Smack-
Song Yutang delivered a backhanded slap. "The grandson of a lowly concubine really can't be shown in polite company, his head full of filthy thoughts. My sister-in-law and I clearly went to discuss business. How did that turn into chasing flowers and willows in your mouth?"
This was the strategy she and Wen Jingyan had agreed on in the car.
They would define seeking out male models as discussing business.
After all, discussing business at clubs was normal in this day and age.
If men could go, so could women.
"Discuss business?" Jiang Sinian clutched his burning cheek, so furious that he spoke without thinking. "Wen Jingyan clearly went looking for men. She said so herself."
Song Yutang regarded him with perfect composure. "Oh? How do you know what she said herself? Were you there?"
Jiang Sinian abruptly choked on his words.
He couldn't admit that he had argued with Wen Jingyan over Jiang Shiya's underwear, much less admit that he had sent someone to follow her.
Beside him, Jiang Shiya's gaze darted about too, afraid of being implicated.
Seeing this, Chen Ruyin hurriedly chimed in, leaving insinuations hanging. "What business could two women possibly discuss at a place like that late at night? Who knows what shameful dealings they've been up to outside?"
Song Yutang swept her a casual glance. "We were only out for two hours, and old Concubine Grandma has already decided we were engaged in shameful dealings. Then what filthy dealings did you get up to, Concubine Grandma, spending all those years abroad alone and marrying four times?"
Chen Ruyin choked with anger. "You..."
Wen Jingyan spoke coldly as well. "Concubine Grandma, if you don't know how to speak properly, shut your mouth. If you have any sense of shame, go kneel in the ancestral hall and reflect on yourself instead of embarrassing us younger generations."
Ever since she married into this family, she had suffered more open and covert exclusion than she could count.
Because she loved Jiang Sinian, because of so-called dignity and good breeding, she had swallowed her anger for the past three years.
But now, seeing Song Yutang go berserk at the slightest disagreement, Wen Jingyan didn't want to endure it anymore either.
Against these remnants of feudalism, fighting poison with poison was indeed a good approach.
Jiang Qingyu's face darkened on the spot. "How dare you speak like that? She's your grandmother."
Wen Jingyan said mildly, "It's precisely because she's my husband's grandmother that I'm bothering to say a few words. Every time she opens her mouth, it's filth and impropriety, spewing obscenities at her age. You may not care about your dignity, but as your granddaughter-in-law, I still care about mine."
Left speechless by her retort, Jiang Qingyu shot Jiang Sinian a vicious glare.
Feeling humiliated, Jiang Sinian roared at Wen Jingyan, "Who gave you the nerve to talk back to Grandma and Dad like that? You're from the countryside, all right, just as ill-bred as Song Yutang. Apologize this instant."
Wen Jingyan lowered her head and toyed with her freshly done nails, utterly unruffled. "Sister-in-law was right. If the elders in this family want us younger generations to sincerely respect them, they must first cultivate their character and conduct themselves properly. If someone behaves like a concubine at her age, naturally, we can only treat her as a concubine."
Chen Ruyin's eyes reddened, and she couldn't help breaking into sobs. "Why is my life so bitter? When I was young, my family forced me apart from Brother Kun. I was even forced to part from the son I carried for ten months. Now that our family has finally reunited and my grandson has married, his wife insults and slanders me in front of everyone. I might as well die..."
The racket gave the old master a headache, and he couldn't help glancing at her.
She had maintained herself extremely well. Her figure was still slender and her features beautiful; people would have believed her if she claimed to be in her forties.
Now, weeping like pear blossoms drenched in rain, looking soft and fragile, she did inspire some pity.
But she was over sixty, after all.
The two granddaughters-in-law before him, meanwhile, were only in their twenties, one dignified and noble, the other radiant and composed.
By comparison, Chen Ruyin really did carry herself like a concubine.
She was already a grandmother, yet a granddaughter-in-law who had married into the family was pointing at her nose and calling her frivolous. Even the old master felt embarrassed.
He rubbed his temples helplessly. "Stop arguing, all of you. What exactly happened?"
Song Yutang's expression instantly turned grave. "Grandpa, I accompanied my sister-in-law to discuss business tonight, and someone targeted us as soon as we arrived at the club. Secret filming, harassment, deliberate framing, malicious editing... They were clearly trying to fabricate a scandal. I'm just a new bride in this family. Even if my reputation is ruined, at worst, I can get divorced and leave. What worries me is that they aren't just after me, but are trying to get leverage over the Jiang Family with ill intentions."
Seeing the old master actually frown, Jiang Qingyu and his son exchanged glances, both growing a little panicked.
