Chapter 154: Kicking a Man While He Is Down

The dusk-enveloped Jing'an Hall was bathed in the rosy glow of sunset, with a few autumn leaves fluttering past the courtyard wall, swirling and drifting gracefully downward. The old matriarch's favorite white cat was curled up in the corner of the room, fast asleep in the lingering rays of the setting sun, presenting a scene of utter peace and serenity.

Outside the door, however, the maidservants lined up in two rows wore tense expressions. The young maids bustling about the courtyard purposely softened their footsteps, and no one dared to play or whisper among themselves.

Inside the room, the old matriarch's face was livid, her lips trembling incessantly. Her fingers gripped her string of jade prayer beads so tightly that her knuckles turned pale and deformed. She stared fiercely at Madam Liu, who stood before her with lowered head, breathing heavily and unevenly.

Mother Qi, a trusted personal attendant to the old matriarch, brought over a cup of tea, hoping to offer a few words of comfort. With a wave of her hand, the old matriarch violently knocked the cup aside, splashing tea all over Mother Qi as the porcelain shattered into countless fragments on the floor.

Without uttering a single sound, Mother Qi cleaned up the broken pieces of tea and quietly retreated.

Madam Liu lifted her gaze and said in a soft, delicate voice, "It is still merely a rumor. Perhaps it is nothing more than idle gossip from bored tongues, and it will likely collapse of its own accord in a few days. Please do not let it damage your health."

"Foolish! Such matters only grow more outrageous the further they spread!" Gritting her teeth, the old matriarch said bitterly, "There is no smoke without fire. It must be due to her own lack of propriety that such talk has arisen. Mofei is easily deceived, but you, as the eldest daughter-in-law, ought to keep a tighter rein on things."

A flash of triumphant smugness crossed Madam Liu's eyes. Feigning a troubled expression, she said, "It is not that I wish to shirk my duties, but the fourth younger sister-in-law has a rather proud temperament. None of us sisters-in-law can ever find much common ground to speak with her. Even Mofei is no longer as close to us older brothers' wives as he used to be. If I were to say too much, I fear it would only breed resentment between us."

"Call her here at once!" the old matriarch commanded angrily.

Stepping forward to support the old matriarch, Madam Liu gently stroked her back to soothe her breath and consoled her, "The fourth younger sister-in-law probably does not even know about these rumors outside yet. If you summon her now, what can she possibly say? Such matters only grow darker the more one tries to wash them clean, and making a fuss over it will only invite outsiders to laugh at the Ning family's expense. As for the second branch, I fear they have already craned their necks, eagerly waiting for us to make a scene first!"

"Even if we make no scene, will outsiders refrain from laughing? They would simply assume we have tacitly admitted to it!" the old matriarch said through gritted teeth. "Bring her to me! I want to see for myself what she has to say!"

Hesitating for a moment, Madam Liu replied, "At this hour, the fourth younger sister-in-law is likely not at home; she has gone out strolling in the streets with the fourth brother. Of late, the fourth brother's complexion has improved considerably!"

"Do not try to gloss over this for her!" The old matriarch's fury flared even higher, causing her whole body to tremble with rage. "She still has the audacity to go out! Does she not feel she has brought enough shame upon herself, or must she go out seeking to attract bees and butterflies? Someone, go and fetch her back at once!"

"Quickly, go invite the fourth young madam to return. If she is not there, hurry out into the streets to find her, and tell her that grandmother has matters to discuss and requests her immediate return," Madam Liu urged in a rapid succession of commands.

With a resentful poke at Madam Liu's arm, the old matriarch reproached her, "You are simply far too virtuous! Even when the rumors drag Bowens into this, you still stand up and speak on her behalf."

"Look at what you are saying. Even if my time spent with the fourth younger sister-in-law has been short and we do not know each other well, how could I ever mistrust my own husband? I could suspect anyone else in the world, but I could never suspect him!" Madam Liu covered her mouth with a light laugh. Seeing the old matriarch's expression soften slightly, she continued with a smile, "Others I dare not vouch for, but those three brothers of the seventh branch have certainly been unjustly defiled—I dare stake my life on that guarantee. Towards the fourth brother, those three brothers are utterly loyal and devoted; how could they ever do a single thing to wrong him?"

