The Marquis of Dingxi’s face instantly flushed red, and even Chang Yuncheng’s expression turned ugly.
What in the blazes was this wretched old man saying!
“You old scoundrel, this is my daughter-in-law, the Young Mistress of the Marquis of Dingxi’s residence! Open your eyes and look properly,” the Marquis of Dingxi ground out.
Old Master Liu lifted an eyelid.
“Oh, so she is the Young Mistress. Forgive my ignorance, but I presumed the household affairs, both internal and external, were managed by the Marquis and the Young Mistress working in concert,” he said lightly.
Vicious!
These words reached the inner courtyard in time, and Madam Xie burst into laughter.
When Old Master Liu arrived, she, as the Marquis’s wife, received the news immediately. However, since he was a male guest, she was not invited to meet him. But she unexpectedly soon heard that the Marquis of Dingxi had actually requested the Young Mistress to appear. Wasn't this telling everyone that she, the Marquis’s wife, was merely a decoration? She wasn't dead yet!
Madam Xie overturned a tea table in her room in a fury.
Did everyone in the household now look to this woman as the pillar of support? Young and old, every single person—whenever anything happened, no matter how trivial—the first person they sought out was this lowly maid?
Although she hadn't gone to the front hall herself, maids had been dispatched, and they relayed everything that was said back to her immediately. Upon hearing Old Master Liu’s words, Madam Xie laughed so hard she nearly choked, feeling all the pent-up resentment dissipate.
“Good, well said!” she roared with laughter.
She previously held no particular impression of Old Master Liu; the father-in-law of a concubine’s daughter was someone completely removed from her concerns. But from this day forward, she decided that the gifts sent to the Liu family during festivals and holidays must be more generous.
Of course, that was if there was still an opportunity for them to be in-laws.
Shameless, vile maid! Deserved to be slapped in the face!
Meanwhile, Chang Yuncheng managed to restrain the Marquis of Dingxi, who was raising a stool. The maids couldn't help but shrink back toward the corner of the wall. Chang Chunlan clutched Yan'er and began to cry again, and Yan'er, frightened by the atmosphere in the room, looked utterly bewildered.
In contrast, Old Master Liu, seated upright, appeared even more solemn and composed—unmoved by any wind blowing from any direction, standing firm as a pine tree.
Very well, someone who could refuse delicacies and subsist solely on flatbreads and pickled vegetables indeed had strong teeth.
Qi Yue looked at the old man and smiled.
At this point, the Marquis of Dingxi began to curse profusely, shouting for the steward to bring men and throw the father and son out.
“Father, ignorance is not a crime,” Qi Yue said with a smile. “Old Master Liu doesn't know our family’s situation; just explain it to him properly.”
The Marquis of Dingxi paused, slightly restraining his temper.
“You, Liu, listen to me closely. This is…” he began, glaring.
Before he could finish speaking, Old Master Liu raised an eyelid and snorted.
“The Young Mistress’s words carry quite a bit of weight, it seems,” he remarked calmly.
That single sentence nearly suffocated the Marquis of Dingxi.
“I have long heard rumors that your household suffers from qin ji si chen (a hen crowing at dawn—a woman dominating the household), and I did not believe it. Seeing it today confirms it,” Old Master Liu stated. Throughout, his expression remained dignified, seated in the hall, radiating contempt and disdain.
“And she is a junior!” Old Master Liu added.
The Marquis of Dingxi could no longer concern himself with decorum. Angered half to death and then revived, only to be angered to death again by the old man, he smashed the stool he held onto the ground.
Fortunately, Chang Yuncheng blocked it, and the stool fell in front of Old Master Liu.
Liu Chengyang flinched slightly in alarm, but Old Master Liu remained unmoved.
Qi Yue suddenly stepped forward, positioning herself directly in front of Old Master Liu. Old Master Liu had never been stood before by a woman so directly.
“You…” he began solemnly.
“You, old man, appear quite learned and reasonable, yet you possess such deplorable manners?” Qi Yue said, frowning.
This old man’s words were sharp, but because his tone was steady and composed, he spoke slowly.
“I…” Old Master Liu began solemnly again.
“My father hadn't finished speaking, and you were already chiming in with your little opinions. Were you never taught when you were young not to interrupt others?” Qi Yue spoke before he could get another word out.
Having his words cut off twice, Old Master Liu’s face flushed slightly, unsure if it was from anger or being choked up.
What kind of family is this! When should a woman ever dare to interject when a man is speaking!
This woman is truly shameless!
And she speaks of not interrupting others—what is she doing right now!
“It is not your place in this household to speak to me like that!” Old Master Liu regained his composure with a breath in and out, stating calmly.
The Marquis of Dingxi started to curse again but was stopped by Chang Yuncheng.
“If it is a matter of family, then Father, Mother, and the Heir are here to discuss it. I dare not speak,” Qi Yue replied with a smile, her composure restored.
“Then you have said quite enough,” Old Master Liu said lightly.
“Because what I need to say is not a family matter. Old Master, may I finally speak?” Qi Yue asked.
“Then what else is there for you to say?” Old Master Liu replied calmly, without even lifting his eyes.
“Liu, can you listen to someone speak properly?” the Marquis of Dingxi could not refrain from shouting.
“Then what I have heard up to this point was not a person speaking?” Old Master Liu flicked his eyes toward the Marquis of Dingxi, asking with a grave expression.
The Marquis of Dingxi was so angry he nearly fainted. Pointing a finger at Old Master Liu, he began searching for something to throw again.
Qi Yue let out a breath. After being transmigrated for so long, this was the first person she had met who was so infuriating. More so than Wang Qingchun; Wang Qingchun’s actions were infuriating, but this old man managed to enrage people purely through his speech.
