“Yes, thank you so much, grandmother.” Qin Yining looked gratefully at née Ma and swung her hand.
She’d missed out greatly on elderly love in her youth. Nothing needed to be said about the old dowager. Even with née Zheng, the Duchess of Ding, some personal gain had been mixed into their relationship. When Qin Yining had first returned home and her mother disliked her, the fourth miss’ maternal grandmother had tried to instill some sense in her mother. However, this wasn’t solely because the elderly woman liked her. It was also to help consolidate her mother’s position in the Qin household.
One of the few to be unconditionally kind to her was née Ma. Qin Yining could very clearly sense hostility, enmity, as well as goodwill. The elderly woman had felt like an old friend even back when Qin Yining’s marriage to Pang Xiao was still up in the air.
“Silly child, we’re all one family. What’re you thanking me for? It’s me who has to thank you. You have to suffer with our Dafu at such a young age.” Née Ma tugged Qin Yining over to the heated platform next to the window. “Tell the servants whatever you’d like to eat. Have them make it all. You come tell me if Dafu isn't good to you or bullies you. I’ll beat him for you!”
Amused by his grandmother’s show of favor, Pang Xiao threw a mock-tantrum by née Ma’s side. “My position in this family is becoming ever lower. Even grandmother likes only my darling now.”
“Off with you, you wild brat! Your skin is so thick and coarse that you wouldn’t even feel a pinprick! My lass is soft and tender, of course I like her more.” Née Ma merrily shoved aside her grandson’s face.
Qin Yining burst into giggles, and even the smoking Yao Chenggu grinned broadly. Only née Yao remained smiling thinly.
Chapter 425.2: Protecting the Wife
Qin Yining continued chatting with her grandmother-in-law for a while. “It’s still early, I’m thinking of summoning the servants to the front hall for a chat. What do you think, grandmother?”
Née Ma nodded with a smile and was about to agree when née Yao preempted her.
“There’s no rush for that. You’re still not feeling all that well, so it’s better that you rest. Things have been established long enough that they run on their own. You just take your time to ease into them. Your health comes first.”
“Your mother-in-law is absolutely right,” agreed née Ma. “I almost forgot after all this conversation! You go on now and get some rest. I’ll get them to send you some tonic soup in a moment.”
Qin Yining smiled and nodded, not taking née Yao’s veiled animosity to heart. She responded meekly, “That sounds good. I will take my leave now then.”
“Go on, get some rest.”
Qin Yining rose and curtsied to her elders.
Pang Xiao cast a long, meaningful look at his mother, but burst into a sudden smile when the others looked his way.
“Grandfather, mom, I’d rather not my dear over exert herself. What if we have her focus on the Park of Resplendent Radiance in the future? Since mom likes to stay busy, the rest of the properties in the manor can be overseen by her as usual. From now on, the park and the manor shall be independently managed as two separate systems.”
Color drained from née’s Yao face. “Dafu, what do you mean by this?”
“Nothing at all, just precisely what I said. Mom’s in fine health and able-bodied. Managing the different quarters of the manor helps her while away the time. My dear is young and frail. This would be an act of consideration for her, so why don’t you help me out, mom?”
The prince turned to Zhao Kunjia’s wife. “You no longer need to wait on the princess consort, nor do you need to visit the Park of Resplendent Radiance. Just hand over the verification tokens for the park to the princess consort.”
Missus Zhao cast a hesitant look at née Yao.
The old madame’s expression turned stiff. “The park is part of the manor! Having separate verification tokens for that property isn’t keeping with custom!”
“Mother, customs are established by people. Although my dear’s inexperienced, she’s more than capable of overseeing the affairs at a single residence. That way, we wouldn’t need to ask for servants by mom’s side to help keep things in order. You can’t afford to not have Missus Zhao by your side.”
Qin Yining’s brows furrowed at that declaration.
