Chapter 697 Injured the Vital Spot

Chapter 697: A Blow to the Vital Spot

Zou Minglei's mind was entirely preoccupied with the "forbidden book" hidden beneath his bedding, showing no interest in Zou Pingping's mention of a young lady who resembled him.

He brushed her off impatiently, "Got it, got it! Now get out!"

The "forbidden book" had left Zou Minglei feeling feverish with arousal, right at the height of his enjoyment, making him find his Third Sister utterly annoying.

Unaware of her younger brother's secret thoughts, Zou Pingping stalked off in a huff when he showed no curiosity.

Once she was gone, Zou Minglei exhaled in relief and snapped at the servants outside, "I'm studying in here—don’t let anyone disturb me!"

The current servants in the Zou household were hand-me-down servants from "distant relatives." The two young attendants in Zou Minglei’s courtyard exchanged smirks and pursed their lips at his command.

Still, they replied dutifully, "Understood, Young Master."

Zou Pingping grew increasingly uneasy, fretting with her handkerchief as she pondered her next move.

Unexpectedly, that evening, Master Zou and Zou Wan Shi called her over gleefully, announcing they had found her a "good match."

Zou Pingping nearly tore her handkerchief in shock. They had only just arrived in the capital—how could they already be arranging to marry her off?!

And a "good match"? She didn’t believe a word of it!

Zou Wan Shi beamed, "He’s an official, you know! Though only eighth-rank, he’s a deputy director at the Ministry of Works’ Construction Bureau—a proper capital official! Pingping, don’t say your parents don’t care for you. Once you marry him, you’ll be an official’s wife! And if your husband climbs the ranks later, who knows? He might even earn you a noble title!"

Such grandiose promises! Zou Pingping forced a smile. "But Father, Mother, we’ve barely been in the capital for days. How did you even meet him? And how was the marriage settled so quickly...?"

Master Zou puffed up with pride. "Fate, really! I shared a table with this deputy director while drinking, and we got to talking. Turns out he’s been widowed for five years. We hit it off immediately! He took one look at me—handsome as I am—and figured my daughter must be just as good-looking. So we settled it right then and there!"

Zou Pingping nearly fainted.

Her marriage—decided just like that, over drinks?!

The man hadn’t remarried in five years—who knew what might be wrong with him?!

She was utterly unwilling!

But Master Zou and Zou Wan Shi were convinced this was a splendid match.

Old Madam Zou, upon hearing that Zou Pingping could marry an eighth-rank capital official, wholeheartedly approved. Seeing Zou Pingping’s reluctance, she scowled. "You ungrateful girl! Look at what your eldest sister married, and your second sister! Now you get to be a proper official’s wife, and you dare put on airs?!"

She threatened harshly, "If you really refuse, I’ll have your parents marry you off to anyone they please! Then you’ll regret it! An eighth-rank official isn’t good enough for you? Who do you think you are—some noble young lady?"

Terrified, Zou Pingping’s eyes reddened. "...Grandmother, it’s not that I’m unwilling. I just know nothing about him—his background, his circumstances. I’m just... scared..."

Master Zou waved it off. "The matchmaker will come tomorrow—you can hear all about it then! That settles it!"

With finality, he turned to Zou Wan Shi, pleased. "Once Pingping’s married off, we can focus on finding a match for our Minglei."

Zou Wan Shi nodded eagerly, her eyes sparkling with ambition. "...Who knows? Our Minglei might achieve even greater things!"

After all, his elder sister was the Fourth Prince Consort—with such connections, what noble daughter couldn’t he marry?

Listening on the side, Zou Pingping felt nothing but bitterness.

She lay awake all night. Early the next morning, Zou Wan Shi barged into her room, yanking her up. Seeing Zou Pingping’s dark circles, she scolded in frustration, applying makeup to cover them. "You foolish girl! Do you really think your father and I would harm you?"

Zou Pingping thought despairingly—*Who’s to say you wouldn’t?*

That’s the same thing they told our eldest and second sisters back then.

And what happened?

One married a Magistrate as his eighth concubine, enduring daily abuse from the Magistrate's wife, while the other married a man practically old enough to be her grandfather as his second wife, with stepchildren older than her second sister, taking turns to torment her.

And this is called "not harming them"?

