Free Web NovelChapter 77: Chapter 77
Chapter 77
The head of the Qin family raised his hand in a salute as if receiving orders, before turning to the servants to tend to his children.
“Take them to change their clothes and then come to the meeting room.” Since the Qin family had rented a medium-sized place before coming, they had some space to welcome guests.
The head of the Qin family let his children prepare themselves anew while he led the high-status individual to the meeting room, which had already been arranged. This procession included two princes who had good relations with the Qin family, as well as representatives from other families. It was expected that the Young General would arrive soon, truly a gathering of many people.
Before long, Yueqian entered the meeting room with her husband supporting her. The Third Young Miss, who ordinarily wouldn’t have the right to be in such a meeting, was also invited in. The Qin family didn’t want to appear as if they were collectively oppressing their own household. Inviting the Third Young Miss, even if she was to sit quietly, was still a gesture of respect.
“Greetings to the Third Prince and the Fifth Prince. Greetings to Father. Greetings to Mother.” Yueqian who was the first to enter paid her respect so loudly.
Her actions were highly formal, but given what had just happened, no one saw her behavior as elegant. Instead, they viewed her even more negatively.
This woman had just harmed someone, yet she could still pretend so skillfully. In front of them, she acted as if she knew the proper etiquette, moving gently, when her true nature was a vicious woman.
“No need for formalities. You and your husband may sit.” The Third Prince was the one with the highest status in this place, so he was the one granting Yueqian and her husband permission to sit. ƒгeewёbnovel.com
The young woman’s seat was not far away, but there was only one chair. Typically, in a household meeting, married couples should sit together, as the wife was supposed to take care of her husband, whether it was pouring tea or serving food.
Treating one’s husband well is considered a skill, but now Mu Heng’s position was so far away it was nearly at the door, it could be said that he was the most insignificant person among everyone present.
Yueqian’s eyebrows twitched slightly. People could look down on her, but they couldn’t look down on her husband.
She glanced at her own seat, which was just before the little Third Young Miss. This woman, using her status as Yueqian’s little sister to secure a seat next to her, despite being only the daughter of a concubine, and they had just fought earlier.
Seeing the white lotus in her light pink dress, she felt an even stronger urge to bully her.
“Tingting, how can you just sit there? The Third Prince has told me and my husband to sit together, yet you’re taking our seat? What is this? As the daughter of the secondary wife, you should sit in your own place, shouldn’t you?” Yueqian feigned surprise.
She loudly questioned, not allowing the smooth one to continue sitting there.
Normally, if no one pointed it out, this seat wouldn’t be criticized since no one would think of taking someone else’s place. Yueqian wasn’t a pure-hearted heroine and had no intention of being a good person by accepting her fate and sit with her husband in the back to be sarcastic, causing others to call her over. She was a villainess! A foolish one, whose actions were so straightforward they were embarrassing.
Many people couldn’t tolerate this behavior, but in the end, everything she said was true.
Qin Tingting, upon being loudly reprimanded, jumped in shock. Initially, she thought being able to sit in on this meeting was an honor. As the daughter of a concubine, she had no right to attend banquets. No one wanted to talk with the daughter of the secondary wife, a title that merely dressed up the status of a concubine.
Thus, Qin Tingting had always stayed quietly in her place, making some family members pity her. This earned her father’s affection, in hopes that when she was sent off as someone else’s concubine, her father would choose well to spare her from hardship.
Who would have thought that this wretched Yueqian would dare to humiliate her in front of so many people, without any fear of bringing shame to the Qin family?
If Yueqian could hear Qin Tingting’s thoughts, she would surely laugh scornfully. Yueqian would want to crack open Qin Tingting’s head to see what made her think that someone like Yueqian cared about the Qin family’s reputation. If she truly cared, would she have let herself become such a foolish villainess to the point of being exiled?
Nonsense!
“Eldest Sister, I...”
Qin Tingting squeezed out her tears till it streamed down her face, causing those who saw her to feel sad. But Yueqian felt no pity. Moreover, she crossed her arms and glanced at her with her unturned eyes.
“What? Are you telling me and your brother-in-law to sit there instead?” Yueqian raised her eyebrow, her demeanor like an uneducated ruffian. Seeing this, the head of the Qin family couldn’t help but hold his temples in his hand.
“Tingting, get up and let your older sister sit!” In front of so many people, reprimanding Yueqian further would only invite more criticism. Although Yueqian was behaving like an uneducated, every word from her was true. Therefore, the head of the Qin family could not do anything, he could only hide his displeasure and plan to investigate the one who dared to orchestrate this embarrassing situation.
He knew he couldn’t play tricks here, as this was the Qin family preparation. No matter what happened, he would be the one responsible for it.
