The courtyard of Eldest Madam Ning was bustling with activity all day long.
"Eldest sister, you can't think like that," Third Madam Ning said earnestly.
"How can I not think like this? Are you all not clear about what kind of person she is?" Eldest Madam Ning glanced at the women in the room, picked up a handkerchief to cover her face, and let out a cry of lament, "She just can't let us be."
Initially, Eldest Madam Ning kept it a secret as to why she fell ill.
For her, it was an incredibly embarrassing matter, a disgrace to her son as well as herself.
She coldly refused visitors and felt no need to explain to others, but today, these women had all crowded here, showing concern and asking about her condition.
To the women, as long as they were willing, they could keep the conversation going even in the dullest of atmospheres.
For a woman who had been repressing her feelings for a long time, filled with pent-up emotions, it was impossible to resist such temptation. It was like a person starved for a long time, who, upon taking a bite of the food offered to their lips, could no longer control themselves and proceeded to sample every dish laid out on the table in one go.
Anyway, it was no longer possible to hide, and her son had made up his mind; if he didn't care about saving face, why should she spare any face for him?
Thus, Eldest Madam Ning poured out all the frustrations in her heart.
With that, everyone's emotions were ignited, crying, laughing, and cursing along with Eldest Madam Ning.
"We are, of course, clear about what kind of person she used to be," Fourth Madam Ning said, her tone as bitter as Eldest Madam Ning's, but with the addition of the word "used to."
The phrase "used to" was laden with meaning, as it naturally implied a contrast to the present.
"People always have to grow up, and who hasn't done something foolish in their youth?" Third Madam Ning followed up, "Her mother died early, and she was raised by a concubine; with a father who didn't care properly, what kind of temperament could she develop? But you'll teach her in the future, and with your good guidance, she'll learn."
Eldest Madam Ning listened, stunned, her face still wet with tears.
"Why should I teach her?" she cried out hoarsely, with a hint of anger, "I don't want to talk to you all anymore; you all just see her advantages."
But this time, no one left because of her displeasure.
"Advantages, what advantages does she have? Eldest Madam, you are really misunderstanding us."
"Let's talk about her advantages then."
"It's just her ability to cure illnesses. A few days ago, Madam Dong went to see Old Lady Ning."
"Isn't Madam Dong not speaking to our family anymore? She even said she'd never see us for a lifetime."
"She wishes she could avoid us for a lifetime, but then her precious grandson would also be gone forever, sick and deemed incurable by the doctors."
"Is she seeking our Miss Jiuling's help?"
The room was filled with a buzz of noisy chatter. Eldest Madam Ning's face was still streaked with tears; she had forgotten, or rather couldn't afford to cry, as she listened dumbfounded to the gossip, wanting to retort, wanting to argue, but not getting the chance to speak. The women's comments overlapped, going from one sentence to the next without pause.
Standing outside the window, Eldest Master Ning stroked his beard and shook his head.
Terrifying.
Women are too terrifying.
That's why a woman needs to deal with a woman.
He walked out of the courtyard, and just as he was about to cheerfully hum a tune, he saw Ning Yunzhao approaching at a leisurely pace.
Eldest Master Ning paused, surprised.
He's back?
He looked up at the sky again, puzzled by the timing.
"Father," Ning Yunzhao had spotted Eldest Master Ning and approached with a smile, lifting a paper parcel, "I've brought you a bottle of plum wine, which I've already had sent to the study, and this is plum cake for mother, freshly made."
Oh, Eldest Master Ning thought, not bad, goes out for a meal with a girl and still remembers to bring something back for his parents.
But who cares about that right now?
"Why have you returned so early?" He frowned and asked, "She didn't see you?"
"How could she not, she's not someone who doesn't keep her word," Ning Yunzhao smiled, pausing for a moment, "I did see her, but it wasn't just her."
Not just her?
Eldest Master Ning was even more confused.
"Come on, tell me what happened," he said.
Ning Yunzhao handed the pastries over to a maidservant to take inside the room first, then followed Eldest Master Ning to leave.
The hubbub inside the room erupted even louder when Ning Yunzhao's pastries were delivered.
"Eldest sister, look how much Yunzhao thinks of you."
"Eldest Madam, what's most important is not the daughter-in-law, but the son."
"Yes, as long as the son is filial, anything else is trivial."
"Eldest sister, what you need to do now is not to push your son away, but to hold onto him; otherwise, aren't you just making it easy for others?"
...............….
