Madam Fu had arrived, and Old Madam Shao felt she had left Lin Yulan hanging long enough, which finally made her sound a bit more pleasant.
Madam Fu’s mouth never learned any lessons; the moment she saw Lin Yulan, she immediately resumed her mocking mode, as if she wouldn’t feel at ease unless she gained the upper hand verbally.
Lin Yulan wasn’t foolish enough to trade barbs with her in front of Old Madam Shao; there was simply no need for it.
Madam Fu suddenly smiled and said, “Logically speaking, since the nephew’s wife has already crossed the threshold, the household management of the Marquis Manor should be handed over to you. After all, you are the legitimate, proper mistress of the Marquis Manor!”
As she spoke, Madam Fu sounded quite sour, casting a cold, disdainful glance at Lin Yulan.
Madam Fu was truly unwilling to let it go!
That useless, unruly scoundrel Shao Xun—what did he have going for him besides being born into a good family? Yet precisely because of this, the peerage of the Marquis Manor became his.
Lin Yulan didn’t want any household management responsibilities at all. In her previous life, she had worked herself to the bone with selfless dedication, wearing herself out until she fell ill, only to receive not a single word of appreciation. In this lifetime, she had zero interest in acting as a beast of burden for others.
Besides, with Old Madam Shao sitting there like a towering Buddha, she would never allow her to run the household. Otherwise, the old lady would constantly pull rank and make trouble every single day, leaving her, the granddaughter-in-law, with no choice but to be suppressed and beaten down.
“Second Aunt is joking. I am young and understand nothing; how could I possibly shoulder such a heavy responsibility? Of course things will still require Second Aunt’s worry and care in the future!”
Madam Fu was both pleased and smug. “Are these words sincere?”
“Of course! If Second Aunt doesn’t believe me, just watch and see.”
Madam Fu and Old Madam Shao exchanged glances; both mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were clearly quite satisfied.
Old Madam Shao smiled and said, “You are a sensible one indeed, which is very good. In the future, persuade Ah-Xun more often, and urge him to walk the proper path so he can seek an official post to handle. Don’t let him spend all day idling about, cockfighting and dog-racing, disgracing the reputation of the Martial Might Marquis Manor and throwing away the faces of his father and grandfather!”
Lin Yulan responded respectfully with assent on her lips, while thinking to herself: If he actually started making progress, you people would be the ones feeling uneasy. Besides, with the Marquis’s temperament, is he someone who listens to persuasion? The more she tried talking to him about such things, the more he would likely grow to detest her, right?
Madam Fu turned to Old Madam Shao with a smile and said, “Old Madam, look—how sensible the nephew’s wife is! She truly lives up to coming from a family of scholars; even though she is a concubine-born daughter, she has been well-instructed. This marriage match truly turned out right!”
Old Madam Shao nodded, smiling with delight. “Precisely so!”
“The nephew’s wife surely doesn’t know yet,” Madam Fu turned her gaze back to Lin Yulan and continued, “Back then, it was our Old Madam who insisted on changing the match to you, and the Lin family finally agreed. Otherwise, the one who would have married over today is your legitimate younger sister.”
Old Madam Shao merely offered a kind, gentle smile without refuting the remark.
If she didn’t know the inside story crystal clear, Lin Yulan might have actually believed their words.
After all, marrying up into a high-ranking Marquis Manor was such a good fortune that, by rights, the Lin family would certainly have considered the legitimate daughter Lin Yuwei first—it wouldn’t have fallen to her turn.
“So that’s how it was… For the Old Madam to appreciate your granddaughter-in-law this much, this granddaughter-in-law truly doesn’t know what to say.”
Madam Fu was satisfied. “It’s good that you know! A person should naturally know gratitude; otherwise, how are they any different from beasts?”
“Second Aunt is right.”
Lin Yulan completely agreed with that statement.
Without the sacrifices made by Shao Xun’s parents, the Martial Might Marquis Manor would have long since decayed—how could it have today? Their second branch truly ought to feel gratitude.
That afternoon, Lin Yulan dispatched Nanny Qi to ask Madam Fu a question regarding the return-home gifts.
She had suddenly realized: she shouldn’t have maintained such composure; she ought to have appeared unable to restrain herself and taken the initiative to ask, which would be the normal reaction.
