Chapter 170 Consequences
After that incident, no one would want to continue sitting there.
All the juniors, under Second Madam’s unspoken instruction, got up obediently like quails and excused themselves, leaving only Second Madam and Grand Madam Yi in the room to pacify Grand madam Pei.
After leaving the moon gate of the main courtyard, fifth young miss patted her chest in fright and whispered to Yu Tang, “It’s the first time I’ve seen my grandmother so angry, it almost scared me to death!”
Yu Tang was also frightened.
Unexpectedly, the usually loving and gentle looking Grand Madam Pei would scold people so harshly once angered. No wonder the Pei family respects and fears her – if a tiger doesn’t show its claws, don’t think it’s a sick domesticated cat.
She warmly reassured fifth young miss, saying “You just said that it was the first time you saw Grand Madam lose her temper, so it’s obvious that Grand Madam is not a person prone to fits of anger. She only lost her temper because Mrs. Shen’s words were really too much.”
Fourth Miss seemed to be frightened as well. She was at the side, listening in to the conversation between Yu Tang and Fifth Miss. With some urgency, she came over and asked Yu Tang quietly, “Then is it true that if we don’t provoke Head Aunt, then she wouldn’t lose her temper?”
“Exactly.” Yu Tang nodded her head repeatedly, and even gently touched Fourth Miss’s head, laughing lightly, “No one would get angry for no reason!”
Third young Miss had a stern expression on her face and was originally angrily walking in front of them, but at some point she slowed down. She turned around and pulled Fourth young Miss’s hand, whispering, ”Today’s incident was rightly Mrs. Shen’s fault – Uncle Pei and Lady Yi, what has that got to do with her? If others heard her, they would definitely think that it was Uncle Pei who was at fault. She is framing him! If I were Head Aunt, I would also lose my temper!” Speaking of this, she let out a small sigh and continued, “However, Auntie’s temper is really big, scolding her as she pleases, I’m just afraid that Mrs. Shen wouldn’t be able to let it go!”
Previously, Yu Tang was still in shock over Grand Madam’s anger and had not thought carefully about Mrs. Shen’s words. When she heard Third Young Miss speak of this, she also felt that Mrs. Shen’s words carried some implications, and indeed it was not quite right.
She was just thinking about how to divert attention away from this matter, when she heard second young miss coldly “hmphed” and say to Gu Xi, “…… Who cares about her pride? What about us and our dignity? Sister Ah Xi, I see that Mrs. Shen is not a good person, you should stay far away from her in future.”
Ah Xi sister! Since when did Second Miss get this close to Gu Xi?
Yu Tang looked up.
She saw Gu Xi standing face to face with second young miss with a face brimming with embarrassment, apparently she must have said something earlier, and when second young miss got worked up over it, her voice became loud, causing everyone to overhear.
“Second sister is right!” Third Miss looked solemn as she stepped forward to support her, “Sister Gu, you’re a good person, but sometimes good people have to distinguish between what’s right and what’s wrong. Mrs. Shen …… her speaking so foolishly like this, it’s better for you to have less contact with her.”
Gu Xi was feeling extremely awkward.
Yu Tang rescued her from her predicament by reaching out and pulling third young miss, saying, “If it’s something indecent, we should ignore it and shouldn’t discuss it either. This is Mrs. Shen’s matter, Grand Madam, Second Madam and Grand Madam Yi surely have their own ways of handling it, so let’s not talk about it behind their backs. Grand Madam must not be in a good mood today, so we should go back and rest, and later on, we can check and see if Grand Madam wants our company. If not, let’s think about what we can do tomorrow, so that Grand Madam can feel happier. “
“Yes!” Third Miss felt like she was talking about Mrs. Shen behind her back, so she nodded her head somewhat embarrassedly and turned around to take Fourth Miss’s hand.
Fifth Miss ran over and said to Third Miss, “Me too! Me too!”
