May this scumbag husband, who favored his concubine over his wife, rest in peace.

When the old lady and Xie Qianjiao received the news and rushed to the ancestral hall, Pei Zhicheng's voice was hoarse from crying.

He lay face down on the bench, his buttocks swollen high, yet not a drop of blood was seen.

Even if it's because the person who did it used a clever trick, there are still advantages to being fat.

Resistant to beating.

Although no blood was drawn, the scene before them still had a profound impact on the old lady and Xie Qianjiao.

The two of them took a step back, almost unable to catch their breath.

When Wen Yuanshu saw that people had arrived, she signaled the people who were attacking to stop and bowed to the old lady.

"My dear grandson—"

"sincere!"

The two cried and shouted, throwing themselves on either side of Pei Zhicheng.

Seeing Pei Zhicheng had already fainted, Xie Qianjiao was filled with rage. For a moment, she didn't care about her identity or how to conceal her feelings. She stood up abruptly and said to Wen Yuanshu with hatred, "Zhicheng is just a child! What kind of mistake did he make to deserve such punishment?! If you don't give me an explanation today, I'm not done with you!"

Although the old lady didn't speak, she glared at Wen Yuanshu with gritted teeth, looking as if she wanted to skin her alive and eat her whole.

Wen Yuanshu glanced at Xie Qianjiao, but finally looked at the old lady: "Mother-in-law, do you know Mr. Mo?"

The old lady was startled.

She only knows how to enjoy life and has no idea about being a "master" or anything like that.

Xie Qianjiao assumed Wen Yuanshu was trying to change the subject and said sternly, "Don't try to change the subject! I want an explanation!"

“Master Mo is the son of the Imperial Tutor. He is highly respected not only among scholars but also in the court,” Wen Yuanshu said calmly. “As for Pei Zhicheng, he spoke disrespectfully to Master Mo today and was personally kicked out by Master Mo.”

The old lady's expression had frozen.

Wen Yuanshu continued, "Mother-in-law, you might want to consider this: if we don't punish Pei Zhicheng today and make a statement, what if Old Master Mo thinks that this was not a child's unintentional mistake, but rather something instructed by the Marquis's mansion? How will the Marquis's mansion handle that?"

The old lady's eyes flickered, but she was completely speechless.

Years ago, when the old Marquis was still alive, she knew some things about the court and knew that with the current Marquis's mansion, no one could afford to offend him.

She looked down at her beloved grandson, still feeling a deep pang of heartache.

Xie Qianjiao, standing to the side, didn't care about any of that. All she saw was her son being beaten like this and herself being repeatedly ignored. She was almost going crazy: "Wen Yuanshu! I'm asking you a question, did you hear me!"

"What Mr. Mo, what Imperial Tutor, what are they! Just for this little thing, you used family law to beat Zhicheng, how cruel you are!"

Seeing Wen Yuanshu remain silent, Xie Qianjiao sneered and said, "You said it yourself, that Mr. Mo is a respected person. Since he's a big shot, how could he possibly hold a grudge against a child? What if he doesn't even care? Wouldn't Zhicheng have suffered this beating for nothing?!"

Anyone with a modicum of standing would not stoop to the level of a child.

In her opinion, it was because Wen Yuanshu resented Pei Zhicheng for not being as attentive to her as that sickly man, that she was looking for an opportunity to take revenge!

Wen Yuanshu finally replied, "Pei Zhicheng was just kicked out. Am I supposed to go over and ask Old Master Mo in person if he's angry?"

"Miss Xie is noble and detached, and doesn't care about other people's opinions. I am not like that. In this respect, I am ashamed of myself."

She didn't want people to say she was mentally ill.

Xie Qianjiao didn't realize the inappropriateness of the words at first and was quite smug. After realizing what was happening, her face turned pale, and she glared at Wen Yuanshu but couldn't say anything.

Seeing this, the old lady took Zhang Mama's hand and stood up, her expression somewhat complicated: "But even if it's to express an attitude, isn't this a bit too much?"

Wen Yuanshu glanced at Pei Zhicheng, then met the old lady's gaze, and said with an air of impartiality, "A strict family tradition is also a good reputation."

Upon hearing this, the old lady could only sigh and call someone in to carefully carry the child away.

Xie Qianjiao was extremely concerned and, not caring about arguing with Wen Yuanshu any longer, hurriedly followed her.

“Yuan Shu, this child is injured. If you keep him, he might disturb your rest. Why don’t you let him stay with me to be cared for?”

Wen Yuanshu was more than happy to agree, but she had to maintain appearances: "This...won't this disturb my mother-in-law's rest?"

The old lady waved her hand and said, "I'm just an old woman, what's the big deal about disturbing you?"

The fact that Wen Yuanshu could be so ruthless shows that she didn't really treat Pei Zhicheng as a child, and the old lady didn't dare to leave Pei Zhicheng by her side.

Upon hearing this, Wen Yuanshu curtsied and said, "I'm sorry to have troubled my mother-in-law."

The old lady looked at her, her feelings quite complicated.

She was heartbroken to see her precious grandson beaten like this.

But after hearing Wen Yuanshu's words, she couldn't help but feel that the beating wasn't a mistake.

Two thoughts intertwined in her mind, causing her great distress.

After a long while, she finally let out a breath, personally helped Wen Yuanshu up, and forced a smile on her face: "What are you saying?"

The old lady was concerned about Pei Zhicheng, so she didn't want to say anything more and turned to leave.

Even without seeing it in person, one can tell that Songshouyuan is bound to be busy with Pei Zhicheng.

Wen Yuanshu and Chunhua returned to the main courtyard. Seeing Chunhua looking thoughtful, Wen Yuanshu coughed and casually assigned her a task to distract her.

Pei Xi returned just before dusk.

As soon as he returned, he went straight to the main courtyard, with his young page following closely behind him. They stopped very discreetly outside the main house.

"Mother!"

Pei Xi stepped forward and bowed, his face beaming with undisguised joy.

The joy of youth is always highly contagious.

Wen Yuanshu's face also showed a smile: "You're back. How are you feeling today?"

Pei Xi sat down obediently, held a cup of warm water in her hands, and told Wen Yuanshu about her day in great detail.

The food at the ethnic school was delicious, Mr. Mo was a very kind person, and the older brothers and sisters were also very kind to him.

He spoke as he spoke, his smile never fading, which put Wen Yuanshu at ease.

"By the way, Mother, that..." Pei Xi looked somewhat conflicted, "After he was kicked out by Mr. Mo, I heard that you came here in person?"

Wen Yuanshu hummed in agreement.

Seeing that he was interested, Wen Yuanshu prepared to explain it to him in detail.

However, just as things were getting started, Matsujuin sent someone over.

It was Zhang Mama who came in person: "Greetings to Madam and Young Master. The Old Madam heard that the Young Master has returned and specially sent me to invite him over to inquire about his situation at the clan school."

As soon as she finished speaking, a clear look of horror flashed across Pei Xi's face.

Seeing this, Wen Yuanshu had no choice but to say, "Chunhua, you go with Xi'er."

Mother Zhang came personally to deliver the message, and Pei Xi had no choice but to go.

After saying that, she looked at Zhang's mother and said, "This child is shy. It might be better if he has someone he knows by his side. I hope you won't mind."

Mrs. Zhang quickly smiled and said, "No, no, I wouldn't dare."

Wen Yuanshu gave Pei Xi a look, and Pei Xi got up and obediently followed Chunhua, turning back every few steps.