Chapter 27: Chu Mu's Relentless Questioning Infuriates the Matriarch

“Brother Mu, it’s nothing—really. It’s just that Sister Shen shouldn’t vent her anger on others simply because she’s upset with me. You entrusted her with the household’s affairs, not so she could act out of personal interest. It’s all my fault, really. Please, talk to her, Brother Mu, and ask her not to trouble Old Madam, Second Brother, or Second Sister-in-law any further. I’ll go and apologize to her myself,” Lin Jiaojiao said, rising to her feet.

But the Old Madam held Lin Jiaojiao’s hand tightly, refusing to let go. She looked at Shen Zhao and said, “Mu’er, do you see what your wife has done? She’s driven Jiaojiao to desperation! If Jiaojiao’s brother in the afterlife knew what his sister has suffered in our household, how disappointed he would be.”

Second Madam spoke up at just the right moment, “Sister-in-law, why act this way, bullying Miss Lin who is merely a weak young woman? Such underhanded means—cutting the expenses of all the courtyards just to force Miss Lin to apologize to you. How could you be so heartless?”

Chu Mu’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Was this really the same matter?

First of all, he truly hadn’t pushed Lin Jiaojiao. Second, the reduction in household expenses wasn’t about personal grievances, much less revenge. The truth was that they were spending far too much. How could such separate matters be twisted together?

Shen Zhao silently gave Lin Jiaojiao a thumbs up in her heart. What a performance—a peerless white lotus indeed. Go on, keep up your act and let your dear Brother Mu truly feel your “affection.”

Her expression turned cold. Imitating Chu Mu’s usual manner, she stopped Lin Jiaojiao as she tried to rise.

“Jiaojiao, you’re in poor health. Rest well. This really isn’t your fault, and you don’t need to apologize to her.”

Lin Jiaojiao’s cheeks flushed, her eyes sultry as she looked at Shen Zhao, replying with shy softness, “I understand, Brother Mu… As long as Sister doesn’t take it to heart, it doesn’t matter if I suffer a little grievance.”

The more magnanimous she appeared, the more Brother Mu would resent Shen Zhao.

And this was the first time he’d called her “Jiaojiao” instead of “Miss Lin.”

Brother Mu did care for her; he’d only treated her harshly this morning because that wretched Shen Zhao had poisoned his ear.

Lin Jiaojiao cast a triumphant, provocative glance at Chu Mu.

Chu Mu froze. This scene was all too familiar.

This sort of play had been performed countless times in the household. Was Ah Zhao, in the past, as helpless as he was now, unable to explain, unable to clear her name?

He now deeply understood Ah Zhao’s powerlessness.

It was clearly she who had been wronged and falsely accused, yet she could not speak of her grievances.

In the past, he must have seemed as if he’d left his wits behind in the barracks—never listening to Ah Zhao’s explanations, pronouncing her guilty after just a few words from others.

If he hadn’t experienced it himself today, he never would have believed that Second Sister-in-law and Lin Jiaojiao could so brazenly slander Ah Zhao over and over, twisting the truth.

“It’s not like that. I didn’t push Miss Lin. And there’s a reason for the reduction in courtyard expenses.”

Shen Zhao let out a cold snort. “If you can’t give a proper explanation today, not only must all expenses be restored, you must also apologize to everyone!”

Chu Mu gave Shen Zhao a grateful smile.

He was grateful that she, unlike him in the past, was willing to give him a chance to explain.

The more she did so, the deeper his guilt and heartache for Ah Zhao became.

How disappointed must she have been in him before!

Once he explained everything clearly, his mother would surely understand and see that he was not acting out of personal interest, but simply being fair.

He firmly believed that his mother only behaved this way out of ignorance of the truth. After all, she was getting on in years and could no longer see things clearly.

“Mother, twenty taels of silver is more than enough for each courtyard’s monthly expenses. Haven’t you always taught us to be frugal? Do you know that twenty taels will support an ordinary family for a year?

