Love Like the Galaxy

Chapter Thirty-Two:
The Second Large-Scale Verbal Brawl

Shaoshang changed into a soft and comfortable worn dress, and sent someone to convey to Madam Xiao that she would be there soon, then leisurely walked over there. Halfway through, she paused for a moment and then asked Lian Fang to seek help from her brothers. She said that it wouldn’t hurt to tell them the situation was more than it was; in case there was a fight, she had to prepare the fire-fighting team.

Walking to the Nine Zhui Hall, she saw Cheng Shi and his wife sitting high up with their heads up, while Cheng Zhi and Madam Sang sat to the side, each with a different expression.

Madam Xiao held her breath and made it clear to Shaoshang that she wanted to have a good argument with her. Madam Sang jokingly smiled, giving her a wink with a look that said ‘I’ll save you,’ which greatly moved Shaoshang’s heart.

Cheng Zhi couldn’t help but gasp. He was about ready to take a nap but his wife had to view the mother-daughter fight and he had to follow.

When Cheng Shi saw Shaoshang, although he knew there had been a fight, he couldn’t hold back his cry. “Niao Niao, didn’t you say that it was just a fight? That Yin girl actually beat you like this! My daughter, do you feel pain?”

Old Master Cheng had been a beautiful man when he was alive. Unfortunately, Cheng Shi didn’t inherit any of that beauty, which was hard for him growing up. However, he now had beautiful children. Was that Yin girl sent to sabotage his daughter’s beauty? Was it jealousy?!

Madam Xiao originally planned to be serious and upright with this matter, but hearing her husband’s words, she burst into tears. She helplessly turned to Cheng Shi. “The Yin family’s daughter has also been injured.  Don’t just focus on your own children!”

Cheng Shi pointed to Shaoshang’s swollen face. “Does the face of that Yin girl look like this?” he asked.

Madam Xiao sputtered. “She – she hurt herself elsewhere.”

“The little girl fights, and she can’t seriously injure with her fists and legs. Can she break ribs or hands and feet? Is there anything more important than a young woman’s face?” Cheng Shi slapped the table with his palm, feeling heartbroken. “There’s no one left for Niao Niao! If her face doesn’t get better, we will have nothing to do with the Yin family!” Cheng Shi’s loud roar echoed throughout the hall, and it sounded very reasonable.

Madam Xiao was so speechless she forgot what she was going to say.

With her shrewd behavior, how could she not prevent scarring? Not to mention that the martial maid she had with her was proficient with healing and declared that it was okay, but before Shaoshang was sent home, she stopped by a reliable medical shop. The doctor there also said there would be no permanent damage on her face after her face healed.

As for under the clothes, A’Zhu had already reported on it.

Madam Sang lowered her head and suppressed a smile while Cheng Zhi glanced at his wife. He was on his eldest brother’s side; how could his niece suffer such a loss!

Madam Xiao ignored her husband and, after sorting through her emotions, directly addressed her daughter, “Shaoshang, I am here to ask you. Do you know your mistake?”

“… You’re still asking her if she’s wrong?”

“Your daughter knows her mistake.”

Cheng Shi and Shaoshang both spoke at the same time, then glared at each other.

Madam Xiao felt a headache coming on and pushed her husband away, gesturing for him to be quiet. “Okay, Shaoshang, what was your mistake?”

Shaoshang looked up as she straightened up. “No matter how hard they humiliate and demean me, I shouldn’t hit anyone,” she said. “Mother, Father, don’t worry. Unless someone attacks me first, I won’t fight anyone again.”

Madam Xiao didn’t expect her to admit her mistake so abruptly, hesitated, then asked, “How do you plan to correct it?”

“Correct it?” Shaoshang’s lips curled. “There’s no need to correct it. Anyway, in the future, your daughter should not be able to deal with them much. We won’t see each other more than a few times so I will just nod my head and be friendly.”

Everyone in the hall was stunned. Madam Xiao frowned. “What do you mean by that?”

Shaoshang had long wanted to have a showdown with her parents about future issues. The timing was right, so she calmly said, “With the Yin family’s background, my cousin will definitely marry someone similar in the capital city in the future. And I will either go to the countryside or marry into the family of a scholar in the mountains or forest. How many more times will I see her in the future?”

Simply put, her future husband’s family would either be a wealthy and influential rural family like the Ge family, with wealth, power, and fame in the country side, but far away from the court; or is a rich family who cultivates heirlooms. If you are successful in reading, you may be able to get to the level of Madam Sang’s maiden family, write a book, and go to a mountain to teach disciples. If you are ordinary in reading… then it would be an ordinary life.

Madam Xiao was taken aback by her daughter’s words. Her first reaction was to look at her husband. Cheng Shi had a dull expression. Seeing his wife’s burning gaze, he quickly waved his hand. “I didn’t say anything!” He was also surprised. This had clearly been a private discussion between husband and wife, how did their daughter know?!

“Brother, did you make a slip of the tongue?” Cheng Zhi chuckled.

Cheng Shi glared angrily. “Shut up, boy! I’m positive I didn’t say anything!”

Shaoshang’s smile held a hint of mockery. “So, my father and mother also planned to do the same.” She knew it would be like that.

