Chapter 106: Speaking Recklessly, Confronting the Ledger!

“What is she going to do?” The matriarch furrowed her brow, displeased.

“I... I don’t know. We couldn’t stop her! I heard a fight is about to break out!” The young maid, sweat pouring down her face, spoke nervously.

“I’ll go see!” The matriarch stood up angrily, with Qin Wanru quickly supporting her.

By the time they arrived at Shui Ruolan’s courtyard, the two groups were already shoving and fighting. Fortunately, Shui Ruolan, standing under the corridor, looked pale but was unharmed, protected by several maids and elderly women.

“How dare you! Everyone stop, the matriarch is here!” Madam Duan shouted loudly at the scene.

Seeing the matriarch, the people from both courtyards silently withdrew to their sides.

“Mother, you must stand up for me! Before Shui Ruolan married into this family, I won’t mention her improper conduct with the general, but she actually dared to snatch my money—that’s my dowry! No matter where it’s kept, it belongs to me. She... she even took the money from my own hands. Mother, if you don’t defend me today, I’ll die right here!” Disheveled and wild-eyed, Madam Di suddenly rushed forward, knelt before the matriarch, and clung to her leg, sobbing as if insane.

Shui Ruolan approached and bowed deeply to the matriarch, pale but silent.

The matriarch understood the situation well, and so did Qin Wanru. Today, Madam Zhou had gone out, and all the money should have been intercepted by Qin Huaiyong upon entering. Madam Di dared not confront Qin Huaiyong, so she came to Shui Ruolan to cause trouble, seemingly intent on making a big scene.

“Stand up and speak! You’re the wife of a general; how can you behave so improperly?” The matriarch’s face darkened, her tone cold as she scolded Madam Di’s wild accusations.

“Mother, if this isn’t settled today, I’d rather die here.” Madam Di was truly heartbroken; all that money was hers. How could she allow that wretched woman Shui Ruolan to benefit?

“What nonsense are you talking about? Stand up and explain yourself inside.” The matriarch wanted to avoid a public scene. Madam Di’s words were becoming increasingly unpleasant.

“Madam, please stand first. Let’s talk inside and see what really happened. If any injustice was done to the madam, grandmother and father will make it right!” Qin Wanru reached out, trying to help Madam Di to her feet.

But Madam Di refused to let go, clinging tightly to the matriarch’s leg.

Qin Wanru glanced at Yu Jie, who immediately understood and stepped forward. Gently but firmly, she pried Madam Di’s hands apart while soothing her, “Madam, please don’t be angry. The matriarch is elderly and cannot bear this. Please listen to Miss’s advice and come inside to talk.”

Though her words were gentle, her grip was firm and quick, pulling Madam Di’s hands apart and helping her up.

Madam Di, who had been kneeling, was suddenly lifted to her feet.

She tried to struggle, but Yu Jie pressed a spot on her waist, causing half her body to go numb. By the time she freed herself, they were already inside.

“Please sit and talk!” Qin Wanru gently pushed Madam Di into a chair, her face full of reassurance.

“Get lost!” Madam Di pushed Qin Wanru away with a sharp hand. If it weren’t for Qin Wanru and the maids intervening, she’d still be outside arguing with the matriarch. She refused to believe that despite all her efforts to make a scene, Qin Huaiyong and the matriarch wouldn’t back down. Being led inside sapped her momentum.

Her initial energy drained; this was not how she had planned it. Madam Di clenched her teeth in anger.

Qin Wanru staggered back two steps, nearly falling, but Yu Jie caught her just in time.

“What’s going on? If you won’t speak properly, what did Zhuozhuo do to you to deserve such treatment?” The matriarch’s expression darkened as she slammed her teacup down on the table, snorting coldly.

“Mother, that was my dowry...” Madam Di raised her sleeve to hide her face, stood up, and tried to kneel before the matriarch again.

Qin Wanru stepped back, making way for Yu Jie, who firmly grabbed Madam Di’s arm and pulled her back to the chair. “Madam, please sit properly.”

“You wretched girl!” Madam Di struck Yu Jie hard across the face, then spat out her frustration onto a nearby maid.

Yu Jie fell to the ground, right in front of Madam Di’s feet.

“Madam Di, why did you hit Yu Jie? She was only helping you sit down to talk calmly. Are you deliberately trying to anger the matriarch?” Qin Wanru stepped forward, blocking Madam Di’s path, glaring fiercely.

