Chapter 32 -

Chapter 32: Chapter

The Grand Hall of the Bai Manor was warm, brightly lit, and bursting with thick, heavy drama. Large red silk lanterns hung from the ceiling, throwing a golden glow over big tables packed with roasted meat, fresh fish, and jars of warm wine. Servants scrambled back and forth, their hands shaking as they poured drinks.

At the highest table sat Grandma Bai, holding her heavy wooden cane and watching everyone like a hawk. Right beside her sat her son, Old Master Bai Tianming, the head of the house.

Sitting next to Old Master Bai were his two younger brothers, Second Uncle Bai Chengbang and Third Uncle Bai Chenghao. Nearby, the rest of the family. the uncles’ wives, the concubines, and their loud, spoiled children... filled out the remaining tables.

Further down sat the wives. Madame Bai, the Main Wife sat stiffly in her seat. Wanting so badly to get her husband’s attention, she picked up a silver jug of warm wine, stood up, and walked over to Old Master Bai with a rare, soft smile.

"Husband," Madame Bai said gently, pouring wine into his cup. "You must be exhausted from your long trip. Drink some warm wine to clear the cold."

Old Master Bai didn’t even turn his head to look at her. He gave a cold scoff, completely ignoring her outstretched hand. Instead, he turned his body directly toward Concubine Madame Chen, his favorite wife, who was sitting across from him wrapped in expensive pink furs.

"Chen’er," Old Master Bai said softly, his voice completely changing into a sweet, affectionate tone. "You look pale tonight. Did you freeze while waiting for me?"

Madame Chen giggled softly, leaning her body right against Old Master Bai’s arm. "Oh, Husband, as long as you come home safely, my heart is warm. But look at poor Madame Bai... she tried so hard to pour you wine, yet you won’t even look at her!"

Madame Bai’s hand froze in mid-air. Her face burned with pure shame as she slowly pulled the wine jug back, her knuckles turning white as she retreated back to her seat. Her two young daughters, mature Bai Rulan and young Bai Meiling, quickly reached out and held their mother’s trembling hand under the table.

Sitting right next to Madame Chen was Second Young Madame An Yulan. She smirked wickedly at Madame Bai’s embarrassment, leaning over to whisper behind her silk fan to her sisters-in-law, Bai Wenxiu and Bai Shishi.

"Look at our Main Wife," An Yulan whispered with a nasty snicker. "Trying to act like a sweet young bride! Doesn’t she know Father can’t stand the sight of her? Her only son, Zhengyu, is a broken cripple locked in his dark room, and now she thinks a cup of wine will make Father forget that her branch is useless!"

Bai Wenxiu and Bai Shishi giggled behind their sleeves. "Sister-in-law, you are so right! She even let that cheap girl Yimei run around outside today. They probably don’t even have money left to buy rice!"

"Shut your mouth!"

The angry shout cut straight through the giggles. Sixteen-year-old Bai Meiling stood up so fast her chair scraped loudly against the floor. Her face was bright red, and her eyes were full of angry tears.

"Meiling, sit down!" her older sister, Bai Rulan, whispered, quickly pulling at her sleeve with a worried look.

But Meiling slammed her small hand onto the table, pointing right at An Yulan, Bai Wenxiu, and Bai Shishi.

"I heard what you said!" Meiling yelled, her voice shaking with anger. "How dare you say mean things about my mother! How dare you call my big brother a cripple! My mother is the Main Wife of this house, and my brother is the First Young Master! You three are just mean, jealous bullies!"

The whole table went dead quiet. Bai Wenxiu and Bai Shishi froze, their smiles disappearing instantly. An Yulan’s face turned bright red with embarrassment as people turned to look at them.

"Meiling! Are you crazy?" Madame Chen shouted, dropping her sweet act. She slammed her chopsticks onto the table and glared at Madame Bai. "Sister Bai, is this how you raise your youngest daughter? She has no manners, screaming at her sister-in-law and cousins in front of everyone!"

"She is only defending her mother!" Madame Bai spoke up, her voice shaking as she pulled Meiling behind her back. "Your daughters and daughter-in-law were making fun of us right at this table!"

Old Master Bai Tianming slammed his hand onto the table, making the cups jump. "Enough! What is wrong with you all? Screaming and crying before we even eat!" He glared coldly at Madame Bai and Meiling. "Madame Bai, sit your daughter down right now. You are embarrassing this whole family!"

Madame Bai felt her heart break. Once again, her husband did not care about the truth—he only blamed her while protecting Madame Chen’s side.

An Yulan smirked behind her fan, feeling happy as she watched Madame Bai swallow her tears and sit down. "Some people just don’t know their place," An Yulan whispered, making sure Meiling heard it.

Before An Yulan could even lower her silk fan, a swift shadow crossed the floor.

Maid Lu, Grandma Bai’s personal head maid, stepped directly up to An Yulan. Without saying a single word, Maid Lu raised her arm and delivered a hard, resounding slap straight across An Yulan’s face.

SNAP!

The sharp crack echoed off the high wooden rafters of the Grand Hall.

An Yulan’s head jerked violently to the side. Her silk fan clattered onto the floor as she stumbled back, clutching her bright red, swelling cheek in utter disbelief. Tears of shock instantly filled her eyes.

"You—" Madame Chen gasped, leaping out of her seat in rage. "Maid Lu! How dare a mere servant hit my daughter-in-law!"

"Quiet!" Grandma Bai’s voice boomed like thunder. She slammed her heavy wooden staff against the stone floor so hard that every plate on the high table rattled.

Grandma Bai leaned forward, her sharp, cold eyes fixed directly on Madame Chen and An Yulan.

"Maid Lu acted on my direct command!" Grandma Bai said, her voice filled with absolute authority. "Did you think I was blind and deaf sitting up here? I saw every smirk, and I heard every mean word spoken against the Main Wife and the First Young Master!"

Grandma Bai glared at An Yulan, whose lip was trembling in pure humiliation. "An Yulan, you are a junior daughter-in-law in this house! Yet you sit at the dinner table whispering filthy insults about your mother-in-law and calling your eldest brother-in-law a cripple. Where are your manners? Where is your respect?"

An Yulan fell to her knees, trembling, her face burning with shame under the watchful eyes of the entire family. "Grandmother... I... I was wrong..."

"You certainly are wrong!" Grandma Bai barked. She then turned her fierce glare toward Old Master Bai Tianming, whose strict face had gone pale. "And you, Tianming! You sit there winking at concubines, ignoring your Main Wife, and screaming at little Meiling for defending her own mother! You ought to be ashamed of yourself!"

Old Master Bai swallowed hard, lowering his head. "Mother... I was only trying to keep peace..."

"Peace?" Grandma Bai scoffed heavily. "You allow your concubine’s side to trample over the main branch and call it peace?"