Miss Truth
Chapter 457 - 298 Pingyang

Chapter 457: Chapter 298 Pingyang

A few ladies glanced at each other, and since Lu Clan also realized she had misspoken, she dared not say anything more, pursing her lips and playing with the bracelet on her wrist, while the others sneakily peeked at the always silent matriarch.

Lady Du coughed lightly and said with a proper smile, "You are currently residing in our Zheng residence with only a maid and a nurse to attend to you, bustling about; if outsiders were to know, they might think that we of the Xingyang Zheng Clan can’t afford to hire help!"

Lady Du’s words were soft on the outside but tough on the inside.

Ran Yan understood what they meant; the Xiao Family traditionally preferred to marry into the Du or Lu Clans, and it was rare for them to wed a woman from the Xingyang Zheng Clan. Now that they had married Ran Yan, and given that Ran Yan needed the backing of the Xingyang Zheng Clan, they were naturally pleased. However, since Ran Yan’s surname was Ran, not Zheng, they saw this as an opportunity to knock her down a peg and have her agree to take a concubine born of a mistress from the Xingyang Zheng Clan into her marital home, which would be the best outcome.

Originally, Lady Du was quite confident about this, thinking that since Ran Yan came from a fallen clan, a mix of carrot and stick would likely leave Ran Yan with no way to refuse. But now, seeing her calm and unchanging expression, Lady Du felt uncertain.

Yet having made such a statement, she wanted to see how Ran Yan could refuse again—she didn’t believe Ran Yan would dare to reject them directly.

"Thank you for your kind intentions, Lady." Ran Yan replied softly, and before the others could feel pleased, she immediately added, "However, I’ve never liked being too close to people. Ge Lan and Wan Lu have been raised by my side since childhood, like sisters to me. I live a life of leisure, with no major matters to attend to, so if Lady would be so considerate as to provide a few maids for the rough chores in the yard, I would be extremely grateful."

The expressions of the ladies varied, especially Lady Du’s, which was quite a sight to behold, while the matriarch still appeared half-asleep, as if she hadn’t heard anything.

Then Lady Du dropped an even more ruthless suggestion, cutting straight to the point, "I see that your Wan Lu has a decent appearance, but the other one, I hear is already twenty and has a disability, which is not suitable for a concubine role. You are now connected to our Xingyang Zheng Clan, and after discussing it amongst ourselves, the sisters-in-law have prepared a concubine for you. Once she enters your household, she will simply be a concubine, after all. I assume you wouldn’t refuse our kindness, would you?"

Before Ran Yan could respond to this, the old lady let out a faint huff of disapproval.

Lady Du’s words were a clear threat to Ran Yan, saying that since she now depended on the influence of the Xingyang Zheng Clan, she had better agree to such a small matter; refusal was not an option. Lady Du wasn’t a foolish person, but she had never really respected Ran Yan, which explained her audacity.

After waiting a while, seeing that the matriarch said nothing, Ran Yan took her turn to speak, "A drop of water in need shall be returned with a spring. This is the clan motto of the Ran family. The kindness of my maternal family is something I’ve taken to heart from the moment I entered the residence. Xiao Song loves deeply and does not disdain my unworthy family background; this is the blessing of several lifetimes for me."

Ran Yan was not one to be forced! Her meaning couldn’t be clearer: I’m living in your house and taking advantage of your status, so naturally, I will treat the Zheng family like my maternal family, but you’d better not push me. After all, Xiao Song did not marry me for my family background; even if I moved back to my uncle’s house, I could still marry into the Xiao Family—the stay with you is merely icing on the cake!

All the ladies were seasoned socialites within the circle of ladies of high society and instantly understood Ran Yan’s meaning. It was only due to their usual poise that they didn’t gawk at this moment.

The room fell silent for a moment, and then, the long-silent matriarch suddenly spoke, "That’s enough, disperse, please. I’m old and can’t stand the noise."

Lady Du seemed to want to say more, but she didn’t dare make another sound. The ladies stood up, respectfully bowed to the matriarch, and quietly left.

Ran Yan followed suit, and as she walked into the outer chamber, the matriarch’s Maid suddenly called out to her, "Miss Yan, this morning the old lady seemed to have heard you play the flute and would like to listen."

Although Ran Yan was not fond of such worldly families driven by interests, she maintained a respectful attitude towards the legendary figure like the old lady, so she turned around and sent Wan Lu back to get the flute.

Following the Maid into the inner chamber, the old lady already looked nothing like her previously sleepy self, sitting kneelingly with vitality, sipping tea on a couch. Hearing the footsteps, without lifting her head, she said, "Sit."

Ran Yan, full of suspicion, kneeled to sit on the mat opposite, and the Maid served her a cup of tea. Boiled tea in the Tang Dynasty always included spices, but this cup was a light green mixture emitting a faint fragrance of tea leaves and bamboo leaves.