Chapter 777 You're the only one who noticed I was sick

As Shen Wantang watched her mother-in-law's face grow colder and colder, while Meng Yunlan continued to boast about how wonderful her family was, she wanted to laugh inwardly.

She had already figured out her mother-in-law's temperament and preferences in just a few days after she married into the family. How come Meng Yunlan, who had been married into the family for five years, still didn't know what her mother-in-law was afraid of?

Meng Yunlan was making veiled attacks; did she think she was only insulting her, her sister-in-law from a humble background? It's ridiculous! Didn't she realize she was also insulting her mother-in-law?

It seems that Madam Gu was really good to her in the past, and Gu Qianling also protected her, which is why she can mock people without any scruples.

The Meng family was indeed of noble birth, and Meng Yunlan's mother, Du Huishu, also came from a noble family. However, the Du family had no successors and had long since declined. Meng Yunlan's uncle and aunt relied entirely on her mother's support to barely maintain their noble appearance.

In terms of true strength, neither the Meng family nor the Du family is nearly as powerful as the Duke's mansion.

Needless to say, the Pei family, the mother-in-law's family, had distinguished themselves in battle and were granted the title of a prince of a different surname, making them extremely noble.

However, both the Meng and Du families were civil officials, while the Gu and Pei families were military officials. In the Dafeng officialdom, civil officials always held a higher status than military officials. Those noble families of scholars looked down on military generals, thinking that they were all unreasonable brutes.

When Meng Yunlan uttered these words, it was as if the pride and arrogance of a civil official family were written all over his face, and he was belittling the Gu family both openly and subtly.

However, Shen Wantang felt that the fire wasn't burning bright enough.

So she decided to add fuel to the fire: "Sister-in-law, Mother just doesn't like things to be dull and lifeless. She likes us younger generation to dress up nicely and look our best. Why are you bringing up family traditions and restless minds? Isn't that going a bit too far?"

Meng Yunlan looked at her with a forced smile: "Sister-in-law, you may not know this, but the Meng family has strict rules, unlike those small families. We never teach our daughters to use their beauty to please men, but only to be dignified and composed. Therefore, we never choose clothes that are seductive or alluring."

"A young lady should be refined and elegant, and should not dress too flashy, bright, or gaudy. Otherwise, if she attracts men with her looks and flamboyance, she will easily cause trouble, ruin her reputation, and disgrace her family."

Shen Wantang stared at her with wide eyes: "Sister-in-law, you actually think that a girl's dignity and composure depend on the color of her clothes? Didn't you say that clothes are just external things? If a person's character and temperament are upright enough, what color or style of clothes can't affect them, right?"

"Moreover, I've also seen daughters from other noble families, and they wear all sorts of colors. However, most young women wear bright colors and the most fashionable styles. The best-selling colors in the clothing shops in the capital are also the most vibrant colors!"

Meng Yunlan was speechless for a moment. She wanted to refute Shen Wantang, but she couldn't utter a single word.

Shen Wantang pressed on, smiling broadly, "Oh, by the way, didn't you wear a bright pink ruqun the other day? It's a very similar color to what I wore before! Was it because this color is dignified that you wore it?"

Meng Yunlan was so angry she almost twisted her nose. She had only worn pink once, and she had used it as a handle to attack her!

“Sister-in-law clearly used to like wearing bright colors, so why did you start lecturing me on this today when Mother said she liked these colors? One minute you want to be dignified, the next you bring up family teachings to pressure her. Don’t you even want to dress in a way that pleases Mother?”

Meng Yunlan's expression changed: "What nonsense are you talking about? It's just everyday clothing. How can you put such a big accusation on me! Of course I want my mother to be happy. I've been married into this family for five years and have served my mother every day. Don't I care about my mother's feelings more than you do?"

After she finished speaking, she turned to look at Madam Gu: "Mother, don't listen to your sister-in-law's attempts to sow discord. Like Qianling, you are the person I respect the most. We are willing to do anything to make you happy."

Madam Gu didn't even look at her, keeping her eyes lowered and gently blowing on the hot tea in her teacup.

The room fell into a deathly silence.

The maids serving them dared not breathe loudly, and even Granny Chang held her breath.

Because they all knew that Madam Gu was truly angry this time. She was even unwilling to speak to Meng Yunlan anymore. She had never embarrassed Meng Yunlan like this before.

At this moment, Gu Qianling could only step in to smooth things over: "Mother, Yunlan and my sister-in-law were just joking. They are both too young and don't know how to speak or act properly. Please don't take it to heart. But Yunlan is right about one thing: the person we respect the most is you."

Madam Gu was unwilling to give face to her daughter-in-law, but she was willing to give face to her son.

The tea in the teacup had gone cold, but she didn't drink a drop, simply setting it down: "Qianling, I know you're filial to me. You've always been a good child, making me worry-free. Alright, it's getting late, you should go to your shift. Take Yunlan with you and head out!"

"Then I shall take my leave."

Gu Qianling gave Madam Gu a warm smile, then left with Meng Yunlan.

After the couple left, Shen Wantang didn't mention what had just happened.

She moved to the chair closest to Madam Gu and asked with concern, "Mother doesn't look well. There are dark circles under your eyes, and your lips are paler than usual. Did you not sleep well last night? Should we ask the imperial physician to take a look at you?"

Madam Gu found Shen Wantang quite pleasing to the eye at this moment, because Shen Wantang had just rebuked Meng Yunlan quite effectively, which made her feel very satisfied.

Gu Qianling and Meng Yunlan could both tell that she was sick, but Shen Wantang was very observant and noticed her unusual condition, even noticing that her lip color was different from usual.

It's a pity she came from a humble background. If she had come from a more prestigious background, she would have been a perfect match for Qianling as his wife.

It's a waste of his talent to be paired with that scoundrel, the second son.

However, she could only think these words in her heart; naturally, she could never say them aloud.

She sighed and waved her hand weakly: "It's nothing, just a bit of internal heat and a sore throat. I've already had the imperial physician examine me. I'll take a few doses of medicine to clear the heat and I'll be fine."

"Tang'er, you're so kind. You're the only one in our family who noticed I was sick. The rest of those wretched children are still making me angry!"

Her voice was unusually hoarse, and she spoke much slower than usual, seemingly because her throat was so sore that she had to slow down her speech.

Shen Wantang was certainly not foolish enough to go along with her mother-in-law and speak ill of her children. She simply said, "After all, I have studied some medicine and know a little about common ailments, so I can detect your discomfort more easily than the average person. How about I take your pulse?"