Chapter 827 Fifth Sister Did Nothing
Shao Jie’er dodged her reaching hand. She was pissed off, stamping her feet and saying, “It has nothing to do with you. It’s our Second Branch’s business. Why bother putting in?”
Obviously, her words also irritated Shao Caihuan, who then refuted in a loud voice, “I am also a member of Duke Xing’s Mansion. How can it have nothing to do with me? Miss Zhao is going to marry to our mansion. At that time, she will be the eldest sister-in-law of the Second Branch. Let’s see how will you explain this to Miss Zhao!”
“No other chamber is more suitable than this one!” Shao Jie’er rebutted loudly.
“Any other chamber is better than this. They are big, suitable, and in good location as well. Are you dissatisfied with Miss Zhao? So you choose such a house for her?” Shao Caihuan scolded loudly. They argued words to words, sentences to sentences.
“Since you don’t like our Miss, why did your family bother propose to her?” When the two sisters were quarreling, an angry voice suddenly came from the door of the house.
Shao Wanru turned towards and saw a group of old maids standing at the door. The first glance enabled her to know that they were not from Duke Xing’s Mansion, because their clothes style was completely different from those of Duke Xing’s Mansion.
Ahead of the group was an old maid in most different dress and with an extraordinary aura. She was exactly the one who had spoken just now. Although the sights of every Miss inside were thrown at her, she was not frightened, but angry, “I think we should go and meet Old Madam of your mansion. Remember that she promised our Old Madam that she would treat our First Miss well? If this is all she does, I believe there is no need to carry out the marriage!”
Then she left at once, together with those who had followed in, leaving a few furniture and decorations that they had just brought. They were sent from Minister Zhao’s Mansion for the bride’s room.
“They are the servants of the Old Madam of the Minister’s Mansion!” Shao Jie’er’s face showed her panic.
“Let’s go and see.” Shao Caihuan was also nervous. It would be not a big deal that the sisters in the family had a quarrel with each other, as long as it was kept a secret within their own family. But now, the people of the Minister’s Mansion heard it and was even about to tell Old Madam. They even have the intention of canceling the engagement. That was a big problem to deal with.
The Misses had no choice but went to Old Madam’s. Shao Wanru didn’t want to go there, and she didn’t have to do so because she was just a watcher of the quarrel. However, she went with them anyway, for Shao Caihuan, who was holding her hand, looked really pale, as if she would faint if Shao Wanru didn’t go with her.
So they were all heading to Old Madam’s Chuntang Yard. Although the Misses set off late, they moved fast. It didn’t take long for them to catch up with the old maids of Minister Zhao’s Mansion. They all reached the Chuntang Yard at the same time.
Old Madam, who had already known that they would come, was sitting in the main room, waiting for them.
As soon as they entered the main room, the head maid stepped forward and bowed to Old Madam. Then she complained in an indignant tone, “Old Madam, please uphold justice for our First Miss!”
“What’s the matter?” Old Madam asked with frowned eyebrows.
Shao Wanru and the other two sisters also came forward together and bowed to Old Madam. Then they retreated to the chairs aside and sat down. After sitting down, Shao Wanru lowered her head and looked down. She just wanted to be a silent spectator. This matter had nothing to do with her, but intuitively, she felt that she would be drawn in it.
Because everything happened in such a coincidence. Firstly, she, who at first was unwilling to go out, was persuaded by Shao Caihuan to get to the bridal chamber, where exactly Shao Jie’er was in charge of the arrangement. Then she had a dispute with Shao Caihuan. Secondly, their quarrel included bad comments to the chamber and then even got the Zhao Minister’s family involved. Thirdly, the people of Minister Zhao’s Mansion happened to send some furniture there right at the moment and heard their arguments.
It was the dispute between that two sisters that led to the complaint meeting at Old Madam’s. Of course, Shao Wanru did not believe that so many coincidences would happen together. She smiled in silence. This matter was funny.
She only sat there and waited to see how they are going to attach her to another trouble.
“Old Madam, our First Miss is going to marry the First Young Master of your mansion, who is the eldest son of the lineal descent, isn’t he?” The old maid of Minister Zhao’s Mansion said, still in an indignant voice.
Old Madam nodded but said nothing, indicating that she could go on. What she had just asked was an indisputable fact and there was no need to doubt it.
“Since he is the eldest son, why choose such a small chamber as their wedding room? I saw there were lots of houses in the mansion, but none of them was as inconspicuous as the chosen one. At first, I was confused, and thought that there must be some mistakes. But I heard the quarrel between the two Misses, only to find no mistake has been made, and that that is the picked chamber! You just don’t care about the marriage, so you chose such a shabby house. If Old Madam is really discontent with our First Miss, I think the marriage is not necessary!”
The old maid seemed to be angrier. She was the private maid of Minister Zhao’s mother, which enabled her to speak in such a manner.
And because of this, her words were powerful and influential for people. Judging from her anger, everyone knew that no one would get away from this matter.
