Being a second wife is difficult

The next morning, when the curtain of the east courtyard was lifted, Madam Fang was already sitting in front of the dressing table, having combed her hair. She hadn't slept much all night, and there was a faint dark circle under her eyes, but she was much more energetic than the night before.

Lu Huaiyu was still kneeling in the ancestral hall, while Cui'er was locked in the most secluded courtyard on the west side. The old lady sent two reliable old women to guard the door and deliver three meals a day. Outsiders were not allowed to approach.

Even if she wanted to do something under the old lady's nose, she couldn't do it right now.

The child in Cui'er's belly did indeed come at the worst possible time.

She picked up her teacup and took a sip, her gaze falling on her reflection in the bronze mirror. Looking at herself in the mirror, a coldness shone in her eyes.

She needed an opportunity to act before the old lady noticed, and she also needed to figure out how to muddy the waters and divert attention if things came to light.

Cui'er couldn't move, but the people behind her were still alive.

Thinking of this, she put down her teacup and said to a newly promoted maid beside her, "Go and call Granny Ding here."

The maid replied "Yes," then lowered her head and turned to leave.

Fang watched her figure disappear through the door before turning her gaze away.

This maid was newly promoted. Her name was Zhu Ling. She was young, but she had a quiet demeanor and did things quietly. She was chosen from among the second-class maids.

When Cui'er was around, Zhu Ling was often ordered around to run errands, but she never contradicted her to her face. What Fang valued in her was this "steadiness".

As for Hongxiu, although she had done a good job for her, Fang knew very well what kind of person that girl was.

He is arrogant, gossipy, and shallow-minded. He wants the whole household to know about the slightest bit of fame he gains.

The matter with Cui'er has just passed, and she can't keep another idiot who only knows how to make clever remarks by her side.

But Hongxiu can't be touched yet. She witnessed what happened between Granny Ding and Cui'er and was the first to report it. If the old lady asks about it later, she will need to be a witness.

Once this matter is completely resolved, she will naturally find a reason to send her far away; for now, she's just taking care of her for the time being.

When Granny Ding arrived, she had her usual smile on her face and walked steadily, showing no sign of nervousness, as if she knew nothing at all.

She curtsied as she entered, her voice as usual: "Second Madam summoned this old servant; is there anything you require?"

Fang ignored her, fiddling with the lid of the teacup in her hand, turning it over and over to look at it twice before finally looking up at Granny Ding.

"Stop pretending, Granny Ding. Cui'er was someone you transferred in, wasn't she?"

Ding Mama's smile was still on her face, but it visibly froze for a moment. She opened her mouth and said, "What you're saying, Madam, is true. This old servant is in charge of personnel transfers, and Miss Cui'er was indeed transferred to the second branch from under my care..."

"But don't you know she's from your hometown?" Fang interrupted her, her voice low but each word resolute.

"Granny Ding, have you been treating me like a fool for years? Do you think I don't know by now? Do you still think you can fool me?"

"Cui'er was handpicked by you from your hometown. You went to great lengths to get her into the Earl's mansion and then specially placed her in my room. You've been managing things in the mansion for years, and I've had dealings with you a few times. I know more or less about what you've done. But just because I don't say anything doesn't mean I don't remember."

Ding Mama's smile froze completely. She opened her mouth again, as if she wanted to say something to smooth things over, but Fang Shi didn't give her the chance.

Suddenly, Fang threw the teacup and lid out of her hand. The teacup grazed Ding Mama's forehead and flew past her, hitting the door frame behind her.

With a sharp "crack," shards of porcelain flew everywhere, and tea spilled all over the floor.

Granny Ding instinctively shrank her neck. A shard of porcelain cut a thin gash on her forehead, and blood seeped out, trickling down her temple.

"Madam, spare my life!" Granny Ding knelt down with a thud.

She didn't even care when her knees hit the broken porcelain shards and cut them; she didn't even flinch, she just kept kowtowing.

He looked exactly the same as when Cui'er knelt in the main hall last night.

Fang stood in front of her, looking down at her, and finally felt a slight relief in her chest.

She had dealt with Granny Ding many times before. She used to think that Granny Ding was quick-witted, had many connections, and had people all over the mansion, so she was willing to associate with her.

But now that I think about it, Ding Mama has probably never treated her as a real mistress all these years.

In her eyes, she was nothing more than a useful connection, a useful path.

She didn't even know that Granny Ding had placed her fellow villager by her side; in Granny Ding's eyes, she had probably been kept in the dark all these years.

"Get up." Madam Fang's voice turned cold. "Stop kowtowing. No matter how many times you kowtow, you won't be able to clear up Cui'er's name."

