Chapter 42: Calculating Big Sister's Marriage

  "Are you really confused or just pretending to be!" Mrs. Ma said with a sinking face and a tone of urgency: "Will she, Yao Cun Jia, repay my kindness if she marries well? Don't make me laugh! If she really marries into the Xie family and has their support, it's not just her, I'm afraid even Yao Cun Hui that little vixen will become arrogant! And what about Yao Shi Zan that little brat? In the future, won't this family property all belong to him? At that time, I'm afraid I won't even have a foothold!"

  Qiao's mother's heart skipped a beat, and after a moment of silence, she said: "How could that be? You are their legitimate mother! Eldest Young Master wouldn't dare to disobey you and bear the shame of being unfilial, would he? Isn't he afraid of being criticized by thousands and scorned by tens of thousands?"

  Ma's words made Qiao's mother laugh, saying: "You really are not open-minded! What's wrong with the stepmother? It's not like I came out of his intestines! When he takes over the Yao family business, he will find ways to get rid of the people around me, such as you, Wen Mama, and Zhou Mama. He'll build a house to keep me under house arrest, and who would know that he is disrespecting his stepmother? Hmph, who can't put on a show for superficial things?"

  Qiao's mother suddenly turned pale, and her heart chilled. This kind of thing where one says one thing to people's faces and another behind their backs was something Ma Shi was very familiar with, and Qiao's mother also knew that it wouldn't be difficult for what Ma Shi said to become a reality.

  Too scary!

  Just thinking about it made Qiao's mother feel that she couldn't face such a bleak future, and Ma's emotions finally resonated with her.

  What would she do if it really came to that day?

  Qiao's mother sighed softly and said: "If only Madam had a child of her own!"

  As soon as she spoke, Mrs. Qiao regretted her words and moved her lips, hanging her head in silence.

  These words hit Ma's soft spot. "Exactly! Old Aunt Qiao, you've hit the nail on the head!" Ma exclaimed, her eyes welling up with tears instantly.

  She has everything, the only thing she lacks is that she can't give birth to a son. Without a son, and with her husband's children from his previous marriage by his side, this is a fatal blow to her!

  "Madam, it's okay, you're still young!" Old Mrs. Qiao also felt a pang in her heart and blinked away the moisture in her eyes as she and her maid stood facing each other in silence.

  "So, as long as there is a glimmer of hope, I will not let Yao Cunjia marry into the Xie family!" Madam Ma lifted her handkerchief and dabbed at the corners of her eyes, letting out a deep sigh.

  "But what about Master's place——" Old Mother Qiao furrowed her brow, full of worry. If Master had said so, and something unexpected happened, wouldn't Master, being such a clever person, have any suspicions? At that time——

  "Think of a way!" Ma's eyes narrowed at Qiao Mama, her tone firm.

  "Madam, Old Mother Wen requests to see you. She says she's come to pay her respects and kowtow to you..." The little maid lifted the curtain, clasped her hands together in front of her, and asked timidly for instructions.

  After being deprived of her power last time, Wen's mother was idle for so long because she couldn't take care of Yao Cunhui and let Rong's mother enter the house smoothly, which made Madam Ma even more unhappy with her.

  Mrs. Wen was anxious, and every day she would make two trips to the main house to pay her respects. Sometimes Mrs. Ma would see her briefly and exchange a few words before sending her away; sometimes she wouldn't even see her face. When that happened, Mrs. Wen would reverently kowtow at the door before leaving, completely disregarding what others might think or say.

  Mrs. Ma's attitude was ambiguous, and Mrs. Wen herself was a shrewd and formidable person. During this time, she had also spent a lot of money to win over the little girls, so they would only agree to pass on messages for her.

  Qiao's mother heard her again and suddenly felt a bit displeased in her heart. She stood beside Ma Shi, lowered her eyes and didn't say a word.

  Ma's heart was also unhappy, her face sank and she was about to order the little maid to send her away, when suddenly an idea struck her, she raised her eyes and said lightly: "Call her in!"

  "Yes, ma'am!" The little maid's eyes lit up and she turned around excitedly to leave. As usual, if the lady agreed to see someone, Madame Wen would reward the maid who delivered the message.

  "The old servant greets the lady!" Madame Wen heard that Mrs. Ma was willing to see her, and she too felt a surge of energy, smoothed out the wrinkles on her clothes, and walked in with a dignified bow. As soon as she saw Mrs. Ma, she knelt down respectfully and kowtowed three times.

  Power is a good thing! As long as you have it, you're superior to others, everyone looks up to you, and you can do whatever you want! After tasting the sweetness and honor that comes with it, even thinking about losing it one day makes me feel unacceptable!

  "Get up, you're also an old man in front of me, no need for so many formalities!" Ma said calmly.

  Wen Mama was taken aback and hesitantly looked up. Since Zi Rong Mama entered the manor, this was the longest sentence that Ma Shi had said to her!

  "Yes, old slave thanks Madame's kindness, thanks Madame's kindness!" Warm mom was moved to tears and knocked her head again before getting up from the ground.

  Ma looked at her with a glance, seemed to want to say something but stopped herself, and finally let out a soft sigh, asking: "Have you been doing alright these days?"

