“Madam, please don’t be angry…” she called out urgently, then urged A’Luan, “Quick, quick, bring the madam’s medicine pills.”
Chang Yuncheng looked at Madam Xie’s pale face and knelt down again.
“Your son knows he was wrong. Mother, please calm your anger,” he said, while tightly grasping Madam Xie’s sleeve, “Mother, are you alright? How do you feel? Should I call a physician…”
Madam Xie just closed her eyes, her hand pressed to her chest, saying nothing.
The room was in chaos.
However, for Qi Yue, there was nothing to be chaotic about. When she heard Madam Xie instruct the little maid to take the brocade cushion for her to kneel on, she turned and left under the shocked gazes of all the maids in the courtyard.
What a joke. Kneel? Don’t be ridiculous.
Qi Yue went straight back to her courtyard and heard the maids report that Madam Xie was calling for a physician.
Qi Yue said nothing, telling them to watch over there. If Madam Xie was really unwell, they should tell her immediately. Que Zhi cleverly agreed and went.
Here, Qiu Xiang looked at A’Ru, wanting to speak but hesitating.
“Don’t try to persuade me. It won’t work,” A’Ru sighed and said, then smiled bitterly, “Young Mistress isn’t the type to admit fault and bow her head even when she’s not wrong.”
Indeed, Qiu Xiang sighed. Not only when she wasn’t wrong, but even when she seemed to be wrong, she could turn it into being right with just a few words.
“But if Madam isn’t happy, how can the Lord be happy? Things were just getting better, and now they’ll become distant again,” she said with a sigh.
A’Ru also sighed. If the mother-in-law liked you but the husband didn’t, with the mother-in-law’s protection, life wouldn’t be difficult. But if the husband liked you and the mother-in-law didn’t, then life would be…
The atmosphere in the courtyard became heavy and oppressive.
Soon Que Zhi returned.
“Madam is fine, the physician left,” she said the key points simply and quickly, “The Lord is kneeling at Madam’s place.”
Hearing this, Qiu Xiang couldn’t help but want to speak, but Qi Yue had already stood up.
“You all wait at home,” she said.
Qiu Xiang and A’Ru were stunned. Watching Qi Yue walk out, although she told them to wait, how could they wait? They hurriedly followed her out and saw Qi Yue come to Madam Xie’s courtyard.
In the courtyard, Chang Yuncheng was kneeling straight on the ground. Qi Yue walked over and knelt down beside him.
Chang Yuncheng paid no attention to her, as if he hadn’t seen an extra person beside him.
Qi Yue also said nothing, just knelt straight like him.
Time passed bit by bit.
This was Qi Yue’s first time suffering like this. The ground was hard and cold. Actually, not long after kneeling, she felt she couldn’t bear it, but seeing Chang Yuncheng from the corner of her eye, she still gritted her teeth and persisted.
Other people accompanied their men to appreciate flowers, moon, and scenery. Her accompanying her man in punishment kneeling could be considered a different kind of romantic sentiment. If this were in modern times, she couldn’t even enjoy such an experience if she wanted to.
Thinking of this, Qi Yue couldn’t help but purse her lips and smile. After smiling, she felt her knees hurt piercingly.
This might cause arthritis. Why did Madam Xie particularly favor this kind of punishment?
Just as she was relying on random thoughts to push away the pain, Chang Yuncheng reached over from his side, pulled over a brocade cushion, and pushed it over.
Qi Yue looked at him.
Chang Yuncheng didn’t look at her or speak.
Qi Yue remained kneeling without moving.
“Kneel on this,” Chang Yuncheng said stiffly.
“My skirt is thick, you use it,” Qi Yue said.
Chang Yuncheng pressed his lips tightly together and didn’t look at her.
Nanny Su walked away from the curtain. Inside, Madam Xie was leaning against the pillow with her eyes closed, seemingly asleep.
“Madam, Young Mistress has also come to kneel,” Nanny Su said quietly.
Madam Xie let out a cold laugh.
“Too late,” she said.
Nanny Su acknowledged this and spoke again.
“…But we should still call them up,” she said quietly.
Madam Xie suddenly opened her eyes and sat up.
“What? If she dares to kneel, don’t I dare to let her kneel?” she said coldly.
Nanny Su smiled.
“Madam certainly dares, but,” she said, glancing outside, “this just fulfills her wishes.”
Madam Xie frowned slightly.
“…If she had just left, that would have been fine, but she deliberately came back to kneel with the Lord. The longer the punishment lasts, the more the Lord’s original anger will dissipate, and instead he’ll pity her. Look, look at the delicate appearance that woman is putting on…” Nanny Su said quietly.
Madam Xie looked up through the window and saw the woman kneeling beside her son swaying her shoulders slightly, as if she couldn’t bear it anymore. When she moved, although Chang Yuncheng didn’t look at her, his brow furrowed tightly…
“Tell them all to get lost,” Madam Xie lay back down and said coldly.
In the Lord’s courtyard, there was a flurry of activity with the couple’s return.
Qi Yue indeed had never suffered like this before. Holding her knees, she wanted nothing more than to roll around on the bed.
With great difficulty, she applied medicinal wine, and the pain felt like it took half her life.
During this time, Chang Yuncheng sat upright the whole time, not speaking, moving, or smiling.
The maids didn’t dare approach to tend to his injuries either.
“How are your legs? Apply some medicinal wine to drive away the cold…” Qi Yue said through gritted teeth.
“Everyone get out,” Chang Yuncheng suddenly shouted.
The maids were startled and hurriedly retreated in confusion, leaving only the couple in the room.
“All mother wanted was face. What would it matter if you gave her face? Filial piety requires obedience—if you’re not obedient, how can there be filial piety? Without filial piety, how can mother like you?” Chang Yuncheng looked at her, his voice cold and harsh.
Qi Yue sighed.
“How should I put this,” she said, frowning slightly, “That’s right, your mother wants face, but this face isn’t something I can give by kneeling or letting her scold me. This face, it’s because of who I am as a person…”
She pointed at herself and looked at Chang Yuncheng.
“Me, this daughter-in-law from a beggar background, this daughter-in-law the Old Madam forced you to marry—no matter what I do or say, my very existence is slapping her face,” she said, “Chang Yuncheng, how do you want me to obey her? Leaving your family—that’s probably the only way to truly obey her.”
Leave! It had been some time since he’d heard that word.
Chang Yuncheng suddenly stood up.
“In the end, you still haven’t forgotten about divorce,” he said, turning and walking away.
Qi Yue called out twice—that wasn’t what she meant at all!
Chang Yuncheng had already stridden out.