276 Thank You, Miao’s Branch Leader, for the Reward
As she cried, Old Madam Yu was furious and started scolding, “Damn it, the wife of the Marquis of Changxing is even bullying a growing child. They’re really shameless. Even if my old bones are paralyzed, it’s not up to her to climb over my head and abuse her power. Tomorrow, I’ll wear heavy makeup and enter the palace to seek the Empress Dowager’s opinion. I definitely can’t let my Yao Yao suffer such grievances for no reason…”
Her grandmother bowed to Buddha and smelled of sandalwood. Yu Youyao felt very at ease. She clearly did not feel aggrieved, but she could not help but cry too.
“Grandmother, Yao Yao doesn’t feel aggrieved. Yao Yao is a bereaved eldest daughter, so it’s understandable for others to say a few words. In any case, I’ve ruined my own reputation, so I won’t implicate my younger sisters. However, as the eldest daughter of the first wife in the family, I’ve been raised by Grandmother since I was young. The Marquis of Changxing’s Residence bullied me, but it’s a slap to the Yu Residence’s face and it’s even a slap to Grandmother’s virtuous reputation…”
When Old Madam Yu heard this, she wiped her tears again. “My good granddaughter, you understand so much at such a young age. Even after being wronged and humiliated, you can still think about your family and compete with others for the family. You’ve suffered…”
Yang Shuwan couldn’t raise her head after hearing this.
Instantly, she came to a realization!
Yu Youyao’s reputation had almost been ruined because she was the “old mistress’s eldest daughter.” As her stepmother, she could not surpass her biological mother in terms of “education.” As a second wife, she could not surpass her first wife in terms of “etiquette.” She was irrelevant.
However, the reputation of the Yu Residence and Old Madam had a lot to do with her.
Yu Youyao, this little b*tch, was really impressive. With just one sentence, she had pushed her over the fire.
This was not the end. The more Old Madam Yu cried, the more upset she felt. “It’s all my fault for being old and useless. Usually, I can still protect my little granddaughter at home, but when I’m outside, my eyes are completely dark. Poor obedient granddaughter. You lost your mother at a young age, and your stepmother is an incompetent person. She only cares about her daughter’s sprained ankle and doesn’t protect my little granddaughter. She almost ruined my little granddaughter’s reputation. How is she like a stepmother?”
“Old Madam, I…” Yang Shuwan opened her mouth, but no words came out.
Just now, when Old Madam was criticizing her, she had also used Jia Jia’s sprained ankle.
After a round of tears, Yu Zongzheng was concerned about Jia Jia and was distracted. He did not care about anything else, so Old Madam did not say anything else. Instead, he asked about Jia Jia’s injuries.
Unexpectedly, this old woman was waiting for her.
At this moment, Yu Zongzheng also realized that he couldn’t even drink his tea. He put down his teacup heavily and the bottom of the cup hit the table with a clang.
Just now, Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law were present so his mother did not say much because she cared about his and Madam Yang’s reputation. Hence, she allowed Madam Yang to brush off the matter of Jia Jia spraining her ankle.
However, Jia Jia had sprained her ankle and would be fine after recuperating for a few days.
If Yao Yao’s reputation was ruined in public, her entire life would be ruined.
As her stepmother, Madam Yang actually couldn’t figure out which was more important?
Her eldest daughter had been humiliated, and it was also the Yu Residence’s face that had been hurt. Even a growing child knew this. As the mistress of the household, Madam Yang actually did not know?
Yu Zongzheng looked at Madam Yang and couldn’t help but feel disappointed. After all, she raised the little girl. She was really unpresentable.
At this moment, the curtain in the inner room was lifted.
Yu Youyao looked up—
Hui Xiang and Ai Ye helped Yu Jianjia into the house.
Her thin figure trembled like a lotus bud in the wind. Her face was pale, and she frowned slightly. She bit her lip and endured the pain. Her forehead and the tip of her nose were covered in sweat like dewdrops, making her look even more innocent and pure.
It was obvious that she had suffered.
Yang Shuwan tightened her grip on her handkerchief, her heart aching uncontrollably.
Old Madam Yu quickly said, “Sit down.”
“Thank you, Grandmother.” Yu Jianjia asked the maidservant to help her sit beside Yang Shuwan. She couldn’t help but glance at Yu Youyao, who was sitting beside Old Madam.
However, she realized that Yu Youyao was also looking at her. Her black eyes were so bright that they hurt her eyes.
Yu Jianjia panted slightly. Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she slowly lowered her eyes.
Old Madam Yu looked reproachful. “Child, you sprained your ankle. Why didn’t you rest in your room? Your mother said that she had invited Imperial Physician Li into the residence. Did he take a look? What did he say? Was the injury serious?”
Yu Jianjia had returned to the residence for a while, and the imperial physicians were not far away. They probably entered the residence.
Yu Jianjia’s voice was gentle and hoarse. “Imperial Physician Li just entered the residence and helped me take a closer look. He said that I had sprained my tendons and that my bones weren’t injured. He gave me medicinal oil that will clear my tendons and move my meridians three times a day. I’ll be fine in about half a month. It’s not good for Grandmother, Father, and Mother to worry, so I came over to tell them.” At this point, she bit her lip lightly. “It’s my fault for being disappointing and making the elders worry.”
“It’s good that you’re fine.” Old Madam Yu felt much more at ease. She said gently, “Don’t let your imagination run wild. I know that you’re a filial child. Your body is a little weak, so you have to take care of your health more often.”
Yu Jianjia heaved a sigh of relief and nodded.
Yu Zongzheng was furious, but he couldn’t flare up in front of his mother. Seeing his daughter’s pale face, he was also worried. “Your grandmother is right. You have to recuperate carefully in the future.”
“I understand, Father!” Yu Jianjia agreed obediently. From the corner of her eye, Yu Youyao said something to Bai Kui. Bai Kui bowed and nodded, then lifted the curtain and entered the side room.
Yu Jianjia lowered her head and drank her tea.
At this moment, Bai Kui came out of the side room with a soft pillow and walked up to Yu Jianjia. “Third Miss sprained her ankle, so she can’t use too much strength on her foot. Eldest Miss asked me to bring a soft pillow for Third Miss to lean on so that she can feel more comfortable.”
Yu Jianjia was flattered and quickly looked at Yu Youyao. “Thank you, Big Sister!”
Yu Youyao nodded and said nothing.
Ai Ye took the soft pillow and quickly placed it behind Yu Jianjia. Yu Jianjia leaned against the soft pillow and immediately felt her body relax a little. Her feet felt lighter.
Yu Zongzheng couldn’t help but sigh with emotion. His eldest daughter was becoming more and more like an elder sister. She always thought of her younger sister at home.
Old Madam Yu sighed slightly. “I originally thought that it was just an ordinary flower festival. The few of you aren’t young anymore. If you go over to join in the fun, you can also broaden your horizons. Who would have thought that the Marquis of Changxing’s Residence was actually a dragon’s den? Not only was Yao Yao’s reputation almost ruined, but you also sprained your ankle. They’re really bullying us.”
When Yu Jianjia heard this, her heart couldn’t help but skip a beat. She couldn’t help but cover her mouth with her handkerchief and cough twice. Then, she said softly—