The husband I snatched halfway through his life is strange.

Wine flags fluttered on the stone-paved road. Shops lined the street, exuding a timeless charm.

The sharp-tongued woman, with an air of superiority, glanced at the old woman serving behind her.

The old woman wore a heavy gold bracelet on her wrist, looking quite respectable. She stepped forward and shouted loudly, "Everyone, come and see!"

"This Madam Cao is truly remarkable! She has been married into the Cao family for three years and has yet to give birth to a single child."

"Since you come from a scholarly family, why don't you ask to step down? Not only do you have the nerve to sue the entire Cao family in the Censorate, but you're also making a fuss about getting a divorce."

"What kind of woman brings up divorce?"

She spat and said, "The Cao family is really unlucky to have married such a wife! And yet she has the nerve to parade around in the market like that."

Upon hearing this, passersby stopped and stared at him.

"The Cao family? She's the Second Madam Cao, the one who was seduced by her uncle while drunk?"

The old woman with a basket on her shoulder and a head of white hair spat when she heard this.

"What seduction? Uncle Cao's wife passed away many years ago, and he has never remarried, which shows that he cherishes the old relationship. He has no shortage of women, and he has long since established his own household outside. Why would he want to get involved with his sister-in-law, whom he only sees a few times a year? I think this woman is indecent and took advantage of her drunkenness to get close to Uncle Cao."

"They didn't get any benefit from what they accomplished, so they were unhappy and resorted to slander."

Some people nodded in agreement.

The second master of the Cao family is not even comparable to a single finger of Uncle Cao.

“That’s true. The Cao family has relied on Uncle Cao to establish itself in the capital all these years.”

"She's ambitious and shameless, which is why she did such a despicable thing."

These days, Madam Cao has heard enough gossip.

Even though she was resentful, she was ultimately a woman and didn't have much confidence.

They wanted to defend themselves, but how could these people really care about the truth?
She's nothing more than fodder for gossip.

She turned pale.

"No, that's not the case."

"The Censorate will give me justice."

"What kind is that?"

The old woman sneered, "Why don't you tell us and let everyone help us figure it out?"

Madam Cao fell into a deathly silence.

Actually, she didn't... know either.

She had simply drunk too much alcohol on the day of her husband's grandmother's birthday banquet, and when she woke up, her husband's older brother was lying next to her.

The lingering marks and soreness on her body told her that something that shouldn't have happened had occurred.

Madam Cao dared not recall it any further.

But then I heard a series of voices in my ears.

It was the voice of her in-laws.

"Shu, listen carefully. A woman must obey her husband after marriage. Now that you have married into the Cao family, you must carry on the family line."

Her grandmother, who loved her most in her husband's family, held her hand.

"Ah Qin, to be honest, your belly hasn't shown any signs of pregnancy. I've consulted many women who specialize in treating women's ailments, and they all said there was nothing wrong. I was at my wit's end, so I asked a doctor to examine your husband."

Grandmother's tone was troubled.

"I never imagined it was because he couldn't have children."

"So much so that you've had to take a lot of bitter medicine over the years in your quest for a child, and your grandmother is heartbroken. But the second branch of the family line must not be broken."

"Grandmother discussed it with your mother-in-law and decided that her elder brother would inherit both branches of the family. You and Dalang would be the elder brother's wife in the morning and husband and wife at night until a son is born. Your husband agreed, so Grandmother came to ask for your opinion. Is that alright?"

At that moment, she felt as if she had heard the biggest joke in the world.

It violates human ethics; how can I agree to that?

If my husband is unwell, why can't we adopt him?
But her mother-in-law sneered.

"What can we adopt? Who can we find to adopt? Your sister-in-law passed away early and didn't leave behind any children."

"Should we bring another one from outside? That won't do. We can't let outsiders take a share of the Cao family's vast fortune."

Her husband knelt before her.

"I know I've wronged you. It's a bit unpleasant to talk about being a second wife, but it's not without precedent. But as a daughter-in-law, you have to be understanding." "If you're not happy, your elder brother might not be happy either, but with Grandmother mediating, he'll be able to manage things. He's established his own household outside. If you give birth to a son, wouldn't his property and title be ours?"

"It's nothing for you to sacrifice some things for a better life in the future. After it's all done, I'll stay by your side and won't mind if your body is dirty."

She then realized how awful the person next to her was.

And her opinion was clearly not that important.

Even though they were both in the capital, it would only take two hours for her to return to her parents' home, but the Cao family was afraid she would cause trouble, so they kept her locked up for a full seven days!

If it weren't for her father's visit, she...

Madam Cao swayed and became unsteady on her feet.

The old woman glanced at her, her tone filled with pride, and continued, "Our lady has a high status, some connections, and is also related to the He family."

She paused, her gaze sweeping around.

"The He family, you must all have heard of them, the He family of Imperial Censor He, the family of Princess Jiashan."

"Look at how pitiful you are, Madam Cao. Perhaps you would be willing to lend a hand and help clarify things before the case is resolved."

Chunyao was furious and deliberately shielded her cousin behind her.

"enough."

"You really are—"

He only managed to say a few words.

"Miss Chun."

The sharp-tongued woman interrupted, pushed aside the old woman, walked straight over, and lifted Chunyao's chin.

"If I were you, I wouldn't dare to go out either."

"Your father killed your brother, and your mother couldn't bear the shock and hanged herself. Now your family is no longer a family. How can you be so cold-hearted and indifferent, and not sever your father-daughter relationship with him?"

This sentence left Chunyao speechless.

She wanted to say that her father was not wrong, but that her brother had committed a crime, and that as an imperial censor, she could not protect him out of personal interest.

It's true that my mother couldn't bear the blow and died, and it's also true that my father's hair turned white overnight from worry.

Just then, a plate fell from the sky.

It was a deliberate act, aimed directly at the woman.

He slashed hard across her ear, then ripped the earring off her skin.

There was a snap.

The plate fell to the ground at his feet, shards of porcelain flying everywhere.

The woman touched her ear and found it covered in blood, which was still dripping. She screamed in pain.

"what!"

"Which blind bastard dares to hurt me!"

The crowd all looked toward the second-floor window next door.

The old woman was horrified. Seeing the woman trembling in pain and her lips turning white, she quickly covered her ears with a handkerchief. But the blood quickly soaked the handkerchief and flowed down her fingernails.

"Madam! Madam, are you alright? This old servant will take you to see a doctor right away."

"We, the Dong family, would be extremely grateful if someone could help us make a trip to report this to the authorities."

The people around looked at each other. Just as someone was about to step forward...

Then I heard a soft voice.

"Oh dear, why did it veer off course?"

On the second floor next door, through the window lattice, a woman with willow-leaf eyebrows and red lips, her eyes brimming with autumn water, showed no sign of panic, but rather a smile on her lips.

It was indeed off-center.

Everyone sighed.

Even if you didn't hold the plate properly, it should have fallen in front of the teahouse. Why did it fall at an angle towards the next room?
Tan Jiang: "I am guilty; I threw it in the wrong direction."

Yu Tingwan said softly, "Then you need to reflect on your actions. Why didn't you just smash it over her head?"

(End of this chapter)