In the room of Eldest Madam Ning, the women spoke with meaningful and earnest advice, but the matters described in Eldest Master Ning's study were quite simple.
Because the matter was indeed simple, the initial meetup was joined by Old Lady Fang, followed by the appearance of the Jinyiwei—it was certainly no coincidence.
"So we simply had a pot of wine in the plum grove, and everyone dispersed," Ning Yunzhao said, "The Jinyiwei also had drinks in the plum grove, so they didn't say anything."
It was far from being a pleasurable experience.
Eldest Master Ning seemed to imagine the scene at the time, and his expression was very displeased.
"This was expected. Thousand-Man Commander Lu isn't likely to let this go," Ning Yunzhao spoke again, "But after all, this is Yangcheng. Many guests in Luomei Pavilion saw Miss Jun, and even more people came after hearing the news. Although Old Lady Fang came casually, her guards were not casual, so there's no need to worry about any threats from the Jinyiwei to Miss Jun. I personally escorted Miss Jun and Old Lady Fang home, and only returned after seeing them enter the door…"
"Just like that?" Eldest Master Ning interrupted him, frowning.
Ning Yunzhao nodded.
"Just like that, no need to worry…" he said.
"Who's worried about that!" Eldest Master Ning interrupted again, "You mean to say that even with such an opportunity, you didn't talk to her about getting married?"
Such an opportunity? Ning Yunzhao was momentarily stunned. What kind of opportunity?
"The Jinyiwei have already come to our doorstep, indicating Lu Yunqi is making his move. You must get married to put an end to all this," Eldest Master Ning said with widened eyes, "How can you be so foolish to not say anything? This was actually a more solemn opportunity than before."
Ning Yunzhao was taken aback and then laughed. It did sound like an opportunity, but…
He thought of the Old Lady sitting beside him, eagerly and seriously asking him about every detail of the palace examination.
"I need to understand clearly. Our Chengyu has no hope in this lifetime, though if he went to take the exam, he could probably become a top scholar, but Chengyu's son will definitely take the exam. I need to inquire clearly on his behalf," she said earnestly.
"He can still ask me at that time," Ning Yunzhao replied earnestly with a smile.
"That will be so long ago, who knows if you'll still remember," Old Lady Ning laughed heartily.
It's not that he didn't respect the elderly, but after so long, he should remember better than her, right?
Eldest Master Ning laughed.
"Do you see it now?" he said, "This Old Lady Fang is doing it on purpose."
He shouldn't be considered foolish, Ning Yunzhao smiled silently.
"So, you cannot delay any longer," Eldest Master Ning slapped the table, his expression serious, "The Fang Family isn't foolish either."
Such a deity should not be let go by any fool.
"Indeed as ruthless and unprincipled as ever, Old Lady Fang who disregards all familial ties," Eldest Master Ning said, with a hint of anger, "Having already gained so many benefits from Miss Jun, she still monopolizes her without letting go; truly shameless."
He said, taking a step forward.
"Since she's disrespectful due to her age, making things difficult for a young person like you, I will not be polite. I'll personally go to the Fang Family to discuss your marriage with Miss Jun."
............…
"Of course, I know Ning Yunzhao isn't foolish."
Meanwhile, in the Yangcheng Fang Family residence, Old Lady Fang also became agitated.
Sitting in front of her was Fang Chengyu, but unlike Eldest Master Ning asking Ning Yunzhao, it was Fang Chengyu who came to question her.
To say questioning is a courtesy, Fang Chengyu was probably interrogating.
"Of course, I know the Ning Family isn't foolish. They are very aware of why I also happened to go to Luomei Pavilion today," Old Lady Fang said with a cold smile, "They're not foolish, do they think we are? Don't forget how they treated Jun Zhenzhen initially, ignoring the marriage and avoiding it like a poison, and now that Jun Zhenzhen has become very different from before, bringing so many benefits, they shamelessly want to talk about the marriage, truly shameless."
She said, also standing up and taking a step forward.
"If they have no shame, why should I be polite to them?"
The past matters.
When Jun Zhenzhen first came to Yangcheng, she went straight to the Ning Family claiming there was a marriage agreement but was turned away at their door, regarded as a disgrace, laughed at by all of Yangcheng.
Back then, he too was laughing at the spectacle, not just him...
Fang Chengyu looked at Old Lady Fang.
"Grandmother, it wasn't just the Ning Family who ignored everything back then," he said.
In fact, the Fang Family did also.
Old Lady Fang's voice abruptly halted.
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Have a great weekend!