Chapter 198: Family Confinement
Zhou family.
Except for the old man and the old lady, everyone else stood at the second gate of the mansion, waiting to greet Li Jing and his wife.
Mrs. Zhou, seeing Zhou Jiu in the crowd, sighed: This girl has lost a lot of weight, and looks even more delicate and fragile.
That thing didn't work out, and the family started to blame Li Jing, and Jiu Niang even more, right? Especially since she had inexplicably lost to a young girl, everyone felt that she was useless!
From Mrs. Zhou's perspective, she doesn't care too much about it.
The former princess Zhou Li is her biological daughter, and Xiangxiang is her granddaughter.
Zhou Jiu is the daughter of the fifth brother. The fifth couple is so annoying.
If this really happens, I'm afraid Xiangxiang won't be able to escape from these troubles.
Xiangxiang grew up in his lap and was very close to him. She was also the eldest daughter of the prince and had a bright future. He had to let her get along well with his granddaughter. So, no matter what, he couldn't let her live under the Mo family.
Even if that little girl doesn't have a bad heart, there's no telling what she'll become!
What's more, stepmother and stepdaughter are natural enemies...
...and the future marriage, all these things need to be prepared in advance.
After the New Year, when the weather gets warmer, I will bring Xiangxiang back home...
I have plans for each of these things in my mind.
Miss Zhou Jiu stood in the crowd with her head down, feeling confused in her heart.
The mother beside her was still whispering to her, and she seemed to have heard everything, but she didn't take it to heart.
Although her father, Master Zhou Wu, was a legitimate son, he was the most useless of the Zhou family's children. He had little ability, a bad temper, and did things in an unseemly way.
Her mother, Mrs. Zhou Wu, was soft-hearted and suspicious. Not only was she incompetent, but she also failed to give birth to a son, and her husband's favorite concubine gave birth to two! Therefore, she felt inferior in every way.
She respects and fears her husband.
I hate and fear my aunt.
She was suspicious all day long. Even if there were old women and maids talking and laughing in the distance, she thought they were laughing at her and talking about her.
She couldn't even manage the affairs in her yard. Whenever she did something, she would make mistakes. Mrs. Zhou was impatient. She used to teach her, but later she scolded her. She didn't dare to refute, but would hide in the house and cry, and then she would pull me to complain about all the injustices...
My sister is already married, and my mother's only hope is that she can marry into the royal palace so that she can be proud of herself.
However, after years of planning, it didn't work.
"...I'm telling you, your father is going to ask the prince for help with Zhou Yanhui (the illegitimate son)...You ask Xiangxiang to tell the prince: Don't bother with him! Do you hear me?"
The voice was a bit loud... Madam Zhou turned around and looked at the mother and daughter with dignity.
Mrs. Friday shut up immediately.
Zhou Jiu's heart was filled with sadness. Her mother had told her countless times about the Zhou family's plan, but she always came up with some unreliable ideas, making the entire Zhou family stare at her.
Finally, I also thought that I could marry the prince in the future... I could accompany Xiangxiang for a long time. I could escape from my mother and help her, so that she would not torture others and herself anymore.
But she didn't expect...the prince didn't want her! She could only return in disgrace.
Others, at least, didn't say anything to my face.
But the father and mother who should love you the most are the ones who make the most noise, saying heart-wrenching words without any sympathy at all.
Now, she felt even more nervous when the eldest lady glanced at her.
She just hoped that her family would quickly arrange a marriage for her, no matter who it was, no matter if he was good or bad, it would be best if... she could marry him off far away.
A team of carriages and horses came rushing over and stopped at the door.
Master Zhou walked forward with his eldest son, smiling.
Li Jing, wearing a black fur coat, calmly got out of the car and smiled at the Zhou father and son.
His handsome appearance made Zhou Jiu feel like he was being stabbed by needles in the heart.
"Your Highness!" Master Zhou led everyone in bowing.
"Father-in-law, brother..." Li Jing nodded.
The next person to come out of the carriage was Hongyan. She got off nimbly, then turned around and helped Madam Zhao.
Finally, Mo Yi came out.
All the women in the Zhou family focused their attention on her... and then, they all seemed to disapprove: She was just a woman who wasn't ugly. Not to mention being compared to Zhou Li, she was even far inferior to Zhou Jiu!
Why!?
Such a good son-in-law, it's a pity that his daughter was so beautiful but had a tragic life. Mrs. Zhou's eyes were wet.
After Mo Yi got off the car, he turned around and helped Li Xiangling get off the car with Hong Yan.
