Chapter 696 Madam Gu is cornered
The next day.
In the early morning, when Shen Wantang went to pay her respects to Madam Gu, she noticed dark circles under Madam Gu's eyes, indicating that she had encountered some troubles the night before and had not slept well all night.
Shen Wantang pretended not to see it, and continued to greet him and chat as usual.
After chatting for a short while, Meng Yunlan arrived.
Her eyes were also covered in dark circles, and she looked even more haggard than Madam Gu.
In the huge room, only Shen Wantang looked radiant and full of energy.
After chatting for a while longer, Madam Gu finally spoke up: "Tang'er, your sister-in-law wanted you to help manage the household yesterday. Have you considered it since you went back?"
Shen Wantang blinked. Her mother-in-law's question made it sound as if she hadn't refused on her behalf yesterday, as if she had discussed the matter with her yesterday.
She smiled slightly: "Mother, your daughter-in-law has just entered the family and is not yet familiar with the house. Moreover, she is young and I'm afraid she won't be able to manage the people below her. Besides, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the eldest branch of the family, she should indeed be in charge of managing the household. I shouldn't cause her any trouble."
Madam Gu was taken aback. Weren't these the very words she had just said yesterday?
Look, today he was completely shut down by his second daughter-in-law.
Her temperament is exactly the same as her second son's; no wonder Gu Qianhan insisted on marrying her!
But what could she say after being shut down like that by her second daughter-in-law? Could she possibly lecture Shen Wantang? She didn't have the face for that!
She coughed lightly and said, "It's not a big deal if you're not familiar with the house. Your sister-in-law took charge of the household as soon as she entered the family. She wasn't familiar with the house either, but she still managed to run the entire Duke's Mansion very well. You can learn slowly. If you don't understand something, you can ask your sister-in-law or come and ask me."
Shen Wantang found it amusing. Why wasn't this the story yesterday? Oh, now that they need her, the story has changed?
Do you think she's a victim of injustice? You only speak sweet words to her when you need her, and then you portray her as utterly worthless when you don't.
Even if she had never intended to manage the household, after what they did, she would never be able to manage it anymore.
“Mother, you are too kind to me. I come from a humble family and have never managed such a large mansion before. Even if you trust me to take over, I am too ashamed to do so! Mother, I have no other merits but I am self-aware.”
Shen Wantang looked sincere: "Mother, as the saying goes, do what you are capable of. I really don't have the ability to manage a household, so I dare not have any unrealistic ambitions."
"My sister-in-law manages our Duke's mansion so well, and everything is in perfect order. There's no need for anyone else to interfere! So, let my sister-in-law continue to manage the household. I'll just stay under her protection and be a law-abiding citizen."
His words were very well said, but they left Madam Gu quite speechless.
However, she still couldn't teach Shen Wantang a lesson.
Because the reason she agreed to let Gu Qianhan marry Shen Wantang was that her family background was far inferior to that of the eldest son's wife.
The original plan was to ensure that the eldest son's wife could completely dominate the second son's wife, so that the entire Duke's mansion would remain peaceful and stable, and there would be no infighting among the brothers.
What I liked about Shen Wantang back then was that she was self-aware, didn't compete or fight, and was neither humble nor arrogant!
Right now, Shen Wantang's actions and words have proven that she did not choose the wrong person. Even if the power of housekeeping is forced into her hands, she does not want it!
Madam Gu was feeling extremely distressed. She was actually happy that Shen Wantang was unwilling to manage the household affairs, but yesterday Madam Meng came to discuss it with her for a long time. In the end, she almost cried and begged her, saying that she wanted Shen Wantang to take over the management of the household affairs so that Meng Yunlan could rest for a while, recover her health, and be more likely to conceive.
Who is in charge of the Duke's mansion is not something that Madam Meng, an outsider, should have to say, so when she brought it up, Madam Gu was very unhappy.
She put Meng Yunlan in charge of the household, which shows that she is on Meng Yunlan's side and on the side of the eldest branch of the family!
How could Madam Meng be so ungrateful, crying and shouting that she had to give up the power to manage the household!
What does the inability to conceive have to do with the housekeeper? Which matriarch doesn't manage the household? Yet other women manage to conceive smoothly!
Madam Gu felt that Madam Meng was making excuses for Meng Yunlan's inability to conceive, because when she herself married into the Duke's mansion, she also managed the household and was busy taking care of the daily life of the whole family. Her mother-in-law even set many rules for her back then, but didn't she still get pregnant very quickly?
Nowadays, she doesn't follow her mother-in-law's example by setting rules for her daughter-in-law, nor does she mistreat her. She believes she has been very lenient with her daughter-in-law, and even though her daughter-in-law hasn't conceived in the five years since she married into the family, she has never said a harsh word to her.
Why is the daughter-in-law's family still so dissatisfied?
Does that mean she should just hand over the management of the household to her second son's wife and let her be the head of the household?
If she really does that, Madam Meng will probably cause a ruckus again!
Madam Gu was already furious yesterday, and today her anger has only intensified.
She couldn't help but glance at Meng Yunlan. She used to find this eldest daughter-in-law quite agreeable, but today she found her somewhat disagreeable.
This daughter-in-law's family is too powerful; it's definitely not a good thing!
A family like Shen Wantang's would absolutely not dare to come to the Duke's mansion to make a scene, much less dare to teach her how to do things!
Madam Gu suppressed her anger again and again, and finally managed to calm it down.
She forced a gentle tone and said, "Tang'er, to tell you the truth, your sister-in-law has been working hard managing the household these past few years, and her health is somewhat depleted. She needs to take good care of herself."
"So, stop making excuses, or I'll get angry. For now, please take charge of our Duke's mansion!"
"Don't worry, you won't be in charge for too long. After a year, your sister-in-law will recover and take over, then you can relax a bit."
Having lived three lifetimes, Shen Wantang was no less cunning than Madam Gu. She immediately understood that Madam Gu was giving her a warning, the implication being clear:
She cannot be the head mistress of the Duke's mansion. Her management is only temporary. In the future, the eldest son's family will still be in charge of the Duke's mansion.
It's just that my mother-in-law said it in a very nice way.
Shen Wantang smiled gently. Her mother-in-law's words sounded nice? She could say even nicer things than her mother-in-law!
“Mother, it is indeed very important for my sister-in-law to take care of her health. She should get proper treatment.”
"However, if you get tired, sister-in-law, you can help manage the household affairs for a few days. You've seen more of life than we have! With you in charge, the household will be fine. This is the greatest blessing for us younger generation!"
Shen Wantang poured a cup of tea and handed it to Madam Gu, saying respectfully and gently, "If all else fails, you can take A-Ning with you to manage the affairs of the mansion. I've heard A-Ning mention before that you've been teaching her how to manage the household!"
"You take the lead, and A-Ning will be your deputy. We'll also have the nannies help out. That's enough!"
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