lively

lively

“Ouch~”

Song Mingyue rubbed her arms and shook them beside Taishi Zheng.

"See? Our county lady's coquettish voice is different from what you usually see. This person has two faces. If she weren't the county lady, I would definitely write a feature article about her."

Zheng's attention was now entirely on Qi Yijun, and she paid no attention to the people around her.

Song Mingyue suddenly remembered something she had done earlier. "Speaking of articles, my second brother came to see me this morning and asked me to help him deliver a personally edited article to my father. It seems like my second brother wants my father to help him publish it anonymously in a tabloid."

"But when I took a look, I found that he was actually a servant of the Duke of Qingyuan County. Second sister-in-law, do you know why? When did Second Brother become enemies with his family? I have known Second Brother for so long, but I have never seen him meddle in such trivial matters."

Song Dad's tabloid is famous in Bianjing City for its sharp and bold opinions.

So sales are the best.

If it weren't a problem for him to cause trouble in the Duke's household, he would have the support of his old acquaintances in the Imperial Court, and he also had a daughter who had married into the Duke's household. Song Mingyue's question was merely to satisfy her curiosity.

"He came to see you this morning?" Tai Shi Zheng withdrew his gaze, somewhat incredulous.

Song Mingyue nodded, "Yeah."

It was probably because of what happened in the Imperial College yesterday, and Tai Shi Zheng knew it very well.

But she couldn't say much to Song Mingyue, so she could only play dumb. "I rarely ask about Erlang's affairs. If we have any connection, it's just that I once rejected a marriage proposal from the Duke of Qingyuan County. But that's all in the past, and Erlang doesn't need to worry about it."

"It must be something else."

Zheng smiled.

She wondered how Cui Zhijun, a man of noble character who never cared about such mundane matters, could actually do such a despicable and shameless thing? Could it be... that it was for her?

Zheng shook her head again.

Recalling what happened yesterday, she quickly denied her thoughts.

Song Mingyue didn't hear the answer she wanted to hear, so she just hummed a sigh of relief. Cuo Cuo, seemingly feeling the ground was too cold, actually lay down on Zheng's feet.

However, the farce next to them was still going on, and Qi Yijun pulled Cui Zhilin under the shed.

When Zheng regained her composure and looked back, she felt the county horse seemed somewhat uneasy. Even when Qi Yijun approached him, Cui Zhilin seemed to retreat and dodge. Zheng wondered, "Mingyue, why does the county horse look like he's been kidnapped by the county lord? Not only are his movements stiff, he doesn't even dare to blink."

When Song Mingyue heard this, she couldn't help but burst out laughing beside Zheng.

She seemed to have too much gossip that she wanted to tell Zheng.

The two stood outside the shed, hidden by tree branches, whispering to each other, "Why? It's all because our County Ma was kidnapped! Second sister-in-law, you don't know, the County Ma didn't want this marriage in the first place. It was all because the County Lady was begging and insisting on getting married."

"What? There's such a thing! I really didn't realize the county lady was such a person, but since my cousin doesn't want to marry, can she still force him to marry?"

Zheng Bagua's heart began to beat wildly.

Song Mingyue just liked her curiosity. In the past, there was only one sister-in-law in the main house, which made Song Mingyue very frustrated. But she didn't mean to say that Cang Yi was bad, it was just that Cang Yi was too nice, and it was difficult for Song Mingyue to get along with her.

But Zheng is different. She can always get along well with everyone.

Song Mingyue responded to Taishi Zheng's words, "The county lady would naturally not lower her status to that level. She just had that intention. The one who really forced the marriage was someone else—"

Zheng unconsciously put her ear closer to Song Mingyue, "Who?!"

Song Mingyue looked around warily. "Of course it's the County Ma's mother, our nosy Second Aunt. Second Aunt is so scornful of the poor and the rich, that when she heard the County Madam wanted to get married, she immediately pressured my cousin to marry her. By marrying her, won't she be able to hold her head high in front of our family? Second Sister-in-law, you know, apart from your family, who else in our eldest family can match our daughter-in-law? Second Aunt is just dying to outdo us."

