Favoring a concubine and destroying the wife? I'll abandon my husband and children and wipe out

Cheng Nanzhi only learned about what Zhao Huaiyu had done the next morning.

“When Miss came yesterday, I told her about Granny Jiang. Miss immediately went to the kitchen to find Granny Jiang to vent your anger for you. She even slapped Granny Jiang several times in public, making her faint outside the kitchen courtyard for quite a while, which made her a laughing stock.” Jianlan said.

Even now, Granny Jiang is still having a hard time.

The servants were used to currying favor with the powerful and stepping on the weak. When they saw that Granny Jiang had offended both the madam and the young lady, they all tried their best to isolate her and kick her when she was down, in order to show their loyalty and gain favor.

It is said that Granny Jiang somehow stepped on a mousetrap while walking this morning, and when she fell, she accidentally knocked over a bucket of water and got drenched in it.

Lianruo snorted, "This servant agrees. That old woman Jiang is always unforgiving and has offended quite a few people. Those servants aren't flattering you, Miss; they're clearly using you as an excuse to settle personal scores, so that in the end, old woman Jiang will hold a grudge against you and they won't suffer any consequences themselves."

She spat out at the end, "There aren't many good people in this whole household!"

Qingdai agreed. After helping Cheng Nanzhi change her clothes, she suggested, "Miss, since that old woman Jiang is definitely the old lady's person, keeping her around is too much of an eyesore. Why don't we find an excuse to deal with her?"

"Go ahead and do it." Cheng Nanzhi nodded and said calmly, "I don't want to see her in the manor again."

Qingdai smiled and said, "Yes, I understand."

After pulling out several nails in a row, the old lady probably didn't look too happy.

But who cares?

After washing up, Qingdai went out to serve the meal, while Lianruo stayed behind to continue serving Cheng Nanzhi. Seeing Lanze go out to supervise the servants cleaning, she also helped out. Although few of the remaining servants were disloyal, they still had to be careful and keep a close watch on things until new servants were brought in.

A short while later, Lan came in again.

"Miss, Yu-jie'er is here. She's outside and said she's come to pay her respects and have breakfast together."

Lianruo frowned when she heard Zhao Huaiyu's name.

Cheng Nanzhi nodded calmly, letting Zhao Huaiyu in.

“Miss, you are too good-natured. You can still tolerate this and continue to face Yu Jie’er.” Lian Ruo said to Cheng Nanzhi in a low voice with complicated feelings and a look of indignation.

Cheng Nanzhi also whispered, "How do you know if I'm really good-tempered? Okay, keep everything to yourself, otherwise I won't dare let you know next time."

Hearing Zhao Huaiyu's thoughts enter first, Cheng Nanzhi knew she was close and turned around accordingly.

Sure enough, Zhao Huaiyu entered, led by Jianlan, followed by Zhuyu and Granny Yu.

"Greetings, Mother!" Zhao Huaiyu bowed respectfully.

Cheng Nanzhi put on a fake smile, went over and helped her up, and told Lianruo to tell Qingdai to prepare an extra portion of breakfast for one more person.

"Coming to pay your respects at this hour is unprecedented. Did you know in advance that Mother was having yam and lotus seed soup and chicken marrow and bamboo shoots today, and came here specifically because of the smell?"

These words drew chuckles from the maids.

Zhao Huaiyu said coquettishly, "Mother, I'm not that greedy. Besides, how would I know what you're having for breakfast? If I had known earlier, I would have come even earlier."

Granny Yu then smiled and said, "Reporting to Madam, Miss was really worried about your health yesterday and didn't get a good rest all night. That's why she came early this morning to see how you are."

Zhao Huaiyu took the opportunity to boast to Cheng Nanzhi, saying that he had done a great job punishing Granny Jiang for her.

Cheng Nanzhi smiled but her eyes didn't reach her eyes. She said, "I knew you were a filial son. Your mother is very pleased."

At this moment, Qingdai and Lianruo led the servants to serve breakfast.

The kitchen staff at Cheng Nanzhi's place were far more skilled than the chefs in the mansion. Even a simple steamed bun was made with ingenuity, and it was incredibly fragrant and tender.

Zhao Huaiyu hadn't originally intended to have breakfast with Cheng Nanzhi to build a relationship, but the aroma whetted his appetite. He was really hungry, so he couldn't wait to pick up his chopsticks and start eating.

"Mother, I never knew your cook could make such delicious food. No wonder you have your own kitchen," Zhao Huaiyu said enviously. She wished she could have a cook like that.

