Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 543: Chapter 550: Actions Prove

“Greetings, Mistress!” Qi Shen and Qi Yun both knelt in front of Su Wenyue, performing a formal bow with utmost seriousness. Previously, due to certain thoughts and pride in their hearts, the two brothers had never truly paid their respects to Su Wenyue, nor had they recognized her status as their Mistress. After all, because of certain events and the prevailing attitudes of the era, they had some misunderstandings about Su Wenyue and did not treat her with the due respect she deserved. It wasn’t that they had done anything in particular, but rather they had not treated Su Wenyue as they would a Mistress.

This was a common occurrence in upper-class society, where women’s status was relatively low and they were seen as dependent on men. In a big family, secret guards only took orders from the master, not needing to obey the Mistress—respect was all that was required.

It was for these reasons that Su Wenyue’s resolute leap from the cliff had so shocked them, filled them with shame, and guilt for not having protected the Mistress properly.

Han Yu understood the feelings of Qi Yun and his fellow subordinates; he treated them with more leniency than other servants. So even though he clearly perceived the situation, he chose not to say much, nor did he impose further demands. Now, seeing his valued subordinates genuinely admire his daughter-in-law, Han Yu felt an additional measure of reassurance in his heart.

Watching the Qi brothers kneeling there, Han Yu made no indication to intervene but instead let go of his daughter-in-law’s hand, leaving her to handle the situation. His expectations of his daughter-in-law weren’t high, but she still needed to grasp these basic matters, and he believed in her capability.

For her part, Su Wenyue wasn’t particularly moved by the servants’ kneeling, and she found Chen Li’s talk of equality laughable. The rules of society dictated that it was natural for a servant to kneel before the master. However, the status of the Qi brothers was different; had it not been for Wang Mang’s persecution, their original status would have been much higher than hers. Putting aside their past status, they were now highly valued by Han Yu, his right-hand men, so their simultaneous kowtowing did take her by surprise, causing her to look at Han Yu with a sense of being overwhelmed.

These were Han Yu’s subordinates, and Su Wenyue had thought to let Han Yu handle it, but he just stood there without remark, having let go of her hand, which clearly indicated that she should deal with it herself.

Su Wenyue was momentarily uncertain, yet she didn’t lose her composure. To back down now would be to lose face and to waste Han Yu’s careful considerations. He intended to establish her status in the hearts of the subordinates, allowing her to take the opportunity to win over the Qi brothers, ensuring her place was not only in the backyard but at the forefront as well.

“You may rise; there is no need for this! I’ve heard from Han Yu about your feelings of remorse for this incident and your belief that you failed to protect me. There is no need for such a grand gesture over this matter. The situation that day was such that it cannot be blamed on you; you’ve already done your utmost and fulfilled your duty. I will not blame you for this, and Han Yu all the less so.”

“It is the Madam’s magnanimity to not blame us, but regardless of the situation that day, failing to protect the Madam was our fault, and we ask the Madam to punish us,” the Qi brothers insisted, still kneeling rigidly and refusing to rise, both being men who stood firm on their beliefs and never swayed once their minds were set.

Seeing their resolve, Su Wenyue did not insist they stand but simply said, “Very well, since you insist, I will accept this bow from you. As for punishment, the past is past, and there is no point in dwelling on it. You both are Han Yu’s right-hand men, and at a time when talent is needed, I will only demand that you serve Han Yu with even greater dedication and assist him in achieving his endeavors, thereby redeeming your faults with merit.”

Su Wenyue’s words only increased the Qi brothers’ admiration for her. They realized what fools they’d been to doubt her virtue and to allow lesser opinions to taint their perceptions, leading to negligence in their duties. Now it was clear that the Madam was a chaste and virtuous woman worthy of respect and certainly the only woman fit to stand by the Master’s side—no other woman was even worthy to carry her shoes.

“We are naturally the Master’s subordinates; it is our duty to devote ourselves to the Master’s business. Besides, the Master has shown us kindness, and for his sake, we would not hesitate to sacrifice even our lives. Now, with the Madam’s words, it seems that you wish to grant us brothers leniency. We clearly understand this in our hearts and are grateful for the Madam’s favor. We will indeed work even harder in the future to serve the Master and not let down both the Master and the Madam.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Since that is so, let’s clarify everything and rise,” Su Wenyue said with a smile, allowing the Qi brothers to stand. Although her initial words had another deeper meaning, she believed the Qi brothers had understood but decided not to press the matter. There was no point in demanding promises made out of a sense of guilt. Moreover, though she might not have achieved her initial aim entirely, at the very least, she could tell from the brothers’ words and actions that they now held respect for her, something they had not shown before.

Han Yu watched from the side, of course understanding the deeper meaning in his daughter-in-law’s words. The Qi brothers had acknowledged their mistake, but they had not responded to the part of her speech that truly mattered. They undoubtedly grasped the implications of her words though. Han Yu wasn’t in a hurry, waiting to see how things would unfold, confident in the respect the Qi brothers held for his daughter-in-law.

“The Qi brothers once again ask for the Madam’s forgiveness.”

Indeed, Han Yu had not guessed wrong; the Qi brothers did not disappoint his trust. They had scarcely risen before they knelt again, bowing deeply to Su Wenyue and then remaining there.

“What is this for?” Su Wenyue asked, surprised but also somewhat anticipating it, almost able to predict what the Qi brothers would say next.

“In the past, Qi Yun and Qi Shen were narrow-minded, judging the Madam based on our personal views and perceptions, as well as some unfavorable words about her. We overlooked the Madam’s worth, and though we went through the motions of respect, we did not truly honor her in our hearts, often neglecting our duties in our conduct. Please forgive us brothers for this, and from now on, whenever the Madam commands, we will not refuse and will respect the Madam as we do the Master,” the Qi brothers said sincerely, having genuinely accepted Su Wenyue as their Mistress, and no longer offering hollow courtesies. Knowing she would not hold them accountable, they no longer pleaded for punishment but instead wanted to express a certain attitude.

“Well, I appreciate your sincerity and goodwill. As I’ve said before, let the past be past. You’ve not truly done anything wrong and have met your obligations. I will not punish you, I only hope that you will do even better in the future. Rise now; I’ve never been one to judge through words alone. If you truly intend to, then prove it through your actions in the future.”

“Yes, your subordinates will indeed demonstrate through actions, not just words!”