Chapter 164: The path of one's character is secondary; the key lies in the heart...

"The eldest lady didn't come back with the second young lady. She said that Old Madam Mei at the mansion was unwell and she had to stay at the Cen family to accompany the old lady for a while."

Following the maid's report, the room fell silent. The smile on Mrs. Dou's face faded a little, and she said nothing.

The maids and servants serving on the side knew how much the old lady disliked the second lady Lu Danruo now, and they also knew how ironic the doctor's words about tending to the sick were.

But think about it, the second young lady has been spoiled and willful since she was young because of the teachings of the eldest lady. She also feels resentment and dissatisfaction towards the old lady, her biological grandmother. She feels that the old lady favors the prince and even values ​​the illegitimate Lu Cong'an more than her biological granddaughter. The second young lady is not good at hiding it. The old lady has seen those thoughts over the years, but just pretended not to know and didn't want to bother with the younger generation.

But ever since the young mistress married into the Duke's Mansion, the second young lady's behavior has become increasingly unpleasant, making the old lady unbearable. This time, the second young lady disregarded the Duke's Mansion's reputation and returned to the Cen family with the eldest mistress, Cen. Then, rumors swirled outside, causing the Duke's Mansion, the young mistress, and even the Dingguo Mansion to be the subject of public gossip. The old lady was probably even more disappointed with her granddaughter. She also disliked Cen, her daughter-in-law, even more.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have sent someone to the Cen family to bring the person back.

I thought the second young lady would stay in the Cen family with the first lady and would not come back until the rumors outside died down. Who would have thought that the second young lady would come back on her own today? Not only that, she also found a fig leaf of taking care of the sick, thinking that everyone else is stupid and brainless?

To put it bluntly, no one in the mansion is happy that the second young lady and the first lady have returned. When they heard that the second young lady was coming over, the lively atmosphere in the house suddenly faded and became a bit depressing.

In this atmosphere, after a while, footsteps were heard outside. The maid opened the curtain and Lu Danruo walked in slowly.

She was wearing a light blue jacket embroidered with gardenias today. Perhaps because she had been ill a few days ago, she looked much thinner. Perhaps she was not feeling comfortable staying at the Cen family, so she gave people a somewhat gloomy feeling.

Seeing that besides her grandmother, Old Madam Dou, there were also Lu Bingzhi and Cui Lingyan in the room, Lu Danruo paused for a moment and subconsciously clenched the handkerchief in her hand. She quickly regained her composure, walked slowly forward, bowed to Old Madam Dou, and said, "Granddaughter greets grandmother, brother and sister-in-law."

Lu Danruo and Lu Bingzhi were already at odds with each other, and now there were so many rumors spreading outside. Anyone with a straight face would know who was behind them and what their purpose was.

At this moment, Lu Danruo's greeting and calling them brother and sister-in-law made the atmosphere even more awkward.

Lu Bingzhi had never shown much sympathy for Lu Danruo. Although he had given her some pointers in the past, he had become even less concerned with her over the years. Especially after Cui Lingyan's arrival, the incidents Lu Danruo had caused had completely destroyed any remaining wiggle room between the siblings.

So when Lu Danruo came to pay her respects, Lu Bingzhi just nodded and said to Old Madam Dou who was sitting on the soft couch, "My grandson will take Cui back first."

Madam Dou nodded and said, "Go back. I also have something to ask Dan Ruo in private."

As soon as Mrs. Dou said this, Lu Danruo's back stiffened suddenly, and the hand holding the handkerchief tightened even more, and her nails pinched her palm so hard that it hurt.

When the old lady said this, Cui Lingyan stood up, bowed to the old lady, and then followed Lu Bingzhi out of the room.

After the two left, Madam Dou put down the teacup in her hand and turned her gaze to Lu Danruo.

Nanny Sun gave a signal, telling all the maids and servants in the room to leave, leaving only her to serve the old lady.

She is an old lady who lives by Madam Dou's side. There are some things that others cannot bear to hear, but it doesn't bother her to hear them.

Following her orders, the maids and servants filed out one after another, and the room suddenly became quiet, so quiet that you could almost hear a pin drop.

Lu Danruo was nervous and bit her lip, not knowing how to start.

She knew that her grandmother must be very disappointed in her. Now, she, the eldest daughter in the family, had become the least popular person in front of her grandmother.

She felt aggrieved and unwilling, but she had been spoiled since she was a child and had never been able to please or be nice in front of her grandmother, Old Madam Dou. Now she didn't know how to get along with her grandmother, Old Madam Dou.

She was afraid that once she opened her mouth, all the grievances and resentment in her heart would be revealed, which would make her grandmother even more unhappy.

She blamed the old lady for not giving face to her and her mother. Even if she didn't ask her father to pick them up, it would be a big deal for the Duke's Mansion to send a carriage to the Cen family to bring her and her mother back to the mansion.

My mother has been married into the Duke's Mansion for so many years and gave birth to her daughter. She has worked hard to manage the household affairs of the mansion. Even if she has no merit, she has worked hard. However, all this has not earned her any tolerance from my grandmother. They just think that it is my mother's own dishonesty that has caused all these troubles.