She was well-aware of née Yao’s selective wariness and hostility, in particular when she’d almost taken over affairs management of the manor before. Qin Yining could understand her mother-in-law’s distrust, that she was reluctant to relinquish her authority.
Approval would be forthcoming in the long run! If née Yao didn’t want her in charge, so be it.
However, her husband sticking out his neck for her was wholly unexpected.
If things were done the way Pang Xiao desired, the Park of Resplendent Radiance and the rest of the manor quarters would be run as separate domains. If the word got out, it’d sound like they’d split the family!
Née Yao endured a lot of trouble to give birth to—and rear—Pang Xiao. No sooner had her son married than he fought for his wife’s rights in the family! Wouldn’t that enrage née Yao further, and incur more resentment against her?
Pang Xiao meant well by what he did. He just couldn’t bear seeing her being demeaned.
Qin Yining pursed her dainty lips and cast a beseeching look at née Ma and Yao Chenggu.
She could tell that née Ma wore her heart on her sleeve, and was decisive and forward in her dealings. Yao Chenggu and his daughter, on the other hand, were the same calculating and guarded sort.
The difference between father and daughter was that in his advanced age, Yao Chenggu could no longer be bothered with the frivolities of worldly affairs. The fact that he was a man also made him more reasonable, open-minded and understanding.
Née Yao, after all, was a woman, and once a serving girl in the Pang household. Verily, Qin Yining was reluctant to doubt her mother-in-law’s character, but the younger generation would never know how née Yao managed to give birth to a son with Pang Zhongzheng, and how she was later banished by Madame Pang. All things considered, née Yao was more than just a pretty face, considering her rise in life and ability to secure her son’s safety.
A woman with this sort of background knew only too well the intrigue and plotting rampant in wealthy and powerful families. She would be accustomed to the ploys to get what she wanted, and would have a lot more pages about duplicitous scheming in her playbook than her father would.
Née Yao naturally wanted to hang onto power out of fear that her future would be at risk, now that Qin Yining had come after her, and on the heels of taking her son away!
Worry and anxiety robbed Qin Yining’s face of its radiance. The sight made née Ma’s heart ache.
She’d always felt that her daughter was excessively obsessed with certain matters. By putting her new daughter-in-law into a difficult position and inciting her son into rebellion, she must feel just terrible.
It would be many more times worse for Qin Yining, stuck in the middle!
“Very well, let’s go with Dafu’s plan.” Yao Chenggu put down his tobacco pouch. “Let lass Yi get acclimated and settled in. She can pace herself and recuperate as she slowly takes things over.”
The connotations of “settling in” rang out more deeply than the words let on.
Pang Xiao understood that as well. “I have the same thing in mind. Helping darling Yi settle in will take some time. It’d help with building a clean break and my dear will benefit from the learning experience. So be it, then. Missus Zhao will deliver the verification tokens later. Your grandson will take his leave now.”
Pang Xiao bowed to his grandparents and strode out, Qin Yining’s hands in his.
Née Yao’s body, tense from the airs she was putting on, deflated immediately as soon as the two left. Shoulders sagged, she sobbed, “This is a typical example of the son forgetting his mom after he gets married! Daughter Yi’s great and everythi
ng, but he can’t just…”
“Oh, shut your mouth! Don’t you know this is all your fault?” Née Ma snapped. “You’re the mother-in-law and here you are, making things difficult for a sixteen-year-old lass! Some kind of family elder that makes you! What would the girl’s parents think if they found out? You’re a mother yourself. Your face should be burning with your ridiculous behavior!”
Chapter 426.1: Bias
Née Yao flushed beet red from the lecture. She didn’t know how to respond.
Words tumbled out like spilled beans from the furious née Ma. She recounted past deeds with relish.
“You think you’re so smart. Do you take everyone else for a fool? You never listen to me! I didn't want you to be a maid in a noble house to begin with—it’s not like we couldn’t afford to raise you. But you wanted to go out and see the world. And then what? Your entire life was affected!
