Chapter 15: The Feigned Injury Scheme
In the main room.
Madam Lu sat upright in the seat of honor, Lu Jinrong at the lower end, and the three children of the household also appeared. Beside them stood three beautiful young women.
Lin Wanqing stood in the center of the room and bowed to Madam Lu. “Your daughter-in-law Wanqing pays respects to mother-in-law.”
Lu Jinrong widened her eyes, staring intently at Lin Wanqing, trying to find some fault in her gesture.
But she found none. The etiquette was flawless, more refined and graceful than even her tutor’s, so much so that she wanted to ask how Lin Wanqing had mastered it so perfectly.
Yet she held back.
After all, today was about asserting their authority!
Madam Lu maintained her composure and nodded, “You may rise. Let’s begin the tea ceremony.”
Nanny Chen immediately had tea brought in.
A serving maid presented the tray with the teacup to Lin Wanqing. “Madam, please.”
Lin Wanqing glanced at the steaming cup and barely suppressed a smirk. She found the scheming nature of those in the General’s mansion hard to describe.
If they were naive, they would not be so intent on causing trouble, trying to undermine her dignity and suppress her. But if they were cunning, their actions lacked subtlety, their malice blatant.
In short, they were foolish and somewhat malicious.
The fundamental reason was the simplicity of the General’s household environment.
The Lu family had a military tradition spanning generations. Most of the time, only women remained at home, with the men stationed at the frontiers.
The conflicts among women in the inner quarters were mostly over men. Since the men were away for extended periods, the primary wife stayed to serve the matriarch, while concubines accompanied the men at the border. With neither men nor concubines present, there was little to fight over.
Thus, the inner household of the Lu family was mostly free from messy intrigues, limited to occasional mother-in-law and daughter-in-law tensions. Under Madam Lu’s stern matronship, the servants sometimes forgot their place.
In her previous life, Lin Qianyun, upon marrying in, was bullied by these servants banding together. Being not very clever herself, she constantly clashed with them, causing many embarrassing incidents.
This time, the days of these foolish, presumptuous servants were numbered.
Lin Wanqing smiled disdainfully in her heart and did not take the tea.
The serving maid summoned her courage and urged again, “Madam, please.”
Lu Jinrong pressed from the side, “Is it so difficult to offer tea? If you don’t want to serve mother, just say so. Besides, mother isn’t eager to drink your so-called daughter-in-law tea.”
Madam Lu pretended to rise, as if to leave.
Lin Wanqing lifted the teacup, feeling the scorching heat immediately, but kept her expression calm. She knelt before Madam Lu, raising the cup above her head. “Mother-in-law, please accept this tea.”
Madam Lu doubted whether the servants had sabotaged the tea, for Lin Wanqing seemed unaffected.
Seeing Madam Lu hesitate, Lin Wanqing urged again, “Mother-in-law, please drink the tea.”
Madam Lu reached out to take the cup, but the moment her fingers touched it, she quickly withdrew her hand, burned.
Lu Jinrong immediately slammed the table and stood. “Lin Wanqing, are you trying to burn my mother?”
Lin Wanqing stood and slapped the serving maid who had brought the tea. “You wretch! How do you do your work? Trying to burn the old madam?”
The maid was stunned, then quickly knelt down. “Madam, I…”
Lin Wanqing cut her off. “Take this incompetent maid away and give her twenty lashes!”
The maid was so frightened she turned to plead with Lu Jinrong, “Miss, save me!”
Lu Jinrong was flustered. “Lin Wanqing, what do you mean? My mother was burned, why are you punishing the maid?”
Lin Wanqing hid her hand in her sleeve, gently rubbing the fingers stinging from the burn, her face indifferent. “The maid prepared this tea and knew full well it was for mother-in-law, yet deliberately poured it scalding hot.”
“This maid belongs to mother-in-law’s courtyard. I just married in and have no power to meddle so deeply. Mother-in-law is kind-hearted and would never do such a despicable thing. Therefore, this must be the maid’s own scheme—she harbors ill intent and tried to harm her mistress.”
Lu Jinrong jumped up angrily, “How is it despicable? She was just careless. How can you punish her so harshly?”
Lin Wanqing shook her head disapprovingly. “Serving others is a serious responsibility. Carelessness can cause harm to the mistress. Jinrong, your prepared tea scalded mother-in-law. Instead of caring about her injuries, you defend this foolish maid who harmed her mistress. You truly are unfilial.”
The word “unfilial” stunned Lu Jinrong.
They had intended to use this as a means to suppress Lin Wanqing, but she had turned it against them.
Lin Wanqing ignored Lu Jinrong and knelt forward to carefully examine Madam Lu’s hand, noticing a small red mark.
She quickly cupped Madam Lu’s hand and gently blew on it. “Mother-in-law, does it hurt? Hold on; I will have someone fetch snow water—it’s very effective for burns.”
She immediately sent Zi Su to retrieve it.
Being cared for so attentively, Madam Lu’s nose tingled with emotion.
She had never been treated with such tender care. Coming from a modest background as the daughter of a sixth-rank official with many sisters, her mother’s attention was limited, and servants paid little heed.
After marrying into the Lu family, with a formidable mother-in-law and a husband often away, she felt oppressed and dared not show weakness.
Her children grew up; her son was indifferent, and daughter Lu Jinrong, though somewhat close, had never been this considerate.
This was the first time in her memory she felt so cherished. Though surrounded by many servants who served diligently, none compared to Lin Wanqing’s thoughtfulness.
Lin Wanqing continued to blow gently on the burn to ease the pain. “Mother, I’m blowing on it—it will hurt less soon.”
Madam Lu’s heart softened completely and she took Lin Wanqing’s hand.
Lin Wanqing cried out in pain, startling Madam Lu, who looked down. “My goodness, your hand is burned like this? My child, why did you endure it without a sound?”
Lin Wanqing’s delicate fingertips had several glaring blisters.
Madam Lu was heartbroken. “Quick, bring snow water!”
Zi Su entered with the snow water. “Madam, the snow water is here.”
Lin Wanqing hurriedly took the basin. “Mother, soak your hand in it—it will ease the pain soon.”
Madam Lu grasped her hand and held it in the basin. “Wanqing, you soak first. My child, it’s all my fault for letting you suffer.”
Tears came as she spoke, truly feeling she had committed a grievous wrong.
Her good daughter-in-law was so kind, yet how had she been so blind?
Lu Jinrong watched dumbfounded from the side. What was happening? Had her mother turned traitor?