Volume 1: Mission in Danger Chapter 18 Wu Family Heroine
Mother Cai couldn't help but look at her husband when she heard her daughter crying so hard. Cai Shiqun was not a cruel person, but he had to do it because of the situation. She resisted looking at her daughter's miserable condition and said, "In a word, if you still have a little filial piety, stay in the Cai family and don't think about the Wu family anymore."
Then she called a maid over and said, "Help the madam to send the young lady back to her boudoir." The daughter was married well. After she got married, her boudoir was still kept for her to use when she returned home.
Cai Qiaozhu took two steps back and shouted, "Father, what are you going to do?"
Father Cai said, "You can stay at your mother's house for the time being. Dad and your uncle will help you take care of things outside."
Cai Qiaozhu suddenly raised her voice and shouted, "Lianqiao, Lianqiao!"
Lian Qiao heard the eldest young lady screaming shrilly from the outer room, and squeezed in regardless of everything.
Cai Qiaozhu said to Lian Qiao, "Go out and tell Wu Liu to prepare the sedan chair. I will go back to Xiguan now. Go quickly."
Lian Qiao turned around and went out immediately. She was so nimble that the old woman couldn't stop her, nor was it easy for her to stop her.
Cai Shiqun was stunned for a moment, then he remembered that his daughter was no longer the delicate, weak girl who was at the mercy of the emperor. She was now the mistress of the Wu family. Although her return home this time was not a grand event, she was still served by Lian Qiao and two maids, followed by a maid, and protected by a capable family member Wu Liu. The four sedan bearers were also called by the Wu family. There were nine people in total. She was not a helpless young woman who could be held down by one or two maids.
Not to mention that behind Cai Qiaozhu there is Yihehang and the Wu family. Even if the Wu family is likely to fall, it will not happen in a day or two. If Cai Qiaozhu resists strongly, even if he can detain her today, it will be a big trouble if the Wu family comes to find him later.
Cai's mother asked anxiously, "Daughter, what are you doing?"
Cai Qiaozhu said, "Mother, Chengjun is a gentle and modest person, but my third uncle has a bad temper. Last year, the Xu family of Shangjiu offended my daughter, and he turned around and brought people to smash the Xu family to pieces. Mother also knows about this."
Cai's mother hesitated and said, "Why are you saying this now?"
It's true that Wu Chengjian is a prodigal son, but people in the Thirteen Lines are somewhat wary of his disregard for everything when he makes a mistake.
Cai Qiaozhu said, "Mother, my mother-in-law passed away early, and Chengjun is ill, but I informed my master before I came back and said I would be back today. If I don't come back, I'm afraid it will cause the elders to worry."
She knelt down and bowed to the two elders: "I am an unfilial daughter. I bid you farewell."
This bow created a rift between the father and daughter, and the mother and daughter. If something really happened to the Wu family, this bow might be a farewell.
After Cai Qiaozhu finished her greeting, she covered her face and rushed out. Cai's father and mother did not dare to keep her, so how could the old woman dare to act rashly?
Along the way, Cai Qiaozhu's mood changed several times.
After Wu Chengjun fell ill, she forced herself to smile in front of others but cried behind their backs. She was only concerned about her husband's illness and even handed over the accounts to him. When she heard about Wu Chengjian's nonsense, she was angry but her heart was still worried about her husband . Later, she let it go because her heart was no longer with him.
But what happened today made her feel alarmed. When she just came out of Cai's house, she was flustered and couldn't help urging the sedan bearers to go faster.
As the sedan ran out of Daxin Street, she had already calmed down. After all, she had been a household manager for many years. She thought to herself, "I don't know if what my parents said is exaggerated, but there is no smoke without fire. Someone must be trying to harm Yihe Bank. Alas, the more times like this, the more I can't let anyone see that I'm in a panic."
Thinking of this, he called Lian Qiao instead: "Tell the sedan bearers to go slower, and make it back to Xiguan before the city gate closes."
The sedan bearers were unaware of Mrs. Wu's change of mind, and they secretly complained about the rich families for being so fussy, sometimes asking people to run fast, sometimes asking them to run slow.
Cai Qiaozhu took a bus to Xiqiao early in the morning, and after returning, she took a sedan chair to Guangzhou. Now she had to rush back to Xiguan. Even though she was young and well-maintained, she felt as if she was falling apart and was almost falling asleep.
But as soon as he closed his eyes, all the things that had happened during this period came to his mind, and then the scene of Guang'er crying and helpless when he was taken away by the government troops flashed across his mind.
Cai Qiaozhu shuddered, and she was no longer sleepy. All kinds of clues emerged in her mind. The more she thought about it, the clearer it became. In the end, she just thought, "If something really happens, I won't be able to save Chengjun's life from the King of Hell, but at least I have to save Guang'er!"
Thinking of this, she fixed her makeup in the sedan chair, wiped away the traces of tears, opened a small mirror box and reapplied powder on herself.
When we returned to the Xiguan mansion, it was still light outside.
This trip to Daxin Street brought back the female head of Yihehang, who had disappeared for half a month.
"Young lady, we're here."
Cai Qiaozhu first touched her head to make sure her makeup was not messy, then she got off the sedan chair calmly, held Lianqiao's hand, and slowly walked back home through the side door. As soon as she entered the house, she heard a maid in her thirties and the doorman Wu Dacheng flirting. Cai Qiaozhu held Lianqiao and walked over. The maid and the doorman noticed her and quickly stopped laughing and stood still.
