Chapter 30: If you are labeled as unfilial, do you think...

Cui Lingyan thought about this and didn't say anything for a long time.

Bi Tao asked softly, "Miss, is there something wrong?"

Cui Lingyan came back to her senses, shook her head slightly at Bi Tao, and said, "It's nothing. I'm just a little surprised that Grandmother, in her anger, would disrespect Second Sister so much. Although Second Sister is a concubine's daughter, she grew up in the Marquis' Mansion and stayed with Grandmother. I thought she had some respectability in Grandmother's eyes."

Now that she had made a mistake, her grandmother, Madam Zhai, didn't give her any face at all and took her anger out on Cui Lingyin.

After this punishment, Second Aunt Bian would have some reservations and would probably behave herself a little better. As for her mother, Qi, the fact that the old lady didn't punish Second Aunt was enough to show that she, as a mother-in-law, was closer to her daughter-in-law, Bian.

Bi Tao thought for a moment and said, "It's none of your business anyway. After all, it was your own fault for talking too much that caused this incident. This punishment is not in vain."

"Also, judging from this incident, the second young lady is quite scheming. You should be more careful with her in the future."

Cui Lingyan nodded and stopped thinking about it. She went behind the screen to wash and dress, then went to Cuiwei Courtyard to pay her respects to Qi.

At this time, Qi had already gotten up. When she heard Cui Lingyan coming over, she couldn't help but remember what Nanny Jiang had said to her. After a moment's hesitation, she said to Nanny Jiang, "Go and bring Yan'er in. She probably hasn't had her meal yet. Go to the kitchen and get some breakfast and ask Yan'er to eat with me."

Nanny Jiang was stunned, with a hint of joy in her eyes. How could she not know that the Madam had taken her words to heart?

She was somewhat surprised by the change in Madam's attitude, but having served Madam for many years, she quickly figured out that it was probably related to the rumors circulating in the mansion. Although the old lady had punished the second young lady this time, she had actually favored Madam Bian, and her own Madam might have felt a sense of crisis.

Thinking of this, Nanny Jiang hurriedly raised the curtain and went out. Smiling, she said to Cui Lingyan, who was waiting outside, "Madam had just finished washing up. She was very happy to hear that the third young lady was coming. She even asked the kitchen to prepare breakfast and asked the third young lady to stay and eat with her."

As Nanny Jiang spoke, she personally raised the curtain and led Cui Lingyan in.

Cui Lingyan showed some surprise at Nanny Jiang's attitude, but she was indifferent in her heart and only felt it was very ironic.

In that dream, Nanny Jiang spoke sarcastically to her and didn't even treat her as a girl from the Marquis's Mansion.

Her current attitude is simply because she will soon marry Lu Bingzhi.

Thinking about what happened last night, she understood a little more.

She walked forward slowly, bowed to Qi, and said respectfully, "Daughter pays her respects to mother."

A smile appeared on Qi's face as she said to Cui Lingyan, "Come and sit down, my dear child. Since you came back, things have been happening one after another in the mansion, and I haven't had a meal with you yet to share my worries. Now that the marriage is settled, let's spend some quality time together."

Cui Lingyan showed no sign of being moved. She just walked over obediently and sat down opposite Qi.

Qi smiled and said, "Time flies by so fast. In the blink of an eye, Yan is getting married."

As Qi spoke, she reached out to grab Cui Lingyan's hand, but Cui Lingyan subconsciously avoided it.

This small action made them both quiet down all of a sudden.

Qi was stunned for a moment, her brows furrowed, and she suppressed her anger. The next moment, her eyes reddened, and she asked with a choked voice, "Does Yan girl resent me as her mother so much? Is it not okay for us to be so close to each other as to be mother and daughter?"

"Yan girl, you were born after I carried you for ten months. As a mother, who wouldn't love her own daughter?" Qi said, tears falling down her face.

If she hadn't had that dream, Cui Lingyan would have felt distressed hearing what Qi said. However, she knew Qi's coldness and partiality, and knew that she held no weight in her heart. Compared to her brother Cui Shenbo, she was even worse than the maids serving in Cuiwei Garden.

If Qi really treated her as her daughter, why was she so cruel to send her to the Qi family and let her bear the reputation of Kedi at such a young age? She also ignored her all these years, never wrote to her, and never asked how she was doing in the Qi family or whether she had suffered any grievances.

Even in that dream, she was being plotted against, and Qi was so cold-hearted. She didn't listen to her explanation at all, but only accused her of being kept outside without any rules, and of doing things like seducing her own cousin, which ruined the reputation of the Ningshou Marquis's Mansion. Even though that slap was in a dream, she felt the pain in her heart and was chilled to the extreme.

With all those experiences, how could Cui Lingyan be moved by Qi's tears at this moment?

She knew that she could pretend to be upset and moved, to show that she had no resentment, and even to comfort her mother, Qi.

But she had suffered injustice for so many years, and coupled with what happened in her dream, she felt a little breathless, so she didn't want to suffer injustice anymore.

Now she is engaged to Lu Bingzhi and will be married to the Duke of Weiguo's Mansion in a month at most. Since she has this power to borrow, why should she let herself suffer injustice?

