Chapter IBMLS Ch.9 Gratitude (4)
“That’s right, I don’t deserve it. So, did I ask you to adopt me? Did I ask you to make me the Princess of Qiyang?” Mu Mingtang completely abandoned her facade and glared at Jiang Honghao. This was the real her, the orphan who escaped from Xiangyang to Chenliu, the shrewd woman who dared to fight with the owner of a pawnshop on the public streets.
Jiang Honghao could not retort. Indeed, what he had said was filled with awe-inspiring righteousness, but in reality, every decision had been made by the Jiang family alone. Mu Mingtang had inherited the title of their second young miss, but to say that she owed them anything was not entirely accurate.
Mu Mingtang was fed up with the pretense. She’d worked hard to repay them for their kindness and keep this hard-earned life of stability, but no matter what she did, they would never see her as a person. How much harder would she have to work? How much more humiliation would she have to take? Now, Jiang Honghao was going to send her to the grave of a dying murderer in exchange for a promotion. Was she still supposed to be grateful? To thank them for making her a princess?
As if. She, Mu Mingtang, was a vulgar merchant’s daughter, a lump of mud beneath their feet. She was incapable of grasping the classic equiettes of these high-ranking nobles.
Mu Mingtang pulled out her hairpin and threw it to the ground. He said, “My father taught me that I can owe anyone anything, but I should never owe anyone a debt of gratitude. Fine, I’ll use my future to pay off this one year of gratitude! After that, I wish that we never have to cross paths again.”
The slender hairpin fell to the ground and smashed into pieces. Blue tassel beads scattered and bounced across the floor.
Jiang Honghao’s expression became impossibly dark. “Never cross paths again? How dare you say that after all of the kindness we’ve shown you? You are acting as though we took advantage of you! You’ve learned nothing about benevolence, righteousness, and etiquette, and instead chose to accuse the Jiang family for being unjust to you. Everything you have said is out of anger that we are not providing you with the best marriage! As expected, you are still coveting Mingwei’s things!”
Mu Mingtang had planned to end everything here today, but at that moment, she exploded. In order to play the role of Jiang Mingwei’s substitute, she’d had to give up her family name, her background, and even her own personality. Anyone else could say that she was greedy for glory and wealth, but the Jiang family did not have this right!
Goaded beyond endurance, Mu Mingtang pointed at Jiang Honghao and said angrily, “You damned dogshit official, you’re saying I covet Jiang Mingwei’s things? You think your house is made of gold, and everyone wants to kiss up to you? Well, let me tell you, I don’t! And do you actually believe that you’re such a good man, just because your wife, your little concubines, and your servants like to kiss your ass? Wash your eyes and take a look in the mirror. You’re nothing more than a petty, greedy, and self-absorbed hypocrite who sells women for the sake of your own benefit!”
Everything she had kept bottled up over the past year and a half spilled out all at once. Seeing his father-in-law enraged to the point of speechlessness, Xie Xuanji stood up and made to scold her, but Mu Mingtang immediately spun around and glared at him. Raising an eyebrow, she said, “What do you want? As expected of the prince of lovesickness, to still remain so loyal even after your fiancee ran away from you. How very enviable! I hope that you and Jiang Mingwei reach old age together and are never separated!”
“Such vulgarness and ignorance!” Xie Xuanji frowned as though he was looking at something filthy.
When Mu Mingtang was still his fiancee, she’d naturally gone out of her way to flatter and curry favor with him, but now that she was about to become his sister-in-law… Did he think she would be scared of him?
Mu Mingtang sneered and said, “That’s right, I’m ignorant and vulgar. What’s it to you? I’ve been wanting to say this for a while now, but you sure like to act all high and mighty, don’t you? For what? For who? I treated you sincerely, but you? You were so eager to help sell me to another man! From now on, let’s stay out of each other’s business, shall we?” As soon as she finished speaking, she turned around to leave.
Never in his life had Xie Xuanji been insulted like this. In his anger, he stretched out his hand and grabbed hold of Mu Mingtang’s wrist in a tight grip. The girl immediately cried out, “Scoundrel! What are you trying to do to your sister-in-law?!”
Xie Xuanji was stunned and flinched back as though he had been scalded. She rubbed her throbbing wrist while scolding, “Your Highness, you said it yourself just now! The emperor decreed before the court that I am to become the Princess of Qiyang. I am officially your sister-in-law now, so you should show me some more respect! If you dare to touch me again, don’t blame me for accusing you of violating your sister-in-law!”