Those two good-for-nothings were both leashed by their families, a tug on the chain and they would scurry away with their tails between their legs. They had no idea the Southern Xiong Marquisate was soon to be destroyed, family and all.
Shouldn't such low-class warnings and threats be kept to a minimum? Did she look like she had a poor memory and needed reminding?
What kind of thing considered itself sacred and inviolable?
Xie Jiang scoffed, her stance firm and unshakeable, "I want Wu Hongyun. Alive or dead."
There was no room for negotiation then. Steward Lu nodded, "Young Master Xie is determined to oppose the Southern Xiong Marquisate. If that is the case, Young Master Xie should not regret it in the future."
Xie Jiang laughed, "Even if your master regrets it later, it will be of no use."
Truly commendable. Since they were so eager to court death, Steward Lu wouldn't stop them.
Were young people these days too impetuous? Didn't they know their own limits? For a bit of pathetic justice, they dared to blindly charge headfirst into a behemoth.
The Fifth Prince and Young Master Xu San both knew to avoid it, yet she was so reckless. Hadn't she used her brain before being so full of righteous indignation?
Did she think she was someone special just because she had gained some reputation? Did she dare to act with impunity in the capital?
Steward Lu could already foresee the tragic end of a genius young poison doctor bringing about his own demise.
Steward Lu felt like laughing.
To throw away a future that could have been boundless for a worthless yellow-haired girl.
Would these ants shed a single tear for you then? Perhaps they would even spit on your grave with disgust.
How ridiculous.
"Our manor has no less than ninety-nine maids. If your daughter is truly in our manor, we will call her out, and you can take her home."
Steward Lu finally showed great mercy, deigning to lower his noble head and look at the ant beneath his feet. "Does our grand Marquisate lack a maid? Young Master Xie, you have visited our manor before, and we have specifically looked. There is no maid named Wu Hongyun in our manor. Your daughter is not in our manor."
Steward Lu's face was filled with compassion. If Madam Zhou hadn't been prompted, she might have believed him. "But my Hongyun was indeed sold to your manor. Is it possible that your manor has too many people, and you missed her when you were looking?"
Steward Lu's attitude was gentle, "All the servants in our manor are registered. No one is missed."
"How could that be? My Hongyun clearly..." The sliver of hope in Madam Zhou's heart slowly faded, and despair surged from the deepest part of her being. Madam Zhou trembled and raised the purse in her hand. "I have money, I have..."
"I have money, I can redeem Hongyun. Here are five taels of silver, all for you, all for you..."
The aunt who had accompanied Madam Zhou choked out, "Five taels of silver to buy a person, that should be enough, no matter what? If it's not enough, we, we can gather more."
Seeing the neighbors nodding, the aunt gained some confidence. "Steward, sir, please be kind and release Hongyun. Hongyun and her mother have such bitter lives. Tell us, how much money do you want?"
Whatever price the Marquisate paid to buy Hongyun, they would pay the same price to redeem her. If the Marquisate was unwilling, feeling they would lose money, then they would add more.
After all, Young Master Xu San fancied Hongyun's cooking skills and said he wanted Hongyun to be a cook in his mansion. Wouldn't she be able to save money working in a mansion?
Therefore, as long as they could redeem Hongyun, they weren't afraid she wouldn't be able to repay the money, and their money wouldn't be wasted.
"It's not about money. Does our Marquisate lack these few taels of silver? The person is genuinely not here. Who says the person must be in our manor?"
"How could she not be? She was sold into your manor. Your manor has always been here, it doesn't grow legs and run around. Could we be mistaken?"
Seeing Steward Lu's composed demeanor, the aunt wished she could spit in his face. They were willing to pay more, and he still wouldn't release the person. Was it really as Young Master Xie said, that she had been eaten?
Heaven forbid! With such a wealthy family, what couldn't they eat, from dragon liver to phoenix marrow? Why would they eat people!
Steward Lu sighed coldly, "I have said all that needs to be said. The person is indeed not in our manor. Your crying and making a scene here is all useless..."
"Please, I beg you, please return Hongyun to me. I beg you, I'll give you anything, as long as you return Hongyun to me. I only have one child, Hongyun, she is my life..."
Madam Zhou kowtowed repeatedly. She didn't know what else to say, what else she could do. She could only kowtow, her head bleeding, her vision blurring.
Many onlookers who had come to watch the spectacle, or were drawn by the gold, showed signs of pity upon seeing Madam Zhou's plight.
Older women, especially mothers, couldn't bear to see Madam Zhou like this and couldn't help but shed tears.
Steward Lu waved his sleeve, "Disperse, everyone. Don't crowd around here. This matter must be a mistake. Who knows where the person was sold? Don't believe rumors without verifying. Let's clarify the situation first."
"It's likely the patrol battalion will arrive soon. Seeing so many of you surrounding the Marquisate, they might think you have ill intentions and plan to storm the Marquisate. If you are arrested and thrown into the patrol battalion's prison, or if something unexpected happens, our Marquisate will not be responsible..."
Steward Lu persuaded the crowd with a mixture of gentleness and firmness, then gave a signal to the servants. Madam Zhou, who was clinging to his leg, was pulled away.
Upon hearing about the patrol battalion, some of the more timid onlookers, afraid of causing trouble, quickly slipped away.
Even many of the neighbors from the Wu family began to waver. While they hoped Hongyun could return home, they couldn't risk getting themselves involved.
In her despair, Madam Zhou let out a piercing scream.
"Why won't you release Hongyun! Why won't you release her? Is it true what they say, that your heir is a cannibal, that he made Hongyun into jerky and ate her? Is it true that you ate Hongyun..."
"Nonsense! What madness is this? I think you, woman, have lost your mind."
Steward Lu's face finally turned completely cold. There were things they could do, but these ants were not qualified to speak of them.
Madam Zhou shrieked, "I'm not crazy! I want my Hongyun! I want my daughter! She is in your manor, she was sold into your manor, we are not mistaken! Give me back my daughter! Give me back my Hongyun!"
"Even if Hongyun was made into jerky by you, you must still return my daughter to me..."
Madam Zhou's heart ached so much, so much, that she wished she could die right now. But she couldn't die like this!
Her Hongyun had been made into jerky, and she wanted to take Hongyun home. She couldn't let Hongyun be eaten by beasts!
Her Hongyun was her treasure! Her life! Not chicken, duck, fish, or meat! How could she be eaten! Turned into foulness!
No! Absolutely not!
"Give me back my daughter! You give me back my daughter—"