The little girl landed on the ground and said, "Grandma, Ninth Aunt!" Although the little girl still walked over in a very polite manner, her voice was filled with joy.
"Xiangxiang! Oh, Aunt Zhao! It's been a long time since we last met..." Mrs. Zhou smiled.
Li Jing got out of the car and didn't move. When Mo Yi came over, he said to Mr. Zhou: "This is the princess. I brought her here to introduce herself to the family."
Everyone bowed to Mo Yi again, "Princess."
"You're welcome." Mo Yi said with a smile.
In the crowd, she saw the beautiful girl at first glance. This should be Miss Zhou Jiu who often accompanied Xiangxiang.
It’s really beautiful... Why would the prince be unhappy?
"Your Highness, Princess, let's go in and talk." Madam Zhou said in a hurry.
"Please come in!" Mr. Zhou also said with a smile: "The old man and the old lady heard that you were going to bring the princess, and they have been happy all morning."
Madam Zhao pointed at the carriage and said to the eldest granddaughter-in-law of the Zhou family, "The prince and princess have brought some New Year goods. Please arrange for someone to unload them."
Li Xiangling had already come close to Miss Zhou Jiu and held her hand, "Aunt Jiu..."
"Hey...Xiangxiang, are you okay?" Zhou Jiu looked at her carefully and asked.
"Hmm..." The two people huddled together and whispered something.
Although the Zhou family's garden is not large, it is very beautifully built. Pavilions, towers, winding paths, and every detail has been taken into consideration. It is a bit like the Jiangnan gardens in the paintings.
Entering the main house, a wave of hot air with the scent of daffodils hits you in the face...
Old Master Zhou and Old Lady sat in the main seats.
"Your Highness..." Old Master Zhou was over seventy years old and very thin. He was wearing a fine cotton gown, with white hair and a jade hairpin, and he looked very handsome.
Li Jing was very respectful in front of the two elders. He took Mo Yi to pay his respects and introduced her to the elders.
The old man looked at Mo Yi with a warm smile and a calm tone, and said a few polite words.
Mrs. Zhou is over 70 years old, with delicate skin, clear eyes, and a slightly plump face without any wrinkles. She must have been stunningly beautiful when she was young.
No wonder everyone says Princess Zhou is good-looking. All the Zhou family members present are good-looking.
Mo Yi sat next to old lady Zhou. The old lady looked at her carefully and felt a little disapproving: she was far inferior to her poor eldest granddaughter.
But the old lady didn't show it on her face, and spoke softly to Mo Yi, "I have never seen the queen before."
Of course, they can't meet each other because they are not of the same social class. Mo Yi laughed in his heart, "I haven't seen him. You look really good, old man!"
"I'm old now, and I always feel pain here or there..."
The men didn't leave either, they gathered together and talked.
Aunt Zhao sat next to Mo Yi and introduced the women of the Zhou family one by one... "This is Madam Zhou Wu and Miss Zhou Jiu."
Mrs. Friday stared at Mo Yi... thinking, why should her daughter lose to her?
Seeing her like this, Mrs. Zhou frowned again.
At this moment, Li Xiangling was standing next to Zhou Jiu again, and the relationship between the two was really good.
"Xiangxiang said a few days ago that she missed her great-grandmother and aunt Jiu. Today, she came with the prince to meet you. If Xiangxiang wants to visit you in the future, I will pick her up." Mo Yi did not put on airs and spoke with a smile: "Miss Zhou Jiu, during the New Year, some good friends and sisters will come to our house. Xiangxiang and I both hope you can come."
Miss Zhou Jiu said softly, "Thank you, Princess, for the invitation..." She saw Madam Zhou nodding her head from the corner of her eye, so she asked again, "Which day is it?"
"It's scheduled for the fifth day. But if Miss Zhou Jiu is free, she can go earlier and stay for a few days to accompany Xiangxiang."
Miss Zhou Jiu was a little stunned: This princess, could she not know the Zhou family’s original plan?
And she asked me to live there...Wouldn't she feel uncomfortable?
Thinking back to the days when I lived in the palace, although I was living under someone else's roof, no one bothered me. I was with Xiangxiang all day long... I slept very soundly at night.
It’s not like at home… my father would quarrel with my mother over every little thing.
Her mother grabbed her and hid in the house, crying and complaining about all kinds of injustices, and wanted her to stand up for herself...
But I'm just a girl, what can I do?
So she nodded: "Okay."
(End of this chapter)
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