Chapter 10

Facing Xu Hao's rare display of manliness, the Old Lady couldn't help but laugh and said, "You have a bit of the Xu family man in you, so you can stay."

Xu Wen, who had already slipped to the door, couldn't help but turn around and said with a grin, "Good grandma, then let the grandson stay too."

Xu Song also pleaded, "I want to stay too."

Unexpectedly, the Old Lady seemed like a different person today. She was kind and amiable to Xu Hao, whom she usually didn't favor, but was abnormally strict with Xu Wen and Xu Song, scolding them without a second thought, "It's not your turn to speak. Get out of here."

"Ah," Xu Wen shrank his neck in fear and ran out with Xu Song.

The gazes of many people in the room changed slightly, even the matriarch Wang Shi was greatly shocked, wondering if the second branch was about to turn its fortune around.

However, although Xiao Shi still had a smile on her face, Xu Hao could see a hint of anger in her smile. The Old Lady's differential treatment clearly showed favoritism, but he didn't care about her attitude toward him.

"Let's begin," the Old Lady said.

Four matrons bowed and turned to leave. Wang Shi hurriedly signaled the maids to open the gauze windows. As the windows were lifted one by one, Xu Cuitaos and her sisters walked to the windows, curiously looking outside.

Xu Hao also looked out and saw Madam Xu standing in the hall, lecturing the girls in the courtyard about following the rules and not hiding anything. She urged those with hidden illnesses to speak up, so they wouldn't be punished and involve their parents and relatives.

Faintly, Xu Hao saw Xu Wen's head peeking over the wall, waving vigorously.

This action was noticed by Xu Wen's younger sister, Xu Cuitaos, but she deliberately ignored it, fanning herself with a smile of disdain on her face.

Xu Hao noticed Xu Cuitaos looking at him, thought for a moment, and started toward the door. The Old Lady suddenly asked, "Where are you going, Hao?"

"I need to urinate, I'll go relieve myself," Xu Hao stopped.

The Old Lady stared at him intently. Xu Hao deliberately showed a hint of nervousness, quickly glanced outside, and then lowered his head guiltily.

The Old Lady grunted, "You're loyal, but don't think you can fool me. You're not going anywhere." Without waiting for Xu Hao to respond, she raised her voice, "Without my permission, no one is allowed to leave. No one should expect to curry favor privately. Do you understand?"

"Yes," the women in the room obediently responded. Xu Hao smiled inwardly, bowed his head in acknowledgment, and returned to his place.

"Hmph! Got scolded, didn't you?" Xu Cuitaos chided with a smile. Xu Hao smiled but didn't respond.

On the other side, the three sisters gathered together. Xiao Shi watched coldly, noticing that her sister-in-law Wang Shi and her younger sister Liu Shi looked uneasy. She asked in a low voice, "What's wrong? Do you have someone in mind?"

Wang Shi couldn't help but complain, "Indeed, I had my eye on two young girls, both pretty and well-behaved, and I was thinking of preparing them as concubines for the children. It's all because of the third sister's fuss. Have you forgotten what happened back then?"

Liu Shi hurriedly admitted with a bitter smile, "It's my fault. I thought the Old Lady wouldn't interfere with the grandchildren's affairs, but she was waiting for this day. What should we do, elder sisters? If the Old Lady randomly assigns them, it will be a disaster!"

"It's all your fault, sigh! But there's nothing we can do, it will be hard to explain to the girls," Wang Shi recalled the gifts she had received and felt frustrated.

"Never mind, my sister was unintentional, and I was also to blame for the sake of face. I organized this, giving the Old Lady an excuse."

As Xiao Shi spoke, she recalled the past. When she first married her husband, she found two maids in his room who had been placed there by the Old Lady. She had to use all her wits to send them away to the young servants.

"The Old Lady won't be so unreasonable as to offend everyone without cause," Xiao Shi said with a smile after recalling the past. She thought for a moment and added with a light laugh, "But most likely, she will place her own choices. If the girls you like are pretty, they probably won't pass."

