After the mind-reading and gossip-eating incident, officials in the imperial city were demoted one a

Ye Mian looked at Ye Xiyao in surprise. Wasn't she afraid to tell Liu Yunshu?

A hint of seriousness flashed in his eyes; it seemed that the mother and child might be about to escape his control.

The system notified Ye Yaoyao.

[Host, someone next door is watching the drama unfold.]

Ye Yaoyao looked to the left and saw two pairs of eyes peeking out from the wall.

When did someone move into the neighboring residence? They seem to enjoy being bystanders; I wonder which official they are? I'd better make a good impression.

Ye Yaoyao muttered to herself, a hint of excitement flashing in her eyes.

The area where the Ye family lived was the residence of officials, and there were officials' families watching the drama unfold. Ye Yaoyao was very excited; her scumbag father's true colors had finally been seen by outsiders.

The mother and her three children heard someone watching the commotion from the wall next door, and they glanced over in that direction out of the corner of their eyes.

Only two pairs of eyes and hairpins sticking out of the hair could be seen from the top of the wall.

Ye Mian was unaware that their current situation was being watched by the people next door, and he was still trying to smooth things over.

"Well... Xiyao must have done something wrong. Mother scolded her a few times, but it's nothing serious."

Ye Mian, shameless as ever, looked at Liu Yunshu with a slightly ingratiating smile.

Madam Ye replied sarcastically, "That's right, I just said a few words to Xiyao, what's the big deal?"

Madam Liu just told me not to teach Xiyao anymore, saying that an old woman from the countryside like me is not as good at teaching as she, a legitimate daughter from a noble family.

Old Madam Ye pouted, her triangular eyes filled with meanness and dissatisfaction.

"Madam, is that really what you say?"

Anger flashed in Ye Mian's eyes. He was now a high-ranking official and hated being overshadowed in status. His family came from humble beginnings, and talking about his mother was a way of talking about him.

Liu Yunshu nodded in agreement, straightened her back, her gaze firm and proud, her face still bearing that aloof and haughty expression.

“That’s right, that’s what I said. How could my upbringing and knowledge be inferior to my mother’s as the legitimate daughter of a marquis’s family? Does my husband think that’s wrong?”

Once again, with that haughty posture, Ye Mian's chest began to heave violently, his breathing became rapid, and his hands, hidden under his sleeves, clenched tightly until the knuckles turned white.

In the years before Ye Yaoyao was born, Liu Yunshu had always had this aloof and superior demeanor.

Ye Yaoyao's heart jumped, her big eyes fixed on Ye Mian's every move.

[Dad's angry, the veins on his forehead are bulging, Mom, watch out, he might hit you.]

The Ye brothers stood beside Liu Yunshu, their expressions serious and their posture upright, as if facing a formidable enemy.

The girl standing on the ladder nodded vigorously, her hair bun swaying slightly with the movement, and a few strands of hair floating up.

"Madam Ye is absolutely right. How could an ordinary country woman possibly compare to a noblewoman from an official family who has received a good education? Don't you agree, Mother?"

The girl nodded and turned to her mother for confirmation, her eyes sparkling with the expectation of being recognized.

The woman shook her head, her face full of confusion.

"With such a good daughter-in-law supporting her son, most people would be laughing in their sleep. What is this old lady thinking instead of living a good life?"

"That's right. With such an outstanding daughter-in-law supporting her, why doesn't the old lady cherish it and enjoy her life? I think there's only one reason."

Based on my years of experience watching dramas, the old lady comes from a poor background and is afraid her son will be overshadowed by his daughter-in-law, so she frequently acts like a domineering mother-in-law.

The girl's analysis was very logical, and her eyes showed certainty.

"Which official's daughter has the experience of watching a spectacle like you?"

The woman reached out and tapped her daughter's forehead with her finger, her eyes filled with both helplessness and reproach.

"Mom, watching the excitement is so much fun! It helps you distinguish right from wrong."

The girl leaned closer to the woman, snuggling against her and gently swaying her arms.

"Look, if I had a daughter-in-law with such a background, I would spoil her rotten, and I would never let her suffer the slightest grievance."

The mother patted her daughter, her expression a mix of doting affection and teasing.

“You’re still so young, and you’re already thinking about a daughter-in-law. Find a good son-in-law for your mother first and bring him home to meet us.”

The girl pouted and muttered:

"I was just saying, this old lady really doesn't appreciate her good fortune."

The Xin family arrived in the capital city from Xuzhou three days ago. The head of the family, Xin Chonglian, was originally the Prefect of Shuntian Prefecture, but was transferred to the capital city by imperial decree to serve as the Minister of Justice.

