When Wei Changying returned to the Grand Preceptor's mansion, it was already dark and the lanterns were lit. She was very tired but still went to the main room to ask Madam Su for forgiveness.

On the way to the main room, she thought that her serious concern about Jiang Zheng's injury must have upset Madam Su because Jiang Zheng was only regarded as a guard by Madam Su. Madam Su must have been displeased that her daughter-in-law had been busy looking after a guard and hadn't informed her in person when she had gone out. Wei Changying guessed that she would have to apologize humbly and repeatedly so that she could get out of trouble.

However, when she prepared herself and got to the main room, she saw several old maidservants standing there with their arms crossed in front of their chests, guarding the door, and looking embarrassed. She wondered if something had also happened in the main room today.

Wei Changying was a bit startled. She recalled what Shen Cangfeng had said but then didn't think that was what had happened. Shen Cangfeng could tell his wife about this serious matter, but how could he tell everyone about it?

She calmed herself down, raised her hand to excuse the old maidservants' courtesies, smiled and asked gently, "What is mother doing now?" While she was asking, Qin'ge was giving some money pouches to them.

The old maidservants pretended to reject the pouches but then took them, whispering, "Madam is very upset today. The first young madam and the second young madam had comforted her all afternoon. They just left and Granny Tao is accompanying her and talking with her inside now."

Wei Changying was shocked, asking, "What exactly has made mother so sad?" Madame Su wasn't someone who got upset easily, let alone have her two daughters-in-law, who looked after the household, come around to comfort her, even for the whole afternoon!

One of the old maidservants looked around nervously and approached Wei Changying, saying, "My third young madam, it's something relates to people of the Count Xiangning's mansion. The fourth young madam from the Count Xiangning's mansion was invited by our Madam over to discuss something about First Miss, but in the end, she upset our Madam. "

"What did she say that made mother so angry?" Wei Changying wondered.

On the day Pei Meiniang served tea, people could tell she wasn't easy to get along with. Because of her, Wei Changying and her two sisters-in-law had been scolded by Madam Su. Wei Changying didn't know she would have upset Madam Su. She was nothing but a troublemaker!

Pei Meiniang was a daughter of a proper aristocratic family. It was normal that she might not get along well with her sisters-in-law, and that would always be something between her and her peers. Why did she so dare to disobey her elders?

Another old maidservant whispered, "It seemed that the First Miss wanted to become a nun. She came to tell Madam, but Madam couldn't stop her, so she told someone to invite the fourth young madam over to assist her to persuade the First Miss together. During their conversation, Madam asked the fourth young madam to show more concern for the First Miss. The fourth young madam thought Madam was implying that the First Miss wanted to become a nun because she had mistreated her, so she said something nasty, which made Madam so angry that she cried immediately."

Wei Changying was speechless, unable to say a word. Thinking about how sophisticated Madam Su was, she thought her crying from being so angry might not be genuine. Perhaps she deliberately did it. But what nasty thing had Pei Meiniang said that had pushed Madam Su this far?

If Pei Meiniang was really so rude to her elders... Wei Changying asked, "How is the fourth sister-in-law now? Is she over the ancestral hall?" Although Shen Zhou and Shen Canghui were to be considered, surely she should at least have to kneel outside the ancestral hall for one night in punishment for being so rude.

The old maidservants said awkwardly, "Well, actually no. The fourth young madam is in the Count Xiangning's mansion now."

Wei Changying frowned, "Has she been grounded or sent to copy a book? When will she come to apologize to mother?" Recalling the day she served tea, Wei Changying could tell Shen Canghui loved his wife so much, so perhaps because of Shen Canghui, Madam Su had allowed Pei Meiniang to go back to the Count Xiangning's mansion to be punished there.

However, given the fact that Shen Canghui loved Pei Meiniang so much and she had no mother-in-law, she might just hide in her room when she got back. No one would know whether she was being punished or was resting in her room. She was meant to be punished but in reality, who would know?

On hearing this, the old maidservants were even more embarrassed. Wei Changying wondered, "What's wrong?"

"Third young madam?" Two of the old maidservants were about to say something, but someone came over from close by and called out gently when she saw Wei Changying's shadow beneath the lanterns hanging on the door.

