The next day, Wei Changying excitedly repeated Song Zaishui's words to Madam Song.

After hearing this, Madam Song immediately asked, "Who gave you this idea? "

Wei Changying pretended to be angry and said, "Don't you think I can figure out such an idea?" She then smiled and said, "It's my cousin's idea."

"If you had such an idea, why didn't you tell me earlier so that you can continue practicing martial arts?" Madam Song sneered as she said, "I know you the best. Do you know how many excuses you have made to practice martial arts since you were little?"

Wei Changying stuck out her tongue and said, "Look what you've said. Although I'm obsessed with practicing martial arts. I'm not stupid! Do you think I'm that stupid?"

"You are not stupid," said Madam Song. Her eldest daughter was so stubborn, lazy and clever. She knew her position in Madam Song's heart and was proficient in taking others' kindness for granted. Facing such a daughter, Madam Song felt exhausted, so she sighed and said, "But you have always thought that Shen Cangfeng wouldn't like you and you were not willing to please him, so I never thought about this explanation!"

Wei Changying smiled and said, "Anyway, my cousin has figured out the idea for me. Look, if we explain to Madam Su like this... Isn't it reasonable for me to marry him with nothing learned but martial arts?"

"It's not a complex explanation. Don't you think your grandmother can also come up with such an idea? Only heartless people like you are unable to know it!" Madam Song said coldly, "But even if Madam Su believed that it was your sincerity to Shen Cangfeng that has made you practice martial arts, do you think there's nothing to care about in the future?"

Wei Changying turned her eyes and looked at Granny s.h.i.+ on the side. Before Granny s.h.i.+ could say something, Madam Song gave a cold humph and said, "No way! Granny s.h.i.+ is my capable a.s.sistant! I would never let you take her!"

Granny s.h.i.+, who had served Madam Song for years, knew well about how Madam Song talked to her children. She immediately understood that she would become a dowry of Wei Changying's in the next year.

Granny s.h.i.+ became worried. She was born in the Song Family and has come to the Wei Family as Madam Song's dowry. Her children and grandchildren were working in the Wei Family, but only some of them would become Wei Changying's dowry, which meant that her family would become separated in the following year....

If it were other things, she could plead for Madam Song because she has served her for years. But it was Wei Changying, the treasure of Madam Song who wanted her. What would Madam Song ever refuse to give Wei Changying since her childhood? Granny s.h.i.+ remembered that when Wei Changying was small, she dropped a piece of jade and said that she liked the sound of a dropping jade. To make Wei Changying happy, Madam Song then ordered some servants to bring a carload of jade and made the sound for her. Although the jade was not expensive, it was shocking enough for the others.

How would Madam Song refuse to give her daughter an old servant like Granny s.h.i.+?

Seeing that Wei Changying insisted on refusing to learn the ladies' things, Granny s.h.i.+ believed that Madam Song would let her follow Wei Changying, even if Miss Wei said nothing. Madam Song would let her a.s.sist Wei Changying in case she went into trouble after she married.

But since her children and grandchildren were doing different jobs in the Wei Family, it would be difficult for them to follow Wei Changying all together... The capital was so far from Fengzhou that they could never know when they would meet again....

While Granny s.h.i.+ was still thinking, Wei Changying intimately said, "Mother, we all know that Granny s.h.i.+ is your best a.s.sistant. Without her, you would be more exhausted in administrating such a large family. How could I do this to you? Since I'm an obedient daughter, how would I take Granny s.h.i.+ with me as my dowry?"

Hearing this, Granny s.h.i.+ felt relieved, but she dared not to light her face up. She seemed to be looking at the front, but she was peeking at Madam Song from the corner of her eye.

There was still no expression on Madam Song's face. She was sitting straight with dignity as she asked, "You said you are obedient?"

Although Madam Song still looked angry, her eyes were smiling. Apparently, she was defeated by her daughter's pleasing words.

Wei Changying immediately noticed the change in her mother's mood. She continued to speak sweetly, "I know I wasn't obedient before, but now I understand. I have to be more considerate to my mother so that I can make up for what I've done!"