“Look at what you were boasting about a while ago, how you’ve seen too much of those heartless old hags in the old Pang Manor to do anything they ever did. You said you’d never be an evil mother-in-law, but look at what you’re doing now!
“Our Dafu may be in a high position and wield a lot of power, but how many families in similar positions would actually marry off their daughter to power?
“Minister Qin is a modern Zhuge Liang. He chose us not because of Dafu’s power. The minister himself will be joining the council in the future, does he need to trade the apple of his eye for power?
“Just look at the ridiculous mess your son’s caught up in! He’s a good child alright, but anyone marrying him will suffer no end of fear and fright.
“Have you forgotten how it felt to worry at home whenever he marched out with the army, constantly afraid that some accident would happen? There are so many enemies staring at Dafu’s back, and His Majesty’s one of them. Have you forgotten when we were brought into the palace as hostages?
“Look at things now. They walked into the palace with their own two feet on the second day of their marriage, but lass Yi came back carried by others. Do you really believe her when she says she’s short on blood? That’s her being mature and not wanting her elders to worry!
“Your son is such an awful match and the lass has suffered so much right after joining our family. But instead of treating her well, you fight her for attention! You’re more than forty years old, can you grow up already? When will you be more sensible??”
Née Ma fully vented her feelings, both angry and bittersweet when she recalled the past.
She was a straightforward and frank sort who’d never hurt a fly. Naturally, she despised those with a crooked heart. Yet her daughter was precisely this kind of person!
Was she evil? Not quite, she didn’t actually commit any villainous acts.
Was she kind? She’d come back from the noble house with the schemes and tricks that should stay in families like those. The perspective with which she considered things was vastly different from before.
Tears trickled down when née Yao heard her mother start the litany of crimes with being a maid in the Pang household. At the end of the all, she wept like a child.
“Mom, even if I did wrong that year, I really couldn’t help myself. I’ll tell you the truth—I liked Pang Zhongzheng. But we’re just an ordinary family, so what else could I do other than be his maid? Though I didn’t get a proper place in the family, I had Dafu! He’s my son with my loved one!”
“And that’s some sort of proper logic to you?” Née Ma looked incredulously at her daughter. “You like someone, so you go be their maid? And then you volunteer to be their bedwarmer?”
Her hand itched to fly over in a hearty smack on the cheek, but quick-witted Yao Chenggu stopped his wife.
“Alright, alright. It’s been so many years. It’s now thanks to Dafu that our days are looking up. There’s nothing bad about this. And we’re talking about the lass now, aren’t we?”
Née Ma huffed angrily at her daughter and bit off, “What else is there to talk about with the lass? She's earned enough bad luck for eight lifetimes after marrying into our family and getting you as her mother-in-law. No wonder your son’s setting himself against you! The mere sight of you makes me angry!”
Née Yao lowered her head from the censure, further irritating her mother. Née Ma charged outside and grabbed a stave in the yard, spinning and mock-attacking with gusto. The wind howled as the stave danced like a tiger.
Only father and daughter were left in the house. Née Yao sniffled, “Dad, you be the judge of this all. Is mom right when she says all that? Setting aside Dafu’s matter, have I shorted the Qin girl on anything?
“I didn’t say I wouldn’t give her the verification tokens. It’s just that she’s just joined our family, so I should have some time to judge her character, no? But look at how Dafu did things! He almost split our family in two! He’s turned into that king of the Shang Dynasty after bringing a beauty home, the one who lost himself in drinking and women to the abandonment of everything else! Dad, wouldn’t you be mad at this!”
Yao Chenggu took a long pull on his pipe and shook his head. “You can’t say it like that now. There are places where you did wrong as well. Having joined our family, the lass is one of us. You know Dafu’s eye for people. If she really wasn’t a good sort, would our Dafu fall in love with her, being how smart she is?
