At this moment, Ye Hui walked in with her brother, looking confused by the scene in the living room.
“Mother, what’s wrong?”
Ye Xiang went over and pulled his mother. Ye’s mother, afraid Zhang Gui would cause a fatality, clung tightly to his leg and refused to get up.
Ye Hui’s eyebrows furrowed. Without a doubt, Huang Ziqi had gone too far, and Zhang Gui had raised a kitchen knife in anger. She had underestimated this half-brother before.
“Husband, go and take the knife away,” she said.
Qin Yuhang walked over, saying, “Give me the knife.” He lightly flicked Zhang Gui’s wrist, immediately causing his hand to go limp. The knife fell, which Qin Yuhang caught and handed to a nearby servant to take away.
Zhang Gui remembered Qin Yuhang well and knew his brother-in-law was capable. He couldn’t provoke him, so he glared fiercely at Huang Ziqi: “Old man, you got lucky this time.”
Ye’s mother got up from the floor, saw her daughter, and suddenly threw herself into her arms, crying. She patted her daughter’s shoulder, saying, “Hui’er, you’ve been gone for four years. You don’t know how lonely this family has been without you, and how many problems we’ve had.”
Ye Hui felt a lump in her throat, overwhelmed with guilt towards her mother: “Mother, don’t worry. I won’t leave you again, and I won’t leave this family.”
Her aunt, seeing the knife taken from Zhang Gui, regained her composure and shrilly said, “Ye Hui, you shameless woman! It’s because of you that someone cut off our Mei’er’s long hair. Soon she was to marry Wu Dianshi, a ninth-rank official. Can you bear that responsibility?”
Huang Ziqi, who had been threatened with the knife for so long, was already scared stiff and tried to maintain some dignity: “I… I…” He stammered for a long time without completing a sentence.
What a useless man, not even having a woman’s courage!
Ye Hui helped her mother sit in a chair and seriously addressed her aunt: “It’s just hair. It’ll grow back.”
Her aunt began cursing: “You foul-mouthed wretch! Mei’er was going to be an official’s wife. How can she get married without hair? You heartless girl have ruined her life. Pay silver today and we’ll call it even, or I’ll take you to court.”
Ye Hui gracefully sat in a chair her husband had moved, laughing: “Aunt, your words are inconsiderate. We’re all relatives. Paying silver is small; breaking family ties would be the real problem.”
Her aunt, originally from a scholarly family, was now driven mad with anger. Disregarding etiquette, she spat: “Ptui! Who wants to be relatives with your poor, lowly family? The earlier we break ties, the better. Never enter the Huang family’s door again.”
Ye Hui chuckled: “Aunt, honestly, we don’t dare claim the Huang family as relatives. Today I’ll pay your silver to avoid messy future separations. Everyone here can witness that if the Huang family claims to be our relatives in the future, they’ll face legal trouble.”
Ye Hui’s gaze suddenly turned ice-cold as she swept her eyes across the crowd.
Those present didn’t take the young woman’s words seriously, until many days later when they learned a empress had emerged from the Ye family, slapping themselves for not immediately kneeling and showing loyalty.
Aunt’s face changed, and she retorted: “I’m supporting a kept man at home without using your money, all given voluntarily by men.” She was gnashing her teeth with hatred over her husband blocking the knife earlier.
Old Eleven always stood behind his wife, growing impatient, and shouted: “Shut up, take your family’s petty matters and get out.” He pulled out a silver ingot from his pocket and threw it, simultaneously releasing a trace of internal energy, making the silver coin ding as it deeply embedded into the wooden table, almost level with the surface.
Huang family’s helpers then realized the Ye family had skilled martial artists, secretly glad they hadn’t acted rashly earlier, or they wouldn’t have known how they would die.
All of Huang Ziqi’s relatives stared wide-eyed.
Old Eleven coldly said: “This is twenty taels, take it and scram. If I see you causing trouble at the Ye family again, you can all prepare to go to jail!”
Chapter 110
What a large silver ingot! The aunt’s eyes brightened, her mouth and nostrils opening, greedily inhaling. She hurriedly rushed to the table’s edge to dig out the silver, using both hands to scratch and dig for a long time, but the silver seemed stuck, not moving at all. Frustrated, she laughed awkwardly at Ye Hui: “Xiaohui, I quite like this table. Why don’t you give me the table too?”
Ye Hui was stunned, looking at the table, then hearing her mother impatiently say: “Take it away, hurry up and leave.” A table was beneath her consideration.
Qin Yuhang smiled at his wife, walked over, and lightly patted the table surface. With the vibration, the embedded silver immediately bounced out.
Just as the aunt was about to grab it… Ye Hui remembered something: “Wait a moment.” Qin Yuhang’s Damascus sword flashed, and the next second, the bright sword tip pressed down on the silver.
The aunt shivered, afraid of being cut, and withdrew her hand, forcing a laugh: “What are you doing, niece?”
“Don’t call me niece anymore. You’re not worthy,” Ye Hui’s eyes were cold.
“Fine, won’t call you that,” the aunt cursed inwardly, thinking who would care if not for the money.
“Return the handkerchief you were given this morning. You can’t receive two things on the same day.” The cloud brocade handkerchief was valuable, and she didn’t want to lose out twice.
The aunt jumped up, “You bitch…” A fierce wind swept by, and with a slap, her face stung, seeing stars. Looking up, she saw the cold-faced gentleman standing behind Ye Hui, his handsome face radiating a frosty, sword-like gaze.
The aunt was about to curse but stopped, remembering how he had thrown the silver into the table, wondering about his capabilities.
“Xiaohui, our families are far apart. Wouldn’t it take time to go back and forth? Why don’t I send someone with the handkerchief tomorrow? It’s not worth much, right?” The aunt laughed awkwardly, her eyes fixed on the silver.
“No,” Ye Hui slowly shook her head, a jade butterfly worth a fortune pinned to her hair, its green light highlighting her fair, pure face. She stood from her chair, telling the Tenth and Eleventh: “Brothers, drive these people out. When the handkerchief arrives, give them the silver.”
The aunt was displeased, hands on her hips, ready to explode.
“Madam, Miss, Young Master, I’ve brought the bailiffs,” A De from outside led in over a dozen officers. He had gone to the street, seen a patrol, and quickly approached. Showing his token, the previously stern bailiffs became extremely respectful.
The lead officer quickly stopped A De: “Young sir, don’t joke. How could I dare be called a big shot?”
Traditionally, civilians don’t challenge officials, and the Huang family members panicked, crowding into corners. Some tried to flee but were beaten back by the officers’ batons.
Ye’s mother, unsure what was happening, pulled her younger son Ye Xiang with one hand and Ye Hui with the other, calling her eldest son Zhang Gui to hide behind her, looking like a mother hen protecting her chicks.
Qin Yuhang, the Tenth, and Eleventh all laughed.
“Mother-in-law, don’t worry. I had A De call the bailiffs,” Old Eleventh politely bowed to Ye’s mother.
Ye’s mother looked surprised but relaxed, seeing her daughter’s impressive connections and outstanding son-in-law.
Huang Ziqi hurriedly greeted the officers, explaining the situation and mentioning his scholar status: “I’m not talented, but my father was a court official, connected to many distinguished scholars. I’m here only to seek justice for my daughter. The bailiffs’ arrival is perfect to help resolve this!”
