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“Mother, you really can’t be so partial,” Han Jincai was in a deadlock with the old lady when Mrs. Han Wang burst in from outside, her face filled with outrage, and she began speaking rapidly.

The old lady had thought that as long as she stood firm, using filial piety to coerce the Second House, they would eventually agree; she hadn’t expected Mrs. Wang, that imbecile, to suddenly barge in and spout off, derailing her plans.

The Han family listened to Mrs. Wang’s words and were stunned, not expecting that this was the old lady’s intention. It was not surprising that they wanted to keep Xiao Xi, given her quality and appearance, and that the people from the Main House had set their sights on her.

Su Wenyue’s face darkened, not only because the Main House had designs on Xiao Xi, but because she sensed something was amiss. Even if Han Hao wanted to marry Xiao Xi, he could have done so openly by asking for a matchmaker, speaking directly, and bringing the matter up aboveboard. It made no sense to use such a reason to keep Xiao Xi behind; clearly, there was a trick, and she didn’t know what kind of malicious idea the people from the Main House had come up with.

“Sister-in-law, what do you mean by this? I don’t understand what you’re talking about,” Han Jincai looked at Mrs. Wang.

“What do I mean? It means that my son will not marry a servant girl as his wife, so you can give up on that idea. Even if my son is to marry, he will marry a girl from the city. Xiao Xi is mismatched in status, and doesn’t fit—even if she’s as pretty as a flower, I still wouldn’t approve,” said Mrs. Wang, who was never one to mince words. Now, with her anger flaring, she did not care for the feelings of the Second House or Xiao Xi, and her intentions and resolve were made very clear.

“Eldest Daughter-in-law, what are you talking about! Spouting nonsense without understanding the matter at hand, when did I say that Brother Hao should marry a servant girl as his wife? I just haven’t been feeling well these past few days and wanted Xiao Xi to stay and attend to me for a while; don’t jump to conclusions without the facts,” the old lady grumbled internally, cursing Mrs. Wang for her idiocy. She had genuinely wanted to keep Xiao Xi near her beloved grandson, but now Mrs. Wang was causing a commotion.

Mrs. Wang was stunned by the old lady’s words. Could she really have misunderstood? Mrs. Han Chen, her co-sister-in-law, wouldn’t have lied to her, and she wouldn’t have come to speak with her if she hadn’t heard it herself. It must be that the old lady and Mrs. Zhou had colluded, using these words to trap her. Otherwise, why would they want Xiao Xi to stay? All this talk of not feeling well and needing a few days of care was suspicious; she knew that the old lady was lying because Mrs. Wang spent every day with her mother-in-law and would have known if she was unwell.

“Mother, where have you been feeling unwell? I’m with you every day and haven’t noticed anything. If you’re truly sick, we should call a doctor, and there’s no need for Xiao Xi to attend to you—I, as your daughter-in-law, will personally take care of you,” Mrs. Wang made up her mind that Xiao Xi must not be allowed to stay, or who knew what the old lady and Mrs. Zhou would plot.

Han Jincai and Mrs. Yang, hearing Mrs. Wang’s remarks and intervening in caring for the old lady, breathed a sigh of relief, but there was no way the old lady would let it be that simple.

“To take care of me, as long as you don’t upset me, that’s enough. I don’t need your service. I find Xiao Xi suitable; she’s nimble and agile. Fourth child, give me a straightforward answer—are we agreed or not?” said the old lady. Although her words sounded this way, her gaze was fixed intently on Han Jincai, as if any dissent from him would provoke a major scene.

The old lady was acting decisively, slicing through the mess, rather than allowing Mrs. Wang’s actions to lead to further chaos. Her eyes swept past Mrs. Wang and landed on Mrs. Han Chen, shooting her a glare—most likely, it was Mrs. Chen who had gone to inform Mrs. Wang.

“Out of the question, I disagree! Mother, you’re not sick at all, so why keep Xiao Xi? You clearly have ulterior motives, you’re even contemplating having my son marry a servant girl—I will never consent, not if I have to die, and neither will Dad want his son to marry a servant girl,”

Han Hao, distressed at the scene, feared his mother might ruin his chance: “Mother, you’ve misunderstood, I have no intention of marrying Xiao Xi, Grandma doesn’t mean that, stop making a fuss.”

Mrs. Wang looked suspiciously at her son; he was never like this. Why was he siding with the old lady and Mrs. Zhou today? It couldn’t be that he had also been bewitched by a vixen, which is why he was defending what the old lady and Mrs. Zhou said. Mrs. Wang had no issue with Xiao Xi herself, and had even found her to be a competent young girl, but the moment her son was involved, she couldn’t stay calm. Unable to blame her son, she directed her ire at the old lady, Mrs. Zhou, and the person who had bewitched him.

“Hao, Mother is looking out for you. Don’t be fooled by someone with bad intentions after just a few words. Marriage should be matched in social status; a pretty face alone won’t do,”

The old lady was so angered that her chest hurt. What did Mrs. Wang’s words imply? Was she accusing her own grandmother of harboring ill intentions? She wouldn’t have to go through all this effort if it weren’t for her grandson.

“Mother, as I’ve said, I have no plans to marry Xiao Xi. I’m only considering giving her the position of a concubine. Stop being so relentless—it’s unnecessary!” Han Hao also grew impatient; having been spoiled by both the old lady and Mrs. Wang since infancy, he was not without his own temper and blurted out his true intentions without hesitation.

Mrs. Wang was taken aback, realizing she might have spoiled her son’s interests, but if it was just a matter of taking a concubine, she wouldn’t interfere.

However, Su Wenyue’s expression turned utterly dark. Well done, Main House of the Han Family! To think so little of her, deeming her Xiao Xi as someone without abilities or brains, outrightly disdaining a girl like her, yet coveting Xiao Xi’s beauty and aspiring to take her as a concubine—what did they take her for?

Han Jincai, after hearing Han Hao’s words, also looked upset. He had no objections if his nephew truly wished to marry Xiao Xi and if Xiao Xi was willing. But that wasn’t the case—it was one thing for him to see Xiao Xi, a capable and diligent girl, being looked down upon by the Main House; it was another for them to contemplate taking her as a concubine.

“Mother, what Brother Hao just said, is it true? You want to keep Xiao Xi to make her his concubine?”

The old lady was thrown into slight panic by her grandson’s sudden revelation, yet quickly regained composure. However, being questioned by her son made her feel embarrassed: “So what if it’s true? My dear grandson is noble while Xiao Xi is but a mere servant girl. Giving her the status of a concubine should be more than enough for her. She’s too ambitious.”

“Mother, you!” Han Jincai knew his mother was never one to reason, but he hadn’t expected her to be so unreasonable to the extent of wanting a nice girl to be a concubine. Even if Xiao Xi were a farmer’s daughter, nobody who wasn’t craving wealth would be willing to become a concubine at someone’s mercy, let alone for Brother Hao, who was so incompetent he couldn’t even provide for himself—this was simply ruining the girl’s life.