Wu Ваоzhаng wаs bоth anxiоus аnd furiоus, nеаrly fainting from аngеr. Zhou Shaоjin's few words hаd turnеd hеr tеаrs intо a fault!
Shе had barely managеd tо reсovеr sоmе grоund lost duе tо Раn Qing's аctiоns when Zhou Shaоjin ruinеd it agаin.
With such a strong-willеd tempеrament, whаt fаmilу wоuld dаrе tо take hеr аs a dаughtеr-in-lаw?
In her dеspеrаtion, she саme uр with an idea—suрporting her fоrеhеad, shе went limp, deсiding tо "fаint" and bе dоnе with it.
First tеаrs, thеn a sсеne, аnd finallу threats оf suicidе.
Аlthоugh Pаn Zhi hаd nо сoncubines, his **dеbts were numerous.
Pаn Qing, who had beеn closеly wаtсhing Wu Bаozhang, immediately understood her intention.
If it hadn't been Madam Jiang standing beside Wu Baozhang, she might have turned a blind eye and let Wu Baozhang get away with it. But it just so happened that standing beside Wu Baozhang was her own maternal aunt. If Wu Baozhang fainted now, wouldn't it seem to others that her aunt was bullying the weak?
Pan Qing hurried over to Wu Baozhang's side in three quick steps. Before Wu Baozhang could collapse, she grabbed her arm and shot a meaningful glance at Madam Jiang, urgently calling for Madam Jiang's personal maid, Guo'er: "Hurry and fetch a basin of water for Eldest Miss Wu! Can't you see her makeup is smeared from crying?"
Madam Jiang, born into an official's family, had seven or eight half-siblings and had witnessed such scenes often since childhood. However, after marrying into the Cheng family, she had never encountered them again. Seeing Pan Qing's meaningful look, she paused for a moment before realizing what was happening, then quickly half-embraced and half-supported Wu Baozhang.
Pan Qing breathed a sigh of relief.
She didn't have the strength to hold up Wu Baozhang herself!
Wu Baozhang was at her wit's end—unable to advance or retreat. A surge of anger choked her chest, her eyes rolled back, and she truly began to faint.
Madam Jiang inwardly sneered, pinching Wu Baozhang's palm hard enough to force that suffocating breath out.
Now, even if Wu Baozhang wanted to faint for real, she couldn't.
Tears welling in her eyes, she cast a pitiful glance toward the woman who had earlier tried to comfort her.
That woman hesitated briefly, about to step forward, when a cheerful voice echoed from the hall: "Oh my, what's going on here? Why is everyone standing around instead of taking their seats?"
Everyone turned toward the sound.
They saw Madam Hong of the Yi branch supporting her mother-in-law, Old Madam Tang, as they walked in smiling.
The women in the hall hurried forward to greet Old Madam Tang.
Old Madam Tang nodded to each in turn, then said to Madam Jiang, "Niece-in-law Jiang, why aren't you in the main hall helping me entertain guests? What brings you here?" She then asked curiously, "Eldest Miss Wu, Miss Pan, and Second Miss Zhou, what are the three of you doing here?"
Pan Qing remained silent.
With Madam Jiang present, it wasn't her place to speak.
Zhou Shaojin also said nothing.
She had never been one to seek attention, and speaking too much often led to mistakes. It was better to wait and see how things unfolded.
Only Wu Baozhang's face shifted between shades of green and white.
If no one had tipped her off, how could Old Madam Tang, given her status and position, have recognized her at a glance?
Why would Old Madam Tang, who should have been entertaining guests in the main hall, come here personally with her daughter-in-law, Madam Hong?
Since she knew what had happened here, yet chose not to blame Zhou Shaojin for stirring up trouble or Pan Qing for offending a guest, wasn't she pretending ignorance to give Zhou Shaojin and Pan Qing a chance to explain?
