She Became A Downfall Noble Lady-Chapter 44 - No Need to Go Back Anymore
Chapter 44: Chapter 44 No Need to Go Back Anymore
Chapter 44 -44 No Need to Go Back Anymore
Lady Zhang hadn’t expected Qi Yourong to bring the matter up with her, and she inwardly blamed her father-in-law. Why should she be dragged into her brother-in-law’s family affairs?
Yet, she couldn’t just not answer. She hemmed and hawed for a long time before hesitantly saying, “From what your daughter-in-law has seen, he mostly just has some leftover soup from the kitchen, and those soups don’t need spoons or chopsticks. Sometimes… he eats other things too, all with his hands.”
Lady Zhang glanced at Madam Pang, implying that when there was no leftover food, there were also times when he had to drink the water used for cleaning pots and pans. However, since she hadn’t stopped such a despicable act, she felt it was inappropriate to say it outright.
Even Qi Yourong, who had a cold nature, couldn’t help feeling chilled by Lady Zhang’s words. Although he loathed trouble and sought peace, he had genuinely never imagined that things had gotten so bad. Judging by Lady Zhang’s demeanor, he suspected that the “soup and such” she mentioned was probably something unknown.
Since Madam Pang had done such a deplorable thing, the silver provided by his Second Brother’s family had nothing to do with her, nor was there a need to explain it to her.
Qi Yourong waved his hand, seemingly in resignation, and said, “Fine, old woman servant, no need for you to go check anymore. Since Congming isn’t treated well in our house, let’s just adopt him out to the Second Branch family. The rest of you can go back to your work.”
Madam Pang, not giving up easily, tugged at Qi Liang’s sleeve and kept making eyes at him.
Qi Liang, picking up on his wife’s hints, didn’t wait for others in the room to react and preemptively said, “Congming is our child. Why should we just hand him over to my Second Uncle for nothing? I will go to his house and demand him back!”
Qi Yourong knew that this couple was not willing to let go and sneered, “Fine, go ahead. In our house, you have your mother to back you up, and nothing is taboo for you. Today, you go out and try. See if outside, your mother can still support you. Your First Uncle said, if we absolutely insist on taking the child back, someone of status within the Qi family clan must vouch for us. They must first divorce the person who abused the child—your wife—and then we can discuss bringing back the child. Go ahead, and remember to bring your wife to the clan hall and see if her methods of raising children can be justified to the clan’s managers.”
Upon hearing Qi Yourong’s words, Qi Liang’s footsteps, which were about to advance, suddenly froze, and his face turned ashen.
He was acutely aware of the kind of injuries his eldest son bore. If this matter became public knowledge, with his First and Second Uncles pressing the issue, sending Madam Pang back to her maiden home would be the least of it. The Qi family might even take the issue to Madam Pang’s family.
By then, Madam Pang would be saddled with a reputation for cruelty in the neighboring villages, and her fate would be miserable.
The instigator, Madam Pang, also went pale. She hadn’t expected Qi Liang’s First Uncle would disregard the fraternal bond with his father and turn a domestic issue into a clan affair.
In the current situation, she felt powerless to stop it and could only watch that little brat be adopted into the Second Branch family and live a better life.
Madam Pang pinched Qi Liang’s arm and shot him a fierce glare before she turned and walked away first.
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Qi Yourong, preoccupied with the matter of the silver, hurriedly sent his two sons back to their rooms after dinner that night and eagerly began to discuss in a low voice with Madam Song, telling her that his Second Brother was willing to give them silver in exchange for adopting Qi Congming.
Madam Song thought she had heard wrong and asked again, “His Second Uncle is willing to give us silver to adopt the child? Does he know the child has something wrong with his head, that he can’t even speak clearly at four or five years old? I hope he doesn’t find out later and then come back demanding the silver from us.”
Qi Yourong snorted, a hint of pride in his voice, “Are my First Brother and Second Brother such people? Everyone knows clear as day about Qi Congming’s condition. Don’t worry about that mess, just think about how much silver would be suitable to ask from my Second Brother.”
“Obviously, the more the better,” Madam Song said immediately, her spirits lifted.
“Nonsense! Second Brother said if it’s not too much, he could scrape it together, and for any shortfall, we could issue an IOU. I’m worried that if we ask for too much, it could annoy Second Brother, and he might outright refuse to give the silver and still insist on adopting the child. What then? Given the current situation, it seems certain that whether Second Brother gives the silver or not, Congming is definitely not coming back.”
“Then let’s say ten taels. Those families that can hardly make ends meet sell their daughters to become maids for just a few taels of silver, and those girls are already much older.”
“Isn’t ten taels a little too little? Otherwise, should we try to ask for a bit more? After all, it looks like my Second Brother is genuinely fond of that child, so maybe he’s willing to give more.”
“Look at you, you’ve already said it,” Madam Song cast a glance at Qi Yourong and complained, “Weren’t you afraid that if we ask for too much, he would get annoyed?”
At this moment, Madam Song couldn’t help feeling relieved. If it weren’t for Qi Yourong’s oppressive treatment toward Qi Liang and Madam Pang that afternoon, Madam Pang would never have just watched Qi Congming be adopted by the Second Branch family. Moreover, if Madam Pang learned later that the Second Branch family had given silver, she would likely incite Qi Liang to divide the silver, and wouldn’t that child start making her head ache again?
After quietly discussing all night, they finally decided to try asking Qi Younian for twenty taels. If Qi Younian found the amount too much, then they would make the difficult compromise to lower the figure. But if Qi Younian agreed to it, wouldn’t his family have made a small fortune?
Qi Yourong had little trouble getting Qi Liang and his wife on board. For Qi Younian’s family of three, dealing with the young Qi Congming was truly problematic.
When Qi Congming woke up from his nap, he had completely forgotten that he had eaten and slept in this room. As soon as he opened his eyes and saw the unfamiliar surroundings, he didn’t even consider how high the bed was; horrified, he tried to scramble to the floor.
Luckily, Nanny Jin reacted quickly, clanging a ladle onto the ground and stepping forward to catch him, preventing a solid fall.
“Oh my little ancestor, didn’t you see how high this bed is before you dared to leap off?” Nanny Jin was so frightened her heart almost leapt out.
Qi Congming instinctively tried to struggle, but Ye Xinyan scared him from beside the stove, “Don’t move! Sit properly on the bed, or else I’ll beat you!”
Seeing Ye Xinyan frown at him, the little guy timidly stopped struggling and became much more obedient.
Nanny Jin set Qi Congming on the bed and reproached Ye Xinyan, “The child is already scared, and yet you’re like this?”
Ye Xinyan pursed her lips, “If he would listen to reason, I wouldn’t bother scaring him.” This kid is used to being disciplined with beatings; polite words will scare him more.
Nanny Jin checked his back and, although the wounds were still red, swollen, and tender, they hadn’t worsened. It seemed they could only visit the doctor tomorrow.
“Nanny, why don’t you drape that cloth over his shoulders? He’s already injured; let’s not risk him catching a cold,” Ye Xinyan instructed Nanny Jin, “You stay and watch him in the room, I’m going to rinse the rice.”
Nanny Jin draped the cloth over the little fellow and went on to ask if he was thirsty or hungry for quite a while, but the little guy didn’t respond at all, leaving her no choice but to give up and pour him a bowl of water.
The little guy seemed to know what to do, taking the bowl and gulping down most of it.
Nanny Jin sat beside him, chattering away at Qi Congming about family matters, not caring whether he responded or not. She tirelessly repeated that from now on, this was his home, that he wouldn’t have to return to that other yard, and that the evil people in there would never again have the chance to beat him… and so on.