  How are you? Madam Wen's heart was touched, and endless grievances, suffocation, and anxiety surged up all at once. She blinked her moist eyes, hung her head, and smiled respectfully: "Thanks to the lady's blessing, I'm fine. It's just that I couldn't help the lady with her worries or do things for her, so my heart isn't at peace!"

  "You're actually a man of conscience!" Ma smiled slightly, with a hint of worry between his eyebrows.

  The warm mother glanced at her and asked boldly: "I don't know if the lady has any need for the old slave to serve?"

  No wonder it's Warm Mom! One sentence got to the point! Ma thought to herself, this is why she let Warm Mom in, she knew she was always full of clever ideas!

  Ma turned his head and glanced at Qiao's mother, hinting.

  Qiao's mother came back to her senses, cleared her throat lightly, and briefly told them about Yao Cun Jia's marriage and Old Master Yao's instructions. The three of them were their own people, and they didn't know how many things they had done together on ordinary days. Qiao's mother didn't have much scruples when she spoke, nor did she need to wave a bright flag or cover her face with a veil.

  Mrs. Wen's eyes were wide open, listening carefully and thinking in her mind at the same time. She knew that Mrs. Ma was giving her a chance to show off, if she couldn't come up with useful ideas or help her out of trouble, then maybe she would never have another chance to rise again in front of Mrs. Ma.

  Qiao's mother finished speaking, and the room fell silent, so quiet that you could hear a pin drop. Qiao's mother glanced at Wen's mother with a slanted gaze, her mouth twitching slightly, thinking to herself: it seems she had placed too much hope on her, expecting her to come up with some good ideas, but now it seemed she had overestimated her!

  Just then, Old Mrs. Qiao had barely finished speaking when Old Mrs. Wen coughed and smiled wryly as she slowly said to Madam Ma: "As the saying goes, marriage is predestined by heaven, and one's fate determines their fortune! Although our young mistress is also exceptional, what kind of family is the Xie family? Whether or not they can be considered a good match for us is another matter altogether! If the Xie family insists on calling off the engagement, neither Master nor the Yun family can blame Madam. It's just that our young mistress isn't blessed with good fortune!"

  Ma's eyes lit up, the smile in her eyes grew deeper, and a satisfied smile curled up at the corners of her mouth. She chuckled and said, "Amitabha! What Madam Wen said is absolutely right. The bigger one's destiny, the bigger one's blessings. Our young lady's petty and narrow-minded ways can't possibly handle such great good fortune!"

  If Yao Cun Jia were to be jilted by the Xie family, her value would plummet and she would become a shame to the Yao family. By that time, Old Master Yao would not even bother to see her, let alone tolerate her; she would be at his mercy!

  Ma's heart was filled with joy and satisfaction. The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became. It seemed that this matter needed to be carefully planned!

  Wen's mother saw that Madam Ma was in a good mood, and her heart was also fluttering with excitement. She tentatively accompanied her smile and said: "This old slave has been idle for many days, unable to help the madam share her worries. This old slave is truly anxious, if the madam has any orders, this old slave will not refuse even if it means death!"

  "Where did it become so serious all of a sudden!" Madam Ma smiled, her fingertips gently tapping on the embroidered quilt, and suddenly looked at Mrs. Wen with a smile: "Your little boy, is his name Liu Zi? He's not young anymore, has he been betrothed to someone?"

  Madam Wen was overjoyed when Madam Ma brought up the matter, and she had been secretly asking for Madam Ma's favor, wanting Mingxia to be her younger son's wife. Madam Ma had always refused, but now that she mentioned it herself, wasn't this a done deal?

  "Yes, I haven't even mentioned it to anyone else. I was just thinking of asking the mistress for a favor! And now I can also share in the mistress's good fortune!" Warm Mama smiled so widely that her eyes were narrowed to slits.

  "Hehe," Ma nodded slowly with a smile: "You've been by my side for many years, and it's rare that you're still loyal - didn't you say before that you had taken a liking to Mingxia? I was thinking, Mingxia is a clever child, and I also want to keep her by my side to take care of things for the rest of my life. It would be perfect if she were to marry someone from our household! Giving her to your young son wouldn't be bad either, but Mingxia is a girl with her own ideas - who knows whether she'd be willing or not!"

  "Every day, Mingxia is very close to me, always smiling and greeting me when we meet. I get along well with her, it's a good match! If you take charge of this marriage, it will be a great honor. Mingxia is a sensible girl, she won't refuse for sure! I beg of you, madam, please grant my wish and that of my son's. Don't worry, I promise Mingxia will not suffer any grievances!"

  Ma smiled slightly, her eyes scanning lightly as she said with a smile: "I see... it sounds okay when I hear it! However, I still need to ask Mingxia first. In the future when Mingxia marries over, you must teach her well, for I will still have great use for her by my side!"

  Madam Wen, being a clever person, had already understood from these words that Madam Ma had agreed to the matter. She hastily knelt down and kowtowed again, happily replying: "Don't worry, madam, I will definitely teach Mingxia well and not disappoint you!"

  "Uh-huh," Ma nodded: "Go back and prepare to go, no need to come every day to kowtow and ask for peace. If there's anything I want you to take care of, I'll naturally instruct someone to tell you! Go down! And this marriage, keep it a secret for now, don't rush around shouting about it, got it?"

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