Wei Changying recognized Man Lou's voice, the chief maid of Madam Su, so she abandoned the old maidservants and went over to talk to her, "Man Lou, why are you here? I just heard them say that the fourth sister-in-law came over today and made mother angry. What was going on?"

"Alas!" Man Lou didn't say anything but sighed and then led her aside before saying, "The first young madam and the second young madam had comforted her all afternoon and just left. Granny Tao also cried with Madam a few times. What on earth has happened to this family? How could a person like this be married into this family?"

A maidservant like Man Lou, who served the Family Mother closely, always knew her place. She wouldn't gossip about others easily, especially about her mistress, or even gossiping about her mistress in front of another mistress. Man Lou's behavior at the moment obviously showed criticism for Pei Meiniang's disrespect. Apparently, Man Lou was extremely annoyed by Pei Meiniang.

Wei Changying didn’t expect this sister-in-law could cause such offense. It hadn't even been a month since she was married into the family, and she had only been over the Grand Preceptor's mansion twice, but she had offended almost everyone! She then asked, "The old maidservants didn't explain everything clearly. Tell me, what's going on?"

"In a few days' time, the fourth young master and she will have been together for a month." Man Lou whispered, "The First Miss suddenly came over today and told Madam that she wanted to become a nun. She also said ever since her husband died of sickness, she had been thinking about it, but she was worried that Count Xiangning would be sad, and there would be no one in the Count Xiangning's mansion to help with household chores. She felt bad about troubling us all the time, so she had stayed there to look after everything for two years. Now that the fourth young master is married, if the fourth young madam has been in the family for a month, she should be able to take charge of things as the first daughter-in-law in the Count Xiangning's mansion. Therefore, the First Miss thought there wouldn’t be much she could do in the Count Xiangning's mansion, and so she wanted to become a nun. Apparently, Madam doesn't want the First Miss to leave."

Although it was unlikely that Shen Cangzhu would remarry even if she would live in her parents' house for the rest of her life, living in her own home would at least give her a chance to see her family. When she got sad, she could still seek comfort from them. If she left, she would be all alone and feel very lonely. Madam Su would definitely object to that. No matter whether Madam Su truly cared about Shen Cangzhu's future or not, as her kind aunt, she would definitely stop her niece when she wanted to be a nun.

"And then?"

"Then Madam tried to persuade the First Miss for two hours but didn't succeed. She thought the fourth young madam had just joined the family, and perhaps the First Miss would respect the fourth young madam, her new sister-in-law, so she told someone to invite the fourth young madam over to try to persuade the First Miss together." Man Lou squeezed her handkerchief, sneering, "However, when Madam was convincing the First Miss, she said, ‘If you live here, whenever something happens, your family will always look out for you. If you worry about making trouble for me, you can go to your sister-in-law now. Meiniang will look after you well.' She then asked the fourth young madam if she would do that. My third young madam, don’t you think this is a normal request? Surprisingly, the fourth young madam said, 'My aunt, are you suggesting that I have mistreated or will mistreat my sister-in-law? I dare not.' This made Madam too angry to speak."

Wei Changying was shocked, saying, "Why did she think and say something like that? Did she think that first sister desired to become a nun because she was afraid of being mistreated by her, so the first sister was putting on a show with my mother to force her to say she would treat her well?"

Shen Cangzhu was the first lineal daughter of Shen Zhou and the lineal sister of Shen Canghui. When she became a widow, it was Shen Zhou who broke into the mansion of the eldest branch of the Su Family to take her back. It was normal that a girl like her would live in her parents' house for the rest of her life. The Shen Family was a rich family, so they could afford a widowed daughter easily! And a girl like Shen Cangzhu, who became a widow when she was still young, would be described nicely in the family tree, as something remarkable to add to the Shen Family's history!

Even if Shen Cangzhu were to live in her parents' house, she might not need her younger brothers and sisters-in-law's help. She had her own dowry. It was her private asset, a considerable amount of money. Even if it was only seventy or eighty percent of Wei Changying's dowry, Shen Cangzhu was a solitary person so no matter how extravagant she could be, she couldn't spend it all in a few lifetimes. What was more, Shen Cangzhu was a chaste widow, she wouldn't wear anything colorful anymore or wear jewelry or eat luxurious food, so how could she be extravagant?

