Four Harmonies and Good Fortune

Chapter 130 Old accounts
He stared wide-eyed at the clansmen before her.

They already knew.

She thought that by compensating for the loss of these fabrics, she could cover up the matter, but little did she know that everyone was just laughing at her. Suddenly, Madam He felt a surge of heat in her chest, as if something was rushing to her throat. The hairpin in her hair felt like a thousand pounds, pressing down on her so much that she could hardly lift her head.

"You, you..."

As soon as Madam He opened her mouth to speak, the head maid beside her immediately knelt down: "It was all Second Mistress's idea to use insect-eaten cloth to harm Madam Xie."

"I know it's wrong, but I dare not say anything."

"Please, Madam, spare this servant."

Having come to this point, everyone knows there's no room for maneuver. Having lost face in front of so many clansmen, how could Second Sister possibly have a chance to turn things around?
The matriarch didn't want to die along with the second wife.

Madam He staggered a step, looked down at the pleading old servant, and wanted to kick him, but her body was stiff and she couldn't muster any extra strength.

"It was this servant who persuaded Second Mistress to buy enough cloth to make up for it."

"Second Madam has been dragging her feet because she thinks... if Eldest Madam's business loses money, the clansmen will definitely not let it go. Once Eldest Madam is punished, all of this can naturally be pushed onto Eldest Madam."

The matronly mother recounted the whole story in one breath.

The clansmen present showed anger towards He Shi.

“The Second Madam has done this kind of thing many times over the years,” the head housekeeper said. “She used the same methods to deal with the Third Branch of the family before. Every time the Third Branch of the family got a job, the Second Madam would secretly sabotage it and use the clansmen to suppress them.”

Zhang felt a lump in her throat as she listened, realizing that all the grievances she had suffered had finally been redressed.

"You admit it now?" Yang Qin stared fiercely at Madam He and the steward. "My mother kept the bedding in perfect condition. Did you deliberately spray water on it and let it get moldy? My mother gave all the money we spent on charcoal to the clan."

“Yes,” the head maid said, “it was Second Madam… who instructed us to do it.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Yu also knelt down: "This servant knows a thing or two; it was Third Miss who was wronged." She was fortunate to have been sent to the estate at that time; otherwise, based on this incident alone, First Miss would definitely not have forgiven her.

“There are many other things,” Yang Qin said. “The rice allocated to my family is always the worst. When I eat it, my stomach hurts. My mother goes to my second aunt to borrow money to take me to see a doctor, but my second aunt says that I stole persimmons.”

“My second aunt refused to lend me money, and no one in the clan was willing to help. My mother went to several families, and finally, Granny Li gave me two strings of cash and even carried me to the clinic with my mother.”

“At that time I swore that if I did not die, and if I became capable in the future, I would definitely change my surname and never add any glory to the Yang family.”

“Even if the Yang clan members starve to death in front of me, I will never part with a single grain of food.”

Originally, the topic was the He family, but Yang Qin's words made all the Yang family members present lower their heads and show expressions of shame.

The women in the clan couldn't help but look at Zhang and Yang Qin: "Third Sister, Qin-ge'er, we were wrong, we really shouldn't have done that..." They were indeed afraid of He Shi, but it was all for their own sake, and there was nothing to argue about.

Hearing this, Mrs. He laughed and said, "You have the nerve to talk to me like that? Your hands aren't clean either."

As she spoke, Madam He pointed at Xie Yuyan: "Do you think she won't punish you in the future? She still needs you now, but when her business grows bigger and she no longer needs Madam Yang, she will abandon you."

“That makes sense,” Xie Yuyan leaned back in his chair, looking at the people in the room. “Perhaps one day, I will find the Yang family a burden and abandon you all.”

The room fell silent instantly, and everyone wore complex expressions, a mixture of fear and worry.

Madam Yang pursed her lips and said, "That's because we didn't do well. Madam has already given us enough."

Xie Yuyan did not respond but said, "I may leave in the future, but you can rely on the next clan leader and the next head wife. No one can rely on anyone else for a lifetime."

Now everyone was at a loss for words. Xie Yuyan continued, "The only reliable people are never others, but yourselves. If you go astray, you'll only encounter evil people and evil deeds along the way. How can you have a good life then?"

Xie Yuyan pointed at Madam He: "You know better than I how the second branch of the family got their hands on the reins of the household. Seeing their wealth and glory, don't you feel envious?"

"From the day the second branch of the family took over, the fate of most of you was sealed."

"Putting into the preferences of the head of the household and doing things for them. I used to think that what they did was wrong, but after seeing it so many times, I've come to regard it as normal."

"This is why if the upper beam is crooked, the lower beam will be crooked too."

“Treating evil deeds as commonplace, being indifferent to and framing one’s own people is justified. As long as they can get money, they will accept anything. In the future, when they are in power over others, they will restrain, pressure, and harm other members of their own tribe in the same way.”

"Today's two old masters, two old ladies, Madam He, and Yang Zongdao are tomorrow's you."

Xie Yuyan slowly stood up: "It's not wrong to say that I took advantage of you. I'm all alone, and it's easier for me to gain a foothold when I have relatives by my side. But have you ever been mistreated while working under me?"

The crowd shook their heads.

Xie Yuyan said, "I will keep track of every penny I ask you to give me and to run errands for me. I will also make it clear beforehand that I will make it clear that whether you follow me or not is your choice. But you must also bear the consequences."

“Even if I am no longer with the Yang family or in Daming Prefecture, you will not turn against each other as relatives. There will still be someone who can gain the trust of the whole clan and continue to lead everyone forward.”

Everyone understood now.

The old lady meant that as long as they got on the right track, they would eventually be on the right path.

“You should thank the Third Branch for this,” Xie Yuyan said. “Without the Third Branch, I wouldn’t have survived, and you wouldn’t be where you are today.”

“A family that accumulates good deeds will surely have abundant blessings, while a family that accumulates evil deeds will surely have abundant calamities,” Xie Yuyan said, pulling Yang Qin’s hand up. “You must understand in your hearts who you can rely on.”

Yang Qin looked up at Xie Yuyan with a surprised expression.

"Now that we've talked things out today, we don't need to hold grudges against each other anymore," Xie Yuyan said. "Even though I didn't see it with my own eyes, I can tell what everyone did. The people in the room right now are not evil people, or rather, they still have good intentions."

At this point, Xie Yuyan paused slightly, then looked down at Yang Qin: "Our clansmen are still our blood relatives, and we rely on them. They need you, and you need them. If it weren't for this consideration, you would have stopped me from using them long ago, wouldn't you?"

Yang Qin clenched his fists tightly.

Xie Yuyan said, "Your words are harsh, but you are as soft-hearted as your grandfather, father, and mother."

Yang Qin's eyes were bloodshot.

Xie Yuyan looked at the Yang clan members again: "The third branch is kind, that's true, but I'm different. If anyone is incorrigible, don't blame me for being ruthless."

The Yang clan members hurriedly said they dared not.

Xie Yuyan paced a few more steps and stood before Madam He: "You've reminded me that some things still need a resolution, otherwise they'll remain unresolved issues forever."

He felt a tremor in her heart, as if a huge shadow was looming over her. Her teeth began to chatter, fearing that Xie Yuyan would say something else.

But Xie Yuyan's voice rang out again: "You can tell me in private how the second branch of the family treated the third branch in the past, whether there were any hidden stories. Once I find the evidence, I will file a lawsuit with the yamen, and then everyone will be able to put their minds at ease."

"No one needs to worry about being held accountable for past grievances anymore."

Is this method any good?

(End of this chapter)