Liu Shi laughed, "Song is young, so it's not a big deal for me. Besides, I don't like the sly and seductive types. Let the Old Lady place whomever she wants. We can wait a while and then find an excuse to send them away."

Wang Shi sighed, "The problem is that Wen has already set his eyes on that girl. If we don't fulfill his wish, it will cause chaos at home."

Xiao Shi laughed, "Is that hard to solve? You should secretly talk to Madam Xu. It's a small matter; she won't refuse to do you a favor. Have the two girls remove their jewelry, change into old clothes, and wash off their makeup. They might pass."

"You have good ideas, Second Sister," Liu Shi lowered her head and covered her mouth to laugh, then coughed a few times to cover up and whispered, "I'll go talk to the Old Lady, and you should hurry, Elder Sister."

Wang Shi nodded and watched her two younger sisters walk toward the Old Lady. She looked around and discreetly signaled her trusted maid.

Liu Shi laughed as she walked, "From now on, Elder Sister's household will not be peaceful. Today's grand show is for the eldest branch. It's a pity that Elder Sister is being led by the nose by the Old Lady and still doesn't understand the situation."

"Poor those two beautiful girls," Xiao Shi sighed and frowned, "I'm uneasy, what if something happens to them?"

Liu Shi sneered, "That's their fate. If they don't behave, they deserve it. But I think Elder Sister, though foolish, is clear-headed in this matter. Over the years, you've never seen her lose to the favored concubines. She has very strong means."

"Um," Xiao Shi sighed and nodded. She was no longer the naive and kind young woman she once was. She had seen the life-and-death struggles within the household, and any guilt quickly disappeared. She walked with Liu Shi to the Old Lady and chatted with her.

On the other side, Xu Hao and a group of sisters and younger sisters sat around an eight-person table drinking tea. The initial curiosity gradually turned to boredom as the girls repeatedly entered the side rooms for inspection.

Occasionally, a girl with a hidden illness like body odor or who was not a virgin would be dragged away crying and begging for mercy. Most of the girls passed the not-so-strict inspection without any issues.

By age, his older sister Xu Qinglian and the matriarch Wang Shi's daughter Xu Cuitaos were the same age, both seventeen, with Xu Cuitaos being two months younger.

Xu Hao didn't like this second sister, known for her arrogance and irrationality. However, Xu Cuitaos was very beautiful, unlike her mother Wang Shi, and was smart and clever, the most favored by the Old Lady. She was said to resemble her aunt, the Yan Wang Fei, and was praised by the servants as the Old Lady's favorite.

At that moment, Xu Cuitaos was cracking sunflower seeds with a beautiful and graceful manner, her eyes full of life, just like her mother Wang Shi, who paid no attention to her sisters.

Next to her sat two younger sisters. The older one, Xu Cuizhen, was plain and unremarkable compared to her beautiful sister Xu Cuitaos. She was honest and even somewhat timid, the third in the line of sisters, known as the wooden third sister.

The eldest sister, Xu Qinglian, was gentle and polite, always reserved and low-key among the sisters. Because of their similar personalities, she and Xu Cuizhen had a very good relationship.

The younger one, Xu Cuiliu, was delicate and frail, with a naturally charming appearance. Her almond eyes seemed to sparkle, captivating and alluring. The Old Lady and Wang Shi both despised her, calling her a natural seductress.

Although not favored by the elders, Xu Cuiliu had excellent relations with men. Xu Wen and his brother treated her very well, and even Xu Hao liked to talk to her. She appeared charming but had a strong and hidden inner strength.

There was also the third matriarch Liu Shi's daughter, Xu Lüzhu, who was very spoiled and capricious, the same age as Hongye, thirteen. The two of them didn't get along.

Additionally, there was a daughter born to a maid, nicknamed Lüge, who was fifteen years old. She seemed to be forgotten like a small weed, and no one noticed her. She sat in the corner, head down.