"Where is Yuanniang? Why hasn’t she come to pay her respects to me for several days?"
"I entrusted you with the care of an Eldest Miss, and is this how you take care of her?"
"Has she been taught to forget her own mother and ignore all rules and proprieties?"
That day, Mrs. Zhang once again got upset because Feng Yanting would not heed her warnings and even called her a "busybody." Outraged, she ordered Nanny Zhao to summon "Xiuniang" for a scolding!
What made Mrs. Zhang even more furious was that this lowly woman, "Xiuniang," claiming to be able to make money, dared to disregard her benefactor from the past.
She claimed she was "busy with Embroidery," but in reality, she just did not want to come and did not take Mrs. Zhang’s summon seriously.
Mrs. Zhang, furious beyond measure, did not care to maintain the dignity of a Marchioness and stormed next door, pointing at He Tiantian and launching into a tirade. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by novel·fire.net
Mrs. Zhang’s voice was very loud, and the surrounding neighbors all heard it, poking their heads out to watch the excitement.
Perhaps it was due to living in a common area these past years or perhaps due to recent unhappiness, but Mrs. Zhang had always wanted to uphold her dignity as a Marchioness.
However, she had unwittingly begun to resemble the common brawling women she had always despised and scorned the most.
For example, seeing the crowd gather, if this were the past, Mrs. Zhang would definitely have subconsciously tempered her temper to avoid making a spectacle.
But now, noticing all the neighbors at their doors and on their walls, she not only did not feel any embarrassment but felt even more emboldened.
That’s right! Stir it up!
The people around all said that "Xiuniang" was loyal, a truly good person rarely seen.
Right here, right now, in front of everyone, she would tear off the facade of "Xiuniang," exposing her true character for all to see.
Capable of affection?
She was nothing more than a scheming, pretentious wretch!
She spoke of how well she treated her old benefactor, but behind the scenes, she incited discord between the Eldest Miss and her mother, creating dissonance.
Her ambitions were as vile as her methods were despicable!
"Deliberately stirring up trouble between me and my daughter, Xiuniang, how malicious your heart is!"
Mrs. Zhang hadn’t realized that she now resembled the very street brawlers she had once most despised and loathed.
"Madam, please don’t rush, let’s discuss this calmly!"
He Tiantian spoke softly and gently, a picture of warmth and gentleness.
Compared to the loud and boisterous Mrs. Zhang, this woman from a lesser family, "Xiuniang," seemed more composed.
"Hmph, you still want to argue? Where is Yuanniang? Call her out to me! As a daughter, she doesn’t even pay respects to her own mother; does she still understand propriety or know what filial piety means?"
He Tiantian’s unflappable demeanor only infuriated Mrs. Zhang further.
She continued to shout at the top of her lungs.
Nanny Zhao, hearing the commotion, hurried out from the neighboring courtyard.
While pacifying Mrs. Zhang, she joined in pointing fingers at He Tiantian.
Even the surrounding neighbors started whispering among themselves—
"We simple folks don’t fuss over much, but Mrs. Zhang is a Marchioness after all, who values proper conduct and respect!"
"Exactly, I’ve heard that too; if that’s the case, then that Eldest Miss is indeed behaving improperly!"
"Ah well, wrong or not, the Wei Family has fallen, now poorer than we commoners, what’s the use of maintaining such proprieties?"
"True, true, from what I see, the Wei Family’s Eldest Miss is quite nice, and Lady Feng is also a person of great integrity and loyalty!"
While people are easily misled, these neighbors were neither blind nor foolish; they had observed "Xiuniang’s" conduct and character over time.
Even if they felt Mrs. Zhang made some sense, they wouldn’t blindly accuse "Xiuniang" without understanding the reasons.
"Madam, Yuanniang is not at home!"
He Tiantian, seemingly reluctant to discuss these matters in front of outsiders, feigned difficulty and spoke again to Mrs. Zhang, "Why don’t you come inside first? We can discuss everything at length!"
"Let’s talk right here; I have nothing to hide, not afraid of anyone overhearing."
Mrs. Zhang seemed to have caught He Tiantian in some wrongdoing, becoming even more aggressive, "On the contrary, it’s you with all your evasions and hesitations, could it be, you have done something shameful?"
He Tiantian:...Alas, if she’s looking for her own demise, then I really can’t be blamed for setting the trap, employing maneuvers.
"..." He Tiantian sighed, fully appearing as if she were pushed to her limits.
"Half a month ago, I took Yuanniang to Qingyun Temple to deliver some Embroidery to Temple Master Hua Yang. The master saw Yuanniang’s intelligence and charm and wanted to keep her at the Taoist Temple for a few days!"
Saying this, He Tiantian deliberately looked up at Mrs. Zhang.