Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 725 - 678: Punishment (2)

"Anything else?" Old Madam Baili asked angrily.

"No... no more." Madam Baili replied anxiously, "Old Madam, I was momentarily bewitched and didn’t truly intend to harm Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law."

Baili Ju glanced at his own wife and then at his parents, smiling apologetically as he explained, "Mother, Father, she really didn’t mean any harm. Aren’t you being too harsh with her? We’re all family here..."

Family? Second Madam Baili sneered coldly.

Baili Huang pressed his lips tightly together, saying nothing.

"Is that all?" Old Madam Baili demanded angrily.

Madam Baili lay on the ground, not daring to lift her head, "No... no more, only this incident, Old Madam, I..."

"What’s this then?" Old Madam Baili pulled out a silver note from her sleeve and threw it on the ground, "This five thousand-liang note, stamped by Wanfeng Silver Bank. The silver bank’s owner said a young lady surnamed Xue deposited it three days ago. Ms. Wu, this five thousand-liang note is from the Xue Family, isn’t it? You took her silver and then helped her to destroy Erlang’s family?"

"Is that it?" Old Master Baili also yelled angrily.

Madam Baili saw the silver note and was instantly terrified.

How did the Old Madam learn about the note?

She had hidden it so well, how had it been found?

"Speak quickly!" Old Madam commanded.

"Old Madam, I was confused for a moment, please have mercy on me," seeing things could not be concealed any longer, Madam Baili confessed to the matter of the silver note. 𝐟𝕣𝕖𝐞𝐰𝕖𝚋𝐧𝗼𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝗰𝐨𝐦

The Xue Family wanted her to drag Li Yuzhu down, giving her the idea to add incompatible herbs to the health supplements Li Yuzhu was making for Baili Huang and his wife.

Madam Baili thought it too risky and demanded the Xue Family pay her in advance.

She also said she had already added herbs to Baili Huang’s couple’s medicines and bribed all the doctors in the city, spending a lot of money and deserved compensation.

The Xue Family agreed readily.

This five thousand liang silver, Madam Baili had taken it back yesterday and had kept it locked in a drawer with a secret compartment, never expecting Old Madam Baili could find this silver note.

"You... Ms. Wu, why did you want to harm people?" The usually simple and confused Baili Ju also grew angry, pushing Madam Baili away and striding over to stand beside Baili Huang and his wife.

This stance clearly showed he wanted to sever relations with Madam Baili.

Madam Baili, already feeling unwilling in her heart, grew even angrier seeing her own husband despise her.

"You dare ask me? If you were a bit more competent, would I need to do this? This was your burden to bear, but you left it to a woman to worry about it for you. Are you still a man?" Madam Baili raged, shouting her inner thoughts.

Baili Ju widened his eyes, "I lack ability? How do I lack ability? The money for your family’s food and clothing, isn’t that from me? Didn’t I manage the family’s shops properly?"

The Baili Family’s two brothers: the second son took over the envoy’s duties, while the first son managed the family businesses. The family’s shops and lands were all managed by the first son, Baili Ju, and naturally, most of the income was his, as compensation for not inheriting the envoy position.

The Baili Family was the "local tyrant" of Liangzhou City, and no one dared challenge their business. As long as they didn’t act recklessly, money poured into their home effortlessly.

But Madam Baili was not satisfied with this money; she sought prestige and status!

Coming from a merchant family herself, her brother was still unmarried due to their merchant status.

Madam Baili despised merchants deep down and resented that her in-laws had saddled her and her husband with business matters.

"Merchants, with nothing but the stench of money, are worth mentioning?" Madam Baili sneered, "We, as the first branch, were supposed to inherit the envoy position, yet we ended up with a merchant’s title! It’s obvious favoritism!"

"Shut up! What do you know?" Old Master Baili slammed the table in anger, "The envoy position is about ability, not birthright!"

The two sons, one capable and one not, were obvious without comparison!

It was clear at a glance!

The eldest son was neither literary nor martial, unable to move his legs at the sight of food.

The second son was skilled both in literature and martial arts, responsible and capable.

Old Master Baili didn’t want to change the inheritance rules, but the eldest son was truly hopeless!

He detested most anyone mentioning the sons’ inheritance, and Madam Baili complaining about it was utterly intolerable to him.

"Come in, take Ms. Wu and lock her in the ancestral hall!" Old Madam Baili walked to the door and shouted to the maids waiting outside in the courtyard for orders.

The maids looked at each other before heading toward the main house together.

After the Baili brothers entered the main house, the Old Madam dismissed everyone.

The maids and servants could only vaguely hear disputes inside the room, not knowing what was being argued about.

Hearing the Old Madam’s orders now, four maids rushed into the room to restrain Madam Baili.

At this point, Madam Baili panicked, turning to Baili Dalang Baili Ju for help, "Husband, save me, husband!"

Baili Ju frowned and turned his head away, refusing to look at her.

"Baili Ju, you coward! Your own wife is punished, yet you do nothing. How did I end up marrying you back then?" Madam Baili cursed and was dragged away.

Where she passed, the servants were all stunned, murmuring in shock about what transpired.

To preserve the family’s reputation, the Baili Mansion didn’t publicize the incident, stating only that Madam Baili was rebellious and answered back to the Old Master, resulting in punishment from the Old Madam for reflecting in isolation.

The Old Master then sent for Madam Baili’s family to come.

At first, Madam Baili’s family from the Wu side argued their point, but upon hearing the truth from the Old Master, their faces turned pale with fear and they no longer pleaded for Ms. Wu, leaving in shame.

By evening, the Old Master ordered Madam Baili sent to the family’s estate outside the city, decreeing nobody may bring Ms. Wu back without his permission.

She wasn’t divorced to save face for the family and consider the eldest son’s two children’s feelings.

Baili Dalang Baili Ju understood his parents’ actions, and when his two sons asked why Madam Baili was sent to the estate, Baili Ju told them the truth.

Baili Hui and Baili Xun, whose characters didn’t follow Ms. Wu or Baili Ju, but more like the two sons of the second branch.

The two chubby boys immediately stood up for their second uncle and aunt.

Baili Xun angrily said, "Mother was too much, poisoning Second Uncle and Aunt! How can we face others in the future?"

The older Baili Hui added, "Listening to outsiders, she dreams of being the envoy’s wife? I’m afraid she’d drag the whole family to ruins in a few years!"