Madam Fu was seething with anger. How dare that girl slap her daughter?! Didn't she know to look at the dog's owner before hitting it? Or did she take her, Madam Fu, as dead?!
And what was up with her clothes? Did that stupid girl think that she could attract Fu Huang Yuan's attention by dressing up? Still unmarried, yet already like a vixen. Concubine Xi sure taught her daughter well.
Glaring at Bai Hua, Madam Fu grabbed her wrist with one hand and slapped her face hard with the other.
Bai Hua screamed in pain, her cheeks throbbing.
"Mother, why?" she sobbed, tearful eyes looking at Madam Fu pitifully.
In noble families, concubines couldn't be called 'mother'. This right only belonged to the official wife. But looking at Madam Fu, Bai Yue wondered how much her mother hated hearing this word from the children of her husband's concubines.
And indeed, Madam Fu right now was gritting her teeth. She really, really, really wanted to yell at the bastard girl. Calling her mother after trying to hurt her daughter, was Bai Hua trying to kill her earlier?
Still, she knew better than to lose her composure. Especially when her sister-in-law was watching the scene with sparkling eyes.
"You dare to ask why? Shameless girl, kneel!"
Bai Hua dropped to the ground, not even daring to utter a single sound when her knees hit the cold cobblestone painfully. Fear and anger overwhelmed her and she lowered her head to hide her expression. Her fingers gripped tightly the fabric of her dress.
"Do you know your wrongs?" Madam Fu continued, her fists clenching in her long sleeves.
Behind her, Bai Yue was watching the scene with interest. She never expected the manor to be so lively today. Even her maternal aunt and cousin were there.
Madam Qin was probably waiting for the right moment to make the situation worse. As for Fu Huang Yuan, Bai Yue didn't miss his disgust when his gaze settled on her frail appearance. Nor did she miss the enamored expression when he saw how beautiful Bai Hua was. Sure enough, these two were fated to be together!
It was just a pity that such a fate would end up with her fourth sister being utterly miserable with an unkind mother-in-law and a house full of concubines.
"I... shouldn't have fought with fifth sister," Bai Hua said, tears rolling down her face. Why was no one asking about what happened? Bai Yue slandered her in such a malicious way. Was she supposed to do nothing about it?
Madam Qin gasped and Fu Huang Yuan stilled. Fifth sister? Did it mean that the frail girl in front of them wasn't a new servant but actually Yue'er?
What cold? Bai Yue looked like a corpse!
"Yue'er?" Madam Qin murmured, fear gripping her heart. Was the illness contagious? Should she take her precious son and run away immediately? "This is Yue'er?"
At this moment, there was only one word running through Madam Fu's mind. Finished! They were finished! By tomorrow, everyone would have heard about Yue'er being sick.
She wanted nothing more than to deny her sister-in-law's question and conceal her daughter's identity. Since they didn't recognize Yue'er, it was worth a try.
Unfortunately, Bai Yue didn't think the same. It would be great if people believed she was someone who couldn't be married. Better than great, actually.
So, she sent her aunt a sheepish smile and, still half hiding behind Liu'er, she waved her bony hand at her aunt and cousin.
"Maternal aunt, cousin," she called out in a raspy voice.
Madam Qin shivered, feeling as if she had stepped over the grave of a vicious ancestor. Still, this was her niece and she couldn't show her discomfort.
"Yue'er, you have suffered."
Bai Yue shook her head. "Just a minor illness, nothing more." Saying this, she didn't forget to cough and sway a little. Then, grasping Liu'er's arm, her eyes looked past her mother in confusion. "Maternal grandmother? Why are you here? Do you wish for Yue'er to accompany you?"
Both maternal and paternal grandparents were no longer of this world. Once again, Madam Fu screeched in her mind. They were totally, completely, utterly finished!
She cast a stern look at the maid beside her daughter.
"Bring back fifth miss to her room."
Then, without waiting for an answer, she turned back to the wretched girl who was still kneeling. The only way to salvage the situation now was to make a big show of Bai Hua and Concubine Xi. Not that she minded doing so, to be frank. If the situation was better, she would have taken great joy in the flustered expression of Concubine Xi.
"You, as the older sister, tried to slap your sister. Is it how your concubine mother taught you?"
Bai Hua wasn't stupid. It was obvious that Madam Fu wanted to involve Concubine Xi in order to punish her as well.
Ignoring the ruby on her forehead, she kowtowed, hurting her skin at the same time. It would undoubtedly leave a bruise.
"Please, mother, spare Concubine Xi. It was I who misbehaved."
Fu Huang Yuan couldn't bear to see such a little beauty hurting herself. Although it wasn't the first time he saw Bai Hua, he never took notice of her before. Now, his eyes were wide open. The girl was indeed very beautiful. He wouldn't mind tasting her skin.
"Aunt, it was just a fight between children. Can you spare her?"
Madam Qin frowned. She wasn't fond of her sister-in-law but it didn't mean she liked her brother-in-law's women. Instead, she wanted to see them tear each other's faces. Besides, what children? Bai Hua and Bai Yue were already sixteen years.
"Sister, don't listen to that silly son of mine. He is just too soft-hearted," she explained with a fawning expression. Then, she raised the corners of her lips into a soft smile and added, "Sister, there is something I need to say. I just don't know if you are willing to listen to me?"
Madam Fu suppressed the urge to roll her eyes. No matter what she answered, her sister-in-law would still speak up in the end.
"What is it?"
"Well... An unmarried girl dressing up like this... Sister, are you the mistress of a manor or the esteemed owner of a brothel?"
Concubine Xi desperately wanted to sew that woman's mouth shut. That, or kill her on the spot. She wasn't picky. If it weren't for that shrew, none of this would have happened!
"Sister-in-law, your words don't sound right," Madam Fu responded even though she had no desire to defend Bai Hua. Yet Madam Qin just had to implicate the whole Bai manor. "What brothel? Obviously, it is just a girl learning new tricks to seduce her cousin. Since my nephew feels heartache on behalf of the beauty, I gather it is working rather well."
"Sister, I already told you. My son is simply too soft-hearted and disliked seeing people hurt. He would never fall for such low tricks. Still, these things can be learned in your home. You are really open-minded."
"Sister-in-law, you misspoke." Madam Fu's voice sounded especially gentle as she said this and her every movement was elegant. Even when the tip of her shoe stepped on Bai Hua's hand who remained silent. The latter's face turned pale and beads of sweat formed on the back of her neck. "Bai Hua girl is merely a concubine's daughter. How could such a lowly person represent our Bai manor?"
She then sneered at the pair of girl and mother. She disliked them even more now than before.
"Fourth young miss behaved poorly, hitting her younger sister and trying to seduce her cousin. She shall spend the whole day and night kneeling in the ancestral hall. Starting tomorrow, she will write 'women lesson' until she can recite it by heart. Concubine Xi taught her daughter poorly. She shall be beaten twenty times with the plank, kneel outside the ancestral hall until tomorrow, and then spend the next two weeks in seclusions to contemplate what she did wrong."