Third Miss immediately held Fifth Miss’s hand with her other hand.
It was then that Second Miss looked directly at Yu Tang and said in a tone that carried a bit of respect, “Sister Yu, we’ll go back first. You and Sister Gu should also be careful on the road.” She also urged Gu Xi, “If Sister Gu doesn’t have anything to do, you can come and play with us or Sister Yu. I remember that Sister Yu’s side still has another room that’s unoccupied, and even though that place isn’t as nice, it’s at least better than living with people like her.”
Gu Xi nodded repeatedly and thanked second young miss.
The four Pei Ladies went back to their own quarters one after the other.
Gu Xi blushed as she thanked Yu Tang, “Thank you for speaking up for me, otherwise I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
Saying this, the corners of her eyes turned red, with a look of shame and embarrassment.
Yu Tang did not do it for Gu Xi, it was because she didn’t want the various Pei young ladies to discuss this matter further, lest word gets out. If the situation wasn’t clarified, others would think that it was Pei family bullying others, and if it was explained in detail, it would still become an unsavoury story of Pei family, so it would be better for the juniors to pretend that they don’t know about this incident. Therefore, she replied blandly, “You are also unwittingly affected by this, so there is no need to take it to heart.”
At this time, Gu Xi was still young and had not yet honed her skills in her previous life. She thought that Yu Tang was sympathising with her, so she couldn’t help but whine to Yu Tang, ”Originally I thought that being an elder, she could guide me on general propriety, but who knew that I would come across something like this. I really don’t know what she’s thinking, even if Third Master really rejected the Li Family’s marriage, she still couldn’t have said that! If she said that, then how would Lady Li still be able to conduct herself? If word gets around, if others think that her words were what Grand Madam said, wouldn’t it turn the two families into enemies?”
Yu Tang looked at Gu Xi with an odd expression.
Gu Xi was stupefied.
Yu Tang recalled her previous life, before Gu Xi discovered those sordid thoughts of Li Duan towards her, she too used to grouse to her about Madam Lin in whispers like this.
She also remembered once, it was also when they were standing in the veranda, with the maids and serving aunties far behind them, beyond the veranda was piles of snow, with branches of red plums peeking through, which she could almost reach out and pick off.
Yu Tang was somewhat lost in thought.
It was as if she went back in time. What’s real and what was fake, surprisingly, she was momentarily unable to distinguish between them.
Gu Xi, however, was a little uneasy in her heart.
Just a quarter of an hour ago, Yu Tang told the Pei family’s young ladies to “refrain from gossiping”, but in the end, she turned around and complained about Mrs. Shen’s bad attitude towards her. It would have been better if Yu Tang had answered, but Yu Tang looked like she didn’t want to say anything, and so in contrast, it made her looked very uncultured.
She hurriedly said her goodbyes to Yu Tang and returned to her residence with her face burning red.
He Xiang was assisting her in dressing, while quietly conferring, ”What should we do? After all, we are staying in the same courtyard, can we still feign ignorance? This Mrs Shen is really a piece of work! Useless in accomplishing anything worthwhile and only creating problems. If Eldest Master finds out what she did, he’ll be filled with regrets!”
Gu Xi, however, was constantly reminded of Yu Tang’s somewhat indifferent face.
She then thought of the Pei family young ladies’ attitudes towards Yu Tang, especially second young lady. She had expended a lot of effort to gradually grow close to second young lady, who had also begun to be willing to talk to her about some of the Pei family’s affairs, but it only took a few words from Yu Tang to get second young lady, who had not been overly impressed with Yu Tang, to see her differently from before.
Could it be that it was the will of heavens?
That no matter what she did, Yu Tang was always more well-liked by the Pei family than her?
Gu Xi was discontented, her heart was in a mess, and she interrupted He Xiang’s words without answering her question, saying irritatedly, “That Lady Yu, she can really put on an act, when I talk to her about personal matters, she acts standoffish. I’ve seen pretentious people before, but I haven’t seen anyone who’s more pretentious than her, I think it’s better for us to stay clear of her in the future!”
