Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 22

Yu Jiao hadn’t thought much about it earlier and had overlooked the household’s current situation. Madam Song was someone who quietly endured everything and was clearly quite afraid of the old matriarch. 

Realizing she had unintentionally made things difficult for her, Yu Jiao felt a bit guilty. She spoke gently to reassure her, “I took the eggs out and used them. Don’t worry, I’ll handle the old lady if she gets upset.”

Madam Song, seeing that Yu Jiao was trying to shoulder the blame, quickly said, “Silly girl, you’re one of us in the second branch. It was my fault for not telling you in advance. If your grandma gets angry later, don’t say a word. I’ll explain it to her myself.”

Yu Jiao gave a small smile, her heart warm. Though soft-tempered, Madam Song still protected her. The people in the second branch of the Yu family really weren’t bad.

The two of them brought the food into the main hall. Madam Song deliberately had Yu Jiao take a bowl to Yu Mengshan, using the opportunity to send her off to call Yu Qizhe and Yu Fuling to come eat. Meanwhile, she went to the east room to invite the old master and old madam to join them for the meal.

Yu Ruhai sat at the table and sniffed the air deeply. His beard twitched slightly as he smiled, “The food smells quite good today.”

“Father, we’ve collected quite a few eggs lately, so I used a few…” Madam Song explained sheepishly. Knowing the old lady disliked Yu Jiao, she didn’t dare say that Yu Jiao had cooked the meal.

As soon as Old Madam Yu heard this, her face changed. She stormed over to the table in a few steps, saw the golden scrambled eggs with chives and the tomato-egg noodles, and her expression darkened immediately. Her sharp, upturned eyes glared viciously at Madam Song.

“Are you trying to die?! You greedy wretch! Erlang and Silang are working themselves to the bone at the academy, barely eating or sleeping well! And what are you second branch scheming?”

“We’ve worked so hard to save up those few eggs! I told you over and over again, they were to be kept for when those boys come home to recover! And now you sneak them out to eat behind their backs!”

The third branch couple had already arrived, drawn by the shouting. Madam Zhao took one look at the egg dishes, every bowl filled, everyone with a share and was instantly furious. 

In the past, only their third branch and the old couple got to eat the eggs. And now? Madam Song dared to cook with eggs just because Jinshu and Jinyan weren’t home? 

Not only that, but she even made egg stir-fry? Clearly, she was provoking them. Just because Meng Yujiao could practice medicine now, the second branch actually dared to ignore the third branch? What next?

Madam Song stammered, “Mother, I… I wasn’t being greedy. We haven’t had any proper food in a long time. There were quite a few eggs saved up, so I thought using a few to improve the meal wouldn’t hurt. There’s still plenty left in the basket. When Erlang and Silang come home from the academy, there’ll be enough for them to eat.”

“Enough for them to eat?” Madam Zhao sneered coldly. “Second sister-in-law, since when did you become so good at lying? The hens only lay four or five eggs a day. When the weather turns cold, they’ll stop laying altogether.” 

“Jinshu and Jinyan are at the age where they need proper nourishment, and studying is already so exhausting. How are a few eggs going to be enough? You clearly don’t care about your nephews at all. Or are you trying to let them end up like Wulang, ruined from overstudying?”

That last jab struck Madam Song right in the heart. Yu Qizhe’s health had deteriorated because he had pushed himself too hard through three rounds of examinations. Even now, she often woke up at night crying, pounding her chest in regret. She no longer cared about academic titles or prestigious honors, she just wanted her son to be healthy and alive.

After calling Yu Qizhe and Yu Fuling, Yu Jiao had gone to invite the couple from the eldest branch to eat. Yu Qiaoshan, completely absorbed in the prosthetic project, had already carved a rough outline from a block of wood based on the design Yu Jiao gave him. 

The two were in the courtyard, still discussing details about the joint mechanism when Yu Jiao heard Madam Zhao’s sharp voice coming from the main hall. Her expression changed slightly, and she immediately stopped the conversation and hurried toward the commotion.

Before she even reached the hall, she could already hear Madam Zhao’s mocking tone. Just as Madam Song was fumbling for a response, Yu Jiao stepped forward and raised her voice, “I cooked today’s meal.” 

“I used the eggs. It’s just a few eggs, why are you all so worked up? If Yu Jinshu and Yu Jinyan can eat them, does that mean the rest of the Yu family can’t?”