Chapter 48: Chu Jiaojiao Fails to Make an Accusation and Gets Beaten Instead

Chu Li returned to her courtyard. The warding talisman in the room remained completely undisturbed, and the Chu family members had behaved themselves, not daring to sneak into her courtyard to rummage through her belongings while she was away.

However, since Old Madam Chu had died in Huichun Courtyard, the Chu family members probably weren't very keen on setting foot here anyway.

"Qiuyi, watch over the courtyard for me. Do not let anyone in, no matter who comes."

Upon receiving her task, Qiuyi dutifully stood guard at the courtyard entrance, holding a broom in her hand, determined that if any member of the Chu family dared to disturb her mistress, she would greet them with that bamboo broom.

Chu Jiaojiao stormed all the way to the front hall in a rage, only to run into Chu Zhonghe, who had just returned home not long ago.

"Father, I have something important to tell you. That bitch, she..."

Before Chu Jiaojiao could vent her anger, Chu Zhonghe interrupted her with a dark expression.

"Jiaojiao, you've come at the right time. Where is your eldest sister? I heard the servants say that the two of you went to Zuiyu Pavilion together early this morning?"

Interrupting her wrath, Chu Jiaojiao blurthed out without a second thought upon hearing this:

"Father, that bitch is simply too arrogant. I kindly took her out to see the world and even arranged for her to meet Young Master Fang so they could get acquainted. But how does she repay this? Not only is she ungrateful, but she even cursed Young Master Fang, saying he was going to die soon! If I hadn't stepped in to smooth things over and pacify Young Master Fang, our Chu family probably would have offended the Fang family."

"Father, she has been gone for three years and returned with a completely changed temperament. She must have picked up bad habits. I suggest confining her to the house and forbidding her from going out anymore. She should just stay safely at home and wait to be married off, lest she bring trouble upon us."

Now terrified that Chu Meng would meddle and push the engagement with Young Master Fang onto her, Chu Jiaojiao was desperate to place her under house arrest. Only once Chu Meng was locked inside the bridal sedan chair could she truly rest easy.

Chu Zhonghe pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Your sister was with you at Zuiyu Pavilion the entire time? She never left?"

Without thinking much of it, Chu Jiaojiao continued to embellish her account with vicious accusations against Chu Li.

"Father, she spoke out of turn and offended Young Master Fang. Unappreciative of his goodwill, she even left midway through! She has zero manners. You must severely punish her!"

To Chu Jiaojiao's surprise, the moment she finished speaking, Chu Zhonghe suddenly threw his head back and burst into loud laughter, an unprecedented brilliance flashing in his eyes, which startled Chu Jiaojiao.

"Father? Father, what is wrong with you?"

Chu Zhonghe was in an exceptionally wonderful mood. It seemed his judgment at Seven Treasures Pavilion hadn't been mistaken—that really was the rebellious girl!

The mere thought that his family had a chance to forge a connection with the Prince of You made Chu Zhonghe too restless to sit still.

"Jiaojiao, go call your eldest sister here right now. Your father has things to ask her."

A wave of delight washed over Chu Jiaojiao, who assumed her father was going to help her punish Chu Meng. She turned and ran toward Huichun Courtyard, gritting her teeth as she went.

"Chu Meng, you are the one who must marry into the Fang family, whether you like it or not!"

At that moment, Chu Zhonghe's heart thudded with excitement. He straightened his robes, seated himself in the master's chair, and waited for Chu Meng to arrive.

He was still pondering how to put on a gentle expression and mend their father-daughter relationship. After all, he was the adoptive father who had raised her; as long as he spoke a few sweet words, surely she wouldn't truly break ties with him.

She was just a woman, after all, and out in the world, she still had to rely on her natal family. He believed Chu Meng understood this logic—falling out with her family would do her no good whatsoever.

Chu Jiaojiao quickly reached Huichun Courtyard, only to find the gates tightly shut. Without a second thought, she marched up and began banging on the door.

"Chu Meng, Father is calling you to the front hall! Come out right now!"

After waiting for a moment with no response, Chu Jiaojiao flew into a rage.

"Bitch, don't be ungrateful! I know you're in there. Open the door and come with me to see Father!"

"Do you think hiding will save you? I've already told Father everything you've done, and he's sent me to drag you over to face judgment! Get out here!"

