Chapter 154 Confused
At this time, the entire Xiao family was shrouded in gloom.
The servants in the main courtyard were extremely cautious in their words and actions, not daring to utter a sound.
"Madam, the medicine is ready. Please drink it while it's hot."
Mother Li held the medicine bowl and coaxed Lin Hui, who looked sickly and haggard, to drink the medicine.
"Just leave it there, I don't want to drink it right now."
"If it gets cold, the medicine will lose its effectiveness. Madam, you should take good care of your health."
Xiao Yuxuan was eventually adopted as a goddaughter by the eldest princess.
When the news reached the Xiao family, few people were happy. Instead, the atmosphere was gloomy, as if a storm was brewing.
"The epidemic has been cured, why are you still taking these medicines?"
Lin Hui stirred the spoon listlessly a couple of times, then asked in a dejected tone:
"Have her usual things been sent to the Princess's residence?"
Li's mother knew immediately who "she" referred to.
Lin Hui didn't want to drink her medicine, so Li's mother had no choice but to put the medicine bowl aside and lay it out plainly:
“Madam, those things were refused by the people of the Princess’s residence. They said that the Fifth Miss has re-purchased all her necessities over there, so these will be left at the Xiao family’s residence so that it will be convenient for her to come back and stay in the future.”
"Really? Does she really still want to come back?"
As she continued, she gave a self-deprecating laugh, "Princess Ningyang only has one adopted daughter, and nowadays, I'm afraid no one in the capital is more prominent than her."
“What you’re saying, Madam, is so unreasonable. Not to mention that when Fifth Miss came to see you half a month ago, you said you didn’t want to see her. Just a few days ago, Fifth Miss sent someone to deliver medicine, and you didn’t say a kind word. Even I felt heartbroken when I heard that.”
Eight days ago, the prescription was made public, and all the people in the capital were treated. Xiao Yuxuan also sent Bihui back to the Xiao family with the prescription and medicinal materials, just to treat Lin Hui's illness.
Instead of expressing gratitude for Xiao Yuxuan's filial piety, Lin Hui confronted Bi Sui with a series of unpleasant words, even saying that Xiao Yuxuan was never allowed to enter the Xiao family again, and that the Xiao family should pretend they didn't have a daughter like her.
Li's mother tried to stop her and coax her.
Unfortunately, Lin Hui seemed to be under a spell, showing no regard for her status as the wife of a high-ranking official. In the end, she even tried to kick Bi Sui out and throw away all the valuable medicinal herbs.
"I……"
Lin Hui pinched her brow, feeling a headache coming on: "I'm just angry that she's two-faced, saying one thing to my face and another behind my back!"
"She even said she wanted to be filial to us, but look at her! When she heard that the Princess had contracted the plague, she rushed to take care of her without stopping. Her father and I are not even dead yet, and she's already eagerly going to recognize the Princess as her godmother..."
"She's always out in public in the capital, never staying still. Where is the semblance of a proper young lady?"
"I thought that with Yuyao as a role model, she wouldn't go astray. I didn't expect that she wouldn't learn any of the good things and would grow up with a crooked personality from a young age. She can't be changed."
The more she spoke, the harsher the words became, and Li's mother let out a long sigh:
"Madam, don't you think you've been too biased towards the two young ladies lately?"
"Ever since Fifth Miss came back, you've been nitpicking at everything, finding fault with this or that, always comparing her to Fourth Miss. She's only fourteen; she's never learned any of the manners or upbringing of aristocratic families. Why are you so demanding?"
Lin Hui pulled the thin blanket tighter around herself, somewhat awkwardly making excuses for herself:
"That's because she's inherently unruly and stubborn. It's not that I didn't give her time, but look at her, she turned around and went to climb the social ladder."
Li's mother's expression grew increasingly serious:
“Madam, do you really not understand or are you pretending not to understand? When Fifth Miss first came back, she was full of admiration and eager to learn. But what have you done? One thing after another has pushed Fifth Miss further and further away. Now you even complain that Fifth Miss has been appreciated by a noble person. I’m telling you, you really need to change this insincere nature.”
"Change? Why should I change? She doesn't respect us. Fine, I'll just pretend I don't have this daughter. She came back halfway through life and isn't connected to my mother and me. Yuyao is enough for this family."
"By the way, where's Yuyao? Did she take her medicine?"
Lin Hui didn't want to talk about Xiao Yuxuan anymore; she only cared about her other daughter.
Li's mother had tried to persuade him and said everything she could, but if someone caught in the middle of it all wanted to escape reality and deceive themselves, then no amount of talking would wake someone who was pretending to be asleep.
"The fourth young lady has been taking her medicine well these past few days, but the doctor said she's not feeling well and will probably need to rest for a while longer."
Xiao Yuyao also contracted the epidemic a few days ago, and now she is staying obediently in Baozhen Courtyard, recuperating.
“Madam, in my opinion, sending the Fourth Miss to Jiangnan might not be a bad choice. After all, she is not a biological daughter of the Xiao family, and outsiders will not say anything.”
When she brought this up, Lin Hui waved her hand irritably:
"Jiangnan is a place where no one knows her, and Yuyao is all alone. How can I not worry about her? Don't mention this matter again."
It was because they wanted to send Xiao Yuxuan to Jiangnan that this whole string of troubles happened. Now, she feels irritated just hearing the word "Jiangnan".
Li's mother was speechless.
Why are you not worried about sending Fifth Sister to a place where she's unfamiliar with the area, but you're worried about sending Fourth Sister?
Could it be that the old lady would treat a biological granddaughter she had never met better than the fake granddaughter she had doted on for fourteen years?
Judging from the Xiao family's behavior, it's clear that they are all foolish people who side with their relatives and ignore reason, at least when it comes to Xiao Yuyao.
No blood ties can compare to the precious bond they've built over a decade of genuine friendship.
The master and servant chatted casually, not mentioning the two young ladies again, and the time passed peacefully.
The next moment, a murmur came from outside, and Li's mother suddenly had a bad feeling.
"What's going on outside? It's so noisy!"
Lin Hui frowned and looked over. Madam Li quickly said, "I'll go out and take a look. Please wait a moment, Madam."
As soon as he left the bedroom, he saw Xinrui with a serious expression, carefully instructing several maids.
"What happened?"
The maids were startled when they heard Li Mama's voice and quickly turned around and curtsied.
Xinrui waved for them to leave first, then glanced at the closed bedroom door before taking two steps forward and whispering in Li's mother's ear what had happened in the study.
It turns out that the Fifth Princess was personally bestowed the title of Princess Chang Le by the Emperor, and Chang Le County was also allocated as her fiefdom.
The Prefect of the Capital had just read and posted the imperial edict in the government office, and the onlookers were overjoyed and full of praise.
However, the Minister of Personnel learned from an outsider that his daughter had been bestowed an honor by the emperor.
The official who delivered the message originally thought that his trip would be a good one, and that he could at least share in the joy.
Unexpectedly, the gatekeeper of the Xiao residence exclaimed that something was wrong upon hearing the news and ran away faster than a rabbit.
Meanwhile, the master smashed the inkstone in his study.
Even the eldest son, who had just recovered from a serious illness, was not spared. He was hit on the forehead by a sheep's hair brush and his body was covered in ink.
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