Jiang Zhiping walked quickly into Old Madam Jiang’s parlor and greeted her first.
"Mother."
Old Madam Jiang responded indifferently and asked, "Why have you come?"
Usually, morning greetings were only performed by the women of the household; the men of the family were not required to attend.
"I haven't seen you in a long time, Mother, so I thought I would come and see you today," Jiang Zhiping said with a smile.
Old Madam Jiang glanced at Madam Zhao, but did not reply.
"By the way, what were you all talking about just now?" Jiang Zhiping cast a gaze toward Jiang Yingxi, who wore an expression of extreme grievance.
She was his most beloved daughter; he could not bear to see her wronged.
Seeing her father looking at her, Jiang Yingxi feigned an expression of injury, though her eyes flickered intentionally or otherwise toward Jiang Yu. She remained silent.
Since she wouldn’t speak, there were others to do it for her.
"Father, Jiang Yu—the Third Sister—she has gone too far! The items she gave to the Second Sister, she is now demanding they be returned! It is utterly shameless!" Sure enough, Jiang Xueshu immediately spoke up to reveal the situation to Jiang Zhiping.
"Father—" Seeing Jiang Yu being slandered, Jiang Wanqian was about to explain, but Jiang Zhiping roared, "Shut up!"
Jiang Wanqian stomped her foot in anger. Their father had always favored Jiang Yingxi. Now, he wouldn't even grant Jiang Yu a chance to explain. Was he trying to pass judgment on her right then and there?
Jiang Yu was still standing in the center of the room. From the moment she stepped forward to show herself to Old Madam Jiang, she had been targeted by Madam Zhao and her two daughters.
Jiang Zhiping walked up to Jiang Yu and pointed a finger at her nose. "In the Jiang Family, we have never had the precedent of taking back items once they have been given away. The Jiang family cannot afford such a loss of face. When you return later, you must immediately tell your people to return your sister's things."
As he spoke, he went as far as to label those items as Jiang Yingxi’s property. It was laughable.
Jiang Yu looked straight into Jiang Zhiping’s eyes, a chill beyond words in her gaze.
Jiang Zhiping felt as though this daughter was becoming insubordinate, daring to look at him with such eyes.
Just as he was about to speak, Jiang Yu suddenly knelt before Old Madam Jiang and said, her voice laced with tears, "I beg the Old Madam to uphold justice for your granddaughter! The only reason I asked the Second Sister for those things back is because, because I have suffered so bitterly at the villa."
Seeing that Jiang Yu had ignored him and appealed to the Old Madam instead, Jiang Zhiping’s anger flared.
"What does that have to do with whether you suffered at the villa? Stop trying to change the subject!" Jiang Zhiping pointed at the kneeling Jiang Yu.
"How does it have no relation? Does Father know what kind of life I lived at the villa? Did you ever care for even a moment whether your daughter was fed and clothed?" Jiang Yu looked at Jiang Zhiping, asking with deep disappointment.
"You are a lady of the Jiang family regardless of the circumstances. The people at the villa were merely servants; how could they possibly mistreat you? Furthermore, you were sent to the villa precisely to be punished for your mistakes. What? Did you still expect to live as a daughter of the Marquis Manor while there?" Jiang Zhiping asked with a cold snort.
Hearing this, Lady Li could sit still no longer.
She had not expected that Jiang Zhiping would be so indifferent to her Yuer. It was truly hateful.
She was about to stand up to seek justice for Jiang Yu, but was held back by Jiang Wanqian. Her father did not like her mother; for her mother to speak up for her sister would only further incite his rage. They would wait to see how Jiang Yu responded and then adapt accordingly.
"Father, have you ever seen a daughter of a Marquis Manor whose only food was rice bran?
Have you ever seen a young lady who had to climb mountains to dig for wild vegetables herself?
Have you ever seen a young lady who spent the winter without quilts or charcoal, forced to huddle with a maid just to keep warm?
Have you ever seen a young lady surrounded and bullied by servants who called her nothing more than a ruined girl with no father to look after her?"
Jiang Yu looked at Jiang Zhiping and asked coldly.
Jiang Zhiping was left speechless by Jiang Yu’s words, for he truly had no idea that her situation at the villa had been so dire.
"Zhiping, how did you make those arrangements? Even if a daughter of the Marquis Manor commits a grave error, she is not to be bullied by her own servants." Even Old Madam Jiang could not help but frown upon hearing these words.
Other hardships might be excused as the consequences of punishment, but being bullied by servants—especially when their words implicated the reputation of the Marquis Manor—could not be ignored.
How *had* it been arranged? Jiang Zhiping couldn't help but look toward Madam Zhao.
The Old Madam followed his gaze, snorted, and said, "In the end, because she is not your own daughter, she was bullied at will. This is far too excessive."
It was clear who she was addressing. The Old Madam rarely humiliated someone to their face like this. The meaning of her words was no different than accusing Madam Zhao of deliberate mistreatment.
Madam Zhao’s expression turned deathly pale, and her face showed deep embarrassment.
She had no choice but to step forward, kneel before the Old Madam, and cry, "It is all this daughter-in-law’s fault. I had no idea such things were happening to Jiang Yu at the villa I manage. Jiang Yu, you have suffered. Can you forgive Mother?"
Jiang Yu wanted to tear off Madam Zhao’s hypocritical mask, but she held back.
"I do not blame Madam Zhao, but Father’s harsh attitude toward me earlier reminded me of the suffering I endured at the villa, and it truly saddened me. When I was being bullied, I kept telling myself that once I returned to the Marquis Manor, I would never make a mistake again so I wouldn’t be sent back.
"When one is out in the world, silver is vital. Because Father did not allow me to carry money, I had no way to deal with those who bullied me, as I had nothing to bribe them with. That is why, upon my return, I wanted to reclaim the items my Eldest Sister had borrowed from me; all the valuable jewelry I possessed was taken by her, and it has yet to be returned."
As soon as these words were out, even Old Madam Jiang slammed her hand onto the table.
With a loud "Bang!", Jiang Yingxi turned deathly pale from the Old Madam’s show of anger.
"In our Jiang family, there is no precedent for borrowing things and not returning them, let alone taking all of someone’s valuables and keeping them to this day. Zhiping, you need not speak further on this. It is the daughter who loves to take advantage of others that you should be educating, not the daughter who has been wronged while in your care.
"Enough, I am tired. From now on, you do not need to come and pay your respects to me every day; once a month will suffice. You are disturbing my rest. Wanqian, stay. Everyone else, leave."
After finishing her sentence, Old Madam Jiang bypassed the group in the parlor and went straight to her room in the back.
"This—" Jiang Zhiping wanted to say something, but the Old Madam was no longer listening.
"Mother, please listen to my explanation..." Jiang Zhiping shouted toward her departing figure.
Seeing the Old Madam had no intention of acknowledging him, he glared at the kneeling Madam Zhao before chasing after her.
Jiang Yu watched this scene, the corners of her mouth curling slightly—a detail caught exactly by Jiang Yingxi, who had been keeping a close eye on her.