Chapter 16: Chapter 16

Facing Ming Rou’s accusation, Ye Qiuniang felt somewhat helpless. But she knew the young girl didn’t really want an answer; she just felt wronged and wanted comfort.

Moreover, being spoiled since childhood, Ming Rou had a strong personality and refused to show weakness. Her own reticent nature would only make the girl overthink and imagine things.

Ye Qiuniang sighed softly, stepped forward to stand before the young girl, and only then realized Ming Rou’s height was almost catching up to hers.

“Haven’t I returned? And I’ll never leave again, unless the Eldest Miss no longer wants me.”

The soft, gentle voice sounded by her ear. The resentment that had been lodged in Ming Rou’s throat slowly dissipated at the word “never.” Her awkward, uncomfortable emotions instantly vanished like smoke.

But she didn’t want the other to see. She lowered her eyes and countered with a light snort, “When have I ever not wanted you?”

“Yes, the Eldest Miss has never not wanted Qiuniang. It was Qiuniang who made a mistake and was punished and had to leave. In the future, I will be careful in words and deeds so that such a thing will not happen again.”

Hearing her take all the blame upon herself, Ming Rou felt extremely uncomfortable. But she couldn’t say much else. She could only turn her back and mutter gloomily, “Forget it. It’s me who couldn’t protect you.”

Ye Qiuniang, hearing this and seeing her still-huffy little appearance, felt her lips curve slightly upward.

Her little temper flared quickly but was also easy to coax.

You could call her sincere, yet she held a small grievance in her heart for two or three years. But call her petty, and a soft word of coaxing would immediately make her better.

But whatever temper the Eldest Miss had, she was still the person Ye Qiuniang wanted to protect for a lifetime.

In the end, Old Patriarch Ming did not survive that winter. Ming Rou wept until she was a tear-soaked mess. Ye Qiuniang stayed by her side, silently accompanying her.

The entire Ming Family was immersed in grief. Only one person rejoiced: Du Xian.

Kneeling before the spirit coffin, Du Xian’s eyes were red and swollen, tears seemingly falling, as if the deceased were his own biological father.

“My lady, from now on, you and I, with one heart, will surely support this family.” Du Xian declared in front of the mourners, his eyes red.

His gaze was fervent, his oath solemn. Some among the mourners believed him, some did not, but no one was foolish enough to voice their doubts openly.

Since the incident with Ye Qiuniang, Du Xian’s credibility with Ming Rou had plummeted to zero. This man always thought Ming Rou was young and naive, even thinking daughters naturally followed their fathers and would eventually side with him. Thus, he hadn’t been particularly careful to hide his sordid deeds from her. Unknowingly, this had cost him his daughter’s trust long ago.

The more Ming Rou understood her father’s true nature, the more worried she became about the future.

Now that the Old Patriarch was gone, the Ming Family was about to change masters.

The Ming Family’s wealth came primarily from two sources: growing grain and trading grain.

The Ming Family owned two thousand mu of land. One thousand mu in Lai Village, the fenced-off area called Paulownia Village. The rest was distributed between Yang Manor and the outskirts of Pingle County. Each of these three estates had managers overseeing them.

The grain shop was located in West City, near the Ming residence, managed by Shopkeeper Yu.

Sure enough, less than a month after Old Patriarch Ming’s death, Du Xian became restless. Wherever Ming Yulan went, he was there, ostensibly to help his wife share the burden.

Ming Yulan was also careless. Now that the Old Patriarch was gone, Du Xian sweet-talked her a little, and her mind heated up, completely forgetting her old father’s instructions. She took her pretty-boy husband on her inspection tours of the estates and shops, introduced him to the Managers and shopkeepers, and no longer kept the account books from him.

But what the couple never expected was that the Paulownia Village estate, with over a thousand mu of fertile land, had already been transferred to someone else half a year before the Old Patriarch’s death. Who it was, no one knew. Only a receipt remained. Manager He, originally in charge of Paulownia Village, was now loyal to the new owner and no longer took orders from the Ming Family.

Looking at the black-and-white Land Deed before her, Ming Yulan felt some regret but thought that since it was her father’s decision, there must have been a reason. She didn’t wish to dwell on it much.

But Du Xian didn’t see it that way. He found the matter suspicious. Perhaps Old Patriarch Ming had sold the estate specifically to guard against him.

Yet after searching everywhere, the money from the sale was nowhere to be found; it had vanished without a trace.

Seeing the massive gap torn in what should have been a vast family property, Du Xian’s face instantly blackened with rage.

Ming Yulan only thought he was worried about their family property and felt comforted. She reassured him, “Husband, even if only one grain shop remains, it’s enough to feed our family of three. Father must have had his difficulties then. If the Paulownia Village land was sold, then let it be sold.”

