Chapter 159 - 80: The Aunt’s Cunning

Chapter 159: Chapter 80: The Aunt’s Cunning "It’s my mom after all!" Shi Yumei felt both joyful and touched as she asked Xiuchun on the way, "How is mother’s health? Has her mood been good recently? What has she been doing?" and so on. Xiuchun hurriedly answered each question. Seeing Xiuchun delayed in responding, Mrs. Wang knew it must be her eldest daughter who had arrived. After a moment of confusion and doubt, Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but become joyful again, chuckling, "I didn’t expect Yumei to come back too, just in time for the festival, how lively with the whole family! That’s wonderful, truly fantastic!" Then she hurriedly asked Mrs. Jiang if her clothes and hair accessories were appropriate or if she should change. Mrs. Jiang laughed and said, "The elder mistress is your own daughter, and the son-in-law is a junior, there’s no need for so much fuss!" Mrs. Wang thought about it, then nodded and asked to quickly prepare pastries, fruits, and good tea. "Mom! Mom! I’ve come back to see you!" Shi Yumei ran into the courtyard, calling out loudly without caring about her husband’s displeased expression. Ren Zhixian’s eyebrows were furrowed enough to kill a fly, repeatedly thinking to himself, "This is disgraceful!" Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but squint with a smile and stood up, "This child! This child! She’s so grown-up, yet still so brash!" "Mom, mom!" The curtain made of jujube red golden silk brocade with embroidered peony motif was flung open, and Shi Yumei dashed into Mrs. Wang’s arms, hugging her tightly with her cheeks rubbing against her mother’s chest, saying affectionately, "Mom, I’ve missed you so much!" "Oh my, look at you!" Mrs. Wang laughed, hugging her and gently patting her back, chiding with a smile, "You’re all grown up yet still so informal! Sit down properly now!" Shi Yumei giggled, helped her mother to the seat of honor and said, "Mom, I failed to perform my filial duties by your side, let me kowtow as a gesture of my filial piety." She then stepped back, and without waiting for the maids to bring a cushion, she knelt directly onto the Persian carpet adorned with dark red entwined floral embroidery, giving her husband a meaningful glance. It irked Ren Zhixian to see his mother-in-law and wife chatting, hugging, and laughing without any decorum, and he stood aside silently, deliberately ignoring his wife’s glance. He thought to himself: How come I wasn’t considered a while ago, but now remembered when it’s time for kowtowing? Nothing but plots and schemes! The whole lot of you are indeed scheming! Moreover, I am a clean and honorable scholar; I don’t need to kneel even before the county magistrate, so why should I kneel to a foul-smelling old lady? "Oh no, no need for that," Mrs. Wang, who had already instructed Xiuchun and others to help Shi Yumei up, laughed, "You child! Filial piety doesn’t rely on this! Get up, have a seat and let’s talk! Please invite the master to sit as well! Son-in-law, please have a seat!" Exasperated and unable to speak, Shi Yumei, not wishing to behave disrespectfully in front of her mother, kowtowed three times before standing up and sitting down with a smile. Ren Zhixian pretended not to notice her glance, but Cui Zhu dared not ignore it, also knelt behind her, kowtowed, and then stood up, properly positioned behind her. "Son-in-law presents his respect to mother-in-law!" Ren Zhixian then stepped forward, brushed his sleeve, and bowed to Mrs. Wang. "Son-in-law, no need for formalities, please sit, please sit!" Mrs. Wang smiled and gestured with her hand. "Yes, thank you, mother-in-law!" Ren Zhixian, with a serious face, bowed again formally thanking her, before he tidied his robe, straightened his back, walked to his seat with measured steps, picked up his robe and sat down meticulously, then settled his robe in what he thought was an elegant manner. Let me show you what true propriety looks like! Not simply confusedly kowtowing a few times and calling it etiquette! Ren Zhixian sneered inwardly. Mrs. Wang and the maids, seeing his meticulous and serious demeanor, were stunned; the maids even bit their lips, wanting to laugh but not daring to, and even Mrs. Jiang silently despised him: Being from a scholar family, how could he be so different in conduct! The originally lively atmosphere was disrupted by Ren Zhixian, and even Mrs. Wang felt it became awkward. She gave a reluctant smile and said to Ren Zhixian, "As the master and mistress have arrived, stay in our residence for the festival! It’s a good opportunity for a family reunion!" Ren Zhixian’s parents had both passed away years ago, and being an only child, now only he, Shi Yumei, and concubine Cui Zhu, made up his household. "It’s an inconvenience on you, mother-in-law!" Ren Zhixian said seriously, bowing to her. "Oh, master, you’re too polite! We are all one family!" Mrs. Wang chuckled, then instructed Mrs. Jiang to arrange the guest room and asked Shi Yumei, "Did you bring your luggage?" Shi Yumei said, "I brought a few clothes, they are still at the doorman’s place at the second gate!" "Don’t forget to have someone fetch them!" Mrs. Wang instructed Mrs. Jiang again, adding, "Check what’s missing or what needs to be arranged, don’t forget to make arrangements for your aunt and uncle as well." Mrs. Jiang agreed and went to give