A Good Country Wife
Chapter 415 - 409_1

Chapter 415: Chapter 409_1

Chen Ruyu had invited Lin Yue over just to make things difficult for her. She had already spoken ill of Lin Yue to Zhang Peilan, and since their parents had forbidden her from mistreating that peasant woman, Zhang Peilan had nothing to hold her back. She could embarrass the peasant woman without being blamed by her parents—so today’s display by Zhang Peilan was mainly orchestrated by Chen Ruyu.

Listening to Zhang Peilan demeaning Lin Yue brought immense satisfaction to Chen Ruyu’s heart. She had no intention of speaking up for Lin Yue, although she had invited her. Wasn’t this scene exactly what she wanted? If the Lin Family couldn’t handle it, they better leave quickly; otherwise, there was more humiliation to come if they stayed.

The two cousins from the Jiang Family had already shown signs of irritation on their faces, but Chen’s aunt was very composed. She remained nonchalant as if unaffected by Zhang Peilan’s words; however, the smile on her face had become increasingly stiff. She felt great discontent with the Chen Mansion’s behavior, and being entrusted by the Family Head to be there, they couldn’t stand idly by as Lin Yue was treated this way. Regardless of the reason, they had to step forward.

Qing Xue had always been sharp-tongued, not waiting for Chen’s aunt or Peilan to say anything, she launched an attack on Zhang Peilan, "Look who’s talking! Speaking so sharply and bitingly, it’s clear that you lack good upbringing—it seems the Zhang Family, a household on the decline, can no longer afford a proper governess. How else could they raise their legitimate daughter to be like this, utterly lacking manners!"

"You, Qing Xue, dare to scorn our Zhang Family like this! Do you really think the Jiang Family is so remarkable? Besides, you’re just a cousin from a collateral branch of the Jiang Family, who, by sheer luck, was raised in the main household. When it comes down to it, you’re not a true lady of the family. I wonder where you got the courage to come out and make a fool of yourself!"

The Jiang Family members and the legitimate daughter of the Zhang Family were at loggerheads. A few were staunchly on the side of the Jiang Family, while the majority were neutral or indifferent, simply enjoying the drama. This affair was certainly more interesting than the poetry gathering, providing a rare spectacle.

Lady Chen initially thought that even if there were past grudges between the Jiang and Zhang families, given that they were guests in another’s residence, they wouldn’t go too far—at most, they’d exchange a few sarcastic remarks. She hadn’t anticipated them to stir up such a commotion, to the point where things threatened to escalate out of control. This was happening in her household, and if things went awry, she definitely couldn’t expect any good to come from it. Not to mention others, even her lord would blame her, thinking she couldn’t even manage such a small matter, which could lead to her losing her butler authority.

"Miss Zhang, Miss Jiang, it’s all my fault for not arranging things properly, but with so many people here, it doesn’t look good to argue too fiercely. Please spare me the embarrassment and stop fighting; damaging the harmony would be regrettable, wouldn’t it?" Lady Chen pleaded earnestly, fearing they might start a commotion without considering the occasion and regretted not being more mindful of the enmity between the Jiang and Zhang families, having invited them both. Now it was clear her status wasn’t high enough to command their respect.

"Hmph!" Zhang Peilan, who was not one to let things go easily, was just mocking at first, but Qing Xue’s words had fanned her anger, and she wasn’t willing to stop—until Chen Ruyu saw her own mother’s worried face and, realizing that making a scene would indeed be bad, quickly calmed Zhang Peilan down despite her lack of brains. She managed to restrain Zhang Peilan from continuing to fight with the Jiang Family.

"Hmph, today I will give you face, otherwise I would have made that wretched girl suffer!" Even though she had agreed to stop at Chen Ruyu’s request, Zhang Peilan still threw this sentence out, infuriating Qing Xue to the point of almost jumping up.

"Zhang Peilan, don’t be so arrogant..." Qing Xue, incensed by Zhang Peilan, was about to retort when Chen’s aunt and Lin Yue held her back.

Chen’s aunt had always been rational, knowing that making a big scene today would do no good. Dealing with the Zhang Family or the Chen Mansion should be left for the Family Head to decide; there was no rush in this moment. She held back the still-furious Qing Xue, whose temper was too volatile.

"Qing Xue, why should you stoop to her level? You’re losing your own stature by doing so. Besides, as guests, we are here, and we should give some face to Lady Chen," Chen’s aunt said in a gentle tone, helping calm Qing Xue, who had showed no signs of relenting but still looked unhappy.

"Hmph, she got off easy!"

Lady Chen breathed a sigh of relief when Qing Xue and Zhang Peilan finally stopped quarreling. Initially, she had planned to make an appearance at her daughter’s poetry gathering and then retire to avoid imposing on the younger generation. However, now she found she couldn’t leave. If the Jiang Family and Miss Zhang were to start up again, she preferred to keep a watchful eye.

Lin Yue watched the whole farce from start to finish, without the slightest desire to interfere. Even though Zhang Peilan’s insults had indeed stirred her anger, Lin Yue held back, remembering that she was nothing but a peasant woman. What use was there in being proud? A few insults wouldn’t cost her any flesh, and she didn’t want to get involved in the longstanding feud between the Jiang and Zhang families. She had already heard some indications about the discord between the two families, and their behavior today further confirmed what she had heard. Otherwise, why would they carelessly cause trouble in such a setting?

However, the commotion between Peilan and Qing Xue had escalated too much, and informants had already reported it to Chen’s lord in the front courtyard. When Chen’s lord heard that Chen Ruyu had also invited Peilan, he instantly flew into a rage, his mustache bristling. His usual composure was gone as he smashed the teacup in his hand to the floor, "Foolish woman, truly a foolish woman! Who allowed them to invite the Zhang Family over? Do they wish to disrupt the smooth sailing I’ve recently enjoyed? Don’t they know upon whom our family’s current well-being depends? What were my orders? They’ve been completely dismissed!"

"My lord, please calm down. Maybe it’s not as serious as it seems. After all, it was just a poetry gathering organized by the girls, not a formal event. Besides, since they’ve already invited them, they can’t very well kick them out now—that would be too offensive and seem very deliberate. You only need to let the Jiang Family know your intentions," advised a staff member by Chen’s lord’s side, thinking that Lady Chen and her daughter were indeed burdens.

"That is the only hope now—no, we cannot just wait. Arrange a carriage immediately; I must go to the Jiang Residence to make amends to Divine Doctor Jiang!" Chen’s lord ordered, and the gatekeeper hurried to prepare a carriage. Having recently gained Jiang Ziqi’s favor, he couldn’t let some inexplicable misunderstanding jeopardize it—he must make his sincerity clear to Divine Doctor Jiang.