The Jiang family had become accustomed to her saying one thing and meaning another.
Jiang Jinyu, who was standing nearby, spoke up, "Third Sister-in-law, I want to go, why don't you come along?"
“Alright then, we can’t let our little sister suffer suspicion all by herself,” Xu Wanying replied tactfully.
The system scoffed without hesitation: "Host, you're truly shameless."
Xu Wanying scoffed: "How can you call it shameless? At most, it's thick-skinned."
The three of them entered Rongchun Pavilion. As soon as they entered the room, they saw clothes and skirts all over the floor, in various styles and colors, as well as two rows of embroidered shoes in a mess.
"What happened?" Upon seeing the scene that looked like a robbery, Madam Cen frowned deeply.
"We deserve to die." Several maids immediately knelt down, trembling all over.
Cen went straight into the inner room and saw Li Chunlan sitting there with her hair disheveled, hugging her knees, looking weak and helpless.
She was still wearing her undergarments and was completely at a loss when faced with a room full of clothes.
On the dressing table next to her were piles of jewelry, so dazzling they almost blinded anyone, but Li Chunlan didn't even glance at them, showing no interest whatsoever.
"The time is almost up, what are you doing? Hurry up and get ready!" Madam Cen couldn't help but scold.
"Mother, I can't do it. Even if I dress up and go, I'll only become a laughingstock. All those noble ladies will look at me with strange eyes, and then they'll gather in groups of three or five to laugh at me! I'd rather not go and embarrass the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion!" Li Chunlan cried.
This wasn't the fake crying he did with pepper spray before; it was real crying. His voice was trembling, a genuine expression of emotion that couldn't be faked.
Having grown accustomed to Li Chunlan's tantrums and unreasonable behavior, and her self-righteousness even when she was in the wrong, it was quite unusual to suddenly see her so insecure.
Cen comforted her, saying, "Don't listen to their nonsense. This time, Jinyu and I will help you choose clothes."
"Even if God himself came to choose, it wouldn't matter. They want to laugh at me. Even if I dress like a fairy, I'll still be ridiculed." Li Chunlan was clearly intimidated.
Madam Cen said with exasperation, "Do you intend to stay hidden in the mansion forever and never go out?"
“It’s fine if I don’t go out. Anyway, I’m earning my title through Chengzhong and Pan Ge’er, and I don’t rely on them.” Li Chunlan started to act shamelessly.
Xu Wanying couldn't help but sigh: "Tsk tsk, what kind of psychological trauma has she suffered? A room full of jewelry would be like a mouse falling into a rice jar for anyone else, but our sister-in-law isn't interested at all. No wonder people are prone to resentment towards the rich."
The system chimed in: "Gossip is a powerful force. Besides, so many noble ladies are laughing at her; no one could bear that."
Xu Wanying asked curiously, "Didn't she resist?"
Of course she resisted, but Li Chunlan came from a merchant family, and that very background was enough to crush her. No matter how she reasoned with people or tried to explain herself, it was useless. People would only tell her to stop using such vulgar language, saying that no one could understand her.
This single sentence speaks volumes. No matter how she tries to argue, she falls short. Although Madam Cen and Jiang Jinyu have intervened several times to try and salvage the situation, they can't be with her every moment when she's out attending banquets. There will inevitably be times when they can't take care of her, and some women will deliberately pick on her when she's alone, creating a scene that everyone will then spread.
The system explained, sighing as it spoke, as if it too could sense Li Chunlan's helplessness.
Xu Wanying exclaimed incredulously: "Ah, no, she's a tyrant in the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion, daring to talk back to her mother-in-law, fight with her husband, and mock her father-in-law, but outside she's a pushover. Isn't that just being a bully at home?"
"No, that's not true. Li Chunlan is only domineering in small matters; she wouldn't dare to be domineering in big ones. Besides, the Marquis of Zhongyi's mansion had previously spent her money, and as the saying goes, 'He who takes a bribe is bound to be subservient,' so she has the right to act arrogantly. Those ladies and noblewomen outside haven't spent her money."
"Oh, poor sister-in-law," she sighed.
The system reminded her: [Host, don't pity Li Chunlan. According to this system's analysis, your body, having used underhanded means to marry into the Marquis's mansion as a concubine's daughter, will inevitably be ridiculed.]
[Heh, System, just you wait and see. I'm not a lamb to the slaughter. Who knows who'll be laughing at me later! I'm practically going crazy from being cooped up in the Marquis's mansion, and everyone around me is so nice to me. Even the chubby kid has changed his ways, dressing up as a cartoon doll and showing me how to box. I really can't afford to fight back now.]
Just wait, I've been wanting to vent for ages. Anyone who dares to mess with me, I'll teach them a lesson!
Hearing Xu Wanying's confident voice, Li Chunlan, who had been sobbing uncontrollably, suddenly stopped.
"I've changed my mind, I'm going!" She wiped away her tears and stood up immediately.
Cen couldn't help but roll her eyes. She had tried to persuade and scold her, but to no avail. However, as soon as she heard that Xu Wanying was going to teach those noblewomen a lesson, she immediately perked up.
"Third sister-in-law, you look so good in this outfit. Could you pick one out for me too? Mother and my little sister are dressed too plainly," Li Chunlan said, offering her help.
Xu Wanying didn't refuse, but asked seriously, "Sister-in-law likes bright colors, so why don't you wear this red one?"
Li Chunlan looked at the dress in her hand and hesitated again: "This is a visit to someone's house. Wouldn't wearing such bright red overshadow the host?"
“The host family today is the Wei family, right? Madam Wei is my mother-in-law’s sister, so she shouldn’t mind,” Xu Wanying explained.
[My mother-in-law's half-sister, the woman the Marquis of Zhongyi took a liking to at first sight—big breasts and a shapely bottom—today I can finally meet her in person.]
When the words "Madam Wei" were mentioned, Xu Wanying's eyes lit up with anticipation.
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