The next day was the Mid-Autumn Festival. Wang Yiping needed to return home to hand out Mid-Autumn Festival gifts. She wanted Mu YingRui to accompany her but he actually turned her down.
The reason was adequate: "Brother and dimei also went to her maiden family's. If I go with you to your maiden family's, then wouldn't my father have to eat lunch alone? Go back on your own."
He was secretly complaining to himself. "You want this Ye to go back with you to hand out gifts? How ridiculous! If not for your stupid gift, I wouldn't have been kicked by father. This Ye still pains all over. Really such a slut. Second Yiniang, Third Yiniang, and Fourth Yiniang think of everything for this Ye's sake. Only you keep pestering this Ye for 'that'."
Mu YingRui knew to renege on this matter. This morning, his three concubines gathered gifts and looked at him. "After seeing Xiaojie making moon cakes last night, we knew the gift for furen's maiden family was not ready yet. So bieqie made this through the night. Laoye, it's not that bieqie speak ill of furen, but what Di [legitimate-born] Xiaojie would prepare gifts for her stepmother's maiden family? If Lao TaiYe finds out, wouldn't he blame Laoye again? It's good Xiaojie is kindhearted and hid this matter from Lao TaiYe and Second Furen. Or else, wouldn't Laoye be punished by Lao TaiYe again?"
When Mu YingRui remembered that a stepmother's maiden family was not considered his daughter's real maternal grandparents' family, he unconsciously broke out into a cold sweat.
Fortunately his daughter did not complain or he would suffer his father's kick again.
This misfortune was brought to me all because of this woman! Mu YingRui thought of this and ignored Wang Yiping. He told his three concubines, "Let's go. This Ye orders that the courtyard be decorated beautifully. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival. We'll admire the moon in the courtyard tonight." He walked leisurely away with his concubines and left an angry Wang Yiping behind.
Zi You quickly learned of this matter. Her eyes turned and she took the initiative to find Wang Yiping. "Mother, let me accompany you to Duke Yingguo's Manor. We'll return right after we hand out the gifts."
Wang Yiping was so angry, she was tearful. She wanted to refuse originally but once she thought of Duke Yingguo's Di furen's taunting face, she helplessly nodded. She and Zi You got on the horse carriage together.
Along the way, Wang Yiping did not speak a word. Zi You coldly smiled on the inside, but had a face of innocence. She spoke of what she saw and heard on her outing that day.
The troubled Wang Yiping took advantage of Zi You not paying attention and stared viciously at her. Her gaze was more ruthless and scary than a poisonous viper.
After arriving at Duke Yingguo's Manor, the two went to pay their respects to Duke Yingguo furen.
After the courtesies, Duke Yingguo furen casually said, "Why didn't fourth guye [Son-in-law, i.e. Mu YingRui] come back with you? You didn't come back yesterday. I thought you weren't coming. What did you bring back? It's not moon cakes, right?"
The gifts were prepared by Née Liu and Zi You. Wang Yiping never asked what they were. Later, because she was angry Mu YingRui was not going with her to her maiden family's, she was so angry she didn't even see the gift list. Therefore, she didn't know what the gifts were.
Floundering for a bit and not saying much, she hurriedly changed the subject. She asked Duke Yingguo furen, "Are you in good health? When you are old, be careful not to get angry easily."
This slut was just as hateful as her yiniang mother; daring to say I'm old.
Duke Yingguo furen, Née Chu, stared hard at Wang Yiping. "I'm fine. Without cheap sluts being cheap, there is nothing wrong."