Agreeing on Xinghua's behalf—this was the first thing Wei Tu said after Caixia entered the Li Manor's main hall.
His words were calm and concise, but to Li Yaozu and his wife, there was a deeper meaning—they could hear the defiance in his tone.
From any perspective, whether as a former servant of the Li family or as a guest visiting their household, Wei Tu's words were inappropriate…
No, it should be said that he had been rude the moment Caixia stepped into the hall.
Seated in his chair, Li Yaozu's right hand clenched slightly beneath his sleeve, suppressing the irritation rising within him.
He had originally thought that if Wei Tu wanted to redeem Xinghua's contract, he would come to him first—discussing the matter properly, negotiating the terms.
That way, everything would have proceeded amicably. The Li family would release her, and Wei Tu would take her back, turning the matter into a celebrated event throughout Qingmu County, perhaps even the entire Southern Mountain Dao.
Such an outcome would have earned the Li family great prestige, and during the imperial examinations, the examiners might have viewed Li Xingye more favorably, increasing his chances of passing.
With that, the Li family's standing would have risen, cementing them as one of the foremost "benevolent and righteous families" in Qingmu County.
But now, with just a single sentence, Wei Tu had shattered his vision.
Wei Tu had so easily agreed to Caixia's request, without even considering how this matter affected the Li family.
"How could he be so ungrateful?" Li Yaozu gritted his teeth.
He couldn't just sit back and watch all the investment he had put into Wei Tu over the past six months go to waste…
The more enthusiasm he had shown toward Wei Tu before, the deeper his anger burned now.
Li Tongshi didn't think as far ahead as her husband, but after hearing Wei Tu's response, she instinctively felt that something was off—though she couldn't quite pinpoint why.
"Does Master Li believe that I am not qualified to make decisions on Xinghua's behalf?"
Seeing that neither Li Yaozu nor Li Tongshi had spoken for a long time, Wei Tu's brow furrowed slightly, his tone sharpening.
When he had arrived at the Li Manor today, he had originally intended to heed Chunlan's advice—delaying the matter of Xinghua's release and waiting for a more opportune time, out of consideration for the past kindnesses he had received.
But plans often fail to keep up with sudden changes.
Then came Caixia's predicament.
The scene of a wealthy young master taking advantage of a maid…
It immediately made Wei Tu realize that this was not a safe place for Xinghua. The sooner she left, the better.
He still remembered that day back in February when, after the banquet, Li Xingye had viciously kicked the old cypress tree in the courtyard.
Now, after failing the imperial examinations and falling into a state of madness, if he learned that Wei Tu had passed the exam, who knew whether he would take his resentment out on Xinghua?
A situation like that… was completely unpredictable!
By that point, even if Wei Tu held an official title, he might not be able to intervene in matters concerning Xinghua.
After all, her indenture contract was still with the Li family. Xinghua was still legally their property.
Thus, when Caixia spoke up just now, it had given Wei Tu the perfect opportunity.
After some thought, he decided to go along with it, using this moment to take back Xinghua's contract instead of dragging things out any further.
And as for today's events—
Wei Tu was certain that the Li family would not spread rumors afterward, accusing him of being "ungrateful," because doing so would inevitably expose what had happened with Caixia.
For the Li family, this was an embarrassing scandal.
The moment had come.
Wei Tu would not hesitate any longer.
"Of… of course not," Li Yaozu exhaled deeply and shook his head.
Wei Tu was Xinghua's husband. Naturally, he had the right to decide whether to redeem her indenture contract.
No matter how much Li Yaozu tried to argue, it would be futile. It would only lead to an outright conflict with Wei Tu.
And he still didn't want the Li family to become enemies with him.
However—
Just as Li Yaozu finished speaking, Li Xingye abruptly slapped the table and stood up.
He paced back and forth across the hall, scrutinizing both Caixia and Wei Tu, before sneering,
"Wei Tu, are you really going to go against the Li family for the sake of this lowly maid?"