Zou Wan Shi was oblivious to Zou Pingping’s thoughts. She tucked a silver hairpin into Zou Pingping’s hair, looked her over, and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, though not quite as..."

She nearly blurted out "your sister," but caught herself just in time, coughing and amending, "though not as good as I was in my youth, you’re still quite lovely."

Zou Wan Shi wasn’t lying.

Back in the day, she had been exceptionally beautiful, and the Zou family had been wealthy then. Master Zou had shelled out a fortune to marry her.

Old Madam Zou had initially disapproved of Zou Wan Shi, but after she bore child after child—until finally giving birth to the pair of twins—Old Madam Zou finally warmed up to her.

—Zou Wan Shi’s beauty could be seen in Yu Mingzhu.

Yu Mingzhu was a beauty. While part of it was due to the rare treasures pampering her by the Duke of Xinguo’s household, she also inherited the best features from Zou Wan Shi and Master Zou.

Zou Pingping didn’t inherit the same looks as Yu Mingzhu, but she was still quite pretty, deserving the praise of a "pretty little thing."

Staring at her reflection in the bronze mirror, Zou Pingping felt her heart sank further.

In a place as prosperous and glamorous as the capital, she had so many opportunities—perhaps even the chance to climb higher among the nobility. Who would’ve thought her parents would rush to marry her off like this?

Zou Wan Shi pinched Zou Pingping’s cheek. "Enough daydreaming. The matchmaker will be here soon. Let’s hurry to the main hall and wait."

With no other choice, Zou Pingping followed Zou Wan Shi to the main hall.

The matchmaker arrived right on time.

With a sharp eye, she’d already sized up the Zou family’s circumstances on her way from the second gate.

After all, land in the capital cost a fortune. To own such a fine residence in a decent location, the matchmaker figured the Zous were well-off.

Her smile turned even more sycophantic.

"Official Ge’s household is quite simple. His first wife passed away from illness five years ago, leaving behind one legitimate son, three sons by concubines, and two daughters by concubines. Once the third young lady marries in, she’ll be the mistress of the house, with no mother-in-law above her. All she needs to do is manage the household and keep the rear residence in order—life will be easy," the matchmaker rattled off smoothly. "The third young lady clearly has childbearing hips. Once she marries and has a few of her own, her position will be even more secure. She’ll have it made!"

Old Madam Zou and Zou Wan Shi listened with great satisfaction.

Zou Pingping, however, frowned harder. "...So many sons and daughters by concubines? How old is this Official Ge?"

The matchmaker chuckled. "Official Ge’s not *that* old. He just turned forty the year before last. Don’t worry, third young lady—he’s a proper official, still in his *supposed* prime, with room to rise further."

Forty the year before last meant he was at least forty-two now.

Zou Pingping felt dizzy at the math.

But Zou Wan Shi and Old Madam Zou showed no signs of disapproval toward his age.

In fact, Old Madam Zou nodded happily. "Older is better. Older men know how to cherish their wives. Our Pingping will be well cared for after marrying him."

The matchmaker beamed. "As expected of the wise Old Madam. Isn’t that just the truth?"

Zou Pingping, however, was panicking now.

Just as she was about to refuse, a maidservant rushed in frantically from outside, shouting, "Trouble! Trouble!"

In front of the matchmaker sent by an eighth-rank capital official, Zou Wan Shi felt embarrassed and snapped angrily, "What’s all this commotion?!"

The maidservant shrank back but still knelt on the ground to report, "No, Madam, something terrible has happened. That damned maid kicked and hurt the Young Master..."

Zou Wan Shi frowned deeply. Kicked and hurt?

She asked nervously, "How could a servant injure Minglei for no reason?"

But the maidservant hesitated, at a loss for words.

Seeing this, the matchmaker politely suggested, "Since Madam has urgent matters at home, perhaps I should return tomorrow?"

Zou Wan Shi, now wholly preoccupied with her eldest son’s injury, didn’t detain the matchmaker. After quickly ushering her out, she hurried with Old Madam Zou to Zou Minglei’s room.

Zou Pingping, after a moment's thought, followed behind.

When Zou Wan Shi arrived at Zou Minglei’s bedside, she finally understood why the maidservant had been so hesitant.