He Xiang looked at her perplexedly, and didn’t know how to answer her question.
Only then did Gu Xi realise that she had spoken her thoughts aloud.
Yu Tang, since when did she have such a great influence over her?
Her feelings were thrown into greater disarray.
She then remembered Mrs. Shen, and was no longer able to keep a smile on her face. She became solemn, instructing He Xiang: “I’ll write a letter to Eldest Master. Find a way to send it to the capital, and do not alert Pei family’s people… As for me,…… let’s just say that after I came back, I was too depressed to eat, and I fell ill!”
“Ah!” Hexiang gasped in shock.
Gu Xi snapped, “Keep your voice down! Do you want to alert the Pei family with your actions? Mrs. Shen made such a serious blunder, what else can I do if I don’t pretend to be sick? Or are you still expecting me to go to her bedside and attend to her?”
Hexiang didn’t dare to speak.
Gu Xi asked, “How are things on Mrs. Shen’s end?”
Hexiang hurriedly replied, “It was Chen Daniang who personally accompanied her back. Afterwards, Chen Daniang also stayed in Mrs. Shen’s house and didn’t leave. For fear of getting ourselves implicated, I didn’t dare to go over to inquire, but there was not much of a commotion heard over there either.”
Were Grand Madam’s words just said in a momentary fit of anger? Or was she really having Shen Shenyan take her away?
If that happens, Mrs. Shen would feel utterly humiliated and might not want to live!
Gu Xi wrote a letter to Gu Chang with complicated feelings, and she had He Xiang sneak behind the Pei family’s servants serving in the courtyard on the excuse of getting a hand stove-warmer for her, to go to Second Madam and report her illness.
Second Madam rushed over and asked her about her condition, and after the physician came over, second madam made room for the physician who was in his sixties to take her pulse and prescribe the usual medicine of Chai Hu soup. While the Pei family sent someone to get the medicine, Gu Xi rested, and only then did second madam return to Grand Madam’s residence.
Grand Madam’s anger had subsided, and she was back to her usual cheerful disposition, saying, “Is Lady Gu all settled at her end?”
“Yes!” Second Madam let out a long sigh of relief and said, “Luckily it was just an ordinary fever, the physician also said that it might have been caused by a shock, and I’m afraid that it might have been caused by the incident with Mrs. Shen.”
Grand Madam coldly snorted and then asked about Yu Tang, “What about Lady Yu?”
“She’s quite well!” Second Madam answered, “I was informed that she practiced some calligraphy before resting.”
Grand Madam’s complexion brightened slightly.
Yu Tang, who was resting, had her eyes closed but her mind was racing.
Gu Xi’s words had reminded her.
Grand Madam’s temper was definitely not simply because Mrs. Shen had said the wrong thing.
Basing off Mrs. Shen’s words, if the marriage between the two families failed, it ought to be the Li family that retracted the marriage, otherwise the Li family would not have helped organise Grand Elder’s funeral, and also helped in keeping up Grand Elder’s name as a man of magnanimity with meritorious service to the emperor. This kind of meritorious service has to be acknowledged by the emperor in order to be effective. Even if you are a Third-ranked official’s son, if the emperor doesn’t remember you, you then have to exert great effort in order to obtain it.
This was also a very honourable achievement for Pei family.
But extrapolating from the words of Grand Madam, things weren’t that simple.
It was not difficult for a respectable man to obtain a wife, so even if the Li Family reversed their decision and compensated the Pei Family, why did Grand Madam react so strongly to Mrs. Shen’s words?
This seemed to be more than just being afraid of spoiling the relationship between the two families!
The more Yu Tang thought about it, the more confused she became, and the more sleepless she got. After a while, she simply got dressed, pushed open the windows, and took in a breath of fresh air.
