The room, which had been filled with laughter moments before, fell instantly silent because of the maid’s words. After a long while, the old madam’s voice finally sounded leisurely.
“Let them come in.”
“Yes.”
After responding, the maid stepped outside and respectfully said to the two women, “First Madam, Eldest Miss, the Old Madam invites you in.”
“Mhm.” Madam Xu still wore her gentle, tender smile.
Inside the room sat an elderly woman in the seat of honor. Though her hair was already gray, years of never having to do labor and careful maintenance made her appear only around fifty years old.
Everything about her was luxurious and noble. Her clothes and accessories were of the finest quality, and even the furnishings and tea set in the room were precious and expensive.
Behind her stood an old nanny with a stern, rigid expression.
Seated below her was a woman in her thirties. Her clothing and adornments were likewise extraordinary, and the poised smile on her face made it obvious she carried herself like the mistress of a great household.
Below her sat a young girl around eleven or twelve years old. She was delicate and pretty, dressed in pink like a blooming young maiden. Yet when she looked at Lin Youyou, her eyes carried obvious disdain that she failed to hide.
Madam Xu led Lin Youyou forward and respectfully curtsied to the old madam seated above.
“Greetings, Mother (Grandmother).”
“Mhm.” The old madam’s voice was indifferent, revealing neither joy nor anger. Looking at the two of them, she said, “Rise and sit.”
“Thank you, Mother (Grandmother).”
They spoke in unison. Lin Youyou helped her mother sit in the chair opposite them.
Before the old madam could say anything, the woman on the other side spoke first.
“Elder Sister-in-law, have you settled in properly? You only remembered to come visit Mother after returning for three days. You must have been quite exhausted from the journey.”
The words clearly carried ill intent and were meant to sow discord.
Madam Xu looked at the woman across from her and replied calmly, “It was indeed my fault for not coming sooner to greet Mother. But Second Sister-in-law clearly knew I had returned and still never came to see me, the mistress of the household. Were you also too tired from the journey?”
The woman was Zhang Shi, wife of Lin Xianwu, the second son of the Lin family.
Madam Xu’s seemingly mild but pointed remark instantly left Zhang Shi feeling choked with frustration, unable to reply.
In her memory, Madam Xu had always been the sort of soft, dough-like woman who only smiled no matter what others said. After not seeing her for several years, how had she suddenly become sharper?
The old madam frowned and coldly interrupted, “Enough. You’ve only just returned. What kind of behavior is this?”
Madam Xu stopped speaking at once, but the old madam continued sternly,
“You return only to create a grand joke known throughout the capital. Where is the dignity expected of the mistress of this household?”
Madam Xu still wore her composed smile as she answered evenly,
“Mother, isn’t the greatest joke the fact that this residence couldn’t even recognize its own mistress and legitimate eldest daughter?”
“You—”
This time, the old madam’s face darkened completely. She had never expected Madam Xu to dare contradict her mother-in-law directly.
Back when her son had insisted on marrying Madam Xu, she had opposed it fiercely, yet the woman had still entered the family. Sure enough, she had never been someone who brought peace of mind.
“What exactly have you learned during these years away?” the old madam demanded coldly, glaring at Madam Xu. “You even dare talk back to your mother-in-law now?”
Madam Xu remained calm and unhurried. Rising to curtsy respectfully, she said,
“Mother, during these eight years away, this daughter-in-law learned only one truth: if something is unreasonable, it must be spoken aloud. Otherwise, bottling it up inside only makes oneself sick.”
“You… you…”
The old madam was truly enraged. She even stood up, her finger trembling as she pointed at Madam Xu.
The old nanny behind her hurriedly supported her and soothed, “Old Madam, calm down, calm down. Don’t get agitated.”
But the old madam was still furious and roared,
“Get out! Both of you, get out of my sight!”
Madam Xu was not frightened in the least. Together with Lin Youyou, she curtsied politely once more.
“This daughter-in-law (granddaughter) takes her leave.”
Watching the two women stroll out at an unhurried pace, the old madam slapped the table furiously.
“This is outrageous! Absolutely outrageous! That woman was born to oppose me. She has no manners or upbringing at all!”
“Mother, please calm yourself,” Zhang Shi hurried over to soothe her while secretly fanning the flames. “Elder Sister-in-law has only just returned from the countryside. Those bad habits haven’t been corrected yet. She can simply be taught properly.”
“When the eldest returns later, tell him to come see me immediately,” the old madam ordered coldly after taking a deep breath.
“Yes,” the old nanny answered respectfully.
The chaos behind them was quickly forgotten by Madam Xu.
Lin Youyou cautiously looked at her mother, whose temperament had changed so drastically, hardly daring to believe those sharp words had truly come from her mother’s mouth.
Madam Xu rolled her eyes at her daughter.
“After nearly dying once, and after seeing what happened to you, then coming back and seeing your father… I suddenly realized I’d lived the first eighteen years of my life far too miserably.
“Since your father’s heart is with me, and he respects me in everything, and since he is the master of this household—
“And since I am the official mistress of this family—
“Why should I wrong myself just to please an old madam who rose from the position of a concubine? Isn’t that simply making myself suffer for no reason?
“If they can’t actually do anything to me yet still want to make me angry, why shouldn’t I anger them back instead? Save it for the New Year celebrations?”
What Madam Xu did not tell her daughter was that Lin Chaowen had already explained everything that had happened in the household during the night, including the old madam’s actions.
He had also told her that for eight straight years he had written her a letter every half month without interruption, yet had never once received any reply from her.
After the couple spoke openly from the heart, they both concluded that the only people capable of secretly manipulating things so flawlessly were either the old madam or the second daughter-in-law, who had long managed the Lin household.
Furthermore, the people who had tried to kill them were also most likely connected to them. After all, who else would hold such deep hatred toward two women living quietly in the countryside?
The reason Madam Xu dared behave this way now was because Lin Chaowen had agreed to it.
His exact words were:
“If they still can’t recognize their place and peacefully remain an old madam and an idle second master, then I’ll report to the Emperor and split the family. I’ll throw them out to live on their own.
“And if I discover those assassins were hired by them, I’ll kill them myself.”
The expression on Lin Chaowen’s face at the time had been terrifying. If not for the last shred of rationality holding him back, Madam Xu believed he could have skinned them alive.
How could she possibly not hate them?
They were the ones who had sent them back to the countryside under the excuse of recuperation. They were the ones who intercepted the letters. They had nearly caused her to live out her entire life filled with regret.
The fact that she had even gone to greet the old madam today was already the result of her suppressing her murderous intent for the sake of her husband’s and son’s futures.
Still, thinking her daughter was too young, she chose not to tell her these things.
Because of that, Madam Xu missed the chance to realize just how clever and perceptive her daughter truly was.
Lin Youyou had no idea her mother had thought through so much in that instant. But after hearing her explanation, she relaxed and laughed lightly.