Madam Xiao turned her head and remained silent, making her husband embarrassed. Cheng Zhi knew he had slipped up and didn’t dare to look at his brother.

“Niao Niao, how did you guess?” Madam Sang asked gently. At this time, the people were open-minded and did not prohibit girls from discussing marriage wishes with their relatives and friends.

“What’s so hard to guess?”

Shaoshang smiled slightly. “I will be married within this year. My mother always has a plan so she must have a plan for this. Since Mother isn’t teaching me how to pacify and win over a noble family, it’s because my future husband’s family will not be of that status. If Mother isn’t teaching me genealogy of my family and the rules of communication between wealthy and noble families, it’s because I won’t have to deal with those type of people much. However, these days, Mother has shown me several volumes of estate ledgers and even brought several estate leaders to tell me about the general affairs of the fields, and she’s been urging me to read and write… There are so many things, isn’t that it?”

After her lengthy speech, the two couples in the hall looked at each other. After a while, seeing that both his elder brother and sister-in-law were silent, Cheng Zhi cautiously asked, “Niao Niao, what do you think of this?”

“I think Mother and Father’s plan is very good,” Shaoshang said lightly. In fact, she had already thought about that issue, of course, as part of her future business plan.

Cheng Shi wanted to say, ‘This isn’t my opinion,’ but held it back.

With stable industries and social relationships, she could freely experiment with her ideas on the estate; whether it was agricultural equipment, grain, or luxury goods, if given five years, Shaoshang was confident that she could greatly improve the economic situation of her family.

She was also annoyed with those mean-spirited little mothers who only criticized people when they had nothing to do. Whether they were talking about hair, clothes, snacks, accessories, makeup, or gentlemen, they were not constructive at all. How could one achieve prosperity and strength by relying on them?!

At this point, it seemed like there was no need to say anything. Madam Xiao looked at her daughter’s determined expression and felt suffocated.

If she added up all four of her sons, they didn’t make her as angry as just one daughter. The problem was that although Shaoshang was wrong, she was still angry. And she didn’t even know what she was angry about.

“…What if I asked you to apologize to Young Mistress Yin?” Madam Xiao suddenly asked, hands on her knees.

“I wouldn’t go,” Shaoshang quickly said. “Yin Xu’e’s words and actions hurt people, she deserved the beating. I shouldn’t have done it. At worst, I’ll just avoid her in the future. But if she still comes to ask for a beating, you cannot blame me!”

Looking at her daughter’s rebellious and unruly demeanor, Madam Xiao suddenly stood up. “You’re so bold!” she said coldly. “I want to see if you know your mistake. Someone –”

Before the words fell, the third son of the family, who had just arrived at the Nine Zhui Hall, heard this sentence and rushed in. Cheng Yong and Cheng Song hugged their mother’s legs, and the two of them repeatedly said, “Mother, calm down,” and, “Niao Niao had just been beaten, don’t scold her anymore.”

Cheng Shaogong didn’t say a word, grabbed Shaoshang and pulled her out of the hall. Before Madam Xiao could say a word, the two of them disappeared.

Madam Xiao trembled with anger and kicked each son away one by one. “Get out of here! Who said I was going to hit her?!”

Cheng Yong and Cheng Song stayed for a moment. They just listened to the message from Lian Fang and thought they had caught fire with the staff.

Cheng Shi, who sat cross legged on the side, patted the brothers. “Don’t worry,” he said casually, “your mother didn’t really want to scold Niao Niao today. She did ask A’Qing to prepare some wooden slips, probably for Niao Niao’s punishment writing.”

As Cheng Shi spoke, he glanced at his wife who glared back angrily.

“Get out of here! Waiting for punishment!” Cheng Shi shouted loudly, and the two sons hurriedly withdrew from the hall.

Cheng Shi looked at his younger brother and sister-in-law, who were shrugging their shoulders with suppressed smiles. He suddenly had an idea but kept silent. “How long do you two want to watch the show?” he asked. “Go back quickly!”

Madam Sang couldn’t help but smile. She originally was afraid that Shaoshang would be punished by Madam Xiao and wanted to help ease the situation. However, she ended up watching a good show and saw that it had ended. She quickly pulled her husband up and left.

Before stepping out, Madam Sang turned back. “Shaoshang is still too naïve.”

Madam Xiao and Cheng Shi couldn’t understand their intentions. Madam Sang didn’t explain and left with her husband.

They were alone in the hall.

Madam Xiao’s chest heaved violently. Cheng Shi slowly sat down with both hands pressed against his wife and he apologized. “What did I say? I told you not to bother yourself, but you didn’t listen. You haven’t seen it for so many days. Niao Niao had already planned her defense before she even started! You can’t hit her, what can you do except be angry?” Although he tried to persuade his wife, his pride couldn’t be concealed in his words.

“It’s not that you and your sons are partial to her, blocking left and right, afraid that I might eat her!” she complained. “If it’s like Yong’er did when he was a few years old, let me use the punishment of the rod, not to mention real beating, just to scare her, see if she’s afraid!”

