Madam Wang listened to Nanny Wei’s words and, instead of getting angry, burst out laughing. "So before they came, they didn’t even bother to ask around, didn’t even find out whether their own auntie was living in the Wu Family, and just came straight to our door?"

Nanny Wei said, "Madam Zhou came to Changan with her daughter, but she didn’t exchange letters with her elder brother’s family at all. From the way that Madam Lu talked, it sounded like things aren’t very good between the two sides."

"No matter how bad the relationship is, when something happens they still come running, don’t they?" Madam Wang said mockingly. "From what I see of that Madam Lu, her face is all meanness and spite; one look and you can tell she’s the sort who can’t get on the stage and loves to take advantage of others. And that maid of hers is the same—when I walked in, she just stared at the jewelry on my head, tsk."

To please and cheer her up, Nanny Wei added a few more remarks about how Madam Lu and the others had sighed over how wonderful everything was while they were washing up, and then during the meal were sighing over how delicious the food was, just like people who’d walked straight out of the deep mountains.

Madam Wang was indeed delighted; she dabbed at the corner of her mouth with a handkerchief, her face full of disdain. "They did come from the mountains, after all. They don’t understand etiquette, they’re coarse and rude—how good could you expect their manners to be?" 𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

Nanny Wei answered with a few perfunctory laughs.

"But the same grain of rice feeds all sorts of people. These few look crude, but that Madam Zhou and that Wufu do seem much better than them." Madam Wang’s smile faded a little.

Even though she’d only seen Madam Zhou once, Madam Zhou was a soft, gentle sort of person, yet just from looking, she was much better than Madam Lu.

The most surprising one was still that damned girl. At the Imperial Banquet she had already noticed it—that poised, unruffled manner of hers, how did she look anything like someone raised in the wilds? Anyone who didn’t know would think she was some noble girl carefully brought up from childhood!

Thinking of this, Madam Wang couldn’t help feeling sour. However much she hated the other party, however much she saw her as a rival, she still had to admit that that Wufu truly had a bit of the bearing of a great household’s daughter.

It was really strange; they all grew up in the same place, so how could the gap between them be so large?

Pulling back her thoughts, Madam Wang said, "So in that case, they know absolutely nothing about what’s happened these past six months!"

"Exactly so." Nanny Wei said, "She was even asking this old slave about how Madam Zhou is doing!"

Madam Wang fell silent.

Nanny Wei stole a careful glance at her and asked, "Madam, what do you think about this matter?"

"The fact that Madam Zhou is not in our household can’t be hidden for long. If we keep them here and they never get to see Madam Zhou, they’ll become suspicious." Madam Wang lowered her gaze and spoke.

"Then?"

Madam Wang picked up the teacup on the small side table and said, "Wet nurse, there is something Princess Consort Wei said that was right. When there’s only one of something, then it’s precious; once there are more, it’s not so important anymore. After all, when there are spares, if one is gone there are still others, so naturally people won’t care that much."

Nanny Wei’s heart gave a jolt, and she asked in a low voice, "Madam, you mean to say?"

Madam Wang held the teacup with both hands and said, "Princess Consort Wei wants a gift that shows enough sincerity. Wet nurse, Princess Consort Wei and Princess Ping Xi suffered such a huge loss at the hands of that little slut. They cannot swallow this, and I am the same!"

"Madam!" Nanny Wei cried out in shock, then hastily lowered her voice. "Madam, what are you planning to do? You mustn’t act recklessly. That County Magistrate Ruifu is not someone to be trifled with!"

Hearing this, Madam Wang felt a little displeased. Forcing down her temper, she said, "Isn’t there someone willing to be the gun in our hands? Wet nurse, I have to fight for Ningning. The Princess Consort likes our Ningning!"

Nanny Wei’s heart was pounding wildly. She opened her mouth—how was she supposed to persuade her? Suffering setback after setback, taking such a big loss at that County Lord’s hands, how had Madam still not learned her lesson?