Rongshantang.
The old woman remained silent, her face ashen, appearing quite calm, but everyone present could sense the storm brewing within her.
The room was filled with people: Mingwei, still wearing her dirty dress; the third wife of the Duke's mansion, looking embarrassed and blushing; Mingrong, who had hurriedly changed her clothes; the second wife, who wished she could bury her head in the ground; Hongyu, who led the way for Mingwei; Mingrong's personal maid; and Granny Fang, who brought everyone in.
Liu Ren, one of the parties involved, naturally dared not enter, but waited at a distance outside Rongshan Hall.
Even Dongmei and Dongqing were ordered to stand outside, only Xu Mama remained to serve the old lady.
No one dared to speak first, for fear of breaking the last calm before the storm.
"I'm sorry to have made you laugh, my dear in-laws." The old lady's tone was flat, but it made one involuntarily guess at the fury behind it.
The third wife, despite being from a respectable family, had always been indecisive. Seeing the old lady like this, she was even more ashamed. "You, you mustn't say that! I'm truly ashamed to face you. It was my mistake, it's all our fault, it's—"
“My dear in-laws, there’s no need for further words. I understand.” The old lady’s eyes flashed with a sharp glint as she said firmly, “Please, my dear in-laws, return home first. With such a disgraceful incident at the Marquis of Chengping’s residence, we can no longer entertain you. Please visit the Duke’s residence another day to apologize to you and to the old lady of the Duke’s residence!”
The third wife almost wanted to disappear into a crack in the ground.
She wanted to say something more, but seeing the old lady's resolute attitude and knowing she was in the wrong, she dared not argue. She was usually easily swayed and couldn't resist the second wife's promises of various benefits, which led her to harbor wicked thoughts.
Now that such a mistake has occurred, she regrets her momentary lapse in judgment and resents the trouble caused by the second wife.
The third wife, her face flushed, bowed to the old lady, then turned and left, fleeing in panic.
At this time, all those remaining in Rongshan Hall were people from the Chengping Marquis's residence.
The old lady no longer concealed her emotions; her face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Mingrong had been sobbing all the way, but she wisely stopped crying as soon as she entered Rongshan Hall, only hanging her head and weeping silently. Although she hurriedly changed into the clean clothes that Yuelin had given to Mingwei, her hair, which was still wet from the water, was not yet dry. A few strands clung to her face, and most of it was still wet and hanging over her shoulders. The sky-blue jacket was covered with conspicuous water stains.
She had long lost her former elegance and beauty, and looked extremely disheveled.
The second wife didn't dare utter a sound.
Caught up in the atmosphere, Mingwei could only lower her head and remain silent, even though it had nothing to do with her.
"Seventh girl, come to your grandmother's side." To everyone's surprise, the old lady's first words were to call Mingwei over.
Mingwei looked up, blinking in confusion. Seeing the old lady's resolute attitude, Mingwei had no choice but to tiptoe over to her.
"Please sit down." The old lady's tone was surprisingly gentle as she pulled Mingwei to sit beside her.
This made the situation inside the room quite interesting.
Mingwei sat next to the old lady, while the second wife and Mingrong stood with their heads bowed, and several maids had already knelt on the ground.
"Good, good, good!" The old woman said "good" three times in quick succession, her tone light and fast, but anyone could hear the underlying anger within. "This is the good deed you've done!"
The second wife's heart skipped a beat.
Chapter 104
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Tang Li and Yue Lin were too cautious and attentive, which caused them to take a little longer than expected.
Sitting gracefully before the dressing table, letting the two men comb her hair, Mingwei looked up at herself in the mirror. The ornate hairpins added a touch of elegance, and the light makeup on her face only accentuated her youthful beauty.
Mingwei was in a state of utter confusion.
Suddenly, her gaze fixed on a spot in the mirror. The curtain to the inner room was half-drawn to make it easier for the maids to come and go. The figure of the maid who had come to deliver a message from the Second Madam's courtyard was also reflected in the mirror.
She was supposed to be waiting outside, but instead she kept anxiously peering inside.
She seemed a little nervous and uneasy?
Mingwei immediately sensed something was off. Why was she in such a hurry?
"Seventh Miss." The little maid finally couldn't contain herself any longer and called out loudly, disregarding all decorum, "Second Madam and Aunt are waiting for you. Please come with me quickly!"
Such words would be considered extremely rude in front of the master. She was indeed new to the Second Madam's courtyard, but she certainly knew the most basic etiquette! Tang Li and Yue Lin both frowned, but because Hong Yu was from the Second Madam's courtyard, they refrained from speaking up.
Mingwei felt that she was being too eager.
"Yuelin, go tell the old lady that I'm going to my mother's room and can't copy the Buddhist scriptures for her anymore." Mingwei winked at Yuelin, deliberately ordering her out. "Go and tell her first, I'll wait for you to come back before I go."
Yue Lin understood Ming Wei's implication. Although she was puzzled, she obediently replied, "Yes, Miss." Then she made a move to leave.
Hongyu panicked and rashly reached out to stop Yuelin.
"Aunt, Miss—" Hongyu also felt that her behavior was not quite appropriate. She stammered, "I'm afraid it's not good to keep Second Madam and Aunt waiting! Aunt is a guest and also your elder. You should go there as soon as possible. Even if the old lady finds out, she will praise you for being sensible!"
Before she could finish speaking, even Tang Li felt something was amiss.
Hongyu spoke so fluently, it was clear someone had instructed her beforehand. However, the person who instructed her was obviously not very skilled; for a mere maid to say such things was a bit much.
The more unusual this was, the more suspicious Mingwei became. She pretended to accept Hongyu's suggestion, nodded, and didn't let Yuelin go over again.
"Let's go." Mingwei wore a light pink silk jacket and a lotus-root-colored outer garment. Although not extravagant, it exuded a delicate and elegant charm. This was the result of Yue Lin and Tang Li's careful selection. The second wife of the Duke's mansion had been widowed for more than ten years and came from a scholarly family. She probably didn't want a vulgar daughter-in-law.
Seeing that Mingwei was willing to go out with her, Hongyu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
“Miss, unfortunately, the Second Madam’s carriage is in a strait today. You’ll have to go through the trouble of walking with me!” After leaving the west courtyard, Hongyu seemed to suddenly remember something and told Mingwei that she could only walk there.
Mingwei originally didn't mind, as the two places weren't far apart, and she rarely used a car when going there. However, Hongyu's special mention of it made people think more about it.