Chapter 481: Yin Yin, Mother-in-law Was Wrong

Chapter 481: Yin Yin, Your Mother-in-Law Was Wrong

Li Shouye listened to his mother's words, that suffocating feeling overwhelming him again. Just as he was on the verge of storming off, Xu Yinyin stepped forward and spoke up for him.

"Mother-in-law, Shou Ye is naturally filial."

She stepped forward to support Lu Hanyi, but Lu Hanyi tried to shrug her away. Xu Yinyin continued, "The current Emperor places the highest importance on filial piety—without it, a person has no standing. If anything were to happen to you in the manor, wouldn’t that brand Shou Ye as unfilial? How could he serve as an official afterward?"

At Xu Yinyin’s words, Lu Hanyi cut the dramatics.

She let Xu Yinyin steady her and turned to Li Shouye, her eyes brimming with remorse. "Shou Ye, Mother had no idea it would come to this. Had I known it would affect your future, I would never have sought revenge against them!"

Li Shouye gave an icy scoff. "How dare you say that!"

Lu Hanyi clamped her mouth shut.

She looked at her son, whose face was flushed with anger, and suddenly clutched her head dramatically.

"My son, my son... Mother has a headache."

"Mother-in-law, come rest inside," Xu Yinyin said.

"I don’t want you—I want Shou Ye!" Lu Hanyi ignored her, fixated on Li Shouye.

But Li Shouye spun on his heel and left.

"Shou Ye!"

"Mother-in-law, you should rest properly. Let Shou Ye cool off first," Xu Yinyin advised. "Right now, anything you say will go in one ear and out the other."

Lu Hanyi bit back her retort. Watching Li Shouye leave, she suddenly recalled Xu Yinyin’s earlier words about how he could still serve as an official.

She couldn’t help but ask, "By the way, you just said Shou Ye can still become an official?"

Hearing her question, Xu Yinyin smirked faintly. "Mother-in-law, my father has many connections in the Imperial City, including numerous friends in the Ministry of Revenue."

"Well, don’t just stand there! Get your father to pull strings, now! Have them reinstate Shou Ye’s transfer order!"

Xu Yinyin: "..."

At Lu Hanyi’s entitled tone, Xu Yinyin let out a soft scoff. "Mother-in-law, I’ve already mentioned it to my father. He told me to wait."

"How can we wait? Go to your family again and urge him to hurry!"

Noticing that Lu Hanyi showed no gratitude or even a hint of apology, Xu Yinyin released her hand and said flatly, "Mother-in-law, you should rest. I need to go back and accompany Shou Ye now."

"You—!" Lu Hanyi wanted to curse as she watched Xu Yinyin walk away, but remembering her father’s connections and the fact that he was already working on it, she swallowed her words.

Fine. She’d bide her time.

Once Xu Yinyin’s father settled Li Shouye’s matter, then they’d see.

Two days flew by.

Lu Hanyi perked back up—mainly because her son’s anger had subsided, and she, in turn, became lively again.

She took the initiative to send dishes twice, joining them for meals. After a few visits, Li Shouye began accepting her presence at the table again.

"Shou Ye, have some meat. This is beef. I personally went to the market to buy the freshest cut—the meat was still quivering when it was just sliced!" Lu Hanyi served Li Shouye.

Li Shouye paid her no mind, not even glancing at the food she placed in his bowl. Instead, he reached out to serve Xu Yinyin.

"Yin Yin, eat more."

"Yes, husband."

Xu Yinyin smiled at him, the couple looking perfectly in sync, clearly devoted.

This just stoked Lu Hanyi’s fury.

She truly wanted to overturn the table right then or tell Xu Yinyin to get out. But just as the words reached her lips, she remembered what Xu Yinyin had said before.

"Yin Yin, you mentioned before that your father knows people in the Ministry of Revenue and could secure an official position for Shou Ye. How is that going?"

Hearing this, Xu Yinyin glanced at Lu Hanyi. "Mother-in-law, after your public outburst, my husband’s reputation was tarnished as dishonorable. It’s not so easy to arrange now."

Lu Hanyi immediately grew anxious. "Is your father even capable of this?"

"Do Yin Yin and my father-in-law owe you a damn thing?!" Li Shouye snapped angrily. "Back then, it was you who rushed to their doorstep without reason, screaming abuse at them. Not only did you ruin my prospects, but you also subjected them to baseless insults. And now you dare to demand they help me? Since when does the world operate on such logic?"

Lu Hanyi was stunned into silence by her son’s outburst. She opened her mouth but could only mutter resentfully, "Shou Ye, why are you taking their side?"

"How many times did I tell you not to cause trouble now of all times?"

"Why shouldn’t I? She lowered herself just by marrying me. Every last thing here—servants, even this house—was part of her dowry. She has devoted herself to me wholeheartedly, yet you keep finding ways to make her life miserable. My father-in-law’s family has supported me in every way, only for you to storm in and curse them. Does the whole damn world revolve around you? Must everyone obey your commands?"

Li Shouye’s words, sharp and unrelenting, left Lu Hanyi with no rebuttal.

Nearly everything in this house, from top to bottom, inside and out, was part of Xu Yinyin’s dowry. Lu Hanyi hadn’t even bothered with a betrothal gift back then.

Now, being chastised by her own son, Lu Hanyi felt both ashamed and wronged. "Haven’t I done all this for you? My only thought was to protect you! When I saw someone scheming against you, I went to avenge you! How was I to know it would lead to all this? How is this all my fault?"

Li Shouye was furious. "How many times did I tell you not to stir up trouble during this time? Didn’t I?"

"It’s all your fault—you ruined my future! Now I’m shut out of official service completely. Are you satisfied?"

Lu Hanyi’s anger flickered. After a long silence, she turned her head away with a huff. "Hmph! Maybe if you were actually competent—" (cut off) "the emperor himself would beg you to take a post! How could a few words from me destroy your prospects?"

Li Shouye: "..."

Xu Yinyin: "..."

Li Shouye couldn’t stand another second of this.

Looking at her—so stubborn, so blind to her own faults—he turned and strode out.

"Shou Ye!"

"Shou Ye!"

Lu Hanyi called after him frantically, but Li Shouye didn’t pause for even a step.

Seeing this, Lu Hanyi grew anxious again.

She turned to Xu Yinyin, who remained seated at the table, neither hurried nor angry, as if waiting for her to speak.

Lu Hanyi wasn’t so foolish as to miss Xu Yinyin’s meaning or fail to grasp the implications behind her repeated remarks. Her insistence on "waiting" was just to make Lu Hanyi grovel!

As if she would beg her!

"Xu Yinyin! Don't you care at all about your husband?" she shouted again at Xu Yinyin.

At the sound of her voice, Xu Yinyin turned on her heel and walked away.

With every step, she was nearly out the door.

Lu Hanyi took a deep breath and called out to her through gritted teeth.

"Yin Yin, this mother-in-law was wrong."