Chapter 371: 371: Eloquent and Articulate_l

“I still have to thank you, Madam, for your cooperation.” Wei Ruo said with a laugh.

Wei Ruo had informed Madam Yuan of her schemes in advance, intending to use this occasion to promote her new cloth.

Although they were already well-acquainted, nonetheless, when doing such actions, Wei Ruo does not plan to go over Madam Yuan’s head. Instead, she lays out her plan and seeks consent before executing them.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“It’s such a small matter, there’s no need to be polite with me, especially when I also got such a good piece of cloth from you. Honestly, I am genuinely fond of this cloth. The color is so special. Once I make a dress out of it, not just in Taizhou prefecture, even upon my return to Capital City, I fear no one will have an identical color.” Madam Yuan replied with a gentle smile.

Then, Madam Yuan curiously asked Wei Ruo, “Are these clothes truly as scarce as you said, or are you just saying that to make them buy at high prices?”

“True scarcity. At present, there are only eight pieces. By the end of this year, there will probably be just twenty pieces.”

Wei Ruo does not plan to increase the volume. For starters, these dyes are mixed by Wei Ruo herself, and it would be impossible for her to mass produce them.

Moreover, this type of cloth is mainly sold to high-ranking officials and gentry. The scarcer it is, the better; the rarer it is, the higher the prices. Once mass produced, it would lose its value.

“That means I must cherish the piece you gave me even more.” Madam Yuan stated, and then commented on Wei Ruo, “What kind of world are you hiding in your head? How do you manage to come up with all these novel and unique items that people find captivating, day in and day out?”

Wei Ruo explained, “I enjoy reading miscellaneous books and engaging with talented people. Naturally, I learn things that ordinary people wouldn’t.” “Great, if I ever have another daughter, I’ll let her be your apprentice. So that she can become a formidable woman just like Zhuge Kongming. Women can certainly be as outstanding as men.” Madam Yuan said, half jokingly and half seriously.

“How lovely! Then I’ll be waiting for your good news, Madam.”

###

During the feast, Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan were eager to confront Wei Ruo, as well as to clear Wei Qingwan’s name in front of the ladies.

However, they were not given the chance by either Wei Ruo or the other ladies.

Unable to speak to Wei Ruo, who was constantly by Madam Yuan’s side, and unable to join the conversation of the other ladies, they felt like outsiders.

It wasn’t until the feast concluded, everyone departed, and Wei Ruo returned to the carriage that Madam Yun finally had another chance to speak with her.

Madam Yun was in a sour mood due to suppressed anger throughout the feast.

When Wei Ruo alighted the carriage, she saw that Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan, who were in the carriage, both had unpleasant expressions. She instantly knew what was coming next.

But Wei Ruo was not afraid, and the smile remained on her face, making her appear relaxed and cheerful.

“And you still have the face to laugh,” Madam Yun spoke in a cold voice, her face ashen.

“What do you mean by that, mother? Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, a day for celebration. Isn’t it normal to be happy?” Wei Ruo replied with a question.

“What was your intention, speaking about your younger sister’s punishment in front of all these ladies?” Madam Yun questioned.

“Was it not a slip of the tongue?” Wei Ruo replied, remaining unfazed.

“A slip of the tongue? Don’t try to fool me! It was clearly intentional!” Madam Yun sternly reprimanded, her eyes filled with blame and anger.

“Sister, as the old saying goes ‘Don’t air your dirty laundry in public.’ I might have made a mistake, but you, sister, by spreading this issue, is hurting the reputation of the Wei family.” Wei Qingwan’s face was filled with regret and despair.

“Isn’t it normal to make slips of the tongue? Neither mother nor sister had informed me in advance about today’s arrangements or what roles I should play. They just showed up without a word, prompting me to play along, how am I supposed to know what to say?” Wei Ruo counterargued.

Then, Wei Ruo shifted her gaze to Wei Qingwan, “As for my younger sister hurting the reputation of the Wei family, I really do not know where to begin. Yes, revealing that my sister was punished would damage her reputation, but it would not tarnish that of the Wei family. Being able to strictly uphold family rules and discipline your own children is a demonstration of good family management and should enhance the family’s reputation.”

“How eloquent you are! What good answers!” Madam Yun spoke coldly.

“Does mother find any faults with what I just said, mother? If there is any mistake in what I have said, mother can point it out.” Wei Ruo responded.

Was it eloquent? She had learned the hard way the importance of rational argument. Once, she had tried to argue about the truth, stating that it wasn’t her who had pushed Wei Qingwan, it was Maid Li, but Madam Yun didn’t believe her.

So now, she had wisened up when facing them. There was no need to stick too much to the truth; she just did what was beneficial and left them speechless.

“Do you still think you made no mistake? Today, when we could have given an explanation to the outside world, you messed up everything, everything was in vain!” Madam Yun blamed.

“Mother is being too harsh on me. Yes, I let slip that Wanwan had been disciplined, but the root cause of the damage to the reputation of our Wei family’s daughters lies in Wanwan’s clandestine affair. Mother should be able to differentiate who bears the greater responsibility.” said Wei Ruo.

“I’m talking about what happened today. Don’t change the topic.”

“Mother is ignoring the facts and assigning blame without discussing the main responsibility. This makes me wonder if mother is showing favoritism towards younger sister and does not regard me as a daughter. If that is the case, there is nothing left to say.”

After saying these words, Wei Ruo turned around, lifted the carriage curtain, and jumped off the carriage.

Madam Yun obviously did not expect Wei Ruo to react this way. She was momentarily stunned before she pulled open the curtain and leaned out to question Wei Ruo, “What do you think you’re doing?”

“I’ll walk back by myself. If mother is so partial, forgiving younger sister for any mistakes she makes, but blaming me for a minor slip, it’s apparent that I’m an outsider in the Wei family, not cherished by mother. There’s no need for me to stay in the carriage.”

Wei Ruo spoke sorrowfully, then turned and walked away.

Out of sight from both Madam Yun and Wei Qingwan, the corner of Wei Ruo’s mouth curled up into a smile.

“Come back!” Madam Yun urgently said.

At this moment, it was time for the guests to leave the banquet. There were guests coming and going everywhere.

If they saw her eldest daughter walking outside, she didn’t know what they would think.

Wei Ruo acted like she didn’t hear, and kept walking.

Left with no choice, Madam Yun gave in, “Alright, alright, I won’t ask about this anymore. Just get back in.”

Wei Ruo still had no intention of getting back on the carriage. “Mother need not worry, the carriage is on the small side, and it’s too cramped for three people. Please take sister back to the mansion. I’ll walk back by myself. When father returns from his campaign, I’ll personally admit my mistake and explain how I have disobeyed mother today.”

Upon hearing this, Madam Yun’s heart skipped a beat..