Moreover, if some attitudes were not expressed, and Qi Shi was allowed to manipulate them, the grievances of the past would disappear into thin air, as if they had never happened. She comforted Qi Shi once, and she could no longer express her grievances in the future.

Isn't she despising herself?

So Cui Lingyan just remained silent, with a look of alienation on her face.

Seeing her like this, Qi's face showed a hint of anxiety. She explained to Cui Lingyan, "Girl Yan, I know I was the one who wronged you back then, but Bo'er had a fever and didn't wake up for several days. How could I not be anxious? How can a family like ours survive without a son? Moreover, the Qi family is just a small family compared to the illustrious Ningshou Marquis Mansion. I was able to become the Marquis's wife only because of my resemblance to the late Madam Mu. How have your grandmother and your two aunts in this mansion ever looked up to me? I had no choice but to protect your brother so closely, which caused you to suffer so much. Can you please understand me, girl Yan?"

Qi sobbed, part of her voice was real and part of her voice was fake, and for a moment she couldn't stop sobbing.

Nanny Jiang's eyes were red, and she choked up as she spoke to Cui Lingyan, "Third Miss, Madam was anxious and lost her composure back then, so she sent you to the Qi family. Madam has been worried about you all these years, but she's afraid that Miss will feel wronged and refuse to forgive you, her mother."

"You and Madam are connected by blood. Even if your bones are broken, you are still connected by tendons. Now that the young lady has returned home, Madam will definitely compensate her well and will never let her suffer any injustice again."

Cui Lingyan looked at Madam Qi, her eyes reddening. She asked, "I've been at the Qi family for all these years, and I just want to ask Mother one thing: if Mother truly loves me, why would she blame me for my brother's frailty? How innocent am I?"

"Some things have already been done, so don't think about them anymore. To be frank, if I hadn't gotten married to Master Lu, would I have heard you crying like this today?"

Cui Lingyan's direct statement made Qi stunned for a moment.

Qi had not expected that Cui Lingyan, who looked gentle and kind, would actually say such questioning words.

Qi moved her lips, her eyes reddened and she wanted to explain, but when she met Cui Lingyan's mocking gaze, she finally avoided her sight out of guilt.

Cui Lingyan smiled bitterly, stood up and said, "Originally, I didn't bother to say these words. After all, I'm getting married soon, so it's okay to pretend to be a loving mother and a filial daughter. But mother, you're using your tears to kidnap me and want to pretend we're close. To be honest, I can't pretend nothing happened. I don't want to put myself in a difficult position, so the best we can do is pretend to be harmonious mother and daughter in person."

After she finished speaking, she glanced at the maid holding the tray, her body trembling and her eyes filled with shock, and said calmly, "I won't stay here for dinner. You guys should serve mother."

Cui Lingyan said this and was about to walk out.

Qi's face turned pale and she shouted sternly, "Stop!"

She stood up in anger and pointed at Cui Lingyan, saying, "You unfilial daughter, do you think you're so high and mighty just because you're married to Lu Bingzhi? The poison left by Lu Bingzhi hasn't cleared up yet, so you might not even have children. Even if you become the Crown Prince's wife, how can you survive in the Duke of Wei's mansion without a son? If that happens, who else can you rely on, if not your family?"

"Besides, even though this marriage has been decided, there are always uncertainties as long as it doesn't happen. If you are branded as an unfilial person, do you think this marriage will continue?"

Nanny Jiang, hearing what Madam Qi said, came to her senses. She quickly tugged at Cui Lingyan's sleeve and said to her, "Third Miss, please apologize to Madam. Our dynasty rules the world with filial piety. If word gets out that you're disrespectful to Madam, your marriage to Master Lu will be in vain. Third Miss has been away from the capital for years, so she might not know that Madam Dou attaches great importance to rules and etiquette. Why would Third Miss let such a small matter ruin her bright future?"

Cui Lingyan smiled coldly, waved away Nanny Jiang's hand, turned to look at Qi, and said with a hint of sarcasm, "Is this what Mother meant by feeling guilty towards me and wanting to compensate me? I didn't know that a mother who wanted to compensate her daughter who was abandoned by her parents' family would actually threaten her with marriage?"

"As expected, the mother doesn't like her daughter anymore than before. If that's the case, why bother crying and complaining, trying to mend this broken mother-daughter relationship? Don't you think that's ridiculous?"

Cui Lingyan spoke, glancing toward the door. She saw her second brother, Cui Shenbo, standing there for who knows when, clearly having heard everything that had been said. She then said to Qi with a hint of a smile, "Don't you, mother, love your second brother the most? For your second brother's sake, mother, please don't make things difficult for me. After all, if I were to be branded as unfilial and lose my chance to marry the Prince of Wei, it would certainly affect my second brother. Don't you agree?"

After Cui Lingyan said this, she walked straight out.

Cui Shenbo opened his mouth to call her, but nothing happened. His face turned pale. He looked at Qi, who was sitting there, and said with some disbelief, "Third sister is also your daughter. She and our son are twins, a boy and a girl. Why are you so biased that you even threaten Third Sister with marriage?"