Chapter 476: Not Following the Scheme

Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios

“You are a man. Speak properly. Don’t learn from women to quarrel.”

Ruyi slapped Butler Gu’s hand. “We all know whom Madam Zhang said it to and what she said. Not only did she say that my Madam is unfilial, but she also said that my Madam is jealous. She said that she was pregnant and didn’t arrange for anyone to serve my master.

“I find it strange. My master doesn’t fuss about it, and Old Master doesn’t care about this matter. When is it her turn to care about my master’s sexual matters? My master hasn’t married any new Old Matriarchs!”

“You, you…” Butler Gu pointed at Ruyi, too angry to speak.

Granny Zhang, who was staring at the door, saw that the situation was bad and turned to run in.

When she reached the second door, Madam Zhang, who was panting and waiting at the door to hear the news, reported, “Madam, Old Master Zhou is stubborn. Steward Zhou’s mouth is even more nimble than a woman’s. The butler can’t do anything about him. What do you think?”

Madam Zhang thought that the longer she caused trouble, the more people would laugh at her. She looked at Granny Zhang with a dark expression.

“Return the flowers to him. Remember, don’t talk to those lowly people.”

“Yes, Madam.” Granny Zhang was busy instructing people to move the flowers.

Outside the house, Old Master Zhou joined in. “Ruyi, don’t disgust me. Even I don’t want such a vicious woman. Long-tongued woman, quickly bring the flowers out for me.”

The onlookers discussed animatedly. “That’s right! She’s pregnant. She must be trying to harm her!”

An old woman curled her lips and said, “I think it’s because the men in this family don’t want to look for them. These noble madams have nothing better to do. Why should outsiders interfere in their matters?”

“That’s right! Let’s see if she still has the time to grind her teeth!”

Butler Gu took a deep breath and shouted angrily at Ruyi with a livid expression, “Steward Zhou, do you think my Gu family is afraid of you?!”

“It’s my Zhou family who’s afraid of you. We’re afraid of your gossipy woman. Who doesn’t know that a person’s tongue can crush a person to death?” Ruyi sneered. “Your Gu family is powerful. Lord Gu works in the Ministry of Rites and specializes in etiquette. How powerful must you be to teach the women at home to be gossipy women? I think it’s better to resign early and go home! Don’t harm the people of Great Yong.”

The onlookers laughed. A man shouted, “You’re right. To think he’s working in the Ministry of Rites! Get lost as soon as possible.”

“I think he’s most likely specialized in teaching gossipy women.” Old Master Zhou waved his hand and shouted. The onlookers roared with laughter.

At this moment, Granny Zhang walked out of the house, followed by a handcart with the orchids and winter plums.

Old Master Zhou took a few steps forward and pointed at the flowers. He said to the old woman, “I’ve already returned the money to your family. Don’t spread rumors in a few days that I took your money for nothing.”

The old woman did not say a word and instructed someone to move the flowers down. She looked at Old Master Zhou coldly and pointed at the flowers. “Old Master, think about it. Don’t go back and regret it. We don’t want you coming to cause trouble again.”

“Hmph.” Old Master Zhou sneered. “If your gossipy woman is not spouting nonsense outside, I’m busy raising flowers and don’t have the time to grind my teeth with you. If I hear any more gossip, I’ll cause chaos in your house.”

The old woman was so angry that her lips trembled a few times. Thinking of Madam’s instructions, she didn’t dare to retort. She glanced at Old Master Zhou and said to Butler Gu, “Butler, Madam said that we shouldn’t argue with such ignorant commoners.”

Butler Gu and the old woman glanced at Old Master Zhou and Ruyi before turning around and going back.

The old woman’s words angered everyone. An old man pointed at the old woman and shouted, ‘We’re commoners in the market. Your Gu family’s previous generation is just a peddler. The Gu family’s ancestral hall is still honoring peddler poles!”

“You dogs rely on your power,” Old Master Zhou shouted behind the two of them. He turned around and looked at the people surrounding him. “Everyone, I just said that I’d rather give my flowers to others than sell them to gossipy women. Come, come, come, each of you can carry a basin away.”

The onlookers looked at the beautiful flowers and were eager to have one. They looked at Old Master Zhou and asked, “Old Master, are you really giving them away for free?”

Old Master Zhou smiled proudly. “I’m a man of my word. I’ll give it to you for free. Don’t snatch it. Take a basin each.” The onlookers swarmed forward and carried a basin each. The timid ones standing far away regretted it.

Ruyi and Old Master Zhou got into the carriage and walked back. Old Master Zhou looked at the people smiling happily with flowers in their arms and covered his chest. He said sadly, “Go back and ask your master to compensate me with the money. I want to buy something for the children.”

Ruyi replied with a smile, “Old Master, don’t worry. I’ll report it to Master when I get back and double the compensation.”

“That’s more like it.” Old Master Zhou leaned back and smiled in satisfaction.

After Ruyi left, Zhou Jia went out to the Ministry of Official Personnel Affairs to find Madam Feng’s husband. He said to him with a dark expression, “Lord Liu, my Zhou family has never interacted with your Liu family, and we don’t have any grievances. Why did your Madam ruin my Madam’s reputation outside and spread rumors that my Madam is unfilial? She even overstepped her authority and interfered in my bedroom affairs. When did it become your Madam’s turn to interfere in my bedroom affairs? If anything happens to my Madam, I won’t let it go.”

Lord Liu’s face turned red. He looked at Zhou Jia and asked in a low voice, “Lord

Zhou, don’t slander my Madam.”

Zhou Jia looked at Lord Liu with a sneer. “I don’t have the time to slander your Madam. Lord Liu, go back and tell your Madam that I have a wife. She doesn’t have to worry about me. She just needs to control her own man.”

After saying that, Zhou Jia flicked his sleeve and turned to leave. Then, he went to the Ministry of Rites to look for Official Gu and Madam Xu’s husband and asked them to control their Madam and not cause trouble outside.

Official Gu and Madam Xu’s husband looked at Zhou Jia’s back and looked at each other. “How can there be such an insensitive person? Shouldn’t we talk about this in private? Why are you coming to the government office to reason?”

The news that Zhou Jia had gone to the government offices to reason with the three of them quickly spread. Some of the Madams who had suffered from gossip began to criticize their husbands.

“Look at how Lord Zhou protected his Madam. Look at you. You only know how to make me endure and ask me to be magnanimous. Why should I endure when I’m wronged?”

Those who had daughters waiting to be married all secretly wanted to find a son-in-law who was as protective as Lord Zhou.

Ruyi went home and told Ji Xiang about seeing Li Fengqi. She said to Ji Xiang, “I saw a side profile at that time. I’m not sure if it was him.”

Ji Xiang thought for a moment. “Madam Gu slandered Madam and Li Fengqi appeared in the Gu family. Some things have to be guarded. I haven’t checked which family he was with.. Now that he’s gone to the Gu family, how can there be such a coincidence? Could he have colluded with those people to harm Master and Madam just because Master and Madam didn’t help him?”

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