Madam Xu was forced to sit down, her heart leaping into her throat again: "Madam—?"
Madam Zhang didn't answer her. She squinted at Xu Rong and slowly said, "I'm old and my eyesight is failing. I only just noticed the mark on your forehead, Miss. Which doctors have you consulted? Is it really incurable?"
Madam Xu paused for a moment. She had been thinking about it, but because of Xu Huazhang's incident, and since Xu Rong himself never seemed to care, she had forgotten about it. When Old Madam Zhang suddenly brought it up, she thought for a moment before saying, "It was Doctor Yang from the Imperial Hospital, and Zhang'er. This child was worried about his sister and went out to seek other renowned doctors, but—"
He never returned.
Madam Xu's face showed a hint of sorrow, then turned to urgency. "Madam, Zhang'er has been locked up in prison for so long, I don't know how many injuries and illnesses he has suffered. My heart is truly torn apart."
She expressed her intention to leave rather subtly, and Madam Zhang glanced at Xu Rong again.
Xu Rong's eyebrows and eyes were naturally relaxed. In Madam Zhang's eyes, her demeanor was not the best, and she was casual in both sitting and standing. However, this casualness, against the backdrop of Madam Xu's words and actions, or rather, against the backdrop of her, made her appear exceptionally generous and unrestrained.
Noticing Madam Zhang's gaze, Xu Rong smiled and returned the smile.
However, basic social etiquette is important.
Madam Zhang sighed inwardly.
He did not harbor hatred because of humiliation, nor did he feel inferior because of disfigurement, nor did he resent being neglected by his closest relatives. He could still laugh off all the circumstances he had encountered in his life.
When things are peaceful, they all look pretty much the same, but when storms come, their true beauty shines through.
Such a wonderful daughter-in-law.
"What a pity," said Madam Zhang, her voice filled with genuine emotion.
Unfortunately, the two families were not destined to be together.
Mrs. Xu: "Huh?"
She didn't understand the three words at all, which were completely incoherent.
"I'm talking about your eldest daughter's injury," Old Madam Zhang said irritably. Just looking at Madam Xu gave her a headache. When choosing a wife, one should choose a virtuous one. Marrying someone like this, even the late Marquis Ji'an might not dare to rest in peace in his grave.
"Those imperial physicians in the Imperial Hospital are skilled, but they are used to treating serious injuries and may not be good at treating these minor wounds. I have a doctor here named Li who is best at treating sprains and bruises. He is the one who has been treating your son's arm. When he is free tomorrow, I will ask him to take a look at the young lady. A girl's face is always the most important thing."
Madam Xu was pleased to hear this and quickly said, "Then thank you very much, Madam."
Also known as Xu Rong, Xu Rong calmly stood up and bowed to express his gratitude.
She wasn't particularly excited, not because she didn't care about her appearance, but because her current looks were already enough for her to be narcissistic about. The brocade was magnificent and beautiful beyond compare, so whether or not that flower was added wasn't that important.
Besides, was this the first time Madam Zhang had heard about her injury? Zhang Weiling had made a scene at the brothel, and the whole capital knew that she was disfigured, yet the Duke of Ying's mansion had not made any statement.
She didn't think the British Duke's Mansion had to compensate her for anything. It had nothing to do with the British Duke's Mansion anyway, and just because Xiao Lun did something wrong, his relatives shouldn't have to step in and clean up his mess.
The problem is that this belated compensation, which hadn't come for a long time, wasn't wrong in itself, but now that it's finally here, it's become distorted.
Madam Zhang's smile faded, her gaze deepened, and she beckoned to Xu Rong: "Rong girl, come here to me."
The way they addressed each other became more intimate. Xu Rong walked over and asked Old Madam Zhang to take her hand. She patted her palm lightly and said, "You've been wronged. When you have time, you might as well come over and sit for a while. I have a few maids here that you know. I'm an old woman and I don't go out much anymore. I just love seeing you young ladies together having fun."
