Shocking! In this matriarchal society, every man wants to marry me!

At this moment, in Xia Muning's room.

Several dishes were laid out on the table: potatoes, green vegetables, and a thin, watery broth, without a trace of oil.

Shi Shu glanced at it and angrily prepared to go out and argue with them: "Even the third-class servants in the manor don't eat this kind of food! They're going too far! Young master, I'll take it and throw it away!"

"Put it down. If you take it and throw it away, we really won't have anything to eat! If we don't have anything to eat, we'll starve to death." Xia Muning carefully wiped the chopsticks in her hand clean with a cloth. Since the servants weren't careful, the chopsticks naturally wouldn't be very clean.

"Young Master! You've never suffered such injustice before!" Shi Shu's eyes were red.

Xia Muning put the food in her mouth and ate slowly, seemingly unperturbed by her current situation: "I expected this a long time ago. Going to them won't do you any good. My father is still in charge of this manor."

Since the incident at the city gate, his father had never come to visit him again, and only Shishu remained as a servant, and the meals he was given became increasingly perfunctory.

Xia Muning then understood her father and mother's attitude.

They didn't want a son with a bad reputation; they wanted a body that had died for chastity.

The servant muttered from the side, "Young master, I just don't understand. Isn't the master only left with you as his child? Isn't the eldest son the only heir left in the main branch? Why are they treating you so coldly and heartlessly? Don't they feel sorry for you?"

Xia Muning felt a bitter taste in the food in her mouth: "My mother has two husbands in the backyard, one of whom is pregnant. Before, my father used all sorts of methods to make them obedient and docile like quails. Now, one of them is pregnant, which my father has tacitly approved."

The father could easily take back the child his wife had, and he would have the time and energy to raise another child who would be more useful to them.

For a moment, Shi Shu didn't know what to say to comfort her young master.

Suddenly, there was a commotion outside.

When Shishu went out to check, she returned almost in tears: "Young Master, Miss Biao has come to present the betrothal gifts!"

He had no idea that the young master's heart was entirely devoted to Lady Zhong.

At first, Fang Shilian was quite elegant. She would stand outside Xia Muning's door and politely ask if she could come in.

However, when Xia Muning rejected her again and again, she became very angry and barged in without regard for her manners.

"Miss, what are you doing! Get out!" Shi Shu saw Fang Shilian come in and immediately stood in front of her, scolding her in a low voice.

Fang Shilian shoved Shishu, making her stumble: "Shishu, I advise you to show some respect. Your young master is about to marry me. You are quite beautiful. After your young master enters the family, I can promise you the position of a concubine."

Shi Shu concealed the disdain in her eyes: "Miss, Shi Shu dares not presume to be worthy of your status."

"Get out! I want to talk to your young master!"

“No!” Shi Shu refused.

Fang Shilian had clearly lost her patience and slapped Shishu across the face.

"Get out!" Fang Shilian shoved Shishu out and locked the door with a click.

Fang Shilian looked at Xia Muning, who was standing coldly to the side, and put on a loving expression: "Muning, promise me! Only I will not despise you and will truly love you."

Xia Muning looked at her and asked, "What about the mistress you found outside?"

"He was short-lived. He fell seriously ill a few days ago when the weather was cold and passed away. Now that you've entered the household, you're the only head of the family," Fang Shilian said nonchalantly.

Xia Muning felt a chill run down her spine upon hearing this.

He drew his whip from his waist and lashed it fiercely at Fang Shilian: "You toad trying to eat swan meat, you think you can even dream of having your way with me!"

The whip struck Fang Shilian's arm, and blood immediately flowed out. The pain and humiliation, like kindling, ignited a raging fire, and her anger burned fiercely.

She approached Xia Muning step by step, snatched the whip from his hand, and due to the disparity in strength between men and women, Fang Shilian slapped Xia Muning hard across the face.

Xia Muning was knocked to the ground, and a handprint immediately appeared on her fair and delicate face.

Fang Shilian looked down at him as if he were a withered flower or a fallen willow.

"Xia Muning, what are you still so arrogant about? What gives you the right to be so arrogant? In your current situation, only I... will accept you, I will marry you. Do you really want to shave your head and become a monk? Can you accept living such a poor life in the prime of your youth?"

Xia Muning gritted her teeth, her eyes filled with contempt as she looked at Fang Shilian: "I can accept it, I'd rather die than be with you! Look how pathetic you are, I'd rather die than marry you!"

"Hahaha!" Fang Shilian laughed, her anger burning fiercely within her. She stroked Xia Muning's unharmed face with her hand: "Muning, I love you and want to treat you well, but why do you have to provoke me!"

She picked up the whip that Xia Muning had dropped and examined it closely in her hand: "You know what? The way you whip people is particularly captivating. I was mesmerized the first time I saw you do it."

"Today, I'll let you taste the whip!"

"you dare!"

"Of course I dare!"

Hearing the young master's cries of pain coming from inside, the servant who had been kicked out was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. He was at a loss and did not know who to ask for help.

Who are you looking for? Right! Madam Zhong?

The Xia family residence was very close to the Zhongtian family residence, and he rushed over, pleading, "Please, save my young master!"

Zhongtian, who was writing a letter to Jinxia in the courtyard, wanted to ask Jinxia to inquire about Jin'an's whereabouts. He immediately put down his pen and followed Shishu to the Xia residence.

Even in haste, the eloquent scribe explained the whole story clearly.

On one hand, Nakata lamented that Fang Shilian was actually a violent and despicable woman who always acted so respectable and pretended to be an honest person—truly, appearances can be deceiving. On the other hand, he also sighed at the beauty's unfortunate fate, as she seemed to always end up in trouble.

When Zhongtian arrived at the Xia residence, he found that the ancient houses were not very soundproof, and many people in the residence probably knew this, but surprisingly, not a single person in the huge Xia residence was willing to come out to rescue Xia Muning!

They were gambling that Xia Muning, being proud and arrogant, would not be able to bear the humiliation and would hang himself, or that Xia Muning would succumb to Fang Shilian's whip, marry her, and minimize the impact of this incident.

Zhongtian felt a chill in his heart.

"Shishu, get out of the way, I'll break it open!" Zhongtian used his body to smash the door open!

Xia Muning lay weakly on the ground, her body covered in wounds!