You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 1 Double Happiness

"Congratulations, young mistress! Miss Tong has given birth to a daughter! Mother and daughter are both safe and well!"

The midwife beamed as she asked for a reward, and Liang Jiang finally felt relieved.

Several months ago, Tong Zhao'er, the daughter of the General's Mansion, became pregnant out of wedlock and stayed at the Fang residence in Fucheng to prepare for childbirth. Liang Jiang took good care of her, and today the baby has finally come to fruition.

Moreover, her husband, Fang Chengxu, who was stationed on the western border of Liang, has finally returned home in triumph, making it a double celebration.

"boom!"

The door to the delivery room was kicked open from the outside, and a tall, handsome figure swept in.

Liang Jiang stumbled from the impact, hitting her lower back on the corner of the table, and gasped in pain.

The midwife shouted angrily, "Where did this wild man come from! How dare you barge into a woman's delivery room like that?"

The man ignored the two of them, strode in, and rushed straight to Tong Zhao'er's bedside, full of urgency.

"Ah Zhao, I'm back!"

Tong Zhao'er's tired voice was trembling with tears: "Chengxu, why did you take so long to come back? I was in so much pain!"

The man held Tong Zhao'er's hand tightly, gently stroking it to his lips: "It's all my fault. I will never let you or our child suffer any grievances in the future."

Liang Jiang then recognized that the man who had made such a solemn vow to Tong Zhao'er was none other than her husband, Fang Chengxu, whom she had not seen for a long time.

In an instant, it felt as if a blanket of white snow had covered my head, and a chill ran through my body.

The mother-in-law said that taking care of Tong Zhao'er was to curry favor with the General's Mansion so that Fang Chengxu, who had been dismissed, could return to the capital as soon as possible.

Liang Jiang couldn't refuse her entry and took meticulous care of her for several months, ignoring Tong Zhao'er's extravagance, arrogance, and domineering attitude.

But she never dreamed that the child in Tong Zhao'er's womb would be her husband's, who was far away in Xiliang!

How can it be?

My long fingernails dug into my palm, causing excruciating pain.

Having witnessed many scandalous affairs within the inner quarters, the midwife gave Liang Jiang a strange look and tactfully withdrew.

Fang Chengxu sat with his back turned, completely unaware of Liang Jiang's presence, and whispered sweet nothings through his tearful eyes:

"Ah Zhao, you have been abandoned by everyone and your reputation is ruined because of me. Once I am rewarded and have achieved fame and success, I will go to the General's Mansion to propose marriage and openly and honorably bring you into the mansion."

Tong Zhao'er glanced at Liang Jiang at the doorway, a hint of smugness flashing in her eyes, but it was gone in an instant.

"What about Liang Jiang? Now that you've achieved great success, how could a vain woman like her easily let it go?"

"Hmph, she's promiscuous and immoral. The fact that she's been allowed to stay is already a testament to the magnanimity and kindness of our Fang family. What more could we ask for?"

Every word Fang Chengxu uttered seemed to conceal a sharp needle, mercilessly piercing Liang Jiang's heart.

She bit her lower lip so hard it turned white.

Tong Zhao'er, in a similarly generous manner, said, "As long as she is sensible and humble, I would never want to make things difficult for you."

Fang Chengxu was deeply moved: "Ah Zhao, how fortunate I am to be able to marry you."

"You only know how to say empty words to comfort people," Tong Zhao'er said coquettishly. "I haven't eaten or drunk anything for most of the day, I'm exhausted, and I want to eat something."

Fang Chengxu, as if receiving an imperial edict, immediately stood up: "What would you like to eat? I'll instruct the servants to make it right away."

"Brown sugar snow fungus, I suppose. This kind of delicate food is too clumsy for servants to make well. Liang Jiang usually stews it for me by hand," Tong Zhao'er added with ulterior motives.

Fang Chengxu readily agreed, but upon turning around, he recognized Liang Jiang standing there in a daze. He immediately lowered his head uncomfortably and coughed awkwardly.

Liang Jiang forced herself to remain calm and tried to suppress her emotions: "Fang Chengxu, shouldn't you give me an explanation?"

Fang Chengxu avoided her gaze, not daring to meet her eyes directly: "What explanation?"

"Is the child in Miss Tong's belly yours?" Fang Chengxu nodded guiltily and stammered, "When I went to the capital to pass the imperial examination and became a top scholar in martial arts, I fell in love with Zhao'er at first sight in the military camp. I couldn't help myself and... and... we had physical intimacy."

