Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

8. Nasty Sister-in-law

Translator: Sissy That Walk

“Mother… You gotta help me with this one”, Xiao Jin threw himself at his mother Lady Lu.

Lady Lu’s face darkened, “You’d better behave yourself these days, Dowager Xiao is coming back from the temple soon for the Spring Festival, get your mess sorted out, don’t make a fool of yourself in front of everybody.”

Qiushuang came back to the room to report that Bailu was dead now, Lady Lu lifted her hand and asked Qiushuang to arrange a few pages to patch up this , namely throwing her body out of the mansion as soon as possible.

Cao Mo and Xiao Yi were just entering the yard, they saw a few pages carried a dead body wrapped in a ragged blanket with blood shedding along the way, a little maid was busy cleaning the blood stains on the ground.

Seeing that, Cao Mo gave a start.

Xiao Yi squeezed his hand and comforted him, “Don’t worry, this is no big deal in a family like ours, but you are a master here, no one ever dare to treat you like this!”

Cao Mo felt like he was shaking all over, he couldn’t fathom the fact how could they kill people like scything grass. Bailu was merely a young girl of eighteen years old, he hated what she had done to Xiao Yi, but he didn’t want her to die, and the fact was Bailu died because of what he said to Xiao Yugui. He now started to understand why his husband said that he didn’t see the point of fighting against Lady Lu, he knew the ultimate rule was to stay low before you were competent enough to fight.

Cao Mo knew the only way to avoid any bullying was to become the first lady of this mansion, “Xiao Yi, I don’t want to be beaten to death, I want to be the First Lady of this mansion.”

Xiao Yi was a bit stupefied, how could his husband just said it out loud like that without any covering, he didn’t even try to pretend.

Xiao Yi also yearned for more freedom, but freedom only came with more power in hand, sadly, Xiao Yi didn’t have much of it at the moment.

“The First Lady of this mansion?” asked Xiao Yi, “I’m afraid it’s not easy, as long as there is Xiao Jin, Lady Lu surely will alienate me and father.”

Cao Mo asked, “Now that you are married, can we move out, why do we have to live under the same roof with her and be slavishly dependent upon her?”

Xiao Yi raised his face and showed a bitter smile, “That will only incur us an earlier death, she has nothing to dread if we move out.”

Cao Mo nodded and looked at Xiao Yi in a serious manner, “I see, don’t worry, I will protect you.”

With that Cao Mo gave Xiao Yi a hug, the maids who were strolling in the hallway laughed and covered their faces.

Xiao Yi flushed crimson, “Not again! People are watching!”

Cao Mo smiled, “I’m sorry, I keep forgetting you guys don’t do this in public!”

Xiao Yi felt strange, he knew his husband wasn’t being coy or sexual by giving him a hug, he was just being himself.

Xiao Yi sighed in his heart, he had a long way to go on they way of protecting Cao Mo.

Cao Mo supported Xiao Yi’s arms and walked to Lady Lu’s guest hall, Cao Mo served tea to Lady Lu with Xiao Yi’s help and sat aside to listen to Lady Lu’s instructions.

Lady Lu was about forty years old, she didn’t look her age with her flawless skin and gentle manners, Cao Mo almost bought her perfect image if he had not seen the disgust in her eyes when she first landed her eyes on Cao Mo.

Lady Lu looked at Cao Mo and Xiao Yi with a smile, “I feel so glad seeing you two getting along so well, I spared no efforts on making this match, it all pays off. However, our family is much more disciplined than your family, as the young madam of our young master’s, how could you act so intimate in front of all the servants, am I right? It looks like your mother didn’t discipline you well at home, please keep it in mind that you need to behave yourself in a big family like ours, any misbehavior will not only make yourself a laughing stock but also you will embarrass our whole family.”

Cao Mo rolled his eyes in his heart, ‘Badmouthing about someone’s mother at the first meeting, who need to be disciplined?’

Xiao Yi chimed in before Cao Mo exploded, “Madam, Mo stays at home all the time, he has a lot to learn, plus we have you, Lady Lu, as an example, I’m sure Mo will improve soon.”

Lady Lu kept her smile, she didn’t frown the slightest bit when Xiao Yi referred her as “madam” instead of “mother”. She asked her maid to present the gifts she prepared for Cao Mo.

It was a tray of beautiful ornaments and some fabrics, he said, “Thank you for the lovely presents, but I don’t wear ornaments.”
Lady Lu’s smile disappeared.

Xiao Yi retorted, “Mo, you are being rude, come thanks Lady Lu with me.”

“Thank you, Lady Lu.” Cao Mo took the tray.

Then Mammy Wang took Cao Mo to greet other people.

Xiao Yugui had seven concubines, Concubine Wu’s daughter Xiao Li was twelve years old, she knew she had to kiss Lady Lu’s ass if she wanted to marry well. She knew Lady Lu harbored deep hatred against Xiao Yi and naturally Cao Mo as well.

Xiao Yi greeted Xiao Li, Xiao Li gave Cao Mo a hankerchief embroidered by herself and said condescendingly, “Brother-in-law, now that you have nothing to do at home, if you want to learn embroidery you can ask for my help.”

Cao Mo chuckled, “I will ask you if I want to learn, but don’t you have maids who do this? Young masters should pay attention to other important stuff, like your brother Xiao Yi, he buries himself into books every day, see, a maid cooks the book behind his back, a maid embezzled over six thousand taels of silver. Sister-in-law, I do advise you to have a look at your accounts as soon as possible, the more attention you pay on side issues like embroidery, the more silver you will lose.”

“Thank you for your concern, brother-in-law!” protested Xiao Li, “But mother will help me with this, I don’t believe a maid would have the guts to embezzle as much as six thousand taels of silver, brother-in-law, please don’t wrong anyone in Magnolia House, Bailu died because of what you said to father. In my opinion, it looks like someone wronged the maid to embezzle the money to buy some betrothal gifts for himself!”

Cao Mo had totally underestimated this little girl, this speech had totally caught him off guard.

He was about to talk back when Xiao Yi chimed in, “Third Sister, what your brother-in-law said was true.”

Xiao Li didn’t plan to let Cao Mo go easily, “I heard brother-in-law gave brother a hug and reduced brother to a laughing stock?”

“Nonsense!” exploded Xiao Yi, “As a younger sister, you are being disrespectful to your own brother and brother-in-law! Will you be able to marry if word spreads out?”