Shiyi Niang was surprised to see Jinlian and Yinping both carrying bundles in their hands, "What are you doing?"
Jinlian lowered her head and said nothing. Yinping's eyelashes were filled with tears. "Madam, please go and see our grandmother! Our grandmother has been ill since she brought the Duke back from Gongxian Hutong that day. She has not taken a drop of water in the past two days and her illness has become more serious. All family affairs are controlled by the Duke's biological father and mother. Not only did the grandmother not care, she also drove us out in front of the Duke's biological father and mother. She said that we were maids of the Luo family and she didn't need us now, so we had to be returned to the Luo family. She asked us to come to find Madam, and she would have nothing to do with birth, old age, sickness and death in the future."
Eleventh Lady gradually became angry.
This Shi Niang always does things without any reason. She drove away all the capable people around her and left her there alone. Is she trying to learn from the Bodhisattva and feed the tiger with her own body? Does she really think that others dare not touch her?
It was the first time for the maids serving in the room to see her face as cold as frosty. They were all trembling with fear and dared not even breathe.
The air was immediately filled with tension.
Jinlian quickly argued, "Madam, our grandmother didn't really want to kick us out. She just had no other choice." Her eyes turned red as she spoke, "The Duke's biological father and mother took advantage of the grandmother's mental weakness to replace and kick out the family members. Everyone in the mansion and outside the mansion acted according to their wishes. The grandmother used this excuse to kick us out to prevent the Duke's biological father and mother from targeting us!"
Eleventh Lady heard the hidden meaning in these words, so she sent the servants away and asked Jinlian and Yinping carefully, "What is going on?"
The Luo family returned to Yuhang, and Shi Niang could not support the family alone. Although what they said was true, they also wanted Shiyi Niang to help Shi Niang. Seeing that Shiyi Niang was willing to ask, she didn't care what she should or shouldn't say, and told everything in one go.
"Although our eldest grandmother has a cold face, she has a very kind heart. When the prince was alive, he was very picky about the eldest grandmother. Sometimes when she encountered something unpleasant outside, he would drink a few glasses of wine and beat her up. It is said that several concubines were beaten to death in this way. The child... was also lost in this way." Jinlian said, tears welling up in her eyes, "Even so, the eldest grandmother often protected us servants."
Yinping began to cry softly.
"We remember the kindness of the great grandmother. After the prince passed away, we were prepared to serve her for the rest of our lives." Jinlian said, "Who knew that the Duke's biological mother said a few days ago that we were people who served the prince, and we should not stay at home. She wanted to..." Her face flushed, "to send us out of the house."
This sentence is the key, right?
"Who did you give you to?" Eleventh Lady asked with a gloomy face.
"Sister Yinping was given to a good friend of the Duke's biological father, and I was given to... an old widower!" Jinlian whispered.
Eleventh Lady pondered and asked, "How much did she charge?"
Both of them were silent for a moment before they whispered, "One family received ten taels!"
Eleventh Lady sneered.
Yin Ping said hurriedly, "Madam, we are Luo's concubines. If the prince wants to sell us or chase us away, that's fine. But it's not her turn to make decisions." As she spoke, her tone became a little angry. "Not only that, she also said that the family is having a hard time making a living now, so she reduced the maids and old women around the eldest lady from eight to four now. Now there is no one around the eldest lady to serve tea or water."
"Where is your lady? Is she still sick?" asked Eleventh Lady.
"The old Duke and the Madam doted on our grandmother like their own daughter." Yin Ping defended Shi Niang's parents-in-law, "They knew that the prince was disrespectful to our grandmother, and not only did they persuade him earnestly, but they also dragged him to the ancestral hall to use family rules for the first time. Once, the prince came back from drinking, and the Madam was afraid that he would go crazy, so she came to persuade him and blocked a punch for the grandmother. But now the old Duke has passed away, and the Madam is so sick that she is confused. When we went to pay our respects to her, she couldn't recognize who was who. Now everyone around her has replaced the Duke's biological mother, and we can't see her at all. The eldest aunt is an understanding person. But it's too far from Yanjing, and we can't find anyone to send a letter to the eldest aunt." As she spoke, she carefully looked at Shi Niang's expression, "Madam, now that the uncles are not in Beijing, the eldest grandmother sent us to you because she thinks you are a trustworthy person..."
Eleventh Lady pondered for a while and whispered, "You guys go back! After all, this is the family affair of Duke Mao's Mansion. I will not interfere." After that, she picked up the teacup and pretended to see the guests off.
Jinlian and Yinping were shocked, and then their expressions darkened.
Thinking back to when they were in Yuhang, although they worked for Grandma Luo, they had heard that Shi Niang was unruly and often bullied the timid Shiyi Niang, and the two of them were at odds. Later, they went to the Duke of Mao's Mansion with Shi Niang, and saw that Shi Niang only served the old Duke and the Madam, and never participated in her family's affairs, fearing that they would gradually become estranged, and her family would not be willing to help in the future. She had advised her several times, but Shi Niang said: "A married daughter is like spilled water. Since they sent me to the Wang family, I am a member of the Wang family in life and a ghost of the Wang family in death. I should take care of my parents-in-law and have nothing to do with the Luo family's affairs." There was nothing wrong with what she said literally, and the two were just maids, so it was hard to say too much, but she was always a little uneasy in her heart. Later, when she saw that Shi Niang was in trouble, her family members came to help, and she gradually relaxed. When Shi Niang asked them to come to Shiyi Niang, they thought that the father and mother of the Duke of Yongping, whom Shiyi Niang married, would have to give some face to them, so they agreed to come to Shi Niang in front of Shi Niang, in fact, they wanted Shiyi Niang to come forward to support Shi Niang. Now, after hearing what Shiyi Niang said, although the matter was unexpected, it was also reasonable and people could not say a single word was wrong.
