Chapter 25: Retainers and Servants

"Eldest Miss, how could you speak to the Madam like that? We've all seen how good the Madam is to you with our own eyes. How can you bully her like this?"

A servant who usually tended the garden alongside Ning Wanyuan couldn't resist speaking up to voice her indignation, thinking that the Madam was such a wonderful person!

Once the first person spoke, a second gathered the courage to chime in.

"That's right, Eldest Miss. This is disrespect toward an elder. The Madam has always doted on you the most, how can you be so... rebellious?"

"Eldest Miss, you should apologize to the Madam. When the Master returns, he'll be furious with you as well."

These servants dared to speak up for Ning Wanyuan mainly because of Shang Heng's attitude toward Shang Ying over the years. He didn't pay her excessive attention, merely checking in with a question or two daily.

Everyone knew Shang Ying was academically mediocre, naturally leading them to assume she was unloved by her father. Coupled with the constant bickering between father and daughter recently, and Shang Ying being confined to the study a few days ago, a detail few knew the true reasons for, the uninformed assumed she had thoroughly enraged Shang Heng.

On the other hand, while Shang Heng and Ning Wanyuan might not have been a match made in fairy tales, they treated each other with mutual respect. The Master always held great respect for the Madam, occasionally even presenting her with gifts.

The difference in status was clear to see. In their eyes, standing up to defend the Madam right now was practically helping the Master discipline an unreasonable, spoiled child.

Little did they know, during the time they were chattering incessantly, the expressions on both Shang Ying's and Shang Yi's faces had completely hardened.

Hearing Shang Ying being accused, Aunt Zhao immediately marched out of the kitchen, stepped up behind Shang Ying, and glared viciously at those servants.

"Who gave you the nerve to criticize the Eldest Miss?! Pointing fingers and bossing around the masters of this house. You have zero rules!"

"The Eldest Miss is a master of this household! Whatever she says goes, and if anyone has the right to discipline her, it's the Master! Who do you think you are to talk?!"

Her face was flushed with anger as she glared at those brainless servants. Normally, she turned a blind eye when they gossiped behind people's backs, but now they actually dared to order the Eldest Miss around right to her face.

If this were back at the Xie family, they would have been dragged out and beaten to death with sticks long ago!

What caught Ning Wanyuan's attention was that specific line: ‘The Eldest Miss is a master of this household.’

Her lips pressed into a tight line as a mocking feeling rose within her. This retainer brought from the late wife's family truly lived up to her reputation, a faithful dog. Did she think that she, the legally wedded Mrs. Shang, was dead or something?!

These servants weren't entirely spineless either. Being berated so fiercely by Aunt Zhao caught them off guard for a moment, but since they all worked for the Shang family, they quickly snapped back and shot back right away.

"Aren't you just a servant here as well? What right do you have to talk to us like that?"

"You've always looked down on us, complaining about this and that, and you even forbid us from speaking well of the Madam! You just dislike the Madam yourself, don't you?!"

"Are we saying anything unreasonable? We're just speaking up against the unfairness the Madam faces! She has done so much, why should she suffer such grievances? It's so unfair!"

"We know you favor the Eldest Miss, but you can't be this biased! We have to talk logically here!"

CRASH!

A white porcelain bowl was slammed down and shattered. Soup splashed in every direction, across the table, the floor, and clothing, staining everything with a layer of greasy oil. The chopsticks thrown immediately after landed right at the feet of the opposing servants, startling them into shrinking back in unison.

This scene unfolded far too fast. One second they were venting their outrage, and the next second they were cut short by this sudden outburst.

A few drops of soup had splashed onto Shang Ying's hand. Sharp-eyed Shang Yi immediately pulled out a wet wipe and handed it over. When both of them raised their eyes, their gazes were like frost, glaring at the group of fools before them.

Shang Yi was naturally distant and indifferent to the outside world. Ever since Ning Wanyuan married into the family, he hadn't realized these household servants had been trained by her to this extent.

Shang Ying swept her gaze across their faces and let out a cold laugh.

"You must be tired of living to speak to me like this. Does the Shang family pay you such a generous salary just so you can lecture me? Climbing over my head. Since when was it your turn to boss me around?!"

