Chapter 132 -56: Ma Peng Makes Up His Mind_2
After Granny Liu returned, she did not reveal the underlying meaning of the conversation, for those involved in the affair were often the most confused, while onlookers saw most clearly. Granny Liu mentioned the matter to her daughter-in-law.
Her daughter-in-law immediately understood, “Cousin Miss meant to say that once the Eldest Young Madam enters the family, the old nanny can lay down her burdens and enjoy some peaceful days.”
Granny Liu’s countenance shifted repeatedly, as the words of Cousin Miss implied her retirement and passing on the stewardship of the courtyard.
Seeing the change in her mother-in-law’s face, Granny Liu’s daughter-in-law hurriedly said, “Old nanny, Cousin Miss truly has your best interests at heart. Otherwise, she would not have spoken these words to you.” The future Eldest Young Madam is skillful enough to keep Lady Cheng in check. But at the same time, she surely doesn’t want to see someone who has toiled so much serving at the Eldest Young Master’s side; it’s not that the future Eldest Young Madam can’t bear others, but anyone would prefer to employ their own people.
The daughter-in-law’s point was that instead of waiting for the future Eldest Young Madam to tire of her mother-in-law and seek ways to send her away, it would be better for the old nanny to retire voluntarily. This way, she could earn favor in the eyes of the future Eldest Young Madam, and their younger generation could also benefit.
Granny Liu knew what her daughter-in-law said made sense. However, she had been treading on thin ice for over a decade, barely awaiting a favorable marriage alliance spoken by the Eldest Young Master, preparing to finally breathe a sigh of relief. Yet now, she faced a direct setback, being asked to step down, a disparity not easily accepted by the average person.
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Leaving aside what Granny Liu thought, Nanny Deng, upon returning to her room, said, “Miss, these words shouldn’t have been said by you, Miss. You could have let me speak to Granny Liu.” She knew the Miss’s intention was not for the benefit of Granny Liu, but for the good of their Young Master (cousin), and even more for the soon-to-enter Young Lady (cousin). But such matters truly shouldn’t be spoken by the Miss.
Yueyao smiled and said, “What did I say? I just expressed happiness for my eldest cousin.” She hadn’t directly said anything else.
Nanny Deng sighed softly, yet said nothing.
Yueyao smiled gently, “Mom, it’s okay.” Yueyao implied that whether to step back or not was up to Granny Liu herself.
Granny Liu, who had received her maternal grandmother’s dying words, painstakingly guarded against Lady Cheng’s persecution of her eldest cousin and managed his household with utmost dedication. She truly had toiled hard. Such a person deserved to be honored and supported, and Yueyao believed that Eldest Miss Zhuang wouldn’t grudge the bit of Silver. But Eldest Miss Zhuang still couldn’t tolerate Granny Liu by her side. It was not a matter of Eldest Miss Zhuang’s inability to accommodate people, but rather that Granny Liu’s position was too special; she wasn’t a senior to be treated with the respect due to elders, yet she couldn’t be regarded as a servant either.
Of course, Yueyao, considering Eldest Miss Zhuang’s wisdom, was sure she would handle things appropriately. Her words were purely out of consideration for Granny Liu’s devoted care in raising her cousin. To have such a loyal servant was her cousin’s fortune, and Yueyao hoped that Granny Liu would have a good life. If Granny Liu listened, all would be well; if not, she had done her part.
Qiao Lan came from the front yard and said to Yueyao, “Miss, you don’t know, Uncle Master’s family has sent one hundred twenty-eight bearers of dowry gifts to Zhuang Family.”
Nanny Deng was astonished, “One hundred twenty-eight bearers, how could they give so many dowry gifts? The wealth of Ma’s Mansion isn’t to be squandered like this.”
Upon hearing Nanny Deng’s exclamation, Yueyao couldn’t help but laugh. One hundred twenty-eight bearers of gifts for Eldest Miss Zhuang would become her dowry. As long as Eldest Miss Zhuang didn’t agree, even if Lady Cheng was a stepmother or even a mother, she had no right to use them. This way, at least a portion of the wealth was secured.
The extravagant gesture of Ma Family deeply infuriated Madam Bao. Normally, the more dowry gifts a man provides, the more dowry the woman’s family must match to save face. Now, Ma’s Mansion deviated from the norm, giving one hundred twenty-eight bearers’ worth of dowry, equating to fifty-sixty thousand taels of Silver, meaning the Zhuang Family should match the dowry with sixty thousand taels.
She couldn’t swallow these desirable dowry gifts and also had to match an equal amount out of her own endowments. Thinking of this caused Madam Bao’s heart to ache severely.
As angry as Madam Bao was, she couldn’t propose to reduce the dowry. Having been married to Lord Zhuang for many years, she knew his temperament very well. He was prideful and would grit his teeth and match the dowry amount. If she spoke out, not only would it displease her husband, but she would also end up providing a lot, ultimately facing unnecessary complaints for nothing.
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