Chapter 21: Selfish Thoughts

Chapter 21: Selfish Thoughts

From time immemorial, daughters-in-law have endured hardships to eventually become mothers-in-law.

Every woman in the Liang household—Madame Wei, Lady Xiao, and the second sister-in-law—has suffered through the same ordeal.

Day in and day out, they endured the rituals of morning and evening greetings.

Only when they’ve endured until their hair turns white, reaching the age of the old madam, and outliving their husbands and in-laws, can they finally stand tall.

But by then, they’re old, their appetites diminished, and even sleep escapes them.

At noon, the cloudless sky blazed with fiery orange sunlight, scorching the ground.

The warm breeze carried waves of heat, and Ying Shi, waiting in the courtyard for Madame Wei’s summons, soon felt her forehead and temples damp with sweat, her head heavy and dizzy.

Ying Shi’s feet instinctively sought the shade, inching toward the tree, but the relentless summer sun seemed to penetrate every crevice, baking the world.

Xiang Yao hurried toward the main house under the blazing sun, lifting her skirt, and couldn’t help but ask, "Nanny, could you check again? Is Madame Wei still asleep?"

Three times a day, at exact hours, her mistress was summoned to serve, not daring to nap on the way, only to be stopped outside the room.

They claimed Madame Wei was still asleep!

Honestly, if she’s still asleep, why summon them here?

The nanny beside Madame Wei didn’t even glance at Ying Shi, her demeanor mirroring her mistress’s, with a gentle smile, "If the young mistress cannot wait, she may return first. When Madame Wei wakes, I’ll send someone to fetch her."

Xiang Yao rolled her eyes in frustration. She could see it plainly—these past two days, Madame Wei had been deliberately tormenting her mistress with endless rules!

Choosing the hottest hours to summon them, and if they left, she’d surely send someone to fetch them again!

But Xiang Yao dared not speak, silently fuming as she ran back to Ying Shi, fanning her to shield her from the sun.

Ying Shi remained calm, for she was all too familiar with Madame Wei’s tactics—if not for Madame Wei’s recent resurgence of torment, she might have forgotten the memories of her early days in the Liang household.

Whether in her past life or now, Madame Wei had always treated her this way when she first married into the family, never letting her off the hook with the rules.

She remembered once wearing a flower-embroidered skirt, which displeased Madame Wei, who nearly scolded her outright, almost accusing her of dressing up to attract men so soon after her husband’s death.

Later—when exactly did Madame Wei’s attitude toward her soften?

Ying Shi couldn’t recall.

But she suddenly realized that the reason for Madame Wei’s change in attitude in her past life was never because of her filial piety or treating her like a mother.

It was because Madame Wei’s only son had died, leaving her with no hope, and in her old age, she had no choice but to rely on her daughter-in-law.

Understanding this, Ying Shi felt an indescribable weight.

Heavy, as if something precious had shattered, forcing her to lower her head, afraid someone might see the untimely sorrow on her face.

A gentle breeze swept through the corridor, and flower petals drifted onto the stone steps, making a soft rustling sound.

Liang Yun returned from the palace, still in his crimson official robe. His hair was tied high, a long sword at his waist, the wide hem of his robe swaying, the jade belt hook accentuating his slender, upright figure.

The intense sunlight cast a sharp shadow on his prominent brow, highlighting the deep ridge of his nose.

Ying Shi hastily looked up at the sound but saw that he didn’t glance at her.

"Your Grace, blessings upon you!"

The maids, who had previously been indifferent to Ying Shi and her servant, immediately began to flatter Liang Yun as soon as they saw him, bowing deeply and showing utmost respect.

Even before any message was relayed to the inner chamber, the maids in the main house seemed to have already received the news, pulling back the door curtains to greet him.

Liang Yun unbuckled the sword from his waist and handed it to his attendant.

"Has Mother awakened?" he asked in a deep voice.

The maids, without any regard for Ying Shi still waiting outside in the sun, hurriedly said, "Madame Wei has just awakened. The heat outside is unbearable, Your Grace, please come in and have some tea."

·

Madame Wei was, in fact, Liang Yun's maternal aunt by blood, being the cousin of Liang Yun's biological mother. She was not a harsh woman, otherwise Liang Yun would not have grown up unscathed under her care.

Liang Yun's mother had no siblings, and after her sudden death, it was Liang Yun's maternal grandmother personally chose this gentle and kind niece from a noble family to marry into the Liang household to care for her newborn grandson.

Unfortunately, despite her keen insight, Liang Yun's grandmother could not foresee the events of the following decades.

When Madame Wei first joined the household, she was truly kind and innocent.

She doted on Liang Yun, who was just a few months old, caring for and loving him daily, and anyone who saw it would marvel.

As a child, Liang Yun didn't even realize that Madame Wei was his stepmother, thinking she was his birth mother, and their bond was genuine.

However, later, everything shifted when Madame Wei became pregnant herself and gave birth to a son.

From the instant Madame Wei conceived, everything subtly changed.

But now, dwelling on this is pointless, as it is all in the past.

With Liang Ji gone, Madame Wei has no other children. Her future prosperity and wealth now depend solely on Liang Yun.

For countless nights, Madame Wei has been devastated, cursing and hating, but then she picks up the affection she had for Liang Yun in her youth, as if the years of coldness between them had never existed.

Seeing Liang Yun just coming in from outside, Madame Wei ordered the maids to replace the ice and serve him tea.

"It's so hot outside, why did you come to see your mother at this hour?"

Although Liang Yun was naturally aloof and proud, he was truly broad-minded. He did not dwell on past grievances, but instead, because of Liang Ji's death, he was quite filial to Madame Wei.

He came today for an important matter.

"I came to inform you, Mother, that the Ministry of Rites has decided to posthumously confer the title of General Pinglu on Third Brother. In a few days, an edict will be issued from the palace," Liang Yun said.

Upon hearing this, Madame Wei's face finally showed genuine relief.

She blamed Liang Yun in her heart, blaming him for sending Liang Ji to the battlefield, which led to her son's death.

But if it weren't for Liang Yun leading troops to turn the tide and retrieving Liang Ji's remains from among thousands of corpses, Liang Ji might not even have been found.

This battle was a disastrous defeat... how could the posthumous title come so easily? It must be that Liang Yun has put in much effort for Liang Ji's affairs after his death.

Even though Madame Wei still disliked Liang Yun, she had to admit that despite his youth, Liang Yun truly had great capabilities. In the future, the power of the Liang family, the entire household's nobility, would all be in his hands...

Madame Wei, suppressing the bitterness in her heart, was momentarily speechless.

Liang Yun's gaze passed over the threshold window, landing on a corner of the courtyard—on the jade-white skirt standing under the pear tree.

The sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows, shimmering like gold foil, dazzling and resplendent, like scattered gold.

They were separated by flowering trees, too far apart for him to clearly see her face.

But when he caught sight of her skirt’s hem, her clear features flashed before his eyes again and again.

Under the cover of the flowering trees, her flawless, delicate face appeared.

When he saw her earlier, the sun was too strong. Her snow-white cheeks seemed dusted with a pink haze, and glistening sweat dotted her forehead and temples. She looked wilted and listless.

The heat outside was unbearable; she must have been struggling to cope.

Liang Yun suddenly recalled her words from that night, heavy with grievance and tears.

"Mother doesn’t like me…"

Why, why couldn’t she like her—