In several words, Madam Song could no longer remain the angry look and then smiled from her heart. Granny s.h.i.+ and the others couldn't believe it. They had never seen Madam Song compromise so easily.

Anyway, it was not her first time compromising to her children when she was in anger. Although she was disappointed about her failure in scolding her daughter, Madam Song forgot it in a second. She enjoyed Wei Changying's pleasant words for a while before Wei Changying eventually made a request. "What about letting Granny s.h.i.+ teach Granny He?" she said, "so that I can learn from Granny He in the future."

Hearing this, Madam Song became angry again. She said, "If you want to learn, why don't you learn from Granny s.h.i.+ yourself instead of letting other people learn? If you always expected others to help you, what would you do?"

Madam Song was so angry! Why didn't her daughter understand! At home, she could monitor the servants, so it's fine to let Granny He and other servants to do all the trifles. But after Wei Changying married, the elders couldn't protect her anymore. Who knows if any servant with ambition would cheat her?

Madam Song thought, "Granny He was loyal, but who knows what would happen in the future?"

"What's more, even if Granny He could remain loyal to my daughter, Wei Changying still can't set my mind at rest. As a daughter-in-law who has been verified several times and communicated through several matchmakers, if she couldn't take charge of the Shen Family, what would other people think about her? They would laugh at her!"

"Think about it, mother! Since I have to practice martial arts, how would I have time to learn other things?" Seeing her mother angry, Wei Changying went straight into her mother's arms. Her voice was so sweet that the one who heard it would have a toothache. She gently rubbed her face on her mother's face as she swung her mother's sleeves. Thank goodness, she didn't roll on the couch. She then said, "Let Granny He learn first so that I can ask her after I married. Isn't it a good idea to ensure that nothing falls behind?"

"I see," thought Madam Song, "She intended to let others learn the ladies' things in order to continue her plan of beating her fiancé!"

Madam Song put her hand onto her forehead and tried not to cry out.

"Why did I give birth to such an annoying girl?" Madam Song thought.

After feeling desperate, Madam Song had to continue persuading her daughter. She almost cried as she convinced her daughter earnestly by quoting cla.s.sics, telling her how ridiculous her thoughts were, and emphasized that being a virtuous wife is the key to a perfect marriage with caring parents-in-law and husband.

‒ Through the ages, none of the women lived a happy life by beating up their husbands!

Of course, the girls from the n.o.ble family were exceptions in this dynasty. But because of this, every n.o.ble family would feel anxious if the royal family decided to choose a daughter-in-law. None of them hoped their daughter to be chosen.

The Wei Family where Wei Changying was born in was especially concerned. The Wei Family in Fengzhou was the top n.o.ble family in the nation, and Wei Changying's fiancé Shen Cangfeng was from the Shen Family in Western Liang, a n.o.ble family that has the same status as the Wei Family. The six distinguished families‒ Wei, Shen, Su, Duanmu, Song, and Liu‒ were acknowledged as the n.o.blest of all in hundreds of years.

Their histories were even longer than the Vi Dynasty!

Besides, the Wei Family in Fengzhou were famous for their literati but not shrewish women!

If Wei Changying were born in the Shen Family, people could say that she inherited the characteristics of the Shen Family... But in the Wei Family, this was nonsense.

How couldn't Madam Song worry about her?

While Madam Song was talking earnestly, she didn't notice that Wei Changying has put her head on her shoulder... After a while, she suddenly realized that her daughter was nodding on her shoulder. Just as she was feeling pleased that Wei Changying eventually understood her, she found that her daughter was taking a nap!" This annoying little devil must have come to p.i.s.s me off," Madam Song thought, "if I didn't wake her up, she would sleep until sunset!"

Madam Song didn't know what to do with her daughter....

Therefore, Wei Changying knelt in the yard again in the next day, feeling wronged.

Although yesterday Wei Changying used her sunburn as an excuse to avoid punishment from Madam Song, she was actually afraid of getting sunburnt. This time, she did not have the guts to directly kneel under the sun in purpose so that Madam Song would compromise earlier because of feeling sorry for her.

