strictlysupreme Chapter 250 The Mad Couple 14
Chapter 250 The Mad Couple 14
Seeing the maid leave, Wang Cuihua felt slightly relieved, but then she thought of something else:
"No, just calling my son back isn't enough. I need to quickly gather some money and valuables. If the Wu family really falls, the three of us, mother and son, will have a way to survive!"
She hurried back to her courtyard and began rummaging through chests and cabinets to pack up her valuables, stuffing all her precious jewelry, banknotes, and land deeds into a bundle.
Just as she was about to leave, the door was suddenly pushed open, and Ji Xiaosong stood in the doorway, holding a handful of sunflower seeds, cracking them open while smiling at her.
"Oh, Aunt Wang, where are you going?"
Ji Xiaosong spoke in a light tone, as if chatting casually, but there was a hint of mockery in her eyes.
Wang Cuihua was startled and almost dropped the bundle in her hands.
She forced a smile and tried to appear calm: "Xiao Song, what brings you here? I... I was just thinking of going to the temple to offer incense and pray for the Wu family."
After Ji Xiaosong finished eating a sunflower seed, he casually tossed the shell on the ground and said with a smile:
"Burning incense? What's in your bundle? Incense, candles, and paper money? Or... are you planning to buy the entire temple, and perhaps have a backup plan for your future?"
Wang Cuihua's expression changed, and her tone became sharp:
"What are you saying? I am the matriarch of the Wu family, how could I run away? You are an outsider, what right do you have to interfere in my affairs?"
Ji Xiaosong, unhurried, cracked open another sunflower seed and said slowly:
"Oh dear, Aunt Wang, don't be in such a hurry. I'm just worried about you! Look, your bundle is bulging with stuff. If you accidentally trip and fall on the road, your gold and silver treasures will scatter all over the ground. That would be such a sight! Besides, if you really run away, and the general comes back and finds so many things missing from the house, wouldn't he be furious?"
Wang Cuihua was speechless at Ji Xiaosong's words, and her face turned bright red.
Enraged, she pointed at Ji Xiaosong and yelled, "Who do you think you are? You're just a country bumpkin, how dare you lecture me? Let me tell you, the Wu family's affairs are none of your business!"
Ji Xiaosong, still smiling, finished the last sunflower seed, dusted off her hands, and said slowly:
“Aunt Wang, you’re wrong. Although I’m just a country girl, I’m Wu Chufeng’s future wife. How can I not care about the Wu family’s affairs? Besides, this bundle contains the Wu family’s assets. If I just stand by and watch you run away with them, wouldn’t I be letting the Wu family down?”
Wang Cuihua trembled with anger, gritting her teeth as she said, "You...you stop talking nonsense! I never intended to run away!"
Ji Xiaosong blinked and said, feigning surprise:
"Oh dear, Aunt Wang, you're not planning to run away? What's in your bundle then? Is it... donation money for the temple? That's quite a sum! But I've heard the monks at the temple haven't been behaving themselves lately. What if they spot you if you bring so much money?"
Wang Cuihua was so angry at Ji Xiaosong's words that she almost fainted. She grabbed her bundle and said angrily:
"Fine, fine! I'm not leaving! I want to see how long you can hold out!"
Seeing that Wang Cuihua had given up on escaping, Ji Xiaosong said with a smile:
“Aunt Wang, you’re absolutely right! The Wu family is in dire straits right now. As the mistress of the house, how can you desert your post? Besides, if you really run away, when the general comes back and finds so many things missing, won’t he be furious?”
After saying that, Ji Xiaosong turned her head with a smile, waved to the butler standing to the side, and said in a light tone, "Butler, come here for a moment."
The steward quickly stepped forward and respectfully asked, "Miss Ji, what are your orders?"
Ji Xiaosong remained smiling, her tone as relaxed as if she were chatting casually:
“Aunt Wang just packed some things, saying she was going to offer incense and pray for blessings at the temple. However, I don’t think it’s safe for these things to stay with her. What if they get lost on the way? Wouldn’t that be letting down Aunt Wang’s good intentions? Why don’t you help me take inventory and put everything in the storeroom for safekeeping?”
The butler paused, hesitated for a moment, glanced at Wang Cuihua, then at Ji Xiaosong, and said in a low voice:
"This...this isn't appropriate, is it? How can we just touch Madam's things like that?"
Ji Xiaosong blinked and said, feigning innocence:
"Oh dear, steward, you're mistaken. Aren't Aunt Wang's things also Wu family's things? Besides, Aunt Wang just said herself that she has no intention of running away; these things are all for the temple's donation money. Our Wu family is in dire straits right now, so we can't afford to waste money carelessly, don't you think?"
The butler was stunned by Ji Xiaosong's words and didn't know how to refute them for a moment.
He glanced at Wang Cuihua and saw that her face was ashen, yet she remained silent, which made him even more suspicious.
Seeing that the steward was still hesitating, Ji Xiaosong smiled and made a hand gesture from her sleeve.
Wang Cuihua felt her body stiffen, as if she were bound by something, unable to move or even speak.
She was terrified and tried to struggle, but found that she could not control her body at all and could only watch helplessly as Ji Xiaosong and the housekeeper appeared.
Seeing that the spell had taken effect, Ji Xiaosong smiled and said to the steward:
"Butler, look, even Aunt Wang hasn't objected, so don't hesitate. Quickly take inventory of the items and put them in the storeroom. Oh, and give me the storeroom key too; I'll keep it safe for you in case it gets lost."
Seeing that Wang Cuihua had no objections, the housekeeper nodded and said, "Okay, I'll take care of it right away."
After saying that, he stepped forward and began to count the contents of Wang Cuihua's bundle.
Wang Cuihua watched helplessly as her valuables were taken away one by one. She was both anxious and angry, but she couldn't say a word and could only stare blankly.
Ji Xiaosong stood to the side, smiling as she watched the butler take inventory, and didn't forget to remind him:
"Butler, you must be careful not to miss anything. Aunt Wang is going to offer incense at the temple, and we can't let her down."
The steward nodded repeatedly, quickly finished checking everything, and then said to Ji Xiaosong, "Miss Ji, everything has been checked. I'll put it in the storeroom now."
Ji Xiaosong nodded with a smile and said, "Okay, thank you for your hard work. By the way, where's the key to the storeroom?"
Do you need the warehouse key?
The butler paused for a moment.
"This……"
Ji Xiaosong laughed and said, "What do you mean 'what'? General Wu said before he left that the mansion would be temporarily under Wu Chufeng's management. I took the key, so naturally it's for him."
The reason was quite good. The butler took out a bunch of keys from his waist, handed them to Ji Xiaosong, and said, "These are the keys to the storeroom. Please keep them safe."
Ji Xiaosong took the key and said with a smile, "Thank you, butler. Don't worry, I will take good care of it."
The butler nodded, turned and left the room.
After the butler had walked away, Ji Xiaosong slowly walked up to Wang Cuihua and said with a smile:
"Aunt Wang, look, I've kept everything safe for you, so you don't need to worry. I'll return everything to you once the Wu family gets through this crisis, okay?"
Wang Cuihua was so angry that she trembled all over, but she couldn't say a word. She could only glare at Ji Xiaosong with resentful eyes.
Ji Xiaosong, still smiling, gently patted Wang Cuihua's shoulder and said:
"Aunt Wang, please don't be angry. I'm only doing this for the good of the Wu family. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you properly once this is over."
After saying that, she turned and left the room, leaving Wang Cuihua standing there, frozen in place, so angry she almost vomited blood.