Chapter 07: Unreserved

... ...

The burly man, feeling quite dissatisfied, pouted his thick lips and said: "What would happen if such a delicate young lady were to be beaten to a pulp by your wife? Brother San Shou, that young lady will soon be mine, and if she needs to be punished, it should be by my hand."

A sudden flash of inspiration struck Ye Xiaotian, and he was filled with great joy. His greatest concern had been that the letter would be discovered and destroyed by the Yang family. ... Now, there were many guests in the mourning hall, all prominent figures from Jingzhou City. If he were to reveal Yang Lin's will in front of them...

Ye Xiaotian turned his head and saw four or five men just turning into the alley. The first one, with a thin and lanky figure like a green bamboo pole, was none other than Yang San Shou, the chief steward of the Yang residence, who had just ordered the servants to beat someone.

The butcher muttered dismissively: "Marrying a concubine is all about looks; as long as she is young, beautiful, and has a nice figure, it doesn't matter how many men she has been with before. She will be just the same in my house, and I will make sure she won't even see a male mosquito."

Upon hearing this, Yang Sanshou ordered his men to escort Ye Xiaotian through a series of interconnected courtyards, arriving at a particularly spacious residence. There, he observed the main hall filled with swirling incense smoke, and the corridors adorned with mourning banners. The members of the Yang family were all dressed in mourning attire, and many guests stood in groups of three to five in the courtyard, with officiants occasionally guiding them in and out of the memorial hall for worship.

Yang Sanshou coldly snorted: "That little wretch dares to tarnish the reputation of the Yang family, engaging in an illicit affair with that pretty boy. This is truly outrageous. Just wait, after my wife has dealt with her using the family rules, I will take that little wretch away with you."

Ye Xiaotian called out three to five times, and the door, which had four to five cracks resembling the face of an old tortoise, creaked open. A young woman in a blue shirt and skirt, in the prime of her youth, gracefully stepped out, steadied herself at the door, and upon seeing Ye Xiaotian, could not help but show a look of surprise.

The young girl lived in a humble dwelling, never interacting with others. Each month, only a servant from the Yang family would come to deliver coarse rice. This residence was situated in a dead-end alley, with no one passing by even in front of the door. Now, suddenly seeing a stranger, especially one approaching her, she couldn't help but feel a sense of surprise and caution. She softly inquired, "Who are you, and what brings you here?"

At that moment, the woman finally reacted, hurriedly stepping forward to open the door. As she removed the bolt and pulled open the courtyard gate, Ye Xiaotian was just about to step inside when he heard a loud shout from the alley: "Hey, you there, what are you doing?"

She stood gracefully by the door, and even the door, with its chipped paint and numerous cracks, exuded an elegance because of her presence. Although she wore simple clothes and had a slender figure, she was remarkably beautiful and unique.

Upon seeing this situation, Xiao Tian thought to himself: "This is the funeral hall of that old bastard; they have brought me here..."

... ...

Ye Xiaotian was pushed and shoved by the crowd, finally stepping into the Yang family courtyard, which he had longed for two months and walked for two months, yet he dared not take the final step. Yang San Shou was exuberantly escorting Ye Xiaotian, believing that this outsider was sneaky and must have an affair with that lowly maid. Even if he did not, it could still be claimed that he did, as it would not diminish his own benefits in front of the lady. Hehe! Yang San Shou was exuberantly escorting Ye Xiaotian, believing that this outsider was sneaky and must have an affair with that lowly maid. Even if he did not, it could still be claimed that he did, as it would not diminish his own benefits in front of the lady. Hehe!

Ye Xiaotian was immediately taken aback. With Yang Sanshou present, these individuals were likely not of good character, yet he was unaware of their intentions. If the letter of Yang Lin that he had brought fell into their hands, the five hundred taels of silver would surely be in jeopardy.

Ye Xiaotian caught sight of the woman's figure, and his eyes immediately brightened. With a furtive glance, he secretly assessed her, thinking to himself: "This young lady has a slim waist and a thin face, with long legs, presenting a rather graceful figure. However, I didn't expect her chest... to be quite ample."

