Chapter 20: Trouble Has Been Stirred Up

  "Do you want me to tell the truth?" Chang's aunt raised an eyebrow, apparently not surprised that Madame would ask this question. After all, it was she who had requested this meeting in the first place, with the intention of taking a look at the young ladies of the Wen Ding Hou Fu.

  The madam smiled: "Of course it's the truth, why would I need to hide anything from you?" But as she spoke, her expression turned slightly serious.

  "I really don't want to comment on the girls in your household, but considering you were also born into a family of scholars and had a good family upbringing, how did you raise such daughters...?" Aunt Chang couldn't help but shake her head: "It's said that the Wen Ding Hou Fu has a bad reputation, I used to think it was just rumors, but now that I've seen it for myself, I really don't know what to say."

  The madam's face looked unpleasant, although she knew about the things in her own mansion, but being evaluated by an outsider still made her uncomfortable, even if that person was her own younger sister who had the closest relationship with her. However, in the end, she just let out a faint sigh, for the situation at home was indeed so, and what could she say to make it better?

  "You also know, in this household, it's still the old lady who's in charge. There are some things I'd like to take care of, but with the word 'filial piety' hanging over my head, what can I say?" The big madam couldn't help but vent her frustrations to Chang Nainai, having been stifled for so many years in this mansion, enduring for so many years. People say that a daughter-in-law will eventually become the mistress of the house, but she's already become an elderly lady, and her grandson is almost old enough to get married, yet she's still enduring."

  "Often aunt saw big madam full of bitterness and didn't dare to say anything more: 'I remember that at the beginning, wasn't it said that your mother-in-law was a sensible person?'"

  "She's indeed a wise person, but having lived alone for so long, she can't let go of the younger generation's affairs. In the early years, it was fine, but after giving birth to the heir, she started to change. They say that relationships between generations are special, and I've seen it too, but this kind of relationship is one where each child is spoiled to an extreme degree. If my husband hadn't been so doting, and if the first wife hadn't become the main wife, how would things have turned out like this?" Speaking from the bottom of her heart about the most suffocating thing, Madame's eyes couldn't help but redden.

  "Then why are you now in charge of handling the children's affairs?"

  "It's not because I'm being bullied." The madam blurted out, then immediately remembered that this matter was related to the future of the girls in the mansion, so she didn't continue: "Isn't it also because you see me having such a good older sister like you?"

  "If it weren't for you, I really didn't want to come over and stir up this trouble. Looking at you like that, the mistress has finally understood, but she's probably going to be reluctant to part with these children again." Aunt Chang shook her head helplessly, but deep down, she still felt sorry for the old mistress. The old mistress had been so carefree before marriage, but now as a grandmother, she was enduring all this for the sake of the family's stability.

  The madam smiled: "I knew you wouldn't let me off the hook, old sister. But among all the girls in the mansion, can't you really take a liking to any of them?"

  "If I had to say one, I think the third daughter Rong is not bad. She's calm and composed, even if she's been neglected, she can still be gentle. If she were to be trained in the palace, she might even become a capable lady-in-waiting. However, her attire is a bit too plain, not as good as the eldest daughter's." Aunt Chang paused for a moment before continuing: "Speaking of which, your family, the Wen Ding Hou Fu, is also a prominent household, how can your vision be so short-sighted? Others would be eager to have more daughters, raise them well, and use them to form alliances with other noble families. At the very least, they could try to get a scholar title on the imperial examination list to secure their family's future."

  "Your family is really something, the difference between legitimate and illegitimate daughters is so great, it's actually letting several concubine-born daughters wear such shabby clothes, even I as an outsider can't bear to look at it." Chang Auntie looked at Madame and asked.

  The madam's face darkened again upon hearing this: "Am I not even able to manage my own daughter's affairs? Otherwise, I wouldn't have exhausted myself inviting you to the manor. I truly worry about Xuan'er's future path. Not only is the atmosphere in the manor bad, but there's also the matter of a concubine overthrowing the wife. It will be extremely difficult for Xuan'er to marry into a good family. And her sister-in-law, Liu Dà Niáng, is an unreasonable person who says that entering the palace will lead to being selected as a concubine, and when the time comes and the emperor grows old..."

