AWB Chapter 233 Jiang Shi’s Wife
Chapter 233 Jiang Shi’s Wife
Hearing her niece-in-law's words, Old Lady He said helplessly, "It's okay if you understand it in your heart. Just pretend to be nice. It's not for anything else, but for your reputation as Madam Xiaojie."
Mo Chenxi said gratefully: "Thank you, auntie. I know you are doing this for my own good. In fact, as long as Jingyi's grandmother can be like today, even if it's just for face, I will be happy."
After all, my aunt is a member of the He family, so Mo Chenxi can't tell her the truth.
Mrs. He said with relief: "It's hard for you."
Mo Chenxi said, "It's hard for you, Aunt. My body is not doing well. I should have gone back to serve my mother-in-law and take care of my husband, but I'm troubling you instead."
Old Mrs. He didn't stay long. Mo Chenxi saw her out. At the door, she pushed her niece-in-law in.
"I told you not to send your aunt off. You're still coughing and can't stand the wind. Go inside quickly and don't catch a cold. Don't worry about things at home, take good care of yourself."
Mo Chenxi asked Mother Wang to send her aunt to the carriage. She knew that what her aunt had just said was for the neighbors passing by outside.
The next day she called a doctor from the clinic. When he went there, he seemed anxious and coughed from time to time. He talked about his mother-in-law's illness and that she had lost three teeth and couldn't eat. He even shed tears.
After she left, a woman who also came to see a doctor sympathetically introduced her to others. Mrs. Xiaojie was ill herself and had been looking for doctors everywhere for her mother-in-law who treated her harshly.
Since we are doing this to save face, we must publicize it widely.
Mo Chenxi customized a wheelchair and crutches for He Wenyan. He tried each one personally to find out where it was uncomfortable or not high enough. He also padded the top of the crutches with soft cotton.
She paid for the unqualified ones and left them to the store owner, saying that they would be given to those in need.
The shop owner sighed, saying that she was worthy of being named Lady Xiaojie by the imperial court.
Without telling the He family, he went to the flower farm and renovated the house for the master. He moved all the things out of one room and made a wall around it with wooden sticks like a ballet practice room, so that he could walk with support, which facilitated his recovery.
Only after it was completed did he invite He Wenliang to come and see it, and asked He Wenliang to think of bringing He Wenyan to live in the manor so that they could escape the heat during the hot summer.
The Mo Family Restaurant would also send a few dishes to the He Family every day. Old Mrs. Mo would grumble, “Just treat it as food for beggars.”
She felt very uncomfortable and said that she would rather feed the food to the dogs than give it to Old Mrs. Jiang.
Mo Yuanji said, "Just think about it, this is for Grandma Shanqiao to eat. How much help has Grandma Shanqiao given her daughter? If it weren't for her, would her daughter be able to stay outside to recuperate?"
Old Madam Mo nodded and said, "That's right. I want to thank Grandma Shanqiao for this. I'll give her some fabric to make some summer clothes."
When I think about it, I still feel a little angry, because I can't give it to Mrs. He alone, I have to bring my mother-in-law along.
Mo Chenxi also donated the salary given to her by the court, which was not much, and added a little to it to build bridges, because the empress dowager said that it was because she built countless bridges in her previous life that she had parents who loved their daughter and was blessed with a pair of sons and daughters.
Then let's build a bridge. Mo Chenxi is willing to do this. As a time traveler, she is not smart enough to make suggestions on state affairs, but she is willing to do things for the benefit of the people.
It's not just Mo Chenxi from the Mo family who is building up momentum. In the Peng family, Old Madam Peng praised Madam Xiaojie at a family dinner. Madam Peng, the cousin of Concubine Ji, always brings up Madam Xiaojie wherever she goes and praises her highly.
There were always discordant voices. One day, when she met Madam Jiang, she said sourly, "If she really wanted to be so filial, she should have been there to serve her mother-in-law, never taking off her clothes. I heard that her husband, Lord He, had a stroke, and she was able to live out of the house and enjoy the leisure. I don't think what Madam Peng said is true. Is she trying to emulate Jiang Shi's wife, who leaped from a spring?"