The fact that neither Pan Qing nor Zhou Shaojin spoke—wasn't it because they relied on their elders to stand up for them?Who is she trying to fool with this affected display?
Wu Baozhang had been repeatedly mocked by Zhou Shaojin and Pan Qing, and Old Madam Tang’s words were the final straw that broke her composure. She flew into a rage and was about to jump up and argue with Zhou Shaojin and Pan Qing, but when she caught sight of her half-sister Wu Baohua standing behind Old Madam Tang, she broke out in a cold sweat.
To give Wu Baohua opportunities to appear before the ladies and madams of Jinling, she was always at her stepmother’s side on such occasions. It was impossible for her to be here without reason.
It seemed not only Old Madam Tang but also her stepmother knew what had happened here.
Her stepmother was skilled at putting on an act. In front of the Cheng family, she would certainly say nothing, but once they returned home, there was no telling what trouble she might stir up.
She couldn’t lose her temper.
Losing her temper would solve nothing.
This was her miscalculation!
She shouldn’t have let her guard down.
Who would have thought that Zhou Shaojin, who seemed gentle and harmless, would be so difficult to deal with? Even apologizing wasn’t enough—she had to appease her anger completely.
Wu Baozhang calmed down, and in an instant, she had an idea.
Her eyes reddened as she stepped forward and grasped Old Madam Tang’s sleeve, saying, “It’s all my fault. I misunderstood the Second Miss of the Zhou family earlier and said things I shouldn’t have. Your arrival is timely—you must help this junior plead for forgiveness. Please ask Second Miss Zhou not to be angry with me anymore…”
This way, Zhou Shaojin surely wouldn’t be able to hold it against her, right?
Old Madam Tang was thoroughly annoyed.
She glanced lightly at her personal attendant, Mama Tang.
Before coming, she had already given instructions: as soon as she inquired about the grievances among the three young ladies, Mama Tang would step forward and whisper to her. Then, she could use the excuse of “young girls being immature” to swiftly resolve the matter. But now, Eldest Miss Wu had seized the initiative…
And that Second Miss Zhou was no better. Lady Guan of the fourth branch was such a shrewd person, yet after being raised in the fourth branch for these years, she hadn’t learned a thing. Hearing Eldest Miss Wu speak like this, she didn’t step forward to apologize but stood there dumbly, like a block of wood.
Old Madam Tang grumbled inwardly but chuckled a few times and said, “Second Miss Zhou, since Eldest Miss Wu says it was a misunderstanding, don’t you think you should…”
If she didn’t take this opportunity to teach Wu Baozhang a lesson, she would likely continue to treat her as an easy target.
Zhou Shaojin’s mind raced, but she wore a look of confusion on her face. She called out “Old Madam Tang” but turned her gaze toward Pan Qing.
Earlier, no one in the hall had noticed what had happened between Zhou Shaojin and Wu Baozhang. They only saw Zhou Shaojin and Wu Baozhang come to confront Pan Qing, and Pan Qing rebuked Wu Baozhang with sharp words. Afterward, although Zhou Shaojin treated Wu Baozhang coldly, given Wu Baozhang’s inappropriate weeping, it was understandable for Zhou Shaojin, as a relative of the Cheng family and still young, to lose patience and mock her. In contrast, Wu Baozhang, who had come to confront Pan Qing, ended up shifting the blame to Zhou Shaojin. No wonder Zhou Shaojin treated her so harshly.Moreover, with Zhou Shaojin’s gentle and delicate demeanor, someone took offense at Wu Baozhang and whispered, “Miss Wu, this is clearly a matter between you and Miss Pan. Why drag the Zhou family’s second young lady into it? If you have something to say, why not speak plainly? To involve three families and then four—how can you, a young lady from a respectable family, be so unreliable in your words and actions?”
Where did this person come from?
Wu Baozhang trembled with rage.
She did not know that this person was a relative by marriage of Jinling’s Assistant Prefect Shen Qingyun, and that Shen Qingyun had some disagreements with her father, Prefect Wu.
