Chapter 82 Taking a Stand

After several reorganizations by Yu Qingci and Granny Wang, almost half of the servants serving at Songbai Hall have been replaced.

Those servants usually had some connection with the second and fourth wives' families, which is why they would give those families special treatment in various daily matters, such as letting them in without the old lady's consent.

Nowadays, it's impossible for people to enter without being announced, just like usual. So this time, Lu Yunzhang had no choice but to wait patiently at the door for his announcement.

Seeing the old lady's tired appearance, Granny Wang suggested, "If the old lady doesn't want to see him, this old servant will go out and refuse him."

After thinking for a moment, Madam Ning waved her hand and said, "Never mind, let him in. I want to hear what he has to say."

Granny Wang went out to deliver a message, and a moment later Lu Yunzhang hurriedly stepped in.

As soon as he entered, he immediately knelt before Old Madam Ning and kowtowed several times, then said impatiently:

“Aunt, I was busy all day and just got back when the servants told me that my second aunt came to visit today and said some inappropriate things in front of you. I was worried that you might misunderstand, so I came to check on you.”

I really don't know why my second aunt said those things. Perhaps it was because my mother loved her son so much that she mentioned the adoption to my second aunt. And my second aunt had watched me grow up since I was a child and felt that adopting me was the most appropriate thing to do, so she said a few words on my behalf.

I know that compared to my cousin Yunqi, aside from being a few years older, I am truly inferior to him in every other way. Therefore, I have never thought of replacing Yunqi in my aunt's heart. Now, I only want to be more filial to my aunt to comfort her pain of missing her son. I really have no other thoughts. Please don't misunderstand me, Aunt.

After Lu Yunzhang finished speaking, he looked directly at Old Madam Ning with deep affection on his face.

Madam Ning stared at him for a long time before saying, "I know that today's events have nothing to do with you. Second Aunt is getting old and her mind isn't very clear, so she inevitably says some inappropriate things in front of others."

Others may not know, but surely we family know? Of course I won't be angry with her, nor will I misunderstand you.

Lu Yunzhang seemed relieved and a smile appeared on his face at the right time: "Then I am relieved. Thank you for your understanding, Aunt."

Madam Ning: "You just said that you never intended to replace Yunqi. That is to say, the previous talk about adopting you into my family was just your parents being polite and not to be taken seriously, right?"

Lu Yunzhang's expression froze instantly, and he didn't know how to respond for a moment.

Granny Wang quickly chimed in, "Yes, yes, Madam, isn't that exactly what the master meant? As the eldest son of the second branch of the family, he naturally has to take responsibility for the family's honor. How could he be adopted by us so easily? It's clear that the second master and second madam were just being polite. We were just overthinking things before."

"No, Auntie, it's me,"

Lu Yunzhang was so anxious that he became incoherent. Old Madam Ning, no longer wanting to continue, said:

"Good child, you don't need to say more, I understand what you mean. You just want to show more filial piety to me."

Let's not talk about today. When you get home, talk to your parents and tell them not to overthink things. I could never do something like snatching someone else's son and claiming him as my own.

Lu Yunzhang's face had turned pale by now. Seeing that Old Madam Ning seemed unwilling to continue, he could only force a smile and say:

"Yes, nephew understands. I will never have any wishful thinking again. It's just that my aunt has always been very caring towards me, so my parents may have misunderstood and thought that my aunt favored me."

The nephew also thought that if one day he could call his aunt "Mother," he would definitely be filial to her for life.

"Cough cough cough,"

Granny Wang coughed beside her.

Old Madam Ning waved her hand wearily and said, "Alright, no need to say these things. You have elderly parents to support and young children to raise. The second branch of the family will need you to support them in the future. Don't come to my place unless it's necessary, so as not to make it too much trouble for you to come back and forth."

Lu Yunzhang hadn't expected things to turn out this way. He was completely at a loss and didn't know how to smooth things over. He could only leave with a pale face.

After he left, Granny Wang couldn't help but say, "What the old lady said just now was excellent. Now, whether it's the eldest master or the second madam, let's see if either of them would have the nerve to mention adoption in front of you again."

Madam Ning also breathed a sigh of relief: "Before, I cared too much about what others thought and was always afraid of making them unhappy, so I was willing to wrong myself. Now that you and Qingci remind me every day, don't worry, I won't be so confused anymore."

Regardless of how Lu Yunzhang discussed things with the Second Master and his wife after returning home, Yu Qingci went back to Guanlan Pavilion, changed into a loose and comfortable outer garment, removed her hairpins and jewelry, and finally felt more comfortable as she lazily leaned against the chaise lounge.

Tong'er brought over a gilded enamel Ruyi hand warmer with hot charcoal burning inside. Granny Pei told a maid to bring up the nourishing soup she had prepared and place it on the small table on the couch.

Yu Qingci looked down and saw a small, exquisite white porcelain bowl filled with the rich aroma of soup. The steaming fragrance wafted into her nose, and she casually asked, "What kind of soup is this?"

Granny Pei smiled and said, "It's ginseng and black chicken soup. Don't worry, young mistress, there's not a single piece of meat in it. It's not breaking any rules. The weather has been getting colder and colder these past few days, and it looks like it's going to snow soon. This soup is perfect for you. I've also added some yam and wild mushrooms to it, making it very nourishing."

"Currently, the entire household is observing mourning, so it's not advisable to consume meat. However, the young mistress's health is paramount; a little nourishing soup won't harm her. Besides, the young mistress works very hard serving the old lady every day; it's good for her to have some nourishing soup."

Finally, she lowered her voice and added, "Don't worry, young mistress, we definitely won't let those people know."

Yu Qingci smiled gently. Since marrying into the general's mansion, they had indeed not had any meat for a long time, and as time went on, they started to crave it.

Unable to resist the aroma of the soup, she stopped hesitating, picked up a small spoon, and slowly drank it all.

Granny Pei smiled with satisfaction as she watched her young mistress intently drinking the soup. She had been worried that her mistress would be stubborn and refuse to drink it.

Yu Qingci drank two bowls in a row before stopping, and soon felt much warmer from the inside out.

Nodding and tasting the soup, she said, "This soup is delicious. You should all finish the rest so as not to waste it."

After finishing the soup, Granny Pei dismissed the maids serving in the room, leaving only Tong'er and Lian Qiao. Only then did she sit down with peace of mind and talk to the young mistress about what had happened during the day.

Granny Pei: "These people from the second branch are really like clowns, causing so much trouble. They even instigated the old ladies from the clan to come to our mansion and act like they're old and powerful. They've really given them face."

Fortunately, there were sensible people in my second aunt's family who could keep the old lady in check; otherwise, it would have been a real problem.

Yu Qingci smiled sarcastically: "Second Auntie is fine. Even if Seventh Uncle and Seventh Aunt don't step in to stop her, she, as an elder several generations removed, can't possibly be in charge of the General's Mansion."