The two chatted for a while in the lakeside cottage, and then Liu Zhang found an excuse to go see A Rao.
He brought a clockwork porcelain dog to A Rao and told her some interesting things. The silly girl in the garden held the porcelain dog curiously and smiled sweetly.
Ye Wanqing sat in the pavilion for a while to enjoy the cool air, looking at the two people standing under the shade of a tree not far away and chatting. Liu Zhang had a smile on his face, and his eyes were full of doting as he looked at A Rao.
She thought that Liu Zhang had indeed changed a lot. He used to look unkempt, with stubble, messy hair, dark circles under his eyes...
But now, his clothes are neat, his hair is tidy, and except for some dark circles under his eyes, he looks elegant and refreshed.
In the past, he was very polite to Xu Wanrong. He always kept a distance when talking to her and never touched Miss Xu.
But now, he was very kind to A Rao, naturally straightening her crooked hairpin, holding her hand and teaching her how to play with the porcelain dog...
Ye Wanqing was just about to lament why she hadn't realized that Brother Zhang was so good at coaxing girls before, when the powerful and magnetic voice of Shen Hou rang out from behind her: "Why didn't I realize that this Dali Temple Minister was so good at coaxing girls before?"
Ye Wanqing turned around and saw that Lord Chen and Nanny Jiang were standing in the pavilion at some point.
Marquis Shen praised him, "He's a really good man, very hardworking and upright. Jiang Ning, don't be reluctant. I think this guy is quite good, so marry your daughter off quickly."
Nanny Jiang bowed her head and replied respectfully, "My Lord, I cannot make the decision on this matter. I need Madam's consent.
Besides, A Rao is just a slave girl, so this marriage is probably not suitable."
"Hmph." Ye Wanqing snorted in dissatisfaction and said, "You are A Rao's mother, why don't you want A Rao to marry a good family?
I think they are a perfect match. Lord Liu is an upright person and has no bad habits. It seems that he really likes A Rao.
As a mother, how could you separate the couple? "
Upon hearing this, Lord Shen immediately agreed with his beloved daughter, "Yes, Xu'er is right. How can you, as a mother, forcibly break up a couple that is in love? Are you worried that A Rao's status is not good enough for Liu Zhengqing?
Then I, the Marquis, will take charge and adopt her as my adopted daughter, thus completing this good deed."
After hearing this, Ye Wanqing's favorable impression of Chen Hou increased a lot.
But Nanny Jiang changed the subject softly, saying, "My Lord, let Madam come back and make the decision on this matter."
"The letter has been gone for five or six days, and it hasn't come back yet. How can my precious daughter take mute medicine every day?"
Marquis Shen complained in dissatisfaction, "She's always so busy, barely speaking to me for a whole year, and she's been lying to me for so long. This time, I must remarry her!"
Nanny Jiang sighed slightly and said, "My Lord, Madam has her own difficulties."
"Yes, yes, yes. She suffers, but I don't suffer, and my daughter doesn't suffer." Shen Hou's words were full of grievances.
"Other families have both sons and daughters, and their families are harmonious. Look at what my family is like. My family is scattered all over the place, and there is no day for us to reunite."
"Other families have many wives and concubines, and many children and grandchildren. If Lord Chen feels that his home is too lonely, he can take two concubines." A crisp female voice came from the other end of the pavilion. Ye Wanqing sat up and saw a graceful figure standing on the river bank at the bridge head.
The visitor was about thirty years old, but looked very young, with beautiful eyebrows and delicate makeup, and a graceful demeanor. She had a pair of heroic and bright eyes, and her facial features were beautiful and soft, elegant and refined.
She had a simple high ponytail, and wore a smart short-sleeved brocade fur coat, a red brocade cape, and cool trousers. There was mud on one side of her brown leather-laced boots, and a whip hung around her waist, as if she had hurried back on horseback.
Seeing this, Lord Shen immediately put on a warm expression and almost trotted to her side.
The joy in those happy little steps was beyond words.
"Changchang, you're finally back. Do you know how much I've missed you these past few days? I've been unable to sleep or eat."
Ye Wanqing finally realized that this woman who looked only in her thirties was actually Shen Xu's mother. She was too young!
Unlike the mistresses of other wealthy mansions who were graceful and elegant, Shen Xu's mother was more like a heroic female knight.
He was wearing a brocade fur cape, trousers and leather boots, looking majestic, but his appearance was full of girlishness.
When Madam Fu saw Lord Shen running up to her happily, her tone softened, but she scolded him: "Aliang, you are a Lord, you are forty-one years old, why are you still like a child? There are outsiders here, can you be more dignified?"
"Why are you still so dignified when you are an old bachelor? Why would you take a concubine when your wife ran away?" Lord Shen ran to her excitedly, bent down and picked her up in a princess hug.
"Hey, there are so many people here, what are you doing?" Mrs. Fu was obviously frightened by his enthusiasm. She struggled and whispered, "Put me down quickly."
"We need to go inside and have a good talk about the child." Lord Shen refused to let go, holding her tightly and striding towards the study.
Ye Wanqing looked at Lord Shen who was hugging Madam Fu intimately as if no one was around, and sighed inwardly that Shen Xu's father really doted on Madam Fu, even though Shen Xu's mother treated him like that and deceived him.
When he saw her coming back, Lord Shen would still look as warm as spring and never blame his wife.
She held her chin and sighed, "They have such a good relationship, why do they have to divorce?"
At this moment, Fu Yi hurried over and asked, "Madam Jiang, I saw Mother's ghost outside. Is she back?"
"Yes."
"Oh no! I'm supposed to be in Dongyi City discussing business right now. I need to find a place to hide."
Fu Yi said in a panic, "Go and tell the people in the Marquis' Mansion to tell them that they haven't seen me in these days."
Ye Wanqing looked at her elder brother's panic-stricken appearance and suddenly felt afraid of Shen Xu's mother.
Someone who can subdue even the devil must be very scary.
Ye Wanqing immediately thought of what Murong Yan had told her, that when Chen Xu was a child, he was often locked up in a small dark room and suffered from hunger and cold.
She quickly stood up and said anxiously, "Brother, hurry up and take me to hide."
Fu Yi was stunned, and suddenly remembered that his sister was treated cruelly by their mother when she was a child. She suffered so much and had to pretend to be a boy, have such a long needle buried in her neck, and wear a corset every day.
She was obviously very good at martial arts, but because of the corset, she couldn't use it at all, which caused her father to misunderstand and punish her...
Fu Yi suddenly felt distressed and said firmly, "I won't hide anymore. Today, I will make it clear to mother that Xu'er is my sister. She shouldn't have let you pretend to be a boy, nor should she have let you suffer so much."
"Brother..." Ye Wanqing felt a warm feeling in her heart. These past few days, Shen Xu's father and brother really touched her all the time, which made her feel happy and guilty.
She was worried that if Shen Xu's mother was a martial arts master who could chop someone to pieces with one palm and make them spit blood, Fu Yi would be punished and injured. So she nervously pulled his sleeve and advised: "I'm used to it. Let's not anger our mother."
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