Madam Xu spoke softly, and since only she and Madam Liu were in the room, Madam Liu could clearly hear what Madam Xu was saying.
However, there was no smile in Madam Xu's eyes, but her gaze never left Liu's face for a moment. The faint smile on Liu's face made her joy pause, and she felt a vague unease in her heart.
But she had finally managed to catch the tail of the fourth branch of the family, and she knew in her heart that this was an opportunity for Xu Yunyang to win over Li Shiyue. Thinking of the dowry chests in the storeroom, Liu's unease was gradually swept away by greedy joy.
“Mother, since Wulang is unreliable, there are other men in the family.”
The calculation in her eyes was almost explicitly stated to her son, Xu Yunyang. Although she was shrewd, she wasn't exactly shrewd.
Old Madam Xu observed this, subtly concealing her dislike for the second branch of the family, and refrained from responding to Liu's words. Her gaze gradually focused on one spot, and she looked at Liu again, a mocking smile playing on her lips.
"You mean Wulang sent a maid last night?"
Madam Xu suddenly changed the subject, and Liu Shi probably didn't react in time. Her eyes suddenly cleared, mixed with a bit of doubt: "Yes, they are the two maids that Fourth Sister-in-law selected a few days ago. The ones that Fifth Brother sent over are called Xiangzhi."
Liu secretly hoped that she could hear from Old Madam Xu that Li Shiyue's marriage was called off. She hoped that if she said a few nice words, the dowry money might end up in her hands.
Even though Madam Xu looked away, she could still guess what Liu was thinking from the way Liu looked at her.
Contrary to expectations, Madam Xu said calmly, "She's just a maidservant. What's there to make a fuss about? If you don't want to keep her, have Fourth Brother's wife drink a bowl of herbal medicine to eliminate any future trouble. Only after Fifth Brother marries a new wife and gives birth to a legitimate son can we talk about taking her as a concubine."
"Didn't the second son do the same thing back then? As for the fourth son's affairs, his wife is the matriarch of the first wife, so let her handle it herself. You came all this way just to tell me about Jiaojiao and Wulang?"
"Who told you that I was going to marry Jiaojiao to Wulang?"
Liu was taken aback and couldn't answer for a long time. Under the gaze of Old Madam Xu, she moved her lips and said timidly, "I only heard rumors in the mansion that Mother only allowed Fifth Brother and Seventh Brother to accompany her this time, and one of them will be the son-in-law of my cousin."
"Is that so?" Old Madam Xu's smile widened, but there was no smile in her eyes, clearly indicating that she did not believe Liu's words.
For decades, Madam Yang had managed the household affairs, and everyone in the Duke's mansion obeyed her. Spreading rumors was extremely taboo, and few dared to do so. If someone was caught, it would be difficult for them to remain working in the Duke's mansion. The large number of servants was also due to the strict rules and generous monthly stipends of the Duke's mansion.
Liu Shi had long lost the arrogance she had when she entered. Now, facing the mocking gaze of Old Madam Xu, she wished she could bury her head in her chest and not raise it.
A paper tiger that's all bark and no bite. Old Madam Xu withdrew her gaze: "As for Jiaojiao's husband, I was planning to choose one from among the several young men in the Xu family, but I haven't decided on a candidate yet. What I didn't expect was that someone in the manor would dare to guess their master's intentions. I should have my eldest daughter-in-law investigate where this rumor started."
"Wulang will be the master of the house in the future. A maid is nothing more than a servant. After Wulang marries a new wife and the new wife gives birth to a legitimate son, if the son is of good character, let the new wife decide to take him as a concubine and raise him."
"If Fifth Brother is not interested, let Fourth Brother's wife handle it. It's a shame to ruin the reputation of a perfectly good woman. If she is willing, the Xu family can step in and find her an honest man to marry."
"If you have nothing else to do, you should go back. Jiaojiao still needs to accompany me to worship Buddha."
After saying this, Madam Xu closed her eyes to rest, clearly indicating that she did not want to hear Liu speak any more.
Granny Chang, who was standing guard to one side, understood that this was to see the guest off, and stepped forward: "Second Madam, please."
The weather after the rain was still cool and breezy. Li Shiyue wasn't really going back to retrieve the scriptures, but it wasn't good for her to wander around Shousong Hall. If she ran into Liu Shi, she probably wouldn't be able to get away easily.
They simply took Chunling to the small garden in front. It was still early, and the branches and leaves were lush and green, with dewdrops still hanging on the green leaves.
"girl......"
Chunling stepped forward and draped the cloak she was holding over Li Shiyue's shoulders. Luckily, Li Shiyue was quick-witted and had brought an extra cloak when she went out in the morning, worried that it would be cold.
The first autumn breeze was quite gentle. When it blew into the spacious garden, it brought a refreshing coolness that seemed to be pressing against the skin.
"Is the young lady thinking about what the Second Madam said?"
This seems to be the reason for the argument last night, but to be honest, there's nothing to argue about. Liu is making a mountain out of a molehill.
Li Shiyue neither refuted nor agreed, answering Chunling's question with silence.
"The old lady favors the young lady. If the young lady asks, then this maid will naturally not stay." At that time, the young lady and Fifth Master can still live a good life together.
"Whether she stays or not, to be honest, I don't care."
Li Shiyue simply stopped by the small lake. The lake seemed a bit higher after the rain, and the red carp inside were playing in the water, occasionally popping out of the lake to blow a string of bubbles, and then bending down to play with their companions in the lake.
It's understandable for a maid to worry about her future, or for her husband to make a mistake while drunk. But if one cares about even this, wouldn't that make one a petty and narrow-minded person?
"That's my fifth cousin's business, and my fourth aunt is responsible for taking care of it. Why should I care? I ran away because how could an unmarried woman like me listen to these things? Of course, I have to stay away."
Her expression showed no sign of anything amiss, so it was likely her true feeling. Facing the small lake, she reached for some fish food, grabbed a handful, and gently scattered it onto the surface of the lake. The red carp on the lake rushed over to grab it.
Li Shiyue grabbed another handful of fish food and put it back. These red carp, regardless of hunger or satiety, would eagerly swim up whenever someone wanted to feed them.
To be honest, she was somewhat curious about this matter, and also just wanted to hear the news, rather than having any romantic feelings for Xu Yunyao. It wasn't unusual for a wealthy family to have a concubine's maidservant as a concubine.
But why is Lady Liu making such a fuss? The second and fourth branches of the family do not live in the same courtyard, and the mistresses of the two branches have always been openly and secretly sabotaging each other. The two heads of the family are nominally brothers, but in reality, they have little private contact.
The commotion started last night, and Madam Liu rushed over from the west courtyard; her information network is truly impressive.
Li Shiyue seemed to have thought of something interesting. She thought she probably understood what Liu was thinking, and that the commotion last night and this morning was all aimed at her.
So this disgusting mother and son are still plotting their own schemes even now.
The moment this thought popped into Li Shiyue's head, she felt as if she had eaten something filthy, unable to hide her disgust.
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