When Gu Xi served tea to Yu Tang, her emotions were extremely complicated.

She couldn’t sort out whether she felt more unwillingness, more jealousy, or more regret.

If she had been more patient and waited until the wedding announcement between Yu Tang and Pei Yan came out before deciding on her own marriage, would she have avoided facing such an awkward situation?

But then again, perhaps not.

In the Jiangnan region, among the young men of the younger generation, there was no better son-in-law than Pei Yan. Even if she hadn’t married Pei Tong, she wouldn’t have had the ability to attract Pei Yan. And Pei Tong was the best choice among all the men she knew.

If she had missed Pei Tong, she would probably regret it even more.

So this was how it had to be, then?

Gu Xi thought to herself that one creates one’s own life. Back then, her mother had also married into a good family, but in the end, hadn’t she still died of illness?

She refused to believe she couldn’t make this life work out well.

With this thought, serving tea to Yu Tang didn’t seem so difficult to accept anymore.

Gu Xi called out “Third Aunt” to Yu Tang in a steady voice—neither enthusiastic, but not cold either.

The First Madam nodded with satisfaction.

The several Miss Peis beside them covered their mouths and laughed.

When Old Madam Pei saw this, she glared at them reproachfully.

The unmarried Third Miss, Fourth Miss, and Fifth Miss all shrank their shoulders like quails, not daring to laugh anymore.

Yu Tang felt an exhilarating sense of vindication, and her mood was exceptionally good.

She and Gu Xi truly had such fate together!

She absolutely loved their connection in this lifetime.

“My eldest nephew’s wife need not be so formal,” she said with a smile, handing the tea cup to the wedding attendant standing beside her. She received the meeting gift that Qing Yuan passed to her and gave it to Gu Xi.

Gu Xi smiled and thanked her. Seeing that Yu Tang’s meeting gift included a jade pendant more than what her sisters-in-law of the same generation had received, and that the jade pendant’s quality was quite good, her mood also improved.

Although from now on she would have to observe junior etiquette when seeing Yu Tang, Yu Tang would still have to give her red envelopes during festivals and New Year’s—it could be considered that while she lost face in terms of propriety, she was compensated with money, so she wasn’t losing out that badly.

However, Yang First Madam—that is, the First Madam’s eldest sister-in-law from her maiden family—couldn’t help but start complaining about the Pei family on the way back after the recognition banquet: “Still so stingy as always. They won’t even give matching pairs.”

This time Yang First Madam had come representing the Yang family, and the meeting gifts from the several uncles’ families were all around two thousand taels of silver, very respectable indeed.

The First Madam smiled bitterly and said, “Did you really expect the Pei family to be any different from before? Even when his father was alive, there was no way to change them, let alone now that his father is gone and Pei Yan is as stubborn as our Old Master. In short, I can’t count on the Pei family anymore.”

Yang First Madam sighed and helped Pei First Madam adjust the fox fur on her cloak, saying, “What have you decided about the matter I discussed with you?”

She had come with a purpose this time.

The Yang family wanted to form another marriage alliance with the Pei family.

If Pei Tong wouldn’t work, there was still Pei Fei.

If things didn’t work out with Pei Fei either, then the Yang family marrying a Pei family young lady would also be acceptable.

The Yang family had set their sights on Fifth Miss Pei Dan.

Yang First Madam said, “I definitely won’t put you in a difficult position. I’m here to seek a marriage proposal for Feng’er.”

Yang Feng was Yang First Madam’s second son.

Although he was the second son, he was the best scholar in the Yang family.

Indeed, this wouldn’t be treating Pei Dan unfairly.

Pei First Madam frowned. She didn’t like the Second Madam, so naturally she didn’t like the Fifth Miss born to the Second Madam either, and she especially didn’t want Fifth Miss to marry such a good husband.

“We should at least wait until Tong’s wedding is over,” she said somewhat evasively. “The Second Madam won’t set out for Shandong until after New Year’s, so there’s still time.”

But Yang First Madam was in a hurry to return, and she wanted to settle this matter before going back. She couldn’t help but say, “Your elder brother said that he had previously underestimated Pei Xuan. Do you know who was competing with Pei Xuan for that Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner position? The Fifth Master of the Li family! Elder Zhang personally recommended Pei Xuan.”

The First Madam didn’t know this.

Her mouth opened slightly in surprise.

Not only were the Li family and Zhang family in-laws, but they also advanced and retreated together in official circles. If Pei Xuan’s Shandong Provincial Administration Commissioner position was truly as Yang First Madam described, then it meant that the Zhang and Li families had paid a great price and given up significant benefits to bring the Pei family into their alliance.

“Not only that,” Yang First Madam delivered another heavy blow to the First Madam, “Pei Xuan’s mentor has reportedly been appointed as the Chief Censor of the Censorate.”

One of the Nine Ministers, entering the core of the court.

“Your elder brother still hasn’t figured out whether this was one of the conditions negotiated between the Zhang and Li families and Pei Xuan’s mentor, or merely to win over the Pei family.” Yang First Madam murmured, “We all previously thought Pei Xuan would stay in the capital as a registrar or a vice minister, but unexpectedly he gave up the capital and chose Shandong. Shandong is very close to the capital—of course, this might not have been something he could choose just because he wanted to, but currently this position is definitely best for him…”

She rambled on, and the First Madam felt somewhat irritated, but she knew even more clearly that her backing now was her maiden family, and regardless of whether she liked it or not, she had to help her family.

“Then I’ll hurry up and ask,” Pei First Madam changed her mind. “Just wait for my news.”

She didn’t dare guarantee that the Second Madam would agree.

Because the Second Madam was a filial daughter-in-law who listened to Old Madam Pei in everything, and Old Madam Pei’s least favorite person was her.