Jinlian and Yinping were stunned for a moment, exchanged glances, bent their knees in frustration to salute Shiyi Niang, and stood up to go out.
"Wait a moment." The two men walked to the door, and heard Eleventh Lady's calm and somewhat cold voice.
Did you change your mind?
Jinlian and Yinping were overjoyed and turned around quickly.
Then Eleventh Lady said slowly, "You don't have to come if you don't want to. Now that you are here, I must send you back safely, so that the people from the Wang family won't come to me to ask for you."
Jinlian and Yinping felt a chill in their hearts.
Eleventh Lady had already called Amber in loudly: "Take a few people with you and send the two girls back to Duke Mao's Mansion."
There was a hint of confusion in Amber's eyes, but she still replied "yes" respectfully.
Eleventh Lady ordered her, "When you go, not only must you hand over the two girls to the Tenth Sister, but you must also tell her something for me." Her expression became serious, "Tell her. I used to think that although she was arrogant, she still had some pride. She was too young to care about the affairs of Bi Tao and Hong Tao. I didn't expect that I had misjudged her. It turns out that she is just a person who is tough on the outside but weak on the inside. Seeing that everyone in the family gives in to her, she becomes spoiled and arrogant, and speaks and acts recklessly. Who would have thought that when she met someone from outside, she was like a mouse meeting a cat. Not only did she hide and dare not stand out, but she also completely lost her face and integrity, and begged me to take her in. It's really disgusting. From now on, let her visit me less."
Everyone in the room turned pale, and Jinlian and Yinping looked even more ashen.
Amber responded with a trembling voice and pulled the two of them out of the main room.
Eleventh Lady let out a long breath.
Shi Niang was able to survive Wang Lang's domestic violence, which was closely related to her hatred for the first wife. Now that the first wife is gone, the motivation to support her to live is gone, and she is also lying down. I hope that what I have done can make her wake up. Even if it is for Jinlian and Yinping, or because she doesn't want to be looked down upon by her former enemy, it is better to try to live than to die like this.
She is only eighteen years old this year!
When Eleventh Lady thought of this, she felt very uncomfortable.
Her maid moved the embroidery frame and started embroidering, and gradually her mood calmed down.
Xu Lingyi came in and saw that she looked a little disappointed. He smiled and said, "What's wrong? Is the wedding shop not going well?"
These days, Eleventh Lady's eyes and brows were filled with joy.
"No." Eleventh Lady got off the kang and bowed to Xu Lingyi, then took the tea from the maid and handed it to him. "The wedding shop is going smoothly. Master Jian is handing it over to the people in the shop!"
Xu Lingyi thought about how Eleventh Lady always liked to whitewash the situation, and after a moment of contemplation, he said, "What's there to be unhappy about?"
Neither of them is the type to dig into people's minds.
Eleventh Lady was a little surprised and wondered whether she should tell Xu Lingyi about Tenth Lady. Then Amber came back.
Just consider it God’s will!
Eleventh Lady briefly told Xu Lingyi what had happened, and then called Amber in.
"What did the tenth sister say?"
Amber was surprised to see Xu Lingyi present, but she quickly lowered her eyebrows and eyes and replied respectfully, "Before I finished speaking, the Tenth Aunt struggled to sit up. She asked me to bring you a letter, saying that you can rest assured that even if she becomes a beggar, she will bypass the Yongping Marquis's Mansion." As she spoke, she secretly looked at the Eleventh Lady's expression. Seeing that she looked calm, she breathed a sigh of relief, "From now on, the Wang and Xu families will never have any contact with each other!"
Xu Lingyi couldn't help but look at Shiyi Niang.
Eleventh Lady smiled indifferently and said, "When my tenth brother-in-law died, my aunt borrowed a few servants from our house. Go find the leader and ask her to go to the Wang family quietly in the next few days to see what's going on, and then come back to report to me." Then she muttered in a low voice, "I'm afraid she'll get out of control and run away with Jinlian and Yinping."
Amber responded and left.
"Be careful not to overdo it and make people angry to death." Xu Lingyi looked at her with a smile on his face.
"Some people need gentle and mellow treatment, while others need thunder and lightning." Eleventh Lady laughed, "As the Tenth Sister, I cannot do without strong medicine."
As Xu Lingyi listened, his smile gradually faded, and a serious look gradually appeared between his brows: "Eleventh Lady, have you ever resented the First Wife?" His tone was somewhat serious.
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I started working today, so there will only be one update!
O(∩_∩)O~
But I still ask friends who have votes to support me. Thank you!
PS: Recommended:
Title: Rebirth in the Clouds and Waters
Book number: 1773500
Author: Xiaowan
Introduction: When the fairy tale is shattered, should she consider being a "sensible" and "timely" woman? Or should she stick to the principle of "not sharing a toothbrush with a man"?