Actually, Mrs. Pei had wronged Wei Changying.

When things had come to an end, Madam Song taught her daughter tirelessly, "... How was it? It is unexpectable that Granny Huang has such an intention while dealing with the two girls in the third branch, isn't it?"

Wei Changying felt a little pity for them. She asked, "Is it too cruel to them?"

"It's not cruel!" Madam Song snorted and said. She thought, "If you didn't say that we shouldn't go too far, I would be crueler to them if I were you!" But she then thought although her daughter Wei Changying, who had always been lucky, had gained losses these years, she had never experienced the feeling of despair because the elders had always protected her. Madam Song was worried that Wei Changying would gain losses in the future if she couldn't be cruel to others.

She then said, "Don't think that Mrs. Huang is cruel to them! It's all because of their foolishness. Let's forget about their reluctance to stay with you in the same carriage. This time, Mrs. Huang has asked you to fire all their servants. But if they had been clever enough, they would have pleaded for some innocent ones. Even if you still insisted on firing them, they have tried their best, so the servants would only hate you! However, they didn't say anything. Since they are so cold-hearted, they have to accept any consequence. Mrs. Huang's method was only aimed to test them. If they have pleaded for the servants, you would definitely agree to their request."

Madam Song said seriously, "Remember, there is always a way out. No one would walk into a blind alley only because of other people's fault! They are the ones who should be blamed! Just as the saying goes, 'There must be something hateful about pitiful people.' They should be responsible for what they have done!"

Wei Changying thought Madam Song's words made sense. She sighed and said, "Cousin Song Zaishui used to persuade me not to take notice of them, but I thought that she was just over suspecting them and that we should help each other because we are sisters. But now, it seems that my cousin has a better insight than me."

She felt disappointed and said, "I was grown up with my fourth and fifth sisters, but I never felt that they were cold-hearted people."

Madam Song said, "That's why people say, 'Calamity is the touchstone of man.'" She then smiled and asked, "I've heard on my way back that you were on the corridor when Shen Cangfeng rushed into the rear hall that day. Did you see him? How does he look? Is he handsome? Is he taller than Deng Zongqi, who has saved you last time?"

"...Mother!" Wei Changying didn't expect that Madam Song would ask. Her face blushed as red as an apple. She stamped her foot and was about to leave when she said with anger, "I don't want to talk to you!"

"Hey!" Madam Song immediately grabbed Wei Changying's sleeve and pulled her back. She then said with amusement, "No one is here, and even your Granny Shi has left. Why are you so shy in front of your mother?"

Wei Changying tried several times to get rid of her mother, but she failed. With her mouth pouting, she sat down and looked straight forward as she said, "He has introduced himself at the door, and the servants dared not stop him from rushing into the rear hall, but they followed him. Hearing that noise, I immediately separated from my grandmother and walked towards the semi 'moon-gate'."

Madam Song didn't believe her words and continued to ask, "Yes, but it is far from the corridor to the semi 'moon-gate', how did you reach the gate in such a short time? Even if you have gone into the gate, you could peep at him behind the gate with the palm tree leaf as a cover!"

"What do you mean? I'm not that kind of person!" Wei Changying retorted, "How would I peep at him behind the gate?!"

"Oh yeah? How would you only peep at him behind the gate?" Seeing how furious Wei Changying was, Madam Song knew that her daughter had seen Shen Cangfeng. She laughed out loud and said, "I'm afraid that you have climbed onto the wall to see him— after all, you have done it many times. You have even climbed over the walls of your grandparents' yard!"

Wei Changying said angrily, "I haven't reached the semi 'moon-gate' at that time, why would I have to climb onto the wall?!" As soon as she finished her words, she knew that she was tricked by her mother and felt depressed. Madam Song had laughed into tears. She wiped her tears with her handkerchief and stopped laughing as she saw her daughter pout with dissatisfaction. She then said, "Alright, it's nothing. Why are you so afraid of telling me that you have seen him?"

Madam Song then asked, "How does he look?"

"He looks how he looks." said Wei Changying, who was looking at the ceiling, pretending that she didn't care about Shen Cangfeng.

Madam Song had been joking with her daughter, but now she was impatient. She said, "What do you mean by saying, 'He looks how he looks'? Is he tall? Is he handsome? Tell me!"

"Why is it so important to be tall and handsome?" Wei Changying said frivolously as if she had resigned to her fate, "We can't cancel the engagement just because he is not tall or handsome enough."

"It's nothing if you don't tell me," Madam Song glared at Wei Changying as she said, "I'll ask Changfeng to see him!"

Wei Changying jumped onto her feet and said, "No!"

"Changfeng is a male. There's nothing wrong for him to greet his future brother-in-law," Madam Song said in surprise, "I'm not asking you to see him."

"What if...," Wei Changying bit her handkerchief as she said, "What if he thinks that I am the one who directed Changfeng to see him?"

Madam Song found Wei Changying both funny and annoying. She asked, "Why will he think that you directed Changfeng to see him?"

She then suspected Wei Changying and said, "Don't tell me that you have given him a hint when you saw him on the corridor."

"How come?!" Wei Changying growled and said, "I have only taken a glance at him, and left in a hurry after I saw my grandmother asked him to see my grandfather. With my grandmother at the scene, how could I give him a hint? More importantly, I'm not that kind of person!"

Madam Song pushed Wei Changying's forehead with one finger and said with amusement, "So? You looked at him because you have failed to leave at once. Also, you have left immediately according to the rules. Why will he think that you direct Changfeng to see him? Can't he think that Changfeng wanted to see him? What's more, he is at our home now. We will be regarded impolite if nobody greets him."

