Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan was very displeased with her daughter’s tone.

No matter what, she had carried her for ten months and given birth to her. Why was she speaking on Old Madam’s side?

Could this be the dire consequence of throwing her to Old Madam to raise from childhood?

Madam Yuan said indignantly, “You’re a married daughter—what do you know? I already promised Second Madam Fang to betroth Axuan to your Fourth Uncle. Now your grandmother is going back on her word. How am I supposed to explain this to these relatives? Don’t you know how much harm this does to Axuan and to the Fang family?”

This accusation was too severe.

Moreover, she absolutely didn’t believe Grandmother would do something like go back on her word!

Cheng Zheng had to ask, “When did Grandmother promise to let Fourth Uncle marry Axuan?”

Her daughter’s questioning made Madam Yuan even more vexed. She said, “Weren’t you there that day? Madam Liao and I kept praising Axuan. Second Madam Fang personally agreed to let Axuan accompany your grandmother to watch the opera…”

Cheng Zheng couldn’t help but sneer inwardly.

And there was First Madam Liao too!

All young ladies who came from the Fang family.

Why could Mother never distinguish between what was primary and what was secondary?

“Yes!” Cheng Zheng said. “I was there! I saw Second Madam Fang looking like she couldn’t wait to form a marriage alliance with the Cheng family immediately. Does that mean whoever wants to marry into the Cheng family can do so? Then what does that make our Cheng family? A vegetable garden gate? Anyone who wants to come in comes in, anyone who wants to go out goes out?

“Weren’t you also there at the time? What did Grandmother say? Did she promise the Fang family anything? How can you say Grandmother went back on her word? Moreover, Grandfather has passed away. Fourth Uncle’s marriage should naturally be decided by Grandmother. If you have suitable candidates, you can recommend them to Grandmother, but whether Grandmother and Fourth Uncle agree or not is their business. How can you overstep your authority?

“Did Grandmother interfere with Jiashan’s matter? Did Grandmother interfere with Sister Xiao’s marriage?

“Not only did Grandmother not interfere, she told you several times that the Cheng family didn’t necessarily have to form a marriage alliance with the Min family. Did you listen? But did Grandmother call Father over and insist that you find a different match for Jiashan? Grandmother was just afraid that the daughter-in-law who entered the family wouldn’t be to your liking, would make things difficult for the other young lady, and would put Jiashan in an impossible position.

“Do not do unto others what you would not have them do unto you!

“Mother, you’d better interfere less with matters at Chaoyangmen in the future!”

The last sentence, Cheng Zheng spoke very solemnly.

Madam Yuan was so angry she nearly vomited blood.

This was the good daughter she had raised!

She didn’t even know basic filial piety.

She wouldn’t be satisfied until she angered her to death!

She pointed at the door and shouted loudly, “Get out! Get far away from me! If you don’t value this natal family, I don’t value you as a daughter either!” Then she said resentfully in a loud voice, “Wasn’t your marriage decided by your grandmother? If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have married you into the Fang family instead!”

Cheng Zheng was deeply wounded by her mother’s words.

Tears brimmed in her eyes. She said in a low voice, “Mother, my marriage was decided by Grandfather. At the time, he also asked you. You said you wanted to marry me into the Fang family, but Grandmother sent someone to inquire. The Fang family’s young master had a hidden illness and has been dead for nearly ten years now. If I had been married there according to your wishes, I should be in widowhood now, shouldn’t I?”

Madam Yuan’s face filled with shock.

How did her daughter know about this?

She opened her mouth wide but couldn’t utter a sound for a long while.

Cheng Zheng left in grief, flicking her sleeves.

At the corner of the covered walkway, Cheng Xu slowly emerged.

He thought of the scene when he saw her at Grandmother’s birthday banquet.

The incident in the garden seemed to have no effect on her at all.

She appeared even more beautiful.

And radiant with brilliance.

Like a piece of jade finally polished to reveal its lustrous glow.

Now, she was going to marry Fourth Uncle.

That Fourth Uncle whom he had looked up to since childhood.

Why was this happening?

What had gone wrong?

Cheng Xu slowly walked into the main quarters.

The maids and elderly servants who had been attending inside had all disappeared somewhere. Madam Yuan was alone, lying on the bolster by the window on the large kang, sobbing softly.

Cheng Xu watched silently for a while before quietly stepping forward to pat his mother’s shoulder.

Madam Yuan immediately grabbed her son’s hand like clutching a lifeline and said urgently, “Your sister is becoming more and more disobedient as she grows older. She actually accused me, and your grandmother…”

In the past, he had always felt his mother was pitiful.

Born into a prestigious family, because she liked Father, she had rushed to marry over. Elder Sister and Second Sister had both grown up in Grandmother’s quarters. Their personalities and manner of conduct were all like Grandmother’s, and their words and actions always faintly conveyed a sense of looking down on Mother. Father was away serving as an official year-round, and the only one who kept Mother company was him.

But Grandmother was different.

She was strong-willed and resolute. Whether it was Father or his uncles, or even the old patriarch Cheng Xu from the second branch, none could gain the upper hand in front of her.

So even though Mother had broken her promise to him, and he complained endlessly in his heart, he had never hated Mother.

But this time, he suddenly seemed to lose patience and couldn’t help but interrupt Mother’s words, saying, “Mother, please stop quarreling with Elder Sister and Second Sister in the future. They’re married daughters. Helping the family is a favor, not helping is also proper. When you rebuke them like this, it makes the servants in the household disrespectful to them as well.”

The tears that Madam Yuan had just stopped began to flow again. She said sorrowfully, “You ungrateful wretch, is this how you help outsiders? If they want to come back, they can come back. If they don’t want to come back, they shouldn’t come back. Do I have to fawn over them? If not for the Cheng family, could they have married into such good families? Let them all stop coming back. We’ll see if I’ll beg them.”

