Before Nangong Rang could speak, Ruan Xingci spoke up first.
The expressions of both ladies changed instantly. The Old Madam, seated in the center, slapped the side table. “How insolent! Is this how you speak to your elders in the Northern Kingdom?”
Seated below her, the Marchioness, Ying Mei, looked disappointed. Recalling how Nanny Chen had been beaten the previous night, and seeing Ruan Xingci’s appearance and manner of speaking, she became even more dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law.
Seeing the atmosphere turn awkward in an instant, the frail Marquis of Changchun, Nangong Chen, interjected, “Mother, perhaps she is just struggling to adjust to the new environment. Let them offer the tea first…”
“Humph…”
The Old Madam kept a cold face. She certainly had ways to deal with this shrew.
Ruan Xingci knelt naturally before the Old Madam. Nanny Chen, who had been beaten the night before, handed her a teacup, warning her to hold it steady, or else it would be considered a sign of disrespect toward her elder.
However, as the water was being poured, Ruan Xingci clearly felt that the temperature was wrong.
Before the boiling water could overflow, she splashed it directly onto Nanny Chen’s face.
“Ah—!”
The water, which had just been boiled, instantly left a string of blisters on Nanny Chen’s face.
Everyone was startled, but before they could react, Ruan Xingci stood up first and delivered another slap to Nanny Chen’s face.
“You old hag! You knew this cup of tea was for Grandmother, yet you intended to scald her to death? Kneel!”
With that, Ruan Xingci kicked the back of Nanny Chen’s knees, forcing her to kneel directly onto the porcelain shards on the floor.
“Ow…”
The shards dug into her flesh, causing Nanny Chen another wave of agonizing pain.
“Stop!”
The Old Madam finally snapped back to her senses. She hadn’t expected the intimidation she had prepared for Ruan Xingci to fail so completely; instead, the girl had humiliated her in front of the entire family.
“What is the meaning of this, Grandmother?” Ruan Xingci shifted back to her previously weak and fragile facade, looking at the Old Madam with an innocent expression.
Looking at her grandson’s wife—whose face could hardly be described as beautiful—the Old Madam’s mood soured even further.
“Is this the etiquette of your Northern Kingdom? Your elders are all present, yet you dare to strike someone by my side? Since when was it your place to take charge here?”
The Marchioness, Ying Mei, also shook her head. Her daughter-in-law was plain-looking and ignorant of decorum. Did she not understand that the Old Madam was merely trying to give her a small warning?
The members of the second and third branches were simply watching the spectacle. This marriage, combined with such a bride, would only make Nangong Rang’s position as the Heir more precarious.
Ruan Xingci sneered inwardly, but her face remained full of confusion. She lowered her head like someone who knew they had done wrong and said, “I am truly sorry, Grandmother. In the Northern Kingdom, if anyone dares to harm their elders, let alone the younger family members, even the servants know to rush forward to protect them. I truly did not realize that your bond with this old hag was so deep. Even though she tried to scald you to death, you didn’t think to hold her accountable, nor did you want us juniors to do so.”
“It seems you enjoy drinking boiling water. In that case, why don’t you hold the cup yourself, and I will fill it with boiling water for you to drink in front of everyone?”
Even Nangong Rang, who was somewhat prepared, was shocked by Ruan Xingci’s words, let alone the others.
“Presumptuous! How dare you speak to your grandmother like that! Big Brother, look at this daughter-in-law of yours. She just entered the house and already dares to act like this. Won’t she be riding over our heads in the future?”
The Third Master, Nangong Yue, directed his words straight at the Marquis of Changchun.
The Marquis had not yet recovered from the shock of Ruan Xingci’s actions and rhetoric. Hearing his younger brother’s words, he felt quite embarrassed.
How could he not understand his mother’s intentions? But this new bride was indeed reckless.
If she offended the matriarch of the family like this, how would she survive in the future?
Ruan Xingci was not afraid. She maintained her bewildered look as she turned toward the third branch.
“This must be Third Uncle, right? I don’t know what I said wrong to make you so agitated. I merely struck a wicked old servant who intended to harm Grandmother. Even if I made a mistake and wasn’t aware that Grandmother has a habit of drinking boiling water, there’s no need for you to question your elder brother for the sake of a mere servant, is there?”
