Chapter 73 Forcing People In

The maidservant trembled slightly upon hearing this, glanced cautiously at Madam Ning, and then lowered her head to reply, "This servant hasn't received much of a reward from you, sir, it's just occasionally... occasionally..."

Seeing that Yu Qingci remained unmoved, the servant gritted her teeth and knelt on the ground: "Old Madam, Young Madam, please forgive this servant this time. This servant knows she was wrong. From now on, this servant will only serve the Old Madam wholeheartedly and will never speak ill of others again."

Yu Qingci ignored the servant woman kowtowing repeatedly on the ground, and gave a wink to Wang Mama beside her. Wang Mama gave the servant woman a disdainful look, and with a wave of her hand, she summoned several old women to drag the servant woman away.

Madam Ning looked at Yu Qingci and said, "Actually, Yunzhang probably meant well..."

Lu Yun Chu interrupted, "Does Mother think that my sister-in-law has overstepped her bounds?"

Madam Ning quickly waved her hand: "No, that's not what I meant. I just felt that I might have really misunderstood Yunzhang."

Lu Yun Chu put down the pomegranate in her hand and said solemnly, "Mother's words not only make my sister-in-law feel cold, but also make me feel cold. Doesn't Mother have noticed at all that the servants of Songbai Hall are always talking about my eldest cousin in front of us and always saying good things about him?"

Over time, my mother only cared about my eldest cousin, and relied on him more in everything, finding fault with me and my sister-in-law for being too meddlesome.

Yu Qingci looked at Lu Yunchu with satisfaction. She, as the daughter-in-law, couldn't say such things, but it was perfectly appropriate for her sister-in-law to say them.

It seems that my sister-in-law was well taken care of.

Only then did Madam Ning realize that she had softened her heart again, and her face felt a little hot. She quickly looked at Yu Qingci and said:

"Daughter-in-law, that's not what I meant. Of course, I trust you and Yun Chu the most. Never mind, I was confused and said the wrong thing again."

Granny Wang came in and reported to Old Madam Ning: "Old Madam, that servant woman is from Li San's household in the outer courtyard. Li San is a servant who serves the master. I have already sent her away. It's all my fault for not doing things properly. I still haven't gotten rid of these treacherous servants."

Madam Ning sighed and said, "It's not your fault. It's because I, as your master, am too soft-hearted and can't bring myself to punish these people, which has allowed them to become so arrogant."

Yu Qingci took a pomegranate and put it in Wang Mama's hand: "Wang Mama is an old woman who has been with my mother for many years. We naturally trust Mama's ability to handle things. As the saying goes, one should always be wary of others. Yun Chu and I cannot be with my mother all the time, so we will need Wang Mama to take care of the affairs of Songbai Hall in the future."

Granny Wang happily curtsied and said, "Thank you for the reward, young mistress. It is my duty, and I will do my best."

He then said to Madam Ning, "Don't worry, Madam. If there are any more traitors like this in the future, I will take care of them for you. I will send their whole family to the estate. Let's see who dares to talk nonsense after that."

Madam Ning nodded: "I trust you to have been by my side for so many years. You can take care of the servants in Songbai Hall from now on. If there are any problems, come back to me. Although I am soft-hearted, I am not stupid."

Yu Qingci watched silently for a while, then picked up a date and placed it in Lu Yun Chu's hand, whispering:

"These fruits are so fresh, let's enjoy them since they've been delivered. It's no wonder that our eldest cousin is so thoughtful; otherwise, we wouldn't be able to eat such delicious fruits."

Lu Yun Chu nodded: "That's true. My eldest cousin never thought about us before. He would always ask our mother for things. Now he's like a different person. I know it's all because of that matter."

I'll just watch, but I won't speak up for him anymore.

Seeing that her sister-in-law had figured it out, Yu Qingci smiled and said nothing more. The two women then focused on eating the fruit on their plates.

For two consecutive days, Yu Qingci coldly watched as Songbai Hall dismissed two more second-class maids and a rough old woman. Several cooks were removed from the main kitchen, and even some of the rough servants in the backyard were driven out. Now, the inner quarters were much more orderly than when she first entered the house, and she couldn't help but feel more at ease with Wang Mama's ability to handle things.

After leaving Songbai Hall, Yu Qingci led Tong'er back, but on the way they encountered Lian Qiao, who had come looking for her.

Lian Qiao stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Granny Pei sent me to find the young mistress. The third young lady brought her three young masters to visit Guanlan Courtyard. Granny Pei said that if the young mistress is busy, she doesn't need to rush back."

Yu Qingci smiled gently. Granny Pei was telling her to find some peace and quiet outside.

Tong'er suggested, "Why don't you let the young mistress go for a stroll in the garden and let her wait patiently?"

Yu Qingci smiled and said, "It's alright. The General's Mansion is only so big. You can't hide forever. I'll go back and meet her."

Back at Guanlan Courtyard, as soon as she entered the courtyard, she heard the sounds of children running around and playing happily. Yu Qingci walked into the main hall with a smile, where her third aunt was sitting alone in a chair.

Yu Qingci stepped forward and greeted her, "I'm sorry to have kept Third Aunt waiting. What brings you here today, Third Aunt?"

Seeing that she was respectfully bowing to her as a junior, the third aunt felt somewhat satisfied and said, "I just happened to have some free time and thought I'd come and see my niece-in-law. You've been married into the family for so long, and I've been busy with things on my end, so I can only come to your courtyard occasionally."

The third aunt looked around and said, "My niece-in-law comes from a wealthy family and knows how to enjoy life. Look at this house, it's quite different from when Qi'er lived here before."

Following her third aunt's gaze, Yu Qingci looked around the room and smiled gently.

"I've added a few trinkets, please excuse my poor auntie."

The original large furniture in the room remained untouched by Yu Qingci. Only embroidered velvet cushions were placed on the chairs, and a few exquisite ornaments were added to the eight-treasure cabinet next to it. The begonias on the small table against the wall were in full bloom, and a faint warm fragrance wafted from the coral-carved incense burner in the corner of the room, creating a warm and comfortable atmosphere throughout the room.

Not only the house, but also the yard outside has changed a lot.

When she first married into the Guanlan Courtyard, although it was large, it was quite empty. The servants said that Lu Yunqi often practiced martial arts in the courtyard, so apart from a few trees, there were very few flower beds in the huge courtyard.

After she moved in, she had her maids and servants plant many flowers and plants in the open spaces, and also placed various cold-resistant green plants under the eaves, adding a lot of life to the courtyard.

Third Aunt wasn't there for casual conversation; after a few pleasantries, she got straight to the point:

"I know you're busy, so I won't say much. I brought all my little rascals with me today so you can take a good look at them."

Whichever one you like, whichever one catches your eye, I'll leave you here today. You can cultivate a relationship with him/her. This mother-son bond is built over time; once you develop feelings for each other, the choice will naturally be made.

"There's nothing I can do. As the elder, I worry too much. I won't feel at ease going back home until you've decided on an heir."