Chapter 21 A Bitter Rebuke
When Su Huanli heard that, his face became as ugly as it could be.
What the h.e.l.l was Zhu Yan doing?
“Butler!”
After Su Huanli shouted, the butler hurriedly walked in from outside with sweat on his head. “What is your order, my Lord? The carriage to the silk village was broken, and I was rus.h.i.+ng to find someone to fix it.”
Seeing the old butler’s coat was stained by sweat, Su Huanli didn’t blame him and just said, “Go to the West Courtyard and bring Erya here.
Did the Second Miss returned to the West Courtyard?
The old butler was surprised, but when he saw Qi Xianqing, he suddenly understood. He anxiously rushed to the West Courtyard without saying any words and forget the carriage thing.
“Lord, Erya is my student. I am really worried about her. I will go with the butler.”
Qi Xianqing waved his sleeves and left unexpectedly with the old butler.
Su Huanli stared at Mr. Qi with wide eyes. The reason why he asked the butler to find Erya was that he could watch Qi Xianqing by himself. His family’s shame should not be publicized. But this old man actually left him directly to the West Courtyard!
This was ridiculous!!
Su Huanli was furious and ran after him.
From the Main Courtyard of the Su House to the West Courtyard, one had to pa.s.s through two large yards and a long corridor. It usually took a short period of time. This time, the old butler and Qi Xianqing were in a hurry. They only arrived at the gate of the West Courtyard in a quarter of an hour.
Clack!!
They just entered the West Courtyard, and heard a loud whip sound came from the southwest of the yard. The two old men had lots of goose b.u.mp on their body.
“No, my successor (Second Miss) is in danger!”
The two men looked at each other and unconsciously played martial arts flying to the southwest.
After pa.s.sing through a circular arch, a great deal of dirty clothes came into view. An old fat mammy whose back and shoulders were thick and powerful was raising the whip with her hand. The whip was about to fall!
“Stop!”
Qi Xianqing glared at the whip and then he grasped the end of the whip urgently and directly. At the same time, a dark strength pa.s.sed through the whip into the hands of Mammy Zheng. The strength blew her away and crashed her into the piles of dirty clothes. It’s smelly everywhere.
Butler Li was vigilant. If Qi Xinaqing didn’t reveal himself this time, butler Li wouldn’t found that Qi Xianqing practiced martial arts.
“Who are you?”
Qi Xianqing crouched down to examine the injury of Su Li, and his eyes were full of distress. But he seemed invisible to Su Li, because she was intently staring at the maize bread which was crushed and lay in the muddy water.
“Answer me!” The mood of butler Li became tough.
Qi Xianqing said impatiently, “Li Yin, you once were a famous martial arts person, but now you are hiding in a small family being a butler.”
Li Yin’s turbid pupils shrank, and he subconsciously went back a few steps. He didn’t expect that he was recognized by the man in front of him just because of the exposure of some actions. Couldn’t that group of people let him go?
“Don’t worry, little guy. The Yin Mo Cult has been annihilated for a long time. n.o.body will care about whether a small potato is still alive or not,” Qi Xianqing seemed calm but was actually angry like a volcano which was about to burst. “Now I want to know, is it the First Madam of the Su Family that hurt my successor?”
When he finished speaking, there was a sound of disordered steps outside the circular arch. Though Li Yin had so much questions to ask, he had to close his mouth temporarily.
People were pa.s.sed through the gate of the courtyard, and Su Huanli was on the front, followed by the First Madam, the Second Madam, Su Zipei, and Su Qinghao. Almost every one of the Su Family came.
“Lord, Madams.” Butler Li gave a salute and retreated to the side.
“What… what is going on here? Erya…”
With his hands trembling, Su Huanli went to Su Li. He saw the blood splashed on her white porcelain face and saw the blood traced on her white skin of her back. He remembered the smile in the yard, which was more s.h.i.+ning than the suns.h.i.+ne. He was calculated, but this time, he actually shed tears.
He was in distress!
“Lord……”
Zhu Yan covered her mouth with amazement, and panic was revealed in her eyes, which was difficult to hide. The status of Erya in the heart of the Lord was so important. How was it possible?
The Second Madam was also stunned. She was more afraid to see Zhu Yan. Although she had heard some baseless rumor, it was the first time she saw Su Li who was beat to bleed.
“My successor!”
Qi Xianqing shrieked miserably as if he just knew what happened. His s.h.i.+vering old hands gently wiped the blood and tears on Su Li’s face. “Who…who did this? How malevolent it is and it must be an unforgivable sinner. How could she actually hurt a 14-year-old little girl? I’m going to notify the government!”
Li Yin looked at them with confusion. If he didn’t see Mammy Zheng was slapped heavily by him, he would probably believe what Qi Xianqing just said.
He was really good at acting.
Li Yin looked down as if he didn’t see it. Qi Xianqing did not want to reveal his ident.i.ty, so did him. Otherwise it would be a waste for him to hide for many years.
“You can’t notify the government, or the reputation of our Su Family will be completely destroyed!”
Su Huanli sobered a lot after Qi’s shouting. The First Madam heard him and her face was not so pale. It seemed that the Lord still cared about their affection of many years.