The injury was indeed from a kick, but the maidservant had omitted that the maid had struck Zou Minglei’s groin!

Zou Minglei’s face was as pale as paper as he clutched his lower body, rolling in agony on the bed.

Zou Wan Shi nearly fainted on the spot.

Old Madam Zou, already frail and elderly, fainted on the spot upon hearing her grandson’s injury.

"What happened?!" Zou Wan Shi shrieked in panic. "How could this happen out of nowhere?!"

The maid, her clothing in disarray and hair disheveled, knelt on the floor, sobbing. "...I was only following Madam’s orders to deliver fruit to the Young Master. But as soon as he put down his book, he tried to pull me toward the bed and started tearing my clothes... Madam, though I work in your household, I’m a respectable woman. What the Young Master did was no different from forcing himself on an innocent woman! In my fury, I..."

Still weeping, she bowed her head repeatedly. "I truly didn’t mean to harm him."

Zou Wan Shi saw red with fury.

She had been told that these servants were left behind by a distant relative, their wages prepaid for the Zou family’s use.

At the time, Zou Wan Shi had thought the arrangement considerate, so she hadn’t paid much mind when she learned they were under temporary contracts.

Now, hearing the maid repeatedly emphasize her innocence and accuse her son of assault, it sounded as if her son had it coming!

Zou Wan Shi wished she could have the maid drawn and quartered!

Taking a deep breath, she turned to the others. "Has a doctor been called?!"

"Someone’s already gone to fetch one. He ought to be here any minute!"

Zou Wan Shi’s expression eased slightly. Pointing at the kneeling maid, she spat through clenched teeth, "If anything happens to my Minglei, you’ll pay with your life!"

The maid only continued sobbing quietly, offering no further defense.

When the doctor arrived, he examined Zou Minglei and determined that, fortunately, the young maid’s strength had been insufficient to cause serious damage. No medicine was needed, though Zou Minglei would be in pain for a while.

"Young men are naturally hot-blooded," the doctor said tactfully. "It’s best to channel those urges properly."

Zou Wan Shi’s face flushed crimson with shame.

Old Madam Zou decided on the spot: "If that's the case, then the two maids serving in my room are quite good. I'll assign one to Minglei for his chamber. Not that I'm bragging, but back when our Zou family was prosperous, which gentleman didn't keep four or five pretty maids in his room? Our Minglei has reached the age—it shows there’s no issue with his health, which is a good thing!"

Zou Wan Shi flushed red and remained silent, looking deeply troubled.

Minglei was still so young—barely fourteen by any count. Was it really time to arrange for him a maid who knew about intimate matters?

After much internal struggle, Zou Wan Shi finally gritted her teeth and agreed.

But to her surprise, when Old Madam Zou asked the two maids serving her who would be willing to attend to the Young Master intimately—even promising that once the eldest young madam entered the household, they would stop their contraceptive medicine, and if they conceived, they would be promoted to concubines—the two maids were horrified at the prospect.

One said she was in love with someone and thus couldn’t serve the Young Master in that manner.

The other said that while the Young Master was fine, she had already been promised in marriage elsewhere and would leave to marry once her contract expired.

Old Madam Zou was furious once more.

Left with no other choice, Zou Wan Shi steeled herself and decided to go out the next day to buy a maid specifically who could teach her son about such matters.

When Zou Minglei heard this, his spirits lifted, and his pain seemed to lessen somewhat.

He didn’t forget to remind Zou Wan Shi, "Mother, that maid who kicked me—you can’t just let her off so easily!"

Zou Wan Shi also wanted to severely punish the maid, but before she could act, she was dissuaded by Old Madam Zou’s attendant, Madam Yue.

"You’ve only just arrived in the capital. If that maid is determined to accuse the Young Master, it would be quite the scandal," Madam Yue urged persuasively. "For the Young Master’s future, just drive her out of the household. Otherwise, if she truly goes all out in retaliation, wouldn’t it ruin the Young Master’s reputation? Later, when the Young Master goes to study at the academy, wouldn’t that be disastrous?"

At the mention of potentially affecting Zou Minglei’s studies at the academy, Zou Wan Shi’s initial fury softened.

In the end, Zou Wan Shi resentfully slapped the maid once and expelled her from the household, bringing the matter to a close.