Xu Rong smiled and said, "Yes."
She readily agreed, not taking it to heart at all. Who wants to deal with these scheming, self-important people? Too much intrigue ages a person quickly and ruins her youthful appearance.
She had already planned her future. Once she received a reply from Baiquan, she would collect her dowry and run away to Jiangnan to live a leisurely and beautiful life.
Madam Zhang: "..."
She didn't want to admit that she felt a sense of frustration that was extremely rare for someone her age.
Is she still a seventeen or eighteen-year-old girl?
There's simply no way to begin.
"Your mother is a muddle-headed person."
Old Madam Zhang finally lost patience with going in circles. She accepted all the benefits and words offered, but left no room for her to speak. If they kept going on like this until dark, she was afraid they wouldn't get to the point.
Mrs. Xu, who was innocently caught in the crossfire: "...?"
She knew the comment wasn't unfair; she was self-aware enough to know that much. But she had been sitting quietly to the side without saying a word, so why was she suddenly being criticized?
She looked very aggrieved: "Madam—"
"If you weren't confused, you wouldn't have done all this," Old Madam Zhang said bluntly. Her age and status gave her every right to reprimand Madam Xu like this. "Such a good girl, and you've treated her so badly, betrothing her to your brother and then to your younger brother. Ask around, what family does things like this? Luckily, Rong'er is easygoing. If she had gotten stuck on something, and something bad had happened, you wouldn't even have time to cry!"
Madam Xu was speechless for a moment, then immediately felt even more aggrieved and indignant: "Madam, is this what I wanted? It was all Xiao Lun's fault for doing such a terrible thing. Madam Xiao protected her son, and Madam refused to forgive him. I had no choice but to make Rong'er suffer."
"Lord Xu broke your son's arm over a mere courtesan. I'm showing you mercy by not leading men to your door to fight him," said Old Madam Zhang calmly. "Your son is certainly disappointing, but he's grown up right under my nose, and he's never even had a scratch on his skin. He suffered so much on this trip. It's a mother's heart that aches for him. You know how much it hurts, but do you think I, an old woman, don't?"
Xu Rong felt that the term "oily skin" sounded somewhat familiar.
It seems that Madam Xu also said something similar.
These mothers are all the same when it comes to protecting their own.
No one protected her.
Xu Rong smiled and lowered her head. It was nothing. She was born a lone star and always took care of herself. If she were given a mother who doted on her and treated her like her own eyes, she would probably feel very awkward.
Madam Xu had no reply, so she said timidly, "Zhang'er didn't mean it. Besides, it was Young Master Zhang who said some unpleasant things to Rong'er first, and Zhang'er got anxious and started hitting her."
To her surprise, this time Madam Zhang admitted: "Your son has indeed been spoiled by me. He has no sense of propriety when it comes to his words. Everyone in the family goes along with him, but if someone goes out and stirs things up, he can easily get angry. But if you really think about it, he is not a bad person at heart."
Feeling that she had actually gained the upper hand, Madam Xu puffed out her chest and said, "Our Zhang'er is also a good child."
"..." Old Madam Zhang felt that it was unnecessary to say a single word to such a person.
"Rong'er, what do you think?" Old Madam Zhang turned to her.
Xu Rong readily agreed, "I will listen to the old lady. Since they are all good children, then this was originally a misunderstanding, and we should let it go."
She wasn't the one who lost her arm, nor was she the one who went to jail. To go even further, she wasn't the one who broke her head. Since she suffered no loss, she shouldn't demand any justice. Going back to collect her dowry as soon as possible is the right thing to do.
Her way of referring to Zhang Weiling and Xu Huazhang as "children" was somewhat amusing, as if she were trying to act like an adult. However, Old Madam Zhang did not point it out, but just laughed and said, "Good girl, you are indeed more sensible than your mother."