"Granny Ding, you've been smart for so many years, you should understand one thing: no matter how capable you are, I won't let it go so easily because you buried someone right next to me."

Granny Ding remained kneeling on the ground, motionless. When she raised her head, blood had already blurred her vision, but she didn't bother to wipe it away. Her voice was hoarse: "Madam, this old servant had no intention of disloyalty... It's true that Cui'er is from my hometown. When I transferred her to the manor, it was just that I happened to see a vacancy in your room, which seemed like a good place, so I transferred her here... I never expected her to do such a thing..."

Before Granny Ding could finish speaking, footsteps suddenly came from outside the door.

A maidservant hurried to the door and announced, "Madam, the First Madam and the Master have arrived. They said they were instructed by the Old Madam to come and see you on her behalf."

Fang's eyebrows twitched slightly. She glanced at the back door and gave Zhu Ling a wink.

Zhu Ling understood, quickly walked over and helped Granny Ding up from the ground, then pushed her quietly toward the back door.

Madam Fang glanced at Granny Ding again, her gaze sharp as a needle: "Granny Ding, you should go back now. You should know in your heart what you should and shouldn't have said today. If I hear anything you shouldn't have spread—"

"This old servant understands." Ding Mama's voice was so low it sounded like it was being squeezed out of her throat.

Zhu Ling led Granny Ding out through the back door.

Fang glanced at the broken porcelain shards and the spilled tea on the ground, frowned, and said, "Clean up the floor, quickly."

The remaining maids hurriedly squatted down to pick up the broken pieces, wipe the floor, and clean the bloodstains with handkerchiefs.

Madam Fang straightened her clothes and hair, making sure there were no traces of the earlier confrontation, before gesturing with her chin toward the door: "Quickly invite my elder brother and sister-in-law in."

When Jiang Wan and Lu Huaijin stepped across the threshold one after the other, the ground had already been cleaned up. The broken porcelain pieces were gone, and the water stains had been wiped away, leaving only a little dampness on the blue bricks that had not yet completely dried.

Fang sat in the chair, looking better than last night, though there was still a faint redness around her eyes.

When she saw Jiang Wan come in, she stood up and took two steps to greet her, forcing a smile: "Sister-in-law is here, and elder brother is here too. Please have a seat."

Jiang Wan glanced at the damp spot; there were a few splattered bloodstains on the bluish-gray brick surface, barely noticeable unless you looked closely.

A thought flashed through her mind: what had just happened here? But Fang didn't want them to see, so Jiang Wan decided to test the waters first.

"How are you feeling today, sister-in-law? Your brother and I heard a lot of commotion and the sound of porcelain breaking in the corridor just now. What happened?" Jiang Wan sat down in a chair, her tone gentle.

Fang sat down opposite her, smoothed her hair behind her ear, and replied first, "I'm sorry to have worried you, sister-in-law. It's nothing serious. It's just that a few clumsy maids broke a teacup, and I scolded them a bit in a fit of anger."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Wan took over the conversation and comforted her, saying, "Sister-in-law, don't get too angry with those servants. It's not worth ruining your health."

Madam Fang nodded, her expression softening slightly: "Sister-in-law is right. It's just that I didn't sleep well for most of last night, tossing and turning over that matter, and my head felt very heavy when I woke up this morning."

She shook her head, as if trying to shake something out of her head, and didn't continue.

Seeing that she didn't want to bring it up again, Jiang Wan stopped asking and changed the subject to her health: "Sister-in-law, you should rest more. Your health is important. Take things slowly and don't wear yourself out."

Lu Huaijin chimed in from the side, "The old lady was also worried about you. She specifically asked us to come and check on you early this morning. Seeing that you're in good spirits, she's relieved."

Upon hearing this, Madam Fang's expression relaxed slightly, and she lowered her eyes: "Thank you for your concern, Madam. My daughter-in-law is fine and will be alright after a couple of days of rest."

The group then sat down and exchanged some polite words.

They all told her to relax, not to hold a grudge against Lu Huaiyu for too long, and that the old lady would naturally give her justice.

Fang responded to each of them, her voice low and carrying just the right amount of fatigue.

After talking for about fifteen minutes, Jiang Wan saw that she was indeed tired, so she didn't linger any longer and stood up, saying, "Then sister-in-law, please rest well. We'll head back now. If you need anything, just have someone come and let us know."

Fang Shi also got up to see them off, and Jiang Wan and Lu Huaijin left the courtyard one after the other.

Zhu Ling had returned. Leaning back in her chair, she asked lazily, "Did anyone see Granny Ding leave through the back door?"

"No, I took the path through the back room to avoid people."

Fang nodded and didn't ask any more questions.