TGFH Chapter 19: Confrontation...

        Xiao Min was sitting in the study, concentrating on flipping through the account book. At this moment, the afternoon sun was shining into the study through the window. The only sound in the quiet room was the occasional flipping of pages by Xiao Min. Qi Xiu, a personal maid in a light pink silk dress, stood silently beside her.

　　Since Xiao Yiran took over the post of General Zhenbei five years ago, she also officially took over the management of the General's Mansion. Over the past five years, Xiao Min has managed the General's Mansion in an orderly manner, and even Aunt Xiao could not find any fault with it.

        Suddenly, there were two soft knocks on the door. Xiao Min looked up at the door and then lowered her head again. Qi Xiu walked out of the door quietly and came back quietly after a while.

　　"Miss, Cuiying is back and has something urgent to report." Qixiu approached Xiao Min, bent down slightly, and spoke softly.

　　"Hmm? Let her in." Xiao Min frowned and said lightly.

　　Qixiu led Cuiying in from outside the door. Cuiying was holding the chicken soup that was returned from Bai Yi, and she walked into the study carefully.

　　"Hello, young lady." Cuiying put down the chicken soup in her hand, knelt down and bowed to Xiao Min.

　　"Well, what's the matter?" Xiao Min nodded and looked up at Cuiying.

　　"In reply to the young lady, she asked me to stew chicken soup and send it to Mr. Bai today. I have delivered it, but... Mr. Bai said there was Fengming grass in the soup, so I took it back to the young lady." Cuiying lowered her head and narrated the matter simply and clearly.

　　Xiao Min put down the account book in her hand, and Qi Xiu had brought the chicken soup over and placed it in front of her. She opened the soup bowl and smelled it carefully, but because of the strong aroma of the chicken soup, she didn't find anything.

　　Xiao Min waved her hand, and Qi Xiu immediately understood and retreated with the chicken soup.

　　"Have you asked a doctor to see him?" Xiao Min asked in a deep voice.

　　"To answer my lady, Mr. Bai said that he was the doctor and did not ask me to invite one."

　　"Nonsense!" Xiao Min frowned and scolded in a low voice, "Sister-in-law has a special body, how can you ignore it? Go ask Doctor Zhong to come over and check on him now."

　　"Yes, ma'am."

　　“Where is the chicken soup made?”

　　"To answer my lady, I personally delivered it to the main kitchen and it was cooked in the main kitchen."

　　Xiao Min frowned and tapped the table with her fingers. "Cui Ying, you didn't do your job well and almost caused a disaster. Do you know your mistake?"

　　"I know I was wrong, please punish me, young lady."

　　"Demoted to second-class maid, fined three months' salary."

　　"Thank you, Miss." Cuiying kowtowed and had no objection to the punishment.

　　Xiao Min sighed lightly and said calmly, "Do you know where you went wrong?"

　　Cuiying trembled slightly, bowed her head and replied, "Please give me some advice, Miss."

　　"You are not careful enough and you are not thoughtful enough." Xiao Min paused and looked at Cuiying. "The big kitchen is crowded and messy, and it is difficult to control. Since I asked you to deliver it, it will naturally be done by the small kitchen in the courtyard. Besides, sister-in-law didn't call a doctor just because he didn't want to make a big deal, but how could you not know the medicinal properties of Fengming grass? If something goes wrong, and Big Brother blames you, I can't protect you."

　　Looking at Cuiying lying stiffly on the ground, Xiao Min sighed again, "The small kitchen is under the management of Qixiu. If you want to use it, you must go through Qixiu... You and Qixiu entered my general's mansion together and followed me together. I know you have always wanted to compete with Qixiu and don't want to lose to her in everything... But, have you ever thought about why Qixiu became a first-class maid before you?" Without waiting for Cuiying to answer, Xiao Min said softly, "If you two switched places today, Qixiu would definitely ask you for help instead of acting on impulse... Go back and think about it carefully."

　　"Yes, thank you for your advice, Miss." Cuiying replied in a low voice, her voice trembling slightly, and she stood up to leave. At the same time, Qixiu pushed the door open and walked in. The two looked at each other, Qixiu smiled faintly, but Cuiying's eyes were slightly red, she lowered her head and quickly retreated.

　　"You're back?" Xiao Min looked at Qi Xiu and asked, "How is it?"

　　"My lady, I have asked someone to check. There is indeed Fengming grass in the chicken soup. However, the amount is small and the fragrance is covered by other spices, so it is not easy to detect." Qixiu stepped forward and replied softly, "I have asked. The chicken soup was cooked in a separate small stove. However, there are twelve people working in the kitchen today, and there are more than twenty people coming and going. It is difficult to confirm who tampered with it."

　　"No need to check, I have already guessed who ordered this." Xiao Min said calmly, "Send a few trustworthy servants from our small kitchen to the main courtyard, and check the servants in the main courtyard again, and transfer all the new servants within three months." Because Xiao Yiran did not live in the mansion all year round, the main courtyard only had servants who were basically responsible for cleaning. This time when Xiao Yiran brought Bai Yi back, the servants who served him were all temporarily transferred by Xiao Min from other places.

