"What?" Lin Wanrong exclaimed, slipping on his cloth shoes and rushing outside. What's going on? Wasn't Madam supposed to dote on the Second Miss? How come, after just a few days without seeing her, things have turned out like this?
"Xiao Ju, quickly tell me what happened. Don't cry; just tell me what happened!" Lin Wanrong urgently asked.
Xiao Ju tearfully said, "I don't know what happened either. Early this morning, I heard that Madam and the Second Miss gathered all the managers for a meeting. Later, the Second Miss somehow barged into the meeting hall and seemed to have an argument. Madam got angry and wanted to punish the Second Miss."
"Barging into the meeting hall leads to a spanking? What kind of nonsense is this?" Lin Wanrong cursed.
"Third Brother, you don't understand the rules of the Xiao family. The meeting hall is the most important place for our Xiao family, where major family matters are discussed. Without permission, no one is allowed to enter arbitrarily. Otherwise, according to the rules set by the Xiao family ancestors, punishment is required. The Second Miss, without any official responsibilities yet, broke in front of everyone, so Madam wants to punish her. Wuu—The Second Miss asked me to find you, saying you can definitely help her. Wuu, Third Brother, you must save the Second Miss."
Lin Wanrong was both moved and angry. This little maid trusted him so much in such a dangerous situation, which was truly touching. As for the anger, it was directed at Madam Xiao; what kind of ridiculous family rules were these? She even dared to punish her own daughter. Was Madam going through menopausal syndrome or something?
After a few hurried steps, Lin Wanrong realized that he didn't even know where the damn meeting hall was. If he delayed a bit more, that little girl's bottom would be in trouble. Damn it, why did the Xiao family build such a big house? Was it for convenient field battles? In a moment of urgency, he didn't know which direction to go.
"Lin San, over here, over here." Just when he was anxiously turning around, the young master also ran over from somewhere, "Lin San, you must save Cousin Yu Xue, I beg you."
Oh, a savior has arrived. Lin Wanrong wished he could hug the young master and give him a kiss, but there was no time for that now. He hastily said, "Where is it? Lead me there quickly."
The young master also knew the urgency of the situation, didn't dare to say much, and brought Lin Wanrong towards the main courtyard of the Xiao family.
After not running far, they saw a two-story building. The door downstairs was half-open. Lin Wanrong looked inside and saw dozens of managers. Madam Xiao stood tall with an angry face. The Second Miss was kneeling on the ground, tightly hugging her mother's clothes and seemingly pleading. Beside them, the little maid Yu Xue was lying on the ground, a big plank from a servant just lifted—
Damn it! Lin Wanrong's anger surged. He didn't know where the strength came from, but he rushed forward quickly and kicked the door open, loudly saying, "Who dares to hit—"
Everyone in the room was stunned, only to see a servant with a tilted hat and disheveled clothes panting in front of the door. The overwhelming anger seemed to overturn the heavens.
"Lin San—" Xiao Yu Xue screamed in surprise but burst into tears again.
All the people in the room were speechless. One of the managers-like figures stood up and loudly said, "Where did this servant come from? How dare he be so arrogant?"
"Where did this wild dog come from, daring to spew such filth?" Lin Wanrong's face turned dark, unyieldingly cursing. Damn it, trying to play word games with me, I make a living out of this.
The manager guy didn't expect this servant to be so arrogant and was so angry that his whole body trembled. He said to Madam Xiao, "Big Sister-in-law, this is a good servant you've raised."
Big Sister-in-law? Lin Wanrong found it strange. It seems like the old master of the Xiao family didn't have any real brothers. Could it be a distant relative?
Sure enough, Madam Xiao quickly said, "Fourth Brother, don't be angry. You and the old master are of the same lineage. My family is yours. Let me handle this servant properly."
She adjusted her demeanor, faced Lin Wanrong, and said angrily, "Lin San, what are you trying to do?"
"Madam, what are you trying to do?" Lin Wanrong took a few steps forward, staring at Madam Xiao.
