Chapter 17 At the moment Mrs. Yu slapped Mrs. Ren, it wasn't just Concubine Qin and the other maids who were startled—even Yaoniang found it a rare sight. Her mother had once been tormented by Little Mrs. Jiang and had no choice but to swallow the bitter fruit, but now, with sons, daughters, and a husband to back her up, she had finally stood tall.Moreover, when Yaoniang heard Mrs. Ren come looking for trouble, claiming she had tricked Shifang into going to the plum grove, she felt it was even more groundless. Just as she was about to explain, she saw her father, who usually never involved himself, step forward as well.Luo Zhizheng frowned and said, "Elder Sister-in-law, you're becoming more and more improper these days. Fourth Girl is a year older than Yaoniang, and she has four or five maidservants following her around. She ran off on her own, yet you come looking for fault with us. What, last time your daughter set a dog on your daughter-in-law and you extorted two hundred taels from us—are you short of money again this time? Look at where you are. Is this a place for you to throw a tantrum?"After being slapped by Mrs. Yu, Mrs. Ren had already lost some of her nerve. On ordinary days, relying on her overbearing ways, she was practically the final word in the Luo household, but now Luo Zhizheng had also begun to take the other side.Her face flushed bright red, and she wanted to curse a few more times.Yaoniang couldn't help but step forward and say, "Eldest Aunt, yesterday as soon as the tutor dismissed us, because I was hungry, I ran back with my Sixth Sister. I didn't even exchange a single word with Fourth Sister. How could I have sent her to the plum grove? If I hadn't heard you mention it today, I wouldn't have even known she went there yesterday.""Third Nephew, are you going to scold me? Yesterday Fang-jie was frozen for half the night and fell unconscious. Who knows if she'll even survive. I only came to ask you about it—your woman hit me, and you blame me too?" Mrs. Ren covered her face and wept.Because she had heard Yaoniang's words, she wouldn't consider that Shifang had simply been being playful. Instead, she believed Yaoniang was malicious at heart, deliberately instigating her, but had left no evidence—truly vicious in her scheming.She still resorted to her usual routine: first cry, then make a scene, then threaten suicide. Whenever she pulled this act, no one dared defy her.But this time, Luo Zhizheng would not indulge her. He said to the servants, "Open all the windows and let everyone see what our Eldest Madam looks like. Then go fetch the old grandmother and tell her that this household can no longer tolerate her."The servants had long disliked Mrs. Ren for causing trouble again and again. Mrs. Fan, standing nearby, felt uneasy in her heart, sensing that things were about to blow up, yet she also felt a secret glee.Soon, one by one, the doors of Wenhua Hall were opened. Though the servants dared not peek, Mrs. Ren already felt utterly humiliated.Although she often harbored a wish that the entire Luo family would fall into misfortune and drag everyone down with her—thinking, well, my family has no capable people, so let us all be destroyed together—when she truly realized that if the Luo family really did fall, her Shifang's marriage prospects and her sons' and grandsons' futures would all be ruined, fear began to creep in.In the past, Mrs. Yu would of course give her a way out, but now Mrs. Yu simply pulled Yaoniang close and stared at her coldly, without saying a word.When Old Madame Dou arrived and saw Mrs. Ren in such a state, she already understood much of what had happened. Luo Zhizheng first ordered the servants to close the windows.Then he let out a sigh. "Such a small matter shouldn't have been made known to the whole city, nor should it have disturbed the old lady. As the saying goes, to resist external threats, one must first settle internal affairs. Elder Sister-in-law, without distinguishing right from wrong, came in and called her juniors whores and worse. If we let her have her way every time, what reputation will the Luo family have left before our relatives in the future? If our household cannot be at peace, we'll all have to return to our hometown in Gaoping."Seeing the situation turn against her, Mrs. Ren cried out in protest: "Old Madame, I was merely acting out of momentary panic. Last night, in the heavy snow, I went searching for Shifang—that child nearly froze to death in the garden. She said Yaoniang had told her the plum