To begin with, Yu Xiang's temper is not good and Chang Ya Fu's plotting against Yu Pin Yan had already touched her sore spot yet she was so despicably shameless to even use her as a stepping stone to whitewash herself by blackening her.
It has never been Yu Xiang's character to stifle her indignation after being plotted against. Her principle has been that 'those who regard me a foot, I will honor them ten feet but I will trample those who steps a foot on me to death'. She shouted at the distant backs of the group of people, "Chang Ya Fu, the matter of us would have been considered over if you had honestly withdrawn the marriage but now you insist making things difficult for me, so don't blame me for being merciless and ruthless!"
Shakily, Chang Ya Fu almost fell down but the person next to her fortunately supported her. One of them turned around angrily and yelled in a low voice, "That's enough, Yu Xiang! Leave a leeway for future retreat, so do not push others to desperation!"
"You guys really have a good relationship and as expected, birds of a feather flock together. I'll be kind enough to give you a piece of heartfelt advice. Stay away from her else, beware of ruining your reputation." After shouting that out, Yu Xiang pointed at Yu Miao Qi who was hiding under the porch, "You too. Knowing perfectly well what kind of person she is yet you still went forward to comfort her, what do you mean? Could it be that you thought her behavior deserved emulation? Where has your moral practice gone after cultivating for 14 years in Shui Yue Nunnery? You actually don't even know the slightest bit of shamelessness."
Chang Ya Fu had already run towards the side hall and shiveringly hid behind Madam Jingguo when she found her. Yu Miao Qi lowered her head and said nothing as her heart felt anything but reassuring.
Fan Jiao Jiao looks simple and honest but she is actually not stupid at all and asked curiously, "Ruin what reputation or shamelessness? Is it possible there's still some inside story? Wasn't Chang Ya Fu's withdrawal of the marriage due to your scolding?"
Yu Xiang held her index finger against her delicate plum-blossom-like lips, "Shh, don't ask anymore now, you will know soon."
Yu Miao Qi was horrified and hurriedly stepped forward to whisper, "Yu Xiang, you can't do this! Isn't it enough that Sister Fu'er took the initiative to withdraw from the marriage? She is already in her early twenties this year. If she does not find a good ground to get over this, how will she get married in future. Can't you show some understanding and sympathy for her?"
With one eyebrow raised, Yu Xiang sneered, "Could you show your understanding and sympathy if it is your reputation that is ruined? Seeing that I do not have a good reputation, is it alright to blacken my name as much as possible? You guys think I'm a living Bodhisattva who even let you shit on my head? You will need to be prepared to get smacked in the face by me when you tried to chalk up to her today. Move aside, I don't want to talk to you!"
Although both of them had lowered their voices, Fan Jiao Jiao, who has been practicing martial arts for many years, heard them and immediately pushed Yu Miao Qi away as she snorted coldly, "Get lost. You are another bitch with bad intentions. Xiang'er, let's go play by ourselves. There is no need to pay them any attention."
"Let us go play pitch-pot. One hundred taels for an arrow, do you want to do it?" Yu Xiang rubbed her hands together.
Fan Jiao Jiao brushed away both Tao Hong and Liu Lu, who were trying to push the wheelchair as she replied urgently, "Yes, why not! Wait a moment, I'll call all my younger brothers and younger sisters over. Let's join hands to win their purses." Saying that, she pressingly pushed her away.
Having no choice, Tao Hong and Liu Lu followed closely behind.
Standing stiffly for a moment, Yu Miao Qi turned around and sprinted towards the side hall. She wanted to warn the mother and daughter of the Chang family to quickly find a way to stop Yu Xiang but to her surprise, they both had long been frightened away.
Yu Xiang and Fan Jiao Jiao won a lot of purses that they drank two more cups in a moment of joy and Yu Xiang was still a little giddy when she returned to the Marquis manor. Only after Old Madam imbued her with a big bowl of sober-up soup that her stupor eyes refocus again.