"Think I'm bullying your gentle and kind Madam? If this counts as bullying, then I'm an absolute saint. What the hell does the masters' business have to do with you? If you don't want to work here, pack your things and scram! Stop being an eyesore in front of me!"

Listening to Shang Ying's fierce rant, Aunt Zhao felt increasingly gratified, straightening her back even further. As expected, directly blasting these blind fools to death was the most efficient way!

‘Madam, if your spirit in heaven sees the Eldest Miss growing up like this, you would surely be happy. No one can bully the Eldest Miss even a single bit.’

Shang Ying felt a surge of irritation, running her fingers through her hair as her throat suddenly felt dry, likely because her internal fire was burning too intensely.

Then, a glass of water appeared right before her eyes. Raising her eyebrows and tilting her head, she saw her sensible brother.

Shang Yi had been paying close attention to Shang Ying's state all along, so he had prepared the water well in advance. Since she was charging on the front lines, he had to ensure her logistics were fully taken care of.

Looking at the servants across from her, who now didn't even dare to make a peep, Shang Ying drank half the glass of water to soothe her throat, mocking sneeringly.

"Why did you guys stop talking? Weren't you all very eloquent just now?"

"Fairness? Reason? Isn't reason something proven by actions, not spoken with righteous hypocrisy? Hilarious! Go to hell with your fairness and reason. Talking to me about this. Do you think the world is purely good and beautiful? Are you living in a fairytale?"

"Hurry up and pack your things and scram. I still hold the authority to fire you. Let's see which household dares to hire dogs like you who bark at their own masters in the future. Before I get truly furious, vanish from my sight."

Shang Ying stopped speaking, yet those people still didn't move. Terrified and anxious, they kept their eyes glued to the "truly good and beautiful Madam" in their hearts, hoping she would stand up for them.

‘Truly laughable.’

Overwhelmed by this continuous chaos, and hearing the servants' tearful complaints, Ning Wanyuan felt a throbbing headache. What a bunch of absolute fools to go and pick a shouting match out in the open like this!

Taking a deep breath, she forced a fragile, helpless expression, looking at Shang Ying to put on a superficial performance.

"Yingying, they've worked in this house for many years after all, if..."

"If you don't scram by the time I count to three, I'm calling the bodyguards to throw you out right now, and don't even think about getting this month's salary."

Shang Ying cut Ning Wanyuan off directly, knowing full well that Ning Wanyuan was merely acting for those servants to see.

Seeing that even the Madam they defended couldn't help them, the servants finally realized the severity of their mistake. Crying, they began begging Shang Ying to show mercy and give them another chance.

Aunt Zhao rolled her eyes.

‘Show mercy my foot! Daring to pull a stunt like this, they'd ride over the masters' heads in no time if forgiven!’

"Three."

Shang Ying began the countdown with a cold, indifferent tone.

"Two!"

Without a word, Shang Yi tapped lightly on his phone. Bodyguards instantly emerged from various corners of the villa. The servants who had spoken up immediately scattered, sprinting back to their rooms at top speed, terrified that a second's delay would result in being thrown out by the bodyguards.

With the noisy crowd gone, only one or two slightly smarter servants remained. They were the ones who had stayed dead silent and played dead earlier. Reading Shang Ying's expression, they immediately moved with nimble hands to clean up the messy table and floor.

Dinner was ruined, but there were still store-bought desserts in the fridge. Although tired after cursing people out, Shang Ying felt immense relief after venting her frustration.

Looking at Ning Wanyuan, whose face had turned pale, Shang Ying offered a half-smile.

"Looks like the servants in this house have quite a great relationship with you. They’re willing to come and curse me out for your sake."

"You really know how to manage a household."

Ning Wanyuan's back stiffened instantly.

Shang Yi stood up alongside Shang Ying and instructed Aunt Zhao.

"Tell him what happened just now."

He was referring to Shang Heng, and Aunt Zhao understood his meaning immediately.

Ning Wanyuan turned her head, her gaze fixed tightly on Shang Yi, but Shang Yi completely ignored her eyes, indifferent and unbothered, as if she were nothing more than a gust of thin air.