5 Chapter 5: This Statement Is Incorrect
Translator: 549690339
Mrs. Wang was very cunning and could easily see through Mrs. Liu’s thoughts. This wasn’t the first or second time she had stirred up Mrs. Liu to take action. Although Mrs. Liu said it verbally, the implication was clearly “This is exactly what the Fourth Daughter-in-law did”,
“Of course, you are my Sister-in-law, and I would deceive anyone but you. I have people from my mother’s family working in the Su Family, and we learned this news from them. There’s no mistake.” Mrs. Wang had heard about Su Wenyue marrying into the Han Family earlier and felt that this Fourth younger sister-in-law would threaten her status in the Han Family. She had made a special effort to inquire when she went back to her mother’s home, all so that she could keep Su Wenyue under her thumb once she entered the family.
“How dare she! This Su Wenyue uses things made by the servants from her mother’s family to deceive Father and Mother, thinking we’re all fools! I must expose her lies and can’t allow her to be so arrogant.” Having found an excuse, Mrs. Liu could no longer hold back and was about to charge forward, but a glare from her man made her stand still, though she refused to settle down.
“Oh! The craftsmanship of the Fourth Daughter-in-law is really exquisite. Look at these shoes and insoles she made for Father and Mother—not even the embroiderers from the big Embroidery House in the city can compare. Although there’s innate talent involved in needlework, it’s mostly a skill that comes from practice. The Fourth Daughter-in-law’s embroidery skills must have been honed for at least twenty or thirty years. Otherwise, how could she achieve such a level.”
With a smile, Mrs. Liu continued to lavish praise upon Su Wenyue. Su Wenyue knew well what kind of person Mrs. Liu was and understood she wasn’t truly defending her in front of the parents-in-law. She stood there quietly, waiting for Mrs. Liu to continue and reveal her true motive.
“But Father and Mother, the Fourth Daughter-in-law just reached the age of eligibility for marriage this year, right? All things considered, she’s only about fifteen years old, so how can this be?” Mrs. Liu stopped there, but the implications were crystal clear—who didn’t understand that she was suggesting the shoes and insoles weren’t made by Su Wenyue herself? The previously joyful atmosphere chilled in an instant, and everyone fell silent.
Su Wenyue hadn’t expected Mrs. Liu to aim for this angle, which seemed beyond her usual intelligence—meticulously thought out and quick-witted. The Su Wenyue from her previous life indeed would have been unable to cope. Although the parents-in-law knowing the shoes and insoles weren’t made by her wouldn’t be a big deal, it wouldn’t bode well for her impression on them. Even if she couldn’t win favor, neither could Mrs. Liu; making a scene like this would equally displease the parents-in-law. Looking at it this way, it more so resembled the handiwork of Mrs. Wang.
Su Wenyue wasn’t the same as she used to be and naturally wasn’t unequipped to handle the situation. However, she didn’t rush to explain and instead watched the reactions of everyone coldly.
When Han Yu heard Mrs. Liu’s words, his expression soured, knowing that things were probably as she described. Yet, he never held out hope, so he was just somewhat disappointed. What displeased him was Mrs. Liu, as the Eldest Sister-in-law, targeting his daughter-in-law, especially at this moment. However, moved by unknown motives, Han Yu didn’t speak up for Su Wenyue. Instead, he just stood there with a cold face.
Su Wenyue knew Han Yu didn’t hold much affection for her. Although he had been nice to her since morning, it was probably because she had made a good impression. Now that Mrs. Liu was giving her a hard time, and even if what Mrs. Liu said was true, seeing Han Yu’s indifference still saddened her. Hadn’t it been the same in her previous life? No matter how Mrs. Liu and Mrs. Wang made things difficult for her, behind her back, or to her face, Han Yu maintained this attitude. When she went to him with her troubles, instead of understanding, Han Yu accused her of making trouble out of nothing and disrespecting her Sister-in-law.
Through her painful experiences from the past life, Su Wenyue had been filled with joy at the prospect of living her days with Han Yu and had looked forward to life which now fell cold in her heart. Perhaps she chose to forget certain things selectively, only remembering that which she wanted, which led to a blind idealization of her former life. Now, she realized that the miserable life she had led was not entirely her fault.
Seemingly oblivious to the tense atmosphere in the room, Mrs. Li opened her mouth cluelessly: “What’s so odd about that? Fourth younger sister-in-law is such a delicate and lovely person. It’s quite likely her hands are as skillful as her appearance suggests. Having such outstanding embroidery skills is quite normal. The Su Family, such a Wealthy Family, must have hired skilled people to teach Fourth younger sister-in-law. Next time, if you have a chance, teach your Sister-in-law too. Seeing your craftsmanship and then looking back at my own, it does make one feel embarrassed!”
It was rare for Mrs. Li, who normally stayed quiet, to speak up for her in front of everyone. A touch of warmth streaked through Su Wenyue’s heart: “Certainly! Since Second Sister-in-law has asked, how can I not oblige as a younger sister-in-law? Whenever you want to learn, just come to me.”
Mrs. Liu, seeing Mrs. Li disrupting her plans, was annoyed and wasn’t willing to let Su Wenyue off so easily: “Fourth Daughter-in-law, don’t talk big. I don’t mean to belittle you, but everyone knows Miss Su is famously pampered. Although beautiful, she is known to be incapable of any work, and even her own dowry was embroidered by the servant girls by her side.”
“Sister-in-law, you are mistaken. I don’t mean to refute you, but Fourth younger sister-in-law is very capable. She even made breakfast for everyone this morning—do you not remember? With ordinary ingredients, she made dishes tastier than any of ours. She truly is dexterous in both mind and hands,” Mrs. Li said, seemingly not noticing Mrs. Liu’s gloomy face or Mrs. Wang’s attempts to silence her.
When Old Man Han and Mrs. Yang heard the words of the Second Daughter-in-law, they remembered, indeed, they had tasted the breakfast made by the Fourth Daughter-in-law, and it was delicious. None of the daughters-in-law at home could match the Fourth Daughter-in-law’s skill. Why did they listen to the Eldest Daughter-in-law’s provocations? The Eldest Daughter-in-law enjoyed stirring up trouble and chose exactly the tea-serving moment to embarrass the Fourth Daughter-in-law, not showing any grace expected of an Eldest Sister-in-law.
“Second Sister-in-law overpraises me! Father, Mother, I don’t dare claim to be highly capable, but I am not as useless as Sister-in-law says. Although I never did farm work in the field at my mother’s home, I have earnestly learned everything a woman should know.
As for what Sister-in-law mentioned, I really don’t know how such a reputation came to be. The Su Family has always been kind and fair; the rent we collect on leased land is the lowest far and wide, and this is something Father and Mother surely know. Moreover, for such a rumor to spread, it must have been someone who worked for the Su Family. The Su Family treated her not unkindly, yet she tarnishes our reputation so. It’s truly both ungrateful and detestable. Since Sister-in-law has heard it from someone, please tell this younger sister-in-law who this rumor-monger is. Such a morally corrupt person must not be allowed to stay in the Su Family.”
