Chapter 537
Chapter 537
At this moment, at the Zhao residence.
"Have you lost your mind?" Zhao Donglai stared at Lady Niu in fury.
"Master, everything I did was for this family," Lady Niu said, her eyes darting away.
In her heart, she felt extremely guilty.
She had originally assumed those young masters from the great families would be gullible and wealthy, willing to compensate her with some silver and be done with it.
She never expected that people like them would actually take things so seriously.
They wouldn't part with even a single coin.
The more she thought about it, the angrier Lady Niu became.
"Master, this isn't my fault. It's all that woman's doing. If she had been willing to pay us the silver, none of this would have happened!" Lady Niu said with a dissatisfied expression.
"You still have the nerve to bring up silver?" Just thinking about it made Zhao Shangjie feel that the pain in his backside was truly suffered in vain.
This Lady Niu had spoken without thinking, and he had to suffer twenty heavy strokes of the board for it.
He'd nearly lost his life.
What Zhao Shangjie didn't know was that Xu Heming's men were still investigating this matter. Once they uncovered Lady Niu's deeds, she would have to shed a layer of skin.
Those twenty strokes on Zhao Shangjie were merely punishment for failing to govern his household properly.
Zhao Donglai had returned and was huddled in a corner the whole time.
No one had even bothered to ask if he was hurt.
Zhao Donglai remembered when Xu Qingshi's mother had come today, the first thing she asked was whether he had been injured.
Why was it that the same kind of stepmother, his classmate's stepmother was not only beautiful but also spoke gently, while his own stepmother was not only fierce but always arguing with his father?
If only his stepmother were as gentle and beautiful as Xu Qingshi's.
Zhao Donglai stared blankly at the sky, thinking to himself, would Xu Qingshi and the others still want to play with him in the future?
"Do you have any idea who those people are? And who we are? Don't you understand that in your heart?" Zhao Shangjie said, clutching his throbbing backside again.
He was incredibly irritated, wondering how he had ever married such a brainless woman in the first place.
"Those people's families are so well-off. What harm is there in them giving us a bit of silver? Everything I did, I did for this family. Who else but me would think of us?" Lady Niu said, pulling out her handkerchief and bursting into tears.
Zhao Shangjie was useless, which was why she had resorted to such schemes.
"What do you know? As long as Donglai stays on good terms with them, even a tiny bit they let slip through their fingers would be enough to feed our family for an entire year," Zhao Shangjie said, though he himself was uncertain. After this incident, would they even allow Zhao Donglai to play with them anymore?
After this, it would be impossible for Zhao Donglai to deepen his connection with them, wouldn't it?
At the thought, Zhao Shangjie let out a long sigh, muttering to himself about the bad luck.
None of the Zhao family realized that an even greater disaster was waiting for them.
Meanwhile, at the Jiang residence in Lucheng.
"Madam, the young miss from your natal family has arrived." Nanny Tang walked into Jiang's courtyard with a beaming face, speaking happily.
"Yue'er is here!" Madame Jiang rose with joy at the news.
Then, she sat back down again.
So what if her niece had come? Her son was nowhere to be found.
She had originally wanted Jiang Siyue to marry Jiang Yuanrang, but Jiang Yuanrang had been missing for nearly a month now.
If it weren't for the fact that the second branch was still bedridden with illness, she wouldn't be able to rest easy right now either.
"Aunt!" A young girl in pink clothing walked in joyfully from outside.
It was Jiang Siyue, the niece of Madame Jiang's natal family.
"Yue'er, you've come." Madame Jiang forced a smile and stood up, taking Jiang Siyue's hands and shaking them affectionately.
"Aunt, Yue'er has missed you so much. How have you been lately?" Jiang Siyue playfully pulled on Madame Jiang's hand and cooed.
But her eyes were wandering around the room. When she didn't see Jiang Yuanrang, she felt a little disappointed.
Her cousin wasn't here. Did that mean he didn't welcome her visit?
Then Jiang Siyue remembered what her father had told her before she left: to come to the Jiang family and marry her cousin. At that thought, a shy blush crept over her face.
Her cousin must be very busy managing the entire Jiang family, right?
I wonder if her cousin would be happy to see her?
"You child, are your grandparents and parents doing well?" Madame Jiang felt a pang of longing as she thought of her parents and elder brother far away in Jiuzhou.
Over the years, she had never found the time to return and visit her parents and brother.
"Aunt, rest assured. Grandfather, grandmother, and my parents are all doing well," Jiang Siyue said with a smile.
"That's good. Nanny Tang, take the young miss to settle in and let her rest a while," Madame Jiang urged Nanny Tang.
"You must be tired from your long journey. Settle in and rest. Tonight, I'll host a welcome banquet for you," Madame Jiang said, patting her niece's hand with a smile.
"Yes, thank you, Aunt!" Jiang Siyue was indeed a little tired and needed to rest.
At the thought of seeing her cousin tonight, Jiang Siyue was overjoyed.
Once Jiang Siyue had left the courtyard, Madame Jiang turned to one of her attendants and asked, "Is there still no news of the young master?"
For the past month, Madame Jiang had never given up searching for Jiang Yuanrang.
She didn't believe Jiang Yuanrang would vanish without a trace for no reason.
"Madam, our people haven't found any trace of the young master," a maid stepped forward and said.
"Send more people. I refuse to believe the young master just disappeared into thin air!" Madame Jiang said angrily, but inside she was beginning to panic.
Could that boy have discovered his true origins?
Back then, when she had saved him, she had noticed his clothing was of fine quality, so his family must have been well-off.
Could the boy have gone back?
At that thought, Madame Jiang's heart tightened.
If Jiang Yuanrang really did go back, then what would happen to the Jiang family?
Would it fall into the hands of those ambitious wolves in the second branch?
"Search in the direction of Qujing!" Madame Jiang said, recalling that she had rescued Jiang Yuanrang on the outskirts of Qujing. His biological parents should be somewhere around there.
What Madame Jiang didn't realize was that Jiang Yuanrang was actually in the capital at this very moment.
"Madam, the young miss from your natal family came to Lucheng specifically to marry the young master. If she asks where he is, what should we say?" the maid Xiaotao asked, knowing Jiang Siyue would inevitably ask about Jiang Yuanrang's whereabouts.
"Say the young master has gone to Qujing on business," Madame Jiang said after a moment of thought, deciding to conceal the truth from her niece for now.
After all, what if Jiang Yuanrang did come back?
What Madame Jiang didn't know was that in the capital, the Li family and the Wen family were already discussing the engagement between their two families.
"General Wen, if you have any requirements, just name them. We'll follow your wishes to the letter." Lady Yao smiled as she looked at Wen Zhaonan.
For her son to marry the young lady of the Wen family, it was truly a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes.
Moreover, the Wen and Li households were in close proximity, so the two families could look after each other. Lady Yao felt that was ideal.
Lady Yao had even already imagined how convenient it would be for her future grandchildren to visit their maternal uncle's home.
"My sister and I lost our parents young. As for this marriage, let's keep everything simple. I'd just like to trouble Uncle and Aunt to take care of the arrangements," Wen Zhaonan said with genuine sincerity, for they no longer had elders, and though he was older, he himself had never been married.