"Their skills are excellent. You know, the chefs we use here are brought from the Prince's mansion. They were hired at great expense years ago, and each one was carefully selected. Of course, there's no way they can be faked," Lianruo said, looking up.

Zhao Huaiyu's eyes lit up. "Mother, I want one too! Can you give me a cook to take home?"

"You don't have a separate small kitchen in your yard yet. Once it's opened, your mother will find one that suits your taste," Cheng Nanzhi said perfunctorily.

Zhao Huaiyu didn't detect the perfunctory tone; instead, she was deeply moved: "I knew it. Mother is the kindest person to me in the household. She's good to me in everything I do, from the tutor to the cook."

Cheng Nanzhi felt a chill in her heart. In her dream, she had gone to great lengths to plan and nurture her future, yet she had never heard Cheng Nanzhi say a single good word about her.

You really can't rush into something like this.

"By the way, Mother, what kind of person is Abbess Fang?" Zhao Huaiyu remembered the purpose of her visit, and she was filled with anticipation and curiosity about her teacher.

It turns out he wouldn't come to the temple without a reason. No wonder, how could Zhao Huaiyu possibly come all this way just to show concern for her?

“What my mother found out is that Abbess Fang is a very good person, very talented, proficient in all six arts, approachable, and knowledgeable,” Cheng Nanzhi said slowly, adding what Zhao Huaiyu most wanted to hear, “She treats men and women equally. She knows the skills that men have, and she doesn’t think that it’s unsuitable for women to learn these skills.”

The three people beside Qingdai all looked up at Cheng Nanzhi.

In reality, none of them knew that Cheng Nanzhi had already chosen a tutor for Zhao Huaiyu and had even found out the details. They simply assumed that Cheng Nanzhi was knowledgeable and experienced enough to know about Abbess Fang.

Hearing Cheng Nanzhi say that, they were both surprised and indignant. Why did Miss choose to find such a good person to be Zhao Huaiyu's tutor? It was a waste and not worth it.

Zhao Huaiyu's eyes lit up when he heard this.

This is exactly the teacher she has been dreaming of!

"Thank you, Mother! You're so kind!" Zhao Huaiyu promised. "When the teacher arrives, I will definitely study diligently under his guidance and will never let you down!"

Cheng Nanzhi smiled slightly, not making any promises.

"This is still uncertain. Let's wait until Mother comes up with a way to persuade Abbess Fang before we think about the future."

Zhao Huaiyu wasn't worried about this at all: "Yu'er heard that Mr. Zhou was able to change his mind and teach my brother because Mother came up with a way to get the 'Lonely River and Thousand Cranes' painting. Mother, you were able to win over Mr. Zhou for my brother, so you can definitely find Master Fang Xi for me too!"

Cheng Nanzhi smiled but remained silent.

Zhao Huaiyu couldn't hold back her words and felt closer to Cheng Nanzhi, wanting to tell her everything: "Mother, you are the best, unlike Aunt Ye, who only thinks I am not as good as my brother."

"Oh? Miss Biao even came to see you?" Cheng Nanzhi paused, then asked casually, feigning interest.

Standing behind her, Granny Yu nervously looked up at Zhao Huaiyu.

Zhao Huaiyu said, "Yes, Aunt Ye saw how hard I was working in my own courtyard and brought me some food. But she would rather not go at all; she doesn't want me to study the same things my brother does."

Cheng Nanzhi's lips twitched slightly. She already knew from Zhao Huaiyu's inner thoughts what Ye Ruyue and Zhao Huaiyu had said. Wasn't this just an attempt to sow discord between Zhao Huaiyu and her, to make Zhao Huaiyu dissatisfied with her?

Granny Yu was clever; she saw things clearly.

Cheng Nanzhi gave Granny Yu a meaningful look.

Granny Yu broke out in a cold sweat, dared not meet his gaze, and quickly lowered her head.

“If you think your Aunt Ye is wrong, then you don’t need to listen. Just continue your studies. If she really cares about you, she won’t stop you,” Cheng Nanzhi said slowly. “If you have time, go see your brother more often, or take the initiative to go to the study to ask your father to teach you together. I believe you will learn even more then.”

Zhao Huaiyu nodded, encouraged.

"But remember, don't say that your mother sent you. You know, your father and I have been having some disagreements lately, and I don't want him to think that I'm trying to use you to apologize to him, or that I want him to come and coax me like before," Cheng Nanzhi said deliberately.

Zhao Huaiyu nodded mischievously, promising to do so.