Repudiating a Good Wife Is Out of the Question

36. Poor Mohua

Translator: Sissy That Walk

Hearing that, Moqi couldn’t hold it any longer, he slumped down on the floor and begged, “Young Madam, I know this is complicated, but please save Mohua, I’m begging you, Young Madam, if you don’t help him out, he is doomed!”

Cao Mo frowned, he asked in a serious manner, “What happened?”

Moqi brimmed with tears, “Young Madam, Mohua is different from me and Moqin, Third Madam bought him from outside. Mohua is literate and he is the youngest among us, Third Madam dotes on him, he only asks Mohua to do some light work like organizing the study and the stationery. But Childe Cao has been abusing Mohua, he slapped and beat Mohua three times when I visited them just now.”

“Mohua brewed the medicine for Childe Cao and served him the bowl, but the Childe blamed him for not doing his job dutifully for the medicine was too hot, and the Childe forced the Third Lady to flog Mohua for ten times.”

“Mohua brewed the medicine and served the Childe one more bowl, but the Childe said the medicine is too cold to have any effect. Mohua must be doing this as a revenge, he asked servants to slap Mohua!”

“Mohua thumped his head on the ground till he bled, the Childe finally forgave him, but somehow the Childe accused Mohua of spilling the medicine on his clothes when Mohua fed him the medicine.”

“The Childe insisted the Third Lady should flog Mohua ten times, the Third Lady rejected, the Childe threw a tantrum and insisted Mohua shall be sold outside. Young Madam, I know Mohua well, he will die if he is going to be sold outside!”

Moqi now kowtowed to Cao Mo, “Young Madam, you are the only one who can save Mohua’s life now, I swear I will work like a horse for you if you save Mohua!”

Cao Mo sighed, he looked at Xiao Yi with a miserable look, “Mohua is a child, how does Cao Le have the heart to torture a child!”

Xiao Yi also sighed, “Your brother surely knows how to throw his weight about, doesn’t he? He is punishing Mohua to establish his authority, he is trying to show the servants in the whole mansion that he can do whatever in this family, he can even sell Third Lady’s trusted subordinate. I’m afraid Third Aunt will do this against his will just to make your brother happy, we need to remember grandmother is backing your brother. We should probably stay out of it too, for grandmother sake.”

Cao Mo found himself in a pickle, “But there’s no need to establish your authority by abusing a child! Poor Mohua. I cannot just sit back and watch this.”

Xiao Yi winked and said, “I know someone who can help us out on this one, a bit tricky though.”

Cao Mo tilted his head and squinted, “Don’t tell me this someone is your brother Xiao Jin.”

Xiao Yi nodded resignedly, “He is the only one who can escape unscathed.”

“It’s so cute that you think your brother has a heart.” Cao Mo obviously wasn’t optimistic about this, he walked to the table and planned to wrote Liu Heng a letter that please keep Mohua for a few more days at least, he and Xiao Yi were thinking about ways to protect the boy already.

Xiao Yi told Qingxue to pay a visit to Xiao Jin and tell him that the Young Master is hoping to see him in Magnolia House.

Cao Moraised his head and said, “Yi, I don’t like to beg that scum. I’m writing Third Aunt a letter now, probably it’s not as bad as it looks.”

Xiao Yi patted Cao Moon the shoulder and said, “Mo, Third Aunt has been lenient to all the servants and maids in his house, he is just a nice person, if he really has a way to save Mohua trust me, he will do it. But he just respects the big clan ethical code of conduct too much, he won’t ruffle grandmother’s features, remember, grandmother is on your brother’s side now.”

Cao Mo sighed, he knew Xiao Yi was right. Plus Dowager Xiao had always been trying to sow discord between Liu Heng and Xiao Yuzhen, so they always tried to behave themselves in the best possible way to avoid any nit-picking from Dowager Xiao.

‘It looks like we do have to ask Xiao Jin for help at the moment.’ thought Cao Mo.

Seeing Qingxue’s retiring figure, Cao Mo asked Xiao Yi, “Do you really think Xiao Jin will help us?”

Xiao Yi smiled, “Positive. I’m not asking for a favor, this is more like a trade.”

Soon Xiao Jin walked in, all beaming, “Brother, I rushed here when Qingxue said you need some help, tell me what I can do.”

Cao Molooked sideways and said, “Second Brother, hold your horses, we are just here to have a discussion, let’s see if you are capable.”

Xiao Jin sneered, “Brother-in-law, why bother to invite me here if you don’t trust my ability, I’m a busy man.”

Xiao Yi chimed in, “It’s more like a trade, you help me to ask for a page from Third Aunt and I will give you a Lotus Mirror.”

Xiao Jin rolled his eyes, “Brother, tell me this is a joke, you are practically Third Aunt’s best friend, is this some entertainment for you to watch me doing this?”

Xiao Yi kept a straight face and produced a mirror on a lotus-shaped pedestal from the closet and said, “Our Third Aunt dotes on the page so much that I’m worried Third Uncle might get jealous, I’m doing this for Third Uncle. Are you in or not, if you are in, this mirror is yours.”

Xiao Jin took a glimpse at the mirror on the table, fuming, “Last time I asked for a mirror from Third Aunt, he said he had none left, but all of a sudden he has one for you, I know Third Aunt favors you. You don’t need to ask me to do this for you, I’m sure Third Aunt will give you anything he has in his house.”

Xiao Yi tapped on the table casually, “Jin, just tell me are you in or not.”

Xiao Jin glared at Xiao Yi, “Do you think I have no idea what you are up to? I even know which page you are talking about, you don’t dare to offend that Childe Cao, so you are asking me to be the scapegoat and offend him, I don’t know you can be so scheming, brother!”

Xiao Yi smiled, “It’s totally up to you, the thing is he is marrying you after the Spring Festival, this is a sign to me that you are protecting your fiance, do you mind me spreading the word out for you, so your fiance will know how doting you are?”

Xiao Jin’s face turned red in frustration and Cao Mo was amused.

Xiao Jin shot a glare at Cao Mo, “I know this is your doing, I will help you out on this one. Watch out though, your brother will find out it’s you and Yi who are striking up a discordant tune against him.”

… …

Xiao Jin came back with Mohua after quite a while, “It looks like you cannot protect this boy after all, he accidentally dropped and shattered the Royal Jade Ruyi into pieces. Anyway, I did my job, and I’m looking forward to seeing what you can do to protect him.”

With that Xiao Jin took the mirror and left Magnolia House jubilantly.

Mohua kowtowed to Xiao Yi and Cao Mo, “Master, Madam, it’ not me! It’s the Second Young Master who has dropped it on the ground deliberately, he was doing that to mess with Childe Cao, I wasn’t even in the room.”

“Mohua, I’m afraid it doesn’t matter whether you were in the room or not, I’m afraid this is ominous for our whole family.” said Xiao Yi in despair, the Ruyi was bestowed by His Majesty.

Hearing that, Cao Mo scratched his head and murmured, “It’s a Ruyi, it’s an object, but Mohua is a human life, we should celebrate we have saved him.”