That's a very eloquent way to smooth things over. A muddled situation is better left unresolved. At this point, if you're still going to argue about who's right and who's wrong like Madam Xu does, you're just tearing everyone's face off, leaving a bloody mess. Who would look good then?
Being foolish at this time is actually a sign of wisdom.
Old Madam Zhang gave Xu Rong another deep look: "Rong'er, these boys are all quite mischievous, and they deserve to be taught a lesson. Of all the ones who have suffered a real loss, you are the only one who has truly been wronged. Don't you have any thoughts about this? If you do, just say it. In front of your mother, this old woman will stand up for you and make you feel better. Otherwise, it's not good for you to harbor any resentment at such a young age."
This means they still don't trust her.
Xu Rong chuckled: "Madam, really not. My mother knew she had wronged me, and she promised to give me an extra portion. Although I don't care about this, it's still my mother's intention, so that's all."
Hehe, she cares a lot.
So she took the opportunity to say it, lest the marriage with Xiao Xin fall through after she returned, and Madam Xu renege on the terms. As for not explicitly mentioning the word "dowry," it was inspired by Xiao Xin. What Xiao Xin, that old-fashioned guy, wouldn't tolerate was probably the appropriate level of speech for an unmarried girl like her.
As expected, Madam Zhang did not notice anything amiss and nodded, saying, "That's only right." She then said to Madam Xu, "When Rong'er's marriage is settled and she gets married, send her a message. I also have a dowry to give her."
Madam Xu hadn't caught up with the situation yet, and said foolishly, "Huh? Madam Xiao said it's set for February next year. I wanted to keep Rong'er a little longer, but she wouldn't agree. Old Madam, why don't you talk to Madam Xiao and ask her to postpone it—Old Madam, what's wrong with you? Never mind, never mind, I won't say anything more, just release Zhang'er."
She looked aggrieved, and Old Madam Zhang finally managed to suppress her livid expression, taking a deep breath: "I'll have Yingyu talk to you about this tomorrow."
Yingyu was Madam Xiao's maiden name.
Madam Xu was bewildered again. What did she say? Did Old Madam Zhang agree or not?
Madam Zhang gave the order to leave: "Alright, aren't you worried about your son? Go back to your residence and see him. I won't keep you here any longer."
This sound was more effective than anything else. Madam Xu immediately stood up, hastily took her leave, and hurriedly walked out.
As he reached the door, he realized he had left Xu Rong behind, so he quickly turned back to wait for her and urged, "Rong'er."
Xu Rong wanted to leave, but Old Madam Zhang wouldn't let go, so she stopped half a step behind.
“Rong girl,” Old Madam Zhang not only didn’t let go, but tightened her grip on her hand, and said in a low, aged voice, “Tell me the truth, don’t you have even a shred of doubt in your heart that an old woman has also wronged you?”
Finally, they're speaking frankly.
Xu Rong smiled gently and said, "I believe in the old lady's deep love for her son. In the old lady's eyes, the safety of young master Zhang is more valuable than any other family's disputes. No matter how foolproof the situation is, the old lady will not feel at ease letting young master Zhang get involved."
Therefore, the appearance of Master Luo must have been the work of the Xiao family alone, and it was impossible for the Duke of Ying's family to be involved.
Her willingness to send Bai Quan to lure the king into a trap confirms this point.
She didn't want to stand out too much in front of Madam Zhang, as that wouldn't do her any good, so she added, "Even my mother knows such a simple principle, so even when Madam Xiao took the initiative to convey the message, my mother never doubted it."
Madam Zhang let out a muffled groan.
Xu wasn't just aware of the truth; she was simply incredibly stupid! The logic was simple, yet she couldn't possibly have imagined the intricacies involved!
"Good child, go home and rest well. Wait for the doctor to come and see you tomorrow." Old Madam Zhang finally let go of her hand. "Don't think about troublesome things anymore. Those things have nothing to do with you."
Xu Rong smiled and curtsied: "Yes."
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