Sir Song, do you want to pledge yourself to me?

Ji Nuan couldn't help but want to stand up and argue, but Ji's mother pressed her shoulders and pushed her, a master who was well-known in the capital, back into the chair.

Ji's mother spoke with sharp disdain: "She stopped you from rescuing Ji He? But I remember clearly that you were afraid of being implicated by Ji He, so you took the initiative to give up rescuing her! People from the first house are really good at shirking responsibility!"

Uncle Ji and Ji Feng avoided eye contact and looked quite embarrassed under the ridicule of Ji's mother.

The two daughters-in-law of the eldest wife just lowered their heads and wiped their tears. They had been deeply bullied by Ji He. It was really hard to tell how much of their sadness was real and how much was fake.

As for the aunt-in-law, her lips trembled slightly, and she seemed to want to scold, but was stopped by Ji's mother's next words.

"I remember that Jin Bai, out of Nuannuan's affection, made an exception and allowed your family to visit Ji He in Lin County. What did my eldest brother say at the time? Oh, yes, he said he was worried about bringing danger to Ji He, so he refused the opportunity to visit. Sister-in-law, how can you have the nerve to blame Nuannuan for not being able to see your daughter for the last time?"

The eldest aunt's temper, who was always willing to make trouble even if she was being rude, became agitated: "Why shouldn't I blame her? She knows her uncle's personality very well. What can he do? Why didn't he tell me directly about the visitation? Jin Xiaomei, no matter what, it's Ji Nuan's fault for not being able to win over Lord Song. Lord Song is such a high-ranking official. If he really cared about her, how could he watch her sister get into trouble and not try to help..."

"Mom, what nonsense are you still talking about? Aren't you ashamed?"

Outside the door, Ji Yuan hurried back after receiving the news. He didn't know when he had been standing there and how long he had been listening to the conversation inside.

As a scholar, he was well aware of the benefits of having a family member in officialdom. When Ji Nuan and Song Jinbai got married, he was the happiest person in the family.

After all, there were countless people who could read, and at twenty years old, he was still only a student. He certainly wasn't particularly gifted in the field. He only hoped that one day he could pass the imperial examination and, through Ji Nuan's connections, get Song Jinbai to find him a minor official position in the government office, which would be a welcome change of fortune.

Fortunately, he rushed back immediately after receiving the message, otherwise, this relationship that he had finally established would have been completely ruined by his mother's stupidity.

"Xiao Yuan, I am your mother. How can you talk to me like this? You have finally come back. Shouldn't you support me?" The aunt was scolded by her most beloved son. Her face was full of hurt and confusion, and she questioned.

Ji Yuan looked at her, feeling angry at her for not fighting back. He was deeply dissatisfied with his aunt's failure to see the reality and her behavior of holding him back.

Ji He is gone. How can a dead man compare to his future? It is not worth offending my second uncle's family for her.

What's more, Ji Feng had specially gone to the academy to tell him about the situation at the time. What the second aunt said was right. It had nothing to do with Ji Nuan from the beginning to the end. It was the eldest wife who gave up Ji He because she was afraid of being implicated.

He sighed helplessly and advised, "Mom, how can I say anything good about you? Second Aunt has already made it very clear. It has nothing to do with cousin Ji Nuan. This is our family's choice. You are making such a fuss now, it's too embarrassing. How can I interact with Second Uncle's family in the future?"

When the aunt heard that her son not only did not support her but also blamed her, she was immediately furious. She sat down on the ground, pounded her chest, and cried heartbreakingly: "You can't just let it go like this! Oh, my poor daughter... She can't even go home after she dies! This heartless family... They harmed my Xiaohe, but they can eat and drink deliciously. I, an old woman, can't accept this, I can't accept it!"