“I am a physician. I need to inform you that I am here to treat your granddaughter, Yan’er, for her cleft lip,” she raised her voice to drown out the chaos in the room, reaching out to pull Yan’er forward. “What I need to discuss with you is this matter. Can you comprehend that?”
The room fell silent for a moment.
“I already explained this once, but I believe you did not hear,” Qi Yue said, cutting straight to the chase. “Yan’er’s condition is not an evil spirit, but an illness—a congenital condition, just like any illness any of us might contract. It is a sickness, not…”
Old Master Liu snapped back to attention upon hearing this.
“Any of us? Why aren't you afflicted with a cleft lip?” he asked solemnly.
The Marquis of Dingxi, who had just regained some composure, took a deep breath and gripped the corner of the table.
If he killed this old man, surely Heaven wouldn’t blame him, right?
Good, I was waiting for that question.
Qi Yue looked at Old Master Liu.
“Because this is a hereditary condition,” she stated.
Hereditary condition? What did that mean?
“It means that Yan’er’s illness has been passed down through your family’s ancestors,” Qi Yue continued.
The Marquis of Dingxi remembered.
“Liu, did you hear that? This is your family’s illness that caused my daughter to be this way! Evil spirits! Evil spirits! Clean out your own household first before you talk about my daughter and granddaughter!” he jumped up and shouted.
Old Master Liu’s complexion finally changed. His face twitched slightly, and a shadow of darkness flickered in his eyes. Whether he didn't understand or for some other reason, he didn't retort immediately.
“You—you are talking nonsense!” Since the elder remained silent, Liu Chengyang finally spoke, looking furiously at Qi Yue. “Our family has no one with this affliction! Isn't that right, Father?”
Old Master Liu either didn't hear or disdained to answer, remaining still with a stern face.
“I am not talking nonsense; I am a physician,” Qi Yue told him. “I intend to perform surgery on her today. Once the surgery is done, Yan’er will be like any other child.”
She looked at Liu Chengyang, then back at Old Master Liu.
“Therefore, if it can be cured, it is clearly a disease, not an evil spirit,” she concluded.
What did she say? Cured? Yan’er will be like other children?
Such talk was unheard of; Liu Chengyang simply did not know what to say.
“You say you are a physician?” Old Master Liu suddenly inquired.
Qi Yue nodded.
“Yes, I am a physician,” she answered.
“My daughter-in-law is a Divine Physician! A Divine Physician! Do you understand? I specifically asked her to come to explain Yan’er’s illness to you! Look at you, what nonsense have you been spouting from beginning to end!” the Marquis of Dingxi immediately cried out. “If Yan’er were not my granddaughter, a person like you would never receive treatment or medicine from us in this lifetime!”
Whenever he spoke right after that woman, the Marquis of Dingxi always managed to have the loudest voice.
Old Master Liu glanced at him, while the other man, the Heir, stood like a wooden post, saying nothing at all besides the look of someone ready to strike at any moment.
And they say this household isn't ruled by the hen!
And she calls herself a physician!
“What kind of physician are you? A midwife?” Old Master Liu scoffed.
“Go ask around! Then you’ll know what kind of physician my Yue Niang is!” the Marquis of Dingxi huffed defensively.
Go ask! See if you aren't scared to death!
“I heed the words of the Sage: seeing is believing, hearing is deceiving. I never take to heart what others say about others,” Old Master Liu replied calmly.
“Are you saying that even though many people have seen it with their own eyes, if you haven’t seen it yourself, it’s false?” The Marquis of Dingxi, devoid of emotion from anger, looked at Old Master Liu and asked.
“That’s what you said; I didn’t say that,” Old Master Liu replied lightly. “I only said I haven't seen it myself, so I know nothing of any Divine Physician or physician. Speaking of doctors, I do know one man in Shan Ning Prefecture who could be called a good doctor. As for the Young Mistress…”
He stopped there, and the unsaid implication was more infuriating than if he had continued.
The Marquis of Dingxi suddenly lost the desire to speak.
It was impossible to win an argument with this old man, wasn't it?
These scholars who had polished their minds until they were sharp—this was how they were!
Old Master Liu clung fiercely to his principles; no matter how much they argued, his logic remained unshaken.
However, Qi Yue’s eyes suddenly lit up at this moment, but she said nothing. She beckoned to A’ru beside her and whispered a few instructions into her ear. A’ru lowered her head and slipped away.
The departure of a maid did not draw anyone’s attention. Since the Marquis of Dingxi had suddenly lost his interest in speaking, the room grew quiet.
If he didn’t speak, others had more opportunity to talk.
“...For all these years, regarding Yan’er and what the outside world said about our Liu family, did I ever utter half a word to you?”
“...They say she was neglected. Yan’er’s appearance is frightening, leading people to avoid her out of fear—is that neglect? She does not understand herself, yet expects others to flatter her—what is her motive?”
“...To run to her maiden home to spread malicious gossip! Such a wicked woman! If you want to leave, then leave! Even if you left, our Liu family would not want you anymore…”
Old Master Liu threw the divorce letter he held onto the floor.
Chang Chunlan crawled forward, weeping, and kowtowed.
“Father, Father, your daughter-in-law knows she was wrong…” she cried, unable to say anything else.
Seeing her mother cry, six-year-old Yan’er understood what “not wanted” meant, as she often heard threats like that directed at her in daily life.
Not wanted...
Chase your mother away...
Remarry a new bride...
Never see your mother again...
Yan’er burst into a loud wail, threw herself down, and kowtowed beside her mother.
“Grandfather, don’t send my mother away! Grandfather, Yan’er is willing to go to the temple… Don’t send my mother away!”
There is one more chapter coming RS