Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 121

Old Madam Yu was busying herself, urging Madam Song to serve the meal. The family had barely sat down at the table when Yu Ruhai shamelessly and self-righteously declared, “Meng girl, I know you feel wronged being Qizhe’s bride, but since the Meng family was heartless enough to sell you, there’s no need to keep thinking about going back. You’re younger than Qizhe. Why not be listed under the second household instead, and become a daughter of the Yu family?”

As soon as those words fell, the expressions on Madam Song and Yu Mengshan’s faces changed. Neither of them had expected the old man to have such intentions.

“Meng girl is Fifth Brother’s wife, Father, please don’t joke like that,” Yu Mengshan said in a low voice.

Yu Ruhai glared at him. “Meng girl and Qizhe have no formal bond, no name, no reality. She’s still pure. There’s nothing improper about her becoming a daughter of our Yu family.”

Then he turned to Yu Jiao and continued, “I’ve already added your name to the family register, and it’s been officially filed at the county yamen. From now on, you’re Fuling and Qizhe’s younger sister, my granddaughter. We are truly one family now.”

Yu Jiao hadn’t expected this development. She had only intended to destroy her indenture contract so that Yu Ruhai couldn’t control her anymore. She hadn’t anticipated he’d prepared another move. It was her own fault for not properly studying Taiyan’s registration documents.

She swallowed the food in her mouth and remained silent.

Yu Qizhe’s chopsticks paused mid-air. He looked at Yu Jiao with a dazed expression. Seeing that she wasn’t resisting and seemed to tacitly accept it, he pressed his lips together but said nothing in the end.

Yu Fuling grew anxious. She secretly pinched Yu Qizhe hard and gave him repeated meaningful looks, all of which he ignored. She couldn’t hold back anymore and blurted out, “Grandfather, since when does a granddaughter-in-law become a granddaughter? Everyone in the village knows Yu Jiao is Qizhe’s wife. Doing this will only give them more to gossip about!”

“Let them say whatever they want,” Yu Ruhai said dismissively. “Meng girl is already registered under our household, this is a done deal.” He turned back to Yu Jiao, smiling broadly. “From now on, you don’t need to use your old surname. Conveniently, your name already contains ‘Yu.’ It’s clear you were always meant to be one of us.”

Yu Jiao curled her lips into a mocking smile but didn’t respond.

Madam Song and Yu Mengshan were both struggling to eat. Turning a daughter-in-law into a daughter, such a sudden shift was hard for them to accept. It wasn’t that they objected to Yu Jiao being their daughter, but after watching her care for Qizhe these past days, seeing how close and warm their relationship had grown, she clearly made a good little wife.

Madam Song had even been secretly discussing with Yu Mengshan that once Qizhe’s health improved, they should make the marriage official so Yu Jiao could rightfully become his wife. Now, that was all upended.

The main household wasn’t affected much by all this, so they remained indifferent. Seeing that Song Chun looked upset, Madam Zhang helped clear the dishes and went with her into the kitchen.

“You know what Father’s thinking,” Madam Zhang murmured as she helped wash the dishes. “It’s all about keeping Yu Jiao in the family and bringing some honor and prosperity to us later. Now that she’s on the household register, it’s best not to dwell on it.”

Song Chun sighed. She wasn’t happy, but the matter was settled and in this Yu family, the second household had no say.

Madam Zhang comforted her a bit more, trying to soothe her. “Meng Yujiao’s medical skills are incredible. Having a girl like that around means you and Mengshan will enjoy a life of comfort. I can see she’s genuinely kind to both of you, and she’s got a steady head on her shoulders. Whether or not she’s Qizhe’s wife, you two should treat her well.”

Madam Song nodded, feeling a touch of emotion. “I know. Meng girl is someone who repays kindness and knows how to care for others. She’s been running up the mountains every day just to find herbs for Qizhe’s health!”

She lowered her voice. “Just yesterday, Qizhe snuck out to help her gather herbs. Seeing how close the two of them are, Mengshan and I were so happy. We thought if she stayed by his side, we’d have peace of mind. Who knew the old man would pull this on us…”

Madam Zhang put away the clean dishes and whispered, “Father really has gone senile. A sweet young couple suddenly made into siblings, people will laugh behind our backs. I think it’s all because he got spooked by what happened with the He family. But don’t worry too much. Even if Yu Jiao becomes Qizhe’s little sister, she’ll still take care of him.”

“Care from a sister can never compare to that of a wife!” Song Chun said bluntly. She had nothing to hide when speaking with Madam Zhang.

Madam Zhang just chuckled. “It’s not all bad. Fuling will marry off after New Year and become someone else’s daughter, but now you’ve gained another capable girl. I’m honestly a bit jealous!”

But Song Chun couldn’t bring herself to smile. After returning to the east room from the kitchen, she wanted to have a word with Yu Jiao but didn’t know what to say. In the end, seeing that it was late, she gave up.

Yu Fuling, however, wasn’t the type to hold back. As soon as she and Yu Jiao were back in their room, she started angrily complaining about the old man. Yu Jiao sat quietly on the bed, reading under the candlelight, occasionally replying with a faint “mm.”

Frustrated by Yu Jiao’s calm, Fuling threw down her sewing basket, strode to the window, and snatched the book from her hands. “Yu Jiao, aren’t you angry? You and little brother are siblings now! How can you still be reading so calmly?”

Yu Jiao looked up at her exasperated face and smiled, her almond-shaped eyes narrowing. “Then what should I do? March into Fifth Brother’s room and share a bed with him?”

She was clearly joking, but Fuling took it seriously. Her eyes lit up, and she grabbed Yu Jiao’s sleeve. “That’s actually a great idea! But who knows if my little brother’s body can handle it. If you two become husband and wife in truth, Grandfather wouldn’t dare defy proper morals.”

Yu Jiao chuckled and gently retrieved her book, tapping Fuling’s head lightly. “Qizhe is still so young. If I really did something with him, I couldn’t live with myself.”

Qizhe wasn’t even of age yet. If she had any improper thoughts, she’d be no better than a beast.

Fuling vaguely understood what Yu Jiao meant and tried to argue seriously, “But Qizhe already turned sixteen in the second month. Lots of boys his age are already married.”

To Yu Jiao, any man under twenty hadn’t yet developed a full worldview or maturity. They were still just boys.

Not wanting to debate the issue, she opened her book again and replied casually, “Being siblings isn’t so bad. Now I’m the youngest in the second household. You, as the big sister, better not bully me anymore.”

Fuling stared at her helplessly, then remembered Qizhe hadn’t shown any resistance either, which made her feel like she was worrying over nothing. Still, she couldn’t hold it in and called out again and again, “Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law! Sister-in-law! I’m not calling you little sister!”

Yu Jiao was amused by her playful pout and gently responded, “Call me whatever you like, as long as it makes you happy.”