Aunt Niu didn't know, she asked her son last night, but he didn't say anything.
"Go and see, let Minghua come to see me."
Mrs. Zhao frowned, what's wrong with this son?
He was always a spoiled child, didn't succeed in studies, afraid of hardship in martial arts, and when asked to study medicine, he said he would mix all the poisons together, in short, besides eating, drinking, and having fun, he never really cared about anything... but wait, servants take care of the eating, when did he ever go to the kitchen? And why would he take ingredients? What would he do with them?
"Madam..."
The steward always believed it was Aunt Niu lying.
"We'll find out when Minghua arrives."
In the end, the servants searched around and reported back that the young master went to Changzhou County.
"Madam..."
"Prepare the ingredients for the small kitchen." Mrs. Zhao said, "Aunt Niu is an old hand, I trust her."
After all, the madam trusts her! Aunt Niu was naturally grateful.
Thinking next time when the third young master goes to the kitchen to take something... no, she would have her husband put an extra lock on the small kitchen, who knows when he might come for something again?
When Zhao Minghua returned home at night, he ran into his mother waiting for him.
"You've been running to the county these past few days, what have you been doing?"
"Tending to proper business."
"You have proper business?" Mrs. Zhao laughed in anger, someone who was always unreliable claiming to have proper business, can you believe it?
"I ask you, did you take ingredients from the small kitchen?"
"I did."
"What did you take them for?"
"To pay off debt." Zhao Minghua suddenly clutched his stomach, "Mother, I have a stomachache and need to go to the restroom."
After saying that, he dashed away.
"Hey, you..."
Pulling that trick again!
Whenever this kid wants to dodge her questions, he runs to the restroom.
"Young master..." Qingsheng hurriedly tried to follow.
"Qingsheng, you stay right there."
The young master might escape but can the servant?
"Madam, I need to serve the young master."
"How are you going to serve him? Does he need you to go to the restroom for him because he has a stomachache?"
She could guess their little tricks with her toes.
"Madam..."
The young master might have gotten away, but he got caught by the madam.
No escape!
Getting caught by the madam would lead to severe consequences, and betraying the young master would also end badly!
Either way leads to doom... Oh well, the madam is after all the mistress, and even the young master has to listen to her.
"Speak, where did Minghua take the things?"
"Madam, the young master..."
Can he say this?
Hoping the young master has a conscience and didn't run away, coming out to rescue him!
"Don't look, he won't come back to save you." Mrs. Zhao wondered if she was too lenient, these servants dared to do as they please behind their master's back: "Did you lead your young master astray?"
"Madam, I wouldn't dare even if you beat me to death, it's..."
Enough, enough, if the young master is unkind, don't blame me for being unrighteous!
Betraying you is out of necessity.
So he explained the whole story clearly.
"Which Miss Xiao?" Mrs. Zhao was puzzled, was it Xiao Chunlan from the great Xiao Family? Did they have private interactions?
"It's... the Xiao family at the east end of town."
Qingsheng didn't dare raise his head to look at the madam.
"The Xiao family that was expelled by the great Xiao Family?" Mrs. Zhao was astounded, "What's the girl's name? How old is she? How did they meet?"
This is no small matter!
"That day, the young master went out for a spring outing with the young master from the neighboring Tang family, and they met Miss Xiao who got her finger pinched catching crabs..."
"How old is that Miss Xiao, still catching crabs?"
Is this something a young lady should be doing?
They say she's from the Capital, sounds like she lacks manners, and would be hard to match when she grows up.
Moreover, given their status, most people would avoid them, how could they even consider marriage?
"I don't know her exact age, probably reached the age of capping."
What?
A girl of capping age taking off her shoes to catch crabs in public?
This astonished Mrs. Zhao even more, what kind of girl is this?
And more importantly, why did Minghua go to her house to eat?
Could it be?
Mrs. Zhao suddenly understood!
"Qingsheng, remember this, from now on, your young master is not allowed to visit that Miss Xiao's house again."
"Huh?"
Qingsheng was stunned!
This... that... Oh well, he just needed to nod in agreement!
Finally, he got permission from the madam to leave.
Running back to the courtyard, the third young master was leaning on the door pillar, arms folded, waiting for him.
"Did you sell me out completely?"
"Young master, does your stomach not hurt anymore?"
You ran away so fast, how could I come back without selling you out?
If I angered the madam, it would be more than I could handle.
"What did my mother say?"
"She said..." he looked up at the third young master.
"Speak up, what did she say?"
"The madam said you're not allowed to see Miss Xiao anymore."
"Alright, I know about this."
Although he would listen to his mother, his mother also had to listen to his father, so this wasn't really an issue.
In the main courtyard, Mrs. Zhao rubbed her temples.
"Nanny Hu, tell me, has Minghua been dazzled by that family named Xiao?"
"Madam, that shouldn't be the case, our third young master is kind-hearted, he might have seen the Xiao family's difficult days and..."
"There are many in difficulty, but he's never played Buddha before." Mrs. Zhao suddenly stood up: "No, I have to tell the master."
Zhao Chengxun returned to the main courtyard only to be dragged into the inner room by his wife.
"Master, Minghua's nature is truly wild, you must intervene in this matter, that Xiao family descends from offenders, if we get involved, the consequences will be endless."
She was anxious to death, no, matchmakers must be sent to the great Xiao Family to propose, they should quickly marry a pretty daughter-in-law back to rein him in.
"This matter cannot be brought up again." Zhao Chengxun hurriedly stopped her: "We don't know about matters at court, but Doctor Xiao is a good person, and the Xiao family is not as dreadful as you think."
"Not dreadful? Why would the great Xiao Family expel them?"
"Think about it, on what did the great Xiao Family's sacrificial fields and shops rely?"
Mrs. Zhao thought for a moment and didn't say a word.
"I can only say, Doctor Xiao's family raised a nest of ingrates." Zhao Chengxun knew what she was thinking: "Which is why I'm unwilling to let Minghua marry into the Xiao family."
"Master?" Mrs. Zhao still wanted matchmakers to propose: "Miss Chunlan is a good one."
"You can know a person's face but not their heart." Zhao Chengxun said: "When the upper beam is not straight, the lower beams will be crooked, and the middle beam will collapse. With such a grandfather and such family conduct, how good could her upbringing be?"
Upbringing?
A young lady in broad daylight taking off her shoes to catch crabs, is that upbringing?
"Master, I worry what if the Xiao family encounters something else..." Mrs. Zhao was deeply frightened: "No, we must keep our distance."
"You." Zhao Chengxun sighed: "No wonder they say women with long hair have short knowledge. Think about it, if Doctor Xiao's family still had any issues, could they have safely returned to Shu City from the Capital?"
"You don't understand, usually, when a man commits a crime, he is executed or exiled, and all the women are sent to the pleasure quarters, but the Xiao family received the Empress Dowager's grace to return to their original place, do you think there could still be any issues?"
This...