Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

75. A Vexing Trip to the Cao Manor

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Prince Xing was a rare guest in Yao Manor, therefore Xiao Yi didn’t accompanied Cao Mo for this visiting Cao Family trip.

Magistrate Cao craned his neck and stood on tiptoe to watch for Cao Mo and Xiao Yi’s carriage, he wished the young couple would arrive soon.

“Father, it’s getting late, shall we start? I don’t think Cao Mo can make it, the Xiao Family won’t allow him to run around when he is charged with several offence.” sneered Cao Le leaning on the door frame, talking like an unconcerned person.

“He will come, they will come, probably they need to visit Taifu Yao first, that’s several blocks away, let’s have patience.” Magistrate Cao countered.

He beamed with smiles when a carriage marked with Marquis Valour Manor finally came to his sight.

This new year was a bumpy journey for Magistrate Cao so far, he was implicated in Cao Mo’s case. He had been counting on this visit to talk to Cao Mo and Xiao Yi to discuss a way out.

Magistrate Cao moved towards the carriage rejoicingly only to find Cao Mo was the only one who was in the carriage.

Cao Mo asked his pages to walk in the manor to present the New Year’s gifts first, Magistrate Cao would totally jump for joy on any other day when he saw such generous gifts, but this day all he cared was to have a chance to fawn on Xiao Yi so his family would solve problems for him, so his heart reached the lowest possible level.

“Where is the First Young Master? How come you are home by yourself?” Magistrate Cao asked, his tone reeked of disappointment.

“Father, can’t you tell?” Cao Le showed a gloating look, “Your good son Cao Mo has caused a calamity, of course his in-laws cannot stand him any more, I bet his husband is about to repudiate him any time now, probably these gifts are some compensation.”

Hearing that, Cao Mo gave a sneering laugh and straightened his fur coat in the carriage. Moqi reached his hands by the head of the carriage and supported Cao Mo to walk out of the carriage, then Mohua handed Cao Mo a handwarmer.

Cao Mo put on a haughty smile, “Mohua, don’t you think you are being too cautious? We are visiting my maiden family now, not a slum, I think my maiden family have handwarmers too.”

“Young Madam, please forgive me for being so inflexible and carrying out the Young Master’s order to the letter, it’s just Young Master asked me to take good care of you, so I think why bother to use those plebeian handwarmers and charcoal now that we have our own handwarmer inlaid with enamel and our own plum blossom charcoal.” Mohua was young, but he was rather quick-witted for his age, so he immediately decoded Cao Mo’s question and said exactly what Cao Mo wanted him to say.

And it worked, Cao Le turned green-eyed and kept glaring at Cao Mo after hearing what Mohua had said, and Cao Mo took pleasure in seeing that.

Cao Le looked Cao Mo up and down, then he looked at himself, he was wearing a fur cloak too, but it was just made of regular cony hair, and Cao Mo’s cloak was made of fox fur, especially the collar was so shiny and soft looking.

And Cao Le couldn’t help but notice Cao Mo’s gold hairpin, necklace of precious stones, jade  pendants hanging around his waist… …

Cao Le felt good about himself in his brocade cotton-padded jacket under the cloak, but he felt so dwarfed in Cao Mo’s presence.

Cao Le felt so resentful, ‘All those fancy outfits and jewellery should be mine! Cao Mo has stolen my life and now he is showing off in front of me!’

Cao Mo chose to be oblivious to Cao Le’s jealousy, he walked inside the gate with his chin up and chest out.

“Aiya, look at my younger brother, putting on airs in his maiden family like this. This is still Spring Festival, we don’t want to see your sulky face, you know what, you can leave if you don’t want to be here!” with that Cao Le turned around and walked to his room.

“Where are your manners? You are Mo’s older brother!” Magistrate Cao rebuked Cao Le.

Cao Mo smiled, “I’m so used to this, my older brother always carries on like this whenever he doesn’t have things his way.”

“I know you have always been the bigger person, Mo, you have been doing well. Your brother is going to marry Xiao Jin soon, you two will live in the same manor again, please don’t lower yourself to his level if he offends you in the future.” Magistrate Cao took hold of Cao Mo’s hand and continued, “Your brother has been jealous of you, he always thinks it should be him who is honored as the First Young Madam in Marquis Valour’s Manor.”

Cao Le lifted his portiere and shouted, “Exactly, you are nothing but a thief, you have stolen my life but you are ungrateful about it!”

Cao Mo put on a poker face, “Father, there are certain things I’d like to address, I was forced to marry into Marquis Valour’s Manor, it’s not like I set him up or anything.”

With that Cao Mo turned around and said, “My dear brother, too bad you don’t have a time machine!”

Magistrate Cao asked Cao Mo about the updates about the case, Cao Mo said, “Only I know how to finish the last procedure, I can prove my innocence, plus Xiao Yi’s Third Uncle has the evidence of Imperial Censor Li taking bribes, so things are looking great for us, father, soon you will be reinstated in office.”

Hearing that, Magistrate Cao shed tears of gratitude.

Cao Le chimed in, “Father, this is Cao Mo’s fault in the first place, you are the victim here, we are all victim here, see, we don’t even have any visitors this year!”

Cao Mo put down the tea cup and said, “Cao Le! You better not go too far in bullying me! You are the one who has given false testimony, aren’t you?”

As luck would have it, Xiao Yi sent his pages to invite Cao Mo to Yao Manor to watch the Peking Opera shows, Cao Mo took advantage of that opportunity and took his leave.

… …

There was a stage in the backyard of the Yao Manor called Brocade Stage.

And there was a three-story building opposite Brocade Stage, the servants and pages would wait on their masters on first story, while the male guests would entertain themselves on the second story and the female guests the third story.

Cao Mo was taken to the third story by the servants of Yao Manor, and he was loud in apologies seeing all the guests there were ladies, then the servants laughed, “No, madam, you need to be here with the female guests.”

Yao Wenyuan who came the the third story to send play lists to the female guests sneered at Cao Mo, “You are back early, ah, I know, you are just excited to watch Peking Opera, what a peasant!”

Cao Mo didn’t want to offend Yao Wenyuan openly, so he said in a self-mockery manner, “You are so right, Cousin Cao, I always long to see my husband since I married him, so I hurried back when he sent his pages to invite me.”

Big Madam Yao heard Cao Mo’s reply and was amazed by him, “Well said! It looks like Yi has married a good wife indeed!”