Chapter 479: Chapter 479: Borrowing Power
After the TV was turned off, the Si Family’s living room fell silent. Everyone looked at each other, then all eyes turned in unison to Old Three’s wife.
She put on the act of a wronged young bride, her eyes red-rimmed as she looked at everyone.
Tears streamed down her face before she even spoke. "Dad, Mom isn’t in the best of health. It’s getting late; you both should be heading to bed."
"Old Three’s wife, it’s not even ten o’clock. We usually go to bed at ten," Grandma Si said, her tone stern and displeased.
"Ah... it’s not ten yet? I thought it was really late!" Old Three’s wife said, sniffling.
’I hate her so much I could grind my teeth to dust,’ she thought, seething. ’This old witch is despicable!’
Grandma Si wasn’t about to indulge her. She rebuked her sternly, "You thought? A grown woman like you, still acting on a whim. Is it because we’ve been too good to you?"
"Mom... I... I..." She trailed off, glancing at the Si Family Master.
The Si Family Master sneered internally. With a neutral expression, he asked, "Why are you looking at me? Is it because I had your father replaced as the head physician, and you’re unhappy about it?"
Old Three’s wife was speechless.
’That’s exactly why I’m upset, but with those two old geezers here, I don’t dare admit it!’
Grandma Si saw through her daughter-in-law’s thoughts in an instant. She pointed a finger at Old Three’s wife, her anger flaring as she cursed, "You ungrateful wretch."
"Your father couldn’t cure my husband, so are we not allowed to change doctors?"
"Who the hell do you think you are? Daring to turn off the TV in the Si Family home? If you want to stay here, then you’d better behave. If you don’t want to stay, then get the hell out."
"No wonder Old Three and your two sons ignore you when they occasionally come home. It’s because they saw the malice you were hiding all along."
"And to think, I actually felt that my third son and grandsons were working so hard on the front lines that they were neglecting you when they came home."
"When you’re usually at home slacking off and cutting corners, I turn a blind eye. Most of the time, I even secretly felt like we owed you something."
"Did you all really think I’ve gone senile? That I can’t see you for who you really are?"
Old Sir Si sat to one side, solicitously patting his wife’s back. Then, unable to contain his rage, he roared at his eldest daughter-in-law.
"Wife of my firstborn, how are you running this house? How could you let your mother get this angry?"
"Dad, Mom, I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I haven’t managed the household strictly enough. I will accept the family punishment alongside Third Sister-in-law."
Lady Si bowed her head and admitted her fault. ’I can’t afford to offend my in-laws,’ she thought, ’but I can certainly handle Old Three’s wife. I’ll deal with her properly later.’
"Mm!" Old Sir Si then said softly, "Wife, let’s go back to our room and rest."
"Mom, you and Dad should go back to your room and rest. I will punish them properly," the Si Family Master said in a gentle voice.
Old Three’s wife panicked when she heard this and immediately ran over to block her in-laws.
She knelt before them, crying her eyes out. "Dad, Mom, I was just in a bad mood and lost control for a moment. Please be the bigger people and forgive me just this once, won’t you?"
"Wife, we’re going to our room to rest." Old Sir Si didn’t even glance at his third daughter-in-law as he pulled his wife along and headed for the second floor.
"Xiao Qian, you and another person escort Old Three’s wife to the ancestral hall. She will kneel until dawn. You two will stand guard."
"Eldest Brother, this is unfair! Eldest Sister-in-law just said she would accept the punishment too!"
"She works so hard managing this household. Why should she be punished alongside you? You deliberately caused trouble, and now you want to drag her down with you? I’d say you’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?"
"Mmph... mmph..." Old Three’s wife wanted to argue more, but Xiao Qian stuffed a rag in her mouth.
The second brother’s wife sat in a corner of the sofa, patting her chest where her heart felt like it was about to jump out of her throat. She did her best to minimize her presence.
’Wow! So Mother-in-law sees everything after all.’
