Time Is Slow - Chapter 35
Old Madam Jiang’s right eye was clouded with a white haze. When she glared at someone in anger, her gaze turned eerie and chilling, making people uneasy.
He Shi could no longer endure the oppressive atmosphere.
She rushed forward to shield Qiao Zhao and shouted at Old Madam Jiang, “Old Madam, Zhao Zhao is still young and doesn’t understand. If you must punish someone, punish me instead!”
Standing behind He Shi, Qiao Zhao felt exasperated by her recklessness. But when she noticed the slight tremble in He Shi’s hands as she held her protectively, she couldn’t bring herself to blame her.
“He Shi, your failure to teach your daughter properly will be dealt with later. Step aside for now. If someone makes a mistake and isn’t punished, they won’t learn to fear consequences and will continue repeating their mistakes. By protecting her now, you are only harming her!” Old Madam Jiang declared righteously.
“Old Madam is right. This time, I will certainly punish this disgraceful girl severely,” Old Madam Deng said sternly.
Old Madam Jiang’s cold, piercing gaze swept over the room before she let out a chilling laugh.
“Sister-in-law, I don’t think any of you have the heart to do it. This time, let me discipline Third Girl!”
Having known her sister-in-law for so many years, she understood her well.
Old Madam Deng was fiercely protective of her own, and even when angry at the younger generation, she couldn’t bear to see an outsider reprimand them. But today, Old Madam Jiang was determined to intervene—if only to make her sister-in-law feel stifled and helpless, allowing her to vent her frustration on this mother-daughter pair who lacked proper manners.
Old Madam Deng was so furious she could barely breathe, shooting He Shi a vicious glare.
Although the two families had long since separated, they still carried the same surname. Old Madam Jiang held considerable prestige within the clan, and if she wanted to discipline a young lady from the family, the clan elders would only be too happy to let her. Not to mention, their families were closely related by blood.
“Great-Aunt is right.”
Amid the tense atmosphere, Qiao Zhao spoke, instantly drawing everyone’s attention.
She showed no sign of nervousness, her beautiful eyes fixed on Old Madam Jiang, filled with sincerity.
“If someone makes a mistake and isn’t punished, they won’t learn to fear consequences and will continue repeating their mistakes.”
She repeated Old Madam Jiang’s words word for word, leaving everyone bewildered.
Old Madam Jiang’s dark gaze bore down on Qiao Zhao as she forced out a cold smile.
“It seems there’s still hope for you, Third Girl, if you can understand that.”
Qiao Zhao almost wanted to laugh.
This Old Madam is truly overstepping her boundary, all in the name of her status.
Seeing that all eyes were on her, Qiao Zhao suddenly stepped around He Shi and walked forward a few paces before stopping.
“At that time, I was standing right here when Second Sister reached out to strike me.”
Li Jiao sneered.
“Li Zhao, are you still spewing lies at this point? At that time, Eldest Sister helped me up. I was in so much pain that I could barely move, let alone hit you! Eldest Sister, isn’t that right?”
Li Jiao’s aggressive tone irritated Li Jiao, but since they had no deep-seated conflict, her dislike for Li Jiao was merely a personality clash. However, her dislike for Li Zhao was something else entirely, something innate.
At this moment, Li Jiao didn’t even hesitate before making her choice.
“Yes, at that time, I helped Second Sister up right here, and then she sat down.”
To make her claim more convincing, she even pointed out their exact positions.
“So what you’re saying, Eldest Sister, is that Second Sister never came over?” Qiao Zhao asked calmly.
Something about the girl’s composed tone unsettled Li Jiao, but with the conversation already at this point, there was no turning back. She also couldn’t imagine what Qiao Zhao could do to turn things around, so she steeled herself and said, “That’s right. After Second Sister sat down, I stayed with her the entire time. How could we possibly have gone over there?”
Seeing that the situation was settled in her favor, Li Jiao felt a surge of satisfaction and sneered at Qiao Zhao.
