Chapter 65: An incompetent father ruins one, an incompetent mother ruins the whole nest

Zhu Xuejiao flew into a rage at the sight of Lin Wanqing's innocent expression. "You had the guts to do it, so why don't you have the guts to admit it? What are you pretending for? You promiscuous bitch! You don't deserve to be a general's wife at all!"

Lin Wanqing's face also turned cold. "Whether I deserve to be a general's wife or not is not for an irrelevant person like you to judge."

With that, she turned to the other madwives and ladies, asking with a sincere expression, "May I ask, esteemed ladies, what sounds did you actually hear just now? I truly fail to understand what nonsense Zhu Xuejiao is babbling about. I beg you all to clarify."

Looking at Lin Wanqing's righteous yet bewildered face, the ladies suddenly remembered that this general's wife was still an innocent maiden to this day; it was indeed not strange that she did not understand what Zhu Xuejiao was implying.

At the same time, however, they found it rather odd: how could Zhu Xuejiao, an unmarried young lady, understand such matters? Furthermore, her language was coarse and vulgar, worse than a shrew from the streets, truly a disgrace to proper etiquette.

By now, they also saw through the situation completely. This was a trap targeted at Lin Wanqing—a scheme to ruin Lin Wanqing's reputation and purity! The pretense of not being able to watch Lin Wanqing be harmed was, in reality, an attempt to drag them in as witnesses and nail down the accusation that Lin Wanqing had lost her virtue!

How venomous were such intentions!

Not only did they want to destroy Lin Wanqing's purity, but they also wanted to drag their families down into the mud.

This woman surnamed Zhu had remarkable audacity indeed!

Fortunately, Lady Lu had her wits about her. She had likely sensed something was amiss early on, so she played along to trick them and drew the schemers right out into the open.

How laughable it was that Zhu Xuejiao still thought their plot had succeeded, acting all aggressive here, completely unaware that she had walked right into the other party's trap and exposed her own ugliness through a few simple remarks!

It was a blessing that none of their own sons had taken a fancy to this girl; otherwise, it would have been a humiliating disgrace.

Thinking along these lines, the ladies cast a glance toward one of the matrons surnamed Wang.

This Lady Wang's husband served as the chief secretary at the Yuzhou City yamen, holding a minor eighth-rank official post. Lady Wang had raised two children, and her eldest son was just at the age for marriage discussions.

However, the lower eighth rank was the lowest of the low, making marriage prospects rather awkward. If they wanted a family with official standing, those families looked down on them. If they looked for ordinary families, they felt it was a mismatch. After searching around, their eyes had fallen upon Zhu Xuejiao.

Zhu Xuejiao's father was a legal advisor at the yamen—though not an official position, it at least brushed shoulders with officialdom.

The Wang family had already made their intentions clear to the Zhu family and planned to send a matchmaker to propose marriage in a few days.

Originally, the Wang family was reasonably satisfied with Zhu Xuejiao. But having witnessed her behavior firsthand today, Lady Wang was regretting it so deeply her intestines turned green.

If Zhu Xuejiao were merely fiercely competitive or strong-willed, that might be tolerable, for a timid eldest daughter-in-law would never be able to handle affairs. But Zhu Xuejiao's most fatal flaw was her utter lack of brains!

Back in Lin Xianyun's courtyard, when she blocked Lin Wanqing to snatch her hair ornaments as a wedding gift, one could barely excuse it as standing up for a friend. But what was this now?

An unmarried young woman, hand in hand with her own mother, plotting against another person's virtue in someone else's home—and to top it all off, getting caught and thoroughly outmaneuvered while remaining completely oblivious! And the person she targeted was the wife of a fourth-rank general!

If Zhu Xuejiao had already crossed their threshold and become a daughter-in-law of the Wang family, wouldn't this have dragged the entire Wang family down with her?

Lady Wang felt a sudden darkness cloud her vision. How on earth had she ever fancied such a stupid and vicious wretch!

