, then he said, “You just go to Cunxi Hall and tell mother that I asked Mo and Yi to take over for me for a few days, and you heard I fainted in the bedroom, that’s why you rushed back to Lotus House.”

“Heng, I don’t want to say you have fainted even though it’s a lie.”

“What else can we say then? You want everyone in the family starts to gossip about you and Mo?” Liu Heng’s face reddened.

“All right, all right, I’m sorry Heng, I’m going to Cunxi Hall right now.”

… …

Xiao Yuzhen had already heard two mammies gossiping about him running away from Cao Mo’s bedroom when he arrived at Cunxi Hall.

“What a hussy the Young Madam is, have you heard it? Third Master was seen running away from Young Madam’s bedroom?”

“Nonsense! I left in a hurry because Heng fainted.” Xiao Yuzhen rebuked, “Mammy, please watch your mouth, if I heard this nonsense one more time, you can get lost.”

“Third Master, is it true?” Lady Lu walked from behind and sneered.

Xiao Yuzhen looked at her in the eye and replied, “Sister-in-law, that’s your daughter-in-law’s reputation you are talking about, please show some respect.”

“Humph!” Lady Lu’s face darkened, “Third Master, are you threatening me? I’m not afraid of you. I’ve heard people say you have been visiting Bloom Tavern recently, and I didn’t believe them, but now it looks like it’s all true. Our Third Master turns out to be a sanctimonious hypocrite!”

In a towering rage, Xiao Yuzhen walked to Lady Lu and said, “Quit it while I’m in a good mood, otherwise I will make sure you regret it.”

“Yuzhen!” Xiao Yugui stormed out from the hall and rebuked Xiao Yuzhen, “Why are you lowering yourself to so and defend yourself in front of such an unworthy person? Just get in and let’s talk.”

Xiao Yuzhen was choked, “Brother, do you understand sometimes I need to defend myself?”

With that he pointed at Lady Lu and said, “My good sister-in-law, Lady Lu, good scheming on asking Heng to take over the account books! Let’s just talk about the wine today, why the hell would my Lotus House consume more than one hundred jar of top quality wine? You know my salary, sister-in-law, how do you expect I can patch the big hole up? The hole that isn’t made by me? With my salary? No way!”

Xiao Yuzhen got more furious as he went on, “I’ve always considered myself as a good son to mother, a good official in court, a good younger brother at home, but apparently not good enough for my sister-in-law! Look at what has happened to Mo since he married Yi. I don’t want Heng to go through that, please let go of Heng! I heard Heng fainted and I left Magnolia House in a hurry for him, but the way you have interpreted it is purely disgusting! Call me a sanctimonious hypocrite! My sister-in-law, you!”

Xiao Yugui had no idea about the account book till then, he glared at Lady Lu and said, “Scene after scene! I have no idea what are you up to! Go back to your Osmanthus House, and don’t step out of your house unless you are summoned.”

Lady Lu looked up to heaven and sighed heavily, “Have I said anything wrong? You both like to go to Cao Mo’s bedroom, hahaha, who knows what have you done? You’ve done it, then don’t be expecting no one will notice it and talk about it!”

“Are you out of your mind?” Xiao Yugui stamped on the ground, “Go get me paper and ink, I need to repudiate this woman!”

Lady Lu sneered, “I’m not afraid of you, Xiao Yugui!”

“Look at you making such a scene by my door! I’m not dead yet.” Dowager Xiao walked out from the hall, supporting herself with a cane.

“Mother!” Xiao Yugui and Xiao Yuzhen kowtowed to Dowager Xiao in unison.

“Get out of my house! Heng hands over the account book to Mo, let’s see how Mo performs for now. All of you, go back to your own house! Is that clear?” with that Dowager Xiao turned around and walked into her room.

Dowager Xiao talked to Mammy Qin when she calmed herself down, “I know my son too well, no way would Yuzhen have an affair with Cao Mo, Cao Mo is basically a illiterate on poetry. What worries me is Lady Lu now hates Yuzhen, once she spread out the word, Yuzhen’s official career will be over.”