Xu Zhi's return warmed Zheng Yuanyuan's lonely heart. She pulled Xu Zhi to her kang (heated brick bed), rested her head on Xu Zhi's shoulder, and told her about the things that had happened in the past few days.
Xu Zhi stroked Zheng Yuanyuan's hair tenderly, and finally said softly, "It's all in the past. As long as it's in the past, we can still move forward happily. Yuanyuan, there's no need to dwell on the past. It wasn't you who did anything wrong, so there's no need to keep it in your heart. I heard that you were harassed by those people in the city this time because of our good aunt. It's getting late today, so tomorrow we'll go to the Pingxi Marquis's mansion and ask our aunt for justice."
Zheng Yuanyuan looked troubled and said, "The old lady is getting on in years, and I'm afraid I'll upset her."
Xu Zhi shook her head and said, "Even if the old lady is angry, it's because your aunt did something wrong that angered the old lady. It wasn't you who did it, Yuanyuan. The squeaky wheel gets the grease. We should be good children, but there's a limit to how good we can be. We can't always think of others. Sometimes, we should think more about ourselves."
Zheng Yuanyuan thought about it carefully for a long time before nodding to Xu Zhi. After dinner, she returned to her room and pondered Xu Zhi's words for a long time. Seeing her deep in thought, Wang Mama said, "Miss, it's getting late. Go and rest."
Zheng Yuanyuan looked at Granny Wang and asked her, "Granny, do you think I haven't figured out how I've lived all these years?"
Upon hearing this, Granny Wang smiled and said, "Oh my, my good girl, don't think that just because you're only a teenager, I wouldn't dare say I've figured things out even at my age. Girl, is there something you need?"
After telling Xu Zhi what she had said, Zheng Yuanyuan said, "Granny, the things that Aunt Xu said to me these past few days, and what my sister-in-law said to me today, I feel that it's because I'm too sensible and always think of others that the people next door think I'm easy to bully. If I weren't like that, and I were a very capable person, like the third daughter of General Wang's family, would the people next door still bully and humiliate me like this?"
The third girl in General Wang's family is Wang Junzhuo's youngest. She is seventeen years old this year. She has followed the guards at home to dance with guns and sticks since she was a child. She likes to fight against injustices. Many dandies in the capital have been taught hard by her. Because of her temperament, the marriage has never been settled, and there are many in the capital. Other girls didn't like to play with her, and Miss Wang San didn't care very much. I heard that she went to the southwest for a while some time ago, and her temper became somewhat calmer after she came back. It's just that nature is easy to change. I heard that she beat up a bully on the street two days ago.
Granny Wang chuckled and said, "My dear girl, you can't judge whether someone is capable or not just like that. Some people are capable because they won't suffer any loss. When they encounter something that displeases them, they'll turn on the other person or even physically teach them a lesson, just to vent their anger and teach the other person a lesson. Others are capable because it's in their bones. They don't show it on their faces, but when something happens, they can resolve it quietly and effectively. Most importantly, even though someone gets a lesson after the matter is resolved, they can't express their bitterness in their heart."
Zheng Yuanyuan became more and more interested as she listened, and asked, "Granny, what exactly is so amazing about this?"
Granny Wang thought for a moment and said, "She's probably talking about our eldest mistress. She's usually very kind, but if anyone in the family is wronged or bullied, she'll find a way to get revenge elsewhere. Take our Lady of Pingxi, for example. She's always trying to get something out of us, but with our eldest mistress around, she's been given the cold shoulder a lot and hasn't gotten anything at all. Girl, don't you think our eldest mistress is amazing?"
Zheng Yuanyuan nodded with sparkling eyes, smiled and said, "My sister-in-law is naturally the most amazing. Granny, Aunt Xu and Uncle Xu have also carefully taught my sister-in-law since she was a child. And my sister-in-law's older brother and younger brother are all very good people. Granny, do you think that if my mother hadn't passed away so early, I would have been taught by my mother to be as amazing as my sister-in-law?"
Looking at Zheng Yuanyuan's hopeful face, Granny Wang felt a pang of sadness. Children who have lost their mothers at a young age are the most pitiful. Her own daughter had been raised by her sickly grandmother since childhood and had never been properly taught like this before. It was only in recent years, after the eldest mistress entered the family, that she was asked to teach her properly, and only then did her daughter, like many other girls, come to understand many principles.
Xu Zhi and Zheng Boyuan have always been very strict in guiding Zheng Yuanyuan. They both know that no one has given her careful education when she needed guidance the most. However, whether she gets married or not in the future, she will need to understand many principles and learn many interpersonal skills on her own.
Granny Wang sighed inwardly, but said aloud, "Miss, you can't think about things backwards like that. You have to look forward. I think you're doing very well now. You have your brother and sister-in-law who genuinely care about you, and your mistress is even teaching you how to do things. Miss, among all the young ladies in the capital, which family's daughter can do so much at such a young age?"
Zheng Yuanyuan nodded. Indeed, although many things are tedious and tiring to do, the sense of satisfaction after they are done is captivating.
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