Chapter 24 Chapter 24 She had the urge to go astray. …

Although she had prepared herself mentally for the possibility of something like this happening, when she really heard Pang Shi say this, Zhu Yinluan's heart couldn't help but suddenly rise up.

She felt very aggrieved, but she knew clearly that she shouldn't show any emotion at this juncture, after all, there were outsiders here.

But she couldn't hide it, and she couldn't help but look up at Pang Shi.

Her mother-in-law, Pang Shi, didn't seem to be joking when she said this. She looked so arrogant and condescending.

Just because Wei Ruzhuo had inexplicable emotions yesterday and he got up and left in anger, Pang Shi called her over without knowing the truth and blamed all the mistakes on her without asking any reasons.

Not only did he scold her in front of his elder sister, but he also threatened to kick her out of the house?

She really couldn't help feeling aggrieved. She clenched her fists under her wide sleeves. The soreness of her knuckles rose to her nose, and with it came anger.

She has been married to the Wei family for several years and has helped the Wei family do so many things. Doesn't Pang know this?

But if she really wanted to defend herself, Zhu Yinluan didn't know what to say.

When Zhu Chentan heard these words and saw Zhu Yinluan’s pale face due to fright, he felt very happy.

On the surface, he pretended to coax Pang Shi, "Madam, don't be angry. My younger sister is younger and less experienced. When she was in the boudoir, she was in poor health and rarely went out. It is inevitable that she lacked in human feelings. Please comfort her."

Zhu Yinluan couldn't help but smile sarcastically in her heart, and Mother Yun, who was following behind Pang Shi, couldn't help but frown.

Zhu Chentan's words seemed to be speaking for her, but in fact they had helped her to admit the false charges that Pang Shi had put upon her, and he was even indirectly telling Pang Shi about her bad deeds.

It was really a waste of effort.

Zhu Yinluan didn't know what to say. If she really explained, Mrs. Pang wouldn't listen. She was about to lower her head, but Mrs. Pang wouldn't give in. "Look, you really don't say a word?"

She forced herself to suppress the tiredness in her heart and said, "It's all my daughter-in-law's fault."

She knew very well that Pang Shi didn't want to hear an explanation, she just wanted to vent her anger, so she just let her scold and admit her mistake first.

If she tried to defend herself, Pangzi would grab her by the hair and probably scold her.

"It seems you are useless..."

However, Zhu Yinluan did not expect that Pang Shi was so angry this time, even more angry than the previous times. Perhaps it was because Wei Ruzhuo was promoted, she became more and more confident and no longer had any fears.

It took a full half hour before Pang Shi finally stopped.

She was not even allowed to have breakfast and was told to sit facing the wall and reflect on her mistakes.

Mother Yun had no choice but to step forward and persuade her, "Young Madam has not been feeling well lately. What if she gets hungry? Besides, there is something wrong between Young Madam and the eldest son, I'm afraid..."

"What if there's any misunderstanding?"

"What's wrong with skipping a meal or two?" Pang Shi was determined. "I just want her to wake up. If she can't help Zhuo Ge'er, she shouldn't hold him back!"

Mother Yun wanted to say more, but was interrupted by the stubborn Pang Shi.

Zhu Yinluan gave Yun's mother a grateful look, telling her mother not to say anything more.

She obeyed and got up and left.

There is a small Buddhist temple in the backyard of the Wei family. It is the place where Pang Shi would come to pray to the gods and chant scriptures on the first and fifteenth days of each lunar month.

The place is small, located in a remote area and a little shady.

Zhu Yinluan was walking slowly alone, but Mingya next to her couldn't help crying.

Hearing the sobbing sound, Zhu Yinluan looked over and asked her why she was crying?

"This servant felt that the young lady was having a hard time, and I couldn't help it for a moment."

"Now my son-in-law has only been promoted, which is good, but he has not reached the point of holding great power. You are having such a hard time now, what will you do in the future?"

Without Zhu Yinluan's support, she could only accept the beatings and scolding.

"The young lady is pressing you step by step. Don't you have any other solution?" Mingya wanted her to find a way out.

Zhu Yinluan didn't say anything, she walked with her head down.

They soon arrived at the small Buddhist temple. Mingya lit the candles, Zhu Yinluan burned a stick of incense and knelt beside to worship the Buddha. She closed her eyes and tried her best to suppress the grievance and anger in her heart.

Ming Ya was right. Her elder sister was interfering. There was no one to take care of her in her family. Mrs. Pang was unhappy, and her husband was displeased. In the future... she had to prepare for the worst.

Thinking of this, Zhu Yinluan opened her eyes and looked at the kind-hearted Bodhisattva with lowered brows.

“…”

Zhu Yinluan sat facing the wall in the Buddhist temple for a whole day, eating nothing, with her knees bruised from kneeling.

Mingya and Jiaohui helped her back.

The little maid Mingya cried bitterly with tears in her eyes, and Jiaohui's face was also very solemn.

Wei Ruzhuo did not come back today. He became even busier after his promotion as he had to deal with things outside.

Zhu Chentan had someone send her some ointment. In addition, Zhu Yinluan did not expect that Fang Zhongyue would also personally bring her medicine.

This medicine was surprisingly very good. She said it was from the Shen family of the Marquis' Mansion. Her mother had been in poor health before, and the old lady of the Shen family sympathized with her for her hard work and her old age, so she gave it to her specially. She also said it was something from the palace and was very effective, so she asked her to use it.

