jdhmnovel Chapter 211 No Hope
Chapter 211 No Hope
The screams were so loud that several maids working nearby rushed to call Madam Xing.
Qiao Qingshu was hungry and tired, so she ignored them and went straight back to her own courtyard to eat.
Xiao Qianqian was left lying in the mud, continuing to scream.
The screaming finally stopped when Qiao Qingshu was eating her second bowl of rice.
The old lady Xiao's maid came to Qiao Qingshu's room to call for someone.
"Third Madam, the old lady wants to see you."
Qiao Qingshu knew that Madam Xing would make a scene at the old lady's place, so she wasn't surprised. She simply smiled and stood up, saying...
"Granny, go back first. I'll change my clothes and come over."
As soon as they entered the old lady's room, they saw Xiao Qianqian kneeling in front of the bed, tugging at the old lady's trouser leg and crying uncontrollably.
Madam Xing, standing to the side, also looked at Qiao Qingshu with a deep sense of disgust. Qiao Qingshu had a vague premonition that she might be punished by Old Madam Xiao.
However, she remained calm and composed, bowing slightly before awaiting her fate.
Xiao Qianqian pointed at Qiao Qingshu and complained,
“Grandmother, it was her! I was trying to talk to her kindly, but she pushed me into a mud pit. My whole body aches now; I must have been hurt by the push.”
Madam Xing, having finally seized an opportunity, hurriedly chimed in.
"Madam, the new bride has only just entered the household and she's already bullying Qian'er like this. How will she live in the future? My Qian'er has never suffered like this before. Even I can't bear to hit her, but now she's the one who has hit her..."
Madam Xing stared at Qiao Qingshu with resentful eyes, as if to say that if she didn't give an explanation today, none of them would have a good time.
At this moment, however, Old Madam Xiao slowly and gently asked,
"Shu'er, is your brother settled in?"
Qiao Qingshu nodded and said respectfully,
"Thank you for your kindness, Madam. Everything has been arranged properly."
"That's good. I called you here to ask you this question. You must be tired after a long day. Go back and rest early."
After saying that, he waved his hand to signal Qiao Qingshu to leave. Madam Xing and Xiao Qianqian looked at the old lady and then at Qiao Qingshu with incredulous eyes.
They just watched as Qiao Qingshu left unharmed...
Xiao Qianqian spoke with some impatience, pointing at Qiao Qingshu's departing figure.
"Grandmother! How could you just let her go like that!"
As he spoke, he kept tugging at Madam Xiao's skirt and shaking her body.
In the past, Xiao Qianqian often played on Old Madam Xiao's lap, and the old lady indulged her, letting Qianqian act up as she pleased with her antics, only smiling. Sometimes even Madam Xing was terrified, feeling that her daughter was sometimes quite unruly. But Old Madam Xiao never frowned, always just smiling with tolerance and warmth.
Therefore, everyone knew that the old lady favored the eldest son and daughter of the main branch, and Madam Xing often felt proud of this.
But at this moment, Old Madam Xiao's brows slowly furrowed, her expression clearly displeased. Madam Xing noticed this and quickly reprimanded her.
"Qianqian, behave yourself!"
Xiao Qianqian, used to being spoiled, naturally didn't take her mother's words to heart. She continued to tug at the hem of Old Madam Xiao's skirt, acting coquettishly and demanding that Old Madam Xiao punish Qiao Qingshu, without caring about anyone's feelings.
At this moment, Old Madam Xiao spoke in a cold voice,
"Qian'er is not young anymore. Eldest brother, is this how you raise your child? If Qian'er continues to be like this, won't her husband's family scold our Xiao family for having no family education when she gets married?"
Her tone was authoritative and left no room for doubt, with a hint of coldness. Xiao Qianqian finally realized something was wrong; the old lady had never spoken to her so sternly before.
Her hand froze, and she dared not shake it anymore. She glanced at her mother, Madam Xing, who was trying hard to wink at her. Only then did she stand up in a daze and put some distance between herself and Old Madam Xiao.
Although Madam Xing also sensed the old lady's stern attitude, she still wanted to prove herself and her daughter.
Madam Xing spoke slowly,
“Madam, no matter how willful Qianqian is, Qiao Qingshu was also at fault today. If we indulge her today and don’t teach her a lesson, who knows how arrogant she will become in the future.”
Xiao Qianqian echoed softly,
"That's right."
Old Madam Xiao snorted coldly.
"Arrogant? Does the Xiao family have anyone more arrogant than Qianqian? I know her personality best; she's domineering and unreasonable. A young lady from a respectable family, instead of cultivating her character and virtue, she stirs up trouble every day. Shu'er just found her brother, and this girl goes to make sarcastic remarks and sow discord between the second branch of the family. What kind of behavior is this from a well-to-do family? Xing Yu, is this the kind of good daughter you raised?"
Madam Xing was speechless after hearing this, and Xiao Qianqian timidly shrank back, not daring to utter a sound.
"Punish her by making her kneel in the ancestral hall for a month, so she can properly reflect on her actions."
As soon as Madam Xing returned to the room, she swept two Ru kiln porcelain vases onto the floor and, in her anger, slapped the sweeping maid twice.
Upon hearing the commotion, Xiao Chengyan rushed over to inquire what had happened and why he was so angry.
Upon learning the details, Xiao Chengyan simply smiled and said it wasn't a big deal. He would talk to his sister and tell her to tone down her temper.
Madam Xing, however, had already keenly sensed that something was amiss. She lowered her voice and shouted at Xiao Chengyan,
"It's all changed! Everything has changed! Remember how the old lady always protected our eldest branch of the family? Qianqian did so many outrageous things before, and the old lady never punished her. But today, she's bullying us like this because of Qiao Qingshu."
Xiao Chengyan frowned slightly. In fact, he also felt it. In the past, his grandmother always liked to invite him to her courtyard for meals, tea, or to play chess with her. But now, this good job had been taken away by Xiao Zhijie and Qiao Qingshu.
He hadn't been to the old lady's room for a long time, but Qiao Qingshu went there every few days, as if the old lady always liked to eat with her.
Madam Xing gripped Xiao Chengyan's hand, her expression contorted, her eyes turning red.
"Yan-ge'er, don't take this lightly! Do you know that the money the old lady allocated for your wedding is less than a third of what Xiao Zhijie received! This is the treatment you, the legitimate son of the Xiao family, are entitled to!"
Xiao Chengyan was also shocked to hear this. How could the old lady treat them so harshly now and favor the second branch of the family?
The mother and son both frowned, looking puzzled.
Madam Xing gritted her teeth and said,
"That old bastard is so biased towards the second wife now. If he were to give the old master's title to the second wife in the future, wouldn't all our efforts over the years have been in vain!"
Xiao Chengyan was also startled. He thought carefully about when his grandmother's heart had started to turn away.
It all started when Qiao Qingshu and Xiao Zhijie's marriage was arranged...
From then on, Madam Xiao began to show more and more care and love for the second branch of the family, and now she even helps the second branch suppress the first branch.
What exactly happened? What caused such a drastic change in Madam Xiao? This favoritism was not just simple indulgence, but also a shift in power in the future.
If their eldest son's family doesn't win over Old Madam Xiao, then what hope is there for them in the future!