With Qin Wanru blocking the way, Madam Di couldn’t even stand up.

“Di, Zhuozhuo is just a child. She’s been protecting you wholeheartedly, yet you don’t even trust a kind maid by her side. What kind of heart do you have?” The matriarch angrily pointed and scolded.

“Madam!” Madam Zhou tugged at Madam Di’s clothes from behind, signaling that her tantrum was futile. She couldn’t even stand properly, let alone cause a scene; besides, she had just struck one of Qin Wanru’s maids, which was clearly wrong.

After several interruptions, it was clear Madam Di’s attempts to create chaos were over.

“Mother, please stand up for me. Those shops belong to me. Why did the general take them away and give them to Shui Ruolan? They were originally my dowry!” Madam Di sobbed, covering her face with a handkerchief.

Seeing her exhausted and out of breath, Qin Wanru stepped back and helped Yu Jie up to tend to her wounds. Yu Jie shook her head, unwilling to leave at such a crucial moment, fearing Madam Di would vent her anger on Qin Wanru.

“Your dowry shops are still in the capital, aren’t they? The ones in Jiangzhou are run by the household, right? How can those be your dowry?” The matriarch’s tone was cold.

“Mother, I used my dowry money to purchase those shops, so how are they not mine? Mother, I have served the general diligently all these years, managing both the back courtyard and the entire household’s affairs without rest. Yet now, with a new wife here, I’m forgotten and being sent back to my hometown!” Madam Di cried, tears and snot streaming down her face.

“Who told you you’d be sent back to your hometown?” The matriarch frowned. “Where did you hear such rumors? Huai’er is coming to the capital; there’s no way you’d be sent away!”

Madam Di was caught off-guard. This was gossip she’d heard from outside; even Madam Zhou considered it unreliable. But with recent events, she had begun to doubt, suspecting that wretched Shui Ruolan had whispered in Qin Huaiyong’s ear to send her away.

“As for the shops, when we first arrived in Jiangzhou, I gave you some silver to buy them. How can you say it was your own money?” The matriarch challenged.

Repeatedly contradicted, Madam Di ran out of tears and wiped her eyes, replying, “Mother, you did give me part of the money, but it wasn’t enough. I added a lot myself, afraid you’d worry, so I never told you.”

She stubbornly insisted she had supplemented the funds.

“You added money? How much?” The matriarch’s expression darkened. When they first came to Jiangzhou, funds were tight. They had planned to transfer some money from Madam Di, but she kept claiming poverty.

Eventually, they had to sell several shops from the old family to raise funds. Now Madam Di had the audacity to claim she had secretly added money on top of that.

“About 100,000 taels or so, though I don’t remember the exact amount. Later, I also put in some more as the household’s finances demanded,” Madam Di calculated.

She had sold the shops earlier for about 200,000 taels, but most of that money originally came from the matriarch. She dared not claim it was hers and had reluctantly given up half.

“Did you invest in every shop later on?” The matriarch asked coldly.

“Yes, every one. When business was bad, I had no choice but to invest more, or else the shops couldn’t survive. Mother, you must stand up for me!” Madam Di wailed, clutching her handkerchief.

These events had happened so long ago. The old matriarch surely still held leverage over her. Even if she didn’t make her reveal all the money, she would at least admit to half—and grant her a few conditions.

Feeling triumphant, she shot a venomous glance at Shui Ruolan, determined to make that wretched woman pay dearly today.

“Di, you really are something! So confident and reckless. Fine, I’ll put your mind to rest today!” The matriarch sneered. If not for Zhuozhuo’s warning, she wouldn’t have found the evidence to refute Madam Di’s wild accusations.

Few shops kept records for so many years, but after searching, they found two sets of account books. That was enough proof that Madam Di’s claims were pure nonsense.

“Ruolan, bring all the account books from recent years!”

“Yes, Mother!” Shui Ruolan turned and instructed Qionghua, who called two elderly women outside. Soon, several dusty boxes were brought in, clearly aged.

Madam Di’s expression changed drastically at the sight, feeling an ominous foreboding.

“These are the account books from the silk shop in the west city, run by an honest shopkeeper who kept meticulous records all these years. You can see exactly how much silver the household invested, when, and how much profit was made. Di, weren’t the profits mostly in your hands in past years?”