And the meals for all the courtyards are provided from the household accounts. These twenty taels are only for the private use of the courtyard heads. All clothing for the four seasons is also provided by the household—what further need is there for money?

Shanjun and Shanan attend the Imperial Academy. Why do they need to carry so much silver? They’re there to study, not to compete with others.

Miss Lin is delicate, but we have a household physician and an apothecary. Even her medicinal meals are covered by the household. Since she rarely leaves the estate, how could twenty taels not suffice?

And, Miss Lin, do you know how much rice and grain a hundred taels could buy, how many needy lives it could save? In the future, if you lose your appetite, don’t take a hundred taels from the household to order delicacies from Jade Pavilion again.

I’ve instructed the steward that, from now on, no courtyard may exceed twenty taels a month in expenses.

The General’s Mansion cannot afford such extravagant spending. If you lose your appetite again, Miss Lin, perhaps going without food for a couple of meals will make you eager to eat anything.”

Everyone present gasped, and even the Old Madam’s grip on Lin Jiaojiao’s hand tightened.

They had never known that Lin Jiaojiao would draw a hundred taels from the household funds just for a single meal, nor dared to imagine how much she’d wasted over time.

The Old Madam looked at Shen Zhao with increasing loathing. Was she made of wood, allowing Lin Jiaojiao to squander the household’s funds so recklessly? Not only did she not protest, she didn’t even try to stop her.

Lin Jiaojiao’s face turned deathly pale, especially as the Old Madam’s hand squeezed hers so tightly it seemed about to break her bones.

Second Sister-in-law’s glare was even more frightening, as if she would swallow her whole.

She was spending Brother Mu’s money—what right had Second Sister-in-law to look at her that way?

Chu Mu ignored Lin Jiaojiao’s pallor and the crowd’s reaction, turning to his mother with earnestness.

“Mother, do you know how much the General earns each month? How much income do the family’s businesses bring in? How much does the mansion spend each month? Have you ever calculated it? Can our income cover these expenses?

And where does the extra spending come from, Mother, do you know?”

As he asked, guilt gnawed more deeply at Chu Mu.

In the past, he hadn’t realized how extravagant the household’s expenses were, nor how much Ah Zhao had spent from her dowry to cover the shortfall.

It was Ah Zhao who bore the brunt, and his own meager salary, along with the family’s modest assets, could never have supported the household’s spending.

Listening to Chu Mu’s explanation and questioning, Shen Zhao could barely refrain from applauding.

How could these wolves not know? They were well aware the family’s income couldn’t support their extravagance, yet they continued to spend recklessly—bleeding her dry.

The Old Madam’s face grew livid under Chu Mu’s questioning.

That wretched woman Shen Zhao, did she have the audacity to speak so brazenly before Mu’er today?

The Old Madam’s grip on Lin Jiaojiao tightened even more.

Lin Jiaojiao trembled in pain. How could this old woman be so strong? It was agony. She dared not cry out, nor pull her hand away, only biting her lip to endure it.

But her glance toward Chu Mu grew colder.

That wretched Shen Zhao—why must she challenge the Old Madam instead of enduring in silence as before? Now, she was suffering for it as well. She would see to it that Shen Zhao paid for this.

Meanwhile, Chu Jieren could no longer contain himself. What had gotten into this little harlot today? She’d struck him earlier and he was still hurting. And now, she was set on docking his allowance—this would not do.

His third brother had always respected him most as his elder. Today, he would make sure this little harlot paid dearly.

He turned to Shen Zhao and said, “This is an outrage. Third Brother, just look at your wife—what is she doing? Has mother said a word? See how quick-tongued she is, questioning mother like that. What household would tolerate such a disrespectful daughter-in-law?

If you don’t rein her in, how will mother and the rest of us live here? And look at me—look at my face! That’s her handiwork.”

With that, he pulled aside the cloth on his face, its fabric matching his robe.