No matter how angry and ashamed she felt, every word of the conversation between the men and women in the courtyard drifted in.
What about the promise of "meeting after dusk" to take this Hui Niang out to admire the plum blossoms, what about "you should spend more time with the eldest mistress," and "you know how I feel about you"...
Sixth Sister stood outside the courtyard listening, her face ashen.
What's even more outrageous is that Chen Qian actually brought up the matter of children with her. He said he hoped she would give birth to a son or daughter, and then he would make her his concubine.
Where does Chen Qian put her, his first wife? Was it because he was blocking their path to happiness?
Sixth Sister was furious. Her nails dug deep into her palms, leaving deep marks, but she felt no pain. A rage burned within her—those despicable couple!
She's only been married for a little over a month, and he's already thinking about promoting her to a concubine? Chen Qian himself is a legitimate son, so having a son born out of wedlock before him would make him look good.
Sixth Sister had already deduced that the two adulterers must have started their affair before she even entered the house. But how long ago was that? Was it before or after they met An Jiu? On one hand, Chen Qian was in love with An Jiu, racking his brains to get close to her, confess his feelings, and even think about marrying her; on the other hand, he was sleeping with another woman, showering her with affection.
She really wanted to see what kind of heart Chen Qian had!
The teasing between Chen Qian and Hui Niang gradually subsided, replaced by more ambiguous sounds that made one blush.
She couldn't hear the sounds that followed, but footsteps gradually rose in the courtyard, suggesting that the two had gone inside to do something shameful.
After the noise completely subsided, Liu Niang walked away.
She was determined to vent her anger and would not tolerate it.
She just needed to calm down and think carefully about how to vent her anger.
"Madam?" Upon seeing Sixth Madam emerge with her expressionless and cold demeanor, both Biyun and Bizhu were startled. Before her marriage, Madam was a composed and reserved person. Apart from the time she made a mistake and was locked in the small Buddhist hall, she had always been careful in her words and deeds and had never been found to have made a mistake.
The way it looks now is because something big has happened.
Even if she discovered that her son-in-law was having an affair, would her daughter get so angry?
Liu Niang's face was ashen.
Of course, if it were just Chen Qian and the little maid*, she wouldn't be so angry. But Chen Qian wanted to elevate her to the status of a concubine, and even before she was pregnant, he wanted his son to be born first—she thought of a possibility: since the two had been having an affair, could this Hui Niang already be pregnant?
Once her belly grows big, the Chen family will, in order to acknowledge the child's status, elevate Hui Niang to the rank of concubine, allowing her to rightfully give birth to the eldest son born out of wedlock.
Where does she put her face?
She couldn't rely much on her maternal family to begin with, and she didn't have a loving older sister to help her! Nor did she have a husband who doted on and trusted her!
Moreover, if her sisters found out, they might be waiting to see her make a fool of herself, especially An Jiu. She used to always pick on An Jiu, and now An Jiu would probably be very pleased with herself.
In an instant, a thousand thoughts surged in Liu Niang's mind, and her eyes seemed to be frozen.
"Go back the way you came, and don't make a sound!" After a moment, Sixth Sister took a deep breath, her expression softening somewhat. "Bring the purse for Madam."
Bizhu hurriedly handed over the purse.
“Let’s go back to the front gate of the main courtyard and go to Madam’s room from there.” Sixth Sister swallowed all the humiliation and said calmly, “You must keep your mouth shut. Don’t reveal a single word about what happened today. Go back and teach the people in our courtyard how to explain it, and erase the time we spent outside.”
Knowing the situation was bad, Bizhu and Biyun quickly agreed in unison, swearing that they would never let it slip.
Sixth Sister nodded slightly, her expression relaxing a little.
She stepped into the Ding family courtyard, her demeanor becoming increasingly dignified and composed, displaying the air of a noblewoman.
After her initial anger subsided, Liu Niang calmed down. She had never harbored any illusions about Chen Qian's romantic relationships. The two of them had already had a major falling out over Fang Ting and An Jiu, so a complete breakdown in relations was inevitable. She just hadn't expected Chen Qian to embarrass her so quickly.
She had initially thought Chen Qian was somewhat intelligent, but it turned out he was just as muddle-headed.
Does her embarrassment bring Chen Qian glory? Even if the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion dislikes her, she is still a representative of the mansion's reputation since she married into it. If she is neglected, the Marquis of Nan'an's mansion will also lose face.
Not to mention that we are still in the capital and have not yet arrived in Yangzhou.
If the Chen family doesn't respect her... then she'll fight to the death, and maybe she can escape that way.
Having discovered Chen Qian and Xu Hui's affair, Liu Niang was relieved of a burden. Therefore, from a certain perspective, all that remained in her heart was hatred.
But she absolutely couldn't let anyone see through her act; she had to make use of this situation. The Chen family wanted to fool her and keep her in the dark, but she wasn't the pampered An San Niang who was easily fooled, only finding out when her concubines were heavily pregnant and about to give birth.
In the end, they had no choice but to carry the person in, and his eldest son from a concubine was also brought in.
Although Li was later punished, and San Niang became pregnant again, if she gave birth to the eldest son, San Niang's position in the Prince Yi's mansion would be completely secure.
However, Liu Niang clenched her fists and silently pondered for a while. She was all alone and helpless. She had no mother to plan for her, nor a beautiful and clever younger sister like Jiu Niang to help her. She could only rely on herself to get through it all step by step.
Therefore, she will not make a scene immediately, nor will she let the situation develop unchecked.
"Madam, you've arrived!" Upon entering the Ding family courtyard, a young maidservant greeted her with a smile and lifted the curtain, saying, "Madam was just thinking of you, and what a coincidence that you've come!"
From the moment she stepped into the courtyard, Liu Niang's face was adorned with a polite and gentle smile, revealing no sign of anything amiss.
Sixth Sister smiled and nodded slightly.
Ding was reclining on the soft couch, flipping through two books on flower patterns. When she saw Sixth Sister arrive, she quickly beckoned her to sit down beside her. "Sixth Sister, come and sit down quickly."
Although Ding had treated her better than her own daughter these past few days—of course, Chen Qian didn't have a biological sister, and even if he did, it wouldn't have been any different—Sixth Sister remained vigilant. She dared not neglect the proper conduct of a daughter-in-law, and she absolutely could not allow any faults to be found in her.
After performing the proper courtesies, she sat down on the embroidered stool next to the soft couch.
"Mother." Sixth Sister addressed Ding Shi warmly, without putting on airs like a daughter of a noble family. "Did I disturb your rest?"
Looking at her obedient, beautiful, and noble daughter-in-law, Madam Ding felt pleased and satisfied. She smiled and said, "No. I was just looking at the fashionable patterns in the capital. Our family also has a silk shop business. When we have time tomorrow, I'll take you shopping. If you like anything, you can bring it over to have clothes made."
She patted Sixth Sister's hand and said affectionately, "I love to see you all dressed so beautifully."