Chapter 46 Confrontation
As soon as Su Ying finished speaking, silence fell in the library.
After a while, Cheng sneered and said, "What a good way to find out the cause and return the property to its original owner. However, regarding the items you just mentioned, I want to ask, did you take anything else besides this inkstone screen?"
The word "take" was thrown out, like a bucket of dirty water poured on her niece's head. Rong Shi immediately lost control and spoke out to stop her: "Sister-in-law, please be careful with your words! How can you make such a hasty conclusion without thoroughly investigating the matter?"
Cheng looked at Rong with a look of sarcasm in her eyes and said, "Sister-in-law, what you said is unfair. It is clearly your niece who mentioned that there are others, and it is also clear that she is the only one who spends every day in the library. Besides,"
He had barely finished speaking when Cheng reached out to the still-damp Huzhou brush hanging upside down on the pen holder. Then, he glanced at the Shezhou inkstone, which had been stained with ink after Su Ying's hasty departure.
Cheng said pointedly, "Besides, I only said 'take it', not 'use it'! Why is your sister-in-law so red-faced and eager to distance herself from it?"
After saying this, Cheng's poisonous gaze fixed on Su Ying and said, "Come, I want to hear you tell me. Besides this inkstone screen, is there anything else in the library that doesn't belong to you?"
Cheng never said in a single word that she had given it to someone privately, but she was saying, both explicitly and implicitly, that she had received it and used it.
What wasn't hers? To be honest, every book and every object in this library had nothing to do with her, Su Ying.
"Why, you've used so many things that aren't yours that I don't know where to begin?"
Cheng sneered, "Xue Yuan, bring the account book left by Du Dashan and read it carefully to your second wife. Let her know how much our cousin has collected and how much she has used!"
Cheng seemed to do it on purpose, and raised his tone when talking about the words "collect" and "use".
Xue Yuan acknowledged the situation and, holding the account book, read out loud every word: "One glass lamp from Yuhuifang, one pot of lamp oil, one mica stone snow bamboo Fufeng inkstone screen, one pair of Qingfeng bamboo paperweights..."
After waiting for a long while, he finally finished reading everything. Except for the books that filled the bookshelf, the rest were newly added valuable items.
Even Rong, who believed Su Ying, paled slightly after Xue Yuan finished reading out the details. These were clearly items that would only be used in Heng'er's study, so how could every one of them appear in the library?
Of course, she knew that Ying'er wouldn't have anything to do with Heng'er, and she knew even more clearly that Ying'er would never use anything without permission. Thinking of the look Heng'er had given Ying'er on the day they chose the dress, Rong's heart skipped a beat.
She thought Heng was just a young man who admired Ying'er for her good looks and good nature, so he couldn't help but feel a little bit of admiration. But she didn't expect that he would actually act on her feelings.
However, such selfless gift, to the young man who was just beginning to fall in love, was a silent and unrequited kindness. But to Ying'er, who was living here, it was a private transfer that could not be justified.
Even though she knew nothing, the valuable items registered one by one were like evidence of a crime, placed in front of everyone one by one, leaving her unable to refute.
Seeing Rong's pale face, Cheng knew she was speechless. Satisfied, she asked with a smile, "Sister-in-law, you didn't expect this library to suddenly have so many wonderful things, did you?"
Seeing that Rong Shi had nothing to say, she slowly stood up and approached Su Ying step by step. She looked Su Ying up and down, who was now unable to prove herself. She saw that her eyes were red and her lips were trembling, as if she was trying to restrain herself, but also seemed to be still stubborn.
Cheng pressed on coldly, "You said you didn't know where these items came from. If you don't know, why are you using them so complacently?"
"You said that after noon today, you found out that Yanping and Wanyi's were a pair. Why didn't you ask Wanyi who it belonged to? Why did you wait until I asked you before you said you wanted to return it to its original owner?"
"When Wanyi learned about the day chosen in the scripture, she asked Heng'er for the inkstone screen in front of everyone. If Heng'er didn't give it to her, wouldn't you and Heng'er each have one?"
"This Yanping is a pair. Do you also want to be a pair with this person?"
Cheng originally did not want to involve Heng'er, but she was extremely angry, and thought that Su Ying must have conspired with Rong before entering the Du Mansion. For a moment, she could not help but say what was in her heart.
Su Ying clearly had her eye on Heng'er's promising future. She wanted to finalize everything before he passed the Spring Examination. While others might choose a husband after the exam, they were even more cunning, clearly aiming for a done deal!
When Cheng was about to order Su Ying to leave, Rong, who had been silent all this time, suddenly spoke up and said, "Since sister-in-law has said so much, isn't it time for me to say something too?"
She walked forward fearlessly and pulled Su Ying behind her, like a barrier, completely separating her niece from Cheng.
Seeing this, Cheng sneered inwardly. The evidence was now before her. Even if Rong Shi spoke with all her wit, she couldn't deny the fact that your niece had misused Heng Ge'er's belongings. Could it be that you were trying to drag your mother-in-law into this, as you had done before, to act as your backup? She didn't think Rong Shi could succeed this time. Everything else was fine, but if this matter involved Heng Ge'er, her mother-in-law would only side with her.
So, Cheng said indifferently: "Sister-in-law, please say whatever you want to say! But, after you finish speaking, please don't stop me from ordering you to leave."
Unexpectedly, Rong chuckled and said, "Sister-in-law, this is not what you think!"
"The items Xue Yuan just mentioned were all borrowed from Heng'er by me. You love Heng'er so much that you naturally sent the best writing brushes, inkstones, and paper to his study. Although Ying'er is my niece, I treat her as my own. It's not surprising that she uses some fine things."
"Sister-in-law, you might have forgotten that the lanterns from Yuhuifang are not something you can buy just by buying them. You have to wait ten days or half a month for these first-rate items. Sister-in-law, you don't know that my niece is not only a first-rate calligrapher, but also a first-rate talent. I'm not bragging, but if she were a man, I'm afraid the title of Jieyuanlang wouldn't have fallen to Brother Heng. Ying'er can not only use these items, but she can also afford them."
Rong's words were light and easy, but every word pierced Cheng's heart. She knew that Cheng's words were implicitly accusing Ying'er of having ulterior motives, but no matter how good Heng'er was, she would not allow others to look down on her niece.
Seeing Cheng's expression change slightly, Rong continued, "Those four treasures of the study that were ordered haven't arrived yet. I didn't want to let Ying'er down, so I called Heng'er. If you don't believe me, you can just call Heng'er over and ask him. You'll know the answer."
Rong spoke calmly. Ying'er had done nothing wrong, yet she was being slandered. Since this was the case, why not give them a taste of their own medicine?
If Cheng Shi didn't believe it, then she could just call Heng Ge'er over. If Heng Ge'er knew that his kindness had been used for no reason and used as evidence to frame Ying'er, he would definitely speak up to help.
However, Cheng never expected that Rong would take everything on herself with ease, which made her, the mistress of the house, appear narrow-minded and dishonest in her behavior.
Just when Cheng was speechless, Xue Yuan accidentally touched a book on the desk. The book fell to the ground and a bookmark slipped out of it.
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