Shen Yuru knew she was in the wrong, but she was still unwilling to accept it. She sneered, “Aren’t you just using your status as the Heir Apparent’s wife to suppress me? I heard that you and Big Brother are still sleeping in separate rooms. Who knows how long you’ll be able to keep your position as the Heir Apparent’s wife? Maybe Big Brother will divorce you tomorrow…”
She thought she had hit Jiang Xuening where it hurt. She looked at her smugly, waiting to see her become embarrassed and humiliated.
But Jiang Xuening did not even blink.
After quietly listening to her finish, she finally spoke in an unhurried tone, “It seems that what I said to Fourth Younger Sister in the main hall just now didn’t sink in.”
Shen Yuru gave a light snort and looked at her disdainfully, as if saying, “What can you do to me?”
“I don’t like arguing with people, and I won’t go looking for your mother again. I’ll repeat your words to my mother-in-law exactly as you said them and let her decide what should be done…”
Her voice remained as gentle and calm as before. There was no aggressive edge to it, but there was a faint warning hidden beneath the surface.
The expression on Shen Yuru’s face instantly stiffened.
Jiang Xuening had been personally chosen by her Aunt-in-Law to become her daughter-in-law, while her Aunt-in-Law was the principal mistress of the Marquis’s Residence and was in charge of the household accounts and affairs. Apart from the old master and old madam, everyone in the residence had to act according to her wishes.
If this really reached her Aunt-in-Law, Shen Yuru, who was already in the wrong, certainly would not come out of it well.
At the thought of this, Shen Yuru’s confidence immediately weakened.
However, driven by her pride, she still refused to lower herself and admit her mistake. Instead, she accused Jiang Xuening, “Other than running to your elders to complain, what else can you do?”
“If complaining works, why shouldn’t I complain?”
Jiang Xuening could not be bothered to waste any more words with her. She lifted her foot and was about to leave.
Shen Yuru panicked and hurried after her.
“You really are going to find Aunt-in-Law?”
Jiang Xuening ignored her, walking straight ahead without even looking sideways. She passed through the western side courtyard and headed directly toward the eastern side courtyard, without slowing her steps in the slightest.
Seeing that they were about to reach Aunt-in-Law’s courtyard, Shen Yuru finally became frightened.
She grabbed Jiang Xuening’s hand. The arrogance in her voice from earlier had disappeared completely, replaced by a tremble as she apologized.
“Sister-in-Law, I was wrong. I misspoke. I was careless with my words. Please don’t tell Aunt-in-Law, all right?”
Jiang Xuening tried to continue walking, but Shen Yuru was gripping her so tightly that she was practically hanging onto her. She had no choice but to stop.
“Do you really know that you were wrong?”
“I know, I know.”
Shen Yuru raised her face, her expression filled with panic and pleading.
“Sister-in-Law, I won’t dare do it again.”
Jiang Xuening stared at her.
“How is an apology enough?”
Shen Yuru asked timidly, “Then what else do you want me to do?”
“Tomorrow, accompany me to the Vice Minister’s Residence…”
Her cousin’s child was holding a one-month celebration banquet the next day, and the members of her maiden family would naturally all be there.
Jiang Xuening intended to use this opportunity to settle the matter of her dowry properly with her Legal Mother, Madam Zhou.
She had been worrying about what excuse she could use to bring the matter up openly the next day.
But when she saw Shen Yuru panic and apologize to her, she finally came up with an idea.
Early the next morning, the confused Shen Yuru got into the carriage heading to the Vice Minister’s Residence with her.
Jiang Xuening took out a white jade bracelet and handed it to her.
“Put this on.”
Shen Yuru became even more puzzled.
“Sister-in-Law, I offended you so badly, and you’re still giving me a gift?”
“It’s nothing good. Just wear it for a while.”
Shen Yuru accepted it suspiciously. She lifted the curtain and carefully examined it under the daylight.
At first glance, the jade bracelet appeared as white as snow and lustrous. But once the sunlight shone through it, the cloudy inclusions and cracks within the jade became impossible to hide.
Its poor quality was immediately apparent.
She frowned.
“Sister-in-Law, where did you buy such a poor-quality bracelet?”
“From my dowry.”
“Looks like your maiden family doesn’t treat you very well either.”
Shen Yuru knew about Jiang Xuening’s background. She had once been a disobedient concubine-born daughter who had been sent away after making a mistake. Because Fifth Miss had encountered trouble and could no longer marry the Heir Apparent, Zhongcheng Residence had changed Jiang Xuening’s status and registered her as a Legitimate Daughter, making her take over the marriage arrangement.