“Third Sister, you’ve caused me so much suffering. Is it really that hard for you to admit your mistake in front of the elders? You’re truly ill-mannered!”
With these words, Old Madam Deng’s face burned with shame.
He Shi, who cherished her daughter like a precious gem, was enraged. She snapped, “Who’s ill-mannered? You little brat, speaking so rudely! I’d say it’s your whole family that lacks manners!”
Qiao Zhao: “……”
She had never seen anyone like He Shi before and was completely dumbfounded. Her emotions were a complicated mess, and even Li Jiao wished she could stuff a cloth into her stepmother’s mouth.
The whole family lacks manners? Wasn’t that an indirect insult to Old Madam herself? If Old Madam Jiang took offense and refused to invite the girls from the Western Household to social gatherings among noble ladies in the future, what then?
Old Madam Deng shot her daughter-in-law a despairing look.
Good grief, even if I agree with you just a little, you still shouldn’t have said it out loud!
Old Madam Jiang’s face turned an alarming shade of green.
She lacks manners?
A mere daughter of a wealthy merchant dares to speak to me this way?
Taking a deep breath, Old Madam Jiang said coldly, “Sister-in-law, while the child hasn’t completely gone astray yet, I can still discipline her. As for the other matter, you handle it however you see fit.”
She was essentially saying that He Shi was beyond salvation and not even worth dealing with.
Fearing her foolish mother would say something even more outrageous, Qiao Zhao quickly raised her voice and asked again, “I’ll ask one more time. Are you both absolutely certain you never came over?”
Li Jiao felt a vague sense of unease and remained silent.
Li Jiao, however, scoffed loudly.
“Just because you’re shouting doesn’t mean you’re right! Say it a hundred times if you want, we didn’t go over there!”
Qiao Zhao suddenly smiled. She stepped aside, revealing a glass screen decorated with blooming peonies.
In this era, most young ladies had embroidered wooden screens in their rooms. A glass screen like the one in Qiao Zhao’s room was rare. especially in the Li household. It was a unique gift from He Shi to her beloved daughter on her birthday.
The glass screen depicted peonies in full bloom, vibrant in color. At first glance, the crowd saw nothing unusual, and they found Qiao Zhao’s actions utterly perplexing.
Hmm, these people aren’t very observant. Miss Qiao thought to herself.
She simply reached out and pointed.
“Great-Aunt, Grandmother, look. There’s half of a handprint here, and it has blood on it.”
The room fell into an eerie silence.
Li Jiao snapped her head around. Among the vibrant colors of the glass screen, she finally spotted a faint, bloody handprint.
She bit her lips tightly.
The blood drained completely from Li Jiao’s face.
They had sworn they hadn’t gone over there, so where had the bloody handprint on the screen come from?
Neither of them were fools. At this moment, they understood all too well that they had been caught with solid evidence.
Having their lie suddenly exposed left them both momentarily stunned.
In the corner, Fifth Miss Li Shu stared at Qiao Zhao as if seeing her for the first time, her eyes widening in shock.
She remembered everything clearly. Aafter Second Sister got hurt, the whole scene had been chaotic. No one had paid any attention to a small screen. How had Third Sister noticed the handprint on it?
She thought hard and suddenly recalled.
When Second Sister had tried to slap Third Sister, Third Sister had dodged, and Second Sister’s hand had struck the screen instead. At the time, Third Sister had casually steadied the screen with her hand.
Good heavens. Had Third Sister really spotted the handprint in that fleeting moment? And then set a trap for Eldest Sister and Second Sister to fall into?
Li Shu’s eyes widened even further, and only one thought remained in her mind.
Third Sister is incredible. I’m never badmouthing her again!
After a long silence, Old Madam Jiang turned her gaze, ever so slowly, toward her granddaughter, Li Jiao.
Li Jiao struggled desperately.
“That doesn’t prove it was mine! Who knows when it got there—”
Qiao Zhao interrupted her calmly, “Every person’s palm print is unique.”
How could she not even know that?
Miss Qiao silently rolled her eyes in her mind.