Married to a Villainous Minister - Chapter 30

Chen Rou quickly stood up to accept the medicine, smiling politely. “Thank you, Grandpa Yu. How much for the medicine?”

“Oh, it’s not much, just fifty wen. Go ahead and take it home for her to use,” Yu Ruhai replied with feigned humility. “You’re being too polite, child.”

“You’re too kind, Grandpa Yu. Since you’re a physician, it’s only right to be paid for your services.” Chen Rou took out her coin pouch and counted out fifty wen, placing it neatly on the table.

When Yu Jiao returned to the eastern room, Yu Fuling was talking to Yu Qizhe.

“Rou’er came by, go to the main hall and talk to her. You haven’t seen each other in so long. She’s gotten even prettier! And her dress today is just lovely!”

“Sister, I’ve already said this, I have nothing to do with Chen Rou anymore. There are no longer any ties between our Yu family and the Chens. Whatever she does is none of my business.” Yu Qizhe replied, his face showing quiet frustration as he repeated himself once more.

But Yu Fuling wouldn’t give up. “Little brother, back then, even when your health was poor, you still forced yourself to take all three imperial exams in a row. Wasn’t it because you and Rou’er agreed that if you topped the exams, you’d go propose marriage to her?”

“Don’t tell me you’ve fallen for someone else! Meng Yujiao isn’t even worthy of holding a strand of Rou’er’s hair, I don’t believe you actually like her! Is it because of your illness that you’re pushing Rou’er away on purpose? Little brother, once you recover and become a top scholar, you can still bring Rou’er back as your wife!”

“That’s enough,” Yu Qizhe cut her off, his expression turning cold. “Sister, stop jumping to conclusions. There is no future between Chen Rou and me. Don’t bring up her name again in front of me.”

Yu Fuling was startled by his icy tone. After a moment, she muttered to save face, “Fine, I won’t bring her up. Why are you getting mad at your sister?”

Just as she turned to leave the room, she bumped into Yu Jiao. Fuling shot her a resentful glare. “It’s all your fault! You ruined a perfect match between my little brother and Rou’er!”

Yu Jiao looked baffled, how was she being blamed again?

Now she finally understood, it was because the Chen family had rejected Yu Qizhe due to his poor health that the Yu family had turned to buying her from Mengjia Village for a “fortune-bringing” marriage. But somehow, she was being cast as the villain in all this?

After Chen Rou left, Old Madam Yu came out from the east wing. Yu Ruhai had spent the entire afternoon calming his old wife down. But now, full of pent-up frustration thanks to Yu Jiao, he couldn’t help but complain to Old Madam Yu, “That damn girl Meng Yujiao just had the nerve to ask me for half the consultation fee! Has she lost her mind? We spent good silver buying her, feed and clothe her, and now she wants money on top of that?”

Old Madam Yu seized the moment to stir the pot. “That little wench is just an ungrateful wolf in sheep’s clothing. And to think you’ve been protecting her all this time! Now that she knows you value her medical skills, she’s getting arrogant and out of control. Who knows how far she’ll push things next!”

Yu Ruhai’s beard bristled with anger. “She dares! If she even thinks about taking consultation fees, she’s dreaming!”

Old Madam Yu suggested, “You should start putting her in her place. Make her understand she’s nothing in our Yu family. In this house, Meng Yujiao should be grateful just to have food to eat!”

Yu Ruhai mulled it over and realized he had indeed been placing too much importance on her skills lately, letting her become cocky. 

His gaze landed on the food on the table, and he said coldly, “Time for dinner. Tell the second branch, Meng Yujiao gets no food tonight!”

A pleased smile spread across Old Madam Yu’s face. “Now that’s the right approach. Some people, if you treat them too well, they take it for granted and lose all sense of gratitude. You’ve got to let her feel the pressure, or she’ll be impossible to control later.”

She headed to the kitchen, where Madam Song was ladling soup. Old Madam Yu picked up a set of bowls and chopsticks and put them back in the cupboard. “The master says Meng Yujiao is to get no dinner tonight. Let her stay in her room and think things over.”

Still unaware of what had happened, Madam Song asked softly, “Mother, why isn’t Meng girl allowed to eat? She cooked tonight’s dishes, too. She’s young and doesn’t always know better, if she upset you, please don’t take it too hard.”

Old Madam Yu gave her a cold smile that didn’t reach her eyes. “She didn’t upset me, she offended your father-in-law. Thinks she’s all that after tagging along on a few diagnoses under the master’s name. Now she’s talking about money, does she want to die or what?”