Embarrassed, Old Madam coughed in a low voice, and comforted her, “Please be calm. I promise I will give you an acceptable and appropriate explanation after I figure it out.”
Then she looked at Shao Jie’er and asked with a solemn face, “Second Miss, I asked you to help your elder brother with his marriage. What did you do?”
Shao Jie’er stood up, wiping the tears on her eyes, and complained, “Grandma, I am not to be blamed. It was Third Sister and Fifth Sister who got there and made troubles on me. I was also puzzled.”
It seemed that her words were trying to get herself off the hook and put all the blame on Shao Wanru and Shao Caihuan.
Shao Wanru sneered at them in her mind, with her eyesight focusing on the ground where her feet were, as if she had never been mentioned in Shao Jie’er’s malicious accusation.
Old Madam cast a glance at Shao Wanru and then turned it to Shao Caihuan and asked, “Third Girl, tell me what was going on. Weren’t you making the embroidery together with the Fifth Girl? Why didn’t you just do your job? Why did you, together with the Fifth Girl, go to the Second Girl’s to be troublemakers?” Fine! This one also included Shao Wanru.
Shao Wanru was indifferent. She was now ninety percent sure that this matter was pushed to her. Shao Caihuan was indeed untrustworthy. If it weren’t for her, she wouldn’t have been drawn in this trap!
Shao wanru sat there without a word, as if she didn’t hear Old Madam’s censure against Shao Caihua and herself.
Shao Caihuan peeked at Shao Wanru, who was sitting still with her head down. Shao Wanru’s silence and Old Madam’s anger compelled her to reply.
“Grandma, I was making embroideries and clothes with Fifth Sister. I felt tired, so we went out for a walk. I didn’t expect to arrive at that chamber…” Shao Caihuan paused, glanced at the supervisor nanny of Minister Zhao’s Mansion, and then continued, ” Second Sister was there. She quarreled with me!”
Shao Caihuan’s words were extremely vague. After all, some words were inappropriate to speak out in front of the nanny of Minister Zhao’s Mansion.
“Third Sister, what are you talking about? Was I the one who come to argue with you? No! I was there helping my brother decorate the bridal chamber, but You and Fifth Sister came and criticized me without any reason. How could it be my fault? Grandmother, it’s obvious that Third Sister and Fifth Sister are the starters of this matter!” Aggrieved Shao Jie’er defended herself.
The word “Fifth Sister” was again mentioned. But she herself did nothing but stood there, enjoying their arguments for a while. Shao Wanru, rolling her eyes, seemed to be plotting something in her mind. Compared with the two sisters who were at loggerheads, she looked obedient with her head still lowered.
“We started the fight? It was you. It was you who chose such an inconspicuous house for Elder Brother. There are so many good houses, but you just chose that one!” Shao Caihuan couldn’t stand Shao Jie’er’s slander anymore, so she rebuked.
“Old Madam, on behalf of our Old Madam, I should be given an explanation. Why did you choose such a bad chamber to be our First Miss’s wedding room? Your family promised to choose the best one. What’s wrong with your inconsistent attitudes? Are you dissatisfied with our First Miss?” The supervisor nanny of Minister Zhao’s Mansion angrily questioned as soon as Shao Caihuan finished her words.
“Actually, the first chosen house…” Old Madam frowned and failed to continue her words. She looked up at Shao Wanru. Everyone in the mansion knew that the Piaoyun Courtyard Shao Wanru lived in now was the originally chosen bridal chamber. But it had been Shao Wanru’s house. And it was impossible to ask her to move out.
“Your family promised before that they would leave the best house to our First Miss! The two families have been in discussion on the marriage for long. Believing in your promise and sincerity, our Old Madam agreed on the marriage. But, we didn’t expect that your family are frauds of marriage.”
Infuriated by Old Madam’s hemming and hawing, the supervisor nanny of Zhao’s Mansion even said the word “fraud”.
Anyone who cheated in marriage would be punished by law. No matter how minor the offense was, it would ruin the reputation of the whole Duke Xing’s Mansion.
“What marital fraud? It’s a good thing for the two families to get married. How can you say that we are marital fraud?” Old Madam snorted unhappily.
“How could it be a cheat? We whole family have been trying our best to prepare for the marriage of my eldest brother!” Shao Caihuan responded angrily. If Shao Hua’an’s marriage failed, Shao Caihuan could hardly absolve herself from the blame. At this time, she certainly spared no effort to respond to Old Madam.
Shao Jie’er also said with anxiety, “Yes. We didn’t cheat on the marriage. It’s just that the best house has been given to Fifth Sister. Could it be possible to ask her to give it up now? We have to wait until Fifth Sister gets married, after that Miss Zhao can move to it. She has to bear with it a little. It won’t take too long, just one month.”
She mentioned Shao Wanru again, and it was inevitable. Shao Wanru despised them. She slowly raised her head with an elegant and indifferent smile, “Are we here to compete for the ownership of the house where I live now?”