’It’s a good thing I don’t usually slack off. I’d better be even more diligent from now on!’
"Darling, is it really all right for me not to accept the punishment?" Lady Si asked, looking into her husband’s eyes.
To have her husband defend her like this, she would have accepted the punishment gladly.
"There’s nothing wrong with it. The one who made the mistake should be the one to bear the consequences. Mom and Dad are reasonable. Don’t be afraid. I’m here for you."
"Eldest Brother is right. Eldest Sister-in-law, please don’t blame yourself. I’ll be heading upstairs to rest," Second Brother’s wife said as she stood up.
’If I don’t get out of here now,’ she thought, ’this public display of affection between Eldest Brother and Sister-in-law is going to make me sick with envy.’
"Yes, Second Sister-in-law, go get some rest. And Qingqing, don’t you blame yourself either. If someone takes your heart and smashes it on the ground, you throw their entire body on the ground and stomp on it."
The Si Family Master was fiercely protective of his wife. He’d long since grown tired of his third sister-in-law’s antics, but his mother had always defended her.
It was a rare sight to see his mother this furious. Old Three’s wife deserved to kneel until dawn.
"Si Shiyi, what are you laughing at? Do you want to accompany your Third Aunt and kneel in the ancestral hall?" The Si Family Master heard laughter from the third floor, looked up, and asked sternly.
The younger generation of the Si Family were all standing in the third-floor hallway, feasting on the drama unfolding among their elders.
With everyone sharing in the gossip, the atmosphere instantly became lively. The girls whispered amongst themselves, and the boys couldn’t help but laugh out loud at what they heard.
The cousins, who had just been enjoying the show together, all covered their mouths to stifle their laughter.
Those enjoying the spectacle looked at him and urged, "Eleventh Brother, hurry back to your room! Are you really going to wait for Eldest Uncle to send someone to drag you to the ancestral hall?"
"Ninth, do you want to keep Third Aunt company, too? Get back to your room and do your homework now."
WHOOSH. In an instant, the third-floor hallway was empty.
The Gu Family hadn’t slept yet either. Grandpa Gu, Mr. Gu, and Mrs. Gu were all in the living room watching TV and waiting for Second Brother Gu.
Second Brother Gu was busy until ten at night. "Grandpa, Dad, Mom, why are you all still up?"
"Jingtai, you must be exhausted. Would you like a late-night snack?" Mrs. Gu asked enthusiastically.
"Mom, I’m good. Tomorrow I have to take some people to procure meat and vegetables, as well as other things we need to prepare for the grand opening."
"Sigh, if only your eldest brother were home, you wouldn’t have to work so hard!"
"Mom, it’s not hard work. The restaurant has a dedicated purchasing manager. He’s a retired army buddy my brother-in-law found, a very reliable guy."
"Shuo Ci is a capable man, starting two factories in the Imperial City all on his own. And yet your... eldest brother insisted on running off to a place as far away as Qing City."
Mr. Gu couldn’t help but complain about his eldest son. That boy truly had no foresight.
"Dad, Mom, Eldest Brother went to Qing City because he couldn’t get over Sheng Yueyue. Whatever you do, don’t mention him in front of Jiaojiao."
"We know, we won’t mention that good-for-nothing in front of Jiaojiao. By the way, Jingtai, yesterday you asked me to find a matchmaker for you. We’ve been away from the Imperial City for so many years, we hardly know anyone well anymore!"
Mrs. Gu said in a low voice, feeling terribly sorry that she couldn’t even handle such a small task for her second son.
"We’ll have to bother Jiaojiao for Jingtai’s marriage prospects," Grandpa Gu said, stroking his chin. "She knows many people. She surely knows the direct superior of Li Xiaobing and his son."
"Dad, we rely on Jiaojiao for everything. Is that really okay?"
"Our Jiaojiao and her husband are impressive people with a much wider network than ours. As long as Jiaojiao is willing to let us lean on her, there’s nothing wrong with it. It’s called leveraging your connections."
