Chapter 43: Pick It Up For Me
Madam Zhou’s smile on her face froze.
She was clearly not giving her face, just short of pointing at her nose and scolding: Lin Tingting became like this because you didn’t teach her well.
Jiang Ruanxi looked at her aggrieved appearance and felt extremely comfortable in her heart.
She had actually been deliberately showing weakness in front of Madam He these past few days, just to get Madam He to stand up for her.
Her elder sister-in-law came from a prestigious family, full of righteousness, and could not tolerate such filthy matters the most.
However, the purpose of her coming here was not simply to watch the fun.
“Mother, tomorrow we are going to the temple. I heard that the abbot of Guangming Temple likes people to wear plain clothes, so I specially had someone prepare a few sets for you and send them over.”
Jiang Ruanxi placed the clothing in her hand on the table beside her.
Lin Tingting disdainfully glanced at the plain clothing nearby.
She already thought the clothes were not bright enough, and Jiang Ruanxi actually dared to send plain clothes. Wasn’t this going against her?
Lin Tingting no longer restrained her temper and directly stepped forward to flip over the clothing on the table.
“Second Sister-in-law, we are going to pay respects to the Bodhisattva, not to meet the abbot. Wearing such plain clothes, isn’t it too ugly?”
Jiang Ruanxi did not get angry either.
“Third Sister, when we go to pay respects to the Bodhisattva, what matters is sincerity in the heart, which has nothing to do with the clothes we wear. I heard that when the Empress Dowager and Empress went before, they also wore plain clothes. If Third Sister doesn’t like it, she can certainly choose not to wear them.
It’s just that I heard the abbot of Guangming Temple has a strange temper. If we offend him, I’m afraid we won’t be able to burn the first stick of incense on the first day, and at that time, the wishes we make, the Bodhisattva won’t be able to help with either.”
Since ancient times, when going to the temple to burn incense, there is a saying that the first stick of incense burned, or the earlier it is burned, the more efficacious it will be.
Especially the first stick of incense.
So people going to burn incense generally go very early. Some, in order to burn the first stick on an auspicious day, even stay in the temple.
Lin Tingting still wanted to throw a tantrum, but Madam Zhou had already seen the seriousness of the matter from Jiang Ruanxi’s few words and loudly stopped Lin Tingting.
“Enough, this matter will follow what your Second Sister-in-law says. We will wear plain clothes to go.”
Since Madam Zhou had spoken, Lin Tingting had no choice but to disagree, but she already had other ideas in her heart.
Jiang Ruanxi saw it in her eyes but did not point it out.
“Pick them up for me.” Lin Tingting ordered Jiang Ruanxi.
Jiang Ruanxi stood there without moving.
“Jiang Ruanxi, are you deaf and can’t hear what I’m saying?” Lin Tingting said discontentedly.
Jiang Ruanxi had a look of sudden realization.
“Oh, so you were talking about me. I didn’t know you liked ordering around your elders. Third Sister, I’m not saying you, but you are already of marriageable age. You act like this to me at home, and there is Mother protecting you, but if you were at someone else’s home, what would others think? Would they think Mother didn’t teach you well, that the daughter she raised doesn’t respect her elders.”
Lin Tingting was so angry that her chest heaved up and down.
“You······” But she stammered for a long time without saying a complete sentence.
“Your Second Sister-in-law is right,” Madam He stepped forward to back her up.
“Your own conduct doesn’t matter, but don’t implicate the Marquis Manor.”
Lin Tingting could not afford to provoke Madam He and was retorted speechless, but feeling aggrieved in her heart, she turned to look at Madam Zhou.
“Mother, look at how they keep bullying me.”
Madam Zhou was just about to speak when Jiang Ruanxi said faintly, “I heard that His Majesty values family discipline the most. If it’s because of Third Sister’s improper behavior, I wonder if it will affect the Marquis’s promotion.”
Madam Zhou had always valued Lin Ningkun’s official career.
Hearing that it would affect Li Ningkun’s official career, she swallowed the words that were on the tip of her tongue.
She turned to Lin Tingting and said, “Your two sisters-in-law are right. They are your elders; how can you order around your elders? What does that look like? Pick them up yourself.”
Since Madam Zhou had spoken, Lin Tingting did not dare say anything more.
She could only squat down to pick up the clothing thrown on the ground, but when picking it up, she glared fiercely at Jiang Ruanxi.
She certainly would not let Jiang Ruanxi off.
To actually team up with others to bully her.
After following Madam He out, Madam He looked at the bright moon in the sky.
“Second Brother’s Wife, when managing the household, you must have the demeanor of one in charge. Third Sister was spoiled by Mother; you should discipline her when needed.”
Jiang Ruanxi looked at Madam He, who came from a prestigious family, and smiled, “Elder Sister-in-law, if you have a dispute with Mother, will Elder Brother side with you?”
“If I have reason, your Elder Brother will naturally side with me.”
“What if there is no reason?”
Madam He’s expression was displeased.
“Second Brother’s Wife, one cannot act without reason. I won’t let such a thing happen, and even if it does, at most your Elder Brother and I will quarrel, then I will return to my maternal home.”
In short, whether she had reason or not, she would come out on top, and no matter what she did, her maternal home would accept her.
Madam He looked at Jiang Ruanxi’s smiling face and suddenly remembered the matters of Jiang Ruanxi’s maternal home.
Over so many years, no matter how she was bullied, Jiang Ruanxi’s maternal home seemed to rarely visit.
Not everyone has a sufficiently powerful maternal home, nor is every mother willing to protect a daughter who has married out, let alone someone like Jiang Ruanxi, a merchant’s daughter who wasn’t raised by her side from childhood?
For the Jiang Family, Jiang Ruanxi was their shame and tool; how could they care about her life or death?
A slight cold wind brushed Madam He’s hair by her temple, and her heart softened a bit.
“Second Brother’s Wife, if Third Sister provokes you again in the future and Mother and Second Brother don’t help you, you must not clash with her directly; I will help you.”
This was probably the warmest sentence Jiang Ruanxi had heard since her rebirth!
Thinking of Madam He’s fate in her previous life, after the Jiang Family rose, the He Family gradually declined. Madam Zhou grew increasingly displeased with her, eventually starting to take a concubine for Lin Feng, then driving her out.
Unable to bear the humiliation, she finally hanged herself.
Jiang Ruanxi sighed endlessly in her heart.
Suppressing her emotions, Jiang Ruanxi smiled and said, “Then let me thank Elder Sister-in-law here first. It’s just that tomorrow when Elder Sister-in-law goes to the temple, I wonder if Elder Brother will go?”
“My father is making him study; he probably won’t have time.”
Although the Marquis Manor was handed over to Lin Ningkun, Jiang Ruanxi knew that the one with the most talent for studying in the family was actually Lin Feng; he was just naturally mischievous and lacked proper guidance.
“Elder Sister-in-law is truly skilled at managing her husband; Elder Brother actually listens to you and goes to study.”
“Now that we have a child, he has restrained himself a lot, but I don’t know how long he can persist.” Madam He touched her belly, her mood low.
“No matter what, this is a good start; Elder Sister-in-law should be happy.”
Madam He rarely showed a slight smile, “Yes, I’m just too anxious.”
Even for others, studying takes time, let alone for Lin Feng.
But with a start, there is hope.
The next day, the Jiang family members got up early and went grandly to Guangming Temple by carriage.