grove was beautiful, luring her there alone. I was worried for my daughter, so I—""Elder Sister-in-law, if you worry for your daughter, why not spare a thought for your daughter-in-law, Mrs. Zhou? Her pregnancy has been unstable, as you well know. When Shifang teased the dog and it bit Tian-ge's wife, you came storming to my daughter-in-law, claiming we deliberately sent the dog over. Yet it was you who, wielding your authority as an elder, ordered my daughter-in-law to send it, and said a great deal besides. I thought, since the eldest girl was to be married and we had just arrived in the capital, I would quietly give two hundred taels to Mrs. Zhou, as you suggested, to purchase a place for her brother at the academy, and let the matter rest. But now, today, you come to our door again, without cause, to curse us?" Mrs. Yu stepped forward, speaking with righteous indignation.Old Madame Dou knew this was the eldest branch overturning the table—Luo Zhizheng had come out to back Mrs. Yu, and this time they had touched a raw nerve. She knew Mrs. Ren's temperament well: she couldn't manage her own life and acted as if the whole family owed her. Were it not for her love of her son, she would have wished to leave Mrs. Ren behind in the countryside altogether."Ren, do you have anything more to say? If you do not repent, you will return to the countryside and be placed under Third Granduncle's watch. Otherwise, who knows what greater calamity you will bring upon us." Old Madame Dou looked at her with disappointment.Mrs. Ren's face flushed with shame; she seemed never to have suffered such humiliation. Knowing her cause was lost and fearing she would be sent back to the countryside, she quickly knelt and kowtowed: "Old Madame, it was I—I was blinded by my own folly."She then rose and apologized to Mrs. Yu: "Regarding Yaoniang, I was simply too worried about Shifang. Third Sister-in-law, it was all my fault."Seeing this scene, Old Madame Dou suddenly recalled the days when Mrs. Ren first married into the family—she spoke not a word more than necessary, walked not a step more than required, cautious and demure, the very picture of a proper lady. When had she begun to change? It was likely from the moment Luo Zhizheng passed the imperial examinations with distinction; she grew sharp-tongued, and after Luo Zhixiao earned his jinshi degree and received an official post, she could no longer remain calm.As for Mrs. Ren's apology, Mrs. Yu responded magnanimously: "Elder Sister-in-law, we are sisters-in-law, as close as blood sisters. I will not hold a grudge against you. We are family—once things are spoken aloud, they are settled. Harmony in the household brings prosperity to all."Mrs. Ren ground her teeth but forced a smile: "Yes, yes, indeed."Concubine Qin stood outside the door. Though she did not know what had transpired within, she sensed that Mrs. Ren's days would not be easy from now on…In this inner household, if your husband is willing to stand behind you, and he is also a capable man, then your life is sure to be comfortable—Luo Zhizheng was exactly such a man.But for someone like Mrs. Ren, her husband might listen to her, yet this eldest master held no official rank, and his sons still relied on their uncles for advancement. Mrs. Ren was used to lording over her own small household, but when faced with Luo Zhizheng, she had no choice but to yield.What troubled Concubine Qin even more was that the master truly held his wife in his heart—otherwise, why would he bother with such trivial household squabbles?Before Mrs. Yu had married into the family, Concubine Qin had enjoyed some favor, because the first wife, Mrs. Wang, and Luo Zhizheng had never been on good terms, nor was she on good terms with her mother-in-law. Though she was a capable household manager, as a woman she was too strong-willed. It was in that window that Concubine Qin had found her opening and won the master's affection.Now, however, that was no longer possible. The master had not visited her quarters in a long time—she had nearly fallen out of favor. And judging by today's events, he clearly intended to make a scene, to make it known to all that anyone in this household who dared to bully the mistress, to bully her as a second wife, would find no quarter.…After that single confrontation, Mrs. Yu's prestige within the household grew immensely. The servants attending Yaoniang and Jinghao became even more attentive, and the bond between Luo Zhizheng and Mrs. Yu deepened considerably.

The Second Wife’s Daughter