Chapter 194 Strict
Zhang Yunniang said, "Mother, it's just a playboy's words, why should you take it to heart?"
Old Lady Gu shook her head and said, "We are doing OK in Guang'an County, but in the capital, everyone's eyes are on the sky. Respect the clothes first and then the person. This has been the same principle since ancient times. If we had our own carriage and servants to serve us, the second son would not have been hit in vain today."
Zhang Yuniang was slightly puzzled.
Old Lady Gu said, "I know that the second son was not injured after being whipped, but if there were servants, they must have stopped the playboy. I would rather give more money to appease the servants afterwards than have you be whipped."
Old Mrs. Gu admitted that what she said was not very humane, but she was also a mother.
Zhang Yunniang sighed after hearing this, and stopped trying to persuade him. Instead, she said, "You are right. You are old, so you should buy some people to serve you. I am still young, so I don't need anyone to serve me."
Old Lady Gu got anxious when she heard that and said, "It's not like I can't move, so why do I need servants to serve me? Listen to me, you guys need servants to keep up appearances when you're out and about. I just gossip about other people's affairs, and if I bring a servant with me, other old ladies will ignore me."
"You don't want servants to serve you, and neither do I," said Zhang Yunniang.
Old Lady Gu sighed heavily and said, "You should think about yourself as well as Niu Niu. Look at the little girl today. She is almost as tall as Niu Niu. She has such a grand ceremony, surrounded by maids and servants. Don't you want Niu Niu to be like this too?"
Zhang Yunniang smiled and said, "Mother, of course I hope so, but we should be ostentatious within our means."
"If you don't want a servant, Niuniu will definitely not want it. If you really want to buy it, everyone will definitely want it."
Seeing that she couldn't win the argument with her daughter-in-law, Mrs. Gu could only say, "Forget it. You are a daughter-in-law. Your mother-in-law always says ten things in return. I can't control you anymore."
Zhang Yunniang said, "Shall we go out together tomorrow? Since I am serving you, I must do what you like."
Old Mrs. Gu nodded reluctantly and said, "I am an old country woman, and I never thought that I would be served by servants one day."
In the carriage of Duke Xianguo's mansion, Duke Xianguo's wife was scolding her daughter.
"Who told you to slip out of the carriage?"
When Qin Jingshu heard this, she felt tired.
"Mother, I am wearing a veil, so no one can see my daughter's face. The maids and servants are also following me, so it won't affect my reputation."
Listening to her daughter's explanation, Lady Xian Guogong said, "You are of a different status than them. As a girl, you must be chaste and dignified. I have told you so many times, why can't you remember?"
Qin Jingshu saw that she couldn't convince him, so she could only lower her head and admit her mistake like she had done countless times in the past: "Mother, it's my fault. I shouldn't have rushed to step forward just because I was worried about my second brother."
After seeing her daughter admit her mistake, Lady Xian Guogong's expression gradually relaxed, and she said, "They are just a bunch of lowly people. It would be fine if you just gave them some money to send them off. Why do you need to apologize in person?"
Although Qin Jingshu is young, she is very knowledgeable. She said, "Mother, that gentleman is the new second place in the imperial examination and has entered the Imperial Academy. It has always been said that only those who are in the Imperial Academy can enter the cabinet. It is not good to offend him casually."
Lady Xian Guogong sneered and said, "The imperial examination is held every three years, and only one runner-up appears every three years. It sounds impressive, but if you count the past, how many people actually entered the cabinet were runners-up? If it were so easy to enter the cabinet, wouldn't it have been everywhere long ago?"
The person Lady Xian of Duke Xian was most proud of was her father, the Grand Councillor. Ordinary Jinshi scholars were not even in her eyes, and her words were inevitably full of contempt.
Qin Jingshu sighed and said, "My second brother whipped the new runner-up. Do you really think that's nothing?"
Lady Xianguogong said, "Does he dare to argue with our Xianguogong Mansion?"
Qin Jingshu: ...
The carriage slowly entered the Duke Xianguo's Mansion. When Qin Jingshu got off the carriage, Qin Er happened to run over again.
"Mom, since those poor people didn't take the silver, can you give it to me?" Qin Er asked righteously.
Qin Jingshu looked at her mother when she heard this.
When Lady Xian Guogong heard this, she was not angry at all. She smiled and asked, "My son, are you short of money?"
Qin Er was obviously very used to asking for money. He acted coquettishly to his mother, making her laugh happily.
The wife of Duke Xian gave the money and then reminded him, "Tell the people around you to keep their mouths shut and don't let your father know. Also, don't go to those jerk places too much. Remember that?"
Qin Er nodded casually in agreement. After receiving the silver note, he immediately ran away with his followers and disappeared.
Qin Jingshu sighed and said, "Mother, my second brother is a man. He will be the one to establish a family in the future. You can't be too indulgent with him."
Lady Xian Guogong glanced at her daughter and said, "Sons are different from daughters. Daughters must be strictly disciplined from childhood. It is normal for sons to be playful when they are young. When they grow up, they will learn to make progress sooner or later."
Upon hearing this, Qin Jingshu thought to herself, "My second brother is already fifteen years old, is he still a child?"
Lady Xian Guogong then turned to criticize her daughter, saying, "You are only six years old, can't you act like a normal little girl? How come you don't have any childishness at all?"
Qin Jingshu clenched her right hand into a fist instantly.
If she became lively, her mother would scold her for being disrespectful; if she was too dignified, her mother would say she was not like a child.
Sometimes she couldn't figure out how to make her mother happy, and whether her biggest mistake was not being born a girl.
"Sister-in-law." Madam Li, the second wife of Duke Xianguo's Mansion, came out to greet her with a smile.
When Lady Xian of Duke Xian saw her, she nodded gently.
There was a moment of silence.
It was Qin Jingshu who took the initiative to break the awkwardness and asked, "Second Aunt, how is Grandmother today?"
The wife of Duke Xian seemed to have been reminded of this and said, "When I was living in the farm outside the city, I missed my mother the most. I was so worried that I couldn't even enjoy my meals."
No one present believed such words. After all, the reason why Lady Xian of Duke Xian went to the farm to relax was because she had an unpleasant argument with her mother-in-law.
Mrs. Li smiled and said, "Don't worry, sister-in-law, mother is fine, she is just worried about Jingshu."
Qin Jingshu immediately said, "Since grandma is concerned about you, I will go and pay my respects to her now."
Qin Jingshu looked at her mother.
Lady Xian Guogong waved her hand and said, "Okay, go ahead. I have a headache. I'll go pay my respects to your grandmother in a few days."
Mrs. Li was not at all surprised that her sister-in-law would say that. She took Qin Jingshu through the corridor and finally stopped in front of a rockery. After she waved away the servants who were serving her, she asked Qin Jingshu with a distressed look on her face.
"Jingshu, did your mother just make you angry again?"
Qin Jingshu felt a lump in her throat when she heard that. Facing her second aunt's loving eyes, she threw herself into her arms and burst into tears.
No matter how mature she is, she is only a six-year-old child and will still feel uncomfortable because of her mother's strictness towards her.
"Why doesn't my mother like me no matter what I do?"
Mrs. Li had no daughter and had always treated her niece like her own daughter. Hearing her crying like this, she felt so sad that her heart was broken.
Second update
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