Chapter 177 You're Still the Same You

After speaking for a while, the old Duke of Chu began to show signs of fatigue. Jiang Yu told him to rest and then got up to leave. When she arrived at her Yunfeng Courtyard, she saw the two little ones, Jiang Yunkang and Jiang Yuan, there.

This time, instead of building a snowman, the two had a recitation contest. After the banquet, whenever Jiang Yu was in the manor, Jiang Yunkang would almost always stay by his side. Jiang Yuan and Jiang Yunkang often played together, and later Jiang Yu allowed Jiang Yuan to also stay with her.

He assigned them homework yesterday, and it seems they didn't slack off.

"Auntie!"

"Auntie!"

The two little ones saw her and ran over with their books. Jiang Yu patted their heads and asked, "Have you memorized them?"

The two nodded emphatically, and Jiang Yu asked, "So, who wants to go first?"

"I!"

Jiang Yunkang had just opened his mouth when Jiang Yuan's voice rang out. Having been beaten to it, Jiang Yunkang pursed his lips and said, "Then you go first."

Seeing that Jiang Yunkang was a little unhappy, Jiang Yuan lowered her head, thinking of letting Jiang Yunkang go first, but then Jiang Yu said, "Yuanyuan, go first."

Jiang Yuan glanced at Jiang Yunkang again, then gripped her book tightly and began reciting the homework assigned yesterday.

"Very good, Yuanyuan is great." Jiang Yu praised her with a smile after she finished reciting. Jiang Yuan was very happy, but she didn't dare to show it.

Jiang Yu smiled and said to her, "There are some pastries you like in the small flower hall, Yuanyuan, why don't you go and have some?"

Jiang Yuan glanced at Jiang Yunkang again, then turned and strode out. Jiang Yu called Jiang Yunkang to her side and asked, "Why are you unhappy?"

Jiang Yunkang lowered his head and remained silent. Jiang Yu leaned back and said in a somewhat stern tone, "Say what's on your mind so I can know what you're thinking and how to resolve the issue."

Jiang Yunkang pursed his lips. "Auntie, I was wrong. I shouldn't have tried to take it from Yuanyuan."

Jiang Yu didn't say whether what he did was right or wrong, but asked again, "Do you think you should do everything better than Yuanyuan?"

Jiang Yunkang remained silent, but recalling what Jiang Yu had just said, he said, "Yes, I am the heir, so I have to perform the best. However, Yuanyuan is a girl, so I... I should give way to her."

Jiang Yu had never been a mother or a teacher, so she didn't know how to educate a child. However, communicating with him as if he were an adult was probably the right thing to do.

She said, "If you are the heir apparent, you should be the most outstanding. Then I am the Duke of Chu, so am I supposed to be more outstanding than many people in the capital?"

Jiang Yunkang looked up at Jiang Yu, his eyes conveying the message, "Auntie is right."

Jiang Yu smiled helplessly, "Your mother is better at embroidery than me, the cooks in the kitchen are better at cooking than me, and compared to Prince An and the heir of the Marquis of Chengen, my horsemanship is inferior to theirs. There are many other people in whom I am inferior in many ways."

Jiang Yunkang looked confused. In his eyes, his aunt was the most powerful woman, and no one could compare to her.

“I am inferior to others in so many ways, so am I not a qualified Duke of Chu?” Jiang Yu asked.

Jiang Yunkang quickly shook his head, and Jiang Yu smiled and said, "Everyone has things they are good at and things they are not good at. Although you are the heir, you don't need to be the best at everything or compare yourself with others in everything. As long as you make progress every day and learn more every day, that's great."

"I understand, Auntie." Jiang Yunkang said with a look of shame.

“Let’s start memorizing,” Jiang Yu said.

Jiang Yunkang immediately straightened his back and fluently recited everything he was supposed to memorize. Jiang Yu smiled and praised him, then said that was enough for today and that he should go back and spend time with his parents.

Jiang Yunkang bowed to Jiang Yu, then turned and left the study. As he passed the entrance to the small flower hall, he saw Jiang Yuan inside.

He stopped and hesitated for a while before walking into the small flower hall and smiling at Jiang Yuan, saying, "I...I'll go back first. Tomorrow we'll meet again in Aunt's courtyard after breakfast."

His eyes were filled with anticipation. When he saw Jiang Yuan smile and say yes, he smiled back, turned around, and jogged away.

Jiang Yuan watched his figure disappear before entering Jiang Yu's study. She stood before Jiang Yu, head bowed, and said, "Auntie, I...I was wrong."

The little girl had her head down, and Jiang Yu couldn't see the expression on her face, but she could feel the intense fear emanating from her.

"Where did you go wrong?" Jiang Yu asked.

Jiang Yuan looked at Jiang Yu cautiously, "I...I shouldn't have fought with Yun Kang. I...I didn't mean to. I don't know why I blurted it out. Aunt, I really didn't mean to..."

The little girl started to cry as she spoke. Jiang Yu took out a handkerchief and gently wiped her tears, saying, "Why can't you fight with him? You're no different from him."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Yuan looked at Jiang Yu in surprise, as if she were a fawn.

Jiang Yu sighed. Although the child was only four years old and no one in the manor dared to gossip about him, he gradually realized many things now that his parents were no longer around.

Although her grandmother always loved and cared for her, she was still a child, and her heart was fragile and sensitive.

"Auntie, will my mother never come back?" Jiang Yuan asked.

Jiang Yu wiped away her tears and said, "Yes, something happened in your maternal grandfather's family, and your mother chose to leave with your maternal grandfather and grandmother."

"She chose not to want me, didn't she?" Jiang Yuan asked.

Jiang Yu frowned and pondered for a while about how to answer the question, then said, "Your mother loves you very much, but she has something she loves more, and in the end she chose what she loves more."

Jiang Yu knew that saying this was cruel to a child, but children also have their own thoughts. The more she hid it from her, the more he would overthink, and perhaps his personality would become unhealthy or distorted in the future. It was better to lay everything out in front of her and tell her the truth.

“But you have me, your grandmother, and Yun Kang; we are your family too.” Jiang Yu continued, “You are the young lady of the Duke of Chu’s mansion, a noblewoman from one of the most powerful families in the capital. Moreover, although Yun Kang is now the heir apparent, you two are equals in the mansion. You don’t need to be so cautious when you study and play with him.”

"Auntie..." Jiang Yuan threw herself into Jiang Yu's arms and cried loudly.

These days, as she gradually understood many things, she began to feel fear. Originally, she and Jiang Yunkang were playmates, and she could talk to Yunkang about anything.

But now Yun Kang has become the heir apparent, while she is an orphan with neither of her parents alive. She knows she should try to please Yun Kang and give in to him. But sometimes she does things unconsciously, only to realize afterward that she is no longer the legitimate young lady of the Duke of Chu's mansion, and she no longer has a mother by her side to protect her.

Jiang Yu gently patted her back, "Good girl, nothing has changed, you are still the same as before."