Feeling upset, she knelt under a camphor tree and stared blankly at the bricks. Just then, she heard a sound of footsteps hurrying towards her, and then she caught sight of a pale, yellow c.r.a.pe robe. It was her brother Wei Changfeng, standing in front of her with an exasperated expression. "Sister," he said, "why are you kneeling here again?"

"... I fell asleep when our mother was telling me that a wife should be virtuous," said Wei Changying. She didn't even feel ashamed when telling her brother about it. "Why are you here?" she asked as if nothing happened.

Feeling in grieve, Wei Changfeng covered one side of his face with his hand and said, "Do you think I want to come? Granny s.h.i.+ ordered a servant to find me, and I was told that you were being punished again! They asked me to go to my mother's and plead for you!"

"Then go quickly," Wei Changying urged him. She was feeling back to life and straightened her back.

"You!" Wei Changfeng put down his hand and pointed at his sister. He gnashed as he said, "Sister, I don't want to talk about this... But can't you listen to our mother? She is our natural mother. Would she ever harm you?"

Wei Changying glanced at him and said, "Granny s.h.i.+ asked you to plead for me, not to continue the words that my mother has not finished.... What's more, you are not the one who is going to get married. You know nothing!"

Wei Changfeng had been scolding by his sister since he was little, so he didn't want to argue with his sister in such a situation. "Sister," he said seriously, "I'm not the one who is going to get married, but I have the same gender as Shen Cangfeng. Trust me, if my future wife had the idea of beating me up after marrying me, I would not treat her well! Every man on earth has the same thought! Your idea is ridiculous!"

"It doesn't matter whether you will treat her well or not. As long as you are beaten to become obedient, she will take charge of the family," Wei Changying said steadfastly. "Don't bother me now, go in and plead for me! Remember to say something nice!"

Wei Changfeng groaned and said, "Since you are so stubborn, I'll just leave you here! Stay here and introspect yourself!"

After saying this, Wei Changfeng swung his sleeves and was ready to leave. But soon after he turned away, he felt someone pulling his robe. He looked back and found that Wei Changying was grabbing his robe and said insidiously, "How dare you leaving me here?!"

Wei Changfeng felt that his head was going to explode. "Our mother's intention is not punis.h.i.+ng you," he said, "Don't you think she would feel sorry seeing you kneeling here? She did it for your own good! I have always believed her!"

"I don't care how you think! Now go inside and plead for me. If my mother doesn't forgive me in half an hour, you'll know how I beat you!" Wei Changying shouted combatively, "Go!"

Wei Changfeng gave a wry smile and said, "Wake up, sister! If you beat me, I won't hate you since you are my sister! But Shen Cangfeng is your fiancé! Do you think that he would always forgive you as I do?"

"I don't care how you think! Now go inside and plead for me. If my mother doesn't forgive me in half an hour, you'll know how I beat you!"

"Come on, you are going to get married next year, but you are still so stubborn! How could you let us‒ me, our mother, and grandmother feel at ease? You can ignore my thoughts, but as for mother and grandmother... Especially for our grandmother, how could you go to the capital without letting her feel a.s.sured?" Wei Changfeng tried earnestly to persuade her.

However‒

"I don't care how you think! Now go inside and plead for me. If my mother doesn't forgive me in half an hour, you'll know how I beat you!!!"

Wei Changfeng tried his best to persuade. He said, "Even if I plead for you now, how would your mother-in-law favour a daughter-in-law like you? How could you get along well with her?"

But the answer he received was‒

"If my mother doesn't forgive me in half an hour, I will beat you right here!!!!"

Wei Changying looked sullen and unfriendly. She crackled her delicate fingers as she shouted to her brother.

What a sister!!!

Poor Wei Changfeng! As the fifth young master of the Wei Family, he was so sensible and understanding as well as caring for his sister. But he had to compromise....

Seeing Wei Changfeng walking morosely towards the winding corridor, Wei Changying gave a pleasant humph and murmured, "Only when I teach you a lesson will you know that I'm not an easily bullied sister!" She then happily said, "Changfeng is the most reasonable person of all, but he still has to go in and plead for me. This means that violence is the most effective way! I was right!"