Wu Dacheng smiled and greeted: "Madam, why are you back?"
Cai Qiaozhu said: "The eldest master is ill, and the master is also ill, but you seem to be in a good mood."
The two were so frightened that they hurriedly said, "No, no."
Cai Qiaozhu said, "Don't be so nervous. This is not the imperial palace, and we in the Wu family are not the emperor or empress. How can we be unhappy and not allow you to be happy? However, if we live under the same roof and don't agree with each other, we won't be able to live long."
He said to Lian Qiao, "Tell Chun Rui to pay this lady her wages and find someone else."
The maid was so frightened that she cried out, "Madam, please be magnanimous and forgive me this time."
Cai Qiaozhu knew that this family might face a big change in the future, so she had to keep a low profile. She wanted to make an example of the maid, so she ignored her and said to Wu Liu, "Ask your father to find someone more stable to look after the house. The master will have a birthday party in half a month, and there will be distinguished guests coming. If you are rude to them, it will be bad for them."
Wu Dacheng almost knelt down: "Madam, I have been guarding the Wu family for fifteen years. When Madam entered the family, it was me who brought the brazier."
Cai Qiaozhu sneered, "That person is older than me. Well, I guess I can't punish you. Let's go to the backyard and ask the master to punish you."
How could Wu Dacheng dare to go to the backyard with her? Between his daughter-in-law and the concierge, he knew without even thinking which one the old man would choose. He was just wondering why the eldest young lady had changed back to her original form today? She was even more powerful than before.
He was a gatekeeper, so he was a man with good sense. He knew that it was no use to show his strength at this time, so he lowered his head quickly, crying with tears and snot, "How dare I? If the eldest young lady really wants to punish me, I will leave immediately and dare not complain. But my wife and daughter are all walking around the house. If the eldest young lady really drives me out, they can't stay in the house, and then our family will have no way to survive. I hope that the eldest young lady will give me some leniency for my hard work. I will definitely keep an eye on the door from now on, and I won't dare to mess around again. I won't dare."
Seeing that he had given in, Cai Qiaozhu gently put him down and said, "You are the elders of the family, and you should set an example for others. I will spare you this time today, and we will see what happens next."
Regardless of Wu Dacheng's shock and kowtow, Cai Qiaozhu helped Lian Qiao up. This was the first time since Wu Chengjun fell ill that she went home and did not go back to see her husband first, but went directly to the old man in the backyard.
When Mr. Wu saw his daughter-in-law, he was a little surprised: "Why are you back so early?"
Cai Qiaozhu greeted first and said to Lian Qiao, "Go and tell Chunrui what I just told you to do." Lian Qiao agreed and went out.
Wu Guoying knew that his sister-in-law had something to say, so she asked Aunt Yang to leave, and then asked, "Sister-in-law, what's wrong? Did something happen on Daxin Street?"
Cai Qiaozhu knelt down, and Wu Guoying was so frightened that she quickly reached out to help her up , saying, "Sister-in-law, what are you doing?"
Cai Qiaozhu said: "The bride's family is sorry to the Wu family. The bride would like to apologize to the master first."
"Don't be anxious. Sit down and talk." Wu Guoying helped her up and said, "You gave birth to Guang'er for my Wu family. Wu and Cai are blood relatives. Even if there is any conflict between the two families, we can always find a way to resolve it."
Cai Qiaozhu said, "Thank you, sir, for your magnanimity." She stood up and sat down, then told Wu Guoying everything that had happened since she returned home today.
The more Wu Guoying listened, the more horrified he became. Three years after Wu Chengjian took over the family business, he really retired to the second line and no longer managed things. But although he was old, he was still shrewd. After listening to Cai Qiaozhu's explanation and carefully pondering the hidden message, he slammed the table and said, "What happened in Huizhou is probably not accidental!"
Cai Qiaozhu asked: "Master, do you have any clues?"
Wu Guoying sighed, "There are many strange things about this matter. I think someone must want to stop my Yihe Bank. I thought about it carefully. I have always been kind to others and built bridges instead of blocking roads. Although disputes in the mall are inevitable, if it is really as your parents said, it will drive my Wu family to death. I can't think of such a mortal enemy in my lifetime. But my in-laws are willing to keep you at the risk of turning kindness into hatred. This matter is definitely not groundless. My Wu family may really be in great trouble. This important matter needs to be discussed quickly by the second and third brothers. It may be too late if it is delayed."
He rang the bell beside the table and sent someone to look for Wu Chenggou and Wu Chengjian.
Cai Qiaozhu added, "Uncle San likes to play and never experience things. After he took over the family, the family spirit has been loosened recently. The servants have no manners at all. This trend must be curbed."
Wu Guoying pondered for a moment and said, "After all, Chengjian is the head of the family designated by Chengjun. If I bypass him and let you take charge of the inner house again, it will not only disown Chengjian, but also Chengjun. From now on, the words of his two brothers will be discounted. But you are right. When faced with such a big event, the family tradition should be restrained."
Cai Qiaozhu understood what her father-in-law meant and said, "Okay, I'll talk to Chengjian later. Men are responsible for the outside affairs and women are responsible for the inside affairs. He is a grown man and it is difficult for him to handle the trivial matters in the inner house. He is not married yet, so he can't just let Chunrui take care of the family."
Wu Guoying said: "What my sister-in-law said makes sense."