Whether it was because of their relationship, courtesy or reality, Shen Cangzhu didn't need to satisfy her brothers or sisters-in-law to live! Shen Cangzhu was a pitiful young widow now, but she had been given a warm welcome by the Su Family in Qingzhou as their first daughter-in-law and originally could, one day, become the Family Mother of the Su Family!

Why would the First Miss be afraid of her sister-in-law who had only just joined the family and was just someone from an aristocratic family?

Wei Changying couldn't imagine how Madame Su and Shen Cangzhu looked then.

Man Lou sneered, saying, "My third young madam, from what you say, the fourth young madam actually was thinking that? It is so absurd. I tried so hard but couldn't figure out why she answered this way." She added, "Madam was very angry at that time, so the First Miss criticized the fourth young madam for being rude and ordered her to apologize to Madam, which made sense. But the fourth young madam just said, 'I'm telling the truth. Why are you angry, my aunt?' And then she said, 'If it wasn't that you doubted me, thinking I would mistreat the first sister, why would you call me over here before I have been in the family for a month? Talking about something about being a nun and asking me to take care of the first sister... What else would you suggest?!' So she almost made the First Miss cry as well!"

Wei Changying became silent for a while, and then asked, "What happened then?"

"Then Madam saw that the First Miss's eyes were red. First Miss is very pitiful, so Madam has always loved the First Miss lots. She didn't want the fourth young madam to be mean to the First Miss." Man Lou sighed deeply and said, "Who would have thought that the fourth young madam who was only criticized a bit by Madam would become so mad. I was listening to them, so I think what Madam said wasn't so serious compared with what the fourth young madam had said! But the fourth young madam went totally crazy. She almost jumped up, shouting, 'I know you're the daughters of gentlefolks. You're all so noble! You will always be contemptuous of a girl from an aristocratic family like me joining your family. I haven't been married into this family for a month, but you're already trying everything you can to bully me.' Then she wailed and said that she would go back to Count Xiangning's mansion, pack her bags and go back to her parents' so that our Madam and the First Miss wouldn't have to be unpleasant to her."

Wei Changying was standing, dumbfounded, and then held her forehead, "This fourth sister-in-law..." What could she say when she went in later?

If she went in and said that Pei Meiniang just lost her head for that moment, Madam Su wouldn't want to hear it as she was so infuriated by her! And Madam Su personally chose this rude wife for her nephew. If she said her sister-in-law wasn't virtuous, this would be saying that Madam Su deliberately chose a bad wife for her nephew!

Wei Changying had complicated feelings, thinking of this sister-in-law... She had had to send Uncle Jiang to Ji Qubing today, so she hadn't been here when her two sisters-in-law were here together. Otherwise, she could have comforted Madam with her sisters-in-law and wouldn't have been so nervous, but now she was alone so how should she talk with Madam Su on her own?

But it was impossible to leave now since she was here. As Madam Su was so angry with her nephew's wife, how could her daughter-in-law not come over to offer some comfort?

Her head was aching, wondering what to say when she saw her mother-in-law. She then heard Man Lou say, "Soon after the fourth young madam went back, she dragged the fourth young master who was on his day off over here!"

Wei Changying was speechless.

"As soon as the fourth young master saw Madam, he asked her to forgive the fourth young madam." Man Lou said a bit more quickly. Obviously, she was still angry, "Madam and First Miss were comforting each other. Seeing them coming, they thought the fourth young madam had understood what they had meant on the way to her place, and she was worried that she would be seen to be very embarrassed, so she had brought the fourth young master with her to apologize."

“But what the fourth young master said next made Madam and the First Miss realize that the fourth young madam went back and actually said that she was bullied by Madam and the First Miss, because Madam and the First Miss thought they were from gentlefolks and had contempt for her, a girl from an aristocratic family. Therefore, though she hasn't been in the family for a month, they invited her over so that they could have a word with her!"

Wei Changying looked at Mrs. Huang in despair. At this moment, in this situation, under this circumstance, she could only rely on Mrs. Huang to give her some advice on how she could comfort her poor mother-in-law today.

At that instant, Wei Changying suddenly realized that compared with what had happened to Madame Su and Shen Cangzhu today, that day when Pei Meiniang served tea, being as it was the first time they had met, she had been merciful to her three sisters-in-law.