When both mother and daughter arrived, Old Madam was doing her morning prayer. If Lin Shi had been mindful, she would have known the habit Old Madam developed over the past fourteen years. However, Lin Shi was partial to inattentiveness, thus leading to her daughter having to sit in the side hall and wait. They only saw Old Madam, whose body was covered with incense scent, coming out with the support of Ma Momo after finishing two pots of tea.
âIsnât this the first time youâve come to pay your respect after fourteen years? Itâs indeed hard to come by.â Old Madam leaned on the couch and slowly sipped her cup of tea, not even looking at Lin Shi.
First time paying her respect in fourteen years? What has mother been doing for the past fourteen years? Dumbfounded, Yu Miao Qi shot a glance at Lin Shi. It was only now that she understood why the relationship between these mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was so rigid.
Lin Shi was somewhat embarrassed. Racking her brains, she was thinking about how to gain her mother-in-lawâs favor when Yu Si Yu came in amidst the morning dew. Looking slightly surprised seeing Lin Shi here, she immediately bent her knees to curtsy.
This just gave Lin Shi a chance to extricate herself of this awkward moment, thus it was rare for Lin Shi to show a little more than moderate attitude towards the Shu daughter than before that she even personally supported the Shu daughter up.
Old Madam waved her hand allowing everyone to take their seats when she swept her gaze straight to Yu Miao Qiâs waist seemingly opened her mouth inadvertently, âWhy didnât you adorned the protective charm I gave you? It has been consecrated by the eminent monks which can repel ill-omened and ensure safety.â
Without the slightest bit of remorse, Yu Miao Qi replied with a beautiful faint smile, âResponding to Grandmother. Thatâs because itâs a gift from Grandmother that this granddaughter dares not wear it everyday for fear of wear and tear, so granddaughter places it under the pillow to ensure a sound sleep. Granddaughter would like to thank Grandmother for your kindness and care.
If it werenât for the fact Old Madam was informed of this, she really wouldnât be able to discern the slightest hint of resentment and disdain from the face that smiled so sincerely. She was not only extremely cold-hearted, she was also very good at pretense. How did the Shen family raise her to be like this? Having such a fiendish fate and a cold-blooded nature, it would be a calamity to settle her in any family.
Old Madam did not deny her earlier dislike for Yu Miao Qi due to Lin Shiâs partiality, which originally was only due to her being at odds with Lin Shi. However, when she met the actual person, that one to two parts of dislike had turned into seven to eight parts of detestment.
The more decent Yu Miao Qi behaved in front of her, the more it highlighted her treacherous and vicious nature on the sly. Merely gifting a piece of charm paper incurred her grudges, so wouldnât she bore a bitter hatred for Yanâer, who caused her imprisonment twice and also, to what extent was her contempt out of jealousy for Xiangâer, who occupies her venerated position?
Thinking about this, the seven to eight parts of detestment had now transformed into extreme alertness. Old Madam would now feel uncomfortable even looking at her a little more, so she simply turned her head away and spoke in a deep voice, âYou can do whatever you like with it, just take it.â
Always good at discerning othersâ mood and thoughts, Yu Miao Qi pursed her lips and stopped talking.
Seeing there was an opportunity, Yu Si Yu seized to gossip and gab about which household had drawn up marriage contracts or gotten betrothed, or soon to hold the joyous occasion.
Old Madam Looked at her thoughtful as she spoke impatiently, âDonât pull these inconsequential matters with me. You only have to express openly that you canât wait to get married and for me to discuss it with the Fang family, right?â
Face flushed scarlet, Yu Si Yu lowered her head and clutched the handkerchief tightly, not daring to respond.
Old Madam was in an increasingly unhappy mood and waved her hand, âIâll take care of this matter in days to come, but donât you regret it! Since youâve achieved your goal, why donât you leave now?â Looking at these one and two smart-assed fools gave her a headache.
Yu Si Yu bowed and took her leave. She couldnât help but reveal a touch of joy as she stepped out of the threshold.
Once she walked away, Ma Momo murmured softly, âOld Madam, hasnât that Lord Fang been beheaded by the Marquis? The family fortune was also confiscatedâŚâ
Old Madam waved her hand, indicating that she should not say more.
With a flash of bright light in their eyes, Lin Shi and Yu Miao Qi couldnât help but look at each other when they heard this.
Not realizing this, Old Madam was about to dismiss the mother and daughter when Yu Miao Qi got up first to take her leave, saying she was going to pay a visit to her younger sister leaving Lin Shi who looked at her mother-in-law with a resolute expression.