Two days later, Zhu Jiayu was taken to the Xiao family by Xiao Wan.

The weather was fine today, so Grand Tutor Xiao was practicing calligraphy in the courtyard. When his adopted daughter brought Zhu Jiayu over, he simply nodded slightly and didn't say anything.

Xiao Wan seemed to be used to it. After bowing to Zhu Jiayu, she went to the backyard.

Knowing that Miss was coming back today, the cooks in the backyard were busy at the stove, while Old Madam Xiao was drying flowers in the yard.

The dried petals, displaying an aged appearance and color, piled up on the plain silk cloth. Xiao Wan stepped forward, rolled up her sleeves, and helped the old lady spread the dried flowers evenly on the silk cloth.

Seeing this, Zhu Jiayu remained silent for a while, then went to her side to help with the movements.

After the three of them worked together to spread out the dried flowers, the old lady looked at Xiao Wan and asked, "Is this the child from your brother's family?"

Xiao Wan nodded: "Yes, we already had a family reunion banquet a few days ago, and I thought it would be good to bring him to meet you and Father."

The old lady then scrutinized Zhu Jiayu for a while, and Zhu Jiayu also subtly observed her.

She was over sixty, yet remarkably spry. Her graying temples were neatly combed, and her sparse hair was styled into a bun, adorned with a jade hairpin. On her thin wrist wore a jade bracelet, its surface a deep, rich emerald green.

Apart from that, she wore almost no jewelry, looking rather plain, like an ordinary old lady from a farming and scholarly family, possessing a certain elegance and refinement, but without any air of wealth.

Coming to her senses, Zhu Jiayu obediently bowed to her and said, "Jiayu greets the old lady."

The old lady gave a faint "hmm" and told her to get up. Then she asked, "The rumors about the Gao family's child outside, you had someone spread them, didn't you?"

Xiao Wan had been resting peacefully at home these past few days, unaware of the rumors circulating about the Gao family. Upon hearing the old lady's words, she curiously turned to look at Zhu Jiayu.

Zhu Jiayu pursed her lips.

She didn't know why the old lady suddenly asked about this, nor how she knew. She remained silent for a long time before gently nodding: "I acted impulsively and have made the old lady laugh."

She knew she had gone too far, and that in the old lady's eyes, she was probably already a country bumpkin who didn't know the rules and manners.

However, if she were given a second chance, she would still not regret it and would still do the same thing.

Those who do wrong should pay the price.

However, she is afraid she will have to disappoint her aunt's good intentions.

Just as she was thinking this, the old lady smiled approvingly and said, "You have a personality that is not willing to suffer losses, which is very good."

She had lived in this Jade Capital for decades and had seen countless instances of people fawning over the powerful and bullying the weak. Some people, once they rose to prominence, forgot their original origins, ordering those of lower status around and fawning over those of higher status. Even when they were severely bullied, they still dared to be timid and swallow their anger, fearing that if they resisted, they would bring even greater trouble upon themselves.

But if one loses all their spirit, how can one live a joyful life?

She clapped her hands and said with a smile, "Let's go to the front hall. What's the point of standing here? Go to the front hall, you two aunt and niece can sit and chat with this old woman for a while."

Xiao Wan responded and helped the old lady walk forward.

Zhu Jiayu followed closely behind them to the front hall.

After the three of them sat down, a maid served tea. Zhu Jiayu sat silently to the side, watching the maid pour the clear yellow tea from the teapot. The tea water fell into the cup and formed a small whirlpool. At the center of the whirlpool were a few petals that were spinning and floating.

The old lady was talking to Xiao Wan, instructing her not to overwork herself and to take good care of her pregnancy. She then glanced at Zhu Jiayu, who was staring intently at the tea in her cup, and smiled, saying:

"When the flowers bloom, they grow on the branches, fresh and bright. When they wither, they can turn into spring mud, or be used in tea or wine."

"If a person could be as beautiful as this flower, then their life would not have been in vain. Zhu girl, don't you think so?"

Zhu Jiayu did not rush to answer after hearing her words.

In fact, the old lady's words were a very familiar argument to Zhu Jiayu.

In her previous life, not long after she arrived in Yujing, she had already gained a deep understanding of the nature of the powerful and noble families in Yujing. In their view, the most important thing about a person is not having a pragmatic eye, nor having a pure and upright heart, nor having any so-called perseverance, but having value to be exploited.

As long as someone has value, an enemy can become an ally, and a close friend can become a stranger.

She disagreed, she had never agreed with such arguments, but at this moment, she knew very well that she couldn't, and shouldn't have said anything to refute them before.

So she looked at the old lady and said with a slight smile, "What the old lady says is true."

The old lady looked at her for a long while, then shook her head: "You're not being sincere at all."

Xiao Wan became nervous.

However, before she could say anything, the old lady spoke again: "You are a smart child. I will make an exception and teach you this time. Next time, if you have to tell a lie in front of someone of higher status than you, remember to bow your head."

"Otherwise, no matter how well you disguise yourself, someone will always find a flaw."

Zhu Jiayu stared blankly at her, and after a while, she came to her senses, met the old lady's sharp gaze, and said, "I'm just afraid that you don't like to hear some of the truth."

The old lady slowly spoke: "At your age, it doesn't really matter whether you like it or not. Of course, you can speak if you want to, and you don't have to if you don't want to. I'm teaching you only because you are Wan'er's niece. Besides, although you are smart, you don't seem to have thought that there are many people in this Jade Capital who are smarter than you."

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