Zhu Yinluan looked at Fang Zhongyue's face and asked, "If this thing is so good, why did you give it to me?"

The ointment given by her elder sister was not as good as the one she gave.

Fang Zhongyue said, "Young Madam treated me well before, and I want to repay you."

Hearing this, Zhu Yinluan smiled but didn't say anything for a while.

Fang Zhongyue couldn't figure out what she was thinking. Seeing her quiet appearance and thinking about what that person had said, he gave her some more advice...

Looking at Zhu Yinluan's red, swollen and purple kneecap, he simply went forward to help her apply medicine personally.

She bowed, opened the ointment, and half-knelt respectfully in front of Zhu Yinluan.

Ming Ya stood in front of Zhu Yinluan, "What are you doing?!"

"How can you get close to our young lady?"

"Zhong Yue just wanted to help the young lady."

Ming Ya said to protect his son, "Why don't you just leave the things here? Why are you so close?"

Zhu Yinluan was observing Fang Zhongyue behind Mingya. Not noticing the calculation on her face, she sighed softly and told Mingya not to be rude.

"Miss, you must be on guard against others. Who knows what she is trying to do by being so attentive?"

Although Jiaohui tried to stop him, she didn't say anything, and her enthusiasm in stopping him was not as strong as before.

Zhu Yinluan was absent-minded and didn't notice these details.

She asked Fang Zhongyue, if you have anything to say, you might as well speak directly, "Although I am the main young lady, you also know that I am gradually losing power in the family. It is useless to please me, and it may even offend my mother-in-law."

What she meant was that she still didn't believe that Fang Zhongyue was giving her such good medicine in order to repay her for her kindness in the past.

"You said before that your family was in financial difficulty. Since you have such precious medicine, why don't you sell it for some money?" If the ointment from the palace was taken to the clinic for appraisal, it would probably be worth just over ten taels.

Fang Zhongyue hesitated for a moment and said, "Since Young Madam has mentioned this, I will not hide anything."

"You are a generous person, but your elder sister is...intolerant."

"If your elder sister comes in, I'm afraid I won't have a place to stay, so I want to help you, and of course, to help myself."

"This box of ointment is my sincerity."

The adults are right, she is very vigilant.

After a while, Zhu Yinluan seemed to believe it, and she asked Mingya to move aside.

Fang Zhongyue went forward to apply medicine on her, while Zhu Yinluan kept observing her.

Feeling her gaze, Fang Zhongyue took the initiative to tell Zhu Yinluan what Wei Ruzhuo had talked about when he went to see her yesterday.

After hearing this, Zhu Yinluan just hummed and was not very interested.

After Fang Zhongyue left, Yun's mother sent her some food and said it was Pang's idea.

Give a candy for a slap.

Zhu Yinluan didn't feel anything in her heart, but she pretended to be very nice on the surface. In order to live up to Yun Mama's good intentions, she went down the "stairs".

"Thank you for your kindness, mother-in-law. I have reflected on my mistakes today. Yinluan has realized her mistakes. She will take them as a warning in the future and serve her husband well and be filial to her mother-in-law."

"Okay." Mother Yun asked her to have a good rest and gave her some medicine.

After returning home, Mother Yun helped Zhu Yinluan to say a lot of things to Mrs. Pang, adding fuel to the fire.

Pang Shi felt more relieved. "Well, she is sensible."

"The young lady has always been good at reading people's faces and following your wishes." Mother Yun praised Zhu Yinluan.

Pang Shi curled her lips, "What's the use of these good things? Can giving birth to a child help Zhuo Ge'er to be selected as the Shangshu?"

Madam Yun also said at the right time, "Young Madam is the daughter of Lord Zhu after all, she will definitely help the eldest son to be promoted."

"She is just a concubine's daughter. The Zhu family has been helping her over the years because of Zhu Chentan and the previous friendship between the two families. What does it have to do with her?"

"The matter between the eldest lady of the Zhu family and the Luo family will be revealed sooner or later. If she has anything to do with our young master, wouldn't it offend the Luo family? Besides, she has been promised to someone else. Don't you dislike the eldest lady of the Zhu family?"

"Zhuo'er's current official position is higher than Luo Xuan's!"

When it comes to the latter sentence, Pang said, "What do you know? It is precisely because she has been promised that it is difficult for her to remarry that she enters our Wei family. Her reputation may be a little bad, but the Zhu family will definitely remember our Wei family's generosity and do their best to help Zhuo Ge'er."

Pangzi's abacus was clacking, and Yun's mother didn't know what to say anymore, so she just shut her mouth in embarrassment.

Before Zhu Yinluan lay down, Mingya told her that Fang Zhongyue's words could not be trusted, but Jiaohui thought they could be believed, and the two little maids quarreled with each other.

Listening to their noise, Zhu Yinluan fell into a light sleep.

She was dreaming.

I dreamed of that man. He was intimate with her, kissing her, coaxing her, telling her not to cry and saying it was all his fault.

The low and gentle voice lingered in her ears. She actually felt that it was somewhat familiar, but she couldn't tell exactly who he was.

Is this really a dream?

This was the first time that Zhu Yinluan had such a thought. She didn’t want it to be a dream. She also wanted to know who the man in the dream was.

But she never knew because there was wind and rain at night, and the noise was so loud that she woke up.

Listening to the rain outside, she wondered why she had such a thought.

Could it be that she wanted to go astray because the Wei family was having a hard time?