Chapter 046
Chapter 46: Don’t Force Me to Act
Old Madam Xia raised her voice, her eyes full of harsh disappointment, and called out: “Second, are you muddled? Hurry and explain yourself to your elder brother.”
Xia Xing Yan waved his hands and spoke fast: “The Marquis of Ping An invited me to drink and wanted me to help him and Meng Yan remarry. Meng Yan is pregnant, and remarrying would be very hard. At least he is a marquis and the child’s birth father. I told him Meng Yan’s schedule. I never thought he would kidnap her.”
Old Madam Xia asked coldly: “Anything else?”
Xia Xing Yan shook his head again and again and said: “No. I said nothing else.”
Old Madam Xia turned to Xia Ping Yuan and spoke in a hard tone: “Your brother did wrong, but he cares about Meng Yan. Go to the Dali Court to explain on his behalf and let this pass. You cannot hit your own family over a small misunderstanding, or you will chill everyone’s heart.”
Xia Ping Yuan did not expect his mother to speak like this, and he asked back, his face dark: “He teamed up with outsiders to kidnap Yan’er. Mother thinks that is a small thing?”
Old Madam Xia snapped in anger: “What more do you want? He is your brother. Since Meng Yan returned, this house has been a mess. In the end it is because you spoil her, so she acts without restraint.”
Xia Ping Yuan said in a low voice: “All these years, how many messes have I cleaned up for Second Brother? Can Mother not see it?”
Old Madam Xia lifted her chin and scolded: “We are one family, and you are the elder brother. Helping your brother is what you should do. If you really want to help, find him a post so he is not idle every day. You are too proud to ask others, and you forbid him from making friends outside. How can he not resent you?”
Xia Ping Yuan’s body trembled. Disappointment filled his eyes as he said: “Mother, speak with a conscience. Was it me who would not find him a job? He barely knows a few characters, pretends to write poetry, even beat someone, lost his post, and I almost got demoted.”
Old Madam Xia stiffened her neck and replied without shame: “That is only because your rank is not high enough.” She did not feel she was biased; instead she felt Xia Ping Yuan had no ability to protect his own brother.
Hearing this, Xia Ping Yuan closed his eyes, helpless, and felt that his years of effort had been fed to the dogs.
Xia Meng Yan spoke up for her father and said calmly: “With Second Uncle’s skill at making trouble, even the Emperor could not cover for him.”
[Father earned everything the Xia Family has, yet in Grandmother’s eyes there is only the idle Second Uncle.] She thought of the two branches and added in her heart, [She says one family on her lips, but in secret she sends all the good things to the second branch.]
Old Madam Xia grew angry when she saw Xia Meng Yan and pointed at her to scold, her words sharp: “Be quiet. You are a curse. A proper young lady should stay in the house. You insist on going out like a man and showing your face. Getting kidnapped serves you right.”
Xia Meng Yan held back only for her father’s sake, then answered with a cold face: “If Grandmother hates the silver from our shops so much, then do not use it from now on, so others will not look down on you.”
“You…” Old Madam Xia’s mouth twitched with rage as she pointed at Xia Meng Yan and shouted: “Xia Ping Yuan, this is the good daughter you raised? She dares to talk back to her elders. What will she become later?”
Xia Ping Yuan flung his hand and sat down, his voice flat: “Mother taught well indeed. She let Second Brother fail every Imperial Examination and lose money in every business.”
“You, you want to anger me to death.” Old Madam Xia’s head spun and her body fell back.
Madam Wan rushed up to hold her and said with blame in her voice: “Elder Brother, I understand you want to stand up for Meng Yan. But you should not make Mother angry. She is old. If something happens, you will regret it.”
Xia Meng Yan’s tone was even, but every word hit hard as she said: “Second Aunt is the one who gets the benefits, so of course it is easy for you to talk. Before, for Father’s sake, the main branch did not argue. Since our effort looks ‘only right and natural’ to you, then from now on let the second branch carry this household. The main branch will rest for a few years, so fewer people will say Father is hogging the family head seat.”
