Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

At this moment, Wen Jingshu, who had been standing quietly to the side, spoke.

"Grandmother, it's windy outside. You must be tired from your journey. Why don't you come inside and warm up before we talk?"

Madam Pei looked at her and recognized her as her eldest grandson's wife. "People get old and can't withstand the cold as before. Come inside."

Then the group, surrounding Madam Pei, turned and headed into the mansion in a grand procession.

The destination was Mingxi Hall, located behind the central axis of the Duke's Mansion, which was quieter and more spacious.

Mingxi Hall was the main residence of the old Duke and his wife when they lived in the mansion.

Since the old Duke passed away and the old lady moved out of the city, this place has remained vacant.

But the servants in the mansion never dared to neglect their duties, sweeping and cleaning every day, and ventilating the house at all times, keeping it spotless.

Inside Mingxi Hall, Madam Pei sat in the main seat, with the Duke and his wife sitting to her left and right.

The gentlemen, their wives, and the fourth lady took their seats in turn.

Liu Wenying held Ye Ge'er in her arms, standing behind Wen Jingshu, ready to receive any orders.

After Madam Pei was seated, the first thing she naturally did was to look at her great-grandson.

At Wen Jingshu's signal, Liu Wenying carried the young master forward.

Pei Yexuan was wearing a tiger-head hat, his face was as pink as a dumpling, his dark eyes were rolling around, and he was gnawing on his little fist.

Madam Pei smiled broadly, reaching out to gently touch the child's forehead. "He's in such good spirits, and so robust. He looks just like Dingxuan when he was little."

After saying that, she took off the jade pendant of good fortune and longevity from her waist and put it into the swaddling clothes, saying, "It's a gift from my great-grandmother to calm my nerves and ward off evil spirits."

Wen Jingshu stood up. "Granddaughter-in-law thanks Grandmother on behalf of Ye'er."

Afterwards, Madam Pei asked the eldest and second masters about their official duties, whether they were conscientious and dutiful.

How is Third Master's academic progress? What books has he read? Can he prepare for next year's imperial examination?

He did not forget to inquire about the health of Fourth Sister Pei Rongyue, and urged her to take her medicine carefully.

Madam Pei then added to the conversation at the opportune moment, and the room was filled with laughter and joy.

After some time, the tea was served again.

Just then, hurried, chaotic footsteps came from outside the door, accompanied by a woman's panicked voice.

"Daughter-in-law Liang greets Mother!"

Upon hearing the sound, everyone turned their gaze toward the doorway.

Liang was seen pulling her granddaughter along, followed by her daughter dressed in colorful clothes, as they hurriedly appeared outside Mingxi Hall.

She had clearly gotten up in a hurry, and the hairpin in her hair was slightly crooked.

When Madam Liang saw that the hall was full of people, and even the old lady was already sitting in the main seat, and that she was the last to arrive, she felt flustered.

He hurried forward, not even bothering to tidy his appearance, and bowed deeply in the direction of the old lady.

"Your daughter-in-law greets you, Mother. Because my grandchildren were making a fuss yesterday, I got up late and am a little late. Please forgive me."

The old lady held her teacup, acting as if she hadn't heard or seen anything, and slowly skimmed the tea foam with the lid of the bowl.

Liang maintained her curtsy posture, her waist gradually becoming sore and numb.

It's all the fault of the servants in the west courtyard; they're all lazy and didn't even bother to call her!

In reality, the servants must have gone to wake her, but given Liang's domineering nature, her morning grumpiness was probably worse than the sky. If the servants couldn't wake her up after one gentle call, who would dare to risk offending her a second time?

Time passed slowly, and the atmosphere became so suffocating that even Liu Wenying felt stifled.

Liang was barely able to hold on, and her face turned quite pale.

Finally, the old lady placed the cooled teacup on the table.

Get up.

Madam Liang quickly straightened up, staggered a bit before regaining her balance, and stammered, "Thank you... Mother."

Madam Pei seemed to have just noticed her then, and said in a nonchalant tone, "Since you're here, sister-in-law, please sit down. The children are rather cold; take them to the warm pavilion over there and let the nannies look after them and let them have some snacks."

Liang's face burned, but she forced a smile and agreed.

Her granddaughter, whom she brought, was taken away by the nanny, and her daughter, being a mother, wouldn't leave the child alone, so she went with her as well.

This further deprived her of support, making her appear even more alone.

Liang thought to herself that she couldn't just lose face like this; she had to salvage some dignity.

The old lady spoke with the people from the Duke's mansion for a while, asking about the situation in the court and trivial matters at home, before turning her attention to Madam Liang in the corner.

"Chenghan's wife, you've lived in Jiangnan for quite some time now. Is Chenghan doing well in his post? How are the children in the family doing in their studies?"

coming!

Liang's spirits lifted, and a broad smile spread across her face.

"Thank you for your concern, Mother. Chenghan is doing well in his post. My son also received the highest grade in last year's evaluation. He's just busy preparing for next year's imperial examination and hasn't gone to the capital yet. Although the boys in the family are not as promising as their cousins ​​in the capital, they are still quite diligent."

As she spoke, Liang's tone involuntarily became somewhat boastful.

"Jiangnan has a rich literary tradition, and the teachers they hire are all well-known in the area. Even the prefect has praised the children's poems and essays."

The more she spoke, the more fluent she felt, as if she had regained the confidence she had when she was dominating the West Courtyard. She even straightened her back, just waiting for the old lady's praise.

However, the old lady did not show much approval on her face after listening.

"Jiangnan is a good place, prosperous and peaceful. However, I heard that there was some unrest in the canal transport last year? And there were also some minor disturbances in several silk markets?"

The smile on Madam Liang's face froze. She had naturally heard what the old lady had said, and even knew that her own business had been affected to some extent.

But in the Duke's mansion, she only talked about the glamorous aspects.

"Yes... there were some, but they were all minor issues and have already subsided."

"It's good that things have calmed down."

The old lady picked up her teacup, took another sip, and then continued.

"Although Jiangnan is wealthy, people's hearts are easily swayed, and commerce is complex with many vested interests. Chenghan, as an official in that place, must be even more cautious and not be blinded by fleeting wealth and empty fame."

The old lady's meaning was clear: in the ups and downs of officialdom, a solid foundation is of utmost importance. Whether it is the main family or a collateral branch, as long as they share the surname Pei, they are all of the same blood. If a collateral branch makes a mistake, it will implicate more than just themselves.

It sounded like an ordinary elder admonishing or admonishing a younger person, and the tone wasn't particularly harsh.

But in Liang's ears, it was not the case at all.

The reason Pei Chenghan was sent to Jiangnan was because he made a wrong move in the capital.

Those words weren't a casual reminiscing or a show of concern; they were clearly a deliberate attempt to put someone on the defensive!

Feeling deeply humiliated, Liang's cheek muscles twitched slightly as she forced a smile and said, "Mother is right. I will remember this and tell my husband when I get back."

She couldn't argue back, otherwise she would be disrespectful to her elders and ungrateful.

"Um."

The old lady responded faintly, no longer looking at her, and turned to talk to Pei Hongtai about the ancestral worship ceremony.

Liu Wenying secretly glanced at Madam Liang.

The handkerchief on her knees was almost torn to shreds, but her face still held a faint, ordinary smile.

Tsk tsk tsk... It seems that the people in these wealthy and powerful families are not to be trifled with.

He wears a smiling face on the surface, but who knows what twisted thoughts he might be hiding underneath.

Liu Wenying lowered her eyes, looking down at her nose and inward at her heart.

…………