The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 95

Xie Yunchu admired the Third Madam, saying, “Among everyone, it’s you I respect the most, Aunt.”

The Third Madam shot her a glance.

Back at the main house, the First Madam Qian was nearly fainting from her daughter’s crying.

“I knew he didn’t want to marry me back then. I’ve been enduring it all this time, but who would’ve thought this would happen. Mother, you must take charge. Tell Father about this, we absolutely cannot let this slide. Those ungrateful scoundrels must have been scheming behind our backs all along.”　　

Wang Shuqing sobbed, leaning against the First Madam’s chest, utterly devastated.

The First Madam’s heart ached as she cradled her daughter. She had raised her like a precious treasure, showering her with love. Even if she couldn’t marry a noble general, a good family from the official class would have sufficed. It was unfortunate that the Eldest Princess had meddled with her matchmaking.

Had she known that Liu Xun was this kind of man, she would never have allowed the marriage.

“They think because we aren’t the legitimate branch of the Wang family, they can bully us. They talk about ‘concubines’, and although she’s still just a secondary wife, the term itself is nauseating,” the First Madam said with tear-filled eyes, furious.

But the First Madam was always indecisive. Thinking of her husband’s hypocritical, gloomy face, she felt a sense of dread. “Your father cares too much about face, he might not be willing to speak up for you. Now that things have come to this, Ying’er, you must prepare for the worst.”

Wang Shuqing’s heart was torn apart, the pain like being sliced open, raw and bleeding. “Mother, you can’t just ignore me!” Seeing her mother’s weakness, Wang Shuqing immediately turned to Madam Miao, grasping her hand tightly.

“Sister-in-law, please help me. You and my brother must do something.”

Madam Miao, also a woman, looked at her little sister-in-law weeping uncontrollably, her heart aching. “Don’t worry. When your brother returns, I’ll discuss it with him.”

Wang Shuqing thought of her brother and knew he wasn’t capable of much. If only Wang Shuhuai were around—then the Liu family wouldn’t dare bully her like this. She felt like a drifting leaf on water, with no one to rely on, crying her heart out.

At that moment, a calm and steady voice was heard from the moon gate, “Mama Guai, please pass a message to the First Madam. Our Madam says that this matter between the Liu family and the Wang family is not something to be ignored. The Wang family cannot sit idly by while the Liu family bullies our girls. Tell the Eldest Lady to stay home peacefully. As long as the Liu family doesn’t send someone, we won’t return their call.”

Upon hearing these words, Wang Shuqing felt as if she had found a strong pillar of support. Forgetting her disheveled appearance, she hurried outside and asked the maidservant, “Mama Hao, are these the exact words from the Third Aunt?”

“Without a doubt.”

Wang Shuqing immediately knelt down with a thud, bowing toward the door. “Please thank Third Aunt for me. I, Wang Shuqing, will never forget her great kindness.”

The First Madam, seeing her daughter’s actions, felt both relieved that the Wang family was taking charge and bitter about her own helplessness. With tears in her eyes, she rushed to help her daughter up. “You should rest for a moment. Once you’ve tidied yourself up, go and thank your aunt properly.”

When the Eldest Master returned later that evening and heard about the incident, his brows furrowed tightly. He was in the midst of dealing with an important matter that required the Liu family’s assistance. He hadn’t expected such a complication at a critical moment. As a man, he couldn’t empathize as deeply as a woman might. He thought a secondary wife wasn’t a big deal, and besides, it was already done—the woman was pregnant. Could they really just drive her away?

The Eldest Master, upon hearing that the Third Madam intended to intervene, came to the Third House to confront her.

The Third Madam, already aware of the Eldest Master’s intention, invited all the others to the gathering.

Xie Yunchu was dragged by Wang Shuqing, standing outside the corridor and eavesdropping.

She saw the Old Master attempting to smooth things over, “The two families are in-laws, and the girl is already pregnant. Rong’er is four years old, and her position is secure. Why worry about a concubine causing a stir? After all, a secondary wife is just a concubine. Let’s just reprimand them a little, and it’ll be over. Are we going to drive out the pregnant woman and give ourselves a ruthless reputation? Not to mention, Ying’er’s name will also be tarnished, with people saying she can’t tolerate others.”

The Third Madam, sitting beside the Third Master, remained calm and composed as she replied, “Brother, I’ll say this once: this isn’t a matter for the main house alone. This is a feud between the Wang and Liu families. If today our girl is bullied, and we remain silent, then in the future, others will trample on us without hesitation.”

“The elders entrusted me with managing the household, and maintaining the Wang family’s reputation is my duty. If you don’t want me to intervene, then I’ll step aside, but only if you stop bearing the Wang surname.”

Her words left the Eldest Master speechless.

The First Madam, seeing her husband’s face turn red in embarrassment from the Third Madam’s words, tried to ease the tension. “Third Sister-in-law, please don’t misunderstand. Your brother has his own difficulties…”

The Third Madam understood that the First Madam was just trying to save her husband’s face and didn’t press further. Instead, she coldly asked, “Let me ask you all one thing: Do you want to follow my lead or not? If you agree, I will take care of this matter. If you don’t, I’ll report to the Eldest Princess and have her make a decision.”

If this minor issue reached the Eldest Princess, the Wang family would look utterly incompetent in dealing with it.

The Second Master, who had always disagreed with the Eldest Master, felt that it was unreasonable for the girl to be treated this way.

“It would be best if the Third Sister-in-law handles it,” he said, with his wife, Madam Jiang, casting him a fleeting glance.

The Third Master, as usual, defended his wife, saying, “This is an internal matter, and naturally, it should be handled by the lady in charge of the household.” The implication was clear: the Eldest Master had no right to interfere.

The Eldest Master, used to relying on his younger brother, softened his tone. “But Third Brother, you must understand, I’m in charge of the dredging of the Tongzhou River, and there’s a case at hand. The situation is…”