Chapter 137 - 69 Carry the Palanquin Back
Sang Wan quickly nodded her head, "Yes, mother! Your daughter-in-law would never dare to deceive you! To tell the truth, it is indeed my fault for not taking the initiative to show concern for my husband. Perhaps that would have prevented such an incident. If my husband has to socialize in the future, I’ll make sure to inquire clearly about the proceedings, and if he doesn’t return late at night, I’ll send someone to check on him, to persuade where necessary and to speak what needs to be said. I’ve taken your instruction to heart!"
Mrs. Wang’s brow furrowed slightly and she hurriedly said, "There’s no need for that! It’s very common for men to socialize outside. Won’t it cost him face if you inquire about him all the time? In the future, if he comes home late again, just wait for him! And if he comes home drunk, you’ll have to persuade him!"
"Mother thinks of everything, I’ve learned my lesson! I will keep it in mind and there won’t be a next time!" Sang Wan showed deference and expressed her resolve while simultaneously offering her mother-in-law a metaphorical high hat.
Mrs. Wang then sighed, waved her hand, and said, "Alright, get up! Stop kneeling! As long as you understand, that’s good. Mother isn’t heartless, but you think, who is it that we rely on for our comfortable lives of silk and jade? Isn’t it the men who toil and run about outside? What does it matter if they come home and sleep late occasionally? With how hard men work outside, if they can’t relax and unwind at home, or lack someone to attentively and meticulously look after them, what would that be like? Don’t you care about your own man?"
In her heart, Sang Wan thought to herself that if it wasn’t her own man, she wouldn’t have been one to care about him. Outwardly, she quickly and meekly agreed, gently rising, and repeatedly expressed her determination to Mrs. Wang, whose expression finally softened completely.
Mrs. Jiang, watching with a cold eye, couldn’t help but marvel to herself and thought: I didn’t see it coming, but Lady Sang Wan is really something! With just a few words, she calmed the madam’s anger! Even Gu Fangzi couldn’t do that so easily.
As a trusted senior maid, Mrs. Jiang understood Mrs. Wang’s temperament even more than Mrs. Li did. Mrs. Wang was prone to getting caught up in her thoughts and nagging without reason, and aside from Gu Fangzi, she hadn’t seen anyone who could so capably coax her with just a few words. And even Gu Fangzi wasn’t able to do it with such ease.
Just as the situation was getting resolved here, Shi Fengju hurried over after receiving a message from Mrs. Li. Seeing that the atmosphere wasn’t as tense as he had feared, he let out a quiet sigh of relief and couldn’t help but glance at Sang Wan as he stepped forward and greeted his mother with a smile.
Mrs. Wang’s just-extinguished anger flared up again, and she ended up scolding Shi Fengju with a mix of anger and heartache. Shi Fengju, with his wealth of experience in dealing with his mother, soon cheered her up again.
"What exactly happened to you? You’re not one who loves drinking! You’ve never done this before—what happened? Speak!" After venting her anger, Mrs. Wang started to investigate the cause and the consequence.