Newborn babies need to eat as soon as they've had enough sleep; there's no time to waste.
As they spoke, bursts of crying came from the small wooden bed.
Upon hearing the crying, Lu Xiangxiang shuddered physically, then hurriedly got up and went to the small wooden bed, picking up Xiao Lingyue in her arms.
By the time she had fed the child, it was already quite late.
When Granny Gui came to Aunt Xiang's courtyard to take the child away, she was taken aback to see Princess Kangle there.
Before long, she quickly realized what was going on and said with a smile, "So the village head was in Aunt Xiang's courtyard. It made the First Madam look for you. The banquet is about to begin, so please move to the front yard."
The relationship between Lu Qiqi and Lu Xiangxiang is unknown to outsiders, and they do not intend to tell anyone.
So Lu Qiqi said, "Then I'll go to the front yard first. Aunt Xiang, there's no need to see me off."
Given Lu Xiangxiang's status, she absolutely cannot appear in the front yard, otherwise she would be bringing shame to the family.
She forced a smile and said, "Take care, Your Excellency."
Xiangling handed the child to Granny Gui slowly and carefully, saying, "Fifth Miss has just fallen asleep, please be gentle, Granny..."
Before he could finish speaking, Granny Gui snatched the words away.
She snatched the child away, saying with a disdainful look, "I've never held any of the boys or girls in the First Madam's room before, why would I need a little brat like you to teach me how to do things!"
Granny Gui had a strong grip; she not only woke up Xiao Lingyue but also hurt her, causing her to huddle under the thin blanket and cry loudly.
Xiangling felt sorry for her but dared not say anything. She could only pout and turn around to look at Aunt Xiang.
Aunt Xiang's eyes were brimming with tears of heartache, but she knew that Granny Gui was highly regarded by the First Madam, and if she offended her, her child would suffer terribly today.
Just as she was thinking about how to apologize and ask Granny Gui not to hold Xiangling accountable, she heard a stern voice.
"I've truly had my eyes opened today on how such a noble family behaves!"
Granny Gui stood there, holding the Fifth Sister, stunned. A maidservant who followed Granny Gui, along with Aunt Xiang and Xiang Ling, all turned their gazes toward the person who had spoken those words.
Kang Le Township Head.
Lu Qiqi then said, "Is the illegitimate daughter of the General's Mansion less precious than an old servant like you?"
Granny Gui was puzzled as to why the Princess of Kangle would stand up for Aunt Xiang.
But we absolutely cannot let this matter escalate today. We must not let this full-moon celebration for the Fifth Sister go to waste.
Otherwise, if the general gets angry, even the first wife might not be able to save him.
Granny Gui was unwilling, but could only force a smile and say, "What are you saying, Princess? This old servant has only served a few masters and has some experience. How could I possibly hurt or injure Fifth Miss as that maid said?"
As he spoke, he picked up Xiao Lingyue and gently rocked her, making soothing sounds as he spoke.
Granny Gui, that shrewd old woman, had spent most of her life in the inner quarters. She could say anything with ease, and her mannerisms were quite convincing.
Lu Qiqi didn't intend to dwell on the mistake; otherwise, if she had stood up for Lu Xiangxiang today, who knows what kind of trouble Granny Gui would cause in front of the First Madam.
As General Wu's concubine, Lu Xiangxiang's life and fortune were in the hands of this couple, and she would be at the mercy of the First Madam in the future.
For a moment, Lu Qiqi felt an intense hatred for the old couple in the Lu family. These two old bastards had children as if they were born specifically to cause harm.
Even so, she still had to warn Granny Gui, "It's good that Granny Gui knows, although the Fifth Miss is not born to the legitimate mother, she is still General Wu's daughter."
Although Granny Gui cursed Lu Qiqi countless times in her heart, she still smiled broadly. "Princess Kang Le is right, but we really can't delay any longer. If the General and Madam blame us, this old servant can't bear the consequences."
These words were clearly pointed out. Lu Qiqi didn't intend to show off at the full moon banquet. As long as Granny Gui didn't dare to treat Xiao Lingyue arbitrarily anymore, she wouldn't deliberately drag things out.
"Then please lead the way, Granny."
After they left, only Aunt Xiang and Xiangling remained in the courtyard.
As Lu Xiangxiang watched Lu Qiqi disappear down the corridor, the handkerchief in her hand was twisted into a pretzel.
Xiangling, her eyes red, said unwillingly, "Auntie, why didn't you tell the village head? Just now, when Fifth Miss was brought here by Granny Gui, there were red marks on her little arms. These heartless bastards don't even spare a newborn baby."
Lu Xiangxiang's heart felt like it was bleeding. Xiao Lingyue was a piece of her flesh, and she wished she could take her pain away from her when she was hurt or sick.
She said in a hoarse voice, "What good would it do to tell her? It would only make her worry anyway."
She was sent to the general's mansion, which was euphemistically called taking her in as a concubine. However, she had no status whatsoever in the mansion. Although she seemed to live a more respectable life than the servants, in the eyes of the general and his wife, she was nothing more than a tool to procreate for the general's mansion.
If the general were to reject you on that day, then the darkest, most miserable days would begin.
Lu Qiqi followed Granny Gui to the banquet and took her seat under the guidance of the Wu family's maids.
Perhaps because she delivered Lu Xiangxiang's baby and successfully gave birth to the fifth daughter, she was given a seat closer to the front of the room.
Surrounded by strangers, Lu Qiqi ate her meal by herself after the banquet began, completely ignoring the women around her who were exchanging compliments.
The women put down their glasses, and she had already eaten half full without them noticing.
Suddenly, Lu Qiqi heard the sound of a child crying.
She turned her gaze toward the source of the sound and saw the First Madam handing the child to Granny Gui with an unhappy expression.
He then waved his hand, signaling the child to be taken away so as not to disturb the others' meal.
Granny Gui carried the child and walked up to Lu Qiqi. The thin blanket was not wrapped tightly, and the child's face was a little purple from crying.
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