"You don't know that my cousin was resisting at that time, and my second aunt was afraid that things would get worse. In order for my cousin to marry the county lady smoothly, she used all her tricks, crying, making a fuss, and even threatening to hang herself. In the end, my cousin couldn't bear the crime of being unfilial, right? So he had no choice but to marry her."

This story is exciting, yet sad.

Zheng stood up for Cui Zhilin and said, "How could Second Aunt do this? Marriage is a matter of mutual consent. How can it be sweet if it's forced? But Mingyue, I can't understand why the county lady fell in love with our cousin? They are not related at all..."

"Of course, they have nothing to do with each other. The scary thing is that this bad fate can't be severed."

Song Mingyue smacked her lips. "As for how they met, most people really don't know, but my second sister-in-law ran into me today and asked me about it. There's nothing inside and outside the palace that I don't know. Actually, their story is quite cliché. The reason the county lady wanted to marry my cousin was because he saved her life."

"?"

Zheng frowned when she heard that.

What era is this? Is there still a legend of promising one's body to someone?

Song Mingyue knew that Tai Shi Zheng would have this expression, exactly the same as when she first heard it.

She narrowed her eyes and smiled, then slowly said, "Isn't my cousin a healer at the Imperial Academy? Last summer, the county lady went out alone for a trip and unexpectedly got a heat stroke by the Jinming Lake. I happened to run into my cousin and some friends taking a break, so I helped them. It was because of this rescue that our county lady fell in love with my cousin."

"Later, when the Princess of the County saw that her daughter's heart was all on her cousin, she had no choice but to make plans for her. But don't you think it would be unethical for a woman to take the initiative to propose? Moreover, they are relatives. So the Princess of the County came up with a plan and spread the false news of the two of them being together to the ears of Second Aunt."

"After that, it was basically the same as what I just told you."

"Second aunt forced the marriage, and the princess of the county fanned the flames. Tsk tsk, I think this marriage will be successful, the princess of the county will be pleased, and second aunt is satisfied. In the end, only our cousin Ma from the county will be left pitiful."

The brief narrative ended with Song Mingyue sighing. Taishi Zheng fell silent, looking up at the seemingly harmonious couple beneath the snow-covered shed. Could this be the ending Qi Yijun had intended? Or... was this the fate Cui Zhilin had already written?

Zheng was hard to figure out for a moment.

But Song Mingyue, who was no longer surprised by these things, quickly put on a smile and continued walking towards the shed while pulling her zither.

"Let's go, sister-in-law. People are almost here, let's go sit down~"

Zheng nodded.

-

In the second row under the shed, Zheng and Song Mingyue chose to sit behind the eldest sister-in-law and her husband.

And what about Song Mingyue? She insisted on sitting behind her eldest brother.

Zheng asked her why, and Song Mingyue said, "Big brother is tall and strong, so he can block me. This way, the elders can't see me and scold me. It saves them from always making small talk and always scolding me and the third brother."

Song Mingyue is quite smart.

But Cui Zhijian, who was sitting upright in front, had a sullen face and said, "Wife Zhichou, the elders keep lecturing you, but have you ever thought about looking for your own reasons?"

Song Mingyue straightened her back upon hearing this. Judging from the situation, she was about to argue with her elder brother. "No, I was just doing my own thing and didn't provoke anyone. Why should I blame myself? Whatever the elders say is their business, and I can't control their mouths. Besides, is what they say necessarily right? I just want to avoid the limelight. What's wrong with that?"

As Song Mingyue spoke, she bent over the table and put her head between the couple.

"Sister-in-law, did I do anything wrong?"

Cang Yi naturally helped her sister-in-law. Although she remained silent, she still pulled Cui Zhijian, signaling him to speak less. Cui Zhijian looked at Cang Yi blankly, thinking that it was okay to remain silent, but the tone of her voice had to be straightened out.