  "Xuan'er, who was in a state of panic, begged Lady Tai to let Rong's sister take her place in the palace, but the invitation had already been sent and couldn't be changed easily. One mistake would be considered a crime against the emperor. However, Lady Tai was persuaded by Xuan'er's pleas and almost agreed to make the change. Fortunately, Rong's sister was clever and although Clock's wife hadn't kept her own position, she had taught her daughter well and didn't let things go wrong."

  "Speaking of which, the madam looked at Chang's aunt seriously: "I invited you this time, old sister, and said so much, all for one thing. I just hope that you will pass on your way of being a person and getting along with others to Xuan'er, even if she can't learn much, learning a little is good too, so that she won't suffer greatly in other people's homes in the future."

  "You want to bring Rong Jie along, thinking that she can influence Xuan Er in some way?" Chang Gu Gu immediately guessed the true situation: "However, your good intentions might not be understood by your Ninth Sister. I think your Ninth Sister still holds a grudge against Rong Jie. When we were talking earlier, her gaze would occasionally fall on Rong Jie, and that gaze was full of hostility."

  "This time, elder sister, you guessed wrong!" The madam smiled slightly, picked up the tea cup on the pear wood table, and returned to her usual calm demeanor: "I never thought that Xuan'er and Rong'jie would get along well, it's just that Xuan'er has been too spoiled since childhood, everyone in the family lets her have her way, but this made her forget that sometimes she also needs to compromise and yield. And Rong'jie is the first person I've seen who dares to confront Xuan'er and doesn't give in, and in the end, even makes her suffer a loss."

  "I believe that with Rong's sister around, Xuan'er's temperament will improve a lot. Later on, when she enters the palace for the imperial selection, if she is indeed selected, her life will be better...” By the end of this sentence, Madame's eyes were slightly red-rimmed, after all, it was her own flesh and blood, how could she not feel heartache?

  Sometimes true love isn't about being hurt on the surface, but rather it's about being hurt deep down to your bones, considering the other person's future in every matter.

  Unfortunately, all these efforts were in vain and ultimately came to nothing. On the contrary, they only made Jiuniang hate Liu Rong to the bone, but that's a story for later.

  Liu Rong didn't know that Madam had so many ideas, nor did she know how she let her husband

  People take her so seriously, and she's always getting into trouble with Liu Yue. Now she's worried that she's somehow become a magnet for resentment - even when she walks with her sisters, they can get her dirty just by being around her in their absurd state.

  But Liu Meng, who was made to take the blame, stared at the large muddy handprint on Liu Rong's body, her mouth pouting, and seeing Liu Rong's slightly helpless eyes, she suddenly burst into loud wails.

  "Hey, Third Sister, you're being too harsh. It's just that Xiang'er accidentally stained your clothes, it's not a big deal. Why are you scolding her like this? If Eldest Aunt finds out about your petty heart, she might not want to teach you anymore!" Fourth Sister chimed in with a smile, "You know, Eldest Aunt is renowned in all the noble families. If any young lady from those families were to offend her, they'd probably end up marrying into an inferior family for the rest of their lives."

  As soon as he heard what his sister said, Dong Er busied himself trying to coax him, but the more he coaxed, the more the child cried, and Dong Er was at a loss for what to do.

  Liu Rong's eyebrows furrowed slightly: "Don't cry anymore, I'm not even angry, what are you crying about!"

  As soon as Liu Rong spoke, Dong Er hurried forward to stop her: "My aunt, what are you doing? Why are you in such a hurry with a child? If others see this, how can it be good?"

  "It's fine if you've seen it." As she spoke, Liu Rong pushed Dong Er away and walked towards Liu Xiang'er.

  Dong Er cried with a gloomy face, it's all over! It's all over! Miss is going to stir up trouble again! This time she'll even ruin her own future, Zhong Yiniang will definitely whip her and pull out her tendons!