　　"Yes, I know." Qi Xiu lowered her head and responded. Thinking of Cuiying who had just left with red eyes, she said with a little worry, "Miss... Cuiying..."

　　"She still needs to be trained. You should take care of her more recently." Shaking her head, Xiao Min stood up and walked out, "Come with me to the other courtyard."

　　"Yes, miss." Qi Xiu followed obediently after hearing that.

　　…

　　Tinglan Courtyard is the courtyard where Aunt Xiao and her daughter live. Because the name of the courtyard contains the word "Lan", which is the same as Hualan's name, the old lady ordered people to clean up the courtyard for them to move in.

　　Xiao Min did not bring anyone else, only Qi Xiu to the villa.

        When Aunt Xiao entered the living room, Xiao Min was sitting there drinking tea. She was wearing a light blue dress with a white spun silk shawl over it. Her beautiful long hair was tied up in an exquisite bun at the back of her head. Her expression was calm and indifferent, and she looked very dignified and calm.

　　"How come Min'er has time to come and see her aunt?" Aunt Xiao walked into the hall with a smile.

　　Xiao Min smiled faintly, "Aunt, Min'er came here just to say one thing to you. Min'er doesn't want to see what happened today happen again."

　　Aunt Xiao raised her eyebrows, still smiling and replied, "What did Min'er say? Aunt didn't understand."

　　Putting down the teacup in her hand, Xiao Min smiled and looked at her aunt, and said softly, "Aunt, if that's the case, Min'er will tell you clearly." Then she glanced at Qixiu behind her, and Qixiu immediately understood and took out a small paper bag from her sleeve and put it on the table. Xiao Min gently knocked on the table through the paper bag, "This was found in the kitchen. Putting fengming grass in my sister-in-law's chicken soup. What does this mean, aunt?"

　　Aunt Xiao was slightly stunned when she looked at the paper bag, but she quickly regained her composure, "Min'er, you are joking. How could Auntie do this? Min'er, please don't smear blood without evidence."

        "Min'er really has no evidence, but I've never thought of needing evidence." Xiao Min looked at Aunt Xiao with sharp eyes, "Aunt, my elder brother and I have always respected you as an elder, but Aunt, don't forget that the general's mansion is surnamed Xiao, and Aunt has long been married... Min'er is the head of the general's mansion now, so don't go too far in some things. If you push Min'er into a corner, she won't be as easy to talk to as my elder brother."

　　Aunt Xiao was shocked, and looked at Xiao Min with a hint of reluctance. Finally, she gritted her teeth and said, "Min'er, are you threatening me?"

　　"Snap."

　　Xiao Min frowned and raised her hand to slap the table. "When aunt added the Fengming grass to the soup that Min'er gave to sister-in-law, did she ever think about Min'er? Did she ever think about big brother? What's more, the baby in sister-in-law's belly is big brother's own flesh and blood. How could aunt be so cruel!?"

　　Aunt Xiao's expression changed for a while. Finally, she couldn't bear it anymore and shouted, "I don't know where that bitch and that bastard came from! Who knows if it's Yiran's child! Were you all bribed by that bitch?! Yiran wants to marry Lan'er, and that bitch is not even worthy of carrying Lan'er's shoes!"

　　Xiao Min frowned and looked at Aunt Xiao, and said in a deep voice, "No matter what my sister-in-law was like in the past, since it was said by my eldest brother himself, Min'er absolutely believes in my eldest brother's vision and my sister-in-law's character. If Aunt does something foolish again in the future, don't blame Min'er for not reminding her!" Then she sighed, "Cousin Lan and my eldest brother are innocent, aunt, please don't ruin Cousin Lan's innocence. It's Min'er's fault, too. Cousin Lan is not young anymore, and it's time for her to get married. Min'er will ask my eldest brother to pay attention to Cousin Lan's marriage."

        Regarding Hualan, before Xiao Yiran brought Bai Yi back, Xiao Min thought that she was the most likely person to become the eldest sister-in-law. That was why she followed Aunt Xiao's wishes and never mentioned Hualan's marriage.

　　But now that Xiao Yiran brought Bai Yi back, Hualan naturally couldn't marry Xiao Yiran. Although it took a few years, women in Dazhao usually got married at the age of 18. With the identity of the general's cousin and her own beauty, it was easy for Hualan, who was under 20, to find a good husband.

　　"I don't agree! Lan'er wants to marry Yiran!"

　　"Aunt! Don't say such nonsense!" Xiao Min scolded in a deep voice, "Don't worry about cousin Lan's marriage, the General's Mansion will never treat cousin Lan unfairly!"

　　After saying that, Xiao Min no longer paid attention to Aunt Xiao, got up and left. She paused at the door and said, "My eldest brother has been busy with court affairs these days, and the mansion will also start preparing for Brother Lan's wedding. If you have nothing to do, please stay in the villa and don't walk around." Then she led Qi Xiu away.

　　After Xiao Min left, Aunt Xiao raised her hand and waved it across the table, dropping all the teacups to the ground, cursing angrily, "Bitch! I won't let you be so proud for too long! Just wait and see!"

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