si-mexico Chapter 39: Did you not feel a slap?
Chapter 39: Did you not feel a slap?
In the courtyard, a gentle autumn breeze rustled the withered leaves, and the sun had already set.
Jiang Wan went to the side hall in the backyard in a bad mood and saw Jiang Li and Aunt Wan having a meal.
She said coldly, "Jiang Li, come here for a moment."
Jiang Li glanced at her sideways, a hint of mockery flashing in her eyes, and ignored her.
Aunt Wan asked, "What happened?"
Jiang Li curled her lip in disdain: "What could it be? Aunt, you don't need to pay any attention to her. She's just trying to throw a tantrum again."
Although her tone was soft, it carried a hint of harshness. Her voice was neither too loud nor too soft, just loud enough for Jiang Mian to hear.
"Second sister, you're getting more and more unruly. They say people should strive for higher positions, but you're becoming more and more like a shrew. It seems we should ask Granny Xi to teach you some manners again."
Jiang Mian's anger surged within her chest, her fingers clenched tightly.
"Rules? Then let me teach you what rules are!"
Jiang Mian's eyes turned cold. She suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Jiang Li's arm, and dragged her away forcefully.
Aunt Wan was startled and quickly got up to stop her: "Wan'er, what are you doing!"
However, Jiang Mian ignored her completely, grabbed a wooden stick from beside the door, and slammed the door shut, saying coldly, "Whoever dares to open the door, I'll chop off their hand!"
Upon seeing this, the maids were all so frightened that they lowered their heads and dared not move.
Jiang Li struggled desperately: "Jiang Wan! What do you want to do?! Let me go!"
Jiang Mian's expression was cold and stern. She tightened her grip and dragged her all the way to a secluded and dimly lit side room.
The side room was silent, with only the sound of the night wind rattling the doors and windows, which made the desolation all the more apparent.
Jiang Wan kicked the door open and shoved her inside.
Jiang Li stumbled and bumped into the cabinet. She yelled, "What are you trying to do?!"
"Speak! Did you tamper with dinner?!"
Jiang Li raised her head and roared angrily, "What tricks did I play! Cong Shuang drinks contraceptive soup every day. If anyone could do something, she would be the easiest to do it. Why don't you go ask her?!"
Jiang Wan sneered, "When did I say it was a contraceptive soup? Jiang Li, with your brain, you still want to smear me?"
Jiang Li was furious, her anger flaring up instantly. She glared at her fiercely and said, "Slinging mud? Everyone knows you and Xiao Hengzhi have been sleeping together for a long time! I even saw you coming out of his room this morning. What are you pretending to be innocent for? Giving you contraceptive soup was for your own good, so you wouldn't get married with a big belly and make people laugh at my Jiang family for not raising our daughter properly!"
Jiang Wan spoke impatiently, "Have you said enough? I'm not here to listen to you lecture me today. In the past, I was willing to let bygones be bygones because of our sisterly relationship, but you have repeatedly resorted to despicable means. Today, you even dare to play mind games in front of His Highness the Crown Prince. Are you afraid that my Jiang family will have a good reputation in front of His Highness?! You keep talking about the Jiang family, but have you ever considered the Jiang family's reputation even a little bit?"
Jiang Li's eyes were filled with resentment and anger: "You dare to do it and you're afraid of me saying it? I want His Highness the Crown Prince to know how filthy you are! Do you really think His Highness would even look at you?! Jiang Wan, just accept your fate, you only deserve to marry Xiao Hengzhi and be a country bumpkin! From now on, when I become the young mistress of the Marquis's mansion, the first thing I'll do is..."
--Snapped!
Jiang Mian raised her hand and delivered a resounding slap to Jiang Li's face, the force of which almost made her lose her balance.
"Let me tell you, even if you marry into the Marquis's mansion and Xiao Hengzhi is nothing, I will still be able to trample you under my feet in the future."
Jiang Li stared in disbelief, her mouth agape: "You hit me?"
Snapped!
Another slap came down.
Jiang Wan sneered, "What? Didn't you feel a slap?"
