“Second sister, Nuǎn sister, Rou sister just made several different faces, it was so funny,” Qi Xuanxuan said excitedly.
Li Rou let go, “What are you two sisters looking at like that? It was just for fun.”
“For you, who are usually as steady as an old scholar, to do such a thing, how can we not be surprised when we see it?” Qi Zhenzhen gave her a playful glare, “This is fine, but you can’t do such things in front of outsiders, it’s undignified.”
Li Rou pouted, “There are very few people worth my effort to amuse.”
Old Madam beckoned for someone to sit beside her, “The kitchen is stewing red bean soup, do you want some?”
“Grand Aunt, you’re biased. We’ve been here with you for so long and you didn’t offer us red bean soup. As soon as the two sisters arrived, you brought out the good stuff.” Li Rou pouted and acted spoiled towards Old Madam.
“It wasn’t ready earlier,” Old Madam gave her a playful glare, “I treat all you young ones equally, I cherish every one of you.”
Li Rou linked her arm through Old Madam’s, “Rou’er likes Grand Aunt the most too.”
“You like your Grand Aunt the most, what about your Grandmother?” Madam Lu walked in with a stern face.
Old Madam glanced at the maids guarding the corridor. Seeing them blocked by Bai Shi and Wang Shi, she was displeased. Her sister-in-law was becoming more and more unruly, even using the tactics from the Li family when coming to her courtyard.
Li Rou only softly called out “Grandmother” to Madam Lu, but said nothing more.
The younger ones also paid their respects to Madam Lu and the others one by one, and obediently sat aside, far from Madam Lu and the others.
“Rou’er, Nuǎn’er, I saw you being very affectionate with your Grand Aunt just now. Why are you so distant with me, your own Grandmother? What, do you think I don’t treat you well?” Madam Lu stared at Li Rou and Li Nuan with a gloomy gaze.
If it were in the past, when Madam Lu showed displeasure, the sisters would have been submissive and spoken according to Madam Lu’s wishes, saying whatever Madam Lu wanted to hear.
But now, their mother was their father’s equal wife. In the future, they would not need to fawn over her. It would be enough to maintain superficial courtesy.
“Grandmother, don’t you know best in your heart whether I treat you well or not?” Li Rou met Madam Lu’s gaze and said unhurriedly.
“Rou’er, you are presumptuous! How did your mother teach you? You must respect your elders. Is this how you respect them?” Wang Shi put on the airs of a legitimate wife, coldly reprimanding Li Rou, “Why don’t you quickly apologize to your Grandmother?”
In the past, Li Rou wouldn’t have dared to provoke her legitimate mother even with ten times the courage. It wasn’t out of fear of punishment, but because this legitimate mother cared about her reputation and didn’t want to be said to be bullying her concubine daughters. Therefore, if the sisters displeased her, she would take it out on Tang Shi. Tang Shi, as a concubine, had to endure the difficulties of the legitimate wife. For their birth mother’s sake, the sisters had always been very obedient to Wang Shi.
“Mother, where did Rou’er go wrong?” Li Rou feigned confusion.
Wang Shi was speechless. Strictly speaking, Li Rou wasn’t wrong. She was just used to acting according to Madam Lu’s mood. If Madam Lu was unhappy, she would naturally be the first to reprimand someone. Moreover, Madam Lu was an supreme existence in the Li family. Regardless of whether she was right or wrong, if Madam Lu was unhappy, then she was wrong. But now, this wretched girl actually questioned her where she went wrong.
Old Madam watched coldly as these three, mother-in-law and daughters-in-law, acted so imperiously in her presence. She had advised Madam Lu a couple of times earlier, but now it seemed Madam Lu hadn’t listened to a word she said. Indeed, with such a person in charge, what else could happen to the Li family but decline?
“It’s so cold today, sister-in-law, what brings you here?” Old Madam asked expressionlessly.
Madam Lu coughed lightly, “What else could it be? I just came to chat with you. I didn’t expect the younger ones to all be here. Your popularity is better than mine, even my own granddaughters are willing to come and chat with you.”
Is this Madam Lu perhaps not very bright? As a guest, one should act like a guest. But she, on the other hand, didn’t treat herself as an outsider at all. Judging by her words and actions, one would think she was the legitimate mistress of the Marquis’s manor.
“The young girls have good relationships. If one comes, the others follow. You know, Zhenzhen comes to me several times a day,” Old Madam said faintly.
“Yes, sisters have good relationships. Perhaps they have forgotten they have a legitimate sister?” Madam Lu said in a sharp voice.
Qi Zhenzhen curtsied to Madam Lu, “Grand Aunt, of course, we know we have sister Qing’er. But sister Qing’er has been taught so well by Grand Aunt that she doesn’t want to associate with us concubine daughters. Don’t you remember this, Grand Aunt?”
Her words choked Madam Lu to the point of almost spitting blood.
Old Madam glared at Qi Zhenzhen, “Girl, how are you speaking?”
Madam Lu thought Old Madam was going to reprimand Qi Zhenzhen, and looked at Qi Zhenzhen with some smugness.
“How many times has Grandmother taught you? Although there is a distinction between legitimate and concubine, there are many legitimate sons and daughters who are not diligent, and many concubine sons and daughters who are capable. Do not compare yourself casually with others, lest you lower your own status,” Old Madam said slowly and unhurriedly under Madam Lu’s smug gaze.
The meaning was obvious: Li Qing was the legitimate daughter, but in her eyes, she was no match for Qi Zhenzhen.
“Yes, Grandmother’s teachings are correct, Zhenzhen understands.” Qi Zhenzhen obediently admitted her mistake.
“You, you, you…” Madam Lu suddenly stood up, her fingers trembling, pointing at Old Madam and unable to finish a sentence for a long time.
“Madam Li, the person in front of you is the Old Madam of the Marquis’s manor, a first-rank noble lady of Da Feng. You do not have a noble title, and pointing at her like this is great disrespect,” Granny Fang, who was beside them, kindly reminded her.
Madam Lu felt a ball of anger about to explode. A surge of blood rushed to her head, and her vision went black. She swayed precariously to the side.
Was she so angry that she fainted?
Bai Shi and Wang Shi hurriedly supported her, preventing Madam Lu from falling to the ground.
Madam Lu’s face was pale, her teeth clenched, and she didn’t look like she was faking it. Under Old Madam’s instruction, Granny Fang quickly sent for the manor physician.
“The Old Madam fainted due to excessive anger and suppressed emotions,” the physician said after taking her pulse, “Old Madam, please do not worry. Allow me to administer acupuncture, and the Old Madam will wake up in at most fifteen minutes.”
After speaking, the physician pricked Madam Lu with more than ten needles and wrote a prescription, “Although there is no major harm this time, the Old Madam is old and her health is not good. She needs to pay more attention in the future. If she gets angry frequently, it may cause a stroke. Please pay more attention. Strokes caused by sudden anger are fierce, and if not handled well, they can be fatal.”
Old Madam nodded, “Please prepare the medicine as soon as possible. Also, write down anything that needs attention and give it to these juniors, so that they don’t take the old lady’s health seriously and instigate her to do something foolish.”