"Xiao Yu Xue intruded into the meeting hall. According to the ancestral rules, she will be punished with fifty strokes. As for you, Lin San, not only did you intrude into the meeting hall, but you also caused a disturbance on the spot, showing disrespect to your elders. You will be punished with one hundred strokes."
"Mother, please don't." Xiao Yu Xue tightly hugged Madam's legs, pleading, "It's because of me that Lin San entered. If you want to punish someone, punish me."
"Please don't punish my sister, Mother. I'm willing to take her punishment." Xiao Yu Ruo also held onto Madam Xiao, begging with tears.
Seeing the sisters willing to take each other's punishment, Lin Wanrong's favor for Xiao Yu Ruo increased slightly. At least these sisters still had some sisterly affection.
Looking at his two daughters kneeling and pleading in front of her, Madam Xiao felt a mix of emotions. Tears swirled in her eyes. She forcefully suppressed her grief and said, "Yu Xue, although you are my daughter, entering the meeting hall without permission and being disrespectful in speech, according to the rules set by our ancestors, you must be properly punished. Today, in front of the elders of the clan, I will discipline you. Come, take Yu Xue and this Lin San down and give them one hundred strokes each."
Damn it, this was truly an iron-fisted approach. Lin Wanrong both hated and admired Madam Xiao. He loudly said, "Wait—"
Madam Xiao angrily said, "Do you still have something to say?"
Lin Wanrong smiled and said, "If the Second Miss is punished with a hundred strokes, that's fine. But it should be done openly and with proper authority. Madam, what you just said, according to the rules left by the Xiao family ancestors, to punish the Second Miss with a spanking, I wonder when these rules were established?"
Madam Xiao said, "These rules were set by the old master when he was alive. What, do you want to defy them?"
"Haha—" Lin Wanrong burst into laughter, "Rules are made by people, but they can also be abandoned by people. When the old master was alive, establishing such rules was naturally to punish those who had ulterior motives. But now, the Second Miss is showing her filial piety, trying to uphold the glory of the Xiao family. How can she be compared to those with ulterior motives? The Second Miss is a descendant of the old master. If she receives punishment from
Madam, it's like accusing her of having evil intentions. Where does that leave the old master? I think even if the old master were alive, he wouldn't want to see such a scene, right, Madam?"
Madam Xiao was taken aback, unexpectedly rendered speechless by this servant. She had already transferred all of the Xiao family's business affairs to the Second Miss. Today, when they were discussing matters critical to the survival of the Xiao family, Yu Xue rushed in, had a heated argument with several managers, and forced her to directly punish her as an elder in order to get the situation under control.
Although Madam Xiao appreciated Lin Wanrong's assistance to her daughter, her fundamental view of him couldn't undergo a radical change. Seeing the manager seizing the opportunity to challenge, she coldly looked at Lin Wanrong but didn't say anything.
"Big Sister, this brazen servant not only intruded into the important meeting hall but also insulted our mistress openly. If he's not punished, it's hard to restore the family's prestige," the manager said sorrowfully.
"Lin San, although you're loyal and commendable in protecting your mistress, breaking into the meeting hall like this and making disrespectful remarks, without proper punishment, it's hard to gain everyone's respect. What else do you have to say?" Xiao Yu Ruo looked at him expressionlessly.
Lin Wanrong sneered, "Miss, the Xiao family's estate is vast. Punishing a servant or two is nothing. In fact, you don't need to administer any punishment. From today on, Lin has decided not to work—"
"Lin San—" Xiao Yu Xue anxiously interrupted him, tears glistening in her beautiful eyes. She walked up to him, grabbed his sleeve, and said, "Lin San, you promised me that you would help my sister. Our Xiao family can't collapse."
Turning his face to face Xiao Yu Ruo and her mother, a blush appeared on her face. She shyly said, "Mother, Sister, Lin San and I have already—"
She bit her lip, looked at Lin Wanrong, and, in a voice as soft as a mosquito, continued, "—decided on a lifelong bond."