Volume One, Chapter 16: The Whip Hurts More Than the Paddle

Before Xie Qiqi could speak, Aunt Liang dropped to her knees with a thud.

She rasped out, “Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master, the rules of the Hou residence are to prepare ingredients as needed. Meals are only kept while fresh. Fourth Miss went out to play today and didn’t come to collect her dinner, so I instructed the kitchen staff to distribute it as per the rules.”

“I also told Fourth Miss just now, but she was unhappy and smashed up the kitchen. She said if she couldn’t eat, then no one else would!”

Yue Yue gasped and covered her mouth.

“Sister, I know you’re angry with me for the broken engagement, but you can’t take it out on the kitchen!”

“Sister, if you’re upset, then hit me. I know I’ve wronged you... you can beat me to death, and I still won’t hate you!”

Yue Yue cried as she stepped forward, but Xie Wenyuan grabbed her arm firmly.

“Yue’er, this has nothing to do with you. Why should she hit you?”

Xie Wenyuan glared fiercely at Xie Qiqi. “Xie Qiqi, didn’t you listen to what your mother and I told you before? How dare you willfully smash up the kitchen?”

He was so angry he didn’t even know what to scold her for.

He had never heard of any noble lady in the capital behaving like this!

Xie Wentao hadn’t yet had a chance to tell his elder brother about the morning’s incident when he said, “Big Brother, you don’t know, she was like this this morning too…”

Xie Wentao rattled off how Xie Qiqi had injured herself to get the medicine.

Autumn Chrysanthemum, overhearing, stepped forward and said, “Young Master, I can testify that Second Young Master is telling the truth.”

“You don’t know, Young Master, I was terrified. If Second Young Master hadn’t come, I think Fourth Miss wanted to kill the Hou family doctor. Her eyes were so fierce back then…”

Aunt Liang also looked frightened, her voice trembling.

“Young Master, Fourth Miss looked so fierce just now. When I tried to stop her from smashing the kitchen, she poured a whole pot of bird’s nest porridge over me!”

“Luckily, I dodged, but even so, my hand was scalded…”

Aunt Liang held out her hand, the back red and blistered.

Xie Wenyuan glanced at it, then glared angrily at Xie Qiqi, shouting, “Xie Qiqi, do you have anything to say?”

Xie Qiqi bit her lip and spoke honestly, “I didn’t break anything. I only wanted to take the bird’s nest porridge, but Aunt Liang grabbed it from me and I accidentally knocked it over.”

Xie Wentao sneered, “What nonsense! Xie Qiqi, are you too lazy to even think when you lie now?”

“If you were just trying to take the porridge, why is the kitchen such a mess?”

Xie Qiqi looked at him coldly but replied, “Aunt Liang pushed me, causing me to knock over the chicken soup. The jars and bottles fell because of her.”

Aunt Liang shouted, “Fourth Miss, you can’t slander me with lies! You’re the one who smashed everything…”

“Eldest Young Master, Second Young Master, please stand up for me! I’ve been a cook in the Xie household for over twenty years, diligent and honest. How could I do such a thing?”

Yue Yue glanced at Aunt Liang.

Autumn Chrysanthemum had already told her what happened at the Hou family doctor’s this morning.

Xie Qiqi didn’t know, but Yue Yue was aware that the Hou family doctor was Aunt Liang’s son.

This must be Aunt Liang’s vengeance for Xie Qiqi threatening her son with a knife…

Yue Yue was happy to assist Aunt Liang.

She said deliberately, “Sister, Aunt Liang has always been diligent and conscientious. She’s just following the rules. She wouldn’t deliberately make things difficult for you. Maybe you misunderstood her?”

Xie Wenyuan didn’t need Yue Yue to remind him; he had practically grown up under Aunt Liang’s watch. How could he not know her character?

“Xie Qiqi, I’m giving you one more chance. Will you admit your mistake?”

Xie Wenyuan spoke sternly.

Xie Qiqi looked at him, a mocking smirk tugging at her lips.

It was always like this: whenever she told the truth, Xie Wenyuan took it as an excuse.

Aunt Liang babbled nonsense, yet he believed her without question.

In this family, she wasn’t just inferior to Yue Yue, she wasn’t even better than a servant.

“If you say I broke it, then I broke it,” Xie Qiqi lowered her gaze.

Her endurance was only to survive quietly until her grandmother passed.

If they would just let her live out her remaining days in peace, she wouldn’t fight anymore.

Whatever they say, so be it.

Watching from the side, Xie Wentao thought Xie Qiqi showed no real remorse.

He sneered, “Big Brother, look at her attitude. She calls us Eldest Young Master and Second Young Master, but not ‘brother’ anymore… isn’t she just angry at us for disciplining her?”

“Don’t waste your breath on her. She’s repeatedly disobedient and even worse now. Just punish her properly!”

Xie Wentao felt no guilt about adding insult to injury.

What Xie Qiqi did today was not fitting for a lady of the family. This sister really needed to be taught a lesson.

Hearing this, Yue Yue knew it was her chance to add a barb.

With a feigned sorrow, she said, “Big Brother, Sister is causing such trouble today because she resents me for taking Brother Ling. I… I don’t want her to take it out on you. Maybe I should give Brother Ling back to her!”

Xie Wenyuan frowned, displeased. “Wei Ling is no good. It’s not about whether you return him. She doesn’t deserve him!”

“If she’s so blind with hate toward us, it’s not your fault!”

Xie Wenyuan had hesitated before, reluctant to use corporal punishment on Xie Qiqi.

After all, she was a girl, and if word got out, it would ruin her reputation.

But Yue Yue’s words instantly dispelled his doubts.

Xie Qiqi dared to wield a knife and smash the kitchen because he had been too lenient with her.

Letting her off today would only make her worse and bring more shame to the Xie family.

“Bring her here. Administer the family discipline: five strokes with the rattan.”

Xie Wenyuan had originally wanted ten strokes to teach her a proper lesson.

But then he thought of their grandmother and changed his mind.

If Xie Qiqi were beaten so badly she couldn’t get out of bed to pay respects to grandmother, grandmother would make a fuss.

Aunt Liang happily watched as two maids brought over a long bench, pinned Xie Qiqi down, and started the punishment.

Xie Qiqi looked at Xie Wenyuan in disbelief, wanting to say something but swallowed it.

She gripped the bench tightly; the large blisters on the back of her hand burst open, seeping blood.

Smack… smack…

The rattan struck her bottom, but it wasn’t as painful as she had imagined.

When she was a stable hand, the junior officers never showed her any mercy just because she was young.

If she was slow, the whip would lash her head to toe until she was raw and bleeding.

Compared to the whip, the rattan was less painful.

After five strokes, unbearable pain spread through her body.

But none of this pain compared to the ache in her heart.

So be it. If they erased all the kindness they once showed her little by little, then when she died, she could go without any attachments.

She only hoped that in her next life, she would never be their sister again.

After the five strokes, Xie Wenyuan had the two maids carry Xie Qiqi back to the Clear Breeze Courtyard.

Then he said to Xie Wentao, “Qiqi is just confused right now. She doesn’t call us ‘brother’ because she’s sulking.”

“But even so, she’s still our sister. We can’t give up on her. Let’s teach her properly from now on. Go bring her some medicine for her wounds…”

Hearing this, Yue Yue felt hollow inside, her nails digging into her flesh.

Even the dogs would despise Xie Qiqi, yet Xie Wenyuan still refused to give up on her. It truly was the unbreakable bond of blood.

Then she would help them sever it, little by little...