"During the sixteenth year of Qing'an, Qingfeng Prefecture suffered a great drought. The fields yielded nothing. The Li family took you in and saved your life. Have you forgotten their kindness?"
"Last year, when you redeemed your indenture, my father took pity on you. Despite the reputation of our family being at stake, he personally wrote a letter of recommendation to Scholar Dan on your behalf…"
"Is this how you repay such kindness? By standing here today and openly defying my parents?"
Li Xingye sneered as he spoke.
Earlier, he had already resigned himself to the fact that Caixia would leave and that Xinghua would be redeemed. But what he couldn't accept was how brazenly Wei Tu had spoken, how he had dared to pressure his parents like this.
Now, he could no longer hold back.
Each of his words carried the weight of his frustration, his humiliation, his resentment over failing the examination. He threw them at Wei Tu like stones, trying to regain some semblance of dignity.
As soon as he finished speaking, the hall fell into an eerie silence.
Li Yaozu and Li Tongshi did not say a word.
Caixia, too, was stunned.
All three of them turned to look at Wei Tu, wondering how he would respond to this blatant attempt to shame him.
But—
Wei Tu remained calm, as if he had already anticipated Li Xingye's outburst.
"The kindness of the Li family is something I have never forgotten."
"If the opportunity presents itself, I will repay it in full."
His tone was icy as he met Li Xingye's gaze, his words carrying an unmistakable weight.
Then, he turned to Li Yaozu and Li Tongshi, waiting for their response regarding Xinghua's redemption.
"Xingye has been frustrated over failing the examination. In his distress, he may have spoken too harshly. Wei Tu, I hope you won't take it to heart," Li Tongshi finally said, offering an apology.
Then, she nudged her husband. "Old Master, go and fetch Xinghua's indenture contract. Two people earning their freedom today—this is a joyous occasion. I'm happy for them."
"Fine, fine…" Li Yaozu immediately seized the opportunity to de-escalate the situation. Without hesitation, he turned and walked into the inner hall to retrieve the contract.
"Redeeming Xinghua won't require ten taels of silver. Seven will suffice," Li Tongshi added, retrieving three taels from her purse and placing them on the nearby table.
After doing this, she fell silent. Like Caixia earlier, she pursed her lips, leaned back into her straight-backed chair, and stared blankly at the wooden beams above.
With Xinghua's indenture contract now in hand, Wei Tu cupped his fists and bowed to Li Yaozu and Li Tongshi. "First Madam, regarding my lodging here, I believe it would be best to make other arrangements. When I have time, I'll return with Xinghua to visit you."
"That's fine," Li Tongshi replied, her usual polite smile returning.
Meanwhile, Li Xingye sat to the side, dumbfounded. He hadn't expected Wei Tu to keep his composure so well, nor had he anticipated his parents handling the situation so smoothly.
But now that the moment had passed, he, too, realized that his earlier words had been inappropriate. The anger that had clouded his judgment began to fade, and he chose to keep quiet, waiting for everything to conclude.
Before long, Wei Tu and Caixia left the hall.
From outside, Chunlan watched them go. Her hands trembled slightly as she carried a tray of food meant for the Li household's dinner and stepped inside.
"Chunlan, what you saw just now—forget it. If you dare speak a word of it to anyone, you'll face punishment under house law," Li Tongshi ordered, her smile vanishing instantly.
"I understand, Madam," Chunlan quickly nodded, her head bobbing like a pecking chicken as she placed the dishes on the Eight Immortals Table.
But after a brief hesitation, she glanced at Li Tongshi and hesitantly spoke.
"Madam, there is… something I am unsure whether I should say or not."
Li Tongshi's expression darkened. Today had been one of the most humiliating days she had endured in her two decades of marriage.
"What is it?" she snapped.
Chunlan swallowed hard and then softly said, "It's about Wei Tu… He ranked in the Dao examination this year. He made it onto the list. He is… a second-class martial scholar."