She then spat out a mouthful of alcoholic breath when she opened her mouth and said, "Grandmother, do you know Chang Ya Fu played the hang herself by the noose game and said she could not endure my malice that she withdrew her marriage with elder brother.
It doesn't matter if I stink my reputation, Grandmother, but I can't stand others throwing dirty water on my head. I want to settle the score with her!"
As Yu Miao Qi and Lin Shi hanged around the main courtyard and refused to leave, they quickly dissuaded when they heard this, "Just forget it. Anyone can make mistakes so forgive them if possible. She has no choice too, so let's just give her a way out!"
"Letting her take the initiative to withdraw from the marriage is already giving her a way out once, how can she turn over and not let me off? Do you know, Grandmother, Yu Miao Qi even went over to comfort her, saying that the Yu family had wronged her. What does that mean? She had her feet stepped on two boats and vigorously cuckolding my elder brother, so how could she turn around and say it was my Yu family who had wronged her?" The more Yu Xiang said, the more absurd she felt that she snorted with laughter.
Old Madam who was feeling somewhat relaxed immediately flared up when she heard the verse 'anyone can make mistakes so forgive them if possible' that she threw away the rosary and asked sternly, "Yu Miao Qi, do you still remember your last name?"
"Grandmother, I merely saw how pitiful Sister Fu'er is and thought to help say a few good words so that she can find a family smoothly. It's also considered as accumulating a bit of good deeds as cultivating for the afterlife..." Yu Miao Qi tried to use the Buddhist verse to exonerate herself.
"You mean to say our family letting her withdraw from the marriage is precisely lessening the good deeds? If elder brother is to marry her, he will be a turtle cuckold for the rest of his life which can accumulate a bit of good deeds to help him find a virtuous wife in his next life, is it? Yu Miao Qi, are you sick in the head?" Yu Xiang gestured at her temple.
Lin Shi was too embarrassed to even raise her head yet Yu Miao Qi defended herself, "How am I sick in the head? Sister Fu'er was already forced to almost hang herself by you but if you are not letting her off, aren't you planning to push her to death?"
Old Madam kneaded her glabella and spoke in a deep voice, "Alright, cut the crap! Yu Miao Qi, you are more distressed about Chang Ya Fu than your elder brother. After all, you were raised outside and don't consider yourself a member of the Yu family. If next time you join hands with the outsiders to make things difficult for Xiang'er, you can go live independently with your mother in the village. Our Yu family cannot tolerate someone who lives off one person while secretly helping another." Once the words faltered, she looked at the granddaughter who was fuming with anger and waved helplessly, "How so do you want to settle the score with Chang Ya Fu? With your infamous reputation, people will even think you deliberately slandered her should you state the actual situation and who will believe you? And if too much is said while she seeks death again, you will not be able to get rid of this taint."
The action of the Chang family was really disgusting, seeing that Yu Xiang is notorious hence putting the blame on her. As Yu Xiang had offended so many noble ladies, these people would naturally be more tolerant of Chang Ya Fu as fellow sufferers commiserate with each other that some even had the desire to support her. Using this driving force as pretext, Chang Ya Fu will find another household in no time.
This is using her granddaughter as the stepping stone to trample on ah! Feeling suffocated, Old Madam, however, could not think of a foolproof solution for a while. Seeing her distress, Yu Xiang hugged her arm and comforted her softly, saying that she could bear it for the time being and would unlikely cause any trouble. She only went out with Lin Shi's mother and daughter after waiting upon her to wash up and lying down.
After all that was said, was she still not having to put up with this trifles anger? Gossip is a fearful thing that no matter how powerful Yu Xiang is, isn't she still no match to the discordant of public opinion? In the end, she is still only an attractive but useless paper tiger! Thinking so, the corners of Yu Miao Qi's mouth could not help but reveal a slight smile of contempt.
The three of them were about to go their separate ways at the intersection when Yu Xiang was heard calling out softly, "Elder Sister, let's go play in my courtyard?"
There was hesitation shown on Yu Miao Qi's face.
"Why? Afraid of me?" Yu Xiang raised an eyebrow that her already gorgeous face brought out a sense of overbearingness.
