Chapter Fourteen: Selling the Young Master

Aunt Niu didn’t know either; she asked her son last night, but he wouldn’t say a word.

“Go check and have Minghua come see me.”

Mrs. Zhao frowned. What was wrong with her son? He had always been a spoiled playboy—failing at his studies, afraid of hardship in martial arts, and when urged to study medicine, he joked he’d just mix poisons together. In the end, he cared only for eating, drinking, and playing. But wait, even the eating and drinking were served by servants. When had he ever been in the kitchen? How could he have gotten ingredients? Why would he take ingredients in the first place?

“Madam…”

The steward was convinced Aunt Niu was lying.

“We’ll know when Minghua arrives.”

After searching, the servants reported back: the young master had gone to Changzhou County town.

“Madam…”

“Prepare the ingredients for the small kitchen,” Mrs. Zhao said firmly. “Aunt Niu is old—I trust her.”

The mistress was clearly on her side, and Aunt Niu was deeply grateful, already thinking to herself that next time the third young master went into the kitchen to take something… no, she would have the man add a lock to the little kitchen. Who knew when he might come back for more?

When Zhao Minghua returned home that evening, his mother intercepted him immediately.

“You’ve been running off to the county these past few days. What were you doing?”

“Doing important things.”

Mrs. Zhao laughed in disbelief. He was always so irresponsible—important things? Really?

“I have to ask—did you take ingredients from the small kitchen?”

“Yes.”

“What did you do with them?”

“Paid off a debt.” Minghua suddenly clutched his stomach. “Mother, my stomach hurts so bad I have to go to the privy.”

Then he took off like a shot.

“Oh, you…”

That old trick again! Whenever this boy tried to fool her, he always ran off to the privy.

“Young master…” Qing Sheng hurried to follow.

“Qing Sheng, stop right there.”

Could the young master run away, but could the servant? Not a chance.

“Madam, I must attend to the young master.”

“And how exactly are you going to attend to him? Does he need you to go to the privy for him when his stomach hurts?”

She could guess exactly what this pair of master and servant was scheming.

“Madam…”

The young master escaped, but he had been caught red-handed by his mother.

There was no escaping now.

Being caught by the mistress would be a terrible fate, but betraying the young master would be just as bad.

No matter what, the mistress was the lady of the house, and even the young master had to obey her.

“Tell me, Minghua, where did you take those things?”

“Madam, young master…”

Could he reveal that? He hoped the young master would repent and come back to save him!

“Stop looking. He won’t come back for you.” Mrs. Zhao wondered if she was too kind; these servants dared to act behind their master’s back so brazenly. “Did you corrupt your young master?”

“Madam, I would never dare! It’s just that…”

Enough. If the young master was unruly, she couldn’t be blamed for being unkind.

Betraying you was forced upon me by the circumstances.

Then the whole story was laid out clearly.

“Which Miss Xiao?” Mrs. Zhao asked, puzzled. Xiao Chunlan of the prominent Xiao clan? Did they have private dealings?

“It’s... the Xiao family from the eastern town.”

Qing Sheng dared not meet her eyes.

“The Xiao family that was wiped out by the Xiao clan?” Mrs. Zhao was shocked. “What’s the girl’s name? How old is she? How do they know each other?”

This was no small matter.

“That day, young master went hiking with the young master from the Tang family next door. They came across Miss Xiao, who was catching crabs and got her finger pinched…”

“How old is that Miss Xiao? Catching crabs?”

Is that something a young lady should be doing?

And she was supposedly from the capital—sounds like she had no upbringing at all. If she grew up like that, she’d be hard to marry off.

Well, considering their status, most would avoid them, so why would they want to marry into the family?

“I don’t know her exact age, but she’s probably of marriageable age.”

What?

A marriageable young lady taking off her shoes in broad daylight to catch crabs in the river?

Mrs. Zhao was even more astonished. What kind of girl was this?

And more importantly, how did Minghua end up eating at her house?

Could it be—

Suddenly everything clicked for Mrs. Zhao.

“Qing Sheng, remember this. From now on, your young master is not allowed to visit that Miss Xiao’s house.”

“Ah?”

Qing Sheng was bewildered.

Well… that’s that. He nodded in agreement.

At last, he was allowed to leave.

As soon as he ran back to the courtyard, the third young master was leaning against a pillar, arms crossed, waiting for him.

“You sold me out completely?”

“Young master, is your stomach better?”

You ran so fast, how could I not sell you out to get back? If I anger the mistress, I’m done for.

“What did my mother say?”

“She said…” Qing Sheng glanced up at the third young master.

“Speak! What did she say?”

“The mistress said you’re not allowed to visit that Miss Xiao anymore.”

“Alright, I know about this already.”

He would listen to his mother’s words, but she still had to listen to his father, so this wasn’t really a problem.

In the main house, Mrs. Zhao rubbed her temples.

“Hu Ma, do you think Minghua has been dazzled by that Xiao family?”

“Madam, I don’t think so. Our third young master has a kind heart; maybe he saw the Xiao family struggling, so he…”

“There are plenty of people struggling, but he’s never been a saint before.” Mrs. Zhao suddenly stood up. “No, I have to tell the master about this.”

When Zhao Chengxun returned to the main house, his wife pulled him into the inner chamber.

“Master, Minghua’s temper is truly reckless. You have to intervene. The Xiao family descends from disgraced officials; if he gets involved with them, it will bring endless trouble.”

She was frantic. No, she had to send a matchmaker to the Xiao clan to arrange a marriage, get a beautiful daughter-in-law early, and bring him back to the fold.

“Don’t say that again,” Zhao Chengxun quickly stopped her. “We don’t know the affairs of the court, but Doctor Xiao is a good man. The Xiao family isn’t as terrifying as you imagine.”

“Not terrifying? Then why did the Xiao clan exterminate them?”

“Think about it. What did the Xiao clan’s ancestral lands and shops come from?”

Mrs. Zhao pondered but said nothing.

“All I can say is, Doctor Xiao’s family raised a brood of ungrateful scoundrels,” Zhao Chengxun said, knowing what she was thinking. “That’s also why I don’t want Minghua to form ties with the Xiao family.”

“Master?” Mrs. Zhao was still thinking of sending a matchmaker. “But Miss Chunlan is a good girl.”

“Appearances can be deceiving,” Zhao Chengxun said. “If the head of the family is corrupt, everything beneath him will collapse. With such a grandfather and family traditions, how well can she really be brought up?”

Brought up?

A young lady who takes off her shoes in broad daylight to catch crabs—was that proper upbringing?

“Master, I’m worried the Xiao family might encounter more trouble…”

Mrs. Zhao was genuinely frightened. “No, we have to keep our distance.”

“You...” Zhao Chengxun sighed. “No wonder they say women have long hair but short sight. Think about it—if the Xiao family really had problems, would they have returned safely from the capital to Shu?”

“You don’t understand. Normally, men who commit crimes face execution or exile, and women are sent to the brothel department. But the Xiao family received the Empress Dowager’s favor and returned to their home region. Tell me, would they really have any issues?”

This…