Chapter 491 - 482: Quelling the Rebellion
Two quarters of an hour later, a servant reported, "The old Marquis said that the eldest girl is timid and can’t go anywhere alone. She might be allowed to go out on her own in a few years once she has courage."
The clear insult caused Granny Ma and her daughter to recoil, the color draining from their faces; Mrs. Ma also dropped her ficaed.
Chen Afu pretended not to notice and escorted them out of the courtyard.
Once they were out of sight, Ms. Chu whispered, "Mother, I don’t like them, they aren’t sincere in their intentions towards me."
Chen Afu’s heart ached. She thought, if they were genuinely kind, they wouldn’t have let Rong Zhao torment you into madness without a care. Now that they see you thriving, they try to mend fences. Holding her daughter’s hand, she squeezed it gently, saying, "If you don’t like them, we’ll limit our interactions."
The young girl left with a sullen look for her afternoon rest. Only then did Miao’er report in a low voice, "Madam, the fourth daughter of the Ma family kept praising the first young madam to the eldest girl, even asking about how the dowry was being taken care of... The eldest girl responded a few times, saying how good the first young madam was to her. But the fourth daughter of the Ma family seemed not to hear, only instructed the eldest girl to take care of the Young Master and the Marquis, as they are her greatest support. Eventually, the eldest girl hardly spoke to her anymore."
Chen Afu nodded. Mrs. Ma evidently wanted to improve the relationship between the two mansions through the young girl, while Granny Ma hoped to gain some benefits through her. To gain more benefits, they’d even tried to sow discord between the young girl and her stepmother—straight away upon meeting, they’d brought up her biological mother’s dowry, utterly disregarding the young girl’s feelings.
She couldn’t do anything if Shiyi and Xiao Lixuan were not happy, but as for the young girl right by her side, Chen Afu resolved to do everything possible to make her happy, just as she was in Dingzhou Prefecture and in the countryside.