"Minister Han is making things difficult and still refuses to go through with the marriage. Our young master got drunk and said some disrespectful things at the Han family's house. The master got angry and sent him back!" The maid spoke in a rush, desperate to get the words out.
"Oh no! That little menace!" Zhou Ruyin exclaimed, her face a mask of panic. She rushed out towards the front yard.
With her gone, the six maids in the courtyard began to chatter excitedly. It was a huge scandal! The son of a concubine, who was supposed to inherit the family, had been rejected by Minister Han's family. This news affected the entire Zhuang family's future, including them.
Zhuang Hanyan, having overheard the last few sentences, stepped out of her room. "What's going on in the front yard?" she asked a maid.
"It's all thanks to the Third Miss!" the maid named Lang'er said sarcastically. "Our manor has been quite lively these last two days!"
"My apologies for the trouble," Zhuang Hanyan said with a calm smile.
"Oh, you don't need to apologize!" Lang'er said, emboldened by Zhuang Hanyan's gentle demeanor. "You're the master, and we're the servants. We can't be calling ourselves sisters! What would people in the capital think?"
But to Lang'er and the other maids' surprise, Zhuang Hanyan's face hardened. She turned to her maid, Shu Hong, and asked, "Shu Hong, what is the punishment for a servant who is disrespectful?"
"Back-talking servants should be slapped, Third Miss!" Shu Hong replied, seizing the opportunity.
The maids shuddered. They had not expected this "country girl" to show such authority. Her face still held a gentle smile, but her aura was serious and commanding. Lang'er, however, simply rolled her eyes. "Are you going to hit me?" she challenged.
Just then, a young man ran into the courtyard, yelling, "Mother!" He looked around, searching for someone. It was Zhuang Yuchi, the Zhuang family's only son and Zhou Ruyin's child. He spotted Zhuang Hanyan and walked straight toward her.
"Young Master! Your mother just went to look for you!" Lang'er said, her eyes lighting up as she bowed respectfully.
Zhuang Yuchi, a spoiled brat since birth, swaggered over, his sleeves flaring. Zhuang Hanyan stood her ground, looking at him calmly. She couldn't help but inwardly scoff at his theatrical gait.
"Are you the Barefoot Ghost?" Zhuang Yuchi asked, his face cold.
Zhuang Hanyan opened her mouth to speak, but Lang'er interrupted. "Young Master! The Third Miss is of noble birth. They've given her your spacious room here in Tongyuan Courtyard!" Lang'er was clearly trying to stir up trouble.
Zhuang Hanyan now understood why Zhou Ruyin had placed this maid in her courtyard. With Lang'er around, it would be impossible for her to avoid conflict. Zhuang Yuchi's face flushed with anger, like a child whose toy had been taken away. Zhuang Hanyan was stunned. She hadn't known this was his room. It was another one of Zhou Ruyin's schemes.
Zhuang Yuchi stormed into the room and began throwing out Zhuang Hanyan's belongings. "Get out!" he yelled. "You ruined my chances! You've shamed our family, and now you're taking my room! Who gave you permission?"
He then stood in front of her, his eyes wide with fury. "You're the only legitimate daughter, and I'm the only son!"
Zhuang Hanyan rolled her eyes. She had never wanted such an idiotic half-brother. He was so foolish, so different from his scheming mother.
"The whole capital knows that the Zhuang family's Barefoot Ghost cursed her grandfather and her uncle and aunt to death!" he continued, thinking he had scared her. "Minister Han thinks you're bad luck! Look at these servants! The more timid ones are afraid to even come inside! You've shamed our father and made a mess of things! Who can tolerate you in this family?!"
"Speak!" he demanded, seeing her silence as a sign of defeat.
"You're right," Zhuang Hanyan said with a cold laugh. "I was wrong to ruin your chance at a high-status marriage."
Zhuang Yuchi froze, glancing at the maids who were all looking away. He felt they were mocking him. He pushed Zhuang Hanyan, who was still recovering and had no time to react. She lost her balance and fell backward, straight towards the lotus pond in the center of the courtyard.
The maids shrieked as Zhuang Hanyan closed her eyes in despair. She had seen through Zhou Ruyin's schemes, but her idiotic son's actions were beyond her comprehension. She was about to fall into the icy water when a strong arm wrapped around her, stopping her mid-air. Only a strand of her hair touched the water.
She opened her eyes, her heart pounding. The arm felt familiar. She looked up and saw Wei Tingyu. He had saved her again. But why was he here? Her mind was filled with more questions than gratitude.
"You little troublemaker! What do you think you're doing?!" an angry voice shouted. It was Madam Wei, the matriarch. She too was here. Zhuang Hanyan's confusion grew.
Wei Tingyu gently placed her on the ground beside the pond. "Thank you for saving me, Duke," Zhuang Hanyan said, blushing and straightening her clothes.
"Hanyan, you have such good fortune!" Madam Wei said, rushing to her side. "The Duke came to visit and check on your health. Your father is at Minister Han's house, so I had to come and greet him myself. The Duke was so concerned he insisted on seeing you. He was so worried about you, he came all the way to the back garden with me! And then this..." Madam Wei glared at Zhuang Yuchi. "You should be ashamed! Your own sister, and you push her into the pond in front of the Duke! You've brought shame to the entire Zhuang family!"
Madam Wei had been ecstatic when she heard Wei Tingyu was visiting. She even forgot to put on her shoes. She was so desperate for an alliance with the Duke that she had put aside the "Barefoot Ghost" curse and brought him to the courtyard.
"Yuchi! Greet the Duke! Apologize to your sister!" Madam Wei ordered.
"Hmph!" Zhuang Yuchi was a complete idiot. He saw Wei Tingyu as Zhuang Hanyan's accomplice and had no intention of apologizing or greeting him respectfully. Wei Tingyu was speechless. He knew this would happen. He knew Zhuang Yuchi would try to push her into the pond. That's why he had returned. But Zhuang Yuchi was even more of an imbecile than he had imagined. The Zhuang family was doomed with him at the helm.
"You ruined my marriage! You've ruined my future! You're mocking me! Do you think I won't hit you?" Zhuang Yuchi yelled, his fists clenched.
"Would hitting me solve anything?" Zhuang Hanyan said with a sneer, walking closer to him.
"You think I won't?!" he yelled again, his face turning red. The maids and servants shook their heads in exasperation.
"Even if you beat me to death today, will Minister Han agree to marry his daughter to you?" she goaded, twisting the knife. "Do you truly think so?"
Wei Tingyu almost laughed. Zhuang Yuchi was the family's only male heir; he would never become a son-in-law living in his wife's family's house. Zhuang Hanyan was just twisting his words to mock him.
"You're so delusional, brother," she said with a final taunt.
Zhuang Yuchi's eyes bulged. His fury was too much for him to contain. He swung his fist at her face. "I'll kill you, you evil spirit!" he screamed, his face a grotesque mask of rage.
Wei Tingyu stepped forward and caught his fist. To Zhuang Yuchi's astonishment, his punch had no effect. He pulled away and yelled at Wei Tingyu, "Let go of me!"
Wei Tingyu squeezed his fist, and Zhuang Yuchi's face, already red with anger, turned into a pained grimace. "Ahhh!" he shrieked, his fist throbbing with agonizing pain. He felt as if Wei Tingyu's fingers were about to crush his bones.