Feeling herself a head shorter than her for no reason, Yu Miao Qi immediately smiled, "How could that be, let's go."
"Qi'er ... " Lin Shi tugged at her sleeve and shook her head slightly.
"How old is Elder Sister? Can't even walk after straying away from Mother? I am not even a tiger, will I possibly eat you up?" Yu Xiang covered her mouth and laughed lightly.
Yu Miao Qi brushed Lin Shi away and followed her with her two main maidservants. As soon as the group of people walked into the small picturesque-like courtyard, Yu Xiang had the door closed and pulled Yu Miao Qi to her knees by her belt. With one hand she roped her arm behind her back and another pinched the thin skin of her face as she revealed a gloomily eerie smile.
The two main maidservants turned pale with fright and about to step forward to help but were kicked over by Tao Hong and Liu Lu then pinned to the ground and unable to move.
"Yu Xiang, what do you want to do !?" Yu Miao Qi was beyond shocked that her voice took on a tone of broken shrill when she questioned.
"What do I want to do, it should be what is it that you want to do! Was it not for the sake of substantiating the rumors that I had bullied and humiliated Chang Ya Fu that you took the initiative to comfort Chang Ya Fu today? Which daughter would dare to marry into the Marquis manor having such a terrible sister-in-law. Grandmother is not aware yet at this moment but when she figures it out, she will definitely send me out to move the new sister-in-law in. You just can't bear to see me well-off? Where have I provoked you?"
The pressure of the fingers that pinched her face got stronger and stronger, causing Yu Miao Qi to suck in her breath due to pain but she was so full of hatred that she could not even resort to open her mouth and could only glare with reddened eyes.
Yu Xiang sneered, "Yu Miao Qi, if you don't provoke me, I won't spur you either. If you insist on going against me, I will have to lift this skin off your face." Saying that, her fingertip scratched along the skin and flesh ruthlessly.
"Please don't pinch anymore. I was wrong. I was just jealous of the dotings that Grandmother and elder brother bestow on you to oppose you at every turn. From now on, I will not dare anymore, please let go! If you let me go, I will be conscientious in the future and will voluntarily detour when I see you, is that okay? Okay?" A sharp sting told Yu Miao Qi that her cheek had been nicked by Yu Xiang's pinch and if she did not apply the medicine in time, it might leave a scar. If such, what hope is there to think about in this life?
What kind of a well-bred lady is this person but actually more ferocious than a savage bandit and more vicious than an evil spirit who can do anything perverse when she is offended. Yu Miao Qi was really fearful this time. She sobbed bitterly and chaotically frightened witless when tears trickled down and drenched the wound causing her acute stinging pain.
Only then did Yu Xiang felt pleased looking at this embarrassed face of snot and tears. She released her arm and the pinch on her face then pushed her away before taking out a handkerchief to leisurely wipe her own fingers as she spoke softly, "This is precisely right. We are after all sisters born of the same mother, so why bother make things difficult for each other? If you are willing to behave well, I will never touch you. Okay, okay, why are you crying? What's the big deal?"
Throwing away the handkerchief, she waved her hand at Tao Hong, who was sitting on Bao Sheng's back, "Go, bring me the amethyst stasis ointment in my trousseau."
Complying, Tao Hong kicked Bao Sheng once before running inside the room. Bao Sheng hurriedly climbed up to help her master and whimpered, "Third, Third Young Miss, you are too much. You see you've pinched our Young Miss' face like this, if the Marquis and Old Madam are to ask..."
Yu Xiang interrupted her casually, "Come on, there's no need for elder brother and Grandmother to ask, just simply go complain to them if you feel aggrieved. Go, go, take the medicine."
Running over hastily, Tao Hong stuffed the medicine bottle into the choked Bao Sheng's hand.
Yu Miao Qi was dying to get as far away from this devilish Yu Xiang as possible, so she stopped the two indignant maidservants with her glance and stumbled away. In the future, she would never dare to enter this courtyard again. She had come here twice and both times, she had been threatened by Yu Xiang which was truly a nightmarish experience.