“Perhaps it is because I am from the Northern Kingdom and do not understand the rules of our Great Zhou, so I am asking out of a sincere desire to learn. When that old thing poured boiling water for Grandmother just now, had your eyes gone for a walk? This entire matter started because of me. Are you questioning my father-in-law because you want to pressure him into punishing me? Are the rules of Great Zhou really this strange and twisted?”
“You still dare to use such flawed logic!” The Old Madam pointed at her, trembling. For years, no one had dared to mock her like this. This woman was practically inciting a rebellion.
Ruan Xingci looked at the Old Madam, her mind growing even calmer.
It was this old thing, with her blatant favoritism, who had caused the current state of affairs, wasn’t it?
She immediately feigned a startled expression and said to Nangong Rang, “Husband, I am truly sorry. I didn’t expect to embarrass you so much on my first day. I truly thought that old hag was trying to harm Grandmother, so I acted out of a sense of justice. I didn’t realize it was because they look down on you that they also disregard me, your bride, and want to torment me… Sigh, if you all have such sordid intentions, you should just say them directly. Why go such a roundabout way…”
Her words of feigned weakness sounded even more sarcastic to the ears of the Nangong family.
Clatter…
The bracelet Ying Mei had prepared for her new daughter-in-law fell from her hand and hit the floor, chipping a piece off.
Ruan Xingci could tell just by the sound that it was a low-quality item.
To think she had the nerve to pass such a thing down to her daughter-in-law.
However, Ruan Xingci held back from speaking. After all, that was Nangong Rang’s mother, and she wasn’t sure what the relationship was like between the mother and son.
“Eldest Son, are you a dead man? Are you just going to let her humiliate your mother like this?”
The Old Madam was furious and put direct pressure on the Marquis of Changchun.
Before the Marquis could speak, Ruan Xingci had already knelt before him.
“Father-in-law, it is my fault for putting you in a difficult position. Although I do not admit to the ‘humiliation’ Grandmother spoke of, if I have made her this angry, I must be in the wrong. In the future, I will be careful. No matter what the servants give Grandmother to eat or drink—even if it is poison or toadstools—I will never dare to stop them, let alone overstep my bounds to punish them. I will remain silent and pretend I saw nothing. I ask Father-in-law to forgive me this once, considering I am a newcomer who doesn’t understand the rules of Great Zhou, let alone Grandmother’s… unique hobbies.”
Her current demeanor was a complete reversal of the one she had while beating the servant.
But the words coming out of her mouth were utterly nauseating to them.
Nearby, Nangong Rang tried his best to control himself and not laugh. His new wife might be plain of features and bold in action, but her tongue was like it had been dipped in venom. More importantly, her acting was superb.
“Mother, Nanny Chen truly was improper in her preparations this time. If that boiling water had actually reached your mouth, wouldn’t we, your children, be filled with endless regret? Although the bride’s phrasing wasn’t very elegant, her heart was in the right place. Please do not take it to heart. Today is their first day of marriage. As the ancients said, for the first three days of marriage, there is no distinction between senior and junior. Let us proceed with the tea ceremony…”
The Old Madam originally wanted to say more, but hearing his mediation, she couldn’t press the matter too far. After all, this incident had indeed started because she wanted to give the bride a hard time.
“Humph…”
The Old Madam had the servants take away the injured and ignored Nanny Chen and sat back down.
When it was time to offer tea again, she took the cup from Nangong Rang and said in a displeased tone, “Rang’er, your health has been poor all these years, which is why those girls from good families have been kept at a distance. It is the Marquis Mansion’s fault for being unable to provide you with better treatment. Now… sigh…”
Nangong Rang’s expression soured. He knew his grandmother wouldn’t let things rest.
He found himself looking forward to it. He hadn’t stopped Ruan Xingci earlier, and she had performed brilliantly. She likely wouldn’t disappoint him this time either.
Sure enough, Ruan Xingci widened her innocent eyes and asked him with great trepidation, “Husband, what did Grandmother mean just now? You aren’t terminally ill, are you? So, am I here for a marriage to ward off illness?”