Cheng Xu’s expression darkened.

Perhaps only Father could comfort Mother and make her happy?

Cheng Xu said nothing.

Seeing no one respond, and having vented through her shouting, Madam Yuan’s grievances and resentment had dissipated considerably, and her emotions gradually calmed down.

Cheng Xu hesitated for a moment before asking his mother, “Is Second Cousin Miss of the Zhou family truly going to marry Uncle Chi?”

Upon hearing this, Madam Yuan’s temper flared up again. Somewhat agitated, she got down from the kang in her slippers and said, “I must go to Chaoyangmen and see. Your grandmother has gone too far this time. What’s wrong with Axuan? Your grandmother actually chose the Zhou family’s second young lady. Doesn’t she know…” Her words stopped abruptly here, and her expression became somewhat awkward—she had been so focused on complaining about Old Madam Guo that she forgot her son had once been infatuated with Zhou Shaojin…

Cheng Xu smiled bitterly and comforted his mother, “It’s fine! Grandmother is right. When I had the chance to pursue her with all my might, I didn’t. Now that the opportunity is gone, I shouldn’t indulge in wishful thinking. I was just asking. I didn’t expect it, that’s all…”

A flash of sorrow crossed his eyes.

Madam Yuan began to disparage Zhou Shaojin again: “Besides her pretty face, what else does she have? When she grows old and loses her looks, you’ll understand that a woman relying on her beauty is never a lasting strategy. In the end, it still comes down to character, learning, upbringing, and family background…”

Cheng Xu didn’t want to hear this.

He said gently, “Mother, let me accompany you to see Grandmother. As for the Fang family matter, I’m afraid you’ll still have to discuss it with Grandmother.”

Otherwise, how would they explain things to the Fang family!

Madam Yuan’s face immediately became overcast with dark clouds.

Cheng Xu accompanied Madam Yuan to Old Madam Guo’s quarters.

Cheng Zheng went directly to Cheng Xiao’s place.

She came without sending a calling card in advance.

Cheng Xiao quickly welcomed Cheng Zheng into the inner room.

Cheng Zheng didn’t beat around the bush and directly told her younger sister about Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin’s engagement.

Cheng Xiao took a long while to recover, but when she did, she laughed and said, “Uncle Chi must have taken a fancy to Shaojin long ago. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have asked us to accompany her.” After saying this, she said with distress, “Shaojin hasn’t even had her coming-of-age ceremony yet, has she? To have me call a young lady who hasn’t even come of age ‘Aunt’—I’ll have to think hard about how to get those words out!”

Cheng Zheng scolded her, “Is this all you’re thinking about?”

“What else should I think about?” Cheng Xiao didn’t know about the incident in the garden. She smiled candidly and said, “The elders have already decided. Could it possibly change because of our objections? Rather than harbor resentment and be dissatisfied all the time, it’s better to think it through myself and happily go curry favor with the elders! Besides, I think Shaojin has a very good temperament. When she becomes sisters-in-law with Mother in the future, she definitely won’t compete with Mother over anything. Family harmony brings prosperity. Perhaps Grandmother is satisfied with this match for precisely this reason.”

“You certainly think broadly!” Cheng Zheng said, not without sarcasm, though her mood gradually calmed down.

She told her younger sister about quarreling with Madam Yuan.

Perhaps because she was the eldest daughter, Cheng Zheng’s personality was also quite strong-willed, and mother and daughter inevitably clashed at times.

Cheng Xiao consoled her, “Mother’s temperament is just like that. Don’t take her seriously.” As she spoke, the topic turned back to Cheng Chi and Zhou Shaojin. “Jiashan has set his wedding date for February. I wonder when Uncle Chi’s wedding date will be set? Mother asked me the other day if I knew of any good cooks. For Jiashan’s wedding, she wants to use southern cooks. It’s one thing not to know about Uncle Chi’s wedding, but now that we know, we should at least ask, shouldn’t we? Shall I go with you to Chaoyangmen in a bit? See if there’s anything Grandmother needs help with—Mother is busy with Jiashan’s wedding, and with the Axuan matter mixed in, she probably won’t put her heart and soul into helping Grandmother. Second Aunt is someone who can’t be overworked, and Grandmother is advanced in years. If we don’t step forward to help, what if we exhaust Grandmother?”

Thinking about it this way, the sisters began to feel somewhat sympathetic toward Old Madam Guo.

Cheng Zheng and Cheng Xiao went to Chaoyangmen together.

Old Madam Guo and Madam Yuan were talking inside, all the attending servants had withdrawn, and only Cheng Xu stood under the covered corridor.

Madam Yuan would say something, Old Madam Guo would respond—things like “If you hadn’t reminded me at the time that Axuan was good, I wouldn’t have thought of Shaojin as another excellent candidate,” and “You’re a woman too. How can you say Shaojin isn’t steady just because Jiashan once liked her? We’ve already exchanged birth charts with the Zhou family and sent betrothal gifts. Shaojin is now your sister-in-law. You must be careful with your words. To insult her is to insult the Cheng family and yourself,” “If you favored Axuan, what were you doing earlier? You’ve been back in the capital for over two months, haven’t you?” “What else have you done behind my back? If you dare to do something, you should dare to take responsibility. Don’t expect me to humble myself and go to the Fang family to apologize on your behalf!”

After just four or five exchanges, Madam Yuan had been rendered speechless by Old Madam Guo.

Cheng Xu sighed secretly.

In Mother’s entire life, she would probably never be able to gain the upper hand in front of Grandmother.