Xia Xing Yan clung to Old Madam Xia and cried: “Mother, Elder Brother wants to drive us out.” Without the main branch’s silver, how could he spend? Depend on himself? Impossible.
Old Madam Xia was stuck. If she really collapsed and the eldest laid down harsh terms, the second had no way to fight back.
She gritted her teeth and said: “You father and daughter make such a scene because you look down on the second branch and say we drag you down.”
“Grandmother, are you senile?” Xia Meng Yan pulled the topic back with a sharp voice and said: “It was Second Uncle who teamed up with outsiders, ate from us and then betrayed us, and kidnapped me. How did that become us ‘despising’ you? Second Uncle is going to the Dali Court. If Grandmother can stop the yamen runners, go ahead. They will charge you for blocking officials, and you can go together with him.”
Seeing that soft words did not work, Old Madam Xia stood up and threatened: “If you will not help your brother, I will kill myself right now.” She started toward the main hall.
Madam Wan and Xia Xing Yan hurried to block her and cried out: “Mother, no, you must not. If you die for your son, how will we live later?”
“Do not stop me. I am hated alive. Better to die.”
“Elder Brother, say something. Mother’s health is poor. If she gets sick from anger, what do we do?”
Xia Meng Yan let out a cold laugh and said: “Second Uncle makes trouble every few days, and Grandmother always gets through it. How is it that Father says a few heavy words and Grandmother cannot take it? Is Grandmother’s life and death under Father’s control?”
“Xia Meng Yan, you dare curse your elder. You are out of line.” Xia Xing Yan jumped to his feet and moved toward her, not even pausing to think.
“What do you want to do?” Xia Ping Yuan stepped in front of his daughter, his face like ice.
Pointing at Xia Meng Yan, Xia Xing Yan shouted in anger: “Elder Brother, she dares to say such unfilial words. She will ruin the Xia Family sooner or later.”
Xia Meng Yan’s face turned colder than ever as she said: “If Second Uncle is afraid of being dragged down, then tell Grandmother to split the household sooner. Do not take the benefits and then pretend to be wronged. Stop holding Grandmother up as a shield.” She pulled open the wound on her wrist, raised it above her head, and looked at them with open scorn as she said: “You can hurt me. Why can I not speak?”
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Everyone frowned.
“You all keep saying it is for my good,” Xia Meng Yan said, her voice calm but cold, “but since I came back, you either humiliate me or kidnap me, and the ones who profit are always you. Now the scandal is out, and you want Father to clean up after you. No way. If you do not want to live, then let us all die together, so no one who stays behind has to feel guilty.”
Seeing the resolve in her eyes, panic rose on Old Madam Xia’s face.
Xia Xing Yan even hid behind Old Madam Xia, afraid that Xia Meng Yan would do something extreme. [How laughable. With so little courage, you dare threaten people.]
Xia Ping Yuan walked to Old Madam Xia, gave a deep bow, and said with solemn respect: “After Second Brother returns from the Dali Court, either you leave the house with him, or he cuts off an arm. Mother, choose.”
“I will not choose. Why should I leave the house? This is—”
“This is Madam Lin’s dowry. Mother, have you forgotten?” Xia Ping Yuan cut her off without mercy and said with no joy or sorrow on his face: “The Xia Family stood its ground in the Capital because of Madam Lin’s dowry. Now you ruin her daughter. Do you think she will let you go when she knows?”
“Then do not let her know. We… we are one family.”
Xia Meng Yan laughed and thought to herself, [No wonder Second Uncle is so foolish. With a mother who gives rotten ideas, how could he be smart?]
Hearing this, Xia Ping Yuan was done arguing and said, his voice low and heavy: “Choose quickly. Do not force me to act.”
Xia Meng Yan rose, copied her father’s manner, bowed to Old Madam Xia, then walked out in quick steps after him. Curses chased them from behind, but those words could not hurt them anymore.