Chapter 170 Consequences
After that incident, no one would want to continue sitting there.
All the juniors, under Second Madam’s unspoken instruction, got up obediently like quails and excused themselves, leaving only Second Madam and Grand Madam Yi in the room to pacify Grand madam Pei.
After leaving the moon gate of the main courtyard, fifth young miss patted her chest in fright and whispered to Yu Tang, “It’s the first time I’ve seen my grandmother so angry, it almost scared me to death!”
Yu Tang was also frightened.
Unexpectedly, the usually loving and gentle looking Grand Madam Pei would scold people so harshly once angered. No wonder the Pei family respects and fears her – if a tiger doesn’t show its claws, don’t think it’s a sick domesticated cat.
She warmly reassured fifth young miss, saying “You just said that it was the first time you saw Grand Madam lose her temper, so it’s obvious that Grand Madam is not a person prone to fits of anger. She only lost her temper because Mrs. Shen’s words were really too much.”
Fourth Miss seemed to be frightened as well. She was at the side, listening in to the conversation between Yu Tang and Fifth Miss. With some urgency, she came over and asked Yu Tang quietly, “Then is it true that if we don’t provoke Head Aunt, then she wouldn’t lose her temper?”
“Exactly.” Yu Tang nodded her head repeatedly, and even gently touched Fourth Miss’s head, laughing lightly, “No one would get angry for no reason!”
Third young Miss had a stern expression on her face and was originally angrily walking in front of them, but at some point she slowed down. She turned around and pulled Fourth young Miss’s hand, whispering, ”Today’s incident was rightly Mrs. Shen’s fault – Uncle Pei and Lady Yi, what has that got to do with her? If others heard her, they would definitely think that it was Uncle Pei who was at fault. She is framing him! If I were Head Aunt, I would also lose my temper!” Speaking of this, she let out a small sigh and continued, “However, Auntie’s temper is really big, scolding her as she pleases, I’m just afraid that Mrs. Shen wouldn’t be able to let it go!”
Previously, Yu Tang was still in shock over Grand Madam’s anger and had not thought carefully about Mrs. Shen’s words. When she heard Third Young Miss speak of this, she also felt that Mrs. Shen’s words carried some implications, and indeed it was not quite right.
She was just thinking about how to divert attention away from this matter, when she heard second young miss coldly “hmphed” and say to Gu Xi, “…… Who cares about her pride? What about us and our dignity? Sister Ah Xi, I see that Mrs. Shen is not a good person, you should stay far away from her in future.”
Ah Xi sister! Since when did Second Miss get this close to Gu Xi?
Yu Tang looked up.
She saw Gu Xi standing face to face with second young miss with a face brimming with embarrassment, apparently she must have said something earlier, and when second young miss got worked up over it, her voice became loud, causing everyone to overhear.
“Second sister is right!” Third Miss looked solemn as she stepped forward to support her, “Sister Gu, you’re a good person, but sometimes good people have to distinguish between what’s right and what’s wrong. Mrs. Shen …… her speaking so foolishly like this, it’s better for you to have less contact with her.”
Gu Xi was feeling extremely awkward.
Yu Tang rescued her from her predicament by reaching out and pulling third young miss, saying, “If it’s something indecent, we should ignore it and shouldn’t discuss it either. This is Mrs. Shen’s matter, Grand Madam, Second Madam and Grand Madam Yi surely have their own ways of handling it, so let’s not talk about it behind their backs. Grand Madam must not be in a good mood today, so we should go back and rest, and later on, we can check and see if Grand Madam wants our company. If not, let’s think about what we can do tomorrow, so that Grand Madam can feel happier. “
“Yes!” Third Miss felt like she was talking about Mrs. Shen behind her back, so she nodded her head somewhat embarrassedly and turned around to take Fourth Miss’s hand.
Fifth Miss ran over and said to Third Miss, “Me too! Me too!”
Third Miss immediately held Fifth Miss’s hand with her other hand.