"You may be so at ease, but for Mofei to marry such a wife is bound to be a catastrophe rather than a blessing!" the old matriarch said with disgust. Upon receiving her husband's letter, she had already felt uneasy in her heart, thinking the old man had placed far too much value on Yu Youwei. However, as she had always been accustomed to obeying the old master, she had suppressed her internal displeasure and prepared herself to back Yu Youwei up. Yet if this granddaughter-in-law had lost her chastity before marriage, it crossed her absolute bottom line; even if it were merely a rumor, it was enough to make her loathe this granddaughter-in-law from the bottom of her heart.

"There was simply no help for it. The master cherished his old friendship with Fourth Uncle Yu and insisted on fulfilling the marriage contract, yet Fourth Madam Yu was reluctant to let her legitimate daughter marry our Mofei, substituting a concubine-born daughter in her place. It merely left us rejoicing over the fourth brother's match for nothing. If the one who had married into our family had been Yu Ruoshuang, I hear she surpasses the younger sister-in-law in both talent and beauty, possesses no lesser natural gifts, and is, above all, the epitome of gentleness and compliance. The fourth brother would never have been subjected to today's humiliation..." Feigning a slip of the tongue, Madam Liu covered her mouth and said awkwardly, "I should not be gossiping behind people's backs like this."

"It is the truth of the matter anyway; what is there that should not be said?" the old matriarch said with lingering annoyance. The Yu family's substitution of a concubine's daughter for the marriage had also been a thorn in her side; usually it was fine when left untouched, but at this moment, the thorn pricked her heart with a dull ache.

Madam Liu deftly steered the conversation elsewhere. "Let us give it the cold shoulder for now. In any case, we must not let outsiders make a mockery of us. Even if there are matters that must be dealt with, we should wait until this wave passes and the hubbub dies down before taking any action. For now, we might have the fourth younger sister-in-law copy scriptures or the like, living a secluded life—that can also be regarded as cultivating her character and refining her mind."

The old matriarch deeply agreed. "Then let us do as you say. Before we leave the imperial capital, have her stay in Biyu Pavilion and go nowhere. Send a generous number of scripture books over to Biyu Pavilion."

"Would that... be quite proper?" Madam Liu asked with feigned hesitation.

"I shall speak with her myself," the old matriarch declared firmly, before adding instructions: "The first branch and the seventh branch share the same breath and branch, so no one there will speak idly, and the people of the other branches will not meddle either. During this period, keep a tight watch on the second branch, adopt a firm stance, and make sure they do not stir up trouble."

Imagining Yu Youwei about to be placed under house confinement, Madam Liu felt a secret thrill of delight, yet she put on a profoundly worried expression as she said, "To tell the truth, these very words were the ones the people of the second branch brought back into the manor. Ah, and it was also the fourth younger sister-in-law's failure in her duty as team leader. If both Jinwen brothers had not died, and since Grand-uncle Er is the most reasonable and broad-minded of men, he would have long since placed a ban on the second branch so that not a single improper word could have spread."

"What a misfortune to the household!" sighing angrily, the old matriarch set her face like stone and spoke no further.

The old matriarch placed great stock in the preservation of health and did not eat dinner, usually partaking only of some liquid nourishment around early evening. Madam Liu instructed the maidservants to bring in some congee, personally served it to the old matriarch, and tirelessly massaged her back and shoulders, coaxing the old matriarch until her expression turned from dark to bright, drawing repeated praises for her genuine filial piety.

"Being able to show filial piety to Grandmother is the blessing of us granddaughters-in-law," Madam Liu replied demurely, earning yet another round of lavish praise from the old matriarch while managing to slip in a few more condemnations of Yu Youwei.

Living in this great noble mansion required far more than mere beauty and talent. Yu Youwei, you dared to look down on me—let us see whether you can afford the price! Madam Liu exulted inwardly, growing somewhat impatient to witness Yu Youwei's reaction.

Several groups of people dispatched by the Ning mansion had already arrived at the Wuxiang Tea House and repeated Madam Liu's message word for word. Yu Youwei understood instantly that a tempest was brewing at Jing'an Hall, but she could not be bothered to ask many questions, maintaining an air of utter indifference.

"I wish you good luck," Baili Feiyan remarked insincerely, her intention to watch the spectacle quite obvious.

"My luck has always been rather good," Yu Youwei retorted. Amidst Baili Feiyan's carefree laughter, she took Ning Mofei by the hand and walked downstairs.