"When your grandmother first agreed to let Shaoting marry this woman into the family, I was against it from the start. If he had married Shi Lan instead, Rong Dai, look at yourself now - how could you have possibly ended up like this?"
"It's true that you become black if you are near ink, and red if you are near cinnabar. Now you've learned to talk back to your elders, speaking without regard for propriety. You used to be such a gentle and well-behaved child."
The old Wen matriarch was even colder upon being refuted by Huo Mei Shu like this, scolding them both.
Huo Mei Shu was about to laugh from anger. Today was really bizarre - how could she encounter so many shameless people in a row?
Rong Dai was also at a loss for words, experiencing firsthand the saying "How can Fang Du show such audacity, Xie Li is shamed."
This old Wen matriarch was really not regarding herself as an outsider, scolding her was one thing, but she even scolded Huo Mei Shu together.
Barging into someone else's home to discipline their daughter-in-law, she had really broadened her horizons today.
"You're mistaken. I have always been like this, speaking to others however they speak to me, using attitudes fitting for each person I face. Old Madam Wen, giving you the respect due to the elderly, I'll call you Granny Wen, but don't go thinking you really are my granny."
"No matter what my sister-in-law is like, she is still one of the Huo family. If you've come today to give my sister-in-law a hard time, the door is over there, see yourself out. I'm afraid I'll anger you to death if you stay, that would be terrible luck!"
Whenever someone provoked Huo Mei Shu, she would retaliate.
Now Old Madam Wen had made her feel uncomfortable, so she spoke without considering propriety.
Respecting elders was conditional.
"You're wasting time lecturing me and my sister-in-law. I think you'd be better off going to the police station to see your sweet granddaughter - no, viper granddaughter. I think even vipers aren't as vicious as Wen Shi Lan. At least snake venom can be countered with antiserum, but a vicious person like Wen Shi Lan is incurable."
As Huo Mei Shu spoke, the old matriarch's face grew darker and the sharp gaze in her old eyes became murderous.
Her gaze fell on Rong Dai - she had come to find this woman, not Huo Mei Shu.
"If she hadn't done such shameful things herself, who could have harmed her? Shi Lan was only helping the Huo family see this woman's true colors."
"A woman with no background, just a pretty face - who knows how she lives? Your grandmother was too easily fooled, just agreeing to that woman's requests. Shi Lan must have seen through this woman's real motives, so she had no choice but to do what she did to save the Huo family!"
The old matriarch's words were also vicious, leaving no room for doubt. She looked at Rong Dai with contempt, even shamelessly singing Wen Shi Lan's praises.
Rong Dai laughed internally. If the old matriarch had said this in her past life, she really would have no rebuttal.
Ancient times had extremely harsh constraints on women, scrutinizing their every word and action.
But this was different now, this was a new era where women stood equal to men.
"Old Madam Wen, I don't want to hear you say that."
She signaled Huo Mei Shu to stay calm. Facing shameless people like this, she had ways to deal with them.
"I have no background, just my appearance, but Shaoting and the Huo family accepted me. No matter how many times Wen Shi Lan interfered in my marriage to Shaoting, I still want to know - is this behavior fitting for a young lady with background and upbringing?"
"Repeatedly seducing my husband, shamelessly trying to get into bed with him. Old Madam, tell me, does having background mean you can do whatever you want? Or does having background mean you can be shameless?"
Seeing the old matriarch's face become as ugly as if she'd choked on a dead rat, her own face was also cold, her manner imposing.
"Old Madam Wen, from ancient times marriages valued virtue, taking concubines valued beauty. If Wen Shi Lan is willing to be a concubine, my husband is willing to accept that, so I won't object. However, my husband is a man of moral integrity, the Huo family has face, he definitely won't do such immoral things."
Saying she would tolerate Wen Shi Lan becoming her husband's mistress was like a slap in the face!
"How can you say things like that!?" Hearing the word "concubine", the old matriarch's eyes bulged as she pointed at Rong Dai, extremely angry.
"Why can't I? As the old saying goes, respect others' elders as your own elders, and others' young as your own young. If you were a guest in the Huo home today, I as a junior should do my utmost to accommodate you."
Rong Dai's manner was cold, speaking rationally.
"But since you came in the door you've only criticized me. This grudge is originally between me and Wen Shi Lan, I endured your couple rebukes to let you vent.
But you even criticized Mei Shu together, questioning the Huo family's upbringing. Even given the relationship between the Wen and Huo families, pardon my interference, but you really have no right to teach us how to behave."
"Furthermore, Wen Shi Lan incited others to harm and threaten my life. On this I will never compromise. Also, my conduct is my own business and none of yours."
Rong Dai was equally blunt with this kind of person.
In her past life she had seen people like this too, she just had to consider her status and bear it silently back then, unable to speak her mind. Today this old Wen matriarch had come to humiliate herself through her own misfortune.
"You're completely unharmed now, aren't you? How can you be so vicious? Do you want my Shi Lan to go to jail?"
The old matriarch had been reprimanded into an ugly situation. With Huo Mei Shu backing her up and no rebuttal, she could only stubbornly cling to this point.
"Money? Old Madam Wen, what do you mean, the Wen family has more money than the Huo family? Whatever amount my sister-in-law wants, my elder brother can provide anytime. Or you could hand over the entire Wen family, then we might have something to discuss."
"And my sister-in-law is unharmed because we arrived in time, what does that have to do with your Wen family? Don't shamelessly take credit here! I hate old folks like you most, relying on your age to bully people!"
Huo Mei Shu wanted to laugh, secretly giving her sister-in-law a big thumbs up.
Usually this Wen old matriarch would throw her weight around due to her age and the Wen family's standing in the capital, barging in to lecture any youngster who inadvertently offended her.
What could those juniors do besides endure silently? Offending the Wen family could be trouble for their own families' businesses.
Now even the old matriarch herself probably hadn't expected her sister-in-law to be so formidable, directly humiliating her to her face.
Rong Dai really wanted to facepalm. Could this girl not be more tactful?
Speaking like this, the old matriarch must hate her to death now. Wouldn't she find all kinds of ways to make things difficult for this girl in the future?