Ye Xiaotian saw such a remarkable person. Although he was born under the emperor's feet and had encountered many beautiful women, he could not help but be taken aback, secretly thinking: "Bad bamboo produces good shoots; Yang Lin, with the nature of a cricket, unexpectedly has given birth to a daughter with the appearance of a fox."

Yang Sanshou, with a smile that was neither fully a smile nor a frown, teased, "Oh, oh, oh, I must say, Mu the butcher, you are quite the tender-hearted one, aren't you? Even before the person is given to you, you are already showing such compassion. For a woman who is so shameless and disregards her marital duties, what harm would it do to teach her a lesson on your behalf?"

The woman gasped with a sound of "ah," covered her mouth with her hand, and asked in a trembling voice, "You... what did you say? Whose letter have you brought?"

Ye Xiaotian noticed that there were two or three people standing nearby, seemingly waiting to meet the head of the Yang family. Among them, one person of short stature, with a stubbly beard, a broad waist and shoulders, and a face full of flesh, was rubbing his hands. Upon seeing Yang Sanshou, he hurriedly approached and asked, "Brother Sanshou, how did my little lady get tied up?"

Ye Xiaotian said: "Did the young lady open the courtyard gate first? Allow me to enter and speak."

The young girl was left bewildered and at a loss due to the series of events. While she was staring blankly at Ye Xiaotian, who was struggling amidst the broken bricks and rubble, Yang Sanshou had already led a few strong men bursting through the door, shouting fiercely: "Where did that scoundrel escape to... seize him!"

Hearing this, Ye Xiaotian couldn't help but click his tongue in disbelief: "Although the young lady of the Yang family is a concubine's daughter, she is still of official lineage. How can the Madam Yang, upon just hearing of her husband's death, be so unscrupulous as to sell her daughter to a butcher as a concubine? Is she not afraid of being criticized behind her back?"

When Yang Sanshou unleashed his fury, he scolded the butcher Mu until his face turned red and his ears burned. However, even with the books, he did not dare to argue back, and could only retreat to the side in frustration, mumbling to himself in a manner that was unintelligible.

Lady Yang suddenly realized and said with delight, "Indeed! How could I not have thought of that? It was still my elder brother who considered everything thoroughly"

Yang Sanshou's expression immediately darkened upon hearing the butcher Mu's words, and he replied displeasedly: "Do you not understand human language? Do you think that with just your ten taels of silver, you can buy a woman as beautiful as a flower from the Yang family? Bah! If it weren't for my wife's deliberate humiliation of that little wretch, how would you have had the chance to enjoy such fortune? You, who are so shameless, really consider yourself a person of importance.

Ye Xiaotian felt deeply conflicted. The accusation of being an adulterer was indeed serious. However, the most direct and effective way to rid himself of this accusation was to produce the letter and reveal the truth. But could he do that? Once he spoke out, the five hundred taels of silver would be lost. If the Yang family were to be even more ruthless, they would still insist that he was the lover, which could lead to his very demise. Ye Xiaotian had heard a bit about how society dealt with adulterers.

Beneath the fair and smooth forehead of this woman, a pair of eyebrows, resembling distant mountains, are gently furrowed, seemingly holding a trace of invisible light sorrow. Her slender waist, cinched with a delicate ribbon, exudes a grace that emanates from her very bones

The cultured scholar chuckled softly, a glint of cold light flashing in his eyes, and said: "Miss, since there is this reason, why must you sell her to the butcher, tarnishing your own reputation? Today, guests from all sides have come to pay their respects, and the head of the Yang family has also arrived. Since these two scoundrels have already sullied the Yang family's reputation, why not hand them over to the clan leader for handling?"

Ye Xiaotian hurriedly said: "Young lady, I have come here. I am Ye Xiaotian, from the capital, and I bring a letter written in the hand of your esteemed father, Lord Yang Lin."