“How can a daughter be beaten like a son? That small body can hold up for only a few hits,” Cheng Shi disagreed. “You also said that your children are different, and your son wants to cause a big disaster. If the daughter gets married, then the punishment cannot be the same!”

Madam Xiao angrily waved away her husband’s hands and glared. “Wow, you’re waiting here to stop me! I owe my daughter a debt, and you’re planning to use this to exonerate her all your life, aren’t you?”

“…Alright, stop talking, stop talking, it’s all my fault. I shouldn’t have gone to find Brother Wan in advance. If we didn’t want the two families to go together, we would have gone to the Yin family later. The banquet would be held, performers still there. With the elders around, how could a group of young ladies bring up such trouble?” Seeing that his wife was really angry, Cheng Shi quickly came forward to persuade her.

After coaxing for a while, Cheng Shi laughed again and said, “Actually, I thought you were going to blame Niao Niao for scolding the Yin family’s child in person today. Who knew you wouldn’t say a word. Anyway, did you think Niao Niao’s scolding was good?”

Although she was told by her husband that she was in trouble, Madam Xiao remained unconvinced. “It was you father and son that came to stir up the situation. Otherwise, I would also blame her for being so aggressive. Aren’t you afraid of causing trouble for the Cheng family?! Can’t you take a breath?”

“Don’t pretend. It’s been a couple of decades; you think I don’t know you yet?! If you were willing to swallow your breath, you wouldn’t have asked me to block the water in the middle of the night that year and drown half of that private Dou,” Cheng Shi served with a smile.

“You have no conscience!” Madam Xiao said angrily. “That Dou man insulted you at the banquet, but you are willing to endure it! His uncle valued you, but he was resentful, and his uncle made him suffer!”

“But what the Young Mistress of the Yin family said was not directed at Niao Niao, it was Yang Yang!” Cheng Shi clapped his hands and laughed.

Madam Xiao remained silent for a long time before speaking stiffly. “Our family matters have always cared about brotherhood. That villain has not gone away yet.” After a pause, she sighed again. “I later asked Qiqi and asked her carefully. Yang Yang is still a bit weak. Even if she couldn’t fight back on the spot, she should say a few words, so as to not to be taken lightly. However, Niao Niao’s words are too sharp, and she’s not afraid of offending enemies…”

“What are you afraid of? Am I afraid of Yin Zhi? Or are we going to flatter Yin’s family?”

Cheng Shi said, “With all the children of the Yin family, there are always those who don’t love reading and military attire. Our two families have mutual demands, and we are at peace with each other, so we are so inferior! If it weren’t for Niao Niao’s going back today, those young ladies would go home and talk to their elders. Can I still lift my head in the future?”

Madam Xiao sighed. “This time it’s all over,” she said anxiously. “We can still afford to provoke the Yin family, and they are also generous. In the future, if we can’t afford to provoke them, what will we do if Niao Niao acts out like this?”

Cheng Shi was very optimistic and deliberately teased his wife. “If we can’t afford it, Niao Niao won’t go. Tell Niao Niao to go to the banquet, but she will swallow her anger anyway. What does Madam think?”

Unexpectedly, this time Madam Xiao ignored her husband’s joking remarks and remained silent for a moment before she suddenly said, “There was a descendant of a noble family in the previous dynasty who was a powerful member of the family. Later, she also became a princess herself. Unexpectedly, the couple had a bad temper and argued every day. In the end, the son-in-law couldn’t bear the shame of the princess and killed her with one knife. The emperor was furious and the son-in-law, along with their parents, were killed.”

“What are you saying?” Cheng Shi asked, confused.

Madam Xiao looked at the door. “I once said,” she whispered, “I can rest assured that I will marry Yang Yang into any family, and you even said I am biased. In fact, I know in my heart that this is a shameful statement to my Second Younger Brother. To put it bluntly, after Yang Yang gets married, the worst thing is that she won’t fight back when bullied. One day she can’t bear it anymore, she will just go home after breaking off the marriage. But Niao Niao, she will fight to the death, and this is how many disasters are caused!”

Cheng Shi couldn’t argue anymore, but in the end, he said, “Otherwise, as Niao Niao said, we should find good tempered and easygoing in-laws? However, Niao Niao has promised us that she won’t fight again in the future.”

“I never imagined that Xiao Yuan Yi would worry about her daughter fighting in her lifetime…” Madam Xiao’s tone gave off a hint of weakness. “By the way, where did they take Niao Niao? It seems like it’s snowing outside. Tell her to go back to her house, I won’t scold her. And Shun Hua… I know what she meant…”
[Shun Hua is Madam Sang.]

Her daughter was indeed an intelligent and smart girl, not greedy for vanity. The Yin family was full of flowers, and she showed no envy at all. She knew more about brotherhood but was indeed very naïve. She had never seen how overwhelming real power was, and there was no way to avoid it. In the face of absolute power, life, death, honor, and disgrace were matters of one sentence.

Contrary to her husband, Madam Xiao became hesitant about her decision for the first time in her life.

…

The thing with Madam Xiao is she does do things to help Shaoshang but she does it in secret. Then she gets offended when people don’t see that she is trying to help prepare for her daughter’s future.