The room was strangely quiet. Jiang Ruan calmly stood in the same spot with a faint smile on her face. However, her gaze seemed to penetrate a layer of sadness. Compared to Jiang Su Su's pitiful demeanor, her quietness made people want to probe deeper.
Xia Yan's smile had already frozen on her face, and her hands, hidden in her sleeves, were tightly clenched into fists. Jiang Ruan's words did not seem to be a big deal, but she calmly criticized Jiang Su Su's rudeness. Who could make things difficult for a girl who had just returned home and longed for affection? Sure enough, she saw the Old Jiang Madame's gaze soften as she looked at Jiang Ruan. Before Jiang Su Su could react, she heard the Old Jiang Madame's displeased voice ring out, "Su niang, your Da Jiejie has just returned home. It is only right and proper for her to visit me, her grandmother. You are not allowed to cause trouble."
Jiang Su Su was momentarily stunned. It was true that her words just now had been deliberately directed at Jiang Ruan, but she was also certain that the Old Jiang Madame would not blame her. All these years, she had been obedient and sensible, and the Old Jiang Madame had doted on her dearly. However, today was the first time that the Old Jiang Madame had gotten angry at her. In the end, she was still young, so Jiang Su Su managed to cover it up with some difficulty. She smiled and said, "I'm sorry, Eldest Sister. Su Su didn't do it on purpose. Eldest Sister, don't be angry, okay?"
"You and I are sisters, how could I be angry?" Jiang Ruan replied gently.
The Old Jiang Madame was even more satisfied and said, "You two sisters must support each other more. Eldest girl has done very well today."
Xia Yan smiled as she stepped forward, "Ruan niang is naturally a good person. However, Ruan niang, I heard that Lin Lang had angered you today. It seems that it was because of a servant, yet you still want Old Furen to stand up for you. What is going on?"
Jiang Su Su was still nestled beside the Old Jiang Madame, but her posture was not as natural as when she had first entered the room. The Old Jiang Madame also looked towards her, obviously waiting for her to say something.
Jiang Ruan then tirelessly recounted the sequence of events that had transpired outside Yan Hua Yuan. Her tone of voice was steady, and she even repeated her conversation with Lin Lang without missing a single word. She did not embellish her story, making it even more convincing. Finished speaking, she looked at the Old Jiang Madame, "Old Madame, when Mother passed away, I was bedridden. I only heard that Zhou momo had left the fu, but I did not expect to see her today. It must have been one of the daring maids who said the wrong thing. It's just that I don't know, Nanny Zhou is my wet nurse, how did she end up like this? "
Xia Yan sighed softly, "Ruan niang, you are still young, and there are some things that I do not wish to tell you. Actually, when Jiejie passed away, Zhou momo did not leave the fu, but rather stole Jiejie's jewelry and prepared to leave. The Jiang fu cannot tolerate servants with dirty hands and feet. Moreover, Zhou momo was your wet nurse. I was afraid that your illness would worsen due to your sadness and disappointment, so I discussed it with Laoye and decided to first punish Zhou momo, and did not tell you." Xia Yan looked at her with sincerity. "Now that I've taught you, Mother apologizes to you. It's just that this servant deserves to be punished. Even if you misunderstand me, I will not regret my initial decision."
Cai Que and Du Juan lowered their heads and listened quietly as they did not have the right to speak here. However, they were secretly thinking that the Madam's words were indeed watertight. After her speech, the Eldest Young Lady had nothing else to say.
Jiang Ruan shook her head, "Although Mother dealt with the servants of Mei Qing Yuan on your own, and did not inform me in these five years, it was all for my sake. How could I blame Mother?"
Xia Yan's expression was somewhat unsightly, but when she saw that Jiang Ruan's expression was even more sincere than hers, as if she had not noticed the hidden sarcasm in her words, she felt even more stifled in her heart. Jiang Ruan continued, "However, there is still one thing that I do not understand, and that is, for a servant who steals their master's money and jewelry, it does not seem that they should be punished with such things as gouging out their eyes and eating night incense. The Jiang family is also considered a scholarly family, how could they do such a bloody thing? "
"Gouging out their eyes and eating night incense?" Old Jiang Madame frowned, "What's going on?" She was a person who prayed to Buddha and had her own opinions on certain matters. She had always turned a blind eye to Xia Yan's methods. She knew that Xia Yan was not a person who was easy to deal with, but she was not like this matron, who usually spoke softly and slowly, who could be so vicious towards a defenceless wet nurse. This had already touched her bottom line.
Xia Yan's voice was still gentle, "It's not like that. Because Zhou momo is Ruan niang's wet nurse, I did not have the heart to punish her too harshly, so I sent her to the washroom. Who knew that Zhou momo would still have the habit of stealing in the washroom? She quarreled with the other servants of the washroom, and her eyes were gouged out. The washroom could no longer tolerate her, and she could only do the work of removing night incense."
"So that's how it is," Jiang Ruan said thoughtfully, "Where is the person who gouged out Zhou momo's eyes now?"
"They have already been beaten and expelled from the fu." Xia Yan said, "As for eating night incense, that was that girl Lin Lang's own idea. I have already ruthlessly taught her a lesson."
With this series of actions, it appeared that she was virtuous and considerate, and that she also took the overall situation into consideration. There was not a single aspect that was not right; it was all Jiang Ruan's fault. Jiang Ruan smiled faintly, "Mother is truly kind. If it were me, I would not have done any better. However, since Zhou momo's crime is not to this extent, and now that I have returned, she can still be considered as my Mei Qing Yuan... no, Ruan Ju's person. Can Mother make the decision and grant Ruan niang's request? "
Without waiting for Xia Yan to speak, Jiang Su Su had already called out, "Da Jiejie, you want Zhou momo to return to your courtyard, aren't you afraid that she will steal things?"
"Ruan niang, I know that you are a kind-hearted child, but Zhou momo's moral character is indeed not suitable to accompany you. Moreover, she is blind, and in Ruan Ju, she would only be an idler. Could it be that you want to raise a servant to serve you? Wouldn't the Jiang fu become a joke? Doesn't Old Madame also think so? "
"That's right." Old Jiang Madame nodded.
Jiang Ruan said, "It is precisely for the Jiang fu that I am doing this. The Jiang fu has always been clear about right and wrong, and their conduct is also extremely disciplined. Now, Zhou momo, a perfectly fine person, has had her eyes gouged out under everyone's noses. Next time, will it be someone else? Will it be more than just a pair of eyes? If this gets out, how will everyone view our Jiang fu? They will only say that the Jiang fu is in a mess, and that Mother has not managed the household well. If Zhou momo's hands and feet are really unclean in Ruan Ju, I will be the first to send her to the yamen. If she can turn over a new leaf, it can be considered as fulfilling the fate of master and servant. Moreover, it is not that a blind person cannot do anything. In this world, there are many things that are born blind, but they still live well, don't they? "
Seeing that the Old Jiang Madame's expression had somewhat loosened, and listening to the overt and covert mockery of her having not managed the household well, Xia Yan frowned, "But this does not make sense."
"Mother," Jiang Ruan interrupted her words, and indifferently said, "Everything has a cause and effect. Even if it is for the sake of good karma in the next life, it is best not to increase evil karma in this life."
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