Chapter 57 The So-called Concubine

On the first day of the new year, the sky was just getting light.

Liu, who had hardly slept, suddenly opened her eyes, her eyes filled with bloodshot and hostility.

Suddenly I felt someone next to me, and when I turned around, it was my daughter... My heart ached when I saw her, and tears started flowing again.

As soon as she heard the noise, Mo Yuan opened her eyes, "Mom!" she called softly, her voice a little hoarse.

"Yuanyuan, Mom will go back to the Liu family now! Ask your uncle to come!"

"Mom..." Mo Yuan hugged her arm, "Don't get excited yet. We need to discuss this matter..."

"What's wrong?" Liu sat up and looked at her daughter.

"Today is the first day of the Chinese New Year. My uncle and aunt are going to worship their ancestors and entertain guests. The house must be very lively. If you go back like this, I'm afraid it will only annoy them. How can they stand up for you? Besides, my grandfather and uncle both have concubines. They don't take this seriously at all."

"Yuanyuan, you don't understand! This woman is not your father's concubine, but his mistress! Your father divorced his wife and remarried! This is no small matter... It violates the law! Your uncle and his friends will not forgive him even for their own face!"

"If I don't forgive him, what will happen? Send Dad to the government office to be beaten with a stick, or beat him yourself? Beat the mother and her three children to death?"

Liu was about to say that was the case, but then she froze... How would this end?

"Mom, the Liu family has always looked down on the Mo family, and they also look down on you. As you said, they had no choice but to come to the Mo family to make trouble for the sake of face. They are venting their anger, but what benefit can it possibly bring to us?"

Liu blinked and looked at her daughter.

"What if Dad gets angry and starts to act like a jerk, using the situation as an excuse to divorce your wife... Then, can you still go back to the Liu family?"

“He doesn’t dare…”

Mo Yuan took Liu's hand and said, "That woman gave birth to two sons. Whether it's according to the rules or according to what the uncles and aunts said yesterday, this person can't be driven away. If they don't leave, we can't leave, right?!"

Liu slumped her shoulders helplessly, "…Mother and your great aunt, why is it so difficult?"

Mo Yuan smiled helplessly, "It's just that everyone has their own difficulties. Who has it easy? Is it easy for Second Aunt?"

"Hmph... the Mo family has a poor foundation!" Liu said angrily, "Yuanyuan, what do you say we should do?"

"At the moment, Daddy is in the wrong, so let's put forward our own conditions. First, those two brats cannot be recorded as legitimate. Then, let that woman kneel down and serve you tea, and enter the house as a concubine... just a concubine. Forever, can't you deal with her?"

Thinking of her aunt's experience, Liu nodded affirmatively...

"Besides, my daughter is in a difficult period right now. This is a shameful matter. If it is exposed, it will affect her marriage. If my daughter can marry into a wealthy family like the Xu family... Oh, then you will see my father's face trying to curry favor with you!"

These words were like enlightenment to Liu's eyes. "Yes! Yuanyuan is right! The most important thing now is your marriage! I can support my mother now. Ha! I just want to see what kind of ending Mo Rushong and the three mothers will have!"

"That's it! Mother! Don't mind their business. You have a good job, so just stay in the house and help me prepare my dowry. Then take care of yourself. Look..." Mo Yuan got up and picked up the mirror, "Look at yourself. You look a few years older now! Don't wait until your daughter is really successful, or you won't be able to enjoy it!"

"Okay...Mother will listen to you!" Liu sniffed and wiped her tears.

"Listen to your daughter and stop crying. You need to be in high spirits when you go back to your parents' home tomorrow. The harder it is, the more we cannot let others laugh at us!" Mo Yuan's face was grim.

The mother and daughter figured it out, washed up, and went to find Zhuang and made their request directly.

Zhuang nodded after hearing this. She understood and agreed. She also said that she would persuade the heads of the families to settle the matter sooner or later.

In the morning, the Mo family ate dumplings and prepared some side dishes. The dumplings were cooked in a big pot and were steaming on the table. Liu stopped making trouble and everyone relaxed a little.

No matter what the real estate matter is, we can only talk about it after the New Year.

Yunniang, with her children and Mrs. Song, ate alone in the living room as usual.

After breakfast, Mo Ruhai sent Mrs. Song back to the courtyard.

On the first day of the new year, the Mo family couldn't stay idle. They had to pack up the things that Mo Ruhai brought back. There would be guests coming soon, and the young master of the Xu family would come in two days, so everyone was busy. Even Mo Wen and Mo Yi went to the front living room to help.

Wang didn't sleep well that night. She was concerned about Yunniang's affairs, not for herself, but for Mo Wen.

