Transmigrated as A Farm Girl Making Her Family Rich

Chapter 104: Chapter 103 Inside Job

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Mrs. Meng, being a noble lady, outwardly remained very calm as she was seemingly rushed out, but inwardly she was quite annoyed.

Meng Zhaojun didn’t want to leave so quickly, but under Mrs. Meng’s insistence, the mother and daughter boarded the family carriage and returned to the Meng Residence.

On the carriage, the mother and daughter sat quietly, with a maid serving them tea and snacks for the journey.

“Madam, Lady, these snacks were sent to the carriage by Young Mrs. Tang earlier. She wanted Madam and the young lady to take the snacks back so that the Old Masters could also have a taste,” the maid said.

“Taste what? Are we so eager for their family’s snacks?” Mang Zhaojun’s bad mood made her speak with a rather unpleasant tone.

“Zhaojun, it’s usually I who spoil you too much. Look at how you spoke about the host’s son in front of them. Even if you are talented, you must show some restraint. Haven’t you noticed that Lady Tang has started to dislike you?”

Mrs. Meng straightforwardly scolded her daughter, feeling that her daughter still hadn’t grasped the intentions of the host family.

“Mother, I didn’t mean to speak wrongly. I know I misspoke and won’t dare do it again,” Meng Zhaojun said, submissive in front of her mother but harboring resentment in her heart toward Lady Tang, this witch who was so detestable. Once I become her daughter-in-law, I’ll slowly punish her.

The lookout in Lady Tang’s courtyard reported the incident to Madam as soon as she woke up from her afternoon nap.

Madam felt it was inappropriate for her daughter-in-law, who was with child, to meet so frequently with Mrs. Meng. It was also unbecoming for her to offend the wife of an official by throwing such a tantrum, and she felt compelled to see her daughter-in-law about it.

Lady Tang’s pregnant condition meant that, as her mother-in-law, I had to be considerate, and if I wanted to have a talk with her, I could only go to her courtyard.

Dressed appropriately by the maids at my side, I then took Jinhua along to my daughter-in-law’s courtyard, ensuring that no one else would be aware of our mother-in-law and daughter-in-law conversation.

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I didn’t bring a crowd along. When we arrived at the living room of my daughter-in-law’s courtyard, the main maid told us that the madam was still sleeping.

Madam waved her hand, indicating that the maid should wake the daughter-in-law up.

Lady Tang had been angry earlier, but somehow it had not affected the fetus; she hadn’t suffered from any shock to the pregnancy but had managed to go back to her room and sleep comfortably.

“Young madam, Madam is here,” Jufeng said, standing by the bedside.

Lady Tang hadn’t fully woken up from the words, vaguely remembering she was still asleep as Jufeng reached out to shake her awake. She wasn’t afraid of being scolded by Lady Tang, but if Lady Tang got up too late, it could anger Madam.

“Are you trying to kill me? I was sleeping so well, who the hell woke me up?”

Groggily opening her eyes, she had yet to see who it was but already overflowed with irritation—as she had a severe case of getting up on the wrong side of the bed.

“Young madam, Madam has arrived in the living room, and I had no choice but to wake you,” Jufeng said, bowing her head in hurt resignation, bearing the brunt of the blame.

“Mother-in-law is here? What is she doing in my courtyard? She’s so busy every day; does she even have time to meddle in my affairs? Or maybe the housekeeper has too much free time?”

With Jufeng’s assistance, Lady Tang got up from the bed and allowed her to help with the dressing, while a little maid brought water for washing her face.

Lady Tang washed her face and then let Jufeng dress her up magnificently.

In front of her mother-in-law, Lady Tang always felt that if she did not dress up, it seemed as if she was being disrespectful.

Even more so, she felt that her mother-in-law’s scrutinizing gaze always had a way of making her uncomfortable.

Being an illegitimate daughter, Lady Tang always felt inferior when standing next to her mother-in-law, who was a legitimate daughter.

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Each time she appeared before her mother-in-law, she donned her finest jewelry, regardless of how much she had in her private funds, she would always make a point of spending on her attire.

In the past, she often used her son’s monthly salary or some lucky money, but she was also reluctant to use the income from her dowry shop.

The Tang Family’s business was vast, so as the young madam, she should have felt secure, yet Lady Tang felt secure only when she had money on her person.

Supported by Jufeng, Lady Tang made her way to the living room, her heavy body moving slowly.

Upon entering the living room and attempting to bow, she was stopped by a gesture from Madam.

“Mrs. Luo, you are pregnant, please sit down! Let us, mother and daughter-in-law, sit and talk leisurely,” said Madam.

Madam Zhao’s hair was arranged in a goose-egg heart bun, adorned with step-shake and precious jewels, and she was wearing fox fur armor over a jasper-colored dress, exuding both nobility and elegance.

Glancing at her daughter-in-law who entered, who had arranged her hair in a peach heart bun and seemed to be wearing her best jewelry on her head, she looked nouveau riche and seemingly unconcerned with the heaviness atop her head.

Madam frowned at her daughter-in-law’s petit bourgeois manner, adorned with so much jewelry while carrying a child.

“Yes, Mother-in-law,” answered Lady Tang, born a Mrs. Luo, now pretending to be very obedient as she moved to another chair beside her mother-in-law’s table with the help of Jufeng.

“I hear the Mengs paid a visit today?”

“Yes, Mother-in-law, they sent us an invitation yesterday, and Mrs. Meng and Lady Meng Xiao came to my courtyard and had lunch before leaving,” she replied.

“I also heard there was some unpleasantness between you and Mrs. Meng?” Madam’s words seemed to make Mrs. Luo uncomfortable, but still, she retorted defensively.

“Mother-in-law, Mrs. Meng’s daughter is just too formidable, knowledgeable in Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting, continually showing off in front of Yan’er; such assertiveness in a three-year-old, and to dare call my son a piglet, I really couldn’t bear it any longer.”

“Hmm, I’ve heard about this. They are guests, after all, and their talents are indeed commendable. If someone else’s child is more accomplished than ours, we must acknowledge it,” said Madam.

“Mother-in-law, I understand. Yan’er said he wants his father to find him a teacher to instruct him in Qin, Chess, Calligraphy, and Painting.”

“Indeed, comparison spurs progress. It’s good our grandson has such ambition; he’s been spurred by the Meng’s talented little girl. He won’t be outdone. As for you, with your condition, you should avoid interacting too much with them in the future. If they send invitations, let me entertain them instead,” Madam advised.

“Yes, you’re right, Mother-in-law. Perhaps I no longer have the energy to entertain them. It seems they have become angry and may ignore us for a long time.”

“So now you realize the gravity of the situation? What took you so long?”

“What should I do, Mother-in-law?”

“Tomorrow, I’ll have someone make pastries and deliver them to their house as I personally pay a visit. We cannot offend the most prominent official’s wife in the county,” Madam decided.

“But we are Imperial Merchants, do we need to be afraid of them? The County Magistrate is of such minor significance.”

“What nonsense are you spouting? Is it proper for us women to speak such truth? The Emperor might be far, but the local official’s power is immediate—he is the parent official of the county. How could we afford to offend him? Do you understand what mutual benefit is? We can make money, and he can show results,” Madam Zhao scolded Mrs. Luo sternly.

“Oh, I understand, Mother-in-law. I was wrong,” Lady Tang lowered her head, chastised by her mother-in-law, but upon hearing her words, she agreed they were right.

“Don’t let any of you servants spread the word of what is said here. If I find out someone has leaked our conversation and identify the mole, they will be beaten and driven out,” Madam warned.

It was then that Madam remembered she had not dismissed the maids; several were present by her side.