As the two spoke, they returned to the residence where the First Madam lived.

Yang First Madam still had many questions to ask Pei First Madam, and tonight they decided to rest together.

The next day, when Gu Xi and Pei Tong returned for their first visit after marriage, Pei First Madam went to the Second Madam’s place.

The Second Madam wasn’t there. When asked, the maid by the Second Madam’s side said she had gone to the Third Madam’s place.

It took the First Madam a few moments to realize that “Third Madam” referred to that girl Yu Tang.

Now she was also mentioned in the same breath as them.

The First Madam felt somewhat unhappy in her heart, but that little maid chattered on: “The three young misses are also all at the Third Madam’s place. They said they’re going together to the villa outside the city to view plum blossoms. Third Master even said that if the weather is too cold, they won’t come back tonight. Fifth Miss is so happy—she even brought a grill, saying they’ll roast meat there. Third Master also had deer meat brought over. I heard it was sent by the Zhang family from the capital. We all want to go along. None of us have ever seen what deer meat looks like! I heard that in the capital’s great households, they eat deer meat every day in winter. If it tastes good, Fifth Miss will definitely eat deer meat in winter from now on, and maybe we can all taste it too!”

Such a provincial manner, never having seen the world.

The Second Madam came from an aristocratic family—how did she end up with all these kinds of servants in her household?

The First Madam snorted coldly several times and turned to leave.

The little maid looked around to make sure no one was there, made a face at the First Madam’s retreating back, and ran back to the room with the heated floor.

When Yang First Madam heard the news, she pondered, “The Zhang family? They specially sent people to deliver deer meat. They value the Pei family so much?”

Unfortunately, after the Second Madam learned that the Yang family intended to form a marriage alliance with her, she tactfully declined: “I’ve already discussed with my sister-in-law from my maiden family that I want Dan to go to Jinling.”

This meant she wanted to marry her daughter into her maiden family.

The First Madam wasn’t good at persuading others to begin with, and hearing this, she couldn’t say much more—if she had a daughter, she would also be willing to marry her to a nephew from her own maiden family.

However, as soon as she left, the Second Madam immediately ran to Old Madam Pei’s place. Not only did she tell Old Madam Pei about this matter, she also cried like a daughter complaining to her mother: “It’s not that I’m determined to marry Dan to Jinling, but a mother-in-law like Yang First Madam absolutely won’t do.”

She couldn’t even compete with the First Madam, let alone Yang First Madam. If her delicate daughter married over there, wouldn’t she be bullied to the point of not being able to speak?

When the First Madam had said she would receive her daughter-in-law in Hangzhou City, Old Madam Pei had already been holding back her anger. Later, she called Pei Tong over to admonish him a few words. Pei Tong was clever and persuaded the First Madam to change her mind, which was why Old Madam Pei hadn’t lost her temper. Now seeing the Yang family targeting the Pei family again, how could she still hold back? Before Yang First Madam could return to the capital, she directly summoned the First Madam over to scold her: “You’re also someone who has raised sons and daughters—how can you not have even a bit of sympathy? Are the children’s marriages in the second household something you can interfere with? Do they have no parents or grandparents? Oh, I misspoke—you’ve only raised sons, so naturally you don’t know what it’s like to raise daughters. Our Old Master is gone, so you don’t need to show consideration for this old woman who only knows the deep courtyards anymore. But you are a mother—I’m not wrong about that, am I? Since you’re a mother, you should set an example. How can you be worse than those hereditary servants in the household? Those hereditary servants at least know what can and cannot be said. You’ve been married into the Pei family for so many years—can’t you learn a thing or two? You…”

Her mother-in-law’s words rained down like hailstones on her head at such a rapid pace that it took her quite a while to react.

By the time she did react, she was both anxious and angry, so ashamed she wanted to bash her head against the thick red-lacquered pillar in Old Madam Pei’s hall.

But Old Madam Pei still wouldn’t let her off, saying, “Don’t feel wronged either. Do you know why I look down on you? It’s because you refuse to learn. Moreover, you’re ignorant and unwilling to learn. What is your Yang family? Have you washed off the stench of copper coins on your bodies? How is it that instead of learning good things, you bring these marketplace habits into our family? If it weren’t for Pei Tong being a sensible child, I’d say your branch would end up just like the Yang family—aside from counting money, there’d be nothing else to do.”

This really hit the First Madam’s sore spot.

She stood up, about to go crash into that pillar.

But Old Madam Pei just watched with a cold smile, saying, “Don’t dirty my place. If you want to crash into something, go back to your own room and do it there. Just as well—hand the two children over to their Second Uncle or Third Uncle to raise, so they won’t be ruined in your hands.”

Nanny Chen and the others were there, and of course they couldn’t let the First Madam crash into the pillar. Some went to call for Pei Yan and his wife, some reported to the Second Madam, and others went to call Yang First Madam over.

Yang First Madam wasn’t one to be trifled with either. With a half-smile, she confronted Old Madam Pei: “Which family treats a widowed daughter-in-law this way?”

Old Madam Pei had originally just been trying to warn others by making an example, but now that the tiger had come out, her fighting spirit became even more vigorous. She sneered, “If you feel wronged, Maternal Aunt, why don’t you take your younger sister back home to live, and let those great households in the capital see whether our Pei family is in the wrong or your Yang family is in the right? Or are you saying that my two grandsons both want to follow their mother back to the Yang family?”

Yang First Madam couldn’t respond to these words.

Because no matter how you looked at it, while the First Madam could return to her maiden family, she couldn’t take away two sons who had already reached the age of ten.

These were the First Madam’s future support.

If she couldn’t take them with her, what would happen if her younger sister returned to her maiden family?

With one sentence, Old Madam Pei had choked Yang First Madam into silence.