That was also why Shen Yuru disliked her so much.
After all, whether in terms of family background or character, Jiang Xuening was completely unworthy of her noble and dignified Heir Apparent Brother.
“I don’t want to wear this.”
Shen Yuru tried to return the bracelet to her.
“People will laugh at me.”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to apologize to me? Wear this, and I’ll forgive you.”
“All right.”
Shen Yuru immediately changed her mind. She slipped the bracelet onto her wrist and covered it with her sleeve.
But Jiang Xuening refused to let her hide it.
“When we attend the banquet later, you need to make sure everyone can see this bracelet. Even if no one laughs at you, you must come looking for me and return this bracelet to me in front of my maiden family…”
She thought for a moment before adding, “It would be best if you said a few unpleasant things as well. That’s what you’re best at.”
Instead, Shen Yuru became somewhat embarrassed.
“Sister-in-Law, that’s not fair. I’m actually not a mean or sharp-tongued person…”
Although she had no idea what Jiang Xuening was planning, Shen Yuru still agreed in a daze.
When they arrived at the Vice Minister’s Residence, Jiang Xuening went to find her maiden family, while Shen Yuru encountered several familiar friends in the courtyard and chatted with them for a while.
Following Jiang Xuening’s instructions, she deliberately shook the bracelet on her wrist.
Sure enough, one of the young women noticed that something was wrong with it.
“Fourth Sister, this bracelet of yours…”
……
At that time, Jiang Xuening was in her cousin Jiang Xuerou’s room, together with the women of her maiden family, visiting her cousin and the child.
There was no one else in the room. All of them were women from the Jiang family, and even the old madam was there.
After playing with the child for a while, the conversation eventually turned to Jiang Xuening.
“Ning girl, come over and hold the child too. Take in some of the good fortune, and try to get pregnant soon.”
Jiang Xuening remained seated.
“Grandmother, you’re joking. The Heir Apparent and I have always slept in separate rooms. How could I possibly get pregnant by myself? Even if I absorbed all the good fortune here today, I still wouldn’t be able to conceive, so I’d better not hold him.”
She had Chunlan and Xiamo beside her, both of whom served as her eyes and ears.
Zhongcheng Residence had known for a long time that Shen Yi did not favor her, so she was not afraid to speak about it in front of her maiden family.
The old madam’s expression darkened.
“In the end, it’s still because you’re useless. If I had known you were so incapable, I would have been better off choosing a girl from one of the collateral branches to marry into the Marquis’s Residence back then.”
“Grandmother can still change people now. After all, the Heir Apparent and I still haven’t become a real married couple. The Heir Apparent is still as pure and untouched as a maiden.”
“You…”
The old madam was so furious that she could not speak for a moment.
Madam Zhou, who was beside her, hurriedly patted her back to help her catch her breath, while also scolding Jiang Xuening.
“Ning girl, stop provoking your grandmother.”
The atmosphere in the room immediately became tense.
Seeing this, the Third Madam of the Jiang family, who was also Jiang Xuerou’s mother, stepped forward to smooth things over.
“Ning girl did marry in place of Qing girl, after all. The two of them need some time to adjust to each other, don’t they? Look at our Ning girl. She has the looks, she has the talent…”
She did not actually have much talent, and her temperament could hardly be considered good either. Otherwise, she would not have managed to anger the old madam so badly with just a few sentences that the old woman could barely catch her breath.
Third Madam Jiang quickly changed her words.
“…She has the figure. Since ancient times, heroes have always found it difficult to resist beautiful women. That Shen Heir Apparent will fall for Ning girl sooner or later…”
She then spoke earnestly to Jiang Xuening.
“Ning girl, don’t give up on yourself either. Look at your cousin. She married into the Vice Minister’s Residence only a little over a year ago, and her child is already a month old. When you return, you should ask your cousin for some advice on how to get along with your husband…”
Her cousin had married into the household in October of the previous year, and September had not yet ended.
Calculating the dates, her cousin had become pregnant just one month after marrying into the family.
That was indeed something Jiang Xuening could ask her cousin about.
After Third Madam Jiang steered the conversation back to Jiang Xuerou, the atmosphere finally relaxed somewhat.
Everyone began chatting and laughing again.
Just as the conversation was becoming lively, a charming and beautiful young woman suddenly burst into the room, looking furious.
She walked straight up to Jiang Xuening and threw a white jade bracelet into her arms.
“Sister-in-Law, what kind of broken bracelet did you give me? Because of it, my sisters all laughed at me…”