Chapter 236 Birthday Banquet: Sisters-in-Law Fight
After finishing her snacks and drinking a cup of tea, Madam Ma got up, patted her newly made silk dress, and greeted Madam Wei with a smile.
"Oh, isn't this Second Sister-in-law? It's been so long! You seem to have lost a lot of weight, but your skin looks even whiter. It seems you've been doing well these days."
Ma's booming voice rang out, forcing Wei to look up at her sister-in-law and force an unnatural smile.
"Fourth sister-in-law, you're joking! What do you mean by white? Why did you take so long to arrive?"
Ma rolled her eyes: "I've been here for ages. Second Sister-in-law is really popular these days. Look at all these people vying to greet her. I haven't come over."
Ma blinked and leaned closer: "Second sister-in-law, is what happened between you and the blacksmith really true? There are no outsiders here, so tell us about it."
"you!"
The topic that Wei had finally managed to calm down was immediately stirred up again, making her so angry she almost jumped up, but she managed to suppress her anger and said with a cold face:
"I already said that someone is deliberately trying to smear me; it's completely untrue!"
Ma glanced at the women watching the commotion around her, and drawled out:
"Really? Hey, I didn't believe it at first either. I always said that my second sister-in-law wasn't that kind of person. Even if she wanted to find a lover, she wouldn't be interested in those dirty, smelly blacksmiths outside. She would at least find a handsome young man, right?"
Ma's words immediately drew undisguised laughter from those around her.
Wei's fingernails dug into her flesh as she gritted her teeth and said:
"Fourth sister-in-law, let's not bring this up again since it's all in the past."
Ma finally gave him face: "Yes, let's not talk about it anymore."
Changing the subject, Madam Ma said, "I heard that Yun Li's marriage is settled? And it's with a military officer who's a centurion."
"Yes, it's settled."
Wei nodded, seemingly unwilling to say more.
How could Ma let her off the hook? She continued:
"But I heard that the other party seems to be a bit older, and is a widower with two children who lost their first wife? You agreed to that?"
Tsk tsk tsk, I say, Second Sister-in-law, Yunli is a child who came from your belly and grew up in this General's Mansion. She is a delicate girl. You should at least find her a good marriage. How could you have arranged a big, burly widower for her?
"I heard that widower is over thirty, right? Yunli is so young, and she's already a stepmother. It's not a pleasant thing to say."
Yunli's marriage was arranged a month ago by a former colleague of Lu Yunbo. The commander was indeed a widower in his thirties who had lost his first wife. Originally, Madam Wei did not agree, but how could her good daughter be matched with a burly military officer, especially given the family's situation?
But Yunbo said that the other party's family background was also good, and he was a sixth-rank officer. If Yunli married him, she could live a good life with servants at her beck and call. If Yunli lived well, she could also help her family financially in the future.
Most importantly, that person said that as soon as Yun Li marries into the family, he will find Yun Bo a job in the government office.
After discussing it, the three men in the family agreed.
Madam Wei said coldly, "What do you know? Men only know how to cherish women when they get older. Don't keep calling him a widower. My son-in-law is a proper military officer, a sixth-rank official in the imperial court. Yunli will be an official's wife when she marries him. How is she being wronged? I am her own mother. Would I harm her?"
Madam Ma drawled, "Is that so? Then congratulations, Second Sister-in-law! With a son-in-law who is an official, your two nephews will have someone to look after their future. It's truly a cause for celebration."
How could Wei not hear Ma's sarcastic remarks? It was one thing for others to make fun of her, but Ma was her sister-in-law, yet she dared to make fun of her so blatantly. She was as annoying as ever!
Wei then bluntly struck at Ma's heart: "I am certainly not as good at managing the household as my fourth sister-in-law. I heard that my fourth brother recently bought a nice house for his youngest son, Yunyi, and moved out with Yunyi and his mother. My fourth sister-in-law is truly virtuous. If it were me, I would never let a concubine and an illegitimate son ride on my head."
Upon hearing this, the onlookers' expressions became even more complicated, and everyone strained their ears to listen to the two sisters-in-law exposing each other's shortcomings.
When Ma saw that everyone around her was looking at her with amusement, her face immediately darkened.
The concubine that Madam Wei mentioned had always been the apple of the Fourth Master's eye. As a result, Yun Yi, her illegitimate son, had received a lot of love from the Fourth Master since childhood, and his food, clothing, and daily necessities were almost no different from those of her two legitimate sons.
The concubine, relying on the Fourth Master's favor, actually persuaded him to buy her and her son another house outside, with the deed in the name of the illegitimate son.
By the time she found out about this, the mother and son had already obtained the house deeds. Enraged, she stormed up to the concubine and threw a tantrum, beating the concubine until she cried for her parents.
But she didn't get any good out of it either. The fourth master had a big fight with her and moved out with the mother and son. What's worse, he took most of the family's money with him, which made her so angry that she almost collapsed.
This second sister-in-law really knows how to rub salt in the wound; she actually dared to expose her shortcomings to her face. Let's see how she deals with this piece of trash.
Just as Ma was about to confront Wei with her hands on her hips, she heard a woman's voice:
"The old lady has arrived."
The women in the room fell silent and looked up at the front of the main hall.
Madam Ning was seen walking in surrounded by a group of maids and servants and taking her seat in the main seat. Today was her birthday, and her face was radiant. Her half-white hair was neatly combed, and she wore a red gold filigree hat inlaid with pearls and tourmaline and rubies. She was dressed in a crimson silk summer dress with longevity patterns, which made her look very healthy and added an extra touch of elegance and nobility compared to the past.
The women in the room came forward to offer their congratulations and say auspicious words, and Madam Ning responded to each one with a smile.
Ma stood in the crowd, staring longingly at her sister-in-law's clothes. Compared to a few months ago, her sister-in-law was much more prosperous. Just look at her style. That dazzling gold hat on her bald head must be enough for her family's expenses for a year.
Ma immediately forgot about Wei, smoothed her hair with both hands, pushed through the crowd, and gave a deep bow, saying:
"Congratulations, sister-in-law! It's been so long since I've seen you. You look even more prosperous than before. Look at this fine silk and satin. How can we compare? You are truly blessed. Ever since my nephew Yunqi returned safely, you seem to grow younger every day."
I told you from the start that my nephew Yunqi was incredibly lucky and would be alright. As the saying goes, you either need to see the person alive or the body dead. Even though we haven't found his body, he might just come back safe and sound. See? I was right! The moment my nephew Yunqi returned, our General's Mansion was instantly transformed! Hehehe.”
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