Chapter 17 Honey, come down too!
Ji Tanyuan smiled and said, "Yes, Aunt Zhang helped me a lot."
"It's good that you know."
The old lady sat down, somewhat satisfied with Ji Tanyuan, at least she had made some progress.
Ji Tanyuan moved her hand, wondering if she could clean up the mess she had made by overturning the teacup now.
Obviously, she can't.
Relying on others is like ascending to the ninth heaven, or falling into an abyss with no bottom in sight.
If you don't have the ability to clean up the mess, you can't indulge your emotions. The Zhong family has its own rules, and she has to abide by them after marrying into the family.
If things fall apart, the Zhong family can recover, but the Ji family cannot. In that case, all the efforts of the past few months will be in vain, and the situation may even get worse.
Ji Tanyuan watched as her sister-in-law took the teacup. The Wen family was no small family, and Wen Yi'an didn't seem to have been frightened. How come she was so obedient?
And then there's her mother-in-law, who, despite her sour face, coldly washes her underwear.
Wealthy socialites endure hardship at home so that they can accept flattery and obsequiousness from others when they go out, because they can convince themselves that it is all due to their forbearance.
But Wen Yi'an is different. Her good life was a gift from birth, not something she got by marriage. Why should she compromise like her?
Is this something that has always existed among the wealthy families in the North? Perhaps she really should try to adapt?
She was about to join the ranks, but no matter how much she tried to comfort herself, it didn't work; she realized that mental self-consolation couldn't convince her to kneel.
She was genuinely upset and couldn't convince herself that it was all just an act.
Before Ji Tanyuan could come up with a solution, she saw Zhong Jing grab Wen Yi'an's arm.
"I won't kneel anymore."
Seeing that her usually most obedient son had actually come out to stop them was even more unbelievable than Zhong Yan coming out. She said in a deep voice, "Zhong Jing, what are you doing?"
Zhong Jing and Zhong Yan are handsome in different ways. Zhong Jing has sword-like eyebrows and bright eyes, and a serious and dignified demeanor. He inherited his father's conservative nature, but this time he put his arm around Wen Yi'an behind him and said, "Recently, there have been rumors in the industry that our family is too feudal and doesn't look good."
“It’s right to be filial, but it should be me and Ayan who come. There’s no reason for the wife to come.”
The old lady was shocked that the eldest son's family, who were usually the most law-abiding, had suddenly started to rebel.
"Zhong Jing, do you know what you're doing?"
Zhong Jing took the teacup, held it up with one hand, and handed it to the old lady, asking, "Grandma, do you want me to kneel?"
The old woman stood up, her face pale. "What did you say?"
Zhong Jing said calmly, "My wife is obedient enough, but we can't treat her like this."
"Marriage is about two people living together, not about her suffering."
Madam Zhong was puzzled. "I just asked her to serve tea, why did you all make it sound like I was going to hell? I went through the same thing back then, kneeling every day. What did I say?"
"Your mother went through the same thing, so why can't it work for you?"
The old lady got angrier and angrier as she spoke, making a simple tea ceremony seem like some kind of torture. "If it's like this, what's the point of getting married? It's not like a home at all, it's so improper."
"Other families may not have this kind of etiquette, but they also don't have the high position the Zhong family has given you. You've forgotten your own worth just because you're being flattered outside? All of this was given to you by the Zhong family; it's to teach you not to forget your roots!"
Zhou Yanyu helped the old lady up, her voice slow and gentle, "Don't rush."
"Zhong Jing! Apologize! Who told you to be so disrespectful?" Zhou Yanyu scolded.
Ji Tanyuan looked at her mother-in-law's serious expression. There was only seriousness, but no anger or sadness. This attitude was quite intriguing.
This family may seem harmonious, but everyone has their own grievances, which makes things interesting.
She still thought they were a loving family.
Zhong Jing put the teacup on the table, tugged at his suit trousers, and prepared to kneel down.
"Enough." The old man upstairs interrupted the farce with his cane.
Ms. Ji Tanyuan, who had quickly shifted from being the anxious party to watching the spectacle, looked up upon hearing this and met the old man's gaze.
He then chuckled and went to join in the fun.
"How can this be? Brother, Nong is his own grandson, of course his knees are valuable."
Zhou Yanyu's temples were throbbing with excitement, and Ji Tanyuan, that brat, repeated what she had said that day.
That Shanghai accent, with its uniquely sweet and overly sweet tone, sounded almost sarcastic, yet his expression was so earnest, and his eyes so clear.
"Shut your mouth."
Ji Tanyuan obediently shut up.
Zhong Yan, who was watching the commotion upstairs, laughed and whispered in the old man's ear, "Isn't she cute?"
"So I have to thank Grandpa for finding me such an interesting wife."
The old man glanced at him, his gaze pressing down with the intimidating power of a lion, an overwhelming aura.
Then he looked at Zhong Jing and asked, "What's wrong with you?"
Zhong Jing gripped Wen Yi'an's hand tightly. "You're not crazy."
Wen Yi'an stared intently at Zhong Jing. She really hadn't expected him to step forward. She had gotten used to it and thought it was normal.
Unexpectedly, he knew, he knew it was an offensive rule, so why was he standing up now? It wasn't for her, after all, he had watched her kneel for so long without moving, so it must be for Ji Tanyuan?
Ah, Wen Yi'an felt no emotion, only a sense of irony.
He stood up for his brother's family, only to realize that he wasn't worth going against his own family.
Wen Yi'an withdrew her hand and smiled, "It's alright, it's only right. Your grandmother is also my grandmother."
"I believe Tan Yuan will understand."
Ji Tanyuan didn't understand. What did she understand? This really wasn't her grandmother. Calling her grandmother was already giving Zhong Yan face; there was no more affection involved.
Ji Tanyuan's smile faded slightly. There was a traitor in the team; her sister-in-law was no good sister-in-law.
The old lady calmed down a bit, "Yi'an is still the most sensible."
He then glanced at Ji Tanyuan and said, "What do you think, Tanyuan?"
Ji Tanyuan smiled gently, "Big brother can kneel if he wants to. It's not like Grandma can't bear it."
She then looked up at Zhong Yan, who was watching the commotion upstairs, and said, "Honey, why don't you come down too?"
"Let's all do it together."
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