Chapter 18: Tenfold Repayment

Mei Xiaofang's expression froze upon hearing those words, and the silk in her hands was immediately snatched away by a male servant.

"Ah!"

Caught off guard, Mei Xiaofang tumbled forward due to the force of the man's pull, heading straight toward a female servant, but the latter let out a cold sneer and stepped aside without hesitation.

Just as Mei Xiaofang was about to hit the ground, a strong arm caught her. It was Sikong Jing.

He then handed his mother-in-law over to Su Yuexi, who stood behind him. Glaring at the surrounding servants, Sikong Jing clenched his fist and said to the male servant with furious eyes, "Give it back."

His voice was cold and domineering. The male servant felt as if he were being stared down by a predatory beast and instinctively took a step back.

However, the female servant was undaunted. She let out a sharp cry, "On what grounds? Mei Xiaofang has been withholding our wages for half a month; why should we return it?"

Provoked by her shout, the male servant also spoke up with confidence, "That's right. You think you can just refuse to pay and still act like you're in the right?"

Several other servants behind them chimed in one after another.

"The First Madam of the Su family wants to starve us to death. What's wrong with taking a few things from her?"

"This is what we are rightfully owed."

As they spoke up one by one, the servants felt emboldened by their numbers and no longer feared Sikong Jing's aggression.

At that moment, Mei Xiaofang's voice rang out from behind Sikong Jing: "It was my fault for being late with your wages, but since when is robbery acceptable? And it has only been half a month!"

Supported by Su Yuexi, Mei Xiaofang stepped forward, her face pale.

"Half a month isn't long enough?" The male servant rubbed the silk in his hands and sneered, "Besides, given your current situation, you can't even afford to delay for a single day. Who knows how much longer you'll even be alive?"

The female servant also hurled insults: "You, Mei Xiaofang, are nothing but a shrew and a deadbeat who refuses to pay her debts."

Mei Xiaofang's eyes instantly reddened. As the First Madam of the Su family, when had she ever been insulted like this?

And to call her a deadbeat—she had never failed to pay wages before; this was the very first time.

Su Yuexi couldn't help but say urgently, "Auntie Li, my mother has always treated you well. Is there a need to be so cruel?"

These servants had all been with them since her father's glory days. Even after their downfall, her mother had never mistreated them. To think that twenty years of service would be met with the words "shrew" and "deadbeat."

Especially Auntie Li, the female servant, who had been her mother's personal maid since her dowry.

But Su Yuexi's words were met only with cold sneers from all the servants. Auntie Li even narrowed her eyes and said viciously, "I don't care. The wages you owe us must be paid, and paid immediately."

Su Yuexi opened her mouth to speak, but since they were indeed in debt, she felt at a disadvantage and didn't know what to do.

At this moment, Mei Xiaofang gave a tragic smile. "I understand. Once the Su residence's allowance arrives tomorrow, we will settle everything with you."

Su Yuexi's heart trembled. Her mother must be deeply hurt; Auntie Li and the others were being too heartless.

*Sigh, the allowance from the Su residence was already meager to begin with.*

It grew smaller every year. The reason they couldn't pay the wages was that the allowance for the last two months had been halved again.

Her mother had intended to delay it slightly, planning to settle the wages after the grandfather's birthday banquet in ten days when the red envelopes were distributed. Her mother had always believed the servants would understand their predicament.

But in just half a month, they were already pressuring them and attempting to rob them.

"The Su residence's allowance? Mei Xiaofang, are you dreaming? What allowance do you have left to take?" Auntie Li sneered repeatedly.

Stunned, Mei Xiaofang asked blankly, "What do you mean?"

Even though the allowance was small, and even though they were disliked by that old fossil Su Xuefeng, there was still some.

"Oh? It seems you still don't know?"

"Old Master Su has already ordered that all financial supplies to your household be cut off. Not a single copper coin remains."

*Buzz!*

As Auntie Li's words fell, Mei Xiaofang's head began to ring. If the allowance was cut off, what would her family eat in the future?

"How can they do this? Is the legacy of Zhenglong leading the Su family to become one of the four great families of Yunye City not worth even a few copper coins?" Mei Xiaofang let out a piercing cry.

Twenty years ago, the Su family was merely a second-rate family in Yunye City; it was Su Zhenglong who had built it from the ground up.

Cutting off the allowance was like taking Su Zhenglong's life; he needed money to buy medicine to sustain him.

"In short, pay the money, or don't blame us for stripping your house bare."

Auntie Li shouted with a distorted face, and all the servants took a step forward, looking ready to strike.

Mei Xiaofang said tragically again, "I have given you many rewards in the past. Can they not cover half a month's wages?"

They could cover more than that; they could cover ten years' worth.

But Auntie Li was relentless, sneering, "Those rewards were your choice. I never begged for them."

*Slap!*

Suddenly, a crisp sound rang out against Auntie Li's face.

At the same time, Sikong Jing stepped forward and repeated commandingly, "Give it back."

Auntie Li covered her face, caught between shock and rage.

But in the next instant, she let out a scream: "Someone is hitting us! The Su family is hitting us because we're asking for our unpaid wages! Is there no justice? We have given our whole lives to the Su residence!"

Following her scream, footsteps approached, and people dressed as servants appeared at the courtyard entrance.

Su Yuexi had mentioned that this was the old Su residence, and those living nearby were all servants of the Su household.

"Ah Li, what happened?" someone asked.

Auntie Li pointed accusingly at Mei Xiaofang, "We were kneeling and begging for the wages owed to us, and then this shrew Mei Xiaofang called her criminal son-in-law to hit me! I wasted all these years with her, wuwuwu..."

Such blatant distortions of the truth nearly made Mei Xiaofang faint from rage.

They weren't kneeling and begging; they were coercing and robbing.

Even Sikong Jing was momentarily stunned.

His fury boiled over. He took a step forward and delivered another slap to Auntie Li's face.

This time, everyone saw it clearly. The watching servants took a step back and began to point fingers.

"How inhumane! They owe money and then they hit people. They'll be struck by divine retribution."

"We are just servants. In their eyes, we probably aren't even considered human, are we?"

"Let's go to the Su family's Law Enforcement Hall and complain to the Second Master..."

Amidst the various voices, dozens of servants launched a verbal assault against Mei Xiaofang and Su Yuexi.

Sikong Jing reached his limit and took another heavy step forward.

"Criminal, stop right there!"

Mei Xiaofang suddenly screamed, "Stop hitting her! Are you trying to roast me over a fire?"

She was driven mad by anger and wanted to slap Auntie Li to death, but she couldn't...

Otherwise, her family would be drowned in a sea of public condemnation.

With Auntie Li's ability to flip the truth, if they continued to fight, her family might become the enemies of the entire Su residence, leaving them with even less hope for survival.

However, Sikong Jing paused for a moment before charging forward again. He grabbed Auntie Li by the collar and declared, "The first slap is for your ingratitude and for a servant bullying her master. The second slap is for your lies. The third slap is for your opportunism."

*Slap!*

The third slap sent Auntie Li flying. Sikong Jing then said coldly, "We never said we wouldn't pay the half-month's wages. Come find me in three days to collect it, and I will pay you tenfold."

"Now, all of you get out of here, or die!" Sikong Jing's eyes swept over them, radiating overwhelming killing intent.