"What! The Second Miss lost so much face at the clan banquet, and the Young Master is still siding with her?"

"Of course not if it's about setting rules. How could he bear to lock a beautiful woman in the woodshed in such heavy snow..."

"No way?"

"Let's make a bet, a tael of silver."

Sure enough, Pei Lingyu returned from drinking at the Marquis's mansion in the middle of the night and saw the delicate Jiang Yao locked in the woodshed, cold and hungry. His love-struck mind immediately took over and released her.

The aunt learned of this immediately, and the three of them started arguing again.

In the dead of night, amidst heavy snow, Jiang Shuwan climbed over the wall and saw her aunt sitting on the ground, wailing loudly.

"My son, what kind of bewitching potion did this vixen give you to make you like this..."

"You don't know yet, do you? She lost a lot of face at the clan banquet today. She made our entire family lose face."

"They're both from the Jiang family, but she's not even a fraction as outstanding as her older sister..."

With tears streaming down her face, Madam Bo told Pei Lingyu what had happened at the clan banquet.

Pei Lingyu was also stunned.

"Isn't Yao'er's outfit pretty...?"

He didn't realize it.

It's all gold and jewels, so dazzling and beautiful.

"Of course it's bad. All the ladies in the family said she has no manners and no taste."

"She's dressed like a nouveau riche. How could a family like ours produce such a daughter-in-law?"

"I'm so ashamed I can't face anyone!"

Pei Lingyu was embarrassed.

It wasn't good-looking after all!

Lady Bo was crying so hard that she didn't notice Pei Lingyu's embarrassed expression.

The mother and son argued for a while longer, but in the end, Jiang Yao won the farce.

Jiang Yao was released from the woodshed.

However, starting tomorrow, she must learn manners from the aunt.

If you don't learn the rules, you're not allowed to go out; even Pei Lingyu can't control you.

Jiang Yao was naturally unwilling, but she couldn't fight against the powerful, as her aunt had the support of Old Madam Pei and other relatives.

Pei Lingyu wanted to help her but couldn't.

In particular, he also had a selfish motive.

His infatuation with Jiang Yao was more or less due to her reputation as the "most talented woman in the capital".

If Jiang Yao could win the praise of all the ladies and old ladies, he would also have face.

"I was right, wasn't I? They were indeed released from the woodshed."

"Here, give me the money, one tael of silver."

Jiang Shuwan reached out her hand to Qingxing.

"Hmph!" Qingxing slapped the silver into her young mistress's palm.

The little girl wasn't unhappy because she lost money; she was unhappy because she saw Jiang Yao being released.

On the other side, there were people even more unhappy than her and Jiang Yao.

The Wen family courtyard.

After the banquet ended, Wen returned to her room.

Across the many courtyards, Madam Wen stared in the direction of Jiang Shuwan's courtyard, her eyes filled with bloodshot hatred.

Why she was confined to her quarters, and why the etiquette nanny was sent to the estate—all of these things are related to her, the daughter-in-law.

Regardless of whether Jiang Shuwan's act of delivering the betrothal gifts to the old lady was out of "true filial piety" or something else entirely.

She had hated her for a long time!

Her original idea was for Jiang Shuwan to make a mistake at the clan banquet, thereby saving the etiquette matron.

However, the plan fell through.

Jiang Shuwan not only made no mistakes, but also made a stunning appearance.

She received praise from all the ladies in the family, and even the old lady accepted her as her own.

Therefore, there would be no excuse to bring back the etiquette matron.

Furthermore, Jiang Shuwan is well-behaved, so even if she wanted to use this opportunity to test her, she couldn't get her to set rules anymore.

Wen was so angry that he vomited blood.

The daughter of a fifth-rank official is surprisingly difficult to deal with.

She had only been in the business for a few days when she started to suffer setbacks.

She's so angry!

"Madam, should we still save the etiquette matron...?"

The head maid also thought of her colleagues who were still suffering on the estate.

A ferocious glint flashed in Madam Wen's eyes, and her voice was icy and ruthless, "What etiquette matron? There is no such person in our manor!"

Upon hearing Wen's words, the head maid knew that she had no intention of saving the etiquette maid.

The young mistress's manners and etiquette are so excellent; the headmistress is guilty of negligence and incompetence.

A wife will not keep an incompetent person by her side.

The etiquette matron is destined to grow old and die on the estate!

The head maid's face turned pale instantly.

She didn't do her job well at the clan banquet today either.

"waste!"

Sure enough, a cup of scalding hot tea was smashed down on his head.

The head maid dared not dodge, but luckily the teacup was slightly off target and only hit her chest.

However, the splashed tea still scalded her face, making it turn bright red.

"Madam, spare me!"

"Please spare me, Madam! I wanted to do my job well for you, but I never expected that you would be able to leave the clan banquet unscathed and perform so well."

"This servant is devoted to you, Madam. Please, Madam, understand!"

The head maid immediately knelt down and kowtowed repeatedly, her forehead turning red instantly.

"Please calm down, madam!"

The storeroom nanny also pleaded for her, and the head nanny was clever enough to make a series of oaths to heaven to show her loyalty and play the victim, which finally convinced Wen to only fine her three months' wages.

Three months' salary?

The wife's punishment was too harsh!

The head maid was upset about having to work for free for three months, but dared not say anything.

However, as she was leaving, the two women she had previously bribed came over demanding money.

"The matter wasn't even accomplished, why do you need money?" Madam Wen slammed her hand on the table in anger.

She had prestige and face in front of others, but she had none in front of these two.

"It's not our fault that things didn't go through. If the young mistress doesn't make mistakes, are we supposed to call a deer a horse and insist that she's no good? Others aren't blind."

"Madam, the money was promised to you before, you can't go back on your word!"

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