The cultured scholar strolled along, his expression serious as he said: "Sister, this action is highly inappropriate. Selling her to a butcher? How could you even conceive such an idea? By doing this, are you not tarnishing your own reputation?"

The gentle woman was also bound and brought along with him. Upon arriving at a moon gate in the inner courtyard, the female servants of the inner residence escorted the woman inside to meet the lady, while Ye Xiaotian was stopped outside.

After Ye Xiaotian finished speaking, he quickly looked around and saw a chicken coop in the corner. The cobwebs indicated that it had not been maintained for a long time. Ye Xiaotian immediately dashed over, leaped onto the chicken coop in one swift motion, and with a push of his toes and a shake of his arms, he climbed towards the wall. Suddenly, there was a loud crash, and the chicken coop collapsed

Ye Xiaotian secretly turned his mind and began to carefully observe the guests. At that moment, several strong and fierce women brought the delicate and gentle young girl over, binding her with ropes, revealing her graceful figure in full view

Madam Yang's expression was as cold as ice, and with a frosty smile, she arrogantly said: "You might as well reserve these words for the clan leader, take your leave!"

In the back courtyard, Mrs. Yang, who was nearing fifty and exuded an air of elegance, was walking slowly alongside a man in a long gown who appeared to be somewhat older than her. His hair was grizzled, and his face was thin and gaunt. A square silk scarf was draped over his head, giving him an exceptionally refined and graceful appearance

In the presence of so many individuals within the same social circle, the Yang family may indeed be concerned about their reputation and image. However, this is merely a conjecture; one fears that Mrs. Yang may act without restraint, and the guests may be disinclined to advocate for this outsider. It would be preferable if there were officials present.

The cultured scholar stroked his beard and pondered for a moment, saying: "San Shou has sent back news that there are wild men coming in and out of her courtyard?"

Madam Yang said resentfully: "Indeed! This little wretch is truly restless, actually keeping a wild man. I will not let them off lightly."

The two of them arrived at a side gate, where a maid was waiting. She presented several strips of white silk with both hands. The siblings took them, first tying one strip of white ribbon around their foreheads, and then wrapping a strip of white silk around their waists, before walking out slowly.

Ye Xiaotian hurriedly dashed into the courtyard and said to the young woman, "This is bad, someone has come to the Yang residence. This letter is of utmost importance and must not fall into their hands. Miss Yang, I need to hide for a moment and will return to discuss this important matter with you later"

The delicate young girl was being held outside the door, and upon seeing Madam Yang arrive, she immediately burst into tears, choking out: "Madam, Shui Wu has been wronged; Shui Wu has not engaged in any improper conduct with anyone, Madam..."

Ye Xiaotian is inherently a reckless person. Just moments ago, he was worried about what malicious schemes the Yang family might have in store for him, yet at this moment, he is surprisingly interested in peeking at the spring scenery

Yang Sanshou felt increasingly pleased as he thought about it, and he gave Ye Xiaotian a hard shove, exclaiming: "Hurry up, having the audacity to steal a woman from the Yang family after consuming the hearts of bears and the gall of leopards, just wait and see how I, Third Master, will deal with you!"

This girl possesses an innate grace that evokes compassion in those who see her. The term "disaster for men" does not necessarily refer to someone whose beauty can captivate the masses, but rather to a demeanor and charm that can directly capture your heart, making foolish men willing to expend all their passion for her. The woman before me clearly possesses such qualities.

Madam Yang's face flashed with a hint of unnatural expression, as if she wanted to say something but hesitated. After a pause, she said: "I simply cannot endure this resentment; if that little wretch does not suffer enough, my heart's hatred will not be alleviated. This matter is not something you need to concern yourself with, brother."

... ...

Ye Xiaotian waited for a while outside the Moon Gate when a young maid hurriedly ran out from the house, panting as she said to Yang Sanshou: "Chief Steward, the Madam wants you to take this person to the mourning hall and await the clan leader's disposition"