It was then that Second Miss looked directly at Yu Tang and said in a tone that carried a bit of respect, “Sister Yu, we’ll go back first. You and Sister Gu should also be careful on the road.” She also urged Gu Xi, “If Sister Gu doesn’t have anything to do, you can come and play with us or Sister Yu. I remember that Sister Yu’s side still has another room that’s unoccupied, and even though that place isn’t as nice, it’s at least better than living with people like her.”
Gu Xi nodded repeatedly and thanked second young miss.
The four Pei Ladies went back to their own quarters one after the other.
Gu Xi blushed as she thanked Yu Tang, “Thank you for speaking up for me, otherwise I really wouldn’t know what to do.”
Saying this, the corners of her eyes turned red, with a look of shame and embarrassment.
Yu Tang did not do it for Gu Xi, it was because she didn’t want the various Pei young ladies to discuss this matter further, lest word gets out. If the situation wasn’t clarified, others would think that it was Pei family bullying others, and if it was explained in detail, it would still become an unsavoury story of Pei family, so it would be better for the juniors to pretend that they don’t know about this incident. Therefore, she replied blandly, “You are also unwittingly affected by this, so there is no need to take it to heart.”
At this time, Gu Xi was still young and had not yet honed her skills in her previous life. She thought that Yu Tang was sympathising with her, so she couldn’t help but whine to Yu Tang, ”Originally I thought that being an elder, she could guide me on general propriety, but who knew that I would come across something like this. I really don’t know what she’s thinking, even if Third Master really rejected the Li Family’s marriage, she still couldn’t have said that! If she said that, then how would Lady Li still be able to conduct herself? If word gets around, if others think that her words were what Grand Madam said, wouldn’t it turn the two families into enemies?”
Yu Tang looked at Gu Xi with an odd expression.
Gu Xi was stupefied.
Yu Tang recalled her previous life, before Gu Xi discovered those sordid thoughts of Li Duan towards her, she too used to grouse to her about Madam Lin in whispers like this.
She also remembered once, it was also when they were standing in the veranda, with the maids and serving aunties far behind them, beyond the veranda was piles of snow, with branches of red plums peeking through, which she could almost reach out and pick off.
Yu Tang was somewhat lost in thought.
It was as if she went back in time. What’s real and what was fake, surprisingly, she was momentarily unable to distinguish between them.
Gu Xi, however, was a little uneasy in her heart.
Just a quarter of an hour ago, Yu Tang told the Pei family’s young ladies to “refrain from gossiping”, but in the end, she turned around and complained about Mrs. Shen’s bad attitude towards her. It would have been better if Yu Tang had answered, but Yu Tang looked like she didn’t want to say anything, and so in contrast, it made her looked very uncultured.
She hurriedly said her goodbyes to Yu Tang and returned to her residence with her face burning red.
He Xiang was assisting her in dressing, while quietly conferring, ”What should we do? After all, we are staying in the same courtyard, can we still feign ignorance? This Mrs Shen is really a piece of work! Useless in accomplishing anything worthwhile and only creating problems. If Eldest Master finds out what she did, he’ll be filled with regrets!”
Gu Xi, however, was constantly reminded of Yu Tang’s somewhat indifferent face.
She then thought of the Pei family young ladies’ attitudes towards Yu Tang, especially second young lady. She had expended a lot of effort to gradually grow close to second young lady, who had also begun to be willing to talk to her about some of the Pei family’s affairs, but it only took a few words from Yu Tang to get second young lady, who had not been overly impressed with Yu Tang, to see her differently from before.
Could it be that it was the will of heavens?
That no matter what she did, Yu Tang was always more well-liked by the Pei family than her?
Gu Xi was discontented, her heart was in a mess, and she interrupted He Xiang’s words without answering her question, saying irritatedly, “That Lady Yu, she can really put on an act, when I talk to her about personal matters, she acts standoffish. I’ve seen pretentious people before, but I haven’t seen anyone who’s more pretentious than her, I think it’s better for us to stay clear of her in the future!”
