Chapter Thirty-Five: Unraveling

  She scolded and scolded, but her trusted maid Bai Ping and Qing Guo felt that something was not quite right. Bai Ping stepped forward with a bold heart: "Madam, please calm down for the time being. It's just that Old Madam has let Third Madam take charge of managing some of the young ladies' pin money. What's wrong with that? The storeroom, the kitchen, and all these major purchases are not all in your hands, Madam? Even the accounts of the public funds, apart from the share that Eldest Madam holds, are also managed by you. Those women must be aware of this in their hearts. If they wanted to curry favor, they wouldn't choose to do so at this time. They're just afraid of disturbing your peace and quiet because your expression doesn't look right. Originally, they were trying to give you some space, not because they were afraid you would lose power. Old Madam only gave this task to Second Madam because she had just returned and was close to Third Madam, in order to give her face. You really don't need to take it to heart, Madam."

  Yuan Shi listened to Bai Ping's words and thought that they indeed made sense. Those women, even if they wanted to take sides, wouldn't dare to draw a clear line with her at this time. As she thought about it, her anger subsided slightly. Suddenly, she heard a voice outside the door laughing and saying, "What's going on? Who has offended my wife?" Along with the sound of the voice, Ning Shi Yuan walked in.

  Yuan saw her husband, a faint smile appeared on her face, she went forward and personally helped him take off his outer clothes, then took out a light and comfortable robe for him to change into. While doing so, she complained: "The old lady is getting older and confused. A concubine's son, after all, is treated like a real son. And that aunt, who only came to us in distress, looks at how precious she is, even more than the unmarried girls."

  Ning Shiyuan smiled and said: "What did the old lady do? Did she provoke you into this?"

  Yuan Shi finished speaking with a hum, and Ning Shiyuan pondered for a moment before smiling and saying: "It's just a few pieces of silver, is it worth you making such a fuss?"

  "Easy for you to say," said Yuan, "that flower silver is not a small amount, it's three to five taels per month." Ning Shiyuan then advised, "Don't be so short-sighted. These days, I've seen Old Three studying hard in the study room, and he really has a certain air about him. If he can pass the imperial examination and gain an official title, with his cleverness and adaptability, who knows what achievements he'll make? At that time, he might even become our supporter."

  Yuan's family slanted his eyes and sneered, "Even if there is any help, it's not known when that will happen, let alone whether there will be such help. In the future, when he passes the imperial examination and becomes an official, won't he need money from home? I only know that most of the money at home now was earned by you running around outside. Eldest brother is lucky, inherited the old master's title, and was also granted a monitor student identity, all the way to becoming an official until now, and is currently in a wealthy government office... they don't know how much they've secretly accumulated, yet they want all the silver you earn to be confiscated..."

  At this point, Ning Shiyuan saw that she was becoming more and more unlike herself, and since there were only two trusted maids in the house besides them, he smiled slightly and said: "Alright, alright, it's not good to say such things out loud. Are we short of private silver? Not to mention anything else, just talking about the interest you put out every month, don't you know how to measure people? If you calculate carefully, only Old Three's household is truly without any income. What's wrong with that? As for your sister's affairs, you usually learn to be more magnanimous, knowing that Old Madame values relationships the most. Your sister has now come to us for refuge, what can she do to affect you? Why not put on a dignified appearance and make Old Madame happy?"

  Yuan's family, although a bit overbearing, has always been obedient to her husband. After hearing this, she said with a smile: "Let me be more open-minded, it's not impossible, but I'm afraid that your sister is strong-willed and may not look down on me, this second aunt, when the time comes, I won't go to please her."

  Ning Shiyuan shook his head and said, "You, you, who told you to go and stick your hot face on her cold butt? What's her situation now? If you weren't so stubborn, she wouldn't be able to point fingers at you, would she? As for this person, no one dares to say what will happen in the future. When I first came in, I saw my sister taking my niece to see my brother. The little girl is really pretty and well-behaved. I heard that now she's also seven years old, and in another seven years, it'll be time for her to participate in the imperial selection of consorts..."

  Before he could finish, Yuan Shi burst out laughing and said: "Old master is really muddled. Can she even participate in the selection of imperial concubines? Don't forget, she's the daughter of a criminal minister, what qualifications does she have to participate in the selection?"

  Ning Shiyuan only reacted after he finished speaking, knocking his forehead and laughing: "Look at me, I'm actually confused. However, even if that's the case, it's hard to say what will happen in the future. If you're a beauty in the capital city, how can you guarantee there won't be some rich family's infatuated young master? As the saying goes, 'it's better to cheat an old man than a poor young man'. In short, don't be too harsh as a sister-in-law and aunt."

  Yuanshi glared and said, "What does Master think I am? Am I a beast from the east of the river?" After finishing speaking, Ning Shiyuan smiled and said, "You say you're not a beast from the east of the river, but look at your waist, it's already shrunk in. Don't say anything, I actually like you this way. Those gentle ones, what taste do they have?"

  Bai Feng Qing Guo slipped out quietly, listening to Yuan Shi's anger had dissipated, and she couldn't help but laugh. The two of them also couldn't help but admire him in their hearts, thinking that the second master was indeed a master of subtlety and cleverness.

  At the same time, in the Baiwei courtyard, Yu Shi was also chatting with Lan Niangniang. Ning Fenbi sat beside a small table, quietly embroidering flowers while occasionally glancing at the large characters written by her brother.

  When Old Lady Jiang handed over the flower money to Yu Shi for management, Lan Niang naturally was delighted. However, she heard Yu Shi sigh and say: "Don't be too happy yet, this power isn't a good thing. The old lady is doing this because of her respect for Madame Gou, but that one person isn't easy to get along with. We're just neighbors now, who knows what will happen in the future?"

  Lan Yiniang smiled and said, "No matter how she is not good to get along with, the young lady is after all a married woman who has returned to her natal home for an extended stay. Can't she still stir up trouble? What kind of situation are they in, don't they know clearly in their hearts?" After finishing speaking, she heard Yu Shi laugh and say, "You were born and raised in this household, can't you understand the nature of this young lady? If one looks at her on the surface, she seems to be a good-natured and quiet person. However, her mother is not a simple character."