At lunchtime, Wang called Mo Wen and Mo Yi into the house. She was a little absent-minded, and her voice was lower than usual. "In our family, your ancestors, your parents, your maternal grandfather's family, and the close families around us, there are not many people who have concubines. After your eldest uncle became successful, your eldest aunt mentioned that she wanted to give him two concubines."

Mo Wen and Mo Yi had never heard of this and were a little surprised.

"Your uncle didn't agree at that time. Later... maybe he regretted it. Your aunt said a few days ago that she would bring it up again after the New Year. This time..." She shook her head.

"Normally, how could your aunt be willing? It's just that she had no choice. Let's not talk about men, they are all lustful. For example, in the officialdom, having concubines at home is a matter of face. It is also common for men to give each other beautiful women."

When the two girls heard this, their faces turned red.

"Besides, Wenwen, the Xu family does have it!" She looked at Mo Wen lovingly.

Mo Wen blinked and twisted her handkerchief, looking very nervous.

"Any woman would feel uncomfortable with this kind of thing. But there's nothing we can do! Otherwise, it would be the beginning of a feud between husband and wife... She would also be blamed by her mother-in-law and laughed at by outsiders... Ha!" She smiled bitterly and shook her head.

"As for the details, I don't have much experience, so there's nothing I can teach you. Wenwen, you need to think carefully about your uncle's affairs. If you encounter such a situation, what would you do? After the New Year, I will invite a nanny to teach you the rules. Then, you can ask carefully..."

After saying this, she felt mixed emotions. Although her husband was not very successful, he had never let her encounter such a thing...

…

Palace.

Li Jing returned home only after he and the emperor had paid homage to their ancestors.

At noon, there was a family banquet in the mansion, and the concubines and their families were having fun again. But this time, there was another concubine, Chu.

Aunt Chu came to Beijing the year before, together with Zhou Dong's wife. Concubine Feng did not "trouble" Madam Zhao about Mrs. Zhou's affairs, and she arranged everything including the courtyard, property and servants.

Mrs. Zhou was the daughter of a minor official, and Concubine Feng said that she was a little petty. Seeing that she could live in such a place after coming to Beijing, she was so moved that she kept saying thank you to Concubine Feng.

Even Concubine Feng didn't tell Madam Zhao where Mrs. Zhou lived.

And this Aunt Chu was a very beautiful woman.

Her eyes were like water, her skin was whiter than snow, her hair was soft and black, and she looked so good without any makeup.

At this moment, she was wearing a very light green dress, and among the women in their gorgeous dresses, she was as beautiful as a spring flower.

Moreover, she is only 28 years old and looks lovable to everyone.

Concubine Feng suppressed her jealousy and had to arrange the courtyard and staff properly. To her credit, she had her own trained people living in the residences of Madam Zhou and Aunt Chu.

Li Jing came in just when we were ready to eat.

Li Chang followed Li Jing as if he had grown up next to him. He also brought some cheap trinkets for the children and was busy preparing food and wine.

Zhou Jiuniang went home for the New Year, and Li Chang took over the task of taking care of Li Xiangling. He served the dishes, told jokes, and never stopped eating...

Several women wanted to take advantage of the New Year to keep in touch with the prince and wanted their children to get closer to him, but they couldn't do it!

Everyone looked at him blamingly, but he was grinning foolishly without realizing it.

…

After seeing Mrs. Song off, Mo Ruhai came back and said to Mo Yi: Song Qiang and his wife are very happy, but the place is too narrow and too crowded.

"Dad, I've made up my mind: let them stay here for a while, and when we find a good shop, we'll rent a small yard nearby. Let Li Qi and Song Jiafu move in. Sister Song can be responsible for cooking and washing. It will save us from spending too much time on the road every day. Besides, you see, the guys in those big shops are all clean and presentable. Our business is big, so we have to be more sophisticated too!"

Mo Ruhai was happy to hear this and nodded repeatedly.

"Yiyi, there is one more thing..." Mo Ruhai told him about the business in his hometown. Although Mo Yi didn't understand the key point, seeing his father's nervousness, he couldn't help but worry about the Song family.

"After the New Year, your uncle will go to get the news. Feeding a whole family is no small matter! Also, Song Jiayou's wife is a farmer's daughter, not a slave. Our hometown has a good harvest, thanks to Song Jiayou. He has worked hard over the years! Dad plans to return his indenture to him after the New Year. Let's return Song Jiaxing and Song Saner to them as well. It will make things easier! If you are worried, leave Song Qiang and his wife behind."

"Dad, you have a kind heart and are thoughtful!"

Being praised by his daughter, Mo Ruhai laughed...

Thanks to the tips from Choubao "Lai Lai Wang Qu" and "Meng Hui Moganshan" and "Wa Dou Jia"! I will continue to work hard!

(End of this chapter)