Chapter 724: Unfilial and Unrighteous
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Fifth Old Madam had a kind expression and her voice was gentle and loving.
However, everyone present could tell that there was a heart-wrenching meaning behind her gentle words.
No matter how much trouble the Xie family caused, whether Yu Youyao returned to her mother’s family or not depended on Yu Youyao’s approval.
No matter how much the Xie Residence argued, it didn’t matter.
Old Madam Xie was so angry that she opened her mouth to speak.
However, Old Master Xie knocked his cane on her hand and stopped her.
Old Madam Xie held back her words and looked at Old Master indignantly. Why hadn’t Old Master asked her to defend Little Yao’er? Was he just going to watch helplessly as the Yu Clan forced Little Yao’er to express her stance?
Madam Wang also looked angry, but the elders did not say anything, so she did not have any room to speak.
Yu Youyao understood that he was forcing her to express her stance.
Whether she returned to her mother’s clan or not depended on her wishes. As long as she did not agree, the Xie family would not be able to do it even if they caused a commotion.
Fifth Old Madam’s words pushed all the blame to Madam Yang. Madam Yang was indeed the one who had been abandoned because of this matter. It could be considered as returning “justice” to her mother. In this matter, the Yu Clan had not let her and her daughter down.
Her grandmother doted on her. As a daughter of the Yu Clan, she really shouldn’t have made a fuss about returning to her mother’s clan before her grandmother’s corpse turned cold. Otherwise, she would be ungrateful.
It was a blow to her.
She had also mentioned that after her grandmother’s funeral, the clan would completely give her and her mother a clean reputation. This was like offering her a sweet date.
Immediately after, she expressed that all of this was just a misunderstanding and asked her not to have any resentment towards the clan because of this. This was a warning to her and forcing her to express her stance in public.
She was a daughter of the Yu Clan and had received the Yu Clan’s upbringing. She had grown up with the Yu Clan’s kindness and righteousness. If she resented the clan because of this and made a fuss about returning to her mother’s clan, she would become an ingrate.
Yu Youyao’s eyes turned red, and her palm-sized face was pale and haggard.
She looked at the Yu Clan members in a daze, then at her relatives in the Xie Residence. Finally, her expression darkened. She slowly lowered her head and knelt on the ground.
“Youyao from the Yu Clan has been raised by the Yu Clan since she was young. She has received the Yu Clan’s kindness and filial piety. However…” At this point, she looked up and unknowingly, tears were already streaming down her face. “The other clan also dotes on me. I feel deeply touched.”
The room was so quiet that one could hear a pin drop!
Fifth Old Madam’s face turned red. She quickly picked up her tea and covered her face to drink it.
Whether she returned to her mother’s clan or not was important, but the key was to see what the clan thought. If the clan did not agree, Yu Youyao would not be able to return to her mother’s clan.
In the end, this matter was originally a conflict between the elders and had nothing to do with Yu Youyao, a junior.
The Yu Clan couldn’t keep it together in front of the Xie Residence and had lost face. The Xie Residence had the upper hand in the matter of returning to their mothers. They were caught between a rock and a hard place, so they used Yu Youyao as a shield.
Their intentions were really sinister.
The Yu Clan had used upbringing and filial piety to force Yu Youyao to make a choice. Son, what did Yu Youyao think of her mother and her maternal family?
Both sides were family. The words “filial piety” and “righteousness” were targeted at the Yu Clan and the Xie Residence.
Yu Youyao’s filial piety and righteousness to the Yu Clan meant that she was unfilial and unrighteous to the Xie Residence. Her seemingly loving and gentle words had actually already portrayed Yu Youyao as unfilial and unrighteous.
Yu Youyao slowly bowed and said softly, “Grandmother has passed away. Mother’s reputation was almost tarnished, and my background was almost confused. Although Madam Yang instigated this matter and was divorced, Yu Youyao doesn’t know what to do in the future in the residence. After Grandmother’s funeral, I’ll return back to the clan. From then on, I’ll be devoted to Buddhism and not make things difficult for you because of me.” Before she could finish speaking, she took out a pair of gold scissors from her sleeve and lifted the hair behind her head…
“Stop—” Old Madam Xie was shocked. She quickly pounced over and hugged Yu Youyao. She only had time to hear a clear crack as a bundle of hair fell to the ground.
“Little Yao’er!” Old Madam Xie shouted and snatched the golden scissors from Yu Youyao’s hand. She hugged her and cried. “My Little Yao’er, your body, hair, and skin are inherited by your parents. As long as your parents a_re around, you shouldn’t cut your hair. How can you be so heartless as to cut your hair just like that…” In ancient times, cutting hair was a serious crime of unfilial piety. It was obvious that her hair was her pride. How could this child cut it just like that? “My Little Yao’er, you’re a good girl. How can you be forced to cut your hair and be a buddhist nun? Is there any justice in this world? Little Yao’er…
Such a fierce action stunned everyone in the room.
The old clan master looked at the strand of hair on the ground and glared at Fifth Old Madam angrily. “Why are you implicating the younger generation in the matters of the elders? Have you gone senile due to old age? You’re saying that the Yu Clan’s maiden family was unfilial and forcing her to be a buddhist nun. What sort of elder are you?!”
Fifth Old Madam’s mouth trembled and her face turned pale with fright.
Back then, Old Madam Yu had also silently hung a rope to the beam of the ancestral hall. It was only when the servants guarding the ancestral hall discovered it in time that she was saved.
She did not expect Yu Youyao to be so fierce at such a young age. Her grandmother’s corpse had yet to turn cold, and a good girl was about to cut her hair and become a Buddhist nun. Where would the Yu Clan’s face and reputation go?
Not to mention that Yu Youyao was even conferred the title of County Head. When the time came, the imperial family would definitely step in.
As an elder, the Yu Clan was unkind and wanted to force a girl in the family to be a Buddhist nun.
As a relative, the Yu Clan was heartless and did not care about blood ties at all.
The expressions of the Yu Clan members were solemn.
Old Madam Xie cried in grief and indignation. “Your Yu Clan is too much. If you have anything, come at our Xie Residence. Why are you forcing my granddaughter to do this? Old Madam Yu’s corpse hasn’t even turned cold, but you’re already bullying her granddaughter. Aren’t you afraid that Old Madam Yu won’t die in peace? Aristocratic families and scholarly families are clearly a group of hypocrites who forget their righteousness when they see benefits…”
Yu Youyao sat on the ground in a daze, looking confused. She had expected that the return to her mother’s family would not go smoothly, so she had prepared for the worst.
Once she was implicated by the Yu Clan, she would have no choice but to take the initiative.
She had to cut her hair sooner or later.
Otherwise, even if the Yu Clan agreed to return to her mother’s clan, as a daughter of the Yu Clan, her father would continue to be raised by her father.
She had received thirteen years of kindness. Would she be able to abandon the Yu Clan and return to her mother’s clan with a clear conscience?
Naturally, it was impossible.
Old Master Xie was furious. He suddenly stood up from his chair. “Since your Yu Clan is heartless, don’t blame me for being unrighteous. Let’s go to the government office…”
The Yu Clan members hurriedly went over to pull, stop, and persuade him.
The scene was in chaos.
At this moment, the Second Old Madam, who was busy with the funeral outside, entered the house. When she saw how chaotic the house was, she couldn’t help but be shocked. “Old Master, Young Master Zhou is here. He’s waiting outside. He said that Matriarch had written a letter before she died..”