Chapter 42: Tough Slave
Jiang Wan casually reached out and touched the whip at his waist. Nanny Fu understood the threat and her expression changed instantly.
This young lady is not a normal person. If she really whips me, I, an old man with weak arms and legs, will have nowhere to seek justice!
The skinny old woman quickly stood up and knelt on the ground, opening her mouth to defend herself in a very flexible manner.
"My dear Miss, you have truly wronged me. Ever since I entered Baosong Hall to serve the old lady, I have been devoted and loyal, and have absolutely never entertained any unwarranted thoughts! I beg you to be merciful and spare my life."
It was obvious that this old woman was quite skilled, as she kowtowed for every request. There wasn't a tear in her eyes, but her face was filled with the sadness and helplessness of having been wronged. It was obvious at first glance that she was a poor soul who had been unreasonably harassed by her master.
The obvious sense of injustice was clearly visible to the old men and women from the countryside. How could Xu, who had received an elite education in the harem, not see it?
Her expression had turned cold at this moment.
This nanny Fu was kindly given to her by Mrs. Yuan of the Ji family when she went out to a banquet a few days ago.
It was said that this was an old man employed by the ancestor of the Wu family in the palace of a different surname, and he was very well behaved. After bringing him back to the palace, I also observed him carefully for a few days, and made sure there was no problem before I dared to send him to my mother-in-law to serve me.
What is going on now?
Raising her hand and slapping the table, the mistress's imposing aura made the old slave quickly stop his attempt to embarrass the young master.
"Don't use any dirty tricks. This lady is not blind. I can see clearly whether you are playing tricks or not!
My parents-in-law have always been understanding and compassionate towards the younger generation, especially my mother-in-law, who has been the most loving and considerate. Over the years, she has treated me like her own child and has been very considerate in every way. If no one had said anything behind her back, she would never have misunderstood me!
Xu, a true master of harem survival, immediately began praising her parents-in-law with kindness, leaving Old Man Jiang and Old Lady Wang feeling awkward and unable to retort. She then fixed her sharp eyes on the old slave kneeling on the ground.
"Tell me, why do you want to disturb the peace of my Jiang family?"
"I didn't! Madam, please don't worry. I absolutely don't have any other thoughts. Madam, please tell me, have I been serving you loyally and tirelessly all these days?"
"Yes, yes, daughter-in-law, you misunderstood. Those questions I just asked you were my own questions. They have nothing to do with Madam Fu at all!"
Old Wang, who finally found her chance to interrupt, nodded her head in agreement. She was pleasantly surprised that Madam Fu was chatting with her and didn't contradict her like the old women in the village. Old Wang was quite pleased with her.
"I figured it out myself. Yaozu said the teacher at the academy taught me a rule set by our ancestors, saying that wealthy families all insist on having five long jars for every three. This means that the younger ones in the family must obey the elders, otherwise if they get out, people will laugh at my son!"
The old lady was telling the truth this time, because the resentment on her face was really obvious.
"I told you a few days ago to send someone to buy some long vats.
Other people buy three or five, but we buy seven or eight! We can afford this money anyway, so why are you being so stingy?
Do you want me to leave my locket outside for people to see and laugh at, so that you, a cruel woman, can be satisfied?"
The old lady's words were incoherent and rambling, but Xu's mother and daughter understood them all. Jiang Wan rubbed his forehead helplessly, really wanting to sigh.
"Jiang Lao San is itching for trouble again, right?"
"What do you want to do?!"
Old Mrs. Wang's eyes widened suddenly, and she started to repeat the same old tune in a very protective manner.
"My precious grandson did nothing wrong! If you dare to hit him again, I'll have your father beat you up when he comes back!"
Jiang Wan bared his teeth and retorted in a relaxed tone.
"Whether my father will beat me or not is another matter for now. But grandma, I want to make one thing clear to you now. The Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues are of little use to our family, so don't dwell on them! And don't just believe everything you hear..."
"Why?"
The old lady is unhappy and is about to make a fuss.
But she didn't dare to make trouble with her eldest granddaughter who was used to being immoral. She could only turn her head to look at her easy-going daughter-in-law and start blaming her.
"You cruel woman! My son is so loyal to you and never has any affairs outside. He is only focused on making money to support you and your children, but now you are unwilling to spend even the money for those three or five jars? If he gets ridiculed for this, how can you, as his wife, feel proud?"
The mother-in-law couldn't read a word, and couldn't understand the profound principles of the Three Bonds and Five Constant Virtues. Xu had learned how to deal with her parents-in-law over the years, so she nodded with great confidence.
"Buy it? Why not? Didn't I agree to it two days ago..."
"You just agreed, but I didn't see it, right? So I think what Madam Fu said makes some sense. Which wealthy family isn't headed by the mother-in-law? Then in our hometown, wasn't the head of the village head's family also headed by the village head's mother?
Why is it the other way around when it comes to our family? I'm an old woman, and not only am I controlled by my daughter-in-law every day, but you don't even buy me a few jars. Isn't this a bit unreasonable?"
Don't look at this old lady as confused, but her words carry weight. It was just a few words, but she made Aunt Fu pale!
If she spoke ill of the Madam in front of the old lady, it would be a miracle if she could get away with it! Sure enough, when he looked up furtively, he saw that both the Madam and the eldest daughter had changed their expressions.
"Mom, do you want my help?"
"No, it's not time for you to learn how to manage the household yet. Take the second and third children out to play first, and I'll ask them everything."
"Um."
Jiang Wan stood up, not looking at the old woman trembling on the ground. She wanted to be a powerful person who was considerate of the poor, but she didn't want to be a fool bullied by a slave.
"Grandma, I'm going to take the second and third children out to practice horseback riding and archery. When I come back, I hope to see that this Madam Fu has returned to where she came from. Otherwise..."
She raised the corner of her mouth.
There's no need to make threats too clear, as those who understand will understand anyway.
"Don't scare me!"
The old lady said she was no longer fooled by her granddaughter's tricks. She didn't dare to really attack her grandmother, so she would wait until she hit the third child and then she would rush over to protect her.
"Daughter-in-law, I'm telling you, you are not allowed to punish Madam Fu. I, an old woman, can't leave her!"
"Oh, if that's what you mean, then fine. You don't have to ask my mother for an explanation. I'll give you a suggestion."
The eldest daughter of the Jiang family raised her eyebrows with a wicked look on her face.
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