The young woman standing behind her stepped forward, respectfully bowed and replied, “The little miss has great wealth herself and has told the steward that she will be bearing all of her expenditures.”
Lady Ruan frowned and released her cup. “That won’t do,” she said. “Now that her uncle and I have taken her in, how can we leave her to herself like this?”
She turned to Chen Rong and warmly asserted, “I only had one daughter in Ah Wei; now I have another in you. It’s something to be happy about. Ah Rong, you’ll have the same allotment for food and clothing expenses as Ah Wei does from now on. How does that sound?”
Chen Rong broke from her obedient appearance upon hearing this. She hesitated before saying: “Aunt, it is like this: A while ago my uncle said the estate was low on grains and requested to cut servants. My servants have been with me since I was born and I really don’t want to dismiss them. For this reason I had asked my uncle to let me bear all of my expenses.”
She paused, smiled, and then frankly said, “If you don’t cut my servants, then I’ll agree to everything.”
Lady Ruan, who had been frowning, quietly shook her head when she heard this.
She waited for Chen Rong to finish speaking and then softly sighed. “It’s all my fault. It’s true with Ah Wei and it’s true with you. Such imprudent manners and speech…”
Common sense suggests that when an elder blamed herself like this, Chen Rong should get up and apologize. But whether Chen Rong didn’t understand or elseways, she actually just sat there in silence and stillness.
The crease between Lady Ruan’s brows worsened.
She turned her gaze unto the younger woman.
The latter stepped forward to whisper to her from behind: “Perhaps Wang Qilang likes this about her.”
Lady Ruan considered the comment for a moment and then nodded her head.
When she looked back at Chen Rong, her smile had grown more sincere.
Again raising the cup of milk for a sip, she laughed, “Ah Rong, you’re just as your uncle said. You’re so frank and darling.”
Chen Yuan said she was frank and darling? Chen Rong almost laughed out loud.
Lady Ruan didn’t seem as though she wanted to stay with her for too long. Her soft voice quickened a touch: “Ah Rong, you’re now fifteen. That’s not young anymore. When you become a man’s wife in the future, you should pay more attention to things.”
She looked up and called outside: “Nong’er, call Sanlang here.” (1)