Bi'er became more and more excited as she learned, and Zhao Ziyun gestured to the maid to give her some water to moisten her throat.
"In the end, it got so serious that it alarmed the old lady... After hearing the whole story, the first wife was punished by kneeling in the ancestral hall for two days, and then confined to the courtyard for three months."
Zhao Ziyun stared at Mo Lan with her mouth agape, then blinked. "Grandmother has shown up. It seems Aunt won't escape punishment this time."
Looking at Zhao Ziyun's expression, Mo Lan raised an eyebrow. The little girl was thinking too simply. The old lady of the mansion personally stepped in to quell the matter. No matter how angry the second madam was, she couldn't do anything. Otherwise, she would be labeled as unfilial, and even as the head of the household, she couldn't bear it.
All prominent families placed great importance on rules and etiquette.
They know perfectly well what's inside, but on the surface, they absolutely have to be smooth and sleek.
Thinking about this, Mo Lan couldn't help but admire these women in the inner quarters; their scheming was unparalleled.
However, Mo Lan was certain that the old lady cherished the eldest son's family very much. For the sake of the family's reputation and to save face for the second wife, she ruthlessly punished the eldest son's family, but this punishment was confined to the mansion and could not be spread outside.
After this incident, it had no impact on the first wife's family at all.
Just as she was lost in thought, Zhao Ziyun suddenly slammed her hand on the table.
"Slap~ If I'm not mistaken, the First Madam has been begging for mercy, saying that it's almost the New Year and if relatives and friends find out she's been confined to her home, it will definitely affect my eldest cousin's marriage?"
“Miss guessed right, that’s exactly what the First Madam begged for mercy in.” Bi’er looked at her young mistress with eyes full of admiration.
“Grandmother won’t agree. To be honest, Aunt is not very smart. Grandmother is doing this just to give Mother a way out. After all, it’s a fact that Aunt harmed me, and that can’t be ignored. If Mother quits, and it happens to be the New Year, the household will definitely be in chaos. Even if Grandmother is just trying to appear kind, she has to force Aunt to accept the punishment.”
Old ginger is spicier, and even if her mother was dissatisfied, she couldn't say anything more. Reflecting on this, a hint of grievance flashed in Zhao Ziyun's eyes. After all, her grandmother still favored the eldest son's branch of the family.
Mo Lan looked at the little girl in front of her, her eyes flashing with admiration. Although the Second Madam was a bit spoiled, she was well-raised, knew how to be pragmatic, and wasn't blindly optimistic. It was not easy for her to see things so clearly.
No matter how chaotic things were at the Zhao residence, the Lanting Pavilion, where Mo Lan was staying, remained quiet until dinner time.
The second wife's personal maid came to invite Mo Lan to the banquet.
As soon as the three entered the dining hall, Mo Lan was stunned for a moment, but her expression quickly returned to normal. She had thought that only the Second Madam would be thanking her for the meal alone, but she did not expect that the whole family of children and relatives would come.
The second madam's eyes flashed with helplessness when she saw Mo Lan. "Miss Mo Lan, come quickly. We're all family, don't be shy. The old lady was very happy to hear that you escorted Yun'er back, so she wanted to come and see you. All the children have come to join in the fun. I thought that since Mo Lan will be staying in Jiang County for a while, it would be good for everyone to get to know each other."
After speaking, the second wife coughed lightly and led Mo Lan to the old lady, "This is our matriarch, and the lady next to her is my third and fourth sister-in-law."
Mo Lan looked at the numerous heads, some sitting and some standing, in the dining hall, blinked, curled her lips into a smile, and clasped her hands in a fist salute.
"The old lady is well, and the third and fourth wives are well."
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