Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

59. To Throw the Xies out

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Mohua held a box with both hands, Cao Mo took the Jade Ruyi from it while Mohua shouted, “Open your eyes and have a good look of this Jade Ruyi, Dowager Xiao awarded it to our Young Madam! You better watch your mouth now!”

Xiao Yi walked in with a long face, he came to check Cao Mo. It was well past lunch time and Cao Mo was still working, as luck would have it, he happened to hear Xie Yonghe’s wife’s disrespectful remarks.

Cao Mo’s lips curled when he saw Xiao Yi storming in.

Xie Yonghe’s wife’s face turned red and white by turns in an agony of embarrassment and guilt, she bowed to Xiao Yi, “Young Master and Young Madam, I will go back to serve on Dowager Xiao now that you don’t trust me.”

Xiao Yi didn’t say “rise” until Xie Yonghe’s wife couldn’t hold it any longer, “You may rise! Go back home and bring Uncle Xie here.”

Cao Mo didn’t see that coming, he cast a glimpse at Xiao Yi, utterly confused.

Xiao Yi took a seat and said, “The rest of you, go outside and wait for further instructions!”

Hearing that, the servants all heaved a sigh of relief.

“Yi, no need to lose your temper for trivial matters like this.” Cao Mo was worried for Xiao Yi’s health.

“Mo, you need to remember you are the master and they are your servants, why bother to stand on ceremony with them?” Xiao Yi gnashed his teeth.

Cao Mo had never seen Xiao Yi this mad, he caught hold of Xiao Yi’s hand, “I know, don’t worry, no need to get worked up like this, it’s not worth it.”

“Yi, how dare she talks back like that! I need to have a good talk with her!” Xiao Yi sprang to his feet.

Cao Mo hugged Xiao Yi from behind, “Yi, I’m so happy you care for me so much, but she is your grandmother’s maid, we need to be careful when we are dealing with maids of hers, I don’t want people blow this out of proportion and say we are unfilial. Let’s try to find what she has done wrong rather than blasting off on the spur of the moment.”

“Mo, the Xies are not easy to deal with, they are like a big tree which strikes roots deeply in our manor. It’s hard to find their mistakes.” Xiao Yi frowned, “Yi, we’ve already touched a raw nerve by raising a big rumpus on checking accounts and checking purchases. At this point, the only way out is to pursue to the brutal end, otherwise they will give us a heavy payback.”

Cao Mo nodded his head, “You mean… you mean we should throw them out?”

“Exactly! You mentioned raising pigs and stuff like that, why not ask them to take over? Lark oil, pig raising, whatever it is, as long as we can find a good excuse to throw them out!”

“Yi, it looks like you dread the Xies.” Cao Mo was a bit confused.

“Yes, dread is the right word, as a matter of fact, even father needs to treat Xie Yonghe with respect.” Xiao Yi said with concern, “Don’t get me wrong. Uncle Xie is nothing but loyal to father, but his family members are in important positions in house management, but they have been doing dodgy things behind his back. It’s just a matter of time before this gets exposed, I want to control it before father knows this and feels betrayed, and now you are involved, I need to make it happen as soon as possible.”

“Yeah, I agree, it’s just have you discussed this with father?”

“Trust me, father knows it, he just doesn’t want to get involved and make it ugly.” replied Xiao Yi, with that he stood up and was ready to execute his plan.

Cao Mo stopped him and asked, “Isn’t there a better plan?”

“What do you mean a better plan?”

“Have you heard of rotation?” Cao Mo explained, “We can ask the stewards of different apartments to have a rotation working system, because it does them no good to do the same old job forever, they tend to be slacking off easily and have their own fractions. The best way is to have a more transparent and clean working system where it’s impossible for the stewards to act evilly in collusion with the lower servants.”

“You mean we can ask the stewards of different apartments to try different positions?” Xiao Yi looked a bit confused.

“Exactly!” Cao Mo’s face lit up, “Let’s say, if the steward of the Treasury is only in his position for three years, dare he embezzle? Plus, I will do random inspection from time to time, no way will they exploit an advantage.”

“Mo, I’m amazed by you every single day, sometimes I want to open your head ans see what’s in there. It’s a shame you are not interested in reading, otherwise you will become the Number One Scholar in our country.” Xiao Yi’s eyes sparkled.

“Haha, don’t flatter me, I need your help now, it’s pretty tricky.”

“Go ahead.”

“The Communal Treasury!” Cao Mo snickered, “I was panning on establishing a temporary treasury for Spring Festival, now that you are here and Xie Yonghe is coming too, let’s take advantage of the occasion and take over the Communal Treasury.”

Xiao Yi smiled, “At your service.”

Moqi came back reporting, “Young Madam, the Communal Treasury is sealed.”

“Good job, Moqi, go invite Mammy Qin and say I need her help in making an inventory.” Cao Mo smiled.

Xie Yonghe came rushing in after Moqi left, Xie Yonghe kowtowed to Xiao Yi, “Please punish me, Young Master, it is all my fault that my wife is incompetent at her job.”

Cao Mo gasped when he saw Xie Yonghe’s wife’s bruised face, he couldn’t believe Xie Yonghe hit his wife like this, “Uncle Xie, it’s no big deal, your wife just talked back at me, really, it’s no big deal.”

Haring that, Xie Yonghe’s wife thumped her head on the ground, “Young Madam, please forgive me, I will behave myself, I will speak and act cautiously in the future, please put in a good word for me, my husband wants to repudiate me!”

Xiao Yi chimed in, “Mo, talking back at you is no small matter!”

“Young Maser, I won’t do it again, please forgive me, I swear it won’t happen again!” Xie Yonghe’s wife’s quavered.

Cao Mo whispered at Xiao Yi’s ear, “It’s all right, look at her face, Uncle Xie has already given her a good beating.”

Xie Yonghe’s lips twitched when he heard that.

“All right, I will listen to the Young Madam this time, but I won’t tolerate it again. Today I need a favor from Uncle Xie, let’s make an inventory of Communal Treasury. Moqin has already gone to invite Third Uncle, let’s hurry up and finish it today.”

Xie Yonghe nodded and invited accountants to come help too.

More than twenty people marched to Communal Treasury.