SFS Chapter 237 Suspicious Grandmother!
Chapter 237 Suspicious Grandmother!
Mu Xin Nuan recounted how Mu Xin Yao and Jin Er had conspired against her, and at the end, she also carefully recounted what Granny Liu had previously instructed her to do.
“Mother, I always felt that the old lady’s dislike for you over the years seems to be not just because of the time when you refused to let Song Shi become your concubine.”
Madam Li thought back carefully for a moment, "When I first married into the family, it seemed that the old lady's rules were quite strict. Logically speaking, as the eldest daughter-in-law, there was nothing wrong with me managing the household after I married into the family! But after my younger brother's wife got married, the old lady wanted her to take charge of the household affairs. However, the old master disagreed at the time, saying that it was unreasonable. How could the eldest daughter-in-law be in charge of the household while the second wife was in charge?"
"The old lady was unhappy at the time, but because the old master had spoken, saying that it would be a disgrace to the Mu family, the old lady only agreed to let me take charge of the household, but still had Jin assist me from the side. It was obvious that she didn't trust me!"
Mu Xin Nuan frowned and said, "Now it seems that she doesn't trust you! Mother, listen, it seems that the old lady has disliked you from the very beginning. Why is that?"
"I don't know either. When I was a young girl, I met the old lady a few times, and at that time, her attitude towards me was quite good. I don't know why she became so awful later?"
"Mother, the old lady is extremely biased towards the second branch of the family. Haven't you ever suspected anything?"
Madam Li was startled. She glanced outside and gently scolded, "You mustn't talk nonsense! Although the ten fingers are connected to the heart, they are still of different lengths. It's not wrong for the old lady to be biased. This happens in other households too. How can you talk such nonsense?"
“Mother, that’s not what I meant. Don’t you think the old lady is extremely biased? And since Second Uncle and Second Aunt came back, this has become even more obvious.”
“I know that too, Nuan. You are the eldest daughter of the Mu family, and you should have the magnanimity to tolerate others. No matter how bad your second aunt is, she is still your elder. You must never say such things again. If someone overhears you, it will cause more trouble.”
"Yes, Mother. I won't say anything more in front of others. Think about it, if she were the real grandmother, how could she have come up with such a scheme to deal with her own granddaughter? That Granny Liu is the most capable person by the old lady's side. Why would she use my second sister for no reason?"
Madam Li's face darkened slightly, and there seemed to be some anger in her eyes. After all, it was her own daughter, and the old lady's actions were indeed somewhat unfair! How could she, as a grandmother, be so heartless?
“Mother, before this happened, I never had any other thoughts. But this time! Mother, what kind of grandmother would scheme against her own eldest granddaughter like this? If Jin Er were a good person, and the old lady said it was for my good marriage, then so be it! But Jin Er is just a concubine’s son of the Marquis of Dingyuan’s family! Not to mention that Father is now the Earl of Zhongyong, even if he weren’t, how could Jin Er be worthy of my daughter?”
As Mu Xin Nuan spoke, she began to sob.
Upon seeing this, Li knew that her daughter was truly heartbroken.
"Don't cry, Nuan! I know you've been wronged. I'll talk to your father about this."
"No!" Mu Xin Nuan hurriedly interrupted Li Shi, "Mother, if Father finds out about this, there are only two possible outcomes. One is that he will confront the Old Madam and Granny Liu to find out the truth. But regardless of whether the Old Madam admits it or not, the bond between them will definitely be much weaker. In that case, the Old Madam will surely hate us to the core!"
"Secondly, Father went to Grandfather to discuss this matter in detail. Grandfather is old, and if he were to argue with the old lady over this matter and harm his health, wouldn't we become unfilial?"
Li thought it made sense, but it seemed difficult to keep such a big matter from Mu Chang'an! After all, he was the head of the family and the pillar of support for her and her daughter!
“Mother, let’s put this matter aside for now. We can tell Father later when we have solid evidence. If things go wrong, the old lady might accuse us of being disrespectful and unfilial, and of harboring ill intentions. That would be truly disastrous!”
Li sighed softly, "I've lived for over thirty years, yet I'm not as insightful as a young girl like you. Fine. I'll do as you say."
“Mother, the most important thing now is to get Mu Xinyao engaged. That way, she can just wait to be married quietly. As for the old lady, we can only wait and see! Who knows, she might find another opportunity to make a move.”
Upon hearing this, Li was terrified!
To strike again? Wouldn't that mean he'd only be satisfied if he destroyed his own daughter?
"Anuan, listen to your mother, it's best if we stay home as much as possible. Also, I'll go find your uncle and see if he can find a way to punish that Jin Er."
Mu Xin Nuan nodded in agreement when she heard her say that. Last night, from Duanmu Chu Ze's words, it was clear that he was going to take action against Jin Er! Now that her mother was going to tell her uncle, if Jin Er were to suffer a great misfortune in the future, her mother might think that her uncle was responsible, and naturally she would not suspect Duanmu Chu Ze. In this way, she could have some peace and quiet.
Otherwise, if people think that Prince Chang Le made the move, it would be quite bad. Others might not think so, but my mother might assume that there's something between me and Prince Chang Le. In that case, no matter how I explain, people will find it hard to believe.
"Has Mother found a good candidate?"
Madam Li knew she was referring to Mu Xinyao's marriage, and she was somewhat worried. "Her marriage is a bit tricky. As a concubine's daughter, even a son from a very good family might not be interested in her! But if she marries someone of poor character, outsiders will inevitably gossip. It's really a difficult situation."
"Mother, what do you think of that young master Jin?"
"Him?" Madam Li thought for a moment. The second son of the Marquis of Dingyuan's family, born out of wedlock, and the young lady of the Earl of Zhongyong's family, out of wedlock, were indeed a good match in terms of status. However, the Marquis of Dingyuan's family might not agree.
"Is Mother worried that Madam Jin won't agree?"
"If we're going to go into details, that Madam Jin is your second aunt's sister-in-law, so she's related by marriage. But I wonder what Madam Jin's attitude is towards the Second Young Master Jin?"
"Mother, I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you to take care of things."
Madam Li smiled faintly, "This Mu Xinyao is quite cunning. I'm not worried that Madam Jin won't agree to let her into the family; rather, I'm worried that once she enters the Jin family, she'll bring them endless trouble!"