Qi Xianqing was so angry that his face turned grey. He said in short gasps, “Good! Good! Good! Su Huanli, I did not expect to find that the Su Family is actually a place to hide evildoers. You even cover up the malevolent woman who abused a little girl. I have been open-minded and above board in my life. I will never give up!”
As soon as Qi Xianqing said that, Zhu Yan’s face immediately turned pale again. She trembled and screamed, “You old and poor man! The affairs of our Su Family are none of your business. Erya is my daughter. If I beat her to death, that will also be my business! Get out immediately, otherwise I will let you never go out of the Su House!”
All scholars were weak. Zhu Yan thought that this old man would be like other scholars, and he would be scared by her words, then left with money. But Qi Xianqing was placid. She felt a little nervous and a sense of impending disaster.
Qi Xianqing sighed and glanced at Su Huanli and Zhu Yan with his sharp eyes, then he said,
“If there is a teacher who will teach your children in the future, I am not worth to be a man! As for the official career of Su Qingtan, even if I sacrifice my life, I will stop him from going on! If such a man from a ruthless family holds the power, it will be the misfortune of the Dahan! I am leaving!”
“Please don’t go, Mr. Qi!”
Su Huanli grasped Qi Xianqing, but he found that his hands and feet were cold, and even the heartbeat was scared to a sudden stop. If Qi Xianqing spread the affairs outside, his family would be ruined!!
“What? Is there anything you want to talk about, Lord?”
Qi Xianqing shook off Su Hunali’s hands and did not hide his disgust in his tone.
Su Huanli took a deep breath and didn’t say anything for a long while. Then he turned around and said, “First Madam, you once said that your mother’s family had something urgent. Go home with Su Zipei tomorrow.”
“Lord!” Zhu Yan’s voice trembled, and she was about to cry. The Lord actually drove her away for the sake of Erya?
“Dad, I don’t want to leave! I don’t want my mother to leave!” Su Zipei hugged Su Huanli’s waist. She curled her lips and her eyes turned red. She looked pathetic and pitiful.
Su Huanli’s heart was shook, but when he saw Qi Xianqing who looked cold, he could only shake Su Zipei off, and said coldly, “That is for sure! As for Mammy Zheng, I will ask someone to send her to the government!”
Mammy Zheng just crawled out from the piles of clothes. When she heard this, she immediately screamed, “Spare me, my Lord! The First Madam and the Third Miss asked me to do that. I could do nothing but obey their orders. Second Miss! You are the kindest girl! Doctor Qi…”
The harsh words were filled with the ears of everyone, and Su Huanli was so angry that he was about to burst out.
Qi Xianqing knew that’s enough. Zhu Family was powerful. If he forced too much, Su Huanli could not find a better solution. Then, he looked a little kind and said,
“Lord, it is not necessary for me to push. A family with both virtue and good behaviors should do like this. If there is something offended, please forgive me.”
Su Huanli reluctantly curled his lips and smiled which was uglier than he cried. He really learned the pedantic scholar’s stubbornness.
However, he felt good for that Zhu Yan who was always overbearing was finally taught a lesson.
“Lord, how about the Second Miss?” Butler Li reminded him.
Su Huanli glared at butler Li and almost scolded him. It was inappropriate to mention this at present!
He thought when Zhu Yan came back, he would ask Erya to apologize to her, so as to have a better relations.h.i.+p. But now it was impossible.
Qi Xianqing felt a little surprise. “Li Yin seems that he cares about Erya subconsciously. Good, good…”
However, even if Li Yin did not propose it, he would mention it. After all, he acted for such a long time just for Su Li.
When Su Huanli saw the eyes of Qi Xingqing, his was inexplicably afraid. He contemplated for a moment and could not help but sigh.
Alright, alright. In for a penny, in for a pound!
“Erya, you suffered a lot this time. Your mother was stupid just for a moment. She will never do it again!”
Su Huanli’s tone was very strict. Zhu Yan was so angry that she couldn’t say a word. Since she married to Su Huanli, she never suffered bitterness like this.
“There is a courtyard in the north of the West Courtyard. It called Jinyuan Court. From now on, Erya, you live in Jinyuan Court.” Su Huanli just finished talking, but Zhu Yan screamed like a cat that its tail was stepped on.
“No! Lord, you said it’s reserved for our son. How can you give it to Erya?”
Su Huanli blamed in his mind that why Zhu Yan didn’t understand the situation. But he couldn’t speak clearly. He could only say helplessly, “When the fifth child is born, we will build another courtyard for him. It’s fixed. There is no need to say more!”
He turned around and his expression was completely returned to normal. He said, “Doctor Qi, please pay attention to Erya’s wounds.”
“Don’t worry. I always protect my students. Since Erya is my student, I will take care of her.” He turned his head and said to butler Li, “Butler Li, please prepare a carriage to go to Bai Cao Tang. There are all kinds of medicine. And it is easy for me to treat the wounds of Erya.”
Butler Li nodded and left silently. Qi Xianqing also held up Su Li who was as light as nothing and followed the butler.
The matter finally came to an end. Su Huanli felt relieved. He didn’t know that his forehead was full of cold sweat. He looked back and when he saw the angry First Madam and Su Zipei, he got annoyed again.