Chapter 24 - 24: Intolerable
Chapter 24: Chapter 24: Intolerable
Translator: 549690339
“Second Brother, don’t be angry. Those two women are no match for your sister. Plus, with my husband and the Father-in-Law and Mother-in-Law protecting me, they didn’t gain any advantage. Instead, they were reprimanded by Father and Mother-in-Law. They won’t dare to provoke me easily for a while. The reason I’m bringing this up is to hope that Mother would tighten the management of the servants at home and weed out the traitor. If someone could get their hands on my handkerchief, they must have the ability to move freely in the Inner Courtyard, and Mother has always managed it strictly. Yet someone still found a loophole, not only are they wicked, but they are also cunning. It’s definitely a disaster to keep such a person at home.”
Having been in that Mansion for so long, Su Wenyue naturally understood the gravity of the situation. Some disasters aren’t caused from the outside, especially in such troubled times. If disloyal servants colluded with outsiders plotting against their own household, the consequences would be unimaginable.
“It’s not just that internal thief, any other disloyal servants should also be rooted out. If the internal thief could succeed, it’s possible others were helping.”
“Daughter, rest assured, your Mother is handling the household affairs. You don’t need to worry. I’ve been too busy with your marriage lately to manage everything, but now that I’m free, it’s naturally time to put things in order. I’ll root out those who betray us, those who cheat and are crafty, one by one. Especially that traitor who dared to go against my daughter. If I find her, I’ll skin her alive!” Mrs. An’s words carried a streak of ferocity. If it hadn’t been for her daughter’s quick wit, she could have suffered. Although the Han Family was a minor household and wouldn’t dare offend the Su Family, it still wasn’t ideal for the new daughter-in-law to have made a bad first impression in front of the in-laws. It was not good for her and her husband’s relationship to progress. What a venomous scheme; her daughter had offended no one, yet they schemed against her. She couldn’t tolerate such things.
Mrs. Wang was her daughter’s Third Sister-in-law, and out of consideration for the Han Family’s reputation, she could not act against her for the time being. However, those in league with Mrs. Wang, and her maternal family, she could move against.
Su Wenyue nodded, showing no sympathy for anyone. After experiencing so much, her heart had hardened a great deal. Those who dared to do such things should be prepared to face the consequences.
“But Mother, where do you plan to start the investigation? Since that traitor is so cunning, they must be well-hidden. It won’t be so easy to find them.” Su Hengxuan was aware of the workings of the inner house but never interfered with its affairs. As Mrs. An said, a man should handle big matters. It’s enough to be clear about the inner house affairs; if one gets too involved, their vision would be limited, and they cannot achieve great things. This time, it was about his sister’s affair, so Su Hengxuan rarely intervened.
Su Wenyue already had an idea in mind: “Since it started with Mrs. Wang and the handkerchief was also found with her, that person must have some connection with Mrs. Wang, or someone from Mrs. Wang’s maternal family.
You can check if there are any servants in the house who have ties with Wang Family Village. You might find something. Moreover, the staff at home should also be vetted. What they did each day, when they went out, whom they interacted with, these can all be questioned clearly. If they can’t answer, they’re likely problematic. Even if they have nothing to do with the handkerchief incident, they are not trustworthy.”
Mrs. An nodded approvingly. “Lady Yue speaks wisely. With this two-pronged approach, we’re bound to find that person.”
“Well, isn’t that something, little girl? Just married for a few days and you’ve already improved so much. You can even sort these things out and give us advice. Your methods have also become much sharper.” As soon as the serious business was over, Su Hengxuan started to joke around again. However, he was really surprised at his sister’s transformation. How could a person suddenly change so much? But he felt that even though the girl in front of him had changed a lot, she was still undoubtedly his sister, so he didn’t delve into the reasons.
“That’s right. Mother is so capable, managing the backyard in perfect order. I’ve been watching Mother handle affairs since I was little, so I must have learned a thing or two from you. It’s just that next to Mother, I intentionally hid my talents, so I seemed a bit clumsy. And I never needed to worry about things since Mother was there. But after getting married, I have to take matters into my own hands, don’t I? Otherwise, I’d be easily bullied. So you’d better not underestimate me!” Su Wenyue said proudly, also indirectly explaining to her mother and brother the reasons for her change.
“Tsk, tsk, mention you’ve gained weight and you start panting.”
The siblings bantered and laughed. Shortly after, a servant girl came to tell them dinner was ready, and they all went to the front hall to eat. When Han Yu saw his wife and cousin interacting so closely, he felt a twinge of jealousy but joined them quietly, holding his wife’s hand and refusing to let go.
Su Wenyue didn’t know what Han Yu was thinking. He was always so serious in front of others, so why did he insist on holding her hand now? She couldn’t even pull away. She wondered what got into him, feeling embarrassed in front of Father and Mother, especially since Second Brother loved to tease her. She wondered how he would mock her later.
Su Hengxuan wasn’t in the mood to joke at that moment. His sister, whom he had doted on since childhood, was now taken by a wolf right before his very eyes, showing such an intimately close disposition. Wasn’t this like poking him in the heart? Han Yu was indeed irksome.
Han Yu, sensing his cousin’s displeasure, gripped his wife’s hand even tighter and gave a slight smirk, looking quite provocative.
Mrs. An watched the couple’s little gestures and thought about the words her daughter had shared with her, as well as Han Yu’s protectiveness of her daughter. She started to see Han Yu in a more favorable light and her attitude towards him improved.
“My Son-in-law, please sit down and eat. Knowing you were coming today, I specially instructed the Kitchen to prepare many fine dishes, most of which we rarely get to enjoy. Have a few good drinks with your Father-in-Law and cousin.” Mrs. An said warmly. Although the Su Family was particular about many things, they didn’t adhere to stringent rules at the dinner table when no outsiders were present. It was nice for the family to sit together and have a meal, wasn’t it?
“Yes, Mother-in-Law, I’ll do as you say.” Han Yu noticed the change in Mrs. An’s attitude towards him, raised an eyebrow at Su Wenyue, and thought surely this must be due to his wife’s influence. How else could Mother-in-Law have become so warm? Although she was polite before, there was clear dissatisfaction and a barrier between them. Now, after a short talk with his wife, her attitude shifted. Her actions must have been in his favor. Indeed, his wife cared for him, knew to defend her man. Not bad! Not bad at all! Han Yu felt very contented..