The old lady turned pale with anger and said, "I never expected the Cheng family to be so uncivilized. Please continue."

Seeing the old lady's expression, Xu Zhi quickly poured her a cup of tea, held the cup close to her side, and whispered, "Grandmother, please don't be angry. Have some tea first." The tea wasn't ordinary tea; it was a heart-nourishing tea specially prepared by Zhang Zhaoci, containing several mild and nourishing medicinal herbs that were beneficial to the old lady's heart and body.

Granny Lu had already instructed Granny Shen, who served the old lady, to find the old lady's heart-saving pills and put them within reach. It was truly infuriating that her own child was being treated like this in her husband's family.

Xu Bai listened with great interest as Ning Shi recounted the story of his eldest cousin. It was like an ancient tale of power struggles within a family; hearing a live version of it was quite enjoyable.

Ning said, "Ever since Gao'er married into the family, she has to get up early every day to help her mother-in-law get up and wash. She can only go back to her own courtyard to rest after her mother-in-law has gone to bed. This has been the case every day of the year, even when Cheng Kai takes a day off. Grandmother, I have never seen such an unreasonable person. Gao'er had a miscarriage and only rested for a month before being called back to serve her mother-in-law. Her body was not well recovered and her mood was not good. More than two years have passed and she still has not gotten pregnant again. Her mother-in-law said that she cannot have children and that if she has no offspring for three years, she must arrange for Cheng Kai to take a concubine so as not to delay the continuation of the Cheng family line."

The old lady said, "Why didn't you tell me about this sooner?"

Ning wiped away her tears and said, "Our Gao'er always reports good news and never bad news. When he comes back, he tells me everything that's good. It was the nanny who came with him as part of his dowry who couldn't bear to see it and was afraid that our Gao'er would get sick from holding it in. So she secretly came back and told us. Our silly child is afraid that we will get angry if we find out."

The old lady said, "Tomorrow, send a letter to the Marquis of Qingping's residence, saying that this old woman is ill and misses her child, and asks Gao'er to come back and stay for a month to recuperate. We can figure out the rest later."

Ning quickly stood up and said, "Grandmother, this is unacceptable. How can you use your own health as an excuse?"

Granny Lu said, "Yes, Madam, such a reason is not good. How about this, let's say that our eldest daughter's third uncle's child has returned from Ganzhou. The whole family has not seen each other for several years, so they are coming back to catch up. They should stay for a few more days. We should also invite our eldest son-in-law to come and have a good get-together. After the child returns, we will ask her about her situation in her husband's family and see what she thinks before we say anything."

The old lady said, "Alright, Guizhi, Guizhi." Guizhi was Granny Shen's maiden name, which the old lady never called out in front of others. But today, after hearing about her great-granddaughter's plight, she was in a bad mood and didn't care anymore. She opened her mouth and shouted into the house.

Granny Shen went into the room to find medicine for the old lady. Hearing the old lady's call, she quickly answered while still inside and ran out, her forehead covered in sweat.

Panting, Granny Shen asked, "Madam, I'm here. What are your orders?"

The old lady said, "Take my name card and go to the Qingping Earl's residence in person. When you see the Qingping Earl's wife, tell her what I want: for our eldest daughter to pack her things and come back quickly. This old woman can't wait any longer; I just want to see my great-granddaughter before dinner."

Granny Shen agreed. Actually, before Xu Zhi returned, Ning Shi had sent a letter to Xu Gao. At that time, the person who sent the letter did not see Xu Gao, so he could only leave the letter on the gatehouse. The people from the three branches of the family had been back for several days, but Xu Gao had not returned. The old lady did not say anything, but she was actually a little worried. Otherwise, she would not have asked Ning Shi directly in front of so many people.

Ning hurriedly arranged a carriage for Granny Shen and accompanied her to the second gate. On the way, she recounted how she had already sent a letter to the Qingping Earl's Mansion. Granny Shen, understanding the implied meaning, naturally knew how to speak to the Qingping Earl's wife.

After Granny Shen and Madam Ning left, Granny Lu said to the old lady, "Look at you, why are you angry again? We can figure out a solution slowly. Don't worry about your health if you get upset."

The old lady looked at Xu Zhi and Xu Bai sitting next to her, sighed, and said, "This is my temper. I've been like this my whole life. I don't want to change it now that I'm dying. When our Xiao Jiu finds a husband, she shouldn't choose such an unreliable mother-in-law."

Upon hearing this, Xu Bai continued, "Find my sister someone who has a house and a car, but no parents."

Upon hearing this, the old lady burst into laughter and said, "How old are you? Do you even know what it means to find a husband? Children without parents have a hard life. We can't bear to see your sister suffer with them."

Xu Bai said, "Grandma, don't underestimate me just because I'm young. I understand all these things. Finding a husband is a big deal for a girl. My eldest sister was unlucky to find such a troublesome mother-in-law. It's just that my eldest sister is honest and doesn't argue with her. If she had encountered a troublesome daughter-in-law, she would have had a hard time."

Granny Lu said, "Isn't it a daughter-in-law's duty to be filial to her mother-in-law? What family would teach their daughter to be disobedient after marrying into her husband's family?"

Xu Bai said, "But if you don't learn to act, won't you suffer losses? Just like my older sister, she suffers losses but doesn't say a word. If people don't bully her, who else will they bully?"

Xu Bai's words sounded somewhat rebellious at first, but upon closer examination, they actually made a lot of sense. What's the point of always teaching girls to be filial and obedient? If you encounter a reasonable and kind-hearted person, then naturally everyone will be happy. But what if you encounter a bad one? A child has to live with her husband's family for a long time. If your own pampered child is treated so badly in someone else's home, how can you not feel sad?

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