CHAPTER 341: CHAPTER 318: UNGRATEFUL

Madam Xun pondered Yu Xiaolian’s words, wondering how much truth they held.

But she only thought for a moment before sneering contemptuously, "Do you really take me for a naive village woman, easy to deceive?

Your Ninth Grade official title sounds impressive, but in reality, you have no soldiers under your command and no real power, unable to manage anything.

Don’t try to intimidate me, even breaking my son’s leg. Who do you think you are, that you can control people of the Zhao Family?"

Madam Xun was a native of Luocheng, and the more local one was, the more they understood the influence of the Zhao Family in Luocheng.

If Yu Xiaolian’s family was a local wealthy family, then the Zhao Family was like the Emperor here.

This is why when Qi Shanhe claimed to be swindled by the Zhao Family Gambling House, Madam Xun didn’t dare confront them to argue.

She certainly had no courage to oppose the Zhao Family.

Yu Xiaolian smirked, "Then let’s see."

After speaking, she didn’t look at Madam Xun again and walked away on the snow.

"Bah..." Madam Xun pouted and cursed at Yu Xiaolian’s back, "Busybody, minding others’ business.

I didn’t ask you for money, spending my own daughter’s money is only right, even the Emperor can’t intervene!"

After cursing, Madam Xun banged fiercely on Sun Fengshou’s wooden gate twice, and through the gap, she saw Sun Hongmei shoveling snow in the yard. She shouted, "Tell Qi Dalian, if she doesn’t send me one hundred taels of silver tomorrow, I’ll sell her niece, Xiao Sui. Let’s see how she handles it."

Sun Hongmei’s hand holding the shovel paused, then she tossed a shovelful of snow over the gate.

She had been a servant at the Ma Mansion for thirty years, encountering all sorts of people, but she had never met someone as shameless as Madam Xun.

Though she knew it was improper, Sun Hongmei couldn’t resist.

Madam Xun was peering through the gate gap when suddenly a spadeful of snow fell from the sky, and the icy snow slid down her neck into her clothes.

"Ah..." Madam Xun shook off the snow, jumped in anger, and cursed loudly, "You plague-ridden creature, you dare toss snow on me? You... wait till my son becomes a Scholar, see if I don’t deal with you!"

Sun Hongmei wasn’t afraid of that, Madam Xun’s husband was once a Scholar, and hasn’t Madam Xun remained subdued?

Besides, in this remote village, a Scholar seemed prestigious, but in the city, wealthy men called them Scholars publicly, but privately mocked them as poor Scholars.

Her former master, Mr. Ma, had sponsored many scholars, mostly poor and impoverished Scholars.

Scholar, what a nice-sounding title, but realistically, a Scholar’s life wasn’t as dignified as that of a small shop owner.

Moreover, these so-called literati were the most ungrateful.

Mr. Ma had supported many impoverished scholars, some of whom succeeded and became officials, but once they gained positions, they no longer acknowledged Mr. Ma.

Some turned ungrateful directly, while others repaid the silver spent on them and severed contact.

Sun Hongmei had seen many of such ungrateful people during her long service at the Ma Mansion.

Her master was simply unlucky to not encounter a single grateful soul.

Sun Hongmei had often heard during casual chats that scholars were heartless and indifferent, which she agreed with.

Now at Sun Fengshou’s household, witnessing Sun Fengshou’s brother-in-law, her views changed again, as Qi Shanhe was even more shameless than those scholars she had met before.

Those sponsored by the Ma Mansion at least knew to disguise themselves.

But Qi Shanhe was different, he had no sense of shame!

"Bah... If your son becomes a Scholar, it’ll be like the sun rising from the west." Sun Hongmei said and promptly tossed another shovelful of snow out.

This time, Madam Xun wasn’t hit massively, but some snow still blew into her mouth as she was about to curse.

Moreover, the snow inside her clothes melted, soaking her inner wear. As a gust of cold wind blew, Madam Xun shivered, hugging her coat tightly and yelled at Sun Hongmei, then hurriedly ran home.

Madam Xun had only gotten halfway when she encountered her elder brother-in-law, Village Chief Qi Lizheng.

Village Chief Qi Lizheng had come to find Madam Xun, after his young son, Qi Shanbao, told him that his shameless sister-in-law had shamelessly gone to Sun Fengshou’s house to ’borrow money’ again.

Village Chief Qi Lizheng decided to properly address Madam Xun, to prevent her from continuing to disgrace Qi Shanhe, because Qi Shanhe was currently the pride of their Qi Family, the hope of bringing honor to their family.

With a stern face, Village Chief Qi Lizheng asked Madam Xun, "What were you doing at the Sun Family again?"

Facing her brother-in-law, the Village Chief, Madam Xun felt guilty, "Nothing... Just that Dalian is about to give birth, and as a mother, I was concerned, so I went to check on her."

Village Chief Qi Lizheng rolled his eyes, for he knew Madam Xun too well, greedy for small advantages, with no bottom line.

When his Scholar brother was alive, he could somewhat restrain Madam Xun, but after his short-lived brother died from illness three years ago, Madam Xun had no checks on her behavior.

"I heard that the Sun Family hired a cook and a midwife for Dalian, she’s well taken care of.

Don’t go to the Sun Family aimlessly.

If I find out you’re making trouble at the Sun Family’s doorstep again, I’ll expel you from the clan.

Also, I just passed by your house and saw Shanhe’s wife leaving with a bundle and Xiao Sui, what’s going on?

Did you bully Shanhe’s wife again?"

Madam Xun cried out, cursing loudly, "That plague-ridden one, actually ran off with the child."

It’s one thing for her to leave, but how dare she take their Qi Family’s granddaughter away, truly...

Madam Xun rushed to go home.

She needed to tell her son that such a disobedient wife couldn’t be tolerated.

Village Chief Qi Lizheng shouted, "I’m not finished talking yet!"

Madam Xun ignored him and ran home, taking three steps at a time.

Village Chief Qi Lizheng followed behind Madam Xun angrily. No, he couldn’t just go home; he needed to follow and see.

When Madam Xun got home, she saw the wooden fence open, the door ajar, leaving a gap.

She pushed the door open and entered the room.

"Shanhe..."

Madam Xun called out throughout the east and west rooms but didn’t see Qi Shanhe’s shadow.

"That useless one, his plague-ridden wife left, did he go after her?" Madam Xun muttered.

Madam Xun had just found a set of clothes and was about to change out of her wet clothes when Village Chief Qi Lizheng pushed the door open and entered.