But the one who dared to use the family’s reputation to shame Yueqian, were they even seizing such an opportunity in front of so many important figures?
He knew that within the Qin Manor, everyone had cunning nature.
To survive in the Qin family, one had to be smart and not foolish, unlike Yueqian, who had ended up severely punished. Therefore, every step the women took had to be careful, and surely the person behind this foolish scheme to risk the family’s reputation would have to be punished as well.
If it were other matters he could tolerate, he would turn a blind eye and pretend not to see. But when the women’s schemes led to the criticism about him, they would have to take this fate.
He believed the seating arrangement today was meant to humiliate Yueqian with the fact that she had a worthless husband. Even when they sat, they must have sat far from each other, making her feel miserable. The person behind this likely sought only petty revenge, since once Yueqian returned to the capital, she would regain her status as the Eldest Young Miss.
He knew well what kind of person Yueqian was. This daughter was the most foolish of all, always a tool for those people. She could be easily provoked into rage by anyone, as evident in this situation.
If it were anyone else, they would have endured, letting their useless husband sit far away while behaving nicely to ask for a chance to return to the capital. But the schemer failed since they used a clever person’s strategy on Yueqian!
This woman was brainless. No matter how much she wanted to return to the capital, she would still be arrogant and not fall into people’s traps. Yueqian always liked to appear superior, smart, powerful, and wealthy, yet she was a clown who people laughed at behind her back. Many hated her, but even in her absence, they still talked about her.
Anyone wishing to harm Yueqian shouldn’t overthink it. Therefore, he would punish those who crafted a plan without understanding their enemy. They should have known that some schemes simply wouldn’t work on certain people. Like this time, they chose the wrong strategy to deal with Yueqian, hoping to make her feel hurt!
As for Qin Tingting, when she was first brought to sit here, her heart was leaping with joy. She felt very happy and sat quietly in her place, trying to appear as knowledgeable as possible. But who would have thought that in the end, she would be the one embarrassed?
Her father didn’t pity her; he merely ordered her to get up and sit elsewhere. In front of many people, the young woman stood up, trembling, feeling as if her face had been slapped repeatedly. Of course, Yueqian saw Qin Tingting’s twisted expression too, but she didn’t care.
The other came all the way here, was she doing it with the good intention of bringing her elder sister back to the manor?
This little lady had been in love with the Young General, her older sister’s fiancé, for a long time. She spent her days trying to seduce him, pretending to be an innocent victim in front of him, not realizing that he didn’t care about her at all. However, she still put great efforts into it. No matter how long it had been, he never had feelings for her.
Her presence here had a clear intent: to spend time with him. If it weren’t for the fact that the one from the Liu family was the beauty the Young General seemed to like the most, and she loathed her to the core—having too similar a nature to suppress each other—Qin Tingting would have asked to join the journey from that day.
For a younger sister who tried to steal her older sister’s fiancé and constantly slandered her whenever possible, Yueqian did not think she should sympathize with her for this.
This trap was set by her own people, so she should be the one to take it back, wasn’t it?
It was unfortunate that Qin Tingting’s mother didn’t come along; otherwise, Yueqian planned to drag them to the center of the meeting room and slap them both, at least avenging her own mother who had to fight against such hypocritical foxes.
“Yueqian, sit down already,” Qin Majiao said, exasperated, seeing Yueqian’s unapologetic demeanor and smug smile that made her look like a malicious woman.
He didn’t understand why the Young General was so interested in this girl. Previously, when Yueqian caused trouble, he had suggested another engagement, either canceling the Young General’s engagement with Qin Yueqian or changing it to Qin Mazhu. Although Qin Mazhu wasn’t the child of the current principal wife, he was the son of the late principal wife and had been raised by Qin Yueqian’s mother. He was undoubtedly being honored as the future head of the family.
Because of Yueqian’s disgraceful behavior every day, her notorious reputation made people laugh at her. The marriage proposal for Qin Mazhu should have been easily accepted, but it was ultimately rejected by the Young General himself.
This matter caused a headache even for the Great General. Every time they went to discuss the marriage between the two families, they ended up stressed.
One constantly caused trouble and drew criticism, while the other refused to break off the engagement!
What could possibly make the son of the Great General of the East admire her? Clearly, there seemed to be nothing admirable about her. Even the Young General himself didn’t appear to like her. There were many rumors that he was in love with a lady from the Liu family. Although she wasn’t the Eldest Young Miss of the Liu family, it wasn’t disgraceful to take her as a secondary wife. If she bore a son, raising her to the status of the principal wife wouldn’t be difficult. But the situation became even more complicated when, despite the suggestion, the other party did not care. He declared that only Yueqian would be his principal wife!
