Madam Chi the Second knew her good intentions perfectly. She took her hand and pulled her to sit down again, her face full of affection: "Good child, Mother knows you are doing this for the good of our second branch. I'm sorry you've suffered."
She looked ashamed and sighed, "It's our fault as parents for being so useless. Otherwise, we wouldn't have to live at the mercy of others."
She wasn't oblivious to the fact that Steward Wang was flattering the powerful and belittling the weak, but since the second branch of the family lived under the protection of the first branch, and she had previously hoped that the first branch could help her foolish son, she could only swallow her anger.
Shen Tangning straightened her face and said, "I know my mother's good intentions, but as you have seen, as the saying goes, 'a little kindness is appreciated, but too much kindness breeds resentment.' When you habitually give, others will take it for granted."
Madam Chi seemed to be deep in thought after hearing this.
Shen Tangning smiled slightly. “I don’t think the second wife owes the first wife anything. Whether my husband can succeed depends on himself. We can certainly pave the way for him, but he may not be able to walk that path. Whether he can go far or not depends on himself. Don’t you think so?”
Madam Chi suddenly realized, and gave a wry smile: "After all these years, I still don't understand as well as you do."
Shen Tangning lowered her eyes and smiled: "You're too close to the situation to see clearly."
Madam Chi still had concerns: "But what if my sister-in-law is dissatisfied?"
As Shen Tangning said, "A little kindness is appreciated, but too much kindness breeds resentment." Over the years, she had become accustomed to giving, and the eldest son's family had grown too demanding. If she suddenly stopped giving, it would inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the Lady of the Marquis.
She was worried that the second wife would be ostracized and targeted.
And then there's the old lady; there's no guarantee she won't have any objections.
When the word "filial piety" is applied, they have to bow their heads.
Shen Tangning tugged at the corner of her mouth with a determined look in her eyes: "Madam Hou is a person who cares about her reputation. Even if she is dissatisfied, she can only swallow it down."
If the other party really wants to cause trouble, she has plenty of ways to deal with it.
——
"Did Shen Tangning really say that?"
Meanwhile, Steward Wang angrily reported the matter to Madam Hou, adding his own embellishments as well.
As expected, Lady Hou flew into a rage: "Who does Shen Tangning think she is? How dare she slap me in the face!"
She smashed a set of porcelain, still not satisfied, and gritted her teeth as she roared.
"I never imagined she was so cunning. I underestimated her all along! It's a good thing I didn't let such a troublesome woman into my manor! Otherwise, she would have caused all sorts of chaos!"
“Indeed, Madam!” Butler Wang said, his expression indignant, though he seemed to be holding his tongue. “It’s not a big deal that I’m being scolded, but I’m representing your reputation, Madam! Her insolence shows she doesn’t respect you at all.”
"You vile woman!" Madam Hou slammed her hand heavily on the table, her chest heaving. "Outrageous! Does she really think no one in this mansion can control her?"
The nanny beside her quickly comforted her, "Madam, please calm down. If you get sick from anger and word gets out, wouldn't she laugh at you?"
Lady Hou narrowed her eyes coldly, slowly calming herself down. After a long while, she curled her lips in a mocking smile: "Married to a concubine's son, she really doesn't know her own worth! I can't handle this myself, but someone else can!"
She slowly made her plans, a smile appearing in her eyes.
Shen Tangning is just a little girl; she's too green to fight against her!
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