"Mother! Don’t you even trust me?" Shi Yumei blurted out anxiously.
"Elder sister, surely, these weren’t the words of brother-in-law, were they?" Shi Fengju suddenly asked, catching her off guard.
"No, no! He is such an honest person, how could he possibly say such things! Even if he felt wronged, he would endure it silently, without breathing a word!" Shi Yumei firmly denied.
"This is simple," Shi Fengju said indifferently: "I don’t want anyone to be wronged or to suffer injustices, it’s better to make things clear. Call over brother-in-law now! Or else, I will have the housekeeper bring the servants from the banana garden for questioning one by one, I trust the truth will eventually come to light."
Shi Yumei was instantly infuriated and thought to herself that there was nothing she couldn’t say. "No need to question further, yes, your brother-in-law did vent to me a bit, but he was just venting and even advised me to keep the peace! It’s me who cannot swallow this insult! I cannot stand to see the arrogance of some people!"
"I don’t think Uncle looks like such a person, Fenghua has always been praising him! Is there perhaps some misunderstanding?" Mrs. Wang hurriedly interjected.
"Mother!" Shi Yumei was too angry to speak.
"I think so too," Shi Fengju said: "Elder sister, brother-in-law and our younger and second brothers are quite different in age, it’s normal for them not to see eye to eye on some things. This isn’t really a big deal, why does elder sister have to be so upset? Second brother is a guest, he has just arrived at our home for a few days, how could he possibly instigate Fenghua?"
Shi Yumei, bristling with anger said: "You all trust him so much! You’d rather trust an outsider than me! You may know the face but not the heart, who knows what he is scheming!"
"Hold your tongue!" Mrs. Wang scolded coldly: "Yumei, you’re becoming more and more unbecoming!"
"Mother, when our younger brother returns, let’s call him over and ask him clearly if second brother has said anything to him. Elder sister, surely you won’t distrust our younger brother’s words, will you?"
"Fine!" Shi Yumei said proudly and straightforwardly: "You’re right, let’s wait for our younger brother to come back and ask him then!"
"If it really did happen, I will handle it and ensure you receive a satisfactory explanation. What if you have wronged someone?" Shi Fengju pressed.
Shi Yumei snorted: "If I have wronged someone, I’ll apologize! Is that okay?"
"Second brother is a guest, it’s only appropriate to ask our younger brother in private and not let second brother know. If you’ve wronged someone, you should apologize to Miss Wan!"
"What!" Shi Yumei exclaimed incredulously, her eyes wide as she pointed at Sang Wan, "I apologize to her?"
"Is that not acceptable?" Shi Fengju said calmly: "Elder sister, Miss Wan is after all your sister-in-law, the legitimate wife of the Shi family. With you barging into Ningyuan to confront, scold, and physically assault her, elder sister, how do you expect Miss Wan to manage the servants from now on? Where is her dignity? If this gets out, what would people think of our Shi family? What would they think of me? To have an elder sister and your own wife causing such discord, it would be a laughingstock!"
Mrs. Wang was shocked, "Yumei went up to Ningyuan to reason and seek justice, didn’t she? What’s this about confronting, scolding, and even hitting someone?"
Shi Fengju subtly nudged Sang Wan without changing his expression. Though Sang Wan was annoyed in her heart, she had no choice but to stand up and say, "Mother, this matter is in the past, let’s not bring it up again!"
"Who asked for your pretense of kindness!" Shi Yumei retorted unappreciatively.
"You shut your mouth!" Mrs. Wang, both angry and anxious, shouted angrily: "After all, I was still thinking of defending you just now, but it turns out you had wronged Miss Wan! If you keep causing trouble, I might not bother with you anymore!"
"Elder sister, Miss Wan is my wife. Even if she really offended you, you should have come to me. By shaming her in such a manner, have you ever considered your brother’s dignity!" Shi Fengju also expressed his discontent.
"Fengju is right!" Mrs. Wang was so angry she hardly knew what to say, and seeing Sang Wan still standing there, she waved her over and spoke soothingly, "Miss Wan, good child, don’t feel wronged! Your mother knows you are magnanimous. Don’t stoop to your sister’s level, alright?"
Despite her anger, Mrs. Wang couldn’t neglect her daughter’s dignity. Even though it would be right to order her daughter to apologize to her daughter-in-law right now, doing so would likely result in her daughter being even more disliked by the servants at her natal family! In the end, her heart still ached for her daughter.
"Mother! Miss Wan is alright..." Sang Wan managed a forced smile, feeling a chill in her heart. There was still a difference between kin and not, even if she protested, what could she really do?
Mrs. Wang felt even more remorse seeing her and said softly, "Good, good, mother knows you’re the most sensible one! Good child, I will not let you be wronged again!" As she spoke, she commanded Mrs. Feng to bring over a brocade box inlaid with raden. Opening the box, inside was a gleaming beaded gold phoenix hairpin studded with pearls and green feathers. Mrs. Wang personally handed it to Sang Wan, smiling: "This pair of hairpins is said to be the favorite item of an imperial concubine from the previous palace. Fengju spent several thousand silvers to acquire it as a birthday gift for me a few years ago. I have no use for such an old woman, so I’m giving it to you today! Come, let me put it on for you!"
"How can I just accept something that was intended as a birthday gift for you, Mother?" Sang Wan immediately refused. What use had she for such things? They were merely for display! Little did she know, Shi Yumei was already green with envy. She had pleaded with her mother many times for this very phoenix hairpin, but Mrs. Wang always vaguely refused to give it to her. And now, she willingly offered it to Sang Wan! What tricks had this woman played!
"Why refuse something given by your mother! Come, come over here, let me put it on for you!" Mrs. Wang gestured with a smiling scold.
Sang Wan, with no choice, complied softly with a "Yes", and bowed her head slightly as Mrs. Wang delicately placed the hairpin on her left temple. The large pearl carried by the phoenix mouth dangled nearly to her shoulder, gently swaying, complementing her beautiful, flower-like face.