The Stepmother Who Stayed - Chapter 2

That afternoon, more than twenty servants in the marquis’s household were replaced.

I didn’t hit anyone or shout. I simply had Taoxi bring me the household register and went through it, asking questions one by one.

“This woman Zhang. What does she do?”

“She cleans the eldest young miss’s courtyard, my lady.”

“How many days’ leave did she take last month?”

“Well… I don’t know.”

“Then find out. Bring me the leave records for the whole of last year. Let’s see who took the most time off and who was the laziest on duty.”

“But…”

“What? Am I not allowed to check?”

“Of course you are. Of course.”

Two hours later, seven people were brought before me.

I wasted no time on preliminaries. I had Taoxi read out the records.

“Wang Er’s wife: thirty-seven days’ leave last year. Caught sleeping on duty eight times.”

“Old Li: forty-one days’ leave last year. Caught stealing her masters’ pastries five times while on duty.”

“Zhang Fulai: fifty-two days’ leave last year. Neglected his duties through drink three times. Still owes gambling money to the gatekeeper.”

I listened and drank my tea.

When she finished, I set down my cup and looked at the seven people before me.

“I don’t care how you used to do your work. I’m running this household now.

“You may take leave. If you’re ill or have something to attend to, you’ll have the time you’re entitled to. But laziness, dishonesty, and betraying the household—I won’t tolerate those.”

I paused, then softened my voice. “Each of you will receive twenty strokes of the board and be sold. Take them away.”

All seven dropped to their knees. Some wept, some shouted. Two tried to rush forward, but the servants at the door held them down.

Taoxi stood beside me and whispered, “Miss, isn’t this a little harsh?”

“Harsh? I thought I was being quite gentle.”

Taoxi said nothing more.

After the twenty strokes, the seven were dragged out.

The courtyard was so quiet that you could have heard a leaf fall.

I rose and went to the doorway, facing the dozens of servants standing outside.

“Today is only the beginning. Think carefully about how you’re going to do your work from now on. If you can’t work it out, you’re free to leave right now. I won’t stop you.”

Nobody moved.

“Very well. That will be all.”

They scattered in a rush, as though they’d been granted a pardon.

I turned around. Three children were still in the hall.

Qi Ruoyu wore the same quiet, demure expression, but her fingers gripped her clothes tightly.

Qi Ruolan’s eyes shone like little lanterns. She looked from me to Taoxi to the door, her face full of excitement.

This time Qi Zhao wasn’t hiding. He stood between his sisters, looking up at me with curiosity—and a little fear.

I went over and crouched before them.

“Scared?”

All three nodded.

I smiled. “You should be. But you don’t need to be scared of me. Those people I just dealt with—they’d all bullied you, hadn’t they?”

All three froze.

Qi Ruoyu raised her head and looked me in the eye for the first time.

There was surprise in her eyes, and confusion, and something I couldn’t quite read.

I rose and brushed off my skirt. “That’s enough for today. Taoxi, bring out the pastries we brought. Let the children try them.”

Taoxi answered and went to open the trunks.

I headed out. At the door, I remembered something and turned back.

“Oh, that little boy hiding behind the pillar and peeking at you is my son. His name is Su Chengsi. He’s five.

“He’s shy. You can let him play with you if you like. If you don’t, that’s all right.”

Then I left.

Behind me, Qi Ruolan said, “Sister, did you hear? She has a son!”

“I heard.” Qi Ruoyu’s voice was still soft.

“What are we going to do?”

“…I don’t know.”

I didn’t look back. The corners of my mouth lifted.

Those three were rather interesting.