Before Mrs. Peng could say anything, Mrs. Qiu San spoke slowly, "Oh? So Madam Xiaojie was kicked out by her mother-in-law? No wonder she lives outside."
Madam Jiang quickly said, "I didn't say that. Who knows about the He family's affairs?"
She even covered her mouth with her hand and smiled, trying to cover up what she had just said.
Mrs. Qiu San ignored her and started discussing with Mrs. Peng, "I admire Madam Xiaojie. What Madam Jiang said is both right and wrong. Madam Xiaojie is either imitating Jiang Shi's wife or becoming the next Jiang Shi's wife. To be honest, if my mother-in-law were alive and treated me like this, I would never do what Madam Xiaojie did. I would definitely feel resentful. But Madam Xiaojie never said a word against her mother-in-law and was even worried about her illness."
Mrs. Peng said, "That's right. My mother-in-law said that the He family is blessed, but they don't know how to appreciate their blessings. I was wondering, but after listening to what Mrs. Jiang said, I understood. Mrs. Jiang said before that she and Mrs. Xiaojie are most familiar with each other and she knows the situation of the He family better than we do. I know she feels sorry for Mrs. Xiaojie, and it's a good thing she spoke out. Otherwise, we would have to wonder how Mrs. Xiaojie could live away from home and ignore her mother-in-law and husband? She even doesn't care about her children. Is she worthy of the title of Xiaojie given by the court? So that's how it is."
Those who followed the wind echoed the sentiment, and some of them had exaggerated expressions of sudden enlightenment.
But Mrs. Jiang was anxious, and she couldn't say that she didn't mean that. She wanted to express that Mrs. Xiaojie was unvirtuous and unfilial.
No one paid any attention to Mrs. Jiang anymore. They all started praising Mrs. Xiaojie and telling her everything she had done.
Mrs. Qiu said, "Everyone knows that my Third Master is a bit of a jerk. He admires the Mo family. He went to the He family farm to buy flowers and saw a room specially designed for Master He to practice walking. It was surrounded by wooden sticks so that he could hold on to his hands. My Third Master came back and sighed for a long time, praising Master He for his good fortune. I was wondering, how could he not be satisfied with such a good daughter-in-law?"
Mrs. Jiang wanted to win back the game this time, so she couldn't leave the circle. She told the story she had heard about how Mrs. Jiang favored her daughter and treated her daughter-in-law harshly. She told the story vividly, saying that Mrs. Jiang wanted to marry a merchant as a second wife for her son, which made Mrs. Xiaojie sick with anger. She also said that Mr. He was a filial son who obeyed his mother's orders in everything.
No one can find fault with this. He is considered a filial son among the Twenty-Four Filial Exemplars. We are just praising Madam Xiaojie.
Many women from different families attended the flower party, and when they returned they all said that it was Madam Jiang who said that Madam Xiaojie was driven out by her mother-in-law.
Mrs. Jiang was slapped twice by her husband and had to stay at home for a while.
Mo Chenxi learned about the rumors from Madam Zhao who came to see her. Madam Zhao asked her if she was really driven out by her mother-in-law.
"I'm impressed by you. You didn't say a word despite such a huge injustice, and your health is still like this."
Mo Chenxi smiled and said, "We can't let people criticize Jingyi's mother for being unfilial and unvirtuous."
Madam Zhao said, "Don't worry about me. We have known each other for many years. I know what you are like. Don't worry about your Jingyi being my daughter-in-law."
Mo Chenxi brought up the matter of marrying off her daughter again, and Madam Zhao said, "Don't worry. Jingyi is getting married now, and there's no one to take care of the He family. Your mother-in-law is just asking you to go back. If Lord He comes and begs you in person, she'll burn you to the ground. Wait until Fan and Bao have their children and are able to take care of her. We can't let you take care of everything."