It wasn't anything major, but if the investigation led back to them, then all those things they had done before...
Yet Wen Jingyan added more fuel to the fire. "Grandpa, the owner behind that club... is Commander Gu's youngest grandson. Someone trying to target our Jiang Family actually dared reach into the Gu Family's territory and run wild... The force behind this probably has quite a formidable background."
Cold sweat instantly broke out across Jiang Qingyu's and Jiang Sinian's backs.
Of course they knew that club's background.
They had thought that as long as they acted discreetly, they wouldn't alarm the people behind it.
They hadn't expected...
Not only had those people been alerted, they had even handed all the surveillance footage and statements to Song Yutang.
The old master said nothing. His gaze suddenly shifted slowly toward Jiang Qingyu. "Qingyu, this matter... what do you think?"
"Dad, I..."
Jiang Qingyu forced himself to remain calm and was just about to speak when Chen Ruyin cut in shrilly. "What Gu Family? It's clearly their own improper behavior that gave someone leverage over them, and now they're turning around and blaming others. Brother Kun, you mustn't let them fool you."
Song Yutang gave her a cold glance. "Our family is being schemed against and framed, yet all you can think about is this filth. You really are a mistress unfit for polite company. Someone, drag old Concubine Grandma to the ancestral hall to serve the ancestors for seven days. Let the ancestors' incense thoroughly cleanse the filth from her mind. At a time when the family is in peril, we cannot tolerate anyone sowing discord and disgracing our family."
"Yutang, don't be ridiculous." Seeing that Blondie was actually itching to act, the old master hurriedly spoke up.
"Grandpa, this isn't ridiculous. On the surface, tonight's incident targeted my sister-in-law and me, but someone is actually trying to shake the Jiang Family's foundations. They could tamper with things on the Gu Family's territory, buy off paparazzi, incite thugs, and meticulously frame us. What does that tell us? It tells us they know the Jiang Family's movements like the backs of their hands, that they know every person and affair within our family inside out, and perhaps... they even have spies right here in our home."
Song Yutang's every word was a blade. "Grandpa, if they can brazenly frame your granddaughter-in-law today, tomorrow they can frame you without restraint. If they dare run wild on the Gu Family's territory today, tomorrow they'll dare tamper with the Jiang Family's businesses. Today, they want to destroy the Jiang Family's reputation. Tomorrow, what they seek to seize may be the legacy our family has built over a century."
Her words shook the old master to his core, his expression shifting repeatedly.
Song Yutang pointed at the indistinct figure of Gu Zheng in the video and spun her tale freely. "This is Young Master Gu. We merely happened to meet him at the club and exchanged greetings, yet someone with ulterior motives twisted it into a secret rendezvous with a male model. If it's mistaken for you using your granddaughter-in-law to set a honey trap for blackmail, I'm afraid the Gu Family won't let the matter rest."
She drew a deep breath, her voice growing even more solemn. "Grandpa, when Young Master Gu handed me the surveillance footage and statements, he said only one thing-'I'll see this through to the end.' They've reached too far and crossed a line they should never have touched. Ultimately, this matter arose because of our Jiang Family. If we don't give Young Master Gu a satisfactory account, we may very well incur the Gu Family's displeasure and become their target."
Wen Jingyan glanced at Song Yutang in some surprise.
She had actually passed an ordinary male model off as Young Master Gu.
She was using the Gu Family's influence to force the old master to uncover the truth, and he would have to provide a reasonable account too.
Sure enough, after hearing this, the old master's face darkened completely. "Butler Wang, investigate what happened tonight. I'd like to see just who dares reach so far."
Jiang Qingyu and Jiang Sinian looked awful, but neither dared say a word.
The matter had gone from a simple sex scandal to a question of the family's safety.
Moreover, the look the old master had just given them had clearly held scrutiny and suspicion.
Speaking up to refute her now would be confessing without being pressed.
Jiang Muyan had watched the entire thing through the surveillance feed and couldn't help laughing.
Song Yutang's maneuver really had been unexpected.
But he had to admit, she had precisely grasped the old master's Achilles' heel, along with that of the Jiang father and son.
Just then, a notification appeared on his computer screen indicating that extraction was complete. He placed his hand back on the keyboard and lightly pressed the confirmation key.
After all, he had received so much in tips. He would give her a lavish gift.
The next second, a familiar voice rang out in 360-degree surround sound throughout the living room. "Arrange for someone to go over there. Make sure they get evidence of Song Yutang behaving improperly. Ever since that bitch married into the Jiang Family, she's made life difficult for Grandma at every turn and pushed our family aside. Once the scandal breaks, let's see whether that old bastard will still protect her..."