Chapter 853 - 184: Don’t Be a Pushover
Before, when Grandma Li heard what Yu Qingxiu had said, Pei Qin had agreed thoroughly and even alerted Shen Songming to help them. She was also holding Old Scholar Fang’s letter, so when they reached Capital Jingcheng, Fang Liuming could take care of them. However, Shen Songming didn’t offer any help as promised, and Fang Liuming was deployed elsewhere. When the two arrived in Capital Jingcheng, they found themselves utterly alone, not to mention gaining entry to the Imperial College.
Upon receiving her son’s letter, Grandma Li was furious and immediately went with Old Man Li to confront Pei Qin.
Entering the house, she saw Madam Zhao sitting elegantly in the presiding seat, her demeanor graceful and her expression indifferent. Grandma Li thought to herself that Madam Zhao was now the mother of a Scholar, while Madam Zhao’s son was merely a soldier, yet still putting on airs, which made Grandma Li somewhat disdainful.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, she directly asked Pei Qin, "Why didn’t anyone tell us about Fang Liuming being sent away? Didn’t you write a letter to Young Master Shen? You asked him to notify the Imperial College, but when Bao Xiang went to Capital Jingcheng, he was completely isolated. Not to mention entering the Imperial College, it’s too difficult even to open a noodle shop or find a place to stay!"
Previously, the plan was to seek refuge with Fang Liuming, who couldn’t possibly charge them rent for staying. After all, it was just him alone; being a government official, he surely lived in a nice residence and couldn’t possibly occupy it all by himself. Living with him, their son would also appear more prestigious when stepping outside. And with Shen Songming backing them, they would have easily thrived in Capital Jingcheng. But now, they had nothing.
Madam Zhao had also heard about Li Baoxiang’s situation. Pei Yuan was no saint; the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law got along well, and she often didn’t hold back any complaints about Li Baoxiang. Hearing that Grandma Li dared to question Pei Qin, Madam Zhao immediately scoffed, "Isn’t it inappropriate for Mrs. Li to be asking Madam Yuanyang about this? The decision to send Fang Liuming away is a matter of the Imperial Court; no one can interfere. As for Young Master Shen, he was in Taiping Town just a few days ago. Why didn’t you directly approach him?"
Stung by her retort, Grandma Li felt aggrieved, "We were originally going to the Fang family’s, but since Pei Qin had promised well, I came to ask what’s going on! Bao Xiang and his wife are in Capital Jingcheng now and it’s incredibly difficult for them; we don’t even know how they are managing."