Chapter 3 Taking It All Away

Chapter 3: Take Everything Away

Han Mei received the order and left.

Soon she returned to report, while Xi Qianyue was feasting heartily: "All settled? Let me finish eating first."

Han Mei nodded and stood to one side.

"Delicious, Han Xiang's cooking is truly excellent."

The feeling of being well-fed and content was wonderful, even her strength had largely returned.

The maidservants worried that she was still ill and eating too much might cause indigestion, but she felt she had mostly recovered.

Han Xiang reported: "Uncle Bai is very pleased and said he will do exactly as the Madam instructed—no one will be able to withdraw money without your say-so."

"Summon all the tough, daring women."

Qing Bi knew right away that something was up and eagerly sent the young maids to go get them.

Before long, eight brawny women and a dozen bold maids stood in the courtyard.

Xi Qianyue was quite satisfied—having people and money at her fingertips felt great!

"I just ate and need to walk off my meal. Leave a few maids to watch the courtyard; the rest of you come with me to 'take a stroll.' I pay your wages, so you better know who your real mistress is. I'll say this upfront: any lazy or half-hearted coward gets kicked out of this house on the spot."

The maids and women chorused: "We'll be loyal and hardworking, not cowards!"

Xi Qianyue thought of something else: "Han Xiang, you and Uncle Bai take a few servants and go pick out some guards and maids who can protect their lady. You know the type—loyal and honest, but also bold and able to throw down!"

Xi Qianyue led her entourage, sweeping through the estate with a racket toward Yang Luo's courtyard.

Yang Luo was having her wrist treated with medicine by a maid when she saw Xi Qianyue arriving with a large group. She looked like she'd seen a ghost.

Xi Qianyue smiled: "Eldest Sister, even though you pushed me into the pond, had your maids grab my hair and shove my head underwater, and I got a lump on my head from a rock—I still came to see you."

"No need, no need! What's there to see in me?" Yang Luo was visibly flustered, still planning to go tattle to her brother or mother after eating.

Who'd have thought this Xi woman would come knocking on her door so fast!

She wasn't going to beat her again, was she?

Yang Luo desperately signaled to Yicui, hoping she'd go get help.

But a quick-witted woman slammed the courtyard gate shut: "Where do you think you're running? The Madam's here to talk to you—what's the hurry?"

Despair flooded Yang Luo's heart as she braced for a beating.

"Qing Rong, Qing Bi, don't just stand there—go through the list and get all my dowry back."

Yang Luo was stunned—she'd come to ransack her stuff! How dare she?

She'd waited forever for this rich sister-in-law to marry in, finally living the high life, wearing fancy clothes and flashy jewelry. How could she let it all get taken away?

She shuddered, remembering how drab and shabby she'd looked just months ago, and panic hit her.

"No, sister-in-law, those are mine! You can't do this!"

Xi Qianyue found it amusing: "Weren't you always calling me 'that Xi wench'? Now all of a sudden it's 'sister-in-law'? Unfortunately, it's too late. For an ungrateful wolf like you who's never satisfied, do you think I'd keep feeding you? Not only are you ungrateful, you even tried to kill me! Did you think I'd just have my maids squeeze your wrist and call it even?"

Yang Luo saw the maids Xi Qianyue brought heading straight for her bedroom, and she rushed in after them to stop them from tearing the place apart.

But how could she fight those rough-handed maids? They shoved her around until she hit the floor.

"How dare you! I'm the lady of this house! Who do you think you are? How dare you come in here and ransack everything, even shoving your mistress to the ground?"

Yang Luo screamed in disbelief, but those fierce maids and women didn't bat an eye and just ignored her.

She hurried back to the main hall and saw Xi Qianyue lounging at ease while a maid knelt beside her rubbing her shoulders.

Yang Luo softened her voice: "Sister-in-law, everything in the past was my fault. I hope you'll forgive me. From now on, I'll treat you like my own sister. We're family—surely you don't need to be this angry?"

Xi Qianyue scoffed. With a spineless coward like this, no wonder the original owner got bullied to death!

"Didn't I just say? It's too late! Do you think I'm a three-year-old, easily fooled by your sweet talk?"

Yang Luo exploded: "What do you want from me? I've bowed my head, I've apologized—is that still not enough?"

"Bingo, you guessed right—it's not enough."

Yang Luo tried to get her own maids to snatch things back, but none of them dared to move.

Even when forced to step forward trembling, they were ruthlessly swept aside by Xi Qianyue's maids like autumn leaves.

The floor was full of wailing and moaning. Yang Luo stamped her foot in fury: "I'm going to tell my elder brother! I'm going to tell Mother! He'll divorce you, you vile woman!"

She expected to see panic on Xi Qianyue's face, but the woman remained utterly calm and unconcerned.

The maids and women quickly finished packing, nearly emptying the room.

"A marquis's daughter? The clothes and daily necessities of a marquis's daughter are all bought with her sister-in-law's dowry. I wonder if you'd die of shame if word of this got out? Oh, I misspoke—everyone already knows the Marquis of Changping's household is desperately poor, even this very residence has been pawned..."

Yang Luo's eyes widened, nearly mad with rage: "What nonsense are you spouting? This house has been passed down from our ancestors! What pawning? Don't you dare talk nonsense here!"

Seeing the shocked expressions on all the maids and women, she hated Xi Qianyue even more.

Xi Qianyue stood up and brushed off non-existent dust from her clothes: "Believe it or not, but you'd best ask your dear elder brother.

Your family couldn't even afford a proper betrothal gift. I gave him five thousand taels of silver so he could redeem this house. Otherwise, you'd all be sleeping on the streets. I am your living bodhisattva—not only do you fail to honor and revere me, you dare to strike the very hand that feeds you?"

At Xi Qianyue's command, the maids and women carried out the chests, clutched precious ornaments in their arms, and even took the silk bedding.

Yang Luo rushed into the room and nearly fainted! Almost everything had been packed up and taken by the maids—there wasn't even bedding left on the bed. The dressing table and curio shelves were stripped bare of every ornament.

She quickly opened the small drawer of the dressing table—even the silver ingots were gone!

"Oh, and the bed, the cabinets, and such—I'll leave those for now. If you make me angry again, I'll take those too. You lot were practically destitute to begin with."

Xi Qianyue had already walked out the door, then turned back to shout loudly, sending chills down Yang Luo's spine.

"I must tell my elder brother! I must tell Mother! That vile woman must be beaten to death!"

Yang Luo clenched her fists, gathered her maids, and headed toward the Marquis's Jifu Hall.