The Old Zhou family, guests gradually left, and Madam Lu found an opportunity to have an intimate talk with her family and to air her grievances.
"...Mother, Eldest Sister-in-law, you saw during the tea ceremony, didn’t you? Such a large gold bracelet, when I married into the family, I didn’t receive such a luxury!" Madam Lu said with a sour tone.
"It’s true that the emperor favors the eldest son and the common folk dote on the youngest, and those words aren’t wrong. Your mother-in-law’s favoritism is too blatant," Old Lady Lu expressed her dissatisfaction.
"Mother, the young one is favored, as it is Old Lady’s command. Naturally, she is partial to him," Eldest Sister-in-law Lu pursed her lips and cast a glance at the third daughter-in-law, who was engrossed in cracking melon seeds, thinking to herself that her own family was no different.
Third Sister-in-law Lu noticed the meaningful look from her sisters-in-law and, being smart, didn’t say a word.
"For my younger brother-in-law’s marriage, she doesn’t know how much she has contributed from her own pocket, just the betrothal gifts alone were thirty taels of silver. Not to mention such a large gold bracelet," Madam Lu huffed softly.
"Keep your voice down, will you?" Old Lady Lu glared at her daughter and said, "If your mother-in-law hears this, who knows what she will think of you? Wouldn’t her heart lean even more towards your younger brother-in-law’s room?"
Madam Lu’s face was full of frustration, "I’m only venting here, how could I dare to speak out there? After marrying in a lady from a Scholar family, what position do I have left!"
"Enough, don’t mention this again in the future. Even if she favors the younger son, in the end, isn’t she still with your senior branch of the family?" Old Lady Lu said.
"I’d be happy if she sticks with the junior branch as long as we get our fair share," Madam Lu muttered.
"Don’t even think about that, unless your husband doesn’t want to continue his studies to become a Scholar anymore. Otherwise, not being filial and not supporting his mother would utterly ruin his reputation," Old Lady Lu chastised in a stern tone.
Madam Lu knew that, of course, but her heart was resentful.
"Don’t talk about your mother-in-law now, younger sister. What I observed today, your younger sister-in-law’s daughter doesn’t seem right? Even your mother-in-law seems quite wary of her," Old Lady Lu asked about the doubts in her mind.
Madam Lu’s complexion suddenly changed, feeling a sharp pain in her finger again, so she raised it and said, "Mother, do you know how my finger got broken?"
"That little wretch twisted and broke it," Madam Lu retold the incident with Wufu, exaggerating the story.
The members of the Lu family were all protective of each other. Hearing her story, every one of them looked upset.
"What a terribly malicious girl," Old Lady Lu slammed her hand on the kang bed angrily, "I knew it! With your mother-in-law’s temperament, who does she value at all? Yet today, she was so forbearing toward that girl, so this was the reason. No wonder, I thought her gaze was off, like she wanted to devour someone."
"Younger Sister, how could you not come back to your natal family and tell us about this? Are we of the Lu family to be trifled with?" Eldest Sister-in-law Lu also had a fiery temper.
Madam Lu responded, "It’s because these past few days my younger brother-in-law has been getting married, my mother-in-law has been suppressing it and wouldn’t let me go out, so..."
"So you’ve been holding it in until now?" Old Lady Lu was furious.
Madam Lu touched her finger pitifully, "What else could I do but endure, don’t you know what kind of person my mother-in-law is? For such a matter, even though I was clearly at a disadvantage, she made me hold my tongue, all for fear of ruining her precious son’s marital prospects!"
"This is simply outrageous!"
"Moreover, Mother, you don’t know, that wretched girl indeed has something evil about her. It wasn’t noticeable before, but I don’t know where she learned such evil techniques. She broke my finger so easily, she even struck Dajun," Madam Lu recalled the incident, still feeling terrified.
Old Lady Lu also remembered Wufu’s eyes and furrowed her brows, a thought flashing through her mind.