“Didn't you hear what Xu Weizhi and the others said? They say she’s very smart, that she can accomplish great things even without strategists by her side. The plan she thought of to help Dafu was better than any that his followers and strategists came up with. With such a wise wife, why do you keep butting heads with her?”
Grievances filled née Yao when she heard this. “Dad, why are you helping outsiders as well? You don’t care about my sadness at all.”
“Outsiders?” Yao Chenggu tapped his brass pipe on the edge of the heated platform. “She’s part of the family after she crossed the threshold. You need to treat her like your own child from the bottom of your life. You don’t have a daughter, so it’s like you suddenly gained one. Isn’t that good? The lass is also a very likable child.
“If you keep thinking this way and keep viewing her as an outsider, then I say one day Dafu will also treat you like an outsider.”
Chapter 426.2: Bias
Née Yao’s tears trickled down her cheeks. “That’s why I'm sad. He’s treating me like this over a woman! Does he not remember at all the sacrifices I've made for him all these years?? He’s forgotten how I’ve protected and raised him up ‘til now!”
Yao Chenggu was both anguished and angry to see his crying daughter thus.
“Alright, alright. Don’t cry. Just do as Dafu wishes for now. I’ll talk this over with your mom later on and see how we go about this in the future.”
What else could née Yao do but nod?
She knew that her dad’s words were on the gentle side. If she’d repeated her words to née Ma, it’d be another fiery lecture in store for her.
……
Qin Yining headed back to the Park of Resplendent Radiance, hand-in-hand with Pang Xiao. “You shouldn't have done that. Life hasn't been easy for mom. After all these years, she didn’t marry again out of consideration for you. You should be more filial to her.”
“I know,” sighed Pang Xiao. “I will be properly filial to her. But neither can she treat you like this. It looks to me that she’d still like to hang onto her authority. If she likes to keep the house in order, then let her. All we have to do is close our doors and live our life. You can keep our park in order as much as you like.”
He turned apologetically towards his wife at this point. “My darling, you’re suffering because of me. I want to give the entire manor to you, but that’s my mom. I’m afraid of causing her to be sick with anger.”
“I understand. I don't care whether I’m in charge of a park or the entire manor. I just want the family to get along happily and peacefully. Mom loves and cherishes you, which is why she’s als
o giving me a thorough inspection. I hope you understand her efforts. She’s not doing this to make life hard for me, but because she cares about you.”
Pang Xiao was both touched and delighted to hear his darling speak thus. He wrapped his arm around her slender waist.
Seeing him bend down, Qin Yining immediately understood what he wished to do. She pushed him aside with a reddened face. “What are you doing? We’re outside in broad daylight!”
He’d actually only wanted to hug her, but seeing her cuddle shyly into him after her misunderstanding reminded him of the soul-devouring sensations of last night. Passion gripped him. “You’re right, we can’t do this outside. We need to go back to our house first.”
Crimson flooded her cheeks when she heard his purposeful twisting of her concern.
“You’re awful! How come I’ve never discovered how evil you are!”
“Me? Evil? Oh I can be even more evil.” Pang Xiao huffed onto his finger and attacked her ticklish spots.
Terrified of being tickled, Qin Yining ran all the way back to their room and slammed the door shut.
Leaning on the door, the prince peered into the room through the door crack. “If you won’t let me come in, I’m going to go find some other girl!”
The princess consort burst out laughing at the joke. “Go find another one if you have the ability to!”
“Alright, just you wait.” He turned and left.
The sound of footsteps traveling away worried Qin Yining. She knew he was teasing, but curiosity compelled her to open the door.
Right into Pang Xiao’s smiling face.
“Didn’t, didn’t you leave?”
“I did. I came back when I heard you open the door.” His hand around her waist, Pang Xiao bent down to capture her cherry-red lips. Kicking the door shut with his foot and back, he carried her into the inner room.
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