ARC 1: The Prime Minister’s Tool Wife ✦ c1 ~ 70

✦ 43

Translator: InkyDragon (https://inkydragontranslation.wordpress.com)

Xu Shi Chu’s jaw nearly dropped. She had braced herself for requests, but Qin Mei’s audacity left her speechless. Demanding flowers? With such boldness? Where was the reserved decorum expected of women in their society?

(tn: since the rare flowers are so expensive, she might as well be asking for few cars from MC.)

A wave of disbelief washed over Xu Shi Chu. How could Qin Mei have such thick skin?

“No,” Xu Shi Chu finally responded, a forced smile masking her irritation. “My flowers serve a purpose. They’re not for casual gifting.”

Undeterred, Qin Mei pressed on, “Mother, I just want a few different varieties. Don’t you have enough with so many?”

Xu Shi Chu’s smile vanished, replaced by a frosty glare. “Even if I have more, they’re mine. I give when I choose to, and right now, I choose not to. Curb your greed, Qin Mei.”

Qin Mei’s face flushed, a mixture of embarrassment and anger bubbling within. “Greed? You call this greed? You’re the one being miserly, refusing to spare even a few plants… Is it because my husband isn’t your biological son? Is that why you hold such disdain for your daughter-in-law?”

Xu Shi Chu loathed those who resorted to manipulation and false accusations.

“I dislike those who feel entitled to what isn’t theirs,” she retorted sharply. “Even if your husband were my own flesh and blood, you’d still require my consent. Who do you think you are?”

“You! You! You dare speak to me like this?” Qin Mei’s voice rose, “My husband is the Prime Minister’s sole heir! Do you have no fear of being left with no support in your old age?”

Xu Shi Chu scoffed, “Support? What does Prime Minister’s only son have to do with my well-being? I require no assistance from him. And with your current behaviour, I shudder to think how you’d treat me in my later years. I’d sooner rely on my young nephew than on you or your husband.”

Losing all patience, she turned to her servants. “Escort her out. She’s no longer welcome in my courtyard.”

Qin Mei, dragged away by the servants, spewed venomous threats. “This isn’t over! My husband and the Prime Minister will hear of this! You’ll regret this!” Her voice, laced with fury, echoed through the courtyard. “Unhand me! You awful people! I am the Lady of this House! You’ll pay for this disrespect! I’ll have you all sold to the kiln!”

(窑子, yáozǐ: In this context, it refers to a place of hard labour, often associated with punishment or slavery.)

Qin Mei’s threats were all bark and no bite. Xu Shi Chu had carefully handpicked her servants, their contracts bound directly to her, not the whims of the mansion. Qin Mei’s reach, for all her bluster, couldn’t touch them. So, even if Qin Mei wanted to sell them, it didn’t matter because their mistress was extremely protective of them.

With the unpleasantness finally gone, Xu Shi Chu breathed a sigh of relief.

Little Zhao Zhao, clutching a bright red strawberry, watched the departing spectacle with wide, curious eyes. “Auntie,” he piped up, “Did that person want our flowers?”

“Indeed,” Xu Shi Chu replied dryly, “and with the audacity to demand them outright.” She then turned to him, her tone shifting to gentle instruction, “Zhao Zhao, never act like that, okay? Asking for things without a good reason isn’t right. Only beggars do that.”

Du Zhao shook his head vehemently, his chubby cheeks wobbling. “I don’t want to be a dirty beggar!”

Xu Shi Chu patted his head, a warm smile gracing her lips. “Of course not. We must hold ourselves with dignity. If you want something, work hard for it. Don’t just expect handouts. People will think less of you.”

While Xu Shi Chu imparted life lessons, Qin Mei, fuming with indignation, returned to her own courtyard.

Her upbringing as the pampered daughter of a local landlord hadn’t instilled a sense of etiquette or respect for boundaries. In her eyes, anything within the Luo family, including her mother-in-law’s possessions, was rightfully hers.

Blind to her own fault, Qin Mei placed the blame squarely on Xu Shi Chu for denying her request and, worse, for the humiliating kick out. Seething with resentment, she dispatched a servant to await the return of Luo Rui and Luo Chang Qing, her husband and father-in-law. She was determined to paint Xu Shi Chu as the villain and garner their sympathy.

The act of smashing a few trinkets in her room provided a temporary outlet for her rage. Yet, the embers of resentment continued to smoulder. “That sly old bat dared to treat me like that! If not for the title of ‘mother-in-law,’ I would have stripped her garden bare without a second thought. Why should I lower myself to ask politely? She, a mere concubine, dares to refuse me? Does she think I’m unaware of the Lord’s indifference towards her? Hmph!”

Her thoughts raced with vindictive fantasies. “Just wait until I complain to my husband and the Lord. Let’s see if she maintains her arrogance then! I’ll turn her into my personal flower slave, tending to my every floral whim for the rest of her days!”

Qin Mei’s pampered upbringing had made her stubborn and prone to tantrums. Her doting family and marriage to the Luo family’s golden boy had only fueled her arrogance, making her intolerant of any opposition.

At first, she had managed to keep her true nature under wraps. But now, with the household management under her control, her confidence had ballooned, revealing her true colours and breeding contempt for her seemingly powerless stepmother-in-law.

“Madam, your words ring true,” chimed in her head maid, echoing Qin Mei’s sentiments and fanning the flames of her self-righteousness. “The Young Master adores you; he will surely take your side. All you wanted were a few plants, but that old miser refused! How dare she! As the future mistress of this house, everything within the Luo family, including those plants, is rightfully yours.”

“Precisely!” Qin Mei declared, “As the steward, I hold authority over the entire household. That woman is a mere figurehead, yet she dares to defy me. The audacity!”

A sly glint entered the head maid’s eyes as she offered a suggestion, “Speaking of authority… Madam, you could easily instruct the servants to create subtle obstacles for your stepmother-in-law, leaving her with no grounds for complaint. Let’s see if she still dares to disrespect you then.”

Qin Mei’s eyes lit up as a devious plan began to form. “Brilliant! With the servants under my thumb, I can make her life a living hell. Let’s see how long her stubbornness lasts. When she comes begging for mercy, a few plants won’t be enough to make things right… Hm!”

And so, the mistress and her maid embarked on a devious plot to put Xu Shi Chu in her place. Little did they know, Qin Mei’s authority as steward had no sway over the people and possessions within Xu Shi Chu’s domain. Their scheme was destined to meet an impenetrable wall.

─── ❖ ── ☆ ── ❖ ───

( )………( )

(๑✪ᆺ✪๑)

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