Chapter 93: Give A Date, Then A Slap
Madam Kang Zhou kept a straight face, as if she hadn’t seen her, and casually said to Madam Zhou, “Your eldest daughter-in-law is quite good. She knows to greet people when she sees them, unlike some people who think they have an Imperial Decree of Nobility and no longer respect their elders, not even bowing when they see them.”
As she spoke, she gave Jiang Ruanxi a sidelong glance. Jiang Ruanxi smiled faintly at her and lowered her head to drink tea again.
This made Madam Kang Zhou’s face turn green with anger.
“Sister, you are just too kind. No matter what her identity or status is, a daughter-in-law is born to serve her mother-in-law. Why pretend to be so noble wherever she goes.”
These words undoubtedly spoke to Madam Zhou’s heart, as if finally someone understood her.
“Sister, after Ruanxi was granted the Imperial Decree of Nobility, she has too many things to do every day. I don’t want her to work so hard and still come serve me.”
This seemed to be speaking up for Jiang Ruanxi, but it clearly confirmed Madam Kang Zhou’s words. Jiang Ruanxi lowered her eyes, cold smile in her heart.
Madam Kang Zhou was even more disdainful. “Of all the good virtues, filial piety comes first. What could be more important than honoring the elders at home?”
Madam Zhou spoke in a tearful voice, lifting her handkerchief to gently wipe the corner of her eye, wiping away nonexistent tears, and said aggrievedly, “I’m just someone with a hard life, my identity is lower than others. What right do I have to demand anything from her.”
Seeing her own sister suffer such treatment was like suffering it herself. Her anger surged, and she looked sharply at Jiang Ruan.
“I say, niece-in-law, you usually rely on your identity to treat your mother-in-law like this.”
Jiang Ruanxi raised her head, poised and generous, and suddenly said, “Aunt came all the way from Ningnan to the Capital. I wonder if she brought Elder Madam Li Ti along?”
Madam Kang Zhou’s face immediately stiffened because the Elder Madam Li Ti that Jiang Ruanxi mentioned was none other than her own mother-in-law.
“I’m young and ignorant. I thought that working hard for the Lin Family was contributing to it, and that nagging about daily food, clothing, and expenses was fulfilling filial duty. But I didn’t know that in Aunt’s mouth, filial piety means personal service. It’s also good that Elder Madam Li Ti didn’t come, otherwise I would want Aunt to demonstrate to us juniors what filial piety really is, so we can gain some knowledge and learn from it.”
Although Jiang Ruanxi had never been to Ningnan, she had heard of this aunt’s glorious deeds.
Not to mention being lazy and gluttonous, she also abused her mother-in-law every day, which was notorious in Ningnan.
For such a person to dare talk to her about filial piety was simply ridiculous.
She would not indulge Madam Kang Zhou.
Having her face torn down in public and her unsavory past brought up, Madam Kang Zhou’s face alternated between green and white.
If it were the former Jiang Ruanxi who only had the identity of a daughter of a merchant, Madam Kang Zhou would have flipped out directly, but now she was an Imperial Decree of Nobility Madam personally granted by His Majesty, so she could only swallow her anger silently.
After taking several deep breaths, her mood calmed a bit.
“The journey from Ningnan to the Capital is far, and my mother-in-law is getting old and can’t withstand the round trip. Besides, I came to see my sister, and it wouldn’t be appropriate for her to come.”
The more Madam Kang Zhou spoke, the more aggrieved she felt. Thinking that as an elder, she still had to explain herself to a junior and endure her temper, her anger rose too.
“I see you’re young. Aunt has been here for so long, and you haven’t come to pay respects. Oh, I forgot, your maternal home was merchants before, probably didn’t teach you these rules, right? But no matter what before, now that you’re married into the Lin Family, it’s different. You must respect your elders.”
Such a shameless aunt still wanted people to respect her?
Jiang Ruanxi cold smile in her heart, but on her face she pretended to be surprised. “I thought before that Aunt wasn’t from a merchant background, so she must know more than me. Now it seems not so.”
“What do you mean?” Madam Kang Zhou also heard the impropriety in her words and immediately flew into a rage. “Is this how you treat your elders?”
“Is this how Aunt treats an Imperial Decree of Nobility Madam?” Jiang Ruanxi naturally wouldn’t indulge her. “Aunt has been in Ningnan for too long and probably doesn’t know that although the Lin Family has fallen, I am still a third-rank Imperial Decree of Nobility Madam. Outside, not to mention not needing to greet you, Aunt—even my mother-in-law and Master have to bow to me when they see me.”
“You…” Madam Kang Zhou gritted her teeth in anger.
Jiang Ruanxi now didn’t take Madam Zhou seriously at all, let alone give this aunt who meddled in others’ family affairs a chance to show off to her.
She revealed her identity so early simply because she didn’t want to argue with her.
“Since Aunt came to find Mother, then Mother should entertain her well. I usually manage the household affairs and am very busy, so I’m afraid I won’t have time to entertain Aunt. If it’s not something important, don’t come find me.”
After speaking, she didn’t linger and turned to leave.
Madam Kang Zhou usually relied on her elder status and often acted superior in front of relatives’ daughters-in-law, but those new daughters-in-law had thin skin and generally wouldn’t confront her head-on.
But she never expected Jiang Ruanxi to not give her any face.
Unable to vent her anger, Madam Kang Zhou took it out on her sister whom she had always looked down on.
“Sister, you just watched me being bullied without standing up to say a word for me.”
Madam Zhou’s face also looked very ugly, unsure if it was Madam Kang Zhou’s words or Jiang Ruanxi’s behavior that angered her.
After venting, Madam Kang Zhou’s mood calmed considerably.
What she was best at was giving a date and then a slap.
Pretending to be indignant for Madam Zhou, “Does she usually bully you like this too, not taking you seriously at all?”
Madam Zhou pursed her lips. “Usually if I don’t provoke her, she doesn’t act so disrespectful.”
“My good sister, I’ve never seen a mother-in-law who acts as useless as you.”
What did she mean by not provoking her so she wouldn’t bully?
It was only natural for a mother-in-law to have daughters-in-law serve her; where did all these excuses come from?
Madam Zhou’s eyes flashed, she lowered her brows, looking very aggrieved.
“What can be done? My two daughters-in-law—Madam He has a powerful maternal home, and the eldest son protects her, so making trouble for her is just making trouble for myself.
As for Jiang Ruanxi, she was fine before, very obedient, but lately her relationship with Ning Kun isn’t good either, and with her being an Imperial Decree of Nobility Madam, I have no way to deal with her.”
“That Imperial Decree of Nobility Madam of hers is just for show outside. At home, you are still the mother-in-law. Although she manages the Lin Family now, she’s just a woman. Don’t you want to think of other ways to deal with her?”
Seeing her state the objective she wanted, Madam Zhou no longer pretended.
She refilled her tea.
“My good sister, I really have no way to deal with her. Didn’t I just send someone to bring you a message to ask for your advice?”
Madam Kang Zhou was originally keen on making her presence felt in others’ homes, and with Jiang Ruanxi having made her so frustrated earlier, she took the tea, sipped it lightly, and her eyes immediately gleamed.