So the next second, he stood up suddenly.

Cui Zhijian's movement startled the three sisters-in-law, and they all looked towards her. He left the table and turned back to stand before Taishi Zheng, his face stern and fierce. Even Cuo Cuo was frightened by him and hid in Zheng's kneeling lap.

Cui Zhijian said in a deep voice, "Wife Zhijun, please go sit up front with your sister-in-law. I wonder who else can cover up for Wife Zhichou."

"Yes, big brother!" Taishi Zheng was truly shocked by his actions and quickly stood up with Cuo Cuo in his arms. Song Mingyue then protested, "No, big brother, you're too cruel! Is that really necessary?!"

Cang Yi looked at Taishi Zheng who was forced to stand up, and became more and more afraid. "Da Lang, don't... don't go. There are dogs. I, I'm scared..."

Once Cui Zhijian's stubborn temper comes up, he becomes extremely stubborn.

But after hearing what Cang Yi said, he still had some concerns for his wife. When he turned to look at Song Mingyue, he used his stubborn brain to come up with a solution. But the next moment, three people were sitting crowded together in front of the small table in the first row.

Now, no matter from which direction you look at it, the sisters-in-law of the eldest wife are very eye-catching.

At that time, Song Mingyue knocked her head on the table in despair. The two people sandwiched on her left and right were either smiling awkwardly or being so scared that their souls had fled.

"No... I'd better send Cuo Cuo back..."

Zheng had just gently pushed Song Mingyue when a soft childish voice came from beside her, "Puppy...Puppy...I want to pet the puppy!"

Tai Shi Zheng turned around when he heard the voice.

The fair-skinned girl with two small pigtails was squatting in front of Cuo Cuo, quietly testing her limits but still not daring to extend her hands. Zheng's heart melted at the sight of such a cute girl. She ignored Song Mingyue and leaned over to the girl, whispering, "Dear, do you want to pet the dog?"

"Xiaoyu, can I touch it?"

The little girl raised her head and blinked at Zheng with her two eyes as lively as a deer.

Zheng seemed to be struck by her and nodded repeatedly, "Of course, look at its little tail wagging, it likes you very much. Your name is Xiaoyu, right? Then Xiaoyu and Cuo Cuo shake hands and become good friends~"

The corners of Taishi Zheng's mouth gradually curled up, and even her voice became coquettish. She pinched Cuo Cuo's little paw and shook it in Xiaoyu's outstretched palm. Xiaoyu also dared to hold Cuo Cuo's paw lightly, as if protecting a puppy.

Such a heartwarming scene deeply moved Taishi Zheng.

Zheng thought it would be great if she could have such a lovely daughter, but given her and Cui Zhijun's situation, when could she realize her wish?

Thinking of this, Zheng couldn't help but sigh.

But Xiaoyu quickly noticed this emotion. She tilted her head, silently stretched out her chubby little hand, pulled up Taishi Zheng's drooping palm, and said, "Sister, don't be unhappy. Petting a dog can make you happy."

so cute!

Give birth, give birth tonight!

Tai Shi Zheng has completely fallen.

Cui Zhijian said something that ruined the atmosphere, "He Yu, she is not your sister, you should call her aunt."

Zheng turned around with a resentful look in her eyes. She saw Cui Zhijian, a man as strong as steel, sitting upright with his arms folded in the same position she and Song Mingyue had just sat, staring at Cang Yi. So, who was he talking to?

Tai Shi Zheng was a little unsure, until Cui Zhijian turned his face, which was so stinky that it couldn't be stinker, she was sure that he was talking to her.

But when Cui Zhijian turned his head, Xiaoyu was so scared that she screamed and fell into Taishi Zheng's arms.

"Uncle is scary, Xiaoyu is scared—"

Zheng still hadn't figured out which room this little girl came from. She held the child in her arms, patted her, and took the opportunity to pinch the two little tufts of hair on her head. Then she said, "Uncle? Big brother, this child is..."