They would also think that she, the eldest daughter of the eldest son, had a bad temper and could not get along with her brother and sister-in-law. Now she had even fallen out with her cousin who she grew up with. In the final analysis, it was her and her mother who were at fault.

She knew without a second thought what those people were thinking, how they looked down on her as the second daughter, and how they laughed at her mother who stayed in the Cen family.

Thinking this in his heart, Lu Danruo's eyes revealed a bit of grievance and unwillingness that he could not hide.

Madam Dou saw all the emotions in her eyes and asked directly, "Why, are you and your mother still feeling wronged after such a big incident?"

It would have been better if Madam Dou hadn't said this, but after she said this, Lu Danruo couldn't help but have red eyes, and soon tears fell.

She couldn't help but ask, "Grandmother, why are you so harsh on your granddaughter and mother? Everything was fine before. Even if Grandmother had some dissatisfaction with Mother, she wouldn't be like this now. Everything has changed since Cui came into the family. In Grandmother's eyes, I, your legitimate granddaughter, am not as good as Cui, your granddaughter-in-law who just came into the family? Why are you so partial, refusing to send anyone to the Cen family to pick up Mother and me, causing so many people outside to laugh at my mother and me? Is it because my mother is a concubine and cannot compare to the noble status of Princess Shu Ning? You looked down on her background from the beginning, and she only gave birth to a daughter like me in all these years?"

Lu Danruo's eyes were full of grievance and accusation. After she finished speaking, tears kept falling, and the more she spoke, the more outrageous it became.

Nanny Sun was listening at the side and was also shocked, especially when she saw the resentful look in the Second Young Lady's eyes. She felt that the Second Young Lady had become even more unreasonable after her visit to the Cen family. She did not reflect on herself, but instead blamed everything on the Old Lady, thinking that it was the Old Lady, as a grandmother, who was partial to her and that was why she and Cen were in this situation.

She is so confused about right and wrong. How can she be a girl brought up in a noble family like the Duke's Mansion?

Nanny Sun said quickly, "Second Miss, be careful with your words. Don't upset the old lady. Your words have chilled her heart."

Madam Dou said coldly, "Let her speak. I want to hear it. She has been pampered and raised in the mansion all these years. How have I, as an elder, wronged her?"

The old lady asked her to speak, but Lu Danruo was stunned and frightened.

Seeing she remained silent, the old lady continued, "You say I, as a grandmother, am partial, favoring Cui, your granddaughter-in-law, over you, your granddaughter. But ask yourself, since Cui came into our family, how many troubles have you caused? You know in your heart that Cui is not an outsider, but Bingzhi's wife, your sister-in-law. If you don't treat Cui as a family member, you are disrespecting Bingzhi, your brother!"

"Indeed, you've been instigated by your mother since you were little, and I'm afraid you're jealous of Bingzhi. You keep saying that you can't stand my favoritism towards Cui, but I think you can't stand my favoritism towards your grandson Bingzhi. You're even more jealous that Bingzhi is the son of Princess Shuning, and he has the protection of the Empress Dowager and the Emperor in the palace, so his status is noble from the beginning. But you, being a daughter of Ji, are no match for your brother Bingzhi in any way! You can't stand the harmony between Bingzhi and Cui, and you can't stand the fact that Cui is in my good graces, so you caused all those things at the expense of the reputation of the Duke's Mansion!"

Madam Dou's questioning made Lu Danruo speechless. She had no way to defend herself because the old lady seemed to be able to see through all her and her mother's thoughts, and she saw through her and made her feel embarrassed.

Her grandmother had long known about the resentment and embarrassment, as well as the ugly and shameful dark jealousy, that she was hiding in her heart. She even exposed all of this to a servant like Madam Sun, making a fool of herself.

Lu Danruo bit her lips tightly and subconsciously looked at Nanny Sun, feeling even more aggrieved.

Seeing her confused look, Madam Dou's face turned even darker, and she lost all patience with her granddaughter. She just waved her hand and said, "Forget it. I don't want to argue with a junior like you. Now that you're back, just be a quiet girl in the Duke's Mansion. After Yan's wedding with Pei An is over, the mansion will find a suitable match for you. Girls have to get married eventually. If you get married and change your environment, maybe the things in your heart will no longer be a problem."

Lu Danruo was stunned. She didn't expect Madam Dou to say that.

She thought that Madam Dou would question her and her mother about the rumors, warn her not to bother with Lu Danyan, warn her not to be disrespectful to her sister-in-law Cui, and not to harbor resentment towards Lu Bingzhi, and tell her that since they were a family, they should live in harmony.

But she never expected that Old Lady Dou would be so impatient with her, and even said that she would marry her off after Lu Danyan married Pei An.

Does this mean that he feels that his granddaughter is an eyesore in the house, so he can't wait to kick her out?

Thinking of the discussions she had heard from several maids at the Cen family before, and also thinking of the fact that Cui and Lu Bingzhi were both with the old lady today, as soon as she came back, her grandmother said she wanted to marry her off.

