Chapter 81 | Table of Contents
Chapter 81:
The atmosphere in the main room of Fuyou Residence was just right. (Novel TXT download: http://wW/)
Madam Bai was a sensible person. She knew that her purpose in coming was to find out the truth of the matter, not to interrogate her. Therefore, she was not arrogant and did not start by questioning her. Instead, she greeted and chatted with the old lady as warmly as she would when visiting her.
The two families had been visiting each other frequently over the years, so the old lady naturally had no suspicions. She assumed that the Pang family had just decided to visit on a whim, so she entertained them as usual without feeling uncomfortable at all.
Observing the expressions of the old lady of the Jun family, Madam Bai saw that she was calm and composed, and did not seem to have any guilty conscience about hiding something important from her in-laws. She became more convinced of Pang Yuan's speculation that "the writer's purpose was to frame Wuyou".
Just then, the two sisters, Wuyou and Wushuang, walked in hand in hand.
Old Madam Bai beckoned the two of them over and examined them closely.
Wuyou was someone she had watched grow up, so there was nothing new to say about her. However, the purpose of today was not to chat casually, but also to observe whether there was anything wrong with her eyebrows and eyes. Even when the Pang family came to propose marriage back then, they did not examine her as carefully as they did now.
Wuyou, who was always gentle and shy, and whose future husband's grandmother was also present, quickly blushed again on her face.
"Look at your blushing face," Old Madam Bai laughed. "Your skin was so fair and tender before, like a peeled lychee, but now the lychee peel has grown back?"
One sentence made everyone in the room burst into laughter.
Wuyou's face naturally turned even redder.
“Grandmother,” Pang Yuan couldn’t help but say, “You know Wuyou is shy, so please don’t laugh at her.”
"Good, good, good," Old Madam Bai replied. "My grandson, he's already protecting his wife like the apple of his eye even before they've married." She turned to Old Madam Jun and said, "Elder sister, you really know how to pick a grandson-in-law. I can't help but admire you."
The old lady covered her mouth and laughed, "Back then, he was the young man I admired throughout the capital. Now it proves that although I am old, my eyes are still sharp."
Wushuang chimed in, "Brother Pang and Second Sister got engaged early on, so they can be considered childhood sweethearts. Their relationship is naturally better than that of ordinary unmarried couples."
Pang Yuan and Wu You are □□ years apart in age, so saying they were childhood sweethearts is a bit of a stretch.
However, everyone loves to hear nice words, and Madam Bai smiled even more and said, "If their marriage goes smoothly and they live happily ever after, I will be at ease."
This sounds like nothing special, just a wish that old people often repeat, but Wushuang always felt that something was not quite right.
Unfortunately, she couldn't quite put her finger on what was wrong.
As she tilted her head slightly, lost in thought, Old Madam Bai suddenly took her little hand.
"You're Wushuang? The last time I saw you, you were just a little baby. In the blink of an eye, you've grown into a young lady. Look at these fair and smooth little hands. And look at this face. Although you're not quite as pretty as your second sister, you're still a rare and beautiful girl. Older sister, is the land and water in your Runan Marquis's mansion particularly good at nurturing people? It seems to produce only beauties."
Her words were not simply a compliment to Wushuang.
The three members of the Pang family suspected that the person who wrote the letter of complaint was either Wushuang or Wuhui, and now that they had met the person, they couldn't help but secretly give him a warning.
If you want to disturb someone's mind and make them lose control of their emotions, you should talk about what they care about most.
A young lady's most important concern is, of course, her appearance. If Wushuang is a hypocrite, even if he appears intimate and close to her in public, he would probably change his expression if he heard others say that Wuyou is more beautiful than him when the two sisters entered the house hand in hand.
Because that's not true at all.
These two cousins are both beautiful in their own right when it comes to their facial features, but their expressions and temperaments are quite different.
Wuyou is too docile, and she is cautious in her words and actions. Compared to Wushuang, who is radiant and full of confidence, she seems boring and a bit petty.
Old Madam Bai kept her eyes glued to Wushuang's expression, but to her surprise, Wushuang showed no displeasure whatsoever. Instead, she smiled and said, "Grandmother-in-law, you've already married the most beautiful girl in our family to be your granddaughter-in-law. It's clear that your taste is only in Wushuang!"
After saying that, she tilted her head in a cute, goofy way and muttered softly, "Huh, why did I mention my own name?"
The roommates burst into laughter again.
When Madam Bai saw that Wushuang was not angry at her for saying that Wuyou was prettier than her, and even took the initiative to help the less eloquent Wuyou to please her, regardless of the relationship between the two sisters, it was absolutely certain that Wushuang genuinely cared for Wuyou.
It seems she wasn't the one who snitched.
Of the remaining girls in the Jun family, only Wu Hui remains. As for whether it is indeed her, let's not rush to find out. Let them clarify the matter themselves first.
Before leaving home, Madam Bai agreed to Pang Yuan's request: considering Wuyou's kindness to the neighbors, regardless of whether the matter was true or false, the two families should not break off relations or ruin Wuyou's reputation.
In this way, one must be even more cautious in one's actions. For example, in the current situation, it is not appropriate to ask any questions to the ladies, young women, maids, and servants in the room.
Old Madam Bai quickly came up with an idea. She steered the conversation to the newly built Baifang Garden of the Jun family. After Old Madam Jun had described how beautiful the garden was, she said, "Oh dear, I was wrong about that."
The old lady asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
Madam Bai said, "The garden is so beautiful, and the spring scenery is so lovely, yet I called those two young ladies into the house to chat with us two old women. Isn't that a huge mistake?"
Wushuang and Wuyou quickly said that talking with elders was a very interesting thing and not boring at all.
Madam Bai replied, "Yes, I was young once too, and I know what young girls are thinking. You two are kind-hearted and find it interesting to keep us company. However, it would be more fun to go to the garden to admire the flowers and play, wouldn't you say?"
That's the truth, and Wuyou and Wushuang can't deny it.
"Elder sister, I think we shouldn't keep them here," suggested Madam Bai. "Let the two of us have a private chat, and let the two young ladies go back and play. As for our daughter-in-law, the three of them get along well, so let them be free too, okay?"
Being with a large group of people can be lively but also restrictive; being apart makes one feel much more comfortable.
The matriarch of the Jun family thought the arrangement was excellent and had no reason to object, so she agreed.
“It seems you’ve forgotten to make arrangements for someone,” she said, pointing to Pang Yuan sitting below Luo Shi. “What will happen to your precious grandson, my future grandson-in-law? Jun Shu and Jun Nian have both gone to the yamen and won’t be back until evening. The older boys in the family have all gone to the academy for classes, and only the two little ones are still here.”
"Oh dear, I was wrong to overlook that," said Madam Bai.
Actually, her best plan was to let Pang Yuan spend some time alone with Wuyou, so that her grandson could have the opportunity to ask Wuyou questions directly, but this idea could not be said openly.