In fact, this Zheng mother was also very kind to her, often asking Qingqu to bring her gifts, small pieces of jewelry and cakes. Every time she saw her, her expression was complicated, her eyes slightly red and her gaze flickering. Yining always turned her head away, pretending she didn't see it.

Although she knew that Mother Zheng was disappointed, she did not show any more affection towards her.

On the other hand, the girl named Qingqu, perhaps deliberately trying to get close to her, often came to her place for a walk. Pointing at the turtle she raised, she said, "Why do you raise this? It's everywhere in the river, no one eats it, and its meat isn't tasty!"

Yining practiced calligraphy while enduring.

Qingqu saw her practicing calligraphy and laughed at her: "Only young ladies from official families like you learn calligraphy. What's the point of writing calligraphy? Can it make you a living?"

Yi Ning couldn't help herself, but she was well-mannered and gentle, and wouldn't lose her temper unless pushed to the extreme. She simply ordered the gatekeeper: "Next time you see Qing Qu, don't let her in."

When she came back from Lin Hairu's place, she saw Qingqu squatting at the door waiting for her. She didn't know how long he had been waiting. After seeing her come back, he walked over, took her hand away, and put a bunch of small red fruits in her palm.

"This is a wild fruit, sour and sweet. I saw you had a lot of it growing at home, but no one picked them to eat, so I picked some for you to try." Qingqu said, "I've been waiting for you for a long time, but your maid wouldn't let me in."

Yining almost couldn't help holding the handful of red fruits.

This is the fruit of a landscape tree. Who would pick the fruit of a landscape tree to eat? It is just planted for beauty.

She returned the fruit to Qingqu and said, "I don't want to eat this. You can take it back."

Seeing that she didn't eat it, Qingqu was very surprised and asked, "Why, do you dislike it? It can be used as food during famine years! I don't know how many lives it saved."

Yining knew that she meant well, but it wasn't a time of famine, and as a legitimate daughter of the Luo family, she couldn't fill her stomach with this thing.

She continued to ask the maid at the door not to let Qingqu in.

Qingqu came several times but was rejected every time, so he came less and less often.

Yining thought that she was Zheng Mama's maid after all, so she didn't really refuse her face and asked the maid to send some snacks to her every day.

So Mrs. Luo rejected Mother Zheng's suggestion, and she didn't feel anything. This Qingqu was really too difficult to deal with.

Old Mrs. Luo asked Yining to take Mother Zheng for a tour around the house, so that they could keep some memories of her before leaving, as they might never see her again in the future.

Yi Ning agreed and took Mother Zheng around. Finally, they arrived at Gu Minglan's old residence.

Gu Minglan's old residence has never been occupied, but Mrs. Luo often sent people to take care of it. The grass and trees are lush, and the place is quiet and elegant.

This was also Yi Ning's first time here. She quietly surveyed the courtyard, which was dotted with flowers and plants. A chaise longue sat beneath the veranda. The window lattice was half-open, revealing a basket on a small table. Inside was a cloth tiger and several rattles. Everything was very old. After all, the house had been uninhabited, and with years of disrepair, decay was inevitable.

Mother Zheng was very moved when she saw this. Her eyes were slightly red as she said, "Those are the ones you played with when you were a child. You loved playing with rattles, and they always made a ding-dong sound."

She walked to the bedside and continued, "You were able to crawl very early when you were a child, and you were very naughty. You fell off the bed while crawling, and you cried loudly in pain. Your wife couldn't comfort you in time..."

Yining seemed to really see a gentle woman holding a small child and coaxing him, and she was a little absent-minded.

Mother Zheng half-knelt down and said softly to Yining, "Sister, there are many people in this world who protect you. The old lady will protect you, and your eldest sister who is far away in the capital also loves you... I will protect you too, sister, I am leaving soon."

Yining was silent. Yes, there were so many people protecting little Yining. But how long could the old lady protect her? The eldest sister was already married and could not take care of her. And Mother Zheng was about to leave.

Yining nodded and asked calmly, "Mother Zheng, do you want me to walk you to the door?"

Mother Zheng smiled bitterly and shook her head. She asked Qingqu to take her things. She said goodbye to Yining and watched Yining's small figure disappear before she left the Chuihua Gate.

She had already breathed a sigh of relief, but just as she passed the Chuihua Gate, she saw Mother Xu waiting there.

Mother Xu smiled slightly and said, "Mother Zheng, please stay. Our old lady, please go over."

Mother Zheng squeezed her sleeves tightly.

What does Mrs. Luo want to do with her again? Is it possible that she still refuses to let her go?