TLNote: Happy valentine to the couples out there. If you don’t have your another half yet like me, you can see this as a “consolation” gift.

Chapter 7 Dealing with anger

She didn't know whether it was the past life or not, but she knew that she was about to be out of luck.

The sky lightened a bit. The living room in Plum Flower Pavilion was already half filled with people.

Sitting on the top was the imposing looking old madam. The gaze that fell on Shu Huan seemed quite unfriendly. After looking at her for a moment, she commanded, "Kneel!"

The women who time-traveled had backbone and self-respect. Shu Huan also wanted to be tough and have self-respect for once, but others wouldn't allow it. She only hesitated for a moment when a maid suddenly hit the back of her knee, so she couldn't help but kneel on the ground. Her knees fell heavily on the tiles. It was so painful that her mouth twitched.

If she had known it would be like this, she would've been decisive and knelt. At least, she could carefully kneel.

This old lady was probably the old madam that the people mentioned many times. It could be seen that she was accustomed to being imposing and wasn't simple and kind as ordinary old ladies. Her general facial appearance possessed a majestic aura. At this time, after Shu Huan knelt, she ignored her, turned and began to scold concubine Yun.

"You had always been cautious and sensible. Why did become muddle-headed now? You still hid the such a big matter as fire for someone? If it wasn't because I wasn't blind yet and saw that some maids were gossiping early in the morning and asked one about it, I would presumably still be kept in the dark at this moment!"

Concubine Yun also panicked and knelt on the ground. "Yan knows that Yan was wrong. Asking old madam for punishment."

Old madam ignored her and began to scold the maids, "I let you lock the person up and keep watch over her, didn't you listen? Or were you taking into account that she is your second young mistress, have a high status and thus couldn't suffer? So, you took this old lady's words as garbage?"

These words were a bit too much. All of the maids that had their head lowered and were listening outside also knelt on the ground.

"Beat them as punishment!" The old madam was angry and stood up with the heavy crutch in her hand. "Call two servants and drag down all the maids in this yard. Each will receive twenty planks as punishment!"

The maids were scared by this anger and roared for forgiveness. They cried that there would be no next time.

Shu Huan's face also paled instantly. Was this punishment a warning for her?

She quickly raised her eyes and looked at Gu Xiran who sat below the old madam. She saw that his lips were in a thin line. Displeasure flashed in his eyes. However, the next moment, he lowered his eyes and didn't seem to have the intention to plead for the people. She could only bite her lips and pleaded, "Old madam, don't be angry. This is my fault…"

She hadn't finish speaking when she was stopped by old madam, "You little thing that doesn't know the rules! I'm punishing the maids here; do you have the right to butt in?"

Shu Huan shut up.

Gu family's daughter-in-law Lin shi had followed old madam to here. She was at a side and didn't spoke a word. Now that she saw that old madam was furious, she quickly went over to support her, "Old madam, sit down and take it slowly. It's not worth it to get angry and cause damage to your body with these small matters."

• Shi: clan, meaning she is from Lin clan.

It seemed that old madam was really angry. She even attacked her daughter-in-law. While sitting down, she said with annoyance, "This is a small matter? One should be most cautious with candles. If it was deep in the night, you don't even know what would happen to the person! Fortunately, the fire didn't spread. If not, our Gu residence would have been turned into ashes!"

The houses in ancient times were made from wood. Old madam wasn't exaggerating the facts. Shu Huan knew that she (old madam) was right. She sighed in her heart. The trouble she caused wasn't small. She didn't know how she would be dealt with.

What one was afraid of was exactly what would come. Old madam turned her head and yelled at her, "Do you feel wronged for marrying into Gu family?"

It was involuntarily. Naturally, she would feel wronged. However, how would Shu Huan dare to speak the truth? She could only lower her head and reply, "I don't feel wronged."

"If you don't feel wronged, then why did cause trouble by committing suicide the moment you married? I let people lock you up for two days to let you sober up; who would've thought that you would light fire to burn the room the next moment! Your heart is too vicious. What kind of animosity does our Gu family has with you to let you do such a thing as to exterminate one's whole family?!"

