Picking a Fight

"Sister Ping Ye, I set out the tea set exactly as Nanny Yuan instructed, but my Great-Aunt is very dissatisfied, and there's nothing I can do about it."

The girl had suffered some grievances at Lu Jia's place for several days, and she cried and sobbed in front of Ping Ye.

Ping Ye wiped away her tears, gave her a piece of rose-steamed cake, and said, "Don't cry anymore. I'll go and report to Madam right away. She'll handle it."

"Ping Ye."

The girl took the pastries and wiped her face with a handkerchief.

She wasn't originally a maidservant to serve her master, but she didn't expect that Eldest Aunt Jia would be so difficult to serve. The three days she spent there felt like she was being fried in a pan of oil for three days.

Ping Ye carried a set of blue and white porcelain tea set to the upper room.

Zhu Qing was talking to Lin Yunwan at this moment. "The Heir Apparent went to the Side Courtyard, saying he was looking for Young Master Qing. I don't know why the Heir Apparent in such a hurry. After all, it's the Courtyard where the women live. Couldn't he have just sent some maid Matron in? Why did he have to barge in himself?"

"Madam, why has the Heir Apparent suddenly become so unruly?"

She felt a sense of schadenfreude, thinking she had caught Ge Bao'er red-handed.

Lin Yunwan, however, said, "He's always been unruly."

Otherwise, they wouldn't have done something as shameless as making her raise someone else's son.

Zhu Qing was startled and didn't dare to reply.

Why did you scold the Heir Apparent as well, Madam?

"Madam, the Great-Aunt who serves the young lady has arrived."

Ping Ye came in, put down the tea set, and explained the situation, "My Eldest Aunt doesn't like this tea set and is making a fuss about changing it."

Zhu Qing glanced at the tea set and said, "Isn't this good? It even has a pattern symbolizing good fortune and many children, which has a good meaning. Why is my Eldest Aunt being so picky?"

Ping Ye had no idea; she also felt that Eldest Aunt Jia was deliberately picking a fight.

She then added, "That girl said that Eldest Aunt Jia was being picky about the bed last night."

Zhu Qing laughed, "Does she expect someone to change her bed?"

That's impossible.

Lin Yunwan knew she was mocking Lu Jia.

Before Lu Jia got married, Zhu Qing was Lu Zhengliu's maid. She was always proud and arrogant, and she was quite flamboyant in the manor. With Lu Jia's personality, how could she tolerate a maid being so arrogant in front of her?

Zhu Qing must have suffered at her hands as well.

Zhu Qing seemed very happy to see Lu Jia and her mother-in-law, Old Madam Xia, again.

Zhu Qing was indeed pleased, her face beaming with a smile that seemed to enjoy the drama, "Madam, it seems that the Eldest Aunt isn't criticizing the food itself, but rather she's trying to find fault with you."

"Then let's change it for her."

Lin Yunwan didn't want to get entangled with Lu Jia over such a trivial matter.

Zhu Qing's face stiffened for a moment, then she said sincerely, "Madam, I'm not trying to use you as a pawn, but I know my Eldest Aunt- law better than you do. If you keep tolerating her, she'll only take advantage of you."

"Today she changes the tea set, tomorrow the bed, the day after the maid and the Courtyard, and you're going to go through all that trouble with her?"

Lin Yunwan said calmly, "It's not my place to teach her a lesson. With Old Madam Xia around, she wouldn't dare do anything in the Lu family."

It's just making a fuss over some trivial matters.

Zhu Qing thought about it and agreed with Lin Yunwan, so she said, "Madam is indeed very thoughtful."

Lin Yunwan was busy planning to sell the shops included in her dowry and didn't have time to deal with Lu Jia. She instructed Ping Ye, "Take my token and go to the storeroom to get a set of Qilin cups for the Eldest Aunt. Remember the first volume."

She glanced at the set on the table and said, "Return it to the storeroom."

"Yes."

