569 Be the domineering one to start a conflict immediately
Shi Qingluo observed the other guests at the banquet while conversing with the friendly madams and young ladies.
She noticed that a few madams were sizing her and her sister-in-law up with hidden disdain and contempt in their eyes.
They kept looking at her sister-in-law with a kind of disdain and inquiry, as well as an unspeakable helplessness.
Shi Qingluo was a little confused. What did these people’s gazes mean?
If they despised Baili, why did they keep looking at her as if she were an item? She didn’t like their gazes.
Xiao Baili naturally felt that several madams were looking at her.
These people had smiles on their faces, but she could tell that they didn’t like her very much.
They gave off a high and mighty attitude and were looking down on her status.
In the past, she would have clenched her hands and lowered her head in humiliation.
But now, she sat up straight and allowed these people to size her up with a natural and unrestrained appearance.
When she was in the village, her sister-in-law taught her etiquette.
When she was in the capital and Heyang County, her sister-in-law would bring her along when she went out to attend banquets or social events.
Although it was her first time attending a flower banquet like this one in Northern City, she was able to handle it gracefully.
This made the madams who were looking at Xiao Baili feel satisfied.
She was considered to be a woman of first-class beauty, looking graceful and elegant, not like a farmer’s girl.
One of the ladies looked at Shi Qingluo and suddenly asked with a smile, “Princess Fubao, is your sister-in-law engaged?”
This lady was one of the people who had just sized up Xiao Baili.
Shi Qingluo looked at her proud attitude.
When she asked this question, it was as if she was lowering her status, making her speechless.
She now understood why these madam looked at her sister-in-law in such a way.
Their gazes suggested that they were choosing their daughter-in-law.
They looked down on her sister-in-law’s identity as a farmer’s daughter, but they seemed to be forced for their family to marry her for some reason, so they looked at her with disdain.
This was the most obvious in the madam who spoke.
Shi Qingluo was a protective person.
She had long treated Xiao Baili as her own sister.
How could she tolerate such ladies with ulterior motives? She would not be nice to them.
“What does my sister-in-law’s engagement have to do with you?” she asked coldly, raising her eyebrows.
The madam choked.
She was especially unhappy at Shi Qingluo’s cold and impolite attitude.
Because of her husband’s previous instructions, Madam Tu’s advice, and the fact that Shi Qingluo was now a princess, she endured it.
“Your sister-in-law is about the same age as my son, so I asked,” she said with a fake smile.
“If she’s not engaged yet, I actually quite like your sister-in-law.”
She didn’t explicitly say that they would be tying a knot, but she had already revealed her intention briefly.
And when she said this, there was a strong sense of superiority, as if being able to marry her son was a blessing that Xiao Baili had accumulated for several lifetimes.
It also carried a kind of certainty that Shi Qingluo would not refuse.
She didn’t think that Shi Qingluo would be able to reject their Zhu family.
A farmer’s daughter marrying into her family was already a social climb.
Her husband repeatedly reminded her to find an opportunity to test Shi Qingluo’s response on the marriage proposal and also stated that Prince Yi had a crush on Xiao Baili’s mother and that she might one day be Prince Yi’s princess.
Also, Xiao Baili would still be with Shi Qingluo, who had a share in the new business among the young masters in the public administration house of Duke Xi and Duke Liang. Every month, she would receive a sum of money, which could be used as her dowry in the future.
If not for these, she didn’t like Xiao Baili.
Many people present were watching a good show.
Most of them also felt that Shi Qingluo would not reject Madam Zhu and might even be close to her.
After all, if it weren’t for the fact that Prince Yi wanted to marry Xiao Baili’s mother, with her identity as a farmer’s daughter, even if she had a brother who was a magistrate, she would at most be able to marry a concubine’s son.
If she didn’t have her brother, she would at most be a serving concubine of a family’s illegitimate child.
The few madams who had a good chat with Shi Qingluo and wanted to befriend her frowned.
The youngest son of the Zhu family was famous for being a dandy in Northern City.
He excelled in eating, drinking, womping, and gambling. He was not a good match.
Before Shi Qingluo came to attend the banquet, her young husband had already told him about the aristocratic families in Northern City.
She had heard other people addressing Madam Zhu before, so she knew which family she was from.
The Zhu family was ranked in the upper middle class among the aristocratic families in Northern City and was completely dependent on Prince Jin.
The head of the Zhu family was quite capable, but his sons were either mediocre or dandies.
His youngest son was also famous for being a dandy.
Not only did he rob the women and bully the weak, but he was also a frequent visitor to gambling dens and brothels.
Shi Qingluo’s face darkened.
Madam Zhu was quite daring.
“Madam Zhu, didn’t you look at yourself in the mirror before you left your house?” she asked.
Madam Zhu was a little confused. “No, why?”
Shi Qingluo revealed a playful smile and retorted, “Then you should take a photo and see how shameless you are.
“How can your wastrel son, who only knows how to drink, womanize, and gamble, be compared to my sister-in-law?
“I think you should go back and look at yourself in the mirror. Wash up and go to bed. You seem to be daydreaming.
Not only did she reject Madam Zhu, but she also mocked Madam Zhu’s shamelessness for thinking about her sister-in-law.
She even directly said in public that Madam Zhu’s son was not qualified to be with her sister-in-law.
These words stunned everyone present.
Because they had attended so many banquets, even if they didn’t like someone, they would never say such words in public.
Unless the other party’s status was much lower than theirs, then it would be possible.
Shi Qingluo was too arrogant and vicious.
Madam Zhu was stunned for a moment before she realized that Shi Qingluo was mocking and belittling her son.
Her expression changed, and she laughed out of anger. “You’re saying that my son isn’t worthy of your sister-in-law?”
Shi Qingluo looked at Madam Zhu with disdain and contempt. “Even if your son’s reputation is not that bad, just by looking at you, I can already imagine what kind of person your son is.
“With that mean look on your face, if any girl were to marry into your family, she would be really unlucky. Every day, she would be bullied and put on the air by her mother-in-law.
“Isn’t your eldest daughter-in-law the one you’ve been pestering until she left?
“Your youngest son is a piece of trash. You even have the nerve to compare him to my sister-in-law.
“Is it wrong for me to say that you are shameless?
“You’re not only shameless, you’re also thick-skinned.”
Her young husband’s book collection had information about the aristocratic families in Northern City, and also their relationships among their family members.
She had read it on a few occasions last night and had a rough understanding of it.
Because Madam Zhu liked to torture her daughter-in-laws, and she tortured her eldest daughter-in-law to death, she had a deep impression of her.
Because of this, she was even more disgusted.
On one hand, she despised Xiao Baili, but on the other hand, she wanted her family to marry Baili for the sake of benefits.
She even put on the appearance that they should be the ones coming to their door with the marriage proposal instead, which disgusted her.
If Shi Qingluo didn’t ridicule and criticize her, she wouldn’t be able to vent her anger.
She was now Princess Fubao, and her status was the highest among everyone here.
So, even if she had offended them, what could they do to her?
Most importantly, there were many other madams, such as Madam Zhu, who openly preyed on her younger aunt.
The reason she was so aggressive and direct with Madam Zhu was not only to teach her a lesson but also to use her as an example for the public to not act the same way.
She also wanted to use this banquet to establish her image that she was not to be trifled with, so that these people would not think that she and her sister-in-law were soft persimmons that everyone could pinch.
In any case, those wanted to find fault with her could come to her and see if she would give them a good lesson.
She didn’t know where these madam got their huge superiority feeling from that made them feel so prideful.