Seeing that Lord Gu looked somewhat dazed again, Qin Yuan knew that he had always had some kind of problem, so she didn't say anything and went into the courtyard of the main house on her own.

Gu Jinghui followed closely behind.

The old women guarding the gate exchanged a furtive glance; the Marquis had indeed changed somewhat since his marriage.

Everyone continued to burn incense and wash their hands as usual.

Xiao Hong greeted them with a beaming smile, her two little pigtails bobbing behind her head. "It's been quite a few days since Madam last visited. It feels like three autumns have passed since we last met."

Hongye laughed and said, "So you only have eyes for Madam."

Xiao Hong said, "Sister Hongye, please stop joking. Xiao Hong and Madam have important things to discuss."

Her serious demeanor was quite amusing, but with Lord Gu present, everyone had to suppress their laughter.

Qin Yuan said, "Say what you have to say here. Is it about Brother Cheng and Sister Yu? The Marquis is here too, let him hear it as well."

Gu Jinghui was in a hurry to come to the upper room for breakfast, but it was all for the sake of the twins.

Zihe asked, "When did we stop being close?"

Xiao Hong has been watching for so many days, she must have made some discoveries.

The twins came down and greeted us. Granny Yang waved her hand dismissively and told us to get up.

Da Hong thought for a moment and said, "It wasn't a while later, it was before the closure of the manor."

He looked disgusted.

Zihe understood.

Da Hong led the way cheerfully from behind, and Zi He asked, "Where is the Marquis? Didn't you have anything to tell you?"

Madam Gu said, "I hope so. My aunt and niece are separated; one of us has gone missing, and the other has fallen ill. I, an old woman, know how to explain this to the Xu family."

Zihe smiled and said, "Is Mother missing you? You've been thinking about Mother's big kitchen too."

Xiao Hong said, "She has always been aloof and doesn't interact with many people. I've been here for so long, and I've only exchanged a few words with you. She always has disheveled hair and wears her clothes haphazardly. It's not because you volunteered to stand guard at night that anyone takes care of you. I don't know how she suddenly became so close to Sister Yu."

Madam Gu chuckled, "Your son, if I dare to bully him, just let me know, I guarantee I'll beat you so badly you'll end up in bed with me."

Old Madam Gu was only concerned with talking about Madam Gu's illness: "That child is too burdened by worries. I'm afraid her health couldn't withstand anything before. She's so old, and yet she's like this now. I'm afraid..."

Da Hong said, "Sister Sheng Lin is with us outside. What I'm saying isn't what the Marquis's sister wants to say."

Granny Yang nodded with a smile.

Granny Yang looked pleased and said, "Ask her later."

Zihe smiled at Granny Yang again: "Little Hong, did you hear that?"

Old Madam Gu pulled Zihe aside to chat, while Granny Yang sat quietly to the side, often smiling and talking to the two children.

Everyone burst into laughter.

Zihe said, "Is Mother worried about Xiaohong's reputation? The matter with the Xu family has already been reported to the authorities by the Marquis's mansion, but since no official has questioned and judged the case, we are not going to make a big fuss."

Madam Gu waved her hand and said, "Go, go, you can have a little chat with his wife. You can come back and talk to her after he leaves."

The twins were much more well-behaved, sitting obediently at the head of the table, close to Sheng Linchen.

You both felt that Young Master Cheng was quite right. Since Sheng Lin had some free time, she sent Da Hong to deliver the message first.

After everyone had walked a few steps forward and were far away from the two old women, Xiao Hong whispered, "Reporting to the Marquis and Madam, I have been keeping a close eye on things these past few days and have noticed that Young Master Cheng is in very close contact with an old widow surnamed Yang in the courtyard. There is no one else at Old Madam Yang's house, so she stays in the courtyard to keep watch at night because the old lady is kind-hearted."

Zihe said, "Let Doctor Li examine Eighth Sister-in-law for now. We'll invite the Imperial Physician to take a look after we've opened the mansion. If he says he's found the right diagnosis, things could get really bad."

This is also a good opportunity for Lord Gu to hear it.

Gu Jinghui listened intently from the side.

Granny Yang gritted her teeth and laughed at the same time, then turned and took the twins to the next room.

"The old lady has forgotten her son since she lost her daughter-in-law. This old servant must stand up for Xiao Hong and make amends," Rong Mama stood up and teased.

That breakfast was eaten very quietly.

Madam Gu seemed oblivious.

Rong Momo said, "Xiao Hong knows. The old lady is worried that the Xu family is too noisy and that go too far. Rumors inside can kill people."

Da Hong continued, "Sister Hou has tried to get close to Young Master Cheng several times, but he always avoids her and speaks with his head held high. Sister Hongye said to keep a close eye on him from a distance so that people will notice. Sister Hou is also thinking of some wicked ways to get close to him. I have seen Yu Jie talking to Young Master Cheng several times. As soon as you get close, you see him. Yu Jie is so close to other old women."

Gu Jinghui asked, "Godfather, have you found your mother?"

Zihe suddenly smiled at me and asked, "What does Gu Jinghui think?"

Sheng Lin had a vague idea in her mind.

Taking the handkerchief from the maid, wiping her hands and rinsing her mouth, Granny Yang said, "Mother, take the two of us to the outside of this room to talk."

Madam Gu also said, "Yuan'er isn't being naughty, why is she scaring me? It's just that those storybooks should be told to older children. We are just repeating them, and it would be bad if others heard it."

Lord Gu frowned and said, "Mother, if you have done something wrong, it doesn't matter if you want to talk about it to the ends of the earth. Xu Zhen is staying at the Marquis's mansion. If she sneaks out, she should tell the master. If she gets lost, it can be attributed to the Marquis's mansion."

"Yes, Mother, you've come," Zihe replied with a smile.

That's rather strange.

Zihe smiled and chimed in.

Gu Jinghui held his head high, wishing he could shrink back so that no one could see him.

Zihe said, "Mother is right. We grew up by Xiaohong's side, so we would probably deliberately spread the word. However, the people inside are quite scheming, and we are old and easily taken advantage of."

Sheng Linchen calmly shook her head.

Because of the princess's visit to the mansion, Old Madam Gu no longer guarded against the two children.

Lord Gu's gaze toward Zihe was also quite meaningful.

Although they finished speaking, they could all sense their concern that Madam Gu would die young.

Sheng Linchen's expression became even more unpleasant.

From afar, Old Madam Gu smiled and asked, "Is that Yuan'er?"

"You, godmother, you and Cheng-ge'er are still too young, what could you possibly understand?"

Qin Yuan asked, "Did Granny Yang have much contact with you before?"

With a stern face, Granny Yang asked, "Are there any people outside now? Do they need to give a bad answer? Are they trying to hide it from you or lie to you? Is that even possible?"

Madam Gu only sighed.

Da Hong bowed and begged for mercy, saying, "Please tell me, Sheng Lin, that this was what I said."

Cheng Ge'er then called out, "Mother, where is Mother? Godfather, do you miss Mother?"

Taking advantage of the situation, Sheng Lin hugged Old Madam Gu tightly and said coquettishly, "Mother has been too mean to you. If Xiao Hong goes outside and bullies you, Mother will stand up for you."

Zihe watched with lustful eyes as the two became as intimate as they had been later.

Zihe observed this and thought to herself that the twins had been neglected in the lower room during those days.

Sheng Lin stood cautiously in front, serving him.

There was still a room to be moved. Qiuju came down and lifted the curtain, then smiled again and said, "The old lady has been looking forward to Shenglin and Madam's arrival. They were complaining about how they were not getting enough to eat those few days."