Chapter 183

The visitor was none other than Nanny Tang, Old Madam Tang’s trusted aide. She was dressed in a dark red outfit adorned with a gold hairpin, her posture upright and dignified, exuding an aura of authority. Behind her were two stout older women.

Wang Yuan’er saw the imposing scene and felt her heart drop. She thought to herself that Wang Min’er’s reckless actions would likely not end well today.

Madam Zhang immediately smiled and stepped forward, saying, “Oh, Nanny Tang, you are such a busy person—how did you find the time to come today? Please come inside and sit.”

Nanny Tang saw Madam Zhang’s fawning smile and felt even more disdain. Her gaze landed on Wang Min’er, who was lingering at the door, and her expression darkened. She was about to speak but caught a glimpse of someone peeking over the Wang family’s wall. It was a neighbor’s house—a young woman was curiously looking in their direction.

Nanny Tang swallowed the sharp words at the tip of her tongue. She thought to herself, Truly, these small households—one can’t even have a private conversation. It’s like living in an uncovered chicken coop.

She followed Madam Zhang into the main hall. As the Old Madam’s most trusted aide, Nanny Tang carried an air of authority that intimidated Wang Min’er. She nervously greeted her with a timid bow and softly called out, “Nanny Tang.”

Madam Zhang and the others observed the scene, assuming that Nanny Tang would avoid Wang Min’er’s bow. To their surprise, Nanny Tang accepted it openly and without hesitation.

Wang Min’er’s face turned as red as a liver. After all, she was the woman of the Tang family’s Third Master and now carried his child. She could be considered half a mistress. No matter how esteemed Tang Nanny was, she was still a servant—how dare she accept her full bow?

Wang Yuan’er saw this clearly and sighed inwardly.

In large households, how many true masters were there? In contrast, the servants were numerous. A vast estate like this, though called the home of the masters, often belonged more to the servants. Their connections ran deep, intertwining like roots and branches. Many times, it was an inconspicuous servant who could ruin an entire family.

Thus, managing servants was a profound skill. If handled poorly, it could lead to upheaval. A master’s attitude toward servants often determined the course of the household. Genuine authority requires a balance of kindness, firmness, and outward politeness.

Someone like Nanny Tang, as the Old Madam’s closest attendant, held an elevated status. Even the legitimate mistress of the household would need to show her some respect, let alone Wang Min’er—a mere concubine. And in reality, Wang Min’er didn’t even hold the title of concubine yet; at best, she was a personal maid. What kind of mistress was that? Not even a concubine—just a plaything at most.

Since she’s just a plaything, an esteemed elder like Nanny Tang could certainly accept her full bow. Besides, Nanny Tang clearly came this time with the intent to find fault and assert dominance.

“Miss Wang, this courtesy—I, a mere servant, cannot accept,” Nanny Tang said. But only after Wang Min’er had completed the full bow did she casually shift her knees slightly, barely bending them in return.

Cannot accept? Yet you’ve already taken it—saying such words now is just a mockery, isn’t it?

Wang Min’er felt indignant in her heart, but she knew Nanny Tang was not someone she could afford to offend. No matter how upset she was, she could only grit her teeth and endure it.

“Accept it, of course! Nanny Tang is the Old Madam’s most trusted aide. It’s only fitting to show you such respect,” Madam Zhang said with a flattering smile. She poured a cup of tea and added, “Nanny, please have some tea to refresh yourself.”

Nanny Tang glanced at the murky tea with disdain, raised her chin, and said, “No need for tea. However, the Old Madam heard from Nanny Jin and the others that Miss Wang had gone missing, and she was terribly alarmed. How could a living person vanish without a trace?”

Nanny Jin was one of those assigned to attend Wang Yuan’er, along with Xi Zhi.

“The staff has already been punished and questioned thoroughly, and only then was I sent to take a look. And here you really are, back at the Wang household!” Nanny Tang said as she spoke, her eyes resting on Wang Min’er. “Not to criticize you, Miss, but even though your status hasn’t been officially elevated, you are carrying the Tang family’s bloodline. That makes you valuable. If you miss your family, you just need to say so, and arrangements can be made for you to visit. Why sneak back like this? If people don’t know the truth, they might think the Tang family has mistreated you!”

This was clearly a reproach.

Wang Min’er’s face flushed red, then turned pale as she stammered and lowered her head.

“Thankfully, nothing happened to you, Miss. But what if something had gone wrong with the child? How could that be resolved? From my perspective, the servants responsible for attending to Miss Wang have failed in their duties. They couldn’t even keep track of one person. They’re clearly arrogant and useless, and they should be severely punished. Luckily, today is the joyful occasion of the Third Young Master’s wedding, and it’s not appropriate for blood to be shed. The Old Madam was merciful and only ordered ten strikes of the paddle before selling them off!”

Nanny Tang’s gaze was cold as she looked at Wang Min’er. Her tone was calm, but her words sent chills down everyone’s spine. What did this mean? The servants attending to Wang Min’er had been beaten and sold off?

Wang Min’er’s expression turned grim.

Wang Yuan’er, however, picked up on another layer of meaning: though sneaking back had caused no direct harm to Wang Min’er herself, her reckless actions had implicated the attendants around her. The Tang family wouldn’t target Wang Min’er directly but punished those around her as a warning. It was, without a doubt, a form of admonishment.

“This girl is still young and was simply thinking of us. I hope Nanny can be understanding. If not, perhaps she could apologize to the Old Madam herself?” Madam Zhang swallowed nervously and forced a smile.

