Chapter 776 Protection

Meng Yunlan sat in the chair below Madam Gu, his face turning slightly pale.

She naturally knew that her mother-in-law was using Shen Wantang to put her in a bad light. How many times had her mother-in-law embarrassed her since Shen Wantang entered the family?

In the past, no matter what she did, her mother-in-law would never say anything to her. Even if she did say something, she would only say a few words to Gu Qianling in private. She would never slap her in the face in front of everyone. After all, she came from a high-ranking family and was the mistress of the Duke's mansion. It would be a loss for her to be slapped in the face.

Every time her mother-in-law confronted Gu Qianling about her, Gu Qianling would always defend her.

She has been married into the Duke's mansion for five years and has never had a direct conflict with her mother-in-law. Their good relationship is the envy of many outsiders, and she herself is often proud of being a good daughter-in-law who is filial to her mother-in-law.

But now, her mother-in-law finds fault with her almost every day. Although she doesn't scold her openly, her veiled criticisms still infuriate her.

All these changes were due to the addition of the detestable Shen Wantang!

Meng Yunlan looked at Shen Wantang, her disgust almost impossible to conceal. She was wearing a bright honey-orange brocade dress with cloud patterns and wide sleeves, the color of which was so bright it was almost blinding!

What's so good about it?

Is Mother-in-law blind? Shen Wantang is wearing such a bright, eye-blinding color. It's not dignified at all, yet she can still praise her!

Gu Qianling wasn't stupid; he could also hear the dissatisfaction in his mother's words.

But in fact, there were many similar small complaints in the past, but his mother would usually only complain to him privately and would not say it directly to Meng Yunlan.

He would usually say a few words to comfort his mother, then find some excuses for Meng Yunlan, say some good things about her, and say that it was understandable that she had overlooked some details because she worked hard managing the household. His mother would usually stop saying anything after that.

But now, firstly, Meng Yunlan has already used the excuse of needing to recuperate to stop taking care of the family. All the big and small chores in the Duke's mansion have fallen on her mother's shoulders. Meng Yunlan is very free, so it's no longer reasonable to make excuses for her.

Secondly, now that her mother has something to compare, she can find something new every day where Meng Yunlan is inferior to Shen Wantang.

Compared to Meng Yunlan, Shen Wantang came from a much lower social class. She was very self-aware, meticulous in her work, tolerant, and able to humble herself in front of her mother. She was also very good at speaking and willing to lower herself to please her mother. This was something that Meng Yunlan, who came from a high-ranking family, could not do.

Shen Wantang and Gu Qianhan are like two extremes. Gu Qianhan always says the most unpleasant things to his mother. He could poison himself by licking his own lips.

But Shen Wantang always said the most flattering things, her mouth was as sweet as honey, and most importantly, she was always very sincere when she spoke, and she was always smiling. Not to mention her mother liked her, even he felt very relaxed and happy to be with her.

Gu Qianling sighed inwardly, but could only raise her head to save face for Meng Yunlan, after all, they were husband and wife.

"Mother is right."

Gu Qianling's voice was gentle and his expression was kind: "Sister-in-law's outfit is indeed eye-catching, but not everyone is suited to such bright colors. You see, Yunlan and Cousin Qiao are both composed and a few years older, so wearing more dignified colors would suit them better."

Upon hearing this, Du Juan, who was standing next to Shen Wantang, suddenly looked up at Gu Qianling, her eyes filled with disbelief.

What does the eldest young master mean by this? Is he implying, openly or subtly, that her mistress is not dignified or composed enough?

Du Juan gritted her teeth and couldn't help but look at Shen Wantang, only to see that she was still smiling and seemed not to have understood Gu Qianling's implied meaning at all, so she wasn't angry at all.

Du Juan was unaware that while Shen Wantang was smiling, he was secretly shaking his head in his heart.

She finally understood why Meng Yunlan acted so recklessly, and why she didn't care what others said about her cousin going out dressed like that.

Because Gu Qianling always stepped in to explain everything for her.

With his protection, even if Madam Gu had some dissatisfaction, she would restrain herself.

Needless to say, no one dared to disrespect Meng Yunlan, the eldest daughter-in-law of the main branch of the family.

When Meng Yunlan heard Gu Qianling speak up for her, she finally felt a little better.

She picked up her tea, took a sip with elegance and composure, and then spoke gently: "Mother, when I was a young girl in my own family, I rarely wore those flamboyant and gaudy clothes. So, the reason I dress like this now is not because I'm getting older, as Qianling said."

Gu Qianling knew Meng Yunlan quite well. Just by looking at her demeanor and hearing her opening remarks, she knew that Meng Yunlan wouldn't say anything nice later, so she quickly stopped her with a look.

Unfortunately, Meng Yunlan ignored him completely, disregarding his eye signals, and continued to raise her chin, saying, "It's because my mother taught me from a young age to be upright and composed, and not to care too much about clothes and jewelry. When raising daughters, aristocratic families pay more attention to cultivating their inner qualities and character."

“My mother came from a noble family and received a strict upbringing. She also taught me according to the same methods. Perhaps I am too much like her now, which is why I dress in an old-fashioned way. Mother, please don’t be offended. It’s just a habit I developed from childhood that is hard to change overnight.”

"Oh, and there's my cousin. Although her family is now down on its luck, her mother and my mother are sisters and received the same strict upbringing. She doesn't like those gaudy colors."

“I originally gave her some brighter clothes, but she refused to wear them, saying that if she wore something too gaudy, people would misunderstand that she had some restless thoughts. She felt more at ease wearing more subdued colors.”

"Right, cousin?"

Qiao Zhiyu quickly chimed in, "Yes, Madam, everything my cousin said is true. She doesn't like wearing those gaudy colors, and neither do I. I prefer more subdued colors."

As Madam Gu watched the two sisters singing in unison, her already aching throat became even more painful.

Her expression turned somewhat cold.

Was Meng Yunlan showing off in front of her that they came from prestigious families? Showing off that they had received rigorous education?

No matter how high their birth or their mother's, could they be as high as hers? Her maternal family, the Pei clan, had accumulated numerous merits and was the only non-royal royal family in Dafeng! They were many times stronger than the Meng family and Madam Meng's maternal family!

What she hates most is that her daughter-in-law, after marrying into the family, still wholeheartedly supports her own family and doesn't care about her husband's family!

Moreover, her daughter-in-law was not only making things difficult for her, but also openly and secretly suppressing Shen Wantang, her words full of the superiority of her noble birth.

Previously, she pretended to be a harmonious sister-in-law and didn't say anything too outrageous. Now, she's not even pretending anymore and directly mocked Shen Wantang for having no one to guide her!