Chapter 18 "It's all Qingwu's fault"
Ji Qingwu quietly took her cold hand in his.
He whispered in her ear, "Elder sister, do not reveal a word that you already know. The fact that the Grand Madam came here means that she can no longer sit still. Let's wait and see."
Ji Qingrong and she exchanged a glance before calming down.
Cui brought in two maids, one of whom was Zizhu, the maid who had just been splashed with soup by Ji Qingwu.
"Mother."
"Madam."
After exchanging greetings, Cui sat down in the main seat of the main hall, with Zizhu standing beside her, fanning her.
Cui had fair skin, with deep lines around her eyes and mouth. She looked Ji Qingwu up and down.
"This must be Qingrong's girl. Look at her delicate face, it looks like you could squeeze water out of it."
Ji Qingwu didn't say anything, just smiled and let Cui Shi look her over.
Ji Qingrong gestured for her to sit down in the seat below her. After taking a breath, she tried to speak in a normal tone, saying, "Mother is so busy with her affairs every day. How come you have time to come to Ninghua Hall?"
"I heard from your second sister-in-law that your fifth sister came to visit you. Since I have nothing else to do, I'll come and sit for a while too."
If the soup incident hadn't happened, Ji Qingrong would have gotten up to thank her mother-in-law for valuing her family so much and making a special trip. But now she only felt a chill in her heart, realizing how scheming her mother-in-law was.
Therefore, Ji Qingrong simply smiled and did not reply.
Seeing that neither of them paid any attention to her, Cui's expression subtly changed.
Then, he made a conversation, saying, "Zizhu said that the bowl of soup that was delivered at noon was drunk by your fifth sister?"
Ji Qingwu lowered her head, thinking that this Lady Hou's visit was definitely not just to catch a glimpse of her, but also because of this bowl of soup, to test whether her elder sister knew the inside story.
It seems she wasn't entirely without scruples.
Ji Qingrong said, "Mother, the soup you made for your daughter-in-law smelled so tempting. My fifth sister has a sweet tooth and wanted to try some, so I shared some with her."
Cui exclaimed in surprise, "But I heard that your fifth sister doesn't like to drink it. She even spilled the soup all over the bamboo and smashed the bowl."
Zizhu said in a low voice, "Madam, I don't know what I did to offend the Fifth Miss. She wanted to throw hot soup at me."
As soon as she finished speaking, Madam Cui pretended to be stern and said, "Zizhu, you are too rude! Qingrong's sister came to the Marquis's mansion as a guest, so what if she spilled a bowl of soup? It's all because I spoiled you."
While seemingly scolding her own maid, she was actually subtly pointing out to Ji Qingwu that Ji Qingwu, a guest of the Marquis's mansion, was being disrespectful to the maidservant of the Marquis's wife, implying that Ji Qingwu was the one who had been spoiled.
Seeing Ji Qingrong stand up respectfully, a glint flashed in Cui's eyes.
“Mother, Zizhu is indeed spoiled. If you are not satisfied with her, you can send her to the estate or sell her off.”
Cui was not expected to hear her answer like that. Ji Qingrong had always been very respectful to her and had always been very tolerant of her.
She frowned and said, "Qingrong, it is an ancestral rule in the Marquis's mansion to treat servants leniently. You are being too harsh."
This old lady is very good at shifting the blame; in just a short while, it's become Ji Qingrong's mistreatment of the servants.
Ji Qingwu also stepped forward, smiling, and said, "Madam, who said I don't like it? Did your maid say that? I've never had such delicious soup before, but..."
Cui asked, "But what?"
Ji Qingwu twisted her fingers in grievance, "It's just that the sister Zizhu next to you kept staring at me fiercely, as if she wanted to put her eyes into the soup in my hand. I was so frightened by her that I accidentally dropped the bowl."
Zizhu's eyes were large and slightly protruding; when she stared, they did indeed resemble Ji Qingwu's description.
Zizhu was terrified when she first heard the lady say that she was going to be sold off, and then she heard Ji Qingwu say that she had frightened her.
In a fit of anger, he uttered the same words he usually used to scold and beat the little girl.
"You shameless hussy, talking nonsense!"
Ji Qingrong immediately turned cold and said seriously, "Mother, look, Zizhu is disrespectful to the Marquis's guest in front of you. If word gets out, people will think you have some kind of problem with my fifth sister or the Ji family."
Once things escalate to a certain level, they become difficult to handle.
Cui glared at Zizhu and reassured her, "I came here specifically to see Qingwu and show the Marquis's family how much they value her."
However, Zizhu's earlier insult of being a "slut" had offended Ji Qingrong, and she would not let it go easily.
"The Marquis's mansion will not tolerate servants who insult their masters!"
Madam Cui spoke in a firm tone, trying to reason with him, "Alright, don't ruin the harmony of the family over some worthless girl's nonsense, don't you think, Qingrong?"
It's as if if she throws another tantrum, it means she's being unreasonable.
Ji Qingrong was already angry and didn't want to give in so easily, but then she heard the person behind her sniffle.
She turned her head and saw that Ji Qingwu's eyes were already filled with tears, her nose was wrinkled, and she looked pitiful as she held back her tears.
She said in a soft voice, "Madam, no matter what, it's all Qingwu's fault."
This apology made it seem as if the Lady Hou had bullied a young girl.
Ji Qingwu became more and more heartbroken as she spoke, her eyes welling up with tears, shimmering and sparkling.
When Lu Juan, the heir of the Marquis of Zhongyong, entered the door, he saw this scene.
Mother Cui sat upright in the main seat, her face as cold as frost.
Even his usually composed wife lost her composure, her brows furrowed as she looked at the slender woman with heartache.
This woman must be the fifth daughter of the Ji family; Qingrong mentioned her to him last night.
He had just heard her voice, which was both aggrieved and forcedly strong, as she spoke from the doorway, a voice that evoked pity.
Ji Qingrong was facing the door, so she was the first to notice Lu Juan coming in, but this time, for the first time ever, she didn't go up to greet him or call out to him.
Cui asked in surprise, "Didn't you say there was a palace banquet today? Why are you back so early?"
Lu Juan replied, "It was canceled at the last minute. His Majesty has important matters to attend to. The case of the prince falling into the water a few days ago has been solved, and the mastermind behind it has been identified."
Ji Qingwu's ears twitched. The person who harmed the little guy has been found? He wondered how they would be dealt with.
Cui breathed a sigh of relief, clasped her hands together and chanted a few Amitabha mantras, "Your Highness has turned misfortune into good fortune." She then introduced, "This is Qingrong's fifth younger sister."
Ji Qingwu quickly held back her tears, stepped forward, and respectfully bowed.
"Qingwu greets brother-in-law."
Lu Juan inherited Cui's fair skin, with handsome features. The phrase "face like jade" is not an exaggeration when describing him, and he exudes a refined and otherworldly aura.
Ji Qingrong was also exceptionally beautiful, standing there like a trumpet vine. The room was much brighter when the two of them were in the same room.
Lu Juan nodded and asked, "What happened just now? I think someone seems a little unhappy."
As he said this, his gaze was fixed on Ji Qingrong.
Seeing her furrowed brows, he also frowned.
Ji Qingwu's "sadness" was so obvious that anyone with eyes could see it.
The "someone" that Lu Juan mentioned was unhappy was Ji Qingrong.
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