Finally, she added, "If Old Madam Xia is here, avoid her and don't let her see this tea set." Given the Old Madam's personality, she probably wouldn't like her daughter-in-law living a lavish lifestyle upon returning to the Marquis's Residence.

"This servant understands."

Ping Ye picked up the tea set and went out to handle the matter. She made two trips, personally delivering the tea set to Eldest Aunt Jia —in case there were any other troublesome requests, she would reply to them all at once, so as not to scold the girl to tears again and again.

She brought a set of Qilin cups to Lu Jia's side. Because they were glass cups, they shimmered in the sunlight, and the girls who passed by couldn't help but take a few more glances.

"Be careful, don't bump into me."

The maids quickly moved away; this cup was more precious than their lives, and they dared not break it.

As soon as Ping Ye arrived near the Side Chamber where Lu Jia was staying, she saw Old Madam Xia coming out of the Main House.

"Oops."

Remembering Lin Yunwan's words, she turned her back, wanting to go out and hide.

To everyone's surprise, Lu Jia also came out of the Side Chamber and shouted, "Stop!"

Ping Ye, holding the glass cup, turned around and stood still, calling out softly, "Eldest Aunt."

Lu Jia stormed over, "Why are you running away when you see me?" She saw the cup in the maid's hand and knew it was brought for her, so she frowned and asked, "If it's being brought, why are you running back?"

"Eldest Aunt..." Your mother-in-law is here!

Before Ping Ye could explain, Lu Jia sneered, "What? Just because I'm not the mistress of this mansion, does that give you the right to be disrespectful?"

She glared at Ping Ye, her eyes hardening. "If it weren't for the fact that you're carrying this Qilin Cup set, I would have slapped you twice!"

Ping Ye: "..."

Whom do you want to slap twice?

Old Madam Xia stepped down the steps and looked coldly at Lu Jia.

Upon hearing the sound, Lu Jia's expression changed. Turning around, she saw her mother-in-law standing on the steps, her eyes sweeping over her. Lu Jia's face immediately turned pale.

"Mother-in-law..."

Old Madam Xia walked over and said, "Have you always been this loud and harsh towards the maids in the Lu family?"

Lu Jia chuckled awkwardly, "No, no. Mother-in-law has misunderstood. Your daughter-in-law is just..."

"What? I saw it all! You have absolutely no morals!"

Old Madam Xia glanced at the teacup in Ping Ye's hand, then looked coldly at Lu Jia and said, "Everyone uses blue and white porcelain teacups, why can't you use one? Do you insist on using a glass one to drink tea?"

"Do you still feel that coming from the Lu family to my Xia family is a disservice to you?"

Lu Jia panicked and lowered her head, saying, "Mother-in-law, that's not what I meant."

Looking at Ping Ye, Old Madam Xia said gently, "Go back and just send her a new set of the cups I use. The Xia family isn't used to these kinds of things."

"... Yes." Ping Ye left, still shaken.

Upon exiting the Courtyard, they saw the Eldest Aunt standing Courtyard as punishment, with the maids around her not daring to utter a sound. The Great-Aunt's face was extremely grim.

"Alas, I meant well, but who knew that Eldest Aunt wouldn't appreciate it? You've shot yourself in the foot."

Ping Ye returned to the Drooping Silk Hall, quite moved. She had listened to the madam's words and clearly wanted to help her Eldest Aunt. Who knew that her Eldest Aunt would harm herself?

Zhu Qing smiled and said, "What Madam said is absolutely right."

With Old Madam Xia keeping an eye on her, Lu Jia couldn't cause any trouble at all.

Within half an hour, news of Lu Jia's punishment had spread throughout the entire Wuding Marquis Residence. She was a married woman of many years, yet she was still being punished by her mother-in-law; it was truly shameful.

After dark, she ran to Old Madam Lu's place to cry and complain about Lin Yunwan's faults.

Lin Yunwan heard that Xia family's uncle had agreed to help, so she came to inquire about it and happened to overhear the conversation outside.