"Heh heh, no wonder you were inexplicably dismissed from Xiliang by General Tong half a year ago! So you did such a despicable thing! You ruined that girl's reputation!"

Liang Jiang's mockery made Fang Chengxu's heart skip a beat. His face flushed red, and he muttered:
“I have rendered meritorious service in repelling the enemy at the border. General Tong has already shown leniency and will no longer hold it against me. He said that he will wait until A Zhao gives birth to her child before we get married.”

"Then why did you lie to me?"

Liang Jiang felt her blood surging, half of her body was numb, and a strong indignation of being deceived and fooled tore at her.

"Your mother just doesn't want you to harbor any resentment towards A-Zhao."

"Two days after our wedding, you went to the capital to participate in the martial arts selection and never returned. You were dismissed from your post at the border, leaving me alone to struggle to support the family. I believe I have never mistreated your family in the slightest."

You all colluded, keeping me the only one in the dark. You tricked me into being a slave to your family, deceiving me into serving that promiscuous mistress who was about to give birth.

Faced with relentless questioning, Fang Chengxu's initial sense of guilt vanished, and he gradually became more assertive and self-righteous.

"General Tong holds a high position and wields great power. Not only did he help me achieve great military exploits, but he was also willing to marry his daughter to me. This is my opportunity."

"This time when I return to the capital, I will be presented to the Emperor for commendation. I am very likely to be promoted to a fourth-rank general, and will undoubtedly enjoy high office and generous salary in the future. This will be a stroke of good fortune for you. So don't be so unforgiving."

Liang Jiang took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, her lips trembling: "So, I should thank you?"

"No need for thanks. Ah Zhao wants to eat brown sugar snow fungus, go and make her a bowl."

Liang Jiang stared at him coldly and said calmly, "No."

"If you don't have it, send someone to buy it immediately! Prepare plenty of various nourishing supplements."

Liang Jiang pointed to her own nose and asked calmly, "Are you ordering me around?"

Fang Chengxu said unhappily, "Mother said that after I left, you have been in charge of the family. If we don't look for you, who else should we look for?"

Liang Jiang, supporting her still slightly aching lower back, said, "I'm sorry, from now on, whoever wants to be in charge of this household can be. I'm not going to serve them anymore."

Fang Chengxu glared at her coldly, stretched out his hand, and scoffed disdainfully, "This family doesn't need you, there's no need to use this to control me."

Liang Jiang took the key from her waist and tossed it into his hand without hesitation: "The account book is in my yard. You can have a servant fetch it in a bit."

Fang Chengxu snorted: "You handed this over voluntarily. Don't come crying and shouting that I forced you, and then go to great lengths to take it back."

Without uttering a single unnecessary word, Liang Jiang turned and left.

He had just returned to Tingzhu Garden, still seething with anger, when the door was pounded on.

Liang Jiang seemed to have anticipated this, and remained seated in front of the dressing table without turning her head.

"This is outrageous! The money box is empty!" Fang Chengxu pushed open the door and stormed in, demanding, "Where is all the money in the manor? Where did you hide it all?"

Liang Jiang continued to comb her hair slowly and calmly: "On the first day I married into the Fang family, the Fang family was blocked at the gate by the bank demanding repayment of debts."

At that time, my mother-in-law said it was to pay off the debts we incurred for our wedding, so I took two thousand taels of silver from my dowry to pay off all your debts. Do you think the Fang family could possibly have any savings?

Fang Chengxu choked: "Then even if I'm not here for a year, there will still be a harvest from the fields and shops at home!"

Liang Jiang scoffed: "The Fang family has long been in debt, otherwise why would creditors be besieging their door? Fang Chengxu, are you really stupid or just pretending? If it weren't for my family's financial support over the past year, the Fang family would have been unable to continue."

Not to mention, your young lady from the general's mansion is spoiled rotten, demanding the finest clothes and delicacies every day, while the Tong family remains indifferent, never contributing a single grain of rice. And you still have the nerve to come and question me, asking me for money?”

Fang Chengxu was so angry and embarrassed by the rebuttal that he became furious.

“My Fang family is a family of generals, and our family’s property is among the largest in Fucheng Prefecture. How could we be in such dire straits as you say?”

Ah Zhao said to her mother, "You're always restless at home, mingling in the streets and alleys. Could it be that you're lining your own pockets and keeping a lover outside?"

(End of this chapter)