Climbing on the Sparrow Branch – CH 257

Chapter 257: Giving Face

An Zhi also wanted to castrate Jiang Hao. People like Jiang Hao were truly disgusting.

But Jiang Hao was Xu Wenjuan’s fiancé. If she had Pei Que deal with Jiang Hao directly, the Jiang family might have become the Xu family’s scapegoat. Xu Wenjuan just wanted to break off the engagement so she could offer this favor to the Xu family.

She told Shunzi not to act rashly; she’d wait until the afternoon to pass on a message to Pei Que.

“By the way, please tell your master that I thank him profusely,” An Zhi said sincerely. “It’s getting hotter by the day. I’ll make him two pairs of socks over the next couple of days and have Fusheng deliver them when the time comes.”

Shunzi wanted a gift from Young Lady An. A gift from Young Lady An would please his master, and his life would be much easier.

After An Zhi waited for Shunzi to leave, she went to the Xu Mansion.

The Xu family’s guard saw her and immediately welcomed her in.

When Xu Wenjuan heard An Zhi coming, she immediately put down her chubby nephew and took An Zhi to eat.

But An Zhi didn’t have time to eat with Xu Wenjuan. “Wait a minute. I’m here to discuss something important with your mother. Take me to her.”

Xu Wenjuan saw An Zhi’s serious expression and curiously asked what it was. But An Zhi said mysteriously that it was crowded and noisy, so she had to talk privately. So, she had no choice but to take An Zhi to see her mother.

Madam of Xu hadn’t seen her daughter in a while, so An Zhi and the others found her in the kitchen.

Seeing Madam of Xu personally preparing food for Xu Wenjuan, An Zhi couldn’t help but think of her mother, and her heart warmed. After explaining her purpose, Madam of Xu washed her hands and led them to the main room.

After An Zhi and Madam of Xu were alone in the room, An Zhi finally told her about Jiang Hao. “Pei Que asked me what to do. I think this matter is also related to the Xu family. Madam, you asked Wenjuan to stay with me, presumably to shield her from the gossip. So, I came all the way here.”

As she spoke, An Zhi observed Madam of Xu’s expression. Seeing her face grim and with a hint of regret, she continued, “If you still want to continue this marriage, I will keep this secret to myself and won’t tell anyone.”

“I don’t want to continue!” Xu Wenjuan had been holding it in for a long time, but at this point, she couldn’t help but speak.

She puffed her cheeks and glared at An Zhi. “Pei Que’s servant is right. A man like him should be castrated and made a eunuch, his whole life inhumane!”

No one would know a daughter better than her mother. Madam of Xu knew her daughter was the most impatient, and she had never intended for this marriage to continue. What surprised her more was that An Zhi was so perceptive. Not only did she anticipate her thoughts, but she even thought of sharing this with them.

Madam of Xu’s regard for An Zhi grew even higher, and she even felt a little regretful. She shouldn’t have listened to the rumors earlier and should have proposed to the An Mansion sooner, making An Zhi her daughter-in-law.

But now that An Zhi’s marriage was set, her regret was only fleeting.

But An Zhi had done the Xu family a favor, so she accepted it and would find a way to repay her later.

“Thank you, Zhi’er.” Madam of Xu took her daughter’s hand, the warm touch calming her down. “You’re right. I sent Wenjuan to you to cancel this marriage. After all, Jiang Hao is not a good match.”

Madam of Xu had been worried about her daughter’s marriage for years, and it had always been on her mind. Therefore, she was actually responsible for Jiang Hao’s situation.

If she hadn’t been so anxious to get her daughter married, she would have absolutely looked down on someone like Jiang Hao.

When Xu Wenjuan heard her mother say the word “cancel,” a smile immediately spread across her face. “Then, mother, shouldn’t we give Jiang Hao a good beating?”

“Why are you so violent, child? Who do you take after?” Madam of Xu looked at her daughter lovingly. “Jiang Hao is in the wrong right now, but if we beat him up, he’ll blame you for the rest of his life. Mother knows you’re angry, but wait until the marriage is called off. By then, the two families won’t be in-laws, and you can just go ahead and scold him all you want.”

Xu Wenjuan felt a little disappointed when she heard it would take some time to deal with Jiang Hao, but she quickly recovered. “So what now? How do we get Jiang Hao to cancel the marriage?”

When An Zhi noticed Xu Wenjuan’s gaze shifting towards her, she feigned ignorance and turned her head away. She had said everything she could. Madam of Xu was the one to figure out how to handle the situation. Otherwise, it would be bad for an unmarried girl like her to give Madam of Xu advice on how to scheme against someone, giving her the impression of being cunning and calculating.

Seeing An Zhi remain silent, Madam of Xu knew she had to come up with this solution herself. “As for Jiang Hao, please have Pei Que dump him in the mass grave as usual. His leg is fine, so he won’t die. Once the Jiang family brings him back, I’ll naturally go and settle the score with them.”

At this point, Madam of Xu turned her gaze to An Zhi. “Jiang Hao’s case is easy to resolve. After all, the Jiang family’s influence carries little weight, just like Monkey King can’t escape the Buddha’s palm. But in this matter, the most important thing is Lin Shuyao.”

According to the principle of rank, Madam of Xu should have referred to her as Princess Mu. However, thinking of Lin Shuyao’s deliberate scheme to harm her daughter, she was reluctant to call her Princess Mu.

An Zhi also knew that Jiang Hao was just a pawn; the most important thing was Lin Shuyao.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, her thoughts turning. “Ah, this isn’t the first time Lin Shuyao has harmed me.” An Zhi recounted several past incidents, including the incident with Hao Dongmei’s maid at the palace banquet last night. Madam of Xu’s eyes widened in shock. “I used to think I could just bear it, but she’s trying to ruin my reputation. I really can’t swallow this.”

“Then let’s ruin hers too!” Xu Wenjuan said without hesitation. But before she finished, her mother pulled her away.

Madam of Xu said sternly, “Lin Shuyao’s actions are detrimental to her virtue. We can’t do things that would send her to hell, but this revenge must be exacted!”

Forcing someone to rape a woman was a sin that would condemn one to slavery for eight lifetimes. No matter how much Madam of Xu hated Lin Shuyao, she would never do such a thing.

Seeing her daughter’s pouting face, she felt she understood nothing. She simply leaned over and faced An Zhi. “I’ve heard that Lin Shuyao has been seeing the Fifth Prince frequently lately, and her relationship with the Eighth Prince isn’t going well. If this gets to the Eighth Prince, with his fiery temper, Lin Shuyao will definitely suffer.”

An Zhi, intending to do the same, nodded and smiled. “Just spreading half-truths won’t do much good. We’d better find out exactly what Lin Shuyao did and show the Eighth Prince the hard evidence.”

A few trivial rumors wouldn’t be enough to provoke the Eighth Prince. But if the evidence was irrefutable and Lin Shuyao had done something that was detrimental to the Eighth Prince’s vital interests, given his fiery temper, he would certainly not let Lin Shuyao off easily.