the orders. "You all must be tired from the journey, why don’t you rest first? I’ll call you when it’s time for dinner?" Mrs. Wang suddenly exclaimed "Oh!" and smacked her forehead, laughing, "I’m so delighted that I forgot about Miss Wan! Quickly, have someone invite Miss Wan and the third maid over, tell them her eldest sister has returned!" "Miss Wan is actually your brother’s wife, you haven’t met her yet, right? It’s a good opportunity to meet her!" Mrs. Wang affectionately smiled at her daughter. Little did Mrs. Wang know, as soon as her daughter entered the mansion, she developed a grudge against Sang Wan. Hearing this, she snorted through her nostrils and said, "Miss Wan? Is she that little maid from the Sang family? It seems like you quite like her, mother!" "What little maid, she is your brother’s wife!" Mrs. Wang scolded, "Miss Wan is gentle and courteous, a truly good person! You sisters-in-law could get along really well, and remember, if you need anything, just tell someone to speak with her!" Shi Yumei initially disapproved of this marriage, always feeling that the Sang family took great advantage of the Shi family. Now returning home for the first time since Sang Wan entered their family, the incident at the door only deepened her dislike, she disdainfully said, "I wouldn’t talk to her! Whatever I need, only my mother should say it!" "You!" Mrs. Wang helplessly laughed and shook her head, then said, "It’s alright to say so here, but don’t speak recklessly outside of this courtyard. Miss Wan is now in charge of the household, speaking like that about her, if others hear, it’s not too good!" Shi Yumei almost jumped up upon hearing this, "Mother, what are you talking about? She is in charge of the household now? What about my cousin Fangzi?" Gu Fangzi had often flattered and fawned over her, naturally she sided with her. "Why are you making such a fuss!" Mrs. Wang’s patience was wearing thin. She patted her chest and glared at Shi Yumei, "She is your brother’s wife, isn’t it normal for her to be in charge of the household? Not to mention Fangzi is still in mourning, even after the mourning period, our family wouldn’t ignore the lawful wife to let a concubine take charge!" Mrs. Wang sighed lightly, feeling truly sorry for Gu Fangzi, who had sworn to be satisfied staying beside her aunt and cousin as a concubine. "Mother!" Shi Yumei blurted out anxiously, "Even if it’s inappropriate for cousin Fangzi to take charge, you shouldn’t hand it over to someone from the Sang family! You are still young, why not manage it yourself? There are supervisors and housekeepers to check on things, who would dare to deceive you? With the Sang family so impoverished, allowing her to take charge? Pfft, who knows, maybe she’ll transfer all our Shi family property to her natal family!" "Stop talking nonsense!" Mrs. Wang frowned, "Miss Wan isn’t that kind of person! The uncles from the Sang family and the eldest uncle’s wife seem like good people to me!" She then admonished, "How are you still so ill-tempered! Remember, you must be careful with your words in front of your brother and his wife! Do you hear me?" The more Shi Yumei listened, the angrier she got, she could not help but retort, "Mother! You always side with her! It seems a daughter married off is like water spilled, but I’m your own daughter, the legitimate young lady of the Shi family! And now, I have to return to my own home only to face someone else’s attitude!" "Oh you, what nonsense are you talking now! ’Someone else’? She is your brother’s wife!" "Yes, yes, my mistake, I’m the outsider! She’s your relative! Closer than your own daughter!" Shi Yumei said infuriated, "Just keep doting on her, and when she empties this house one day, you’ll see if I was right or not!" "You— look at you—" Mrs. Wang was left speechless by Shi Yumei. Mrs. Jiang, seeing the situation, hurriedly smiled and tried to smooth things over, "Madam, our eldest Miss is plain-spoken and quick-tempered, but she has the best intentions! If I may be so bold, why don’t you two just speak softly to each other, why harm the harmony? Madam, you care about her deeply, don’t you know it when she doesn’t?" Mrs. Wang sighed and her expression softened, and Shi Yumei, feeling a pang of guilt, stepped forward and took her mother’s arm, smiling, "It’s all my fault, I shouldn’t have upset you as soon as I got back! Mother, please don’t be angry with me! Let’s not talk about this anymore, it’s not worth affecting our relationship over such unrelated matters!" "Exactly! Just watch your mouth!" Mrs. Wang glared at her and playfully poked her cheek, and the mother and daughter smiled at each other. "Mother, then my husband and I will go back to our room to rest!" Shi Yumei, seeing that her husband Ren Zhixian was becoming increasingly impatient, hurriedly said with a smile. She knew all too well about her husband’s temper, which did not consider time or place once ignited. "Sure, go on! Oh, wait!" Mrs. Wang just nodded but hurriedly called out, "Someone has already gone to invite Miss Wan and the third maid, wait till you meet them before you go!" Even more reluctant to wait, Shi Yumei scoffed and while pulling her husband out, she said, "I’m so tired, I don’t want to wait, we’ll be at home for quite some days anyway, it’s not like we won’t meet!" "This child!" Mrs. Wang moved her lips, resigned to let her have her way.