Chapter 66 Adoption Dispute 4

Lu Yun Chu leaned her head closer to Yu Qing Ci, looking aggrieved.

Yu Qingci gently hugged the little girl and sighed softly. This world is extremely harsh on women. Even at home, they must always be mindful of the separation between men and women. Even cousins ​​must avoid suspicion at all times. Otherwise, if word gets out, the man will suffer no loss, but the woman's reputation will be ruined.

Yu Qingci asked, "Who is this nanny who manages the garden?"

Lu Yun Chu raised her head: "I know this one, it's Granny Zhao. Her husband is Second Uncle's personal attendant."

It's someone from the second wife's family again.

Yu Qingci's expression turned cold and stern: "It seems that this mansion needs to be properly reorganized and rules established. This matter should not be publicized. Lianqiao, go to Granny Wang privately in a while and tell her what happened. She manages all the servants in the inner quarters. Granny Zhao, who is in charge of the garden, cannot shirk her responsibility for such an incident. It would be better to replace the person in charge of the back garden."

Lian Qiao: "Yes."

Lu Yun Chu hesitated and said, "Is this a good idea? That old woman Zhao may have just been careless for a moment. If she loses her job because of this, will she hold a grudge?"

"Maybe we should just forget about it and be more careful next time."

Yu Qingci looked at her sister-in-law. Although this girl's personality was a bit stronger than her mother-in-law's, it was only a bit. Once she encountered troublesome things she didn't want to face, she was prone to backing down and choosing to settle things peacefully.

Yu Qingci said seriously, "Does my sister want to be careful even at home, and to be wary of this and that when she goes out for a stroll in the garden? Remember, you are the rightful mistress of this mansion, and you don't have to suffer such grievances."

As for Yang's cousin, since he's a guest, he should abide by the host's rules. We can't just let him be; otherwise, he'll become even more demanding next time.

Lu Yun Chu opened her eyes wide in surprise. Why did these words sound so familiar? It seemed that her brother had said something similar to her before.

Unfortunately, she spent more time with her mother. Although she disapproved of her mother's timid and weak personality, she still habitually handled things in the same way as her mother, which was to endure as much as possible.

What my sister-in-law is saying right now is that there are some things we don't have to tolerate at all?

Yu Qingci stared intently at her sister-in-law, who wasn't much younger than her, waiting for her to figure things out on her own.

Fortunately, Lu Yun Chu figured it out after a moment of hesitation, and took Yu Qing Ci's arm, saying:

"Okay, I'll listen to my sister-in-law."

Yu Qingci smiled gently, "This child is teachable."

Upon hearing that the Seventh Miss had suffered such a great injustice in the garden, Granny Wang was immediately enraged and went to deal with the matter.

That same day, Granny Zhao was relieved of her post managing the back garden and sent to do menial work in the outer courtyard. She was also fined two months' worth of her monthly allowance, and a reliable old woman was chosen to take over her job.

Granny Wang went to see Third Aunt again. Although the negotiation did not end well, it did manage to get Third Aunt's family to behave themselves a bit.

Yu Qingci was very satisfied with Wang Mama's efficient and decisive work style after she found out.

It seems that my mother-in-law is not without capable people around her, such as Granny Wang and Steward Lu, whom we should rely on in the future.

The next morning, just as she was about to pay her respects to the old lady, a young maid from Songbai Hall hurried over and said a few words to Granny Pei. Granny Pei then solemnly entered the inner room and reported to Yu Qingci:

“Young Madam, the people from the second and fourth branches of the family, as well as the third aunt’s side, went to Songbai Hall early this morning, saying that they want the old madam to decide on the adoptive child today.”

"knew."

Yu Qingci responded lightly, carefully checked her makeup in front of the mirror, and then led Pei Mama and Tong'er toward Songbai Hall.

Upon entering the main hall of Songbai Hall, Yu Qingci looked up and saw a room full of people, making her feel as if she had returned to the family recognition banquet on the day she first entered the family. In fact, the people from the second and fourth branches of the family had been coming to pay their respects more enthusiastically than she, their own daughter-in-law, had been.

It seems they can't wait to lay their cards on the table today.

Madam Ning sat at the head of the table with her brows furrowed. Her second uncle and aunt, fourth uncle and aunt, and aunt, along with other elders, were all seated on chairs. A whole host of men from all the branches of the family had also arrived. The older ones sat on their own, while the younger ones were held in someone's arms. When she entered, everyone looked over.

Madam Ma spoke first: "Oh, my niece-in-law has finally arrived! I was just about to send someone to Guanlan Courtyard to check on her. How can you keep your elders waiting when you're paying your respects? You can't be late."

Yu Qingci remained silent and walked straight to Madam Ning to pay her respects. When she stood up straight, Madam Ning beckoned her to come closer.

"Where am I late? I usually arrive at this time. Today, I was woken up by the noise outside before I even got out of bed. I thought something had happened."

Everyone realized that Old Madam Ning was speaking up for Yu Qingci, so no one said anything. Madam Ma also pursed her lips and stopped talking. There were important matters to discuss today, and she had no time for verbal sparring.

Madam Ning pulled Yu Qingci's hand and made her sit down beside her: "Since you married into the family, I haven't had time to visit Guanlan Courtyard. You're a child who never complains. If you lack anything in your daily necessities, just let me know. Our family comes from a military background. Our rules and etiquette aren't as strict, so I naturally hope you can live a more comfortable life."

Yu Qingci replied obediently, "Thank you for your concern, Mother. Qingci has everything she needs and everything is fine."

"Sister-in-law, now that my niece-in-law is here, let's get down to business."

The second master, who was sitting to the side, reminded him somewhat impatiently.

Second Aunt Wei also said, "Yes, sister-in-law, let's talk about the important matter first."

Before Old Madam Ning could speak, Madam Wei turned to Yu Qingci and said, "Niece-in-law, your mother must have told you about the matter of adopting your eldest cousin into the eldest branch of the family. Your father-in-law and nephew Yunqi passed away suddenly, and now the eldest branch of the family has no adult male to support the household. This is not good. Your second uncle and I discussed it over and over again, and we made the difficult decision to adopt your eldest cousin into the eldest branch of the family."

Your eldest cousin is the eldest son of our second wife. He has been close to my sister-in-law since childhood. He is impeccable in both age and character. Although we, as his biological parents, are extremely reluctant, we are willing to adopt him into my sister-in-law's family for the sake of our General's Mansion's future.

After Yunzhang was adopted, not only did the eldest branch of the family have someone to rely on, but our entire General's Mansion also had a pillar of support, and we could all feel at ease.

No sooner had the words left his mouth than Madam Ma's voice rang out: "Oh, so only Second Brother and Second Sister-in-law are willing to give up a son. Do you think our Fourth Branch is so stingy? If you ask me, Yunzhang is simply not the right age."

He's already married with children, and he's the eldest son of his second brother and sister-in-law. What kind of logic is there in adopting the eldest son? Wouldn't that cut off his and his sister-in-law's lineage?

After saying that, he couldn't help but mutter a few words to himself: "It sounds so nice, but his own parents are right here. Once he takes control of the eldest son's branch, who knows who he'll be filial to?"