The mother and daughter originally intended to visit their new neighbors next door, but unexpectedly encountered Ye Yaoyao, who had fallen into the water and died, and that they were holding a funeral.

The mother and daughter were drawn over by the noise coming from next door, and out of curiosity, they brought a ladder and stood on it to watch the commotion.

Xin Chonglian walked over from a distance and saw his wife and daughter each standing on a ladder, which aroused his curiosity.

The maidservants below bowed to him, but Lord Xin gestured to stop them from speaking and ordered a servant to bring over a ladder.

Ye Mian was furious. He took a deep breath and tried to calm his anger, forcing a smile onto his face.

"Madam, you are right."

Wow! That scumbag dad is really good at holding back. One moment he looks like he's about to explode, and the next he's all smiles.

As expected, talent emerges from all walks of life. [You scumbag dad, I'll give you the title of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.]

Triplets: Little sister is right, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles should be a turtle, right?

"Alright, since my husband is right, then let me tell you, Xiyao was beaten and scolded by her mother at will. Why didn't you stand up for her?"

Before Ye Mian could reply.

"Snapped!"

Liu Yunshu raised her hand high and then quickly brought it down, delivering a slap that was both urgent and loud.

With red eyes, Liu Yunshu couldn't help but slap Ye Mian.

This slap shocked not only Madam Ye's side, but also Ye Yaoyao and the triplets.

Everyone's eyes widened and their mouths slightly agape, as if they had been frozen in place.

The invited Taoist priests all hid to the side watching the show, shaking their heads as they looked at Ye Mian and thinking to themselves: "Woman is strong and man is weak, what a coward."

【Oh my! Mom's become the Slap Queen! Good for her! When Mom's got tough, she'll give that scumbag dad a few more slaps and turn him into a pig's head.】

Triplets: The youngest sister is so 'filial'.

They are deeply influenced by the idea that filial piety is paramount, and they would never do something like encouraging their own mother to beat their own father.

The triplets looked at each other, and although they also felt that Ye Mian deserved to be hit, they were still surprised by their youngest sister's boldness.

Xin Chonglian, who had just climbed up next door, saw such a brutal slap and almost slipped and fell, but Madam Xin grabbed him and held him steady.

"What happened?" Xin Chonglian was still in shock, his voice trembling slightly.

"Dad, why did you climb up here too?"

Xin Chuli heard her father's voice and looked at him in surprise. Her father could climb walls now.

"You still ask? You're a girl, why don't you learn from other girls to show off your skills and play the piano instead of just fooling around?"

You even made your mother climb so high, what if she lost her footing...

Xin Chonglian lowered his voice and reprimanded him.

Xin Chuli put her finger to her lips in a shushing gesture.

"Shh! Shh! Dad, keep your voice down, or we'll get caught."

I came here because I discovered two thieves had broken into our house and chased after them. They made a scene, the thieves ran away, and I just wanted to check things out.

"Nonsense, we just moved in, how could a thief have gotten in..."

Xin Chonglian glared at his daughter. How could those two people be thieves?

Madam Xin spoke up: "Husband, hold onto the ladder firmly and watch the show quietly."

Madam Xin spoke calmly, but her gaze was fixed on the scene in the Ye family's courtyard.

Xin Chonglian looked incredulous. "Madam, why are you joining in this nonsense? Peeping is not the behavior of a gentleman."

Knowing her father would say that, Xin Chuli explained to him what had happened in the courtyard.

"Father, the one who was beaten is Lord Ye, and the one who beat him was Madam Ye. The outside world speaks so highly of the Ye family couple, but in my opinion, it's all fake."

"Now you should take a good look at yourself. From now on, you'll be colleagues and neighbors, seeing each other every day at court. Now you can see clearly what kind of person Lord Ye is."

Xin Chuli spoke eloquently, her eyes fixed on him.

Madam Xin echoed her daughter's words.

“My daughter is right. We’re new here, so we should learn as much as we can and not be fooled by rumors.”

When Xin Chonglian saw that his wife said this, he didn't ask them to go down. His daughter, for some reason, loved watching the excitement.

In Xuzhou, I told him a lot about what I had seen outside, especially about the officials, which actually helped him avoid some trouble.

Xin Chonglian sighed inwardly, thinking to himself, "Let them be."

Having convinced themselves, the family of three continued eating melon seeds while leaning against the wall.

Three heads were huddled together, their eyes fixed on the front, as if afraid of missing any exciting moment.