Chapter 156: Double Standards

“Alright, I’ll change by noon.” Lu Man replied with a smile.

Jiang Jiu whispered to Princess Changting, “Grandmother, Sister-in-law is going to make you a pair of incredibly beautiful shoes. Oh, they’re stunning.”

Princess Changting chuckled, “Alright, I’ll be waiting.”

The Old Marquis became more astute and quickly said, “Granddaughter-in-law, I want a pair too.”

Lu Man laughed, “Sure, I’ll make a pair for Grandfather too.”

Deciding to make matching couple shoes for the elderly couple, Lu Man’s design for the old gentleman’s shoes closely resembled Princess Changting’s, with red and black silk, featuring bamboo leaf and cloud patterns.

Following this, the second madam, third madam, the eldest young madam, and the three children all came to pay their respects. Seeing Lu Man dressed as she was, they were taken aback.

Young Madam Han’s gaze towards Lu Man seemed different, and she spoke only a few words in a subdued manner, lacking her usual warmth.

Noticing the absence of Madam Hong and Princess Changting’s demeanor, Lu Man realized the situation – Madam Hong must have been reprimanded. While Young Madam Han might maintain a united front with Madam Hong externally, the main reason was likely due to Madam Hong being the mother-in-law, thereby refraining from getting too close to Lu Man.

However, Madam Lin’s behavior seemed to diverge from the past. She first presented each woman present with a bottle of her newly made chrysanthemum-scented lotion, then unexpectedly commented on Lu Man’s attire.

“Young daughter-in-law, you’re not lacking in clothes. Why dress so plainly? If others see this, they might think we mistreat our son’s wife.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed at being criticized for her attire, Lu Man wondered when the second madam had begun to take an interest in such matters.

Madam Lin then instructed her maid, “Remember, when you return, retrieve the scarlet satin I was rewarded with by Princess Changting a few years back and send it to Zhanwei’s wife. She’s young and beautiful, she should dress more brightly.”

Lu Man suddenly understood – Madam Lin was indirectly supporting her. In this household, each family had its own standards, and within a short time, the second madam had already learned about Wang Haobai’s visit to the Crane Hall to “observe her” and had guessed the reason behind it.

Princess Changting indeed had a keen eye for judging people. Although the second madam was reserved and indifferent, she held no ulterior motives and had a good grasp of the overall situation.

Lu Man graciously thanked everyone with a smile.

As everyone was chatting and laughing, Mrs. Li sought an audience with Princess Changting and Lu Man, informing them that her daughter-in-law was pregnant and had come to kowtow to express gratitude for their blessings.

Mrs. Li’s daughter-in-law had given birth to a daughter but had suffered from postpartum hemorrhage, leading to six years of infertility. After taking medication prescribed by Lu Man for several months, she was able to conceive again. Overjoyed, the family was grateful for Lu Man’s healing touch and considered themselves blessed by Princess Changting and the old Marquis.

Delighted by the news, Princess Changting welcomed Mrs. Li in, allowed her to kowtow, and rewarded her with five taels of silver, while Lu Man also gave her two taels of silver.

Feeling a mix of joy and enlightenment, Lu Man wondered if her proficiency in traditional Chinese medicine had improved so rapidly. Perhaps the ancestral medical skills of the He family were truly remarkable, allowing her to apply them effectively and successfully treat two cases of infertility within half a year.

Touched to tears, Mrs. Li kowtowed to Princess Changting and Lu Man again, expressing her gratitude, “Third Young Madam treated my daughter-in-law’s illness without accepting any payment and even incurred expenses. Now, Princess Changting and Third Young Madam have rewarded us with so much silver…”

Madam Huang chuckled, “They say Zhanwei’s wife is a fertility goddess, right? She’s practically a deity, so why would she care about money? And mother-in-law is in charge of blessings for conceiving, whenever someone has a child, she’s delighted and showers them with silver.”

This remark elicited laughter from everyone.

Just as Mrs. Li left, the gatekeeper’s attendant arrived to report that the eldest madam was seeking an audience.

Princess Changting furrowed her brow. She had restricted Hong’s visits, so why was she here now? However, out of consideration for her eldest son and grandson, she couldn’t embarrass her publicly, so she allowed Madam Hong to enter.

Clearly flustered and slightly flushed, Madam Hong rushed in, with sweat beads forming on her nose.

Observing Madam Hong’s appearance, Princess Changting frowned and asked, “What’s the matter with the eldest daughter-in-law? If there’s an issue, the servants can report it, why the rush and fuss?”

Madam Hong paid her respects to Princess Changting, explaining, “Mother-in-law, I had no other choice.” She continued, “Yuan’s family just sent a message, Ling had a seizure starting around the hour of the chen (around 7-9:00 AM).”

Jiang Ling, Princess Changting’s eldest granddaughter and the only legitimate daughter of the Jiang family, was due to give birth in these days. Having raised her from childhood, Princess Changting was anxious upon hearing the news and promptly instructed, “Quickly, have two maidservants go to Yuan’s house to keep watch and update us on Ling’s condition.”

Madam Hong mentioned, “I’ve already sent two maidservants to keep watch.” She then glanced at Lu Man and suggested, “Mother-in-law, should we also have Zhanwei’s wife go to Yuan’s house to keep watch? This way, Ling will be safe, and we can all be at ease.”

Upon hearing this, Lu Man felt her nose twitch with annoyance. In the past, when she went to the Xie family to help with the birthing position, Madam Hong’s words were the harshest, insinuating disrespect and embarrassment for the family. When she talked about Zhanwei, her words were no less harsh, with Jiang Zhankui overhearing and informing her later.

But now, she was being confidently asked to attend to her daughter’s childbirth. Was she being treated as the lowly midwife Madam Hong once deemed her to be, or were there double standards at play?

In all honesty, after Madam Hong’s despicable actions towards her, Lu Man had no desire to assist her. Such individuals wouldn’t appreciate your help and would still harm you when the opportunity arose. However, not going would not only displease Princess Changting but also offend Marquis Jiang and the heir and his wife…

Observing Lu Man, Princess Changting turned to Madam Hong and advised, “There’s no need to rush. Ling’s contractions have just started, if all goes well, it will take another two to three hours before she gives birth. Having Zhanwei’s wife go there now would be of no use. She can assist with the birthing position, but for the actual birthing process, we rely on experienced midwives. Let’s wait a bit longer, if there are any issues, then she can go.”

Madam Hong was reluctant, waiting until there was a problem with her daughter would be too late. Fuming inside, she thought Princess Changting was neglecting her legitimate granddaughter for the sake of her grandson’s wife. Despite her frustration, she composed herself and remarked, “Mother-in-law, giving birth is like facing the King of Hell. Ling’s health is fragile, and I’m constantly worried. If Zhanwei’s wife stays there, we can all be at ease.”

Princess Changting hesitated, feeling conflicted.