Chapter 81 - 80: True Nature
Are the accomplices servants in the Du Mansion?
Upon hearing this, Du Yunluo couldn’t help but feel a chill down her neck. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Old Mrs. Xia’s fingers move slightly on the armrest, but only just a little.
Old ginger is spicier; compared to the Miao Family, Old Mrs. Xia was much calmer.
After comparing, Du Yunluo suddenly thought of herself. By the time she closed her eyes in her previous life, she had lived longer than Old Mrs. Xia now.
Back then, when these messy things were placed before her, she wouldn’t even bat an eyelid. Now that she has returned to her maiden days, she truly understands what it means to regress as you live longer.
**** Being pampered by elders since childhood, her temper showed entirely, proving that habits are hard to change.
Du Yunluo mocked herself.
Miao Family had already recovered, looking at Ninth Madam Miao with malicious eyes, saying, "Ninth younger sister-in-law also said, that person is just a scoundrel, a scoundrel making random accusations, and you come to Du Mansion to find the culprit?"
Old Mrs. Xia pressed her lips, agreeing with the logic Miao Family mentioned.
Ninth Madam Miao softened her tone, "With so many families in the Capital, why did the scoundrel immediately accuse the Du Family?"
"Why?" Miao Family scoffed, already convinced it was that restless Madam Miao causing trouble again, "Ninth younger sister-in-law should ask eldest sister-in-law. She gets a scoundrel to extort silver and concoct a story to blame the Du Family. What? Should I compensate her for the silver? I thought you were one of the sensible ones in the Miao Family; how are you muddle-headed today? I am already disgraced in the Miao Family, and here, with my in-laws, I’ve lost all face thanks to Cai’er and her mother. The barefoot aren’t afraid of those wearing shoes. In front of the old madam, what is there that I cannot speak openly about?"
The more Miao Family spoke, the angrier she got, disregarding the presence of Du Yunluo, covering her face, and kneeling in front of Old Mrs. Xia, "Old madam, I’m sorry to make you laugh."
Old Mrs. Xia patted Miao Family on her back. Knowing that Miao Family was caught in the middle and seeing the constant uproar in the Miao Family, she also became a bit annoyed, "Huaiping’s wife, don’t be anxious. With your ninth younger sister-in-law here, the matter is brought up, a resolution must be made. If this incident truly exists, we will catch and hand that wicked person over to the government; our Du Family does not keep such ungrateful people. If there is no such incident, your ninth younger sister-in-law will give you an explanation." After speaking, Old Mrs. Xia raised her long phoenix eyes slightly, smirking without a smile, "Miao Family’s ninth daughter-in-law, isn’t that right?"
Ninth Madam Miao gave an awkward smile.
She knew that this old lady of the Du Family was not easy to deal with.
She wouldn’t want to get involved in such matters; she wished to remain cordial with everyone, yet the Miao Family was in turmoil, with Madam Miao wanting to seek justice from the Du Family personally, and the opposition was unwilling, pushing and shifting responsibilities onto her.
Only because she had a cordial relationship with Miao Family and had visited Old Mrs. Xia.
Ninth Madam Miao straightened her posture and said, "Old madam, rest assured, in the end, everything will be clarified."
Old Mrs. Xia nodded, "Then tell me, what did the scoundrel say?"
Miao Family glared at Ninth Madam Miao, who pretended not to see and said, "The scoundrel loves gambling. The injury to his hand was because he couldn’t pay his gambling debts, and someone broke it. At the gambling table, he saw someone from the Du Mansion doing service work, they were somewhat familiar, but they didn’t speak."
On the day of the heavy rain, both had stayed up all night at the gambling den, lost everything, got chased out, and were resting by the roadside, cursing. They saw eldest sister-in-law’s carriage passing by; he grabbed a stone and threw it at the horse’s leg without a second thought, pushing the scoundrel forward and promising to share the gains after the deed was done."
The scoundrel, used to wandering the streets, had done such things before, well-versed in it."
Gamblers exist in every household, big or small, and even the stewards gamble, so everyone turns a blind eye."
Miao Family said coldly, "Since the scoundrel recognizes him, what’s his name, appearance, and age?"
"His full name isn’t known; he’s called Little Second Master at the gambling den, not yet twenty, and rather decent-looking."
"Little Second Master? Master of which family? Who in the entire mansion would dare to be so bold?"
Miao Family sneered a couple of times, while Du Yunluo couldn’t help but shudder.
The nickname "Little Second Master," unbeknownst to Miao Family who is secluded in the inner courtyard, was known to Du Yunluo. It was that gambler from the Zhao family, the one who earlier caused Jin Ling’s death!
Smoothly suppressing her inner hatred, Du Yunluo feigned surprise and murmured, "It’s him..."
Du Yunluo’s tone was evenly paced, enough for everyone in the room to hear.
Miao Family quickly asked her, "Yunluo, you know this person?"
"I do," Du Yunluo responded, "It’s that little nephew from the Zhao family. The Zhao family recently came to me, wanting to arrange a marriage for her eldest nephew, saying that the Clothing Shop managed by Manager Zhao would eventually be his. Whoever marries him would be the shopkeeper’s wife. I didn’t believe it, but heard from a mama in my courtyard that when she went to the shop to buy clothes for the boy, she heard people inside calling him ’Little Master’ and ’Little Second Master.’ She only thought Second Uncle decided to promote Manager Zhao’s family and even congratulated them."
Miao Family’s face turned livid.
The Zhao family’s matter of seeking a match was clear to Miao Family, so she did not doubt Du Yunluo’s words. Moreover, listening to Ninth Madam Miao’s detailed account, she couldn’t help but believe it.
Thinking about how she had reprimanded the Zhao family at Shuifu Garden days ago for boasting loudly about how the shop would be managed, she never thought they would go so far as to use titles like ’Little Master’ or ’Little Second Master.’
How on earth had Du Huaiping managed the shop, allowing such nonsense to happen right under his nose?
Miao Family spat twice in her heart.
"Old madam, now that we know who it is, we should bring him back for an interrogation. If he truly extorted silver, he cannot be tolerated. Even if not, with the Zhao family doing things like this, what do you think..." She had already lost face, unable to regain it. Miao Family couldn’t wait to find that Zhao family member and vent her anger, but regarding Housekeeper Zhao, without Old Mrs. Xia’s intention, she couldn’t make a move.
Old Mrs. Xia glanced at the oblivious Ninth Madam Miao with a faint smile, "A servant must behave as a servant should; you handle it."
Miao Family complied, apologized, and turned to leave.
Du Yunluo watched Miao Family’s retreating figure and secretly thought, if it was indeed that Zhao family’s hooligan who did it, then it wasn’t Madam Miao who was unlucky; rather, that hooligan was taking revenge for the reprimand Miao Family gave the Zhao family that day.
While pondering this, Old Mrs. Xia’s hand held her wrist. Turning her head, Du Yunluo saw the elder smiling kindly, "It’s a small matter; let your Second Aunt handle it. Yunluo, don’t worry."
Du Yunluo was momentarily stunned but then lowered her eyes in response.
It seems Old Mrs. Xia already knew about the matter concerning Nanny Zhao, arranging for Miao Family to suppress the Zhao family.
And she was quite in agreement.
Being favored truly is convenient; there’s always someone behind supporting what you do.