Chapter 444 - 436: Sending Someone Away
Mrs. Dong didn’t ask much, just questioned Mrs. Kong about her whereabouts and activities over the past two years. What has Mrs. Kong been busy with at the Prince Xian Mansion?
The two chatted like long-lost acquaintances catching up. However, over at Shi’an Garden, upon hearing that Kong Tianru had come to the mansion, Mrs. Gu Sr. immediately smashed the teacup at hand onto the floor.
"Send someone over there to say that I’m not feeling well and ask your mother to come over. Now that the elder in the mansion is ill, how can she not come? Besides, what kind of guest does she think Mrs. Kong is? To have the insolence to just come over without informing me first." In front of Sister Hui, Mrs. Gu Sr. couldn’t help but lose her temper.
Sister Hui dared not say much. She quickly got up and went to her mother, also feeling that her mother’s actions were inappropriate.
Mrs. Kong is already married into the Prince Xian Mansion, even if she comes as a person of Prince Xian Mansion, moreover, Mrs. Kong was once a member here, having been divorced and remarried. How could Mother let her come over like this now?
Sister Hui hurriedly went to Yingshui Courtyard and, upon seeing her mother, directly told Mrs. Dong about her grandmother’s illness.
"Your grandmother’s illness is typically taken care of by your people. Why ask me to go over today?" Mrs. Dong asked outright, sitting still without moving.
"Grandmother thinks that mother, being the daughter-in-law, should not neglect her when she is ill. That’s why I was sent to ask mother to come over." Sister Hui was anxious, not understanding why her mother insisted on making an outsider laugh at them.
Mrs. Dong remained seated but smiled. Mrs. Kong stood up and said, "Since the old lady of the mansion is ill, I really should go and see. Would Madam like to go together? If so, let’s go together."
Mrs. Dong naturally felt this was good. Knowing that after Mrs. Kong went, the old lady would be even angrier.
But Sister Hui disagreed, "Thank you for your concern, Her Highness. Since Grandmother is ill, if Her Highness goes over, Grandmother will still have to greet Her Highness. If Her Highness wishes to see Grandmother, it might be best to come another day; today is indeed inconvenient."
Mrs. Kong raised her head to look at Sister Hui, "Even back in the mansion, I thought Sister Hui was sensible, and now it seems Sister Hui’er is even more so. If that’s the case, I won’t go over; I originally wanted to see the old lady, but it’s unfortunate that she is unwell."
After saying this, Mrs. Kong got up and massaged her forehead, "I initially planned to visit the East Mansion, but thinking the old lady is ill, the lady over there should also come back to visit her; perhaps it’s better I don’t go today."
Mrs. Kong acted like she was an esteemed person, nodded to Sister Hui, then to Mrs. Dong, and left.
As Mrs. Kong left, without any outsiders around, the smile on Sister Hui’s face faded, "What is Mother doing? Knowing clearly that Grandmother dislikes Mrs. Kong, yet you let her come to the mansion, this only displeases Grandmother. If Mother is upset, why demean yourself in such a way? Now Grandmother is waiting for Mother to visit; I’m going back to Grandmother first, Mother can decide for yourself."
After saying this, Sister Hui gave a curtsey and left.
Mrs. Dong watched her daughter leave, becoming angry herself, as she had yet to settle the score with her daughter, yet her daughter was throwing a tantrum first.
Seeing her daughter leave like this, knowing that the old lady was still waiting for her, Mrs. Dong knew she had no choice but to go, biting her lip as she headed over.
Mrs. Gu Sr. wasn’t ill; she just got angry upon hearing Mrs. Kong came to the mansion. Seeing Mrs. Dong enter, she said nothing, just slammed her hand on the table.
If this had been before, Mrs. Dong would have been frightened to her knees. But today, even though the old lady slammed her hand on the table, Mrs. Dong just stood there with her head lowered, not reacting but eventually remembered her manners and gave a curtsey.
"You still know to adhere to the rules here; I thought you had forgotten. It seems you’re the one managing the house. Aren’t you afraid of making a laughingstock of our Marquis Mansion? What sort of person is Mrs. Kong for you to let her enter the mansion like that? I merely want to ask what you were thinking, I’d like to see how skillful you are now." Mrs. Gu Sr.’s words were clearly sarcastic.
"According to Mother’s words, a card was sent from Her Highness’s side, she’s a concubine of the Prince Xian Mansion, certainly we can’t refuse them here." Mrs. Dong believed she was in the right, and the old lady scolding her was unfounded.
Mrs. Gu Sr. snorted coldly, "You speak rightly; perhaps I wrongly blamed you. That day at the Zhou residence, in your presence at a feast, did you answer whatever Consort Zhou asked, trying to make yourself seem virtuous? I haven’t confronted you with this because I considered your nephew’s recent passing. Since you bring this up today, we ought to discuss it. I remember your conduct at the mansion wasn’t like that, nor your attitude; why, at Consort Zhou’s, you acted like you were mistreated at our Dingyuan Marquis Mansion? If you think life is bad here, feel free to return to the Dong Mansion; we won’t stop you. If you tarnish this house’s reputation, we don’t want such a person here. You should pack and return to the Dong Mansion immediately."
Mrs. Dong was stunned, not expecting such a fuss over this, she looked at the old lady in disbelief, frozen in place.
"If your mother asks you, repeat my words to her, and if dissatisfied, invite her here to see me, and I shall explain what kind of daughter the Dong Mansion has raised. One who does not come to others’ homes as a daughter-in-law but rather to cause havoc in others’ homes? Such a daughter-in-law we cannot keep, these years without an heir for the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, I’ve never reproached you. In gratitude, you proceed without progression, I’m aged and uncertain of my years. I cannot let you continually tarnish the Marquis Mansion’s reputation like this."