Normally, Chu Jiaojiao didn't speak loudly and always played the role of a sweet, obedient daughter in public. But when she flew into a frenzy, her voice could shake the heavens, making her no different from a shrieking shrew brawling at a vegetable market—a fact well known to all the servants in the estate.

Therefore, even if anyone heard her now, they only dared to glance from afar, guessing which unfortunate adopted daughter had once again provoked the eldest young miss.

Inside her room, Chu Li was drawing talismans. Hearing the commotion outside, she merely frowned, having no intention of going out to entertain her.

Qiuyi soon arrived at the courtyard entrance holding a broom. She had only stepped away for a brief moment to fetch fresh tea for her mistress, and yet Chu Jiaojiao had seized the opportunity to come make a scene. She really knew how to pick her timing.

"Chu Meng, you bi—"

Suddenly, the courtyard gates swung open from the inside. Chu Jiaojiao immediately lunged forward with a vicious glare, but the next second, she was struck squarely in the face by the head of an oncoming broom.

Holding the broom high without a shred of hesitation, Qiuyi delivered the greeting the moment the door opened.

The thick, dense bamboo broom head landed precisely on Chu Jiaojiao's head, eliciting a shrill shriek—

"Ah!"

"Oh my, why is it a person? I thought there was a mad dog barking outside the door. Oh my, Second Young Miss, why is it you?"

Feigning utter astonishment, Qiuyi covered her mouth and quickly retreated back into the courtyard before continuing:

"That can't be right, though. I recall Second Young Miss's voice isn't so vulgar. Just now, it clearly sounded like a rabid hound barking wildly outside. Did you see it, Second Young Miss?"

Inside the room, Chu Li heard every detail of the exchange outside and nearly burst out laughing.

So this girl possessed such a sharp tongue as well! She had decent combat capability and should have no problem handling Chu Jiaojiao, so Chu Li decided to stay out of it.

Clutching her forehead, Chu Jiaojiao winced in pain, her face contorted.

"Vile servant! How dare you commit insubordination! Kneel down!"

Qiuyi stood her ground without the slightest tremor. "Second Young Miss, I am a maid brought by the Eldest Young Miss, not someone from your Chu family. You have no authority over me."

Her deed of sale was not held by the Chu family, so theoretically, the Chu family had no right to order her around.

"This is rebellion! Absolute rebellion! Even a lowly servant dares to be this arrogant, no wonder that bitch is so lawless! I am going to have Mother and Father deal with the both of you!"

Seeing that Qiuyi was blocking the way with a large broom and refusing to budge an inch, Chu Jiaojiao realized she wouldn't be able to force her way into the courtyard, leaving her with no choice but to storm off in humiliation.

Watching Chu Jiaojiao's wretched retreating figure, Qiuyi laughed so hard her waist swayed.

"Do take care on your way out, Second Young Miss, and hurry back to apply some bandages. Our broom was just used to sweep the outhouse, so do make sure no filth is stuck to Second Young Miss's face!"

Chu Jiaojiao: *Ahhhhh, I'm going to kill that wretched maid!*

Inside her room, Chu Li couldn't help letting out a soft hiss of amusement. *Qiuyi, well done!*

Growing impatient from waiting, Chu Zhonghe stood up and prepared to find Chu Meng himself. Just as he stepped out of the front hall, the head steward came running over in a flurry.

"Master, we have guests! The Young Master of the Seven Treasures Pavilion is here specifically asking for the Eldest Young Miss."

As the steward came to a halt, he noticed Chu Jiaojiao was missing.

"Master, the Young Master of Seven Treasures Pavilion has arrived with a whole street's worth of chests."

The steward was beside himself with excitement. He had witnessed with his own eyes the long procession trailing behind Cui Shi; box after wooden box lined the entire street in an overwhelming display of grandeur, drawing crowds of local residents from neighboring streets to rubberneck.

This was undoubtedly a marriage proposal!

To bring so many betrothal gifts for a proposal—that Young Master Cui was certainly extravagant, a clear testament to his sincerity!

Hearing this, Chu Zhonghe was equally startled.

"What did you say? Cui Shi from the Seven Treasures Pavilion? Quickly, quickly, come with me to take a look."

No sooner had Chu Zhonghe left than Chu Jiaojiao arrived at the front hall in tears, her forehead still sporting a colorful bruise, only to find the place completely empty.

Stamping her feet in fury, she whirled around and sprinted toward Madam Sun's courtyard.

If Father wouldn't care, Mother still would! Her mother would definitely help her!