“About to become a mother and still being called young? She’s not that young anymore. The Tang family isn’t like a small, casual household—it’s a family with traditions and rules. Once you enter the Tang family’s door, you must abide by the Tang family’s rules. For example, our household has several legitimate wives, and they cannot even decide to visit their natal families whenever they feel like it. They must request approval from the Old Madam, follow the proper procedures, and adhere to protocols. Otherwise, if everyone were as reckless as Miss Wang—running back to her natal family without informing anyone—imagine how outsiders would view the husband’s family. Even the natal family itself would wonder whether the daughter was mistreated at her husband’s home,” Nanny Tang said coldly, showing no appreciation for Madam Zhang’s forced smile. Her harsh and cutting words were a direct slap in the face.

It was a hard truth. A married daughter becomes part of her husband’s household, bound by its rules and customs. Returning to her natal home shouldn’t be done casually or frequently; it requires prior notice to her elders and permission.

Wang Min’er, though not officially a legitimate mistress, had entered the Tang family and became the Third Master’s woman. Naturally, she was expected to follow the household rules. Sneaking back like this—what kind of behavior was that? Especially on a day like today!

Madam Zhang’s smile faltered. “Nanny is right,” she said, her eyes glancing toward Grandma Wang for help.

Grandma Wang remained silent, but only Wang Yuan’er, standing beside her, noticed that their grandmother was brimming with anger. Didn’t anyone see how her hands were trembling?

Wang Yuan’er sighed. How could she not be angry? Nanny Tang invoked the rules with self-righteousness, cloaked her words in grand reasoning, and delivered a public reprimand as harshly as if she’d stripped them before a crowd!

After talking herself hoarse, Nanny Tang reached for the teacup in front of her, took one glance at its murky content with visible disdain, and set it down without taking a sip. She stood and said, “Nanny Jin and Xi Zhi, who failed in their duties, have already been sold off. The Old Madam personally assigned two new attendants for Miss Wang—Nanny Meng and Nanny Li. It’s getting late. These two will escort Miss Wang back to the manor.”

The two nannies who had been standing by immediately stepped forward and grabbed Wang Min’er by the arms.

Startled, Wang Min’er cried out, “Mother!”

Madam Zhang was startled and quickly said, “Nanny Tang, Min’er just arrived home and hasn’t even caught her breath yet. The journey to Dongshan isn’t short either. Would she be able to rest for the night and leave tomorrow? After all, she is far along in her pregnancy!”

Nanny Tang remained expressionless and replied, “I see that Miss Wang’s complexion is rosy, and she’s still young, so her body is certainly fine. This place is full of people with loose tongues—better to return to the manor to recuperate in peace.” Then she turned to the two nannies and gave them a stern look. “What are you waiting for? Escort Miss Wang to the carriage immediately!”

The two nannies promptly grabbed hold of Wang Min’er and led her outside. But their actions could hardly be called escorting—it was more like dragging!

Since becoming pregnant, Wang Min’er had never been treated so roughly. She screamed and struggled, “I’m not going! I’m not going!”

Everyone watched in shock, their hearts pounding. Madam Zhang’s face turned pale, and she stepped forward to pull them back. “Be gentle! Why are you so heavy-handed?”

“Mother! Mother, save me! They’re going to kill me!” Wang Min’er cried out.

Nanny Tang, furious, rolled her eyes and snapped, “Miss Wang, mind your words. What nonsense about dying? If you refuse to leave—remember, the Wang family has already accepted the bride price. You are now a member of the Tang family. You can choose not to leave, but if you don’t, you’ll sign the contract and take the medicine to end the pregnancy. Then it’s entirely up to you whether you stay or go!”

Wang Min’er’s struggles and screams abruptly stopped. She looked at Nanny Tang in disbelief, her lips trembling, her face pale as a sheet.

Wang Yuan’er stepped forward and said, “Nanny Tang, it’s just a matter of resting a little longer. Is the Tang family really so lacking in compassion? And no matter what, Min’er is carrying the Tang family’s bloodline. If the two nannies handling her lose control and harm the child, who will take responsibility for that?” Her sharp gaze fixed on Nanny Tang. “As the Old Madam’s most trusted aide, surely you know who is more precious—the young master or the servants?”

Nanny Tang wanted to spit in disdain. Young master? Isn’t it just an illegitimate child, a bastard? But she knew, even if that were true, she couldn’t say it aloud. After all, even an illegitimate child carried the Tang family’s blood—there was no denying that.

As soon as Wang Yuan’er finished speaking, the two nannies dragging Wang Min’er hesitated, loosening their grip significantly, and looked toward Nanny Tang.

Nanny Tang’s face darkened. She said, “It’s not that I don’t want Miss Wang to rest, but the journey to Dongshan is long. It’s better to return early to avoid any mishaps—that would truly be unfortunate, wouldn’t it?”

Was she referring to mishaps for Wang Min’er or for the new bride currently sitting in the Tang family’s bridal chamber? Everyone understood the implication.

Wang Yuan’er didn’t spell it out but said, “We understand Nanny’s good intentions—it’s all for the sake of the child. But as you mentioned, the journey to the manor is long. She just returned from there, and now she’s being sent back immediately. As the saying goes, even someone about to hang themselves needs a moment to catch their breath. Let alone someone who’s nearly seven months pregnant! A round trip like this takes over ten hours—who can guarantee nothing will happen on the road?”

Nanny Tang pursed her lips, furrowed her brows, and was about to speak.

“Ah, it hurts—my stomach hurts,” Wang Min’er suddenly cried out, clutching her belly.