All of Lu Danruo's emotions turned to anger. She stopped crying, her eyes filled with resentment and sharpness as she asked, "Did Cui say something to my grandmother? Did Cui want to marry me into the Cen family? Is she deliberately disgusting me?"

When she said this, not only Nanny Sun was stunned, but even Old Madam Dou was stunned and didn't speak for a long time.

The granddaughter in front of him looked the same as she did in previous years, just as spoiled and willful, but she had changed a little. Lu Danruo was now a bit more paranoid, and tended to think the worst of people. She felt that everyone was plotting against her and couldn't stand her doing well.

Madam Dou closed her eyes, then opened them again before speaking, "That's not the case. No one wants to manipulate your marriage. Don't be like your mother, dwelling on these matters all the time. You're the legitimate daughter of the Duke's family. You should be content and live a peaceful life. Speculating like this is pointless and will only change your character and make you incompatible with others."

Madam Dou's words were meant to remind Lu Danruo to be content, to reflect on herself, and not to put all the blame on others.

After hearing this, Lu Danruo was a little skeptical about what the old lady said. To put it another way, even if Cui had not instigated the old lady to marry her to the Cen family, the mansion might not have found a good marriage for her.

If her family background was not as good as that of Duke Dingguo, she would be dominated by her cousin Lu Danyan for the rest of her life.

Not to mention, if Princess Chun'an had never been pregnant and really adopted the son born by Lu Danyan to the eldest son and registered it under her own name, then everything in the Duke Dingguo Mansion would belong to Lu Danyan in the future, and her cousin would be the most glorious one, and she would be envied by countless people.

By then, how could she compare to Lu Danyan? Even if they met at a banquet, their status would be as vast as heaven and earth. Just like Cui Lingyan and Cui Linghui today, there was no way to reverse it.

Whatever she was thinking was revealed on her face, so how could she hide it from Old Madam Dou?

Madam Dou waved her hand and said, "Alright, I'm a little tired too. It's up to you whether you listen or not. Go back to your courtyard and rest."

Upon hearing this, Lu Danruo looked at the distant and disappointed expression on the old lady's face, opened her mouth and wanted to say a few words to defend herself, but under the old lady's gaze, she couldn't utter a single word, and could only retreat with a feeling of grievance.

After Lu Danruo left, Madam Dou said disappointedly, "Look at her. She doesn't look like a legitimate daughter of a Duke's mansion at all. Cui is her sister-in-law. Even if she doesn't get along with Cui, she shouldn't be so malicious and think such bad things of people. Even if I'm disappointed in her, as her grandmother, can I really harm her? If she marries into the Cen family, I don't know how chaotic her life will be. Besides, her grandmother and aunt are not simple-minded either. Now that the Cen family is in decline, how could I have the intention of marrying her into the Cen family? Does she think the Duke's mansion has no shame for our Lu family?"

She was not afraid of the younger generations doing wrong things, but she was afraid that they would be narrow-minded and stuck in a dead end, unable to see their own place, and the more stupid they were, the more embarrassed they would become.

"I should have brought her to live with me, let her stay with Cen, and see what kind of personality she would raise the child to be."

Nanny Sun sighed and said, "If you had thought this way back then, the Madam might have appeared happy, but she would have felt wronged in her heart. That wouldn't necessarily be any better than the current situation. Which path you choose is secondary; the key lies in your character. Perhaps after experiencing some things, the Second Young Lady will gradually become more sensible and reasonable."

Madam Dou didn't say anything more and stood up and walked into the house.

Nanny Sun helped her in and lowered her voice, "The old lady is so angry, I can't tell her anything happy to cheer her up."

Old Madam Dou knew her temper and thought it was inappropriate for others to say such things at this time, but since Nanny Sun brought it up, she stopped.

"Why are you hiding something when you can't just say it directly?"

Nanny Sun said, "I think the young lady is pregnant. Old Madam hasn't noticed that she has gained some weight recently, and her appetite is better than usual."

"I asked someone to inquire at Songxue Hall. I heard that the young lady has been feeling lazy lately. Also, the other day, while she was talking to the old lady, she yawned a little. You didn't see it then, but I did. She must be pregnant. Otherwise, why would the prince often accompany the young lady here lately?"

If Nanny Sun hadn't mentioned it, Old Lady Dou wouldn't have noticed it. But after she said that, Old Lady Dou thought about how Cui Lingyan and her grandson Lu Bingzhi had been getting along recently, and more and more clues appeared in her mind.

Her face was filled with smiles, and her mood was much more relaxed and open. She said with a smile, "This is a rare good thing. Bingzhi and his wife probably want to wait until the baby is three months old and stable before telling me the news. Pregnancy is a taboo, so it's best for you and me to know about it, and don't tell anyone else. Let them do what they want."

Madam Dou was visibly pleased, her air relaxed. Nanny Sun helped her into the inner chamber and advised, "The younger generations' affairs come one after another, and after worrying about this, they worry about that. It's the same in every family. You don't have to get yourself upset over the second young lady. Isn't there an old saying that things will work out in the end?"