Chapter 25: A bachelor with a bit of a face-to-face relationship

Qin Yuan’s words had all kinds of meanings. On the surface, she was scolding the slave for taking advantage of her, a newcomer, but in fact, she was indirectly scolding her and her sister-in-law.

Gu Baozhu had never been so angry before. She raised her thick eyebrows and was about to explode. Madam Gu Liu quickly stopped her and said with a smile, “The title of the Marquis’ Mansion is hereditary. Most of the servants in the family have served for several generations. Third sister-in-law, don’t you know that in a noble family like ours, we are very particular about respecting the elderly. Those old servants are very respectful in front of the young masters, so it is inevitable that they are a bit arrogant and hard to control.”

Looking at Qin Yuan’s expression, he added, “In my opinion, those blind people should be punished. Yesterday, the Marquis severely punished Steward Wang and that cunning servant to vent his anger on Sister-in-law, otherwise he would have accompanied Sister-in-law back home long ago.”

Qin Yuan seemed not to hear the ridicule in Madam Gu Liu’s words and smiled with pursed lips.

Gu Baozhu laughed sarcastically and said, “It’s rare for Third Brother to get angry for a beauty. I thought he only had eyes for the mother and son in Fengxuan Pavilion.”

These two sisters-in-law have a good understanding with each other.

Qin Yuan sneered, “Seventh sister seems to have some misunderstanding about your third brother. Doesn’t the Marquis have eyes for you? He also told me that you are too active and he asked me to discipline you for his sake, so that you won’t be disliked by your husband’s family when you get married.”

Hearing this, Gu Baozhu slammed her fan on the table and asked, “What do you mean, Third Sister-in-law?”

Qin Yuan added another sarcasm: “What do you think this means? Of course it’s well-intentioned.”

Gu Baozhu stood up angrily and was about to grab her clothes, but Hongye hurriedly stepped in front of her and protected her tightly.

Madam Gu Liu heard the noise from the inner room and knew that the old lady was about to come out, so she quickly tried to dissuade them: “Stop joking here, the old lady is coming.”

Qin Yuan poked her head out from behind Hongye and said, “Sixth sister-in-law is wrong. I am not joking with Seventh sister. Seventh sister is the daughter of Dingbei Marquis’s mansion. You are of noble status, but you should also be modest and chaste as a girl. After all, you have to get married and cannot be an old maid forever. The old lady and the Marquis love you very much, so they naturally hope the best for you.”

Gu Baozhu stamped her feet: “…Sixth sister, listen to her, how dare she speak like that…”

Qin Yuan continued to act like an elder, saying with a look of disapproval, “No one would say anything when you talk nonsense at home, but if you develop a habit and do the same outside, it will be too late to bring trouble to the Marquis’s Mansion and the Marquis. As your sister-in-law, even if the Marquis didn’t ask me to teach you, I would have told you, and it’s for your own good.”

Gu Baozhu couldn’t argue with them and got so angry that she rushed over. She quickly hid behind Cui Ming and Hong Ye again.

“How outrageous! How disgraceful!”

Madam Gu, who had been there for an unknown amount of time, spoke.

Everyone quickly separated and stood with their hands hanging down.

Madam Gu glanced at the women in the hall with displeasure. None of them were worry-free. She frowned and asked, “What’s going on? Baozhu, why are you fighting with your third sister-in-law?”

Gu Baozhu wiped away her arrogance and cried and complained: “Mother, I was just in a hurry to go out yesterday, and I accidentally used the carriage of the third sister-in-law. I apologized just now, but the third sister-in-law was unreasonable.”

“Oh?” Madam Gu looked at Qin Yuan, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes, “What did you say?”

The newly married woman got into conflict with her sister-in-law as soon as she arrived.

Even if you are right, the elders still feel that you are not humble and tolerant enough.

Qin Yuan said softly, “Mother, Yuan’er was also trying to protect the Marquis. I heard Seventh Sister talking more and more about it, and I was afraid that she would spread rumors outside and cause trouble for the Marquis and the Marquis’s mansion, so I said a few words, but I didn’t expect Seventh Sister to not listen.”

Fighting with your daughter-in-law and fighting to protect your son are two completely different things.

Madam Gu’s frown relaxed.

