Chapter 323 Look, How Hypocritical

Chapter 323 Look, How Hypocritical

Oh, are you going to put on a show again?

Then I'll accompany you in a good performance.

Zheng Jinyu glanced at Fang Erya, who was standing awkwardly nearby, and smiled as she returned the handshake. "In my heart, you and Sister Erya are the same."

Neither of them is my sister. I don't have any sisters.

Zheng Jinxiu's expression stiffened, and she pulled her hand back, huffing angrily. "How can she be compared to me?"

Madam Zheng looked at her unhappily. "How could you compare Jinxiu to her?"

Fang Erya clenched her fists tightly and bit her lip nervously.

Yes, how could she be compared to Zheng Jinxiu?

Zheng Jinyu blinked at them. "Why can't they be compared? They're biological sisters, both born to Fang Dachuan and Zhao Zhaodi."

Madam Zheng said coldly, "This isn't about blood ties. Jinxiu was raised by the Zheng family and received the upbringing of a noble lady from a prestigious family. Erya grew up in the countryside like a wild girl. How can she be compared to a daughter raised by the Zheng family?"

Zheng Jinxiu glanced at her with a sneer on her lips, making one want to slap her.

Zheng Jinyu put away her smile and said indifferently, "Mother, did you forget that I also grew up as a wild girl in the countryside? Am I also unworthy to be compared to your daughter?"

Madam Zheng's face turned stiff. "You... Jinyu, why do you think like that? You're my daughter, naturally different from someone like Erya."

"How are we different? Blood? But Mother said blood doesn't matter. Your Zheng Jinxiu and Erya share the same blood. Why is one noble and the other lowly?"

Madam Zheng hurried to explain, "That's different. Jinxiu was raised by me, while Erya is just a wild girl from the countryside."

"I'm also a wild girl from the countryside."

"Then..." It came back to this?

Madam Zheng was confused by her words and became flustered.

Finally, she said angrily, "Jinyu, are you doing this on purpose?"

Zheng Jinyu calmly replied, "Mother, I'm only speaking the truth."

"You can't talk to Mother like that."

"How should I speak then? Mother, I've always respected you. If it weren't for you pushing me to the limit..."

Madam Zheng was stunned, opening and closing her mouth but unable to say a word.

Zheng Jinyu looked at Zheng Jinxiu, who wore a smug expression, and said, "You have every reason to be pleased. You won because you got everything. But I don't understand why you have to flaunt your victory in front of me. Showing off what you have and I don't—does that give you a sense of accomplishment?"

Zheng Jinxiu's smile froze.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I didn't show off anything."

Madam Zheng frowned and called out to her with a warning tone, "Jinyu."

Zheng Jinyu looked at Zheng Jinxiu and said calmly, "How can you say you didn't show off? From the moment I entered the Zheng family, you started showing off. Even though I was the one who suffered in the countryside, I didn't cry. Yet you cried so pitifully, drawing everyone's attention.

Everyone should have been concerned about me, but because you cried louder, they all went to comfort you and left me aside. Wasn't that a form of showing off? I will never forget the triumphant smile you gave me when the whole family surrounded you to comfort you, leaving me alone. It was the same smug smile you had just now."

Zheng Jinxiu froze.

Madam Zheng suddenly turned to look at Zheng Jinxiu.

Zheng Jinxiu hurriedly explained to Madam Zheng, "Mother, I didn't. She's lying. You have to believe me."

But after Zheng Jinyu's reminder, Madam Zheng remembered what happened when Jinyu returned.

When she first met Jinyu, she was thin and small, not particularly likable, but truly pitiable.

She had wanted to comfort Jinyu, but later, when Jinxiu started crying, she forgot about it.

She still remembered that Jinxiu did cry quite a lot that day.

The corner of Zheng Jinyu's mouth curled into a cold smile as she continued, "You offered to take me to the courtyard where I would live, but instead of taking me there to rest, you first went to your own residence. You told me that even though you were a daughter, your courtyard was better than your brothers'.

Your eldest brother personally planted bamboo for you, your second brother built you a separate orchid house, your third brother constructed a warm pavilion for you, and Father and Mother began preparing your dowry from the age of three. You showed me each item of your dowry and kept saying how well they treated you. You're not stupid. Could you really not know how your words hurt me?"

Zheng Jinxiu stood frozen, unsure how to refute her.

Zheng Jinyu didn't give her a chance to respond. In such matters, the winner was the one who spoke faster.

"You mentioned to Father and Mother that you wanted to be sent back. But they said they'd rather not bring me home than send you back, right?"

She asked this question to Madam Zheng.

Madam Zheng's face turned pale. "How could that be possible? There's no such thing."

Zheng Jinxiu's expression was terrible, and just as she was about to speak, Zheng Jinyu interrupted her again.

"You took me to a courtyard that wasn't even fit for a concubine or a child born out of wedlock. You wanted to humiliate me with that courtyard and make me see my place. Hmph, do you really think I don't know what you were thinking?"

Zheng Jinxiu's lips trembled as she looked at Madam Zheng.

Madam Zheng remembered that it was indeed Jinxiu's idea to have Jinyu stay in that courtyard.

Jinyu was never foolish; on the contrary, she was very smart, smarter than they had imagined.

Whether it was the intention to show off her dowry or the intention to have her stay in that particular courtyard, Jinyu understood everything clearly.

"Jinyu, your mother was indeed inattentive to you back then."

Back then, Lady Zheng certainly wasn't attentive to her. If she hadn't been outstanding enough to bring her glory, she wouldn't have cared about her until the day she died.

If she had remained like the original host, illiterate and as timid as Fang Erya, her fate would have been the same as the original host's.

She would have stayed cooped up in that cramped courtyard, and when she reached marriageable age, she would have found someone decent to marry.

Following Zheng Jinxiu's advice, she would have married Lu Shen.

Ironically, the original host never mentioned that Lady Zheng thought poorly of Lu Shen. She believed whatever Zheng Jinxiu said and married off her own daughter just like that.

In Zheng Jinxiu's case, however, she repeatedly opposed this marriage. Even after Lu Shen schemed to get Zheng Jinxiu pregnant, she was still trying to send Zheng Jinxiu away.

This showed that she knew the Lus were not a good match and Lu Shen was no good.

How ironic, how utterly ridiculous.

"Mother, was it only me you weren't attentive to?"

"Well..." Today, she had intended to reconcile her two daughters, but what Jinyu said was true.

To Zheng Jinxiu, she said, "Jinxiu, didn't you say you wanted to apologize to Jinyu? You were indeed too willful back then, hurting Jinyu's feelings. You should apologize to her."

Zheng Jinxiu was so angry she nearly ground her teeth to dust.

She had said she would apologize, even kowtow if necessary, but it was all for Lady Zheng's ears.

Now, did she really have to apologize?

"I... I'm sorry. I was indeed too willful back then."