Chapter 61: The Talkative Cui Cui

Cui Cui was heartbroken.

Such a fine item, worth nearly five hundred taels, and the young lady hasn’t worn it even once. She had originally planned to wear it to stand out at an important event, but now it seemed a waste to use it just for receiving guests.

It was only the wife of the Minister of Personnel, not the Minister himself. Was it really necessary?

Su Mingyue sighed softly, “What do you know? This isn’t just receiving guests. It’s someone who’s been thinking about my husband coming over.”

Cui Cui had read many stories and quickly understood.

Oh, oh, oh, the classic scene of divorcing after passing the Top Scholar exam and remarrying was here!

She immediately stopped her chatter, took a step forward, and hurried to the wardrobe, determined to pile the best clothes onto the young lady.

She had to overshadow the others.

Those delicate little women wouldn’t dare to ruin the relationship between the young lady and her husband!

It all depended on her now!

Cui Cui’s sense of mission surged.

In the hall, Sun Yunrou smugly asked Madam Wu, who was sipping tea, “Mother, how do I look in this outfit? Isn’t it beautiful? Surely it can outshine that woman, right?”

Madam Wu smiled and gently patted her head. “Of course, my daughter is the most beautiful. The outfit you’re wearing is the most fashionable style in the capital. How could a woman from a small town afford something like this?”

“Exactly, the merchants in the county town and the village women are no match.”

Madam Zhou, sitting on the side, frowned at their conversation. These two women were from respectable families, yet their words were so harsh.

Outshine?

Outshine who?

Could it be Mingyue???

What did her daughter-in-law have against them?

At that moment, Madam Wu turned to Madam Zhou, who was standing aside, and asked, “When will your lady be coming? The guests have been waiting for so long without her coming out—this is her way of hosting?”

At that moment, Madam Wu saw Madam Zhou merely as a caretaker and didn’t think of her as the mother of Shen Xiuyan.

It wasn’t her fault. Who would expect the mother of the Top Scholar to dress so plainly?

Of course, it wasn’t that Madam Zhou didn’t have fine clothes—Mingyue had bought her many.

But she had grown used to the habits of a farmer, and even living in such a big courtyard couldn’t change her love for farming.

Xiu Yan and Mingyue let her be, so she had a piece of land in the backyard. Hearing someone coming, afraid of seeming negligent, she had rushed over without changing her clothes.

That’s why Madam Wu had this misunderstanding. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have spoken like that.

Madam Zhou was a bit upset. How dare they talk badly about her family while visiting? She was about to retort when Su Mingyue arrived.

“Sorry for keeping you waiting. I’m pregnant, so I can’t move as quickly.”

“It’s fine, we weren’t in a hurry. Come on in,” Madam Wu casually replied.

Sun Yunrou looked up when the main guest arrived, only to feel her face burn with embarrassment.

Su Mingyue was not as unkempt as they had imagined. Her eyes were bright and clear, her eyebrows well-shaped, her nose elegant, and there was a slight dimple at the corner of her cheek. Even while pregnant, she radiated a lively, radiant aura.

Not to mention the beautiful clothes and dazzling accessories she wore, all of them made it clear that she was an outstanding figure.

Wait a minute… looking closely, wasn’t this dress from Xiya Clothing Shop?

How could she afford it!

Sun Yunrou’s jealousy flared up.

Though her father was the Minister of Personnel, his salary was fixed, and even with some “extra” income, he would never buy her such expensive clothes.

Did she think she had a long life ahead of her?

Cui Cui immediately knew from the first glance that Sun Yunrou was the little demon who wanted to steal her young master. A quick comparison made everything clear.

She felt smug. As expected of me, skilled Cui Cui, the young lady still looked radiant today.

Hmph, how’s that? Lost, right?

She watched as the person across the room stared at the young lady’s clothes, and proudly said, “I see you’re admiring our young lady’s outfit. Are you wondering where to buy it? It’s from Xiya Clothing Shop. If you like it, you can go there later, but I remember this is the only one left. You can check out some other styles.”

Look how considerate I am.

Sun Yunrou nearly exploded in anger, but she held back. After all, it was a kind reminder, and it wasn’t appropriate to get angry at someone else’s maid.

Seeing the speechless look on her face, Cui Cui felt pleased. Su Mingyue felt pleased. Madam Zhou felt pleased.

What a talkative little maid, the more she talks, the better!

But Madam Wu wasn’t happy. “Mrs. Su, is this how you train your maids? When the master is quiet, does a servant dare to speak?”

Her expression was full of disdain, as if saying, “Of course, a small family like yours wouldn’t have proper manners.”

Su Mingyue quickly retorted, “Ah? Sorry, Cui Cui grew up with me. I’ve always treated her like a sister, not a maid. Even my husband knows that.”

Madam Zhou joined in, “Me too. I liked this girl as soon as I saw her. I treat her like my daughter.”

Su Mingyue silently praised, well done, my mother!

Though Madam Zhou didn’t fully understand, she still firmly stood by her side, and Su Mingyue felt warm inside.

She smiled at the others. “See, my mother says so too.”

“Mother!?” Madam Wu blurted out, shocked. It couldn’t be Su Mingyue’s mother in the Shen family, could it?

A bad thought quickly crossed her mind.

Madam Zhou looked at her suspiciously. Why was she calling people “mother”? What kind of habit was that?

“Sigh, I’m Xiu Yan’s mother. You can just call me Zhou Dage.”

Both of them froze. What!!!

This was really Shen Xiuyan’s mother!

Why did she dress like this? It didn’t fit at all with the graceful and poised Shen Xiuyan…

Wait, didn’t they just say all those things?

Their faces turned bright red, almost burning with embarrassment.

Madam Wu, being older and having seen more of the world, knew how to speak appropriately. She had learned to speak the language of the person in front of her.

She immediately put on a smile. “Oh my, Sister Zhou, I didn’t even notice you! Please, sit down, sit down.”

She quickly pulled her over to sit beside her.

The thickness of her skin made Madam Zhou break into a cold sweat.

Then Madam Wu no longer paid attention to Su Mingyue and turned to Madam Zhou. “We came today to discuss some good news with you.”

Madam Zhou looked at her suspiciously. “What’s this about?”

What good news could a person with such poor manners possibly have?

Her face was full of disdain.

But Madam Wu didn’t think so. Seeing Madam Zhou dressed like a farmer, she felt she could easily handle her.

Such a person would be rigid and difficult, certainly wanting a better future for her own child.

So Madam Wu decided to speak plainly, completely ignoring Su Mingyue’s thoughts.

It would be best if she got angry or embarrassed.

Ideally, she would be so furious that she would initiate a divorce, making everything easier for Madam Wu.

“It’s like this. I wanted to talk to you about a marriage proposal.” Madam Wu smiled and called her daughter over. “This is my only legitimate daughter. She has been doted on by both me and my husband. She’s just reached the age of maturity, young and beautiful. Do you think she’s a good match for your son?”

Only then did Madam Zhou realize what was going on. They wanted to marry into the Shen family?

What kind of fantasy was this???