Jiang Li clenched her fists tightly, her whole body trembling with anger.
"You madman! I'll teach you what manners are today!" Jiang Li roared, pulling the hairpin from her hair and slashing it fiercely at Jiang Mian.
Jiang Mian's eyes were sharp. She slightly turned her body to avoid the attack, then grabbed the woman's hair and pulled hard, causing her to stumble.
Jiang Li screamed and reached out to fight back, but was kicked to the ground by Jiang Mian.
"Rules?!" Jiang Wan looked down at her condescendingly. "Jiang Li, know your place. You, a concubine's daughter, dare to talk to me about rules?"
After Jiang Mian finished speaking, she turned and left without any mercy, leaving Jiang Li sitting on the ground, looking unwilling and disheveled, gritting her teeth and filled with hatred.
On the way back to the side hall in the backyard, I could hear Aunt Wan's shouts from afar.
Jiang Mian went closer to look, and sure enough, no one opened the door for her.
She stood outside the door and said, "Auntie, do you think someone will open the door for you by shouting like that? Do you really think the Jiang family is now surnamed Wan?"
Aunt Wan's voice went hoarse inside, then suddenly weakened: "Wan'er, please let me out! There must be some misunderstanding about what happened today. How could your eldest sister possibly harm you?"
Jiang Wan sneered: "I didn't say anything, yet Auntie knew she was trying to harm me. It seems Auntie knows what it is."
The room fell silent for a moment, then the voice rang out again: "Your aunt apologizes on her behalf."
After she finished speaking, there was a long silence inside.
Jiang Mian took a deep breath, opened the door, and saw Aunt Wan sitting in a chair with a complicated expression.
She said coldly, "If you really care about her, you should discipline her sooner and stop indulging her."
Aunt Wan hurried over, her eyes filled with anxiety, and asked, "Wan'er, where did you take your eldest sister?"
"Didn't Auntie know? I thought you knew everything."
Aunt Wan's heart tightened upon hearing this. After guessing where Jiang Li was, her previous pleading and pitiful expression vanished instantly. She glared fiercely at Jiang Wan and strode towards the side room.
Jiang Mian didn't pay any more attention to it. She looked at the sky and saw that it was completely dark, so the lantern festival must have already started.
She hurried toward the front hall, intending to explain to Ning Zhi.
Just as I was about to turn around, I suddenly noticed a figure standing quietly under the eaves. I didn't know when he had been standing there or how long he had been watching.
Jiang Mian was stunned for a moment, and her gaze shifted slightly. It was Xiao Hengzhi.
As he walked towards her, her heart, which had just calmed down, began to pound again, and with each step he took closer, it seemed to beat faster and faster.
Jiang Mian took a deep breath, her eyes flickering, unable to suppress a hint of tension and panic.
Before he could get close, she turned and quickly went to the front hall.
Xiao Hengzhi watched her retreating figure, took a deep breath, and quickly followed, calling out to her from behind.
"Second miss."
But Jiang Wan walked faster and faster, as if she was avoiding him at all costs.
"Second Miss, I have something to say..." he called out to her from behind.
Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Mian called out loudly, "Your Highness!"
Then I jogged forward.
Xiao Hengzhi looked up and saw Ning Zhi standing in front of her, looking at her with a smile.
"Miss Jiang, please slow down. It's still early, no rush."
Jiang Wan ran up to him, slightly out of breath, and said, "I had some family matters to attend to earlier, and I apologize for keeping Your Highness waiting. Also, that contraceptive soup... the servants made a mistake."
Ning Zhi smiled gently: "It's alright, I just happened to be here myself. It's inevitable that the servants would make mistakes when they're busy, I didn't take it to heart, Miss Jiang, please don't spoil your good mood today."
After he finished speaking, he turned his head to look at Xiao Hengzhi behind her: "Young Master Xiao, is there anything else? If everything is ready, let's set off."
Xiao Hengzhi walked to Jiang Mian's side, and seeing that she kept turning her head away from him, he took a half step back.
A hint of melancholy flashed in his eyes, and he said softly, "Let's go."