Li Ming endured a day of subtle scrutiny and overt inquiries from his colleagues. Returning from the yamen with a grim expression, he made his way towards the Wild Goose Pavilion.
Mrs. Lu also received the news, cursing the Zhang family for their discourteous behavior. If they didn't want to marry into the Li family, they should have stated it directly. Both sides had agreed to the marriage proposal, only for the Zhangs to turn around and seek alliance with the Suns. Wasn't this a blatant insult to the Lis?
The more Mrs. Lu thought about it, the angrier she became, slamming down a cup in frustration. Auntie Mei came to see Mrs. Lu for some matter and heard the sound of the cup hitting the floor. She paused, ready to retreat.
Turning around, she saw Li Ming striding purposefully, not sparing Auntie Mei a glance as he walked past her into the room. Shortly after, Li Ming's voice echoed from inside, "Look at what kind of daughter you've raised. You've completely tarnished my reputation."
"The Zhang family is beyond audacious," Mrs. Lu exclaimed, slamming the table.
"Enough! Now the whole of Liuzhou knows that my daughter Li Xin was eagerly seeking entrance into the Zhang family but was rejected. We must swiftly find another family for Xin to marry into. My dignity must be restored after this disgrace, but we cannot delay Xin's marriage any longer. The longer we wait, the worse it will be for her," Li Ming declared with resignation.
"Xin has suffered injustice, and you won't seek justice for her. Are you even her father?" Mrs. Lu couldn't believe Li Ming would say such things.
"There's no other way. Now that the news is out in Liuzhou, if we don't act swiftly, it'll be even harder to find a match. Perhaps Xin should spend some time in the temple for blessings," Li Ming's suggestions were becoming increasingly misguided.
A worried Auntie Mei, standing outside the door, grew increasingly infuriated as she listened. Disregarding etiquette, she barged into the room, "Both families had agreed on a marriage date, but the Zhangs went back on their word. It's their fault, and the Li family is in the right. Why should the eldest daughter hide away? She should boldly confront them and let them know the Li family isn't one to be trifled with. Such actions only make the master of the house appear cowardly in the eyes of others."
Auntie Mei's words made Li Ming flush with anger. He cursed the frailty of women and the difficulties of dealing with them, then stormed off, leaving abruptly.
Watching Li Ming leave, Auntie Mei felt a twinge of fear but also a sense of conviction in her actions. Mrs. Lu looked at her, surprised, "Madam, I bid you farewell."
As Auntie Mei walked back to the Plum Blossom Pavilion, she seethed with anger towards Zhang Qiming and Li Ming. She worried for Li Xin and feared punishment for herself.
After comforting Auntie Mei, Li Xia went to the Elegant Refinement Pavilion. The maids there wore troubled expressions. Seeing Li Xia, they hurried forward, "Second Miss, please go check on the mistress. She's been crying for quite some time."
Li Xin didn't have any feelings for Zhang Qiming. Although her parents were satisfied with him, she didn't feel any aversion towards him, but she didn't want it to be like this. When Li Xia entered, Li Xin wiped away her tears and invited her to sit down. "Xia Xia, sit down. The crystal cakes from the kitchen taste good. Have a try."
Seeing Li Xin crying, Li Xia joked, "Sis, should I find someone to beat up Zhang Qiming for you?" Li Xia's mention of finding someone was actually referring to herself, but she didn't say it explicitly.
Seeing that Li Xia was serious, Li Xin didn't know how to respond. "Xia Xia, you..."
Thinking that Li Xin was afraid of being discovered, Li Xia reassured her, promising that she could handle things without leaving any traces. "Those men in black were taken care of without a trace. It's easy to deal with a rich kid. Sis, trust me, I'll make sure it's done discreetly. So, should I break his hand or his leg?"
"I don't want to hurt him at all. Where did you learn all this from? Auntie Mei will punish you again when she hears about this." Li Xin wasn't sad anymore, focusing on dispelling Li Xia's violent thoughts.
But to be honest, there was a moment when she really wanted to just beat up Zhang Qiming. If he didn't want to marry her, he should have said so long ago. Why wait until the engagement was settled to reveal it, intentionally humiliating the Li family and causing her to lose face. Thinking of her father, Li Ming, who always cared about his reputation, Li Xin's face turned pale.
"I'm serious, giving him a beating would help relieve some frustration. Zhang Qiming clearly doesn't respect the Li family. He deserves to get punched." Li Xia was increasingly convinced that it was feasible, already planning how to go about it.
Seeing Li Xia's determination, Li Xin chuckled. "Honestly, I do want to give him a beating, but that's not the solution. Xia Xia, trust me, don't do this."
"Fine. I won't go. And you shouldn't be sad either. That jerk isn't worth it." Li Xia said she wouldn't cause trouble outwardly, but inwardly, she still wanted to find an opportunity to teach him a lesson. She was fed up with anyone who dared to bully her sister, Li Xin.
After advising Li Xia again, Li Xin breathed a sigh of relief when she promised not to cause trouble. After seeing Li Xia off, Li Xin realized she wasn't feeling upset anymore. Her sister's way of comforting her was quite unique.
Li Xin tidied herself up and went to Mrs. Lu's courtyard. Mrs. Lu had already composed herself. When she saw Li Xin come in, she reached out and held Li Xin's hand. "My unfortunate daughter, it's all my fault."
Mrs. Lu regretted going to see Old Madam Zhang. She didn't expect the wife of a second-rank official to be so untrustworthy. She trusted her because she was her daughter's childhood playmate, without carefully investigating the specific situation of the Zhang family.
"Mother, I'm fine. You don't need to blame yourself. This is not our fault. We don't need to feel sorry for such people." Li Xin handed a handkerchief to Mrs. Lu to wipe her tears. "And I think it's better this way. It's better to find out now than for our daughter to marry into a bad family in the future."
Li Xin's considerate and sensible demeanor made Mrs. Lu even more indignant. She harbored deep hatred towards the Zhang and Sun families. Given the chance, she wouldn't let these two families off.
"Madam, Old Madam Zhang's people are here to see you," Zi Juan came in to report.
"Don't see them. Tell them to leave," Mrs. Lu said firmly.
"Mother, please don't be like this. We can't easily offend the Zhang Family," Li Xin advised Mrs. Lu. The Zhang Family is not something the Li Family can handle now. Even if it's for father's sake or for brother's, it's not wise to confront them at this moment.
Mrs. Lu couldn't be unaware of these facts. It's just that the matters involving the Zhang Family made her too angry, causing her to lose her usual calmness and rationality.
After a while, Mrs. Lu calmed down and took a deep breath. "Xin'er, go back and rest first. I'll handle this matter."
Li Xin nodded and left. Mrs. Lu composed herself and welcomed the Zhang Family's people in. The person who came was Nanny Xu, who usually served by Old Madam Zhang's side. Before Nanny Xu arrived, Mrs. Lu had prepared herself for some difficulties, expecting the Li Family to cause trouble, considering how unfairly the Zhang Family had acted. But Mrs. Lu didn't make things too difficult; she ordered someone to return the items and documents to the Zhang Family.
