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Yunchu’s Vengeance - Chapter 131

Chapter 131 - Tingshuang Gets Married

The Old Madam's body was laid to rest at the Xie residence for seven days before the funeral was held.


During these seven days, Xie Zhongcheng led many people to search everywhere for Xie Shiwei's whereabouts, but they could not find even the slightest trace.


Many commoners believed that the Xie family had deliberately hidden him, holding the family in growing contempt. Busybodies even ran to the yamen to file a report, accusing the Xie family's second young master, Xie Shiwei, of ruthlessly murdering the Xie family's Old Madam.


Officials from the government specifically came to the Xie residence to investigate the course of events.


Xie Jingyu was already ill, and upon hearing this matter, he was so enraged that he coughed up a mouthful of blood.


Yun Chu walked into his room carrying the medicine. "The Old Madam died with her eyes open. Only when the government uncovers the truth can the Old Madam rest in peace. Husband, don't worry yourself about this matter; just focus on recovering."


She handed the medicine in her hand to Concubine Jiang, who was attending to him on the side.


Concubine Jiang carefully helped Xie Jingyu drink the large bowl of black medicinal broth.


"Wife..." Xie Jingyu began. "Could I ask you to invite an imperial physician to take my pulse in the name of the Yun family?"


He had a feeling of extreme panic, feeling as though his own body was slowly slipping out of his control.


"Physician Qiu, whom I invited for you, is the most famous physician in the capital for treating this kind of ailment; even the imperial physicians in the palace cannot compare." Yun Chu lightly adjusted the quilt over him. "Physician Qiu said you drank too much alcohol, harbored suppressed emotions, and flew into a great rage, which is why you became like this. As long as you take your medicine properly and recuperate slowly, you will recover as usual... There are still some matters to deal with after the Old Madam's funeral, so I will go take care of them first."


Xie Jingyu raised a hand and grabbed her sleeve. "Wife, I have only ever asked this one thing of you. I really need an imperial physician."


Hearing this, Yun Chu smiled. "Does Husband really claim to have only asked me for this one thing?"


Her smile made Xie Jingyu feel exceptionally glaring, and his grip gradually loosened.


"Concubine Jiang, take good care of the Master."


Yun Chu dropped these words, turned around, and walked out.


Concubine Jiang spoke softly, "My lord may not know this, but over the past few days regarding the Old Madam's affairs, the Madam has practically not slept day or night. Coupled with the Second Young Master's disappearance and the officials coming by from time to time, the Madam has been handling it all... This concubine also wanted to share the burden for the Madam, but this concubine lacks the ability. Being able to serve my lord well is already sharing the worries for the Madam."


Xie Jingyu closed his eyes and said nothing more.


Yun Chu returned to her own courtyard. Just as she sat down and before she could even take a sip of tea, an elderly servant woman in the courtyard rushed in frantically, "Madam, the Eldest Miss is making a scene in the Old Madam's courtyard."


Yun Chu frowned. "Making a scene about what?"


"Hasn't the Old Madam passed away? There are still many good things in the storeroom. The Eldest Miss asked Mother Zhou to hand over the storeroom keys, but Mother Zhou refused. As they kept arguing, Concubine Yu and Concubine Tao also came, and now they've all formed a chaotic mess."


Yun Chu sneered.


The Old Madam's bones were not yet cold, and the members of the Xie family were already fighting like this over these meager profits.


She spoke, "The First Madam is still here, and I, the mistress managing the household, am also here. Where do they get the qualifications to fight and grab? Tingshuang, make a trip over there, take the storeroom keys, and give them to the First Madam. Let's see what the First Madam says."


Tingshuang nodded and went to handle it. Before long, she returned and handed the keys to the Anshou Hall storeroom to Yun Chu. "The First Madam said that since the Xie family is currently managed by the Madam, the Old Madam's heirlooms should naturally be kept by the Madam."


Yun Chu picked up the keys and twirled them around. She really did not think much of the Old Madam's meager belongings.


She spoke, "Open my storeroom, I will select a few items."


In the blink of an eye, it was time for Tingshuang to get married.