Du Xian cursed her inwardly as a simple, ignorant woman, grinding his teeth at the heartache.

Beyond Paulownia Village, the grain shop on the street had also reduced its grain stockpiles since last year. The current stock was less than half of what it used to be.

Seeing another massive sum of silver vanish from the ledgers, leaving a gaping hole, Du Xian was so furious his lungs felt ready to explode.

He never imagined the old man would still be guarding against him even on his deathbed. But the Ming Family had only so many relatives. Du Xian secretly and openly investigated many times but found nothing. These relatives were almost certainly not the partners the Old Patriarch would have chosen. After finding nothing, he could only sullenly accept the outcome.

Between Du Xian’s schemes and his wife’s eagerness to hand over the family fortune to please her beloved, the entire Ming Family fell almost entirely into Du Xian’s hands within half a year of the Old Patriarch’s death.

During these days, Du Xian used every trick in the book to woo Ming Yulan. She existed day and night in his gentle embrace, unable to extricate herself. Until one day, she accidentally discovered that Du Xian had been secretly inspecting the shops and collecting the account books behind her back several times. A faint unease rose in her heart.

He, however, responded with a doting expression. “You never liked these tedious business matters. As husband and wife, we are one family. I just want to do what I can to share the burden so you won’t be so tired.”

And so, Ming Yulan was fooled again.

Less than a month after this incident, Du Xian brought a woman into the house and arranged a room for her, claiming she was a distant cousin from his hometown visiting relatives and would stay for a while. This “while” turned into three or four months. One day, Ming Yulan accidentally caught Du Xian coming out of the so-called cousin’s room in disheveled clothing. This immediately ignited her fury.

Du Xian no longer bothered to argue with her. He said rather shamelessly, “I married you for ten years, and you only gave me a worthless daughter. You won’t even allow me to find someone else? Then give me a son!”

Ming Yulan refused to let it go, but she was unexpectedly grabbed by the throat by this man. She could barely breathe. Only when her eyes rolled back did he release his grip, letting her collapse onto the floor like mud.

“Behave yourself. Your father is no longer here to protect you. And Rou’er is thirteen now; many people would want to marry her. I think Master Zhao of the Wanchang Granary in East City is a good match. He’s still missing a Ninth Concubine. If you dare make a fuss anywhere, just try me and see if I don’t marry her off to him.”

Hearing this, Ming Yulan saw black, on the verge of fainting. When she recovered, she asked in a trembling voice, “Du Xian, are you even human? Is Rou’er not your daughter? You would, with a heartless mind, marry Rou’er to a fifty-something-year-old man as a concubine? Were your morals eaten by dogs?”

Du Xian chuckled coldly. “Don’t talk to me about morals. That old relic Ming Quan tormented me in ways seen and unseen over the years. This is just a little payback I’m giving the Ming Family. Besides, Rou’er doesn’t bear my surname. Without her, my line isn’t cut off. What our Old Du Family lacks least is sons.”

He cast a meaningful glance at the belly of his “cousin,” He Xiang, as he spoke.

Ming Yulan’s face instantly turned ashen. Her lips trembled. “Du Xian, don’t forget, this is the Ming Family. You are nothing but a lowly Live-in Son-in-law. I still have the final say in this family. If I drive you out, you’ll have nothing left.”

Du Xian sneered at her words, stepped closer, and pinned her against the wall. His face twisted into a menacing snarl. “See? You look exactly like your father right now. To you people, others are as lowly as pigs and dogs. Do you truly believe you still have any control over this household?”

He turned his head and yelled towards the door, “Liuzi, go bring Uncle Fu here!”

Hearing Uncle Fu’s name, Ming Yulan’s face drained of all color. Uncle Fu was her father’s Old Servant, who had followed Old Patriarch Ming closely for many years, serving the Ming Family tirelessly. Even her own recent takeover of the family business had been guided step-by-step by Uncle Fu.

And now, Du Xian was calling him over at this very moment! Could it be?!

Ming Yulan’s body trembled uncontrollably, her upper and lower teeth chattering.

In no time, the Old Servant arrived. Entering the room, he didn’t even glance at Ming Yulan, walking straight to Du Xian and addressing him as “Master.”

With that, Ming Yulan understood everything. She wasn’t unaware that Du Xian was a wolf that couldn’t be tamed. But she had also relied on the estate Managers, the shop’s Shopkeeper, and the elders in the family and clan—all men who had followed her father, who had treated them generously. She’d always thought that, based on past loyalty, they would help her no matter what happened. Yet she never imagined the first to betray her would be the one she considered the most reliable.

Ming Yulan tremblingly called out, “Uncle Fu.” The Old Servant didn’t answer. Only after seeing Du Xian nod did he reply, “Madam.”

“Understand your situation now?” Du Xian’s face held a dark, chilling smile that sent shivers down one’s spine.