But before Tai Shi Zheng could speak, someone came angrily outside the shed.

When she saw Zheng, she immediately pulled Xiaoyu out of her arms and said sarcastically, "Your own pregnancy isn't moving, and you envy others? Taishi Zheng, please stay away from my Yu'er. Don't teach her bad things and make her do dirty things and tell lies."

Zheng looked up at Zou Shuangtong's face, and was truly surprised how someone like her could have such a wonderful daughter...

However, in front of the children today, Zheng was too lazy to argue with her. She didn't refute her. But Cui Zhijian, who was standing beside her, couldn't help but lecture her: "Zhisong's wife, don't say such things in front of the children. It's really unpleasant."

Unexpectedly, when Zou Shuangtong heard Cui Zhijian speak up for Tai Shi Zheng, instead of restraining himself, he started to mock him, "Brother, you're family after all. Why are you already protecting your own people so quickly? Okay, okay, you're just picking on me. Can't I just not afford to offend you?"

Tai Shi Zheng frowned, but when she looked at Xiaoyu beside Zou Shuangtong, she couldn't say what she wanted to say.

At this moment, Song Mingyue suddenly raised her head from the table, turned her eyes to the confused little girl and said, "Xiaoyu, your mother is annoying. I see that our Yubao's head has become bigger recently. Is it all because of your mother's nagging? How pitiful."

After hearing what Song Mingyue said, Xiaoyu hurriedly touched her little head and nodded aggrievedly.

She also felt that her mother was nagging.

Zou Shuangtong became anxious. "You guys are bullying my daughter and me just because you think my Cui Zhisong is incompetent. I didn't expect that you would instigate Yu'er to break away from me. You are really vicious. When the old lady comes later, I will ask her to judge the matter for me——"

Cang Yi, who had been silent the whole time, now heard Zou Shuangtong was about to complain to the old lady. He no longer cared about being afraid of the dog and stood up to mediate with everyone: "Mingyue, Dalang, you should say less. Cousin's wife, don't be angry, they didn't mean that..."

But Zou Shuangtong would never appreciate her kindness. "What else could it be? I may be weak, but I'm not stupid."

"Don't even think about running away."

The two sides were at a stalemate. How could Cui Zhilin, the county lord, sit there peacefully? He hurriedly stood up and tried to step forward, but Qi Yijun held him down and said with a charming look, "Lin Lang, stay out of my business."

"What do you mean by nonsensical business? These are all our own business, how can we ignore them?" Cui Zhilin said sternly.

Qi Yijun still used that gentle knife, slashing across his face, "I said don't bother, so don't bother. There are so many things going on in your family, can you manage them all? My husband, it's better for you to sit down when I speak to you in a nice way, otherwise I will make them make more trouble~"

"You!" Cui Zhilin was angry but dared not say anything. He knew Qi Yijun's methods, so he had to sit down obediently.

Looking back to the side of the shed, Song Mingyue was speechless about Zou Shuangtong. She had argued with her quite a bit in the past few years since they got married. Song Mingyue had thought she should be more restrained.

Unexpectedly, it got even worse...

Song Mingyue curled her lips, "You're such a complainer! Do you think the old lady is your father's office? You're always complaining all day long? Don't you feel tired? Go back and sit quietly. No one wants to argue with you, and you don't mind the noise!"

"Song Mingyue! Now you have someone backing you up, right? Even you dare to act wildly over me? But what gives you the right to talk to me like that!" Zou Shuangtong became more and more excited, not caring about Xiaoyu's feelings at all.

Zheng felt distressed when she saw this, so she reached out and held Xiaoyu in her arms, covering her ears to comfort her.

After comforting Xiaoyu, Zheng was about to tell them to stop talking when someone outside the shed called out, "I heard you were so loud before I even got here, Mrs. Zhisong. We're just having a snow feast, what are you doing?"

Well, this is lively, her third aunt is here.

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