According to the customs of the Yun family, when a personal maid gets married, preparing a dowry worth about a hundred taels of silver is considered very generous.


Yun Chu prepared a silver note for five hundred taels of silver, alongside an entire set of hollowed-out gold and jade headwear, plus several bolts of fine fabric.


"M-Madam!" Seeing these items, Tingshuang was so frightened that her voice trembled. "This servant, this servant is unworthy. Please take them back, Madam."


"You are worthy." Yun Chu placed the items on the table. "I have already sent people to the yamen to clear your slave status. From now on, you are a free person."


Tingshuang fell to her knees with a thud. "Madam, by what virtue does this servant..."


Yun Chu helped her up.


In her past life, the fire at the Xie family happened around the year after next. In any case, in this lifetime, she would certainly not experience that fire.


However, that did not mean she would forget the moment Tingshuang threw herself over her without regard for her own life to shield her from the collapsing overhead beam.


"You are getting married tomorrow, so I've given all the maids in Shengju Residence a holiday to go together to your new courtyard and liven things up." Yun Chu smiled and said, "Rest for a month after your wedding, and then go take charge of the hot spring estate. By then, you will be managing the estate as a steward mother, and your wages will not treat you unfairly."


Tingshuang's throat choked up, and she could not utter a single word.


The next morning, the matchmaker invited by Yun Chu combed Tingshuang's hair and dressed her in bridal attire. The sedan chair departed from the side gate of the Xie residence, and Yu Ke was waiting right there.


Servant marriages were usually like this; being able to leave the boudoir through the side gate was already considered giving an immense amount of face on the part of the masters.


Yun Chu brought the maids and servant women of Shengju Residence to drink the wedding wine, but since she was a master and feared that staying there would make everyone feel constrained, she left after drinking a cup of wedding wine.


Tingshuque and Tingfeng both stayed behind to join in the lively atmosphere, while she and Qiutong made their return journey.


On the way back, passing by a House of Treasures, she remembered that the congratulatory gift she was preparing for her younger half-sister, Yun Ran, seemed to still lack an outstanding hairpin.


She lifted her skirt, stepped down from the carriage, and walked into the House of Treasures. She had not browsed a jewelry shop for a very long time, and walking in, she was almost dazzled blind.


Many dazzling gold, silver, and jade artifacts were placed on the counters for anyone walking in to view freely. If anyone had the intention to buy, the shopkeeper would lead them inside to bring out even finer goods for selection.


"This Madam, these are our newly arrived hairpins. Have a look and see if there are any that catch your eye."


Yun Chu was actually only twenty years old. Although she had been married for five years, her inner self still favored the things that young women loved.


It was just that over the past few years, her attention had been divided by far too many things, and she had basically never bought jewelry or headwear. The hairpin in her hair was still from the dowry gifts given by the Yun family when she got married five years ago.


Seeing these pieces of jewelry, her mood instantly became cheerful.


She currently had several hundred thousand taels of silver in her hands; buying a few things to make herself happy could not be considered excessive.


"This one, this one, and this one..."


Her hand pointed across the tray.


The shopkeeper was overjoyed. Buying so many all at once meant he had encountered a major patron.


"Wrap up all of them except these three." Yun Chu looked at the shopkeeper. "Are there any more? Let me have a look."


The shopkeeper was utterly dumbfounded.


There were twenty small hairpins placed on a single tray, and this Madam actually wanted seventeen of them, and on top of that, it wasn't enough and she wanted to see more.


He nodded hurriedly. "Madam, please wait a moment. This humble one will bring out the new stock right away."


The shopkeeper hastily called his assistants and brought out all the recently arrived headwear, hairpins, earrings, and bracelets, laying them out before Yun Chu.


She selected a few for her mother and eldest sister-in-law, and even bought one for each of the maids in her courtyard.


Aside from these, she also bought two longevity locks.


One for Yu Ge'er and one for Changsheng, though she had no idea when she would be able to see them again.


"Madam Xie!"


Just as she was about to board her carriage, a pleasant female voice rang out from behind her.


She turned around and saw the Marquis of Xuanwu's wife, Lady Luo.

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