Wei Changying was speechless. After a while, she murmured, "Those rumors.... Although he insisted on keeping the engagement, who knows...."

Her words were fragmented, but her meanings were obvious. Madam Song's expression changed as she said, "You are afraid that he will look down upon you because of the rumors? You even think that he will suspect you if I ask Changfeng to see him?"

Wei Changying lowered her head and kept silent for a long time before she said, "The rumors are so bad.... He will suspect me if he has heard them, won’t he?"

"You are too silly!" Madam Song's feelings towards Wei Changying were as same as Mrs. Pei's feelings towards her daughters. She sighed heavily and said, "Are you going to meet with the same fate as your third aunt? How can you reconcile yourself?"

Seeing that Wei Changying was shocked by her words, Madam Song said coldly, "Your third aunt has been self-abased for three years! Because of this, she has lived in other people's gossip for her whole life and was always afraid of being mentioned. But she didn't know that the more afraid she was, the more gossip she would receive!"

Wei Changying said in a low voice, "I know. Since I have cut the white silk, I have understood that I have to let those people pay for what they have done. But..., I still feel worried. I only told you and my grandmother about this, and I won't admit that I'm worried in front of others."

"Aren't you clear that you are innocent?" Madam Song said, "What are you worrying about? You have only grabbed Wei Xinyong by his neck. Though he is not a good person, he is your uncle! He is an elder! What's the problem of grabbing his neck? There are many filthy stories in the rear courtyards of the big families. The people are just covering the stories up and pretend to be noble. You can never imagine what happened there! Even the maids in the royal palace would fall in love with the servants. Only children as naive as you will think that touching him is seriously wrong!"

Wei Changying bit her lips as she said, "I know. I just feel...uncomfortable!"

Madam Song kept silent for a while and said, "I see. You have...fallen in love with Shen Cangfeng at first sight."

"No!" Wei Changying said unconsciously after a shock.

"Why are you denying? He is your fiancé. It would be big trouble if you don't like him," Madam Song rubbed her forehead and sighed as she said, "Although I haven't seen him yet, I knew you would like him because he didn't believe in the rumors and has stood on your side. If you didn't fall in love with him, why do you worry that he will look down on you? And why do you worry about your meeting with Wei Xinyong? You had never thought how he would think of you when you were planning to beat him down."

Wei Changying couldn't say anything. Her face turned pale and red from time to time.

Seeing Wei Changying's expression, Madam Song knew that she guessed it right. She then thought for a while and said, "It was quite ridiculous that your third aunt felt inferior because of her family background. She didn't insist on marrying into Wei Family, and it was the members of the Wei Family who have proposed the marriage and brought her here! Why is she so self-abased? If I were her, I would regard this marriage as proof of my status. At that time, the Wei Family didn't propose marriage to the daughters from the distinguished family. Instead, they chose her as your third uncle's wife. Isn't this proving that she is better than those daughters of the aristocratic families?"

Wei Changying was stunned. Madam Song continued, "No matter how bad the rumors are, it is Shen Cangfeng who insisted on continuing the engagement, not us. You have been slandered, but Shen Cangfeng is still willing to marry you, so you should be proud of yourself! Why do you regard your glory as shame?!"

Madam Song then held her daughter's hand and tapped on the back of her hand. She stared at Wei Changying's eyes and said word by word, "Remember! We didn't force Shen Cangfeng to marry you! The truth is—the Shen Family has appointed Shen Cangfeng to come here in the rain and give us the 'Lu Hu' sword! That's why we default that the engagement is not canceled!"

Wei Changying thought for a while and said, "I.... Well, tell me, mother, why does he insist on marrying me?"

"You are even sillier!" Madam Song said coldly, "Why are you splitting hairs? Shen Cangfeng has brought the sword here personally, and has rushed into the rear hall without asking, which means that he is willing to marry you! This is enough for you! If anyone gossips you in the future, you can answer: whatever, it was Shen Family and Shen Cangfeng who has proposed marriage to you. Not every slandered lady can have such an excellent marriage. In terms of this, none of those people who gossip you can compare to you! Some people have obeyed the rules for decades, and have a good reputation for being virtuous, but they have married to a bad husband!"

"You are Wei Family's First Miss. You are the apple of our eyes, and you will be the lineal daughter-in-law in the Shen Family!" Madam Song said in a low voice, "You can be filial to your parents-in-law and be gentle to your husband, but you can't think that you are inferior because of this, not even thinking that you have to please them because you are inferior! We don't owe the Shen Family, and even if we do, we won't let you repay. Anyway, remember, the Shen Family chose you, and we can continue your engagement because they have shown their sincerity. You are free from any compunction. If the Shen Family contradict themselves after you get married, you can write letters or send a servant to tell us. Your grandmother and I will go to the capital personally to question Shen Xuan and Su Xiuman!"

Madam Song then slapped the table hard and shouted, "You silly girl, do you understand!?"

After hearing Madam Song's words, Wei Changying looked embarrassed and felt wronged. She covered her face with her sleeves and complained, "I'm just a bit worried, but you have been talking nonstop.... Come on! I won't resign myself to adversity!"

Madam Song looked at Wei Changying suspiciously for a long time and sighed in relief after knowing that she was not lying. Madam Song thought, "It seems that I'm worrying too much. Maybe it is because she has fallen in love with Shen Cangfeng that she thinks so much. You know, girls will be anxious if they fall in love with someone. Now that she has nothing to do, she is likely to have wild thoughts. It seems that she is not muddled."