Chapter 22: The Matter is Exposed
"Father, my daughter and my aunt are all missing the new clothes we were supposed to have made this season. My daughter doesn't mind, but she'll be laughed at if she goes out to a banquet. But my aunt is pregnant, and she can only wear last year's hand-me-downs."
"That dress is not only moth-eaten, but also a little too small. How can my aunt wear it?"
Marquis Jingning looked at Ji Jinglan with a gloomy face.
It would be fine if it was any other day, but now that Ruoshuang is pregnant, she actually dares to ask people to withhold things from her yard. Does she deliberately not want Ruoshuang to give birth to the baby safely?
Ji Jinglan's eyes widened, and without even thinking, she refuted: "Who gave you the guts to lie? The new clothes for this season have clearly been cut."
Fearing that Marquis Jingning and the old lady would not believe her, Ji Jinglan also called several maids and nannies serving in various courtyards to testify.
Unexpectedly, Marquis Jingning, the old lady, and the maids and nannies in her own courtyard all said that they had received new clothes, but the servants in Concubine Liu's courtyard said that they had not seen any new clothes.
Ji Jinglan didn't believe it and said bluntly that these people were lying and deliberately framing him. He also called the servant to beat them with a stick.
Seeing the scene becoming increasingly chaotic, Aunt Liu stroked her belly and said in a tender voice, "Okay Mingyi, Madam is your mother after all. It's just a few pieces of clothing. I'm fine."
As she spoke, Aunt Liu raised her hand to reveal an old dress that was a little too short.
When everyone in the room saw that Concubine Liu's clothes were obviously ill-fitting, their faces changed, especially Marquis Jingning, whose face turned as black as the bottom of a pot.
Chu Mingyi tugged at the right moment, tugging at her handkerchief and stamping her feet in dissatisfaction. "Auntie, this isn't just about a few pieces of clothing. These days, there aren't enough servants in the mansion bullying us. Not to mention the maids and old women who sneer at us whenever they see us, even the daily meals are delivered to us with the leftovers from my eldest sister's house."
"Those who know me are my father's daughter, the second young lady of the Marquis's mansion, while those who don't think I'm just a servant in the mansion. Even Jin Que, the maid who serves my eldest sister, has new clothes this season, but my aunt and I, two proper mistresses, don't have any."
Aunt Liu stood beside the old lady and saw that she looked unhappy. She curled her lips, stood up and knelt in the hall, her voice gentle.
"Mingyi, stop talking. It's just some clothes and food. If it's less, it's less. Your elder sister and the lady are of noble status. How can you criticize them?"
"Old Madam, Marquis, Mingyi has always been outspoken and has suffered a lot with me these days. I did not mean to offend Madam and the eldest daughter. I hope that Old Madam and Marquis will forgive me."
It would have been better if Concubine Liu hadn't said this, because once she did, it confirmed that their food and clothing were indeed being deducted. Like water in a frying pan, it immediately boiled over, and the Marquis of Jingning's face darkened even further.
"Ridiculous! Is this how you run the family?" The old lady leaned on her poison stick angrily and glared at Ji Jinglan.
How would it be a good reputation if news got out that you treated pregnant concubines and concubines' daughters harshly?
She had not been involved in anything for many years and originally thought that Ji Jinglan was just a little dull and should have a good nature. She never expected that he would do such a vile and dirty thing.
Fortunately, only their family members were here today. If outsiders knew about this, the concubines and daughters of the marquis's mansion would laugh at them to death because they had to eat other people's leftovers. She would also be embarrassed.
Ji Jinglan didn't know how things turned out like this. She clearly didn't order anyone to withhold clothes and food from Aunt Liu and Chu Mingyi.
Just when she was still determined to believe that all this was a conspiracy between Concubine Liu and her daughter, and was stubbornly refusing to admit it, the Marquis of Jingning slammed the table next to her, causing the teacup on the table to make a crisp sound.
"All the maids and servants here have admitted their mistakes, but you still refuse to admit your mistakes! Could it be that these people are colluding to plot against you?"
Seeing Marquis Jingning's attack, the old lady's face darkened as she followed suit, "Kneel down! You've managed such a good family like this. You dared to withhold food and clothing from them today. Will you dare to drug and murder my grandson tomorrow?"
Seeing that the old lady's words were so serious, Ji Jinglan panicked and her legs went weak and she knelt on the ground.
She wanted to explain herself, but when she opened her mouth she didn't know what to say, and her face turned pale with anxiety.
When Shu Wei was around, although the old lady didn't like her, she would still give her some face, and would never criticize her in front of the servants, making her lose face.
But now that Shuwei is not here, not only is there no one to speak up for her, but things keep going wrong. First, Xinrou displeased the Marquis, and Yunlan was punished to reflect in the Buddhist temple, and now she was punished by the old lady to kneel.
Didn’t Master Jinghui say that Xinrou was destined to be prosperous and lucky? Why are the lives of her and Yunlan, mother and son, getting worse and worse?
Ji Jinglan felt increasingly confused and puzzled, and began to doubt Master Jinghui's words.
Is Xinrou really a phoenix with a prosperous destiny?
Concubine Liu had been helped up by the maid. She looked at the pale Chu Xinrou huddled in the corner with a leisurely look, and raised her thin lips slightly. "Old Madam and Lord Marquis, please don't blame Madam for now. It's the eldest daughter who is in charge of the household now. All the clothes and food have to pass through her hands. Why not ask her if there is any misunderstanding?"
Seeing that Aunt Liu had implicated her, Chu Xinrou's face turned pale and her eyes were in a panic.
Marquis Jingning and the old lady understood everything when they saw her evasive gaze and were immediately furious.
Ji Jinglan turned around and looked at Chu Xinrou's guilty look, her eyes widening in disbelief.
All of this was done by Xinrou, but why didn't she stand up and admit her mistake just now? Not only did she get scolded for no reason, but she also lost face in front of all the servants.
Seeing that everyone's eyes were on her, Chu Xinrou had no choice but to stand up.
"I just feel that the expenses in the mansion are too high, and I want to save money."
"Big sister is really good at planning. We should all save money together. It's no big deal to just cut down my and my aunt's salary and clothes." Chu Mingyi said sarcastically, "Could it be that big sister thinks that my aunt, my unborn baby, and I are not masters of the mansion and don't deserve to wear good clothes and eat good food?"
The baby in Aunt Liu's belly had not been born yet, and the gender was unknown, but Chu Mingyi insisted that it was a younger brother.
The old lady loves her grandson the most. She has been worried for years that Chu Yunlan is the only grandson in the mansion. Finally, Concubine Liu is pregnant, and the doctor has assured her that it will be the eldest grandson. How can she not protect him?
Compared with the two, Chu Xinrou's granddaughter is nothing. Even if she has the fate personally predicted by Master Jinghui, how can a girl compare to her grandson?
The old lady looked at Chu Xinrou with anger in her heart.
Chu Mingyi stepped forward and leaned against the old lady, seemingly casually saying, "Besides, the big sister held her own family recognition banquet with such splendor, I don't see any intention of saving money at all. Grandmother, do you think that big sister would use the money she saved from us to hold her own family recognition banquet?"
Chu Mingyi's words touched the old lady's heart. She thought of the doctor who was driven away by Chu Xinrou, the empty ginseng boxes in the warehouse, and the grand family recognition banquet held by Chu Xinrou, and she was immediately furious.
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