To avoid incurring Lin Wanqing's enmity, Lady Wang stepped forward and rebuked sternly, "Zhu Guniang, watch your tongue. So many of us have been watching here today, and there were no strange sounds whatsoever in Lady Lu's room. As a young lady from a good family, you had better mind your own mouth. Beware that misfortune does not issue from your lips!"

She said this for two reasons: first, to sever any association with the Zhu family; and second, to warn this fool that her and her mother's scheme had already been exposed.

Who would have thought that Zhu Xuejiao, lacking all sense of propriety, would turn around and roar at Lady Wang, "What business is it of yours? Aren't you just trying to cozy up to Lin Wanqing, that bitch, because she married well? Who doesn't know your little petty thoughts!"

She already knew about the Wang family sending a marriage proposal, but she looked down on the Wang family entirely! She was destined to marry into the general's estate! What was the Wang family, anyway? Were they worthy of daring to covet her?

Not only that, but this Lady Wang dared to lecture her in public. It was utterly ridiculous, as if she were actually somebody important! She hadn't even agreed to the Wang family's marriage proposal yet, and already the woman was putting on the airs of a mother-in-law! Utterly absurd and senseless!

Lady Wang was so furious she almost keeled over backward.

"Fine, fine! Consider it my meddling! Argue amongst yourselves all you like. In any case, as for today's affair, what I saw and heard was simply Lady Lu resting peacefully alone in her room with nothing amiss whatsoever! I will not meddle in the rest. Do as you please."

With that, Lady Wang bowed to Lin Wanqing. "Lady Lu, I am feeling somewhat unwell and will head home first. If there is any need for me to testify hereafter, just send someone to summon me. I guarantee I will state everything I saw and heard precisely as it happened."

Wretches like these were merely trying to ruin Lin Wanqing's reputation and have her cast aside by the general's estate. They would surely make a big issue out of this later. She had no desire to make an enemy of the general's estate, so she would certainly step forward to help Lin Wanqing clear her name.

Although Lin Wanqing had no actual need for Lady Wang, she accepted the sentiment nonetheless, and returned the bow with a smile. "Many thanks, Lady Wang. Do take care on your way."

After Lady Wang departed, the other ladies immediately made their stances clear, all standing firmly on Lin Wanqing's side.

Zhu Xuejiao stamped her feet in fury. "You bunch of opportunists! You clearly heard it, why are you claiming you didn't!"

The ladies looked Zhu Xuejiao up and down, sneered, and turned away to leave.

Trying to use them as pawns—did she even look at what kind of commodity she was?

Today's business was far from over!

Zhu Xuejiao tried to block their path, only to be shoved aside by the maids and senior servant women of the various ladies.

Very soon, only Lin Wanqing, Zhu Xuejiao, her mother, and the Zhu family servants remained in the courtyard.

Seeing matters reduced to this state, Zhu Xuejiao turned green with rage. It had been so close—just a hair's breadth away, and Lin Wanqing's reputation would have been utterly ruined!

She was utterly unwilling to accept this!

Lin Wanqing chuckled disdainfully and shook her head. "Indeed, a spineless father breeds a spineless family, and a vicious mother breeds a nest of vipers. I was wondering earlier why Zhu Xuejiao lacked brains so entirely, used like a dog by Lin Xianyun. Now I understand—the rot is in the roots. How can a withered bamboo shoot grow good bamboo?"

Lady Zhu's face turned black with fury. "Little bitch, you're courting death!"

She was just as foolish, still viewing Lin Wanqing as the inconspicuous wallflower of the Lin family from before. Hearing Lin Wanqing hurl such insults at her and her daughter, she immediately rolled up her sleeves and moved to slap Lin Wanqing across the face.

Before her hand could even reach out, Lin Wanqing grabbed her wrist in a firm grip.

A tremendous force radiated from her wrist, nearly crushing her bones and causing her to shriek in agony.

At that exact moment, a commotion suddenly erupted from outside the gate.

"Ah, someone come quickly! A flower-picking thief has broken into the Second Young Lady's courtyard!"