Chapter 838: 354 Avoid
The room was so quiet, one could hear a needle drop to the floor.
Xi Yu brought in a plate of pomegranates and, upon seeing Xiang Wei glaring at her fiercely, her hands shook, and the pomegranates tumbled from the crystal plate onto the ground.
Xiang Wei, furious, said, "You can’t even hold a few pomegranates steady? What use are you?" Seeing Xi Yu standing there dumbfounded, Xiang Wei grew even angrier, "What are you staring at? Don’t you know to pick them up?" All the people around her were so clumsy, one after another.
Yueyao, seeing tears welling up in Xi Yu’s eyes, hurriedly said, "She’s angry right now, don’t take it to heart."
Xiang Wei, seeing Yueyao’s calm and collected demeanor, became even more enraged and lashed out at Yueyao, "With that soft and weak appearance of yours, isn’t it only natural for others to bully you? You’re practically asking for it." As if she really thought her son was such a treasure. She didn’t even consider if we would give him a second glance.
When Nanny He said these words earlier, Yueyao was the only one present with Xiang Wei, so Xi Yu did not know what had happened. But now, it seemed that the Li family had been bullying their young lady.
Yueyao gave Xi Yu a look, and Xi Yu quickly withdrew. Nanny Hao came up to her and asked, "What happened?" Xiang Wei was usually all smiles and got along with everyone, never minding being the butt of jokes. But seeing her this angry, it must not have been a trivial matter.
Xi Yu shook her head and said, "From what Sister Xiang Wei suggested, it was the Li family’s people who bullied our young lady." Having dealt with Xiang Wei for so many years, she knew her temperament and understood the anger was not directed at her, so she wasn’t upset.
Nanny Hao frowned and said, "Why is everything piling up at once?" Nanny Hao wasn’t actually worried about Yueyao’s marriage prospects. Having experienced many things, she had a broader perspective. She felt that even if the young lady couldn’t get married, with her abilities, she wouldn’t have anything to worry about in the future. But the Li family was really going too far; when trouble arose on one end, they started bullying on the other, despite how respectfully the young lady treated them.
After the incident with Xi Yu being scolded, the maids and old nannies in Begonia Garden moved around gingerly, afraid to provoke Xiang Wei and suffer a tongue-lashing.
Yueyao looked at Xiang Wei and asked, "Are you done being angry? I’m going to practice my calligraphy."
Xiang Wei responded resentfully, "Look at you, acting as if I’m making a mountain out of a molehill."
Yueyao smiled and said, "I’m not comfortable either, but it’s normal. People have their close and distant relationships. Compared to Li Han, am I not a total outsider? Now, at a time of crisis, it’s normal for Auntie Li to be worried."
Xiang Wei said bitterly, "You must be a Bodhisattva, with a belly big enough to sail a ship."
Yueyao corrected her, "It’s supposed to be a prime minister’s belly that can sail a ship. I’ve encouraged you to read more books but you refuse; now you’re making a fool of yourself."
Xiang Wei stared at Yueyao, her eyes burning with indignation at her non-competitiveness.
Yueyao gave a wry smile and said, "This is the situation now; what use is it to be more angry? If there’s anyone to blame, it’s only my unfortunate fate for lacking a father or brothers to lean on, which is why people look down upon me. Xiang Wei, do you really want me to wallow in self-pity?"
Xiang Wei frowned, "So we just let it go?" Compared to self-pity and self-love, she found Yueyao’s cool and detached appearance more agreeable.
Yueyao knew Xiang Wei’s character; if it were someone else, she would have let Xiang Wei make a fuss, but not with the Li family: "Xiang Wei, you know how Uncle Li treats us siblings, right? No matter how terrible Lady Li may be, for Uncle Li’s sake, I can’t be bothered with her. And if we really make a fuss, it would be Tingzheng who ends up in the most difficult position."
Xiang Wei was dissatisfied, "So this matter is to be forgotten?"
Yueyao laughed dismissively, "Do you think I’m a Bodhisattva, without a trace of anger? Since she doesn’t regard me in her eyes, I don’t need to be respectful to her either."
Yueyao could understand Lady Li’s fierce maternal instincts, but she couldn’t accept Lady Li’s behavior. If Lady Li thought the marriage was not suitable, she could have raised it with Yueyao herself. Sending an old nanny casually to deliver such a message showed that Lady Li had never truly regarded her. Facing such an overt humiliation, if she could remain as before, then she would indeed possess the heart of a Bodhisattva.
Xiang Wei nodded, feeling this was more appropriate. If Yueyao dared to cozy up to the Li family again, she would have no qualms about giving her a piece of her mind. A person must not lack dignity or pride.
Yueyao thought for a moment and then said, "I’ll send out an invitation—I’ll visit my teacher tomorrow, and in a couple of days, I’d like to go to Zhaohua Temple." Mr. Yu Shan had originally set the date for mid-October, but it was postponed due to an old friend of his falling ill. This delay lasted for nearly half a month. As Mr. Yu Shan was getting on in years, his son-in-law and grandson were reluctant to let him travel during the cold winter, so they decided to accompany him in Capital City for the New Year, planning a return to Jiangnan next March.