Chapter 211: Ungrateful Person

Chapter 211: Ungrateful Person

Madam Jiang picked up on the meaning behind Lu Lingyun's words.

Her face showed a mix of embarrassment and a forced smile. "Qianzhu is the youngest daughter of my brother."

Madam Jiang's natal family had been demoted out of the Imperial City and now held minor official positions in the provinces.

Madam Jiang had not returned to her natal family for many years, though during the New Year, they would send people to maintain relations. Of all the visitors, Jiang Qianzhu came the most often.

Among all the members of her natal family, Madam Jiang was closest to Jiang Qianzhu, often exchanging letters with her.

Since childhood, she had frequently sent her gifts.

Madam Jiang had only one daughter, Wang Qiluo, who was now married. With no other children—legitimate or otherwise—in her household, she felt a deep sense of emptiness. When Jiang Qianzhu heard that Wang Qiluo had married, she quickly packed her things and made the long journey to the Imperial City, offering to be like a daughter to her.

Madam Jiang couldn't have been happier and welcomed Jiang Qianzhu into her home with open arms.

Madam Jiang had always doted on her daughter and, having watched Jiang Qianzhu grow up, naturally indulged her.

Even when Jiang Qianzhu spoke out of turn, Madam Jiang never scolded her.

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun's brows furrowed even more. "Mother, do you intend to keep Miss Jiang by your side indefinitely?"

"Actually, I have been thinking of marrying her to Qiluo's younger half-brother," Madam Jiang said softly.

It was quite common for families to arrange marriages with each other. Madam Jiang had no sons of her own, only a few younger sons from concubines. Marrying her niece from her natal family to one of them seemed most appropriate.

Lu Lingyun fell silent at this revelation.

Madam Jiang then shifted the topic. "By the way, Yun'er, I really must thank you properly."

"How so?"

"Thanks to you stopping me last year, I learned about the character of Luo Heng, the son of the Supreme Court's Deputy Director. That good-for-nothing is indeed not a decent person! Didn't he marry on the same day as my Qiluo?"

"Yes."

"I didn't expect him to be a wife-beater! He married his wife not long ago, and he beats her every day. Not long ago, he almost beat her to death!" Madam Jiang said angrily, still frightened by the thought.

Lu Lingyun, hearing of something that had happened in a previous life, couldn't help but feel a deep sense of pity.

She had saved Wang Qiluo but couldn't save others.

"Thankfully, the other noblewomen in the Imperial City learned about his true nature and managed to avoid this disaster. It's such a tragedy for his wife, who was even related to him through his mother's side, and yet he treated her so cruelly. He's truly a despicable person!" Madam Jiang cursed thoroughly.

At first, she had nearly arranged for Wang Qiluo to marry him, but fortunately, she avoided that fate.

At that moment, a delicate voice interrupted.

"Aunt, what were you saying about someone beating their wife?"

"I was talking about the man I almost arranged for your sister Qiluo to marry, that young master from the Luo family. He beat his wife half to death!"

"Was it because his wife was being unfaithful?"

"That's ridiculous!"

"Why would someone hit her?"

"Thankfully, your sister Qiluo didn’t end up marrying into that family," Madam Jiang’s face fell. "It’s just that person’s bad nature!"

Jiang Qianzhu’s eyes flickered with mischief. "In my opinion, it should have been my sister Qiluo who married into that family. She’s a good person, so we would have known if that young Master Luo was truly a bad person, or if it was his wife who had problems!"

Lu Lingyun: "......"

Jiang Qianzhu spoke innocently, and though it didn’t sound like she was belittling Wang Qiluo, Lu Lingyun accurately caught the fleeting malice and full anticipation in her eyes.

Hearing this, Madam Jiang felt uncomfortable, but she couldn’t quite pinpoint the unpleasantness in it. She could only put on a stern face. "Qianzhu, don’t talk nonsense! How can you joke about your sister Qiluo like that!"

"Alright, alright, Aunt, I know. My sister Qiluo should marry only the best man in the world! Only the best man is good enough for her!" Jiang Qianzhu went up and took Madam Jiang’s arm, acting extremely affectionate and coquettish.

With her coquettish behavior and sweet words, Madam Jiang’s expression softened. "You girl, you’re always so carefree. You need to be more mindful."

"I know, Aunt. Don’t always say I’m naive, or I really will be."

Hearing this, Lu Lingyun found it amusing.

This girl wasn’t naive at all; she had too many tricks up her sleeve!

And they were all malicious tricks.

Madam Jiang couldn’t see it, blinded by familial affection. She viewed Jiang Qianzhu as Wang Qiluo, and therefore thought she meant no harm, that she wasn’t being calculating.

Hiding behind a guise of innocence, she spoke words that made one sick.

Her heart was full of malice, wishing that others would live the troubled life she described.

Lu Lingyun shook her head inwardly. Madam Jiang had been so good to her, sending her gifts since she was young and treating her like a daughter. Unfortunately, she had ended up with an ungrateful person.

At that moment, Jiang Qianzhu’s gaze fell on Lu Lingyun. She immediately put on a pure and harmless smile. "Sister, I feel so close to you when I see you! Can we become real sisters in the future?"

Lu Lingyun looked at her with a faint smile. "Qianzhu, how could I be your sister when I’m already married? We can’t be close companions in the same way anymore."

Lu Lingyun cleverly avoided answering directly about becoming real sisters by shifting the topic to close companions, implying the difference in their status. By mentioning that she was married, she was also reminding Jiang Qianzhu of their significant difference in social standing.

But Jiang Qianzhu didn’t back down. "Sister, what I meant was, if we were real sisters, I could come to your residence often to keep you company. I see you sitting here all alone; wouldn’t it be nice to have someone to chat with and relieve your boredom?"

"I’m not idle at all. I have three children in the house, three concubines in the courtyard, and household matters big and small that come to bother me from time to time. Just today, my aunt-in-law came over and happened to catch me with some free time."

"Sister, I think you’re putting the cart before the horse. Why do you work so hard! The most important task for the mistress of the house is to capture her husband’s heart. Leave the rest to the matrons and maids. You should spend more time dressing up and keeping your husband’s heart, so you don’t lose your charm and his affection over time."

Jiang Qianzhu spoke coquettishly, then quickly glanced at her aunt as if to explain. "I’m being careless again; that’s not what I meant at all. I just want you and your husband to be together forever, with constant affection and favor!"

Jiang Qianzhu slapped her hand over her mouth as if to retract her words, her coquettish and apologetic smile hiding that same malice in her eyes.

She clearly wished that Lu Lingyun would hand over all household matters to the servants, causing everything to fall into disarray, and for Lu Lingyun to lose her charm and her husband’s affection over time.

"Qianzhu, you’re far from naive," Lu Lingyun said bluntly, her expression unchanged, her gaze as calm and indifferent as ever. "It seems that when you were at home, your mother didn’t have time to teach you proper manners."

When these words fell, Jiang Qianzhu’s expression immediately changed. "Sister, what do you mean?"