Chapter 82: Lost All Face
Lin Tingting, who was kneeling on the ground crying, had tears streaming down her face, but she immediately stopped crying, her expression instantly turning ugly.
“Mother, don’t let her in. I think she’s just here to laugh at me. You decide on my marriage. No matter what, don’t let her interfere.”
After going through a series of events, she now hated Jiang Ruanxi with all her heart.
Madam He, sitting to the side, frowned tightly and said coldly, “Third Sister, you’ve done such an outrageous thing. Without her stepping in, your marriage wouldn’t have happened.”
After all, Lin Ningkun had already been stripped of his marquis title and was now just a commoner, with no way to connect to Yongning Marquis Manor no matter what.
Now, the only one who could connect to Yongning Marquis Manor was Jiang Ruanxi, the third-rank Madam in the manor.
And Lin Tingting, with her empty-headed brain, wouldn’t think of this layer at all. Without thinking, she retorted, “You’re talking nonsense. She’s just a woman—how could she have such great ability? Could it be that she’s even more capable than Elder Sister-in-law and Second Brother?”
Lin Tingting thought that by flattering Madam He, she would agree to help her.
But she didn’t know that Madam He despised her immensely deep down and had a very clear head, so she wouldn’t be fooled so easily.
Madam He rejected her straightforwardly.
“Third Sister, the manor is no longer the manor it used to be. For you to become the Heir Apparent’s Wife is already us reaching above our station. Our He Family cannot do such a disgraceful thing, so don’t even think about having me speak to them about this for you.”
Madam He had practically pointed at her nose and cursed Lin Tingting for being shameless.
Lin Tingting’s face flushed red and pale by turns from the scolding.
If it were anyone else, she would have argued with them long ago, but she had always been afraid to provoke Madam He and could only swallow her anger and stay silent.
But she didn’t regret doing such a thing.
With the Lin Family now in such a state, if she didn’t go to Sun Chengye, she didn’t know what farmer or vulgar lout she would marry in the future. She would rather die than marry someone like that.
“We’re family at least. Are you really so heartless?” Madam Zhou stood up to speak for Lin Tingting.
Originally, Madam Zhou had planned to keep this matter under wraps, but Lin Tingting had made a big fuss about it. She was also happy to make it bigger, so that Lin Tingting could marry into Yongning Marquis Manor as she wished.
But now she couldn’t talk to the people of Yongning Marquis Manor, so she thought of asking Madam He for help.
Who would have thought she would refuse without hesitation and even hurl mocking words at Lin Tingting.
“Mother, I’m not feeling well. You wouldn’t want me to worry about Third Sister’s marriage and risk upsetting the baby, would you?”
“Then what about Tingting’s marriage? Is it just going to be like this?”
Although Madam Zhou felt sorry for her grandson, she was still worried about her daughter.
But if she forced Madam He, not to mention if Madam He made a fuss and turned the house upside down, thinking of her eldest son’s wife-obsessed appearance, Madam Zhou couldn’t stand it.
“Mother, didn’t I just say that the success or failure of this matter still depends on Second Brother’s Wife?” Madam He took in both their expressions and felt nothing but contempt deep down.
Lin Tingting had mixed with a man before marriage— if such a thing happened in the He Family, would she even have a chance to marry out?
She would be directly locked in the Ancestral Hall by the He Family and never allowed out for the rest of her life.
And yet, she still dared to hope for her to lower her face to propose marriage?
Madam He felt utterly disgraced.
“Second Brother’s Wife was previously the Marquis Manor Madam, and she has wide connections. Plus, although our manor is no longer a marquis manor, Second Brother’s Wife is still the third-rank Madam bestowed by His Majesty. Even if Yongning Marquis Manor doesn’t give face to our Lin Family, they will give face to Second Brother’s Wife. Perhaps the matter will succeed.”
Madam Zhou suddenly understood, and Lin Tingting seemed to see hope.
Madam He was right— now, compared to Madam He’s scholarly family maternal home identity, Jiang Ruanxi’s identity carried more weight. Yongning Marquis Manor couldn’t possibly not give face to a third-rank Madam.
But thinking of Jiang Ruanxi’s actions lately, Madam Zhou still had grievances against her. Pretending not to care, she said to Manyue, “She still has some use. Go outside and let her in.”
Seeing Madam Zhou still putting on airs with her identity, Madam He, who already had no fondness for this mother-daughter pair, now felt even more repulsed. She stood up and said indifferently, “Mother, it’s late. My body can’t stay up all night. I’m going back.”
Without waiting for Madam Zhou to say anything, she walked straight to the door.
Suddenly, as if remembering something, she turned around and gave Madam Zhou a glance. “Oh, by the way. In the future, unless there’s some earth-shattering event, don’t disturb my sleep in the middle of the night.”
Madam Zhou’s face instantly darkened, her face turning green with anger.
Just as she was about to flare up, Madam He ignored her and left directly.
After she left, Lin Tingting stomped her feet in anger.
“Mother, you’re too indulgent with her. Look at her now— where does she have any appearance of a daughter-in-law? If you don’t teach her a lesson, she’ll walk all over you in the future.”
Madam Zhou knew this all too well, but with Madam He’s powerful maternal home and Lin Feng protecting her, there was nothing she could do.
Plus with Lin Tingting’s matter, Madam Zhou was irritated and spoke a bit impatiently, “Enough. This isn’t the time to talk about that. Think about what to do with your own matter. As long as you can marry into Yongning Marquis Manor in the future, you’ll be the Yongning Marquis Manor Heir Apparent’s Wife. Then Mother can hold her head high and never have to put up with Madam He again.”
Madam Zhou thought very beautifully.
And Lin Tingting’s eyes gleamed with ambition, as if she were already the Yongning Marquis Manor Heir Apparent’s Wife.
“Mother, you are now the future mother-in-law of the Yongning Marquis Manor Heir Apparent. Madam He has left, and when Jiang Ruanxi comes in shortly, you must show your momentum and not let her overpower you. No matter what, make sure Jiang Ruanxi agrees to my matter.”
Thinking that she would have a marquis manor heir son-in-law in the future, Madam Zhou straightened her back, a smile on her face. “Of course.”
Jiang Ruanxi had no idea that this mother-daughter pair was fantasizing about all sorts of scenarios.
When she came in, she happened to run into Madam He leaving.
After the previous incident, there were some things they didn’t want to say more about. They nodded to each other, and then Jiang Ruanxi passed through the corridor into the room.
Madam Zhou got straight to the point. “You must know about Tingting’s matter by now, right?”
Jiang Ruanxi glanced at Lin Tingting, who had a haughty expression and looked down on everyone, found a seat, slowly poured herself a cup of tea, took a sip, and then spoke.
“Mother, I was woken up by Third Sister’s crying and just came to see what happened, which is why I came in. How would I know about Third Sister’s matter?”
“I think you’re not here to help at all. You’re clearly being hypocritical and want to laugh at me, aren’t you?” Lin Tingting thought she was pretending not to know and was clearly here to laugh at her.
