Chapter 7 Life

When leaving, Chen held Xu Shuyao's hand and talked for a long time.

Speaking of Jiyunzhai, "Is there anything missing in that courtyard? Feel free to ask for it. Don't make yourself uncomfortable because you are embarrassed."

Xu Shuyao quickly shook her head and said everything was fine.

Chen patted her hand affectionately, a look of regret still lingering on her face. "It's just that it's a little far from there, otherwise you could have talked to me more. You came at an unfortunate time. There was originally an empty courtyard next to Jinshan, which was allocated to Liu girl before the New Year."

Thinking of Liu Qingwan, Chen frowned unconsciously. She heard that her stepson was very fond of her!

Although Miss Liu was good in every way, she did not like her. Regardless of whether the two of them liked each other or not, Chen would not agree to this marriage.

The first and third wives were both legitimate children, and the second wife, who was born out of wedlock, was already in an awkward situation in the Duke's Mansion. And Chen, a childless woman, was in an even more awkward situation in the Duke's Mansion.

If the stepson marries the niece of the third wife, then she, the mother-in-law, will probably become a decoration.

However, Chen thought that the girl from the Liu family had her eyes set on the sky and might not like Xiao Jinrong, but she had to be on guard against her.

When it comes to other people, Xu Shuyao is not in a position to answer. From her aunt's tone, it seems that she doesn't like Miss Liu.

As an outsider who had never met Miss Liu, I had only been at the Duke's Mansion for one day and this was the second time I heard someone mention her.

The first time was in the morning when Mother Wu compared her appearance to Miss Liu, and the second time was from the mouth of the aunt in front of her.

The fact that he is mentioned so frequently clearly shows that he is not an ordinary person, because mediocre people do not deserve to be remembered.

Xu Shuyao secretly raised an eyebrow. But her words were very sweet: "Shuyao and my brother are fortunate to have Aunt's care, and we are already very grateful. If you say the distance is far, is it farther than the distance from Huzhou to Shangjing? Since we are living in your house, what does this little distance matter? If Aunt doesn't mind, Shuyao will come to bother you every day in the future. I just hope you don't bother Shuyao because of this."

Chen's face froze when she heard this. She looked at the girl in front of her with some surprise. Seeing that the corners of her eyes were slightly red and her expression seemed moved, she couldn't help but laugh at herself for being too suspicious.

But these words were too perfect. She suddenly remembered the "sincere and heartfelt" words she said when interacting with the ladies, and she could not tell the truth from the false.

But the girl in front of him was only fourteen years old. Chen did not doubt Xu Shuyao, but just sighed that her mood was no longer the same as before. Who doesn't have a time when they are extremely emotional?

She held Xu Shuyao's hand and said with infinite emotion: "Good child! You have suffered a lot. From now on, treat this place as your own home. If you have anything to say, tell your aunt."

After saying this, he looked up at the sky outside. Seeing that it was already late, he hurriedly said, "Okay, you can go back first! Tomorrow, you and your brother should get up early. I will take you to meet the old lady in the mansion."

Xu Shuyao agreed obediently, and then respectfully left Jinhua Hall with A'di.

It was already dusk, and lanterns lit up like stars across the mansion. Xu Shuyao walked along the sometimes-bright, sometimes-dark bluestone path, feeling the summer night breeze brush against her cheeks and hair. The wind seemed to carry the fresh scent of grass and trees, and she couldn't help but curl her lips slightly.

Children without mothers have to grow up early. Since she was eight years old, Xu Shuyao has never felt the true joy of a child.

She clearly remembered that summer day when her father went to visit her seriously ill mother in the room, and she was sent to the other wing to look after her one-year-old brother.

But that day Shu Heng kept crying and she couldn't comfort him, so she thought of going back to her mother's room to ask.

Just as she was about to leave, she heard a low voice from inside the house saying, "If I leave, it might not be appropriate for you to raise the children alone. Shu Yao is a very well-behaved girl. For so many years, I've treated her like my own daughter. But only after becoming a mother myself did I understand the love a mother has for her child. The jade pendant found on the child is obviously something special. I don't know how she ended up in the hands of human traffickers. For so many years, you and I have been preoccupied with worldly matters and haven't done enough to help her find her biological parents. When the child grows up, please tell her about her life story! Even if you and I can't do anything, maybe one day she'll be able to find it herself."

She couldn't hear what her father said next.

After a long time, Xu Shuyao, who was standing outside the door, retreated with tears in her eyes. It was then that she understood why she always dreamed of a lantern market as bright as daylight, and why there was a voice calling Taotao from behind.

She did not ask her parents how old she was when she arrived at the Xu family. It seemed that because of fear, her memory automatically lost that part, or maybe she was too young when she got lost and didn't remember anything.

Not long after, her mother passed away. She cried heart-wrenchingly and knelt in front of the coffin, promising over and over again that she would take good care of her younger brother.

In the following years, Xu Shuyao grew up quickly and took on everything after her mother's death like a real little adult.

But she didn't expect that her father would also pass away six years later. Before leaving, he called her to his bedside and told her what happened that year.

Dad said she looked one or two years old at the time, and that her date of birth and age were all rough estimates. They met her on the ninth day of the eighth lunar month, so her birthday was also set on that day.

I only remember that the human trafficker said that the goods came from the capital, but I don’t know any more details.

Her father told her to stay well in the Xu family and said that finding her relatives was like looking for a needle in a haystack for a girl like her and that her hope was slim.

Besides... she still didn't know the specific reason why she got lost. If she accidentally revealed her life experience, it would be dangerous to offend people with ulterior motives. Her father told her not to be obsessed with this matter.

But Daddy never thought that she would not be able to stay in the Xu family, and she was brought to Shangjing only because of her mother's unbroken kinship with the Duke's Mansion.

Xu Shuyao thought about the difficulties she had faced along the way, and about her younger brother's upcoming entry into the Shen clan school, and her mood gradually improved.

It is said that there are countless Jinshi and Juren in the Shen family, and their ancestors have helped several emperors ascend to the throne. The current emperor's imperial tutor, Shen Taifu, is the head of this branch of the Shen family in the capital.

The Shen family entered officialdom through education, and is a family of scholars and officials that has been passed down for generations. The sons and nephews of the noble families in the capital are proud to attend the Shen family school.

Xu Shuyao met her uncle for the first time today. Although they only said a few words, she could tell that he was a good person. This made her feel a little more at ease about her upcoming days at Duke Chengguo's Mansion.

The night breeze was so pleasant. Xu Shuyao was walking slowly, but suddenly she felt a gust of wind on the corner of her clothes.

She looked in the direction of the wind and saw a tall and straight man in black and several guards walking past her towards the main road.

Xu Shuyao stood there in a daze, then heard Qiao Wei say, "Master! That's the eldest young master!"

"Young Master?"

"It's definitely him!" Qiao Wei confirmed again.

Xu Shuyao thought about it. She had always thought that she came to the capital with the help of Prince Wang of Qingyuan Marquis Mansion. It turned out that the person behind the scenes was actually the eldest son of Duke Chengguo Mansion?

He went to Huzhou with Wang Shaowei, but he fought under the name of his cousin.

No wonder Xu Shuyao felt that the man standing by the city gate had a murderous look in his eyes. If this man was the famous prince of Chengguo, Xiao Mo, who commanded the entire imperial guard, then it would make sense.

Xu Shuyao watched the inky black shadow disappear into the end of her sight. She lowered her head to straighten the slightly wrinkled hem of her skirt and smiled at her brother and the maids behind her: "Let's go back too!"