Old Madam Tang also did not recognize this person.
She glanced subtly at Pan Qing, thinking that the third branch was full of troublemakers, not a single proper or well-behaved person among them. Even after marrying out, they still couldn’t shake off their bad habits. Her heart felt as if she had swallowed a fly—deeply uncomfortable. Without looking at Zhou Shaojin again, she smiled and said, “So it was Qing’s fault! How could you let the Zhou family’s second young lady take the blame for you? Hurry and apologize to Eldest Miss Wu!”
Upon hearing this, Madam Jiang’s expression changed slightly. She was about to stop Pan Qing, but unexpectedly, Pan Qing stepped forward and performed a curtsy toward Eldest Miss Wu. Then, pressing her lips together, she stood to the side, conveying a sense of “I am not wrong, but since my elder has spoken, I have no choice but to apologize to you.”
Wu Baozhang’s expression shifted, feeling as though she had made another mistake!
They were all a bunch of foxes.
Old Madam Tang cursed inwardly but said aloud, “Alright, alright, young girls quarrel today and make up tomorrow. We elders shouldn’t get involved, lest we make things worse.” Then she instructed Madam Hong, “You stay here to entertain the guests. Make sure to take good care of everyone, so they eat and drink well.” Next, she pulled Madam Jiang along, saying, “You should still help me entertain guests in the main hall. Let the young girls settle their own affairs.” To the ladies in the hall, she added, “Please forgive any shortcomings in our hospitality!”
“Not at all, not at all!” the guests replied with smiles, exchanging pleasantries with Old Madam Tang.
Old Madam Guan’s personal maid, Si’er, emerged from somewhere.
She smiled at Zhou Shaojin and said, “Second Young Lady, the old madam has been looking everywhere for you. Please come with me quickly.”
Zhou Shaojin, eager to extricate herself, smiled and headed to the main hall ahead of Madam Jiang and Old Madam Tang.
Pan Qing was then pulled away by Madam Jiang.
Only Wu Baozhang remained. Wu Baohua simply watched her quietly until a hint of awkwardness appeared on her face, and she slowly walked over. Then, Wu Baohua said softly, “Mother said she’s worried that Father and Brother might have no one to look after them when they return home after drinking, so she asked you to go back first and instruct the maids and servants at home to prepare some sobering soup.”
This was clearly sending her home!
Wu Baozhang felt as if she had a broken bitter gall in her mouth.
She gazed toward the main hall, feeling as though an impassable chasm lay before her.
Was this the difference between having a mother and not having one?
Her own sister spoke to her like this, and she couldn’t even lose her temper!
Wu Baozhang slowly nodded.
She no longer wanted to return to the main hall either.
What was the point of going back? To watch how Zhou Shaojin and Pan Qing’s families doted on them?
Accompanied by Wu Baohua, Wu Baozhang left the hall and departed from the Cheng family.In the open hall, Old Madam Guan acted as if nothing had happened and said to Zhou Shaojin, "After dinner, there will be fireworks. In the dark, with smoke swirling around, it’s easy for trouble to arise. You sisters are not allowed to go anywhere—stay by my side later." She then had a stewardess from the second branch squeeze Zhou Shaojin over to Zhou Chujin’s table.
Zhou Shaojin had no desire to pay any attention to Wu Baozhang or Pan Qing.
She smiled and replied, "Yes," obediently following the stewardess to move.
However, Old Madam Guo called Zhou Shaojin back and said to the stewardess, "Set up another table instead! It’s better to have extra seats than to have the young ladies crowded together."
The stewardess smiled eagerly and went to arrange the table.
Old Madam Guan thanked Old Madam Guo.
But Old Madam Guo sighed and said, "This was originally my oversight. I’m glad you don’t blame me."
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The weather here has turned cold—I wonder how it is where you sisters are?
Stay warm…
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OpenNovel