Madam Fu had already prepared her return gifts and was indeed waiting for her to ask.
Seeing Nanny Qi arrive, she felt relieved and let out a disdainful scoff, “I knew she was someone with shallow vision—just as expected. Since she sent you here, take the things back with you. In your view, how is this Madam of our Marquis Manor?”
Nanny Qi smiled and said, “Other things can’t quite be told yet, but she is indeed of a gentle temperament and is extremely observant of propriety in front of the Marquis.”
Madam Fu let out an “Hmph!” and laughed sarcastically. “Truly observant of propriety indeed, very good! Matched with that unruly, completely devoid of propriety Marquis of ours, it’s a perfect fit!”
The two of them exchanged a look and laughed.
Nanny Qi brought the return gifts back. Upon seeing them, Lin Yulan put on an expression of finally feeling at ease, smiled as she praised Nanny Qi with a few words, and even rewarded her with a hundred copper coins.
Nanny Qi accepted the coins to express gratitude, feeling extremely pleased in her heart while looking down somewhat upon Lin Yulan, thinking her to be a fool who was easy to hoodwink.
On the day of returning to her maiden home, Lin Yulan woke up early to dress and make-up.
The red kesi-woven peony round-flower long-bodied front-opening tunic was exceptionally magnificent, edged with an inch or so of moon-white and silver-blue intertwined Western lotus borders. Fastened below was a moon-white bamboo-leaf patterned cloud-brocade pleated skirt bordered with gold thread, radiating even more dignity and steadfast poise amidst its magnificence.
This entire set of clothes, along with the pair of twin-lotus mandarin duck kingfisher-feather inlaid jeweled gold hairpins, had been specially ordered by Shao Xun to be delivered.
The clothes were ceremonial garments that the late Marchioness had ordered to be cut and tailored for her future daughter-in-law while she was still alive, and those gold hairpins were bestowed by the late Empress when the late Marchioness was conferred her noble title.
Shao Xun had said that since it was a return visit to her maiden home, she could not lose the prestige of the Martial Might Marquis Manor.
Lin Yulan thought about it and did not refuse his kind gesture.
Just as she was about to leave, Shao Xun sent someone to relay a message saying that he had some matters to attend to, told her to go ahead first, and that he would go directly to the Lin residence shortly.
Lin Yulan nodded and boarded the carriage with Xiao Qu.
When Madam Fu learned of this, she mocked her to the maidservants and old women nearby, “The temperament of this Marquis of ours hasn’t changed at all even after getting married; he acts on whim and never considers the big picture. I wonder just how long this Marchioness from a scholarly family can remain virtuous!”
The maidservants and old women chimed in with mocking laughter.
A newlywed bride returning to her maiden home was an event of utmost importance, directly tied to the bride’s face and dignity. Moreover, this was an out-of-favor concubine-born daughter; with her husband refusing to grant her face, goodness knows how awkward and embarrassed she would feel upon arriving at her maternal home.
No woman could endure that kind of grievance.
Upon arriving at the Lin residence, Lin Yulan and her maidservant descended from the carriage. Lin Daohui, Madam Gu, the couple Lin Mohan and Madam Fang, including Lin Yuwei and Meng Mingchi, were all waiting. As a result, they only saw Lin Yulan and her maidservant step down. Lin Daohui’s expression immediately became rather difficult to maintain: “Why are you the only one? Where is the Marquis?”
Lin Yuwei let out a “Ha!” of laughter, her brows overflowing with schadenfreude: “There’s no need to even ask, Father. This clearly shows that Elder Sister is not favored by the Martial Might Marquis, and he doesn’t care for her, refusing to accompany her back to her maiden home!”
She couldn’t help glancing sideways at her husband, the stifling grievances and unpleasantness she had endured at the Meng household over the past three days finally easing by a fraction.
No matter what, everything she was experiencing at the Meng household was temporary. As long as Meng Big Brother was recognized by the Rongguo Estate, he would be the Heir Apparent of the Rongguo Estate and the future Duke, and she would rise right along with him! Following Meng Big Brother as he achieved merits time and again, she would step onto the pinnacle of life where her husband brought honor to his wife and everyone envied her!
By then, what would today’s Meng family amount to? That dead old hag and that snide, bitter younger sister of his could all get lost!
Lin Yulan was different; her bitter days were only just beginning.