Gu Baozhu hurriedly shook her head: “Mother, Baozhu didn’t. My third sister-in-law cursed me to be an old maid for the rest of my life and never get married. That’s why Baozhu was angry.” Old Lady Gu looked at Qin Yuan in surprise.

Qin Yuan sighed, “I am also meddling too much. Sixth brother’s wife and Seventh sister are close friends, and she should have been taught a long time ago. Logically, it is not my turn as the new bride. Seventh sister, please don’t distort my meaning like this. Even if you are determined not to marry, can the Marquis’ Mansion still give you an extra pair of chopsticks?”

Madam Gu Liu, who wanted to sit on the mountain and watch the fight between the tigers, said: “…”

Madam Gu couldn’t figure out the lawsuit between the two. She looked at Madam Gu Liu and asked, “You were there too. Tell me what’s going on.”

Madam Gu Liu looked at Gu Baozhu with tears in her eyes, and then at the weak and innocent Qin Yuan. She looked like she wanted to treat the two bowls of water equally but couldn’t. She sighed and said, “I don’t know why my daughter-in-law and I, the two of them started arguing with each other. Seventh sister is young and can’t keep her temper. Third sister-in-law just came and acted like an elder and taught Seventh sister a lesson. Seventh sister is not convinced.”

Madam Gu seemed to be thinking about something.

Qin Yuan smiled and said, “Mother, Seventh Sister is still young. She is like a small tree growing crooked. She needs to be corrected early so that she can become a talent.”

“The Marquis is the head of the Marquisate. When Seventh Sister spoke disrespectfully, Sixth Sister-in-law could not point it out and ask Seventh Sister to improve. Instead, she accused me of being an elder and teaching Seventh Sister a lesson, which made Seventh Sister dissatisfied. No wonder Seventh Sister dared to talk nonsense in front of me. The servants in the house are difficult to manage.”

Her tone was kind, but her words were not kind at all, and she had a bit of a stubborn attitude that made her want to break off relations with him.

Everyone was stunned.

The hall suddenly became so quiet that you could hear a pin drop.

After a while, Madam Gu Liu sobbed with red eyes, “Are you dissatisfied with my stewardship when you say this to me, Third Sister-in-law? If so, I am willing to give way to you.”

Gu Baozhu defended herself: “Third sister-in-law, you have only been in the mansion for a few days, and Sixth sister-in-law has been the housekeeper for many years. Even if she has no merits, she has worked hard…”

Qin Yuan said solemnly, “I protect the Marquis to protect the dignity of the Marquisate. Only when the Marquis is well can the Marquisate be well. Although the Marquis of Dingbei is a hereditary title, how can the salary of the title alone support the expenses of a large family? The wealth and glory that our ancestors fought for need to be maintained by our descendants. There is absolutely no reason to live off the wealth.”

Madam Gu nodded when she heard this, and there was more praise in her eyes when she looked at her.

Qin Yuan continued, “The Marquis fought hard on the battlefield to make a living, but Seventh Sister said that the Marquis only had eyes for the mother and son in Fengxuan Pavilion. If outsiders heard this, I wonder what they would think of the Marquis.”

Gu Baozhu’s face was pale, and she lowered her head, not daring to look at Old Madam Gu who was sitting above her.

Qin Yuan continued, “You must know that if a family is rotten, it will rot from the inside first. As a family member of the Marquis, Seventh Sister accidentally defended the Marquis and gave others something to talk about. Shouldn’t I say something? Sixth Sister-in-law lives with Seventh Sister day and night. Have you ever advised Seventh Sister as a sister-in-law?”

Madam Gu Liu gritted her teeth.

Qin Yuan’s words were meant to hit Madam Gu where it hurt. Gu Jinghui was beaten yesterday because of that mother and son, which showed that it was a thorn in the old lady’s side.

As expected, Madam Gu asked coldly, “Baozhu, what did you say?”

Before Gu Baozhu could speak, Madam Gu said, “Call the little girl who is guarding outside to come in and let her speak.”

Rong Mama quickly called in a little maid who had just had her hair cut and was guarding outside, and told her, “Come and listen to what the ladies in the room said just now.”

　Thanks to maplecsu, hope, Ae, 20231020131732148, weiwei508, sunflower, shanruoshui, xingyu, xiebobo, Anna88, 20220910125454992, Raksha, mingyuebushilihenku, tietouwa37, and lengcha-be for their recommendations. Thank you, (′‵)Ｉ L

(End of this chapter)