"Because you deserve a beating," Du Yanting looked down at her, his voice icy. "You've seen with your own eyes how much Mother has done for you. Yet you defy your elders and speak such outrageous words. Where is the upbringing of our Du family in you? You're unworthy of being a Du family's young lady!"
Du Lingxuan covered her face and laughed bitterly as she watched Du Yanting in a fit of rage. "A young lady? The Du family is such a prominent clan. Then why didn't you save me from the dire situation? Instead, you just watched me being beaten like this! It's you who are incompetent!"
Du Yanting clenched his fists, closed his eyes, and forced himself to hold back his anger. He took a deep breath and said in a low voice, "We've spoiled you too much..."
After saying that, he turned around and supported Wei Qing. "Mother, let's go."
Wei Qing hesitated a bit, but Du Lingxuan widened her eyes. "Are you just going to leave me like this? I'm your sister, brother!"
Du Yanting's face was as hard as iron. He wasn't moved by Du Lingxuan's shrill cries. Instead, Wei Qing felt pity. She turned back, wanting to say something more, but was stopped by Du Yanting. "Don't mind her."
He kept walking. The dim light in the cell cast on his face, making him look a bit terrifying. "This time, let her learn a lesson."
In the end, Wei Qing didn't say anything and let Du Yanting lead her away. Along with them were the doctor and the medicine he had brought.
Du Lingxuan shouted in the cell for a while. After making sure they had left, she started crying again. But the jailer wouldn't spare her the punishment just because she shed tears. She was still pinned down on the bench and beaten with the remaining ten strokes.
The wounds that had just scabbed over today were torn open again with great force. Du Lingxuan didn't even have the strength to scream and was carried out.
Pei Zhiyan didn't care about her. But Steward Pei, for the sake of the Pei Mansion's reputation, still sent an unassuming gray - cloth carriage to pick her up.
Du Lingxuan fainted again and was carried back to the mansion by the servants of the Pei Mansion from the carriage.
When passing by the garden, Lin Yun happened to be there. It seemed that she had just returned from outside. The maids behind her, including Yan'er, were still holding things in their hands.
Lin Yun glanced at the gray - cloth carriage outside the gate. Her eyebrows twitched slightly, and she asked the servant carrying Du Lingxuan, "Has no one from the second young lady's family come?"
The servant shook his head. "Madam, when we went to carry her, there was only the second madam. We didn't see anyone else."
Lin Yun was a bit surprised. Du Lingxuan was so arrogant and domineering because she relied on the Du family's favor. She was the apple of the Du Mansion's eye. But now, after such a great disaster, no one even inquired about her?
"Didn't even Madam Wei come?" Lin Yun asked again, not quite believing it.
The servant shook his head. At this time, Du Lingxuan on the stretcher groaned in pain a few times. The servant was afraid of making a mistake and just wanted to finish the task quickly, so he said to Lin Yun, "Madam, we'll take the second madam back first."
Lin Yun nodded and watched Du Lingxuan's figure fade away.
She had thought that the Du family would take Du Lingxuan back for a while. After all, being humiliated in the Supreme Court, with the Du family's pride, they would never let Du Lingxuan return to the Pei Mansion in such a state.
A look of emotion flashed across Lin Yun's eyes. But this time, Du Lingxuan had completely ruined Pei Zhiyan's impression of her. In this way, it would be much easier for her to take the position of the mistress.
As for Song Ruotang, a woman without a prominent family background, how could she be worthy of being the mistress of a noble family.
Lin Yun smiled faintly and returned to her courtyard in a good mood.
Song Ruotang took advantage of Lin Yun's absence to visit Xiaoxi. She was arranged in the most remote corner. When Song Ruotang found her, she was still washing clothes vigorously.
There was a pile of clothes beside her. Upon closer inspection, there were not many clothes of the masters. They were all the clothes of the servants.
"These are all the clothes we need to wear tomorrow. Hurry up and wash them. If we can't get the clothes tomorrow and the masters blame us, you'll be in trouble!" A slender - looking maid brought another big pile of clothes and placed them beside Xiaoxi, threatening her fiercely.
Xiaoxi raised her hand to wipe the sweat off her forehead. The clothes beside her were piled up like a small mountain, blocking her figure.
Just as the maid left, another person came over frowning. "What's wrong with you? You can't even do such a small thing well. Didn't I say the dishes in the kitchen are still piled up? If you can't wash them out and there aren't enough bowls for the masters' meals, you'll see what the chef will do to you!"
These words sounded familiar to Song Ruotang. She used to be like this in the Song family's estate. It seemed that everyone else wasn't a servant except her. So she had to take on all the chores. If she couldn't finish them, she would be beaten severely and have no food.
Slap!
A loud slap resounded, pulling Song Ruotang back to her senses. She looked up and saw an old woman throw a smelly rag at Xiaoxi. Xiaoxi had fallen into the pile of dirty clothes.
The fingerprints on her face were obvious. The old woman in front of her still had her hands on her hips and pointed at her. "You slut. There are still three rooms in the east wing that haven't been cleaned, and you're slacking off here, making me scolded by Granny Sun. Just wait. Tonight..."
"What about tonight?" Song Ruotang walked over, went straight to Xiaoxi, helped her up, and looked at the old woman sharply.
The old woman didn't expect Song Ruotang to be here. She mumbled at the corner of her mouth and said reluctantly, "It's this little slut who didn't do her job well, so I..."
"Why should she do your job?" Song Ruotang retorted directly. The old woman was stunned, and her voice weakened. With a flattering smile, she said, "Third Madam, it's just that this old servant can't finish cleaning those rooms, so I asked this girl Xiaoxi to help..."
"I remember there are only three rooms in the east wing. If you let her clean them all, what do you do?" Song Ruotang's voice was calm but carried a hint of oppression.
The old woman pinched the corner of her clothes and didn't say a word. Song Ruotang turned to look at Xiaoxi. Her hands were red and swollen with some broken skin, and the wounds were white, because she had been soaking in the water for too long.
Song Ruotang paced in front of her. "You seem very idle."
"Madam... this servant..." The old woman was a bit scared. Just as she was about to speak, a voice interrupted. "Why is the Third Madam free to come to this place?"
Song Ruotang turned to look at the person coming. It was an old woman in her fifties. She was wearing a long brown - earth - colored dress embroidered with golden chrysanthemums, and a light - brown long robe over it, also embroidered with chrysanthemum patterns.
She was very thin, with little flesh on her face. Her cheeks were slightly sunken, and her eyes were sharp. Her thin lips were slightly pursed, looking serious. There was only a pearl hairpin on her head, and her hair was neatly coiled.
She walked over slowly without saluting Song Ruotang. She just stood in front of the old woman and smiled at Song Ruotang. "Third Madam, this old servant is a bit slow, so naturally, she needs a young person to help. Please don't blame her."
Song Ruotang sized her up and knew that this was Granny Sun brought by Lin Yun.