"It was merely Aunt Dong speaking out of turn, sister-in-law, please don't take it to heart," Lin Fangruo said.
Although Aunt Dong was her husband's aunt and deserved respect, she had witnessed her mother's distress many times since childhood. The culprits were the concubines who relied on their looks to captivate her father, making him dote on them and neglect her mother. Thus, Lin Fangruo despised concubines from the bottom of her heart. What's more, Aunt Dong was supposed to call her father-in-law "brother-in-law." This fact alone made her feel disgusted. As for her legitimate mother-in-law, although she was also a concubine, she would have been the primary wife if Gu Sinian's mother hadn't interfered. Moreover, Aya had said that her father-in-law only acknowledged the mother-in-law as his true wife.
Qi Zhenzhen did not miss the fleeting look of disgust in Lin Fangruo's eyes. This was interesting. She had heard that Gu Siya was very respectful of Aunt Dong. When Aunt Dong had suffered grievances in her husband's family before, Gu Siya had even gone to support her. Later, after Aunt Dong's husband passed away and she returned to her maiden home, Gu Siya would often visit her. Aunt Dong also frequently entered and exited the Protectorate Duke's mansion, showing concern for Gu Siya.
Qi Zhenzhen guessed that Gu Siya, having lost his mother at a young age, had transferred his dependence on his mother to Aunt Dong.
She wondered if he knew that his wife's attitude towards Aunt Dong was not aligned with his own.
If he knew, between his wife and his aunt, whom would he favor more?
"So, sister-in-law, you mean I shouldn't pay too much attention to what Aunt Dong says?" Qi Zhenzhen asked tentatively.
Lin Fangruo remained silent. She couldn't answer this question, as it would lead to trouble later. If Qi Zhenzhen and Aunt Dong had a falling out, and her father-in-law intervened, what if Qi Zhenzhen directly said she had instructed her?
Qi Zhenzhen didn't wait for Lin Fangruo to answer yes or no. She continued on her own, "I'm of the same mind as sister-in-law. No matter how favored Aunt Dong is, her status is what it is. As a principal wife, if I were to care about what she says, wouldn't that be lowering my own status? It's not that I look down on concubines, but concubines should know their place."
Lin Fangruo smiled, "Sister-in-law speaks wisely."
"After sister-in-law's guidance, my heart feels much clearer. Sister-in-law is truly as rumored, a person of great insight. It's wonderful to be sisters-in-law with you. In Father's generation, there are only Eldest Brother and A Nian. We must love each other dearly," Qi Zhenzhen added.
Lin Fangruo's lips twitched. Did Qi Zhenzhen genuinely not know, or was she pretending? Anyone who paid even the slightest attention to the Protectorate Duke's mansion knew that Gu Siya and Gu Sinian were secretly competing, with only the thinnest veil separating them. Yet, she spoke of loving each other dearly.
Qi Zhenzhen chattered on about various other topics with Lin Fangruo, jumping from one subject to another, leaving Lin Fangruo somewhat confused and unable to grasp her true intentions.
After leaving Qingfeng Courtyard, the breeze helped Lin Fangruo clear her head. Her purpose in visiting Qingfeng Courtyard was to see if Qi Zhenzhen and Gu Sinian had consummated their marriage. However, she couldn't determine this, and her attempts to probe were sidetracked by Qi Zhenzhen's rambling. Hmph, she had thought Qi Zhenzhen was naive, but she had underestimated her.
Upon returning, Lin Fangruo spoke to Gu Siya, "Judging by sister-in-law's tone, she clearly doesn't put Aunt in her place."
"Aunt is my aunt, and my mother was Father's most beloved. It would be strange if they *did* put Aunt in her place!" Gu Siya scoffed. "In the future, you should interact with her more and see what's really going on between her and Gu Sinian. The capital has been too quiet lately; we need some excitement to make things interesting."