He Xiang looked at her perplexedly, and didn’t know how to answer her question.
Only then did Gu Xi realise that she had spoken her thoughts aloud.
Yu Tang, since when did she have such a great influence over her?
Her feelings were thrown into greater disarray.
She then remembered Mrs. Shen, and was no longer able to keep a smile on her face. She became solemn, instructing He Xiang: “I’ll write a letter to Eldest Master. Find a way to send it to the capital, and do not alert Pei family’s people… As for me,…… let’s just say that after I came back, I was too depressed to eat, and I fell ill!”
“Ah!” Hexiang gasped in shock.
Gu Xi snapped, “Keep your voice down! Do you want to alert the Pei family with your actions? Mrs. Shen made such a serious blunder, what else can I do if I don’t pretend to be sick? Or are you still expecting me to go to her bedside and attend to her?”
Hexiang didn’t dare to speak.
Gu Xi asked, “How are things on Mrs. Shen’s end?”
Hexiang hurriedly replied, “It was Chen Daniang who personally accompanied her back. Afterwards, Chen Daniang also stayed in Mrs. Shen’s house and didn’t leave. For fear of getting ourselves implicated, I didn’t dare to go over to inquire, but there was not much of a commotion heard over there either.”
Were Grand Madam’s words just said in a momentary fit of anger? Or was she really having Shen Shenyan take her away?
If that happens, Mrs. Shen would feel utterly humiliated and might not want to live!
Gu Xi wrote a letter to Gu Chang with complicated feelings, and she had He Xiang sneak behind the Pei family’s servants serving in the courtyard on the excuse of getting a hand stove-warmer for her, to go to Second Madam and report her illness.
Second Madam rushed over and asked her about her condition, and after the physician came over, second madam made room for the physician who was in his sixties to take her pulse and prescribe the usual medicine of Chai Hu soup. While the Pei family sent someone to get the medicine, Gu Xi rested, and only then did second madam return to Grand Madam’s residence.
Grand Madam’s anger had subsided, and she was back to her usual cheerful disposition, saying, “Is Lady Gu all settled at her end?”
“Yes!” Second Madam let out a long sigh of relief and said, “Luckily it was just an ordinary fever, the physician also said that it might have been caused by a shock, and I’m afraid that it might have been caused by the incident with Mrs. Shen.”
Grand Madam coldly snorted and then asked about Yu Tang, “What about Lady Yu?”
“She’s quite well!” Second Madam answered, “I was informed that she practiced some calligraphy before resting.”
Grand Madam’s complexion brightened slightly.
Yu Tang, who was resting, had her eyes closed but her mind was racing.
Gu Xi’s words had reminded her.
Grand Madam’s temper was definitely not simply because Mrs. Shen had said the wrong thing.
Basing off Mrs. Shen’s words, if the marriage between the two families failed, it ought to be the Li family that retracted the marriage, otherwise the Li family would not have helped organise Grand Elder’s funeral, and also helped in keeping up Grand Elder’s name as a man of magnanimity with meritorious service to the emperor. This kind of meritorious service has to be acknowledged by the emperor in order to be effective. Even if you are a Third-ranked official’s son, if the emperor doesn’t remember you, you then have to exert great effort in order to obtain it.
This was also a very honourable achievement for Pei family.
But extrapolating from the words of Grand Madam, things weren’t that simple.
It was not difficult for a respectable man to obtain a wife, so even if the Li Family reversed their decision and compensated the Pei Family, why did Grand Madam react so strongly to Mrs. Shen’s words?
This seemed to be more than just being afraid of spoiling the relationship between the two families!
The more Yu Tang thought about it, the more confused she became, and the more sleepless she got. After a while, she simply got dressed, pushed open the windows, and took in a breath of fresh air.