It was obvious that she accidentally knocked over the candle while asleep, but in the eyes of others, it became deliberately committing arson!

Ever since Shu Huan was born, she had never been scolded for being vicious. Just as she wanted to refute, the tea bowl in old madam's hand flew over and fell in front of her. The porcelain broke. The tea splashed and drenched her.

Under such humiliation, she couldn't feel the pain of the hot tea. She felt that all the blood of her body went straight to her face. If it wasn't because she still had some rationality left, she almost would've stood up and walked away.

This was a sight that old madam was venting the anger she had held in for days. No matter how she looked at Shu Huan, she disliked her. She once again stood up from anger and looked at concubine Yun, "Grind the ink! Bring the paper and brush!"

Concubine Yun quickly stood up. She couldn't care that she stumbled because of kneeling for a long time and rushed to the study to bring the brush, the paper and the ink.

Old madam's gaze turned and looked at Gu Xiran who had been silent for a long time, "Ran er, write the letter of divorce and sent her back to her maiden family! Our Gu family can't tolerate such a vicious person!"

• Er: term of endearment

After this was said, the whole room was quiet.

Shu Huan couldn't say whether she felt joy or fear.

The joy was because she would be able to regain her freedom, leave Gu household and the whole world was open to her.

The fear was because even if the whole world was open to her, she needed money. She was not able to eat wind and drink dew. Moreover, the original owner still had her family. She didn't know what the situation there was…

Gu Xiran smiled slightly and stood up while holding the chair, "Old madam, I fear that this grandson can't do it."

Old madam had been accustomed to making decisions without consulting others and knew that the character of this grandson was soft. She didn't expect that he would dare to defy her decision. She was surprised for a moment. Then, she frowned, and her gaze turned sharp, "What, you still want to protect her?"

"This grandson doesn't dare, it was just…," Gu Xiran paused and looked with a gaze full of love at Shu Huan, "We already consummated the marriage last night. This grandson couldn't take the risk of divorcing to avoid Gu family's flesh to be stranded outside."

When Shu Huan was looked at by that affectionate gaze, she felt goosebumps. And, after she heard those words, she felt that the thunders of the universe suddenly roared. One by one, they hit her.

These words didn't shock her alone. Old madam and Lin shi were also shocked. It just happened that concubine Yun came back with the brush, paper and ink. When she heard him personally say that, the bitterness in her heart was hard to describe. She could only lower her head to cover the sadness on her face.

When they recovered from the shock, it was Lin shi who ordered the maids, "You all retreat."

Until when the people were gone did she smile at old madam, "This is good news. I have to congratulate old madam first. Perhaps, you would be able to hold a great-grandchild next year."

While talking, her gaze swept once over Gu Xiran. Worry appeared on her face, "It's just, Xiran, you haven't recovered yet. This was forcing yourself too much! Don't you know how to cherish your own body?"

Originally, old madam's face turned more gently, but after hearing the last sentence, her face changed again. She looked suspiciously at Shu Huan's tummy. Then, she looked at Gu Xiran and humphed coldly, "Ran er has grown up. To protect your wife, you even learned how to lie to deceive your elders?"

Couldn't blame her for being suspicious. This grandson fainted once on the wedding night. He almost couldn't be saved. Now, when she looked at his body, it still looked weak. If no one supported him, he couldn't even walk alone. How could he had consummated the marriage?

Gu Xiran lowered his eyes and said, "This grandson doesn't dare to lie."

Old madam was still skeptical and was silent. It was Lin shi who said, "Where is the handkerchief of consummation? This practice is to be seen by people. You two shouldn't hide it because of embarrassment."

• The handkerchief would have blood on it to show that the woman was a virgin and that the marriage had been consummated.

One sentence, Shu Huan's heart beat faster. She knew what this handkerchief of consummation was. It was just, that she couldn't recall what it was at the moment. Being asked suddenly, she didn't know what to answer. She could only continue to pretend to be death and pushed all the trouble to Gu Xiran. Anyway, it was he who pulled a lie. He should naturally also make the lie whole.

Old madam frowned and looked at Gu Xiran, waiting for his answer.