Chapter 12
The next morning, the palace sent a reward to Xie Yunchu alone. This move shocked the Duke's Mansion. The eldest princess would give rewards on every festival day, and no room would be left out, and there was almost no distinction between the importance of the rewards. But it was the first time that a reward was given to only one person.
Jiang was shocked when she received the news.
No wonder Mrs. Xie didn't take me seriously. It turned out that I was trying to climb up the social ladder.
When Jiang thought of the eldest princess's condescending and intimidating look, she trembled with fear and never dared to ask Xie Yunchu to serve her again.
As usual, Xie Yunchu brought a bouquet of flowers to the upper room to pay her respects every day, and her etiquette would not cause anyone to find fault with her. Seeing Dou Keling being entangled in household chores and Xu Shiwei serving her mother-in-law pitifully, she gave them a helpless look and leisurely left the upper room.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law now dislike each other, so Jiang naturally doesn't want to keep her.
The third day of the Lunar New Year was Xie Hui's birthday. Aunt Lu was locked up and never saw the light of day. Her son Xie Yunzhou knelt in front of his father's study and begged for mercy. Xie Hui was exhausted and told Xie Yunchu not to return home. However, Wang Shuhuai went to Xie's house in person in the evening.
For the next ten days or so, Xie Yunchu was free. She either drank tea and chatted with the sisters-in-law in each room, or accompanied the girls in the mansion to recite poems and compose essays. Her father was the chief academic officer of the Imperial College. She had been proficient in poetry, calligraphy, and painting since she was a child, and she was also the best in the world. The girls in the mansion all believed in her.
Wang Shuhuai still went out early and came back late, and was nowhere to be seen. Especially since Xie Yunchu had set a date for him, he simply lived in the government office area. Xie Yunchu was happy not to serve him, and just asked someone to deliver a lunch box to the yamen every day as usual. However, Wang Shuhuai could tell from the food that it was not cooked by her.
Nanny Lin was somewhat anxious when she saw the couple busy with their own things. Anyone with a discerning eye could see that Wang Shuhuai intended to stay the night last time, but was driven away by Xie Yunchu. Nanny Lin said worriedly,
"Even if you don't care about your son-in-law, at least give birth to a legitimate son. My dear, time is running out, so please pay more attention."
In a blink of an eye, it was the fifteenth day. Nanny Lin urged Qiu Sui to help Xie Yunchu wash and dress. She insisted on pressing her on the rattan chair and applying rose water to her skin to maintain her skin. Xie Yunchu let the maids toss her around.
She was not trying to please Wang Shuhuai, she was trying to please herself.
She had a beautiful face in her previous life, but ended up being a woman with an ugly face. She couldn't repeat the same mistake in this life.
After a lot of maintenance, her face became as smooth and shiny as a peeled lychee. She had long eyelashes, bright almond eyes, and a charming smile that touched people's hearts.
Meimei had a nap, and at about 3 p.m., an unexpected guest came. It was Xiao Youran, the daughter of Xie Yunchu's aunt.
After greeting the elders first, Xie Yunchu met her at a waterside pavilion near Chunjing Hall for tea. Seeing that she was exhausted from the journey and sweat on her temples, he scolded her,
"It's sunny today, why don't you come for lunch?"
The two are relatives and grew up together, so they have a very good relationship.
Xiao Youran smiled as she drank tea, "I heard that you were not feeling well. I was hoping to see you at my cousin's father's birthday party, but it was cancelled. My mother heard about what happened at the mansion and told me not to disturb you recently. Now, I can't bear it any longer and have to come to see you."
"What's wrong with your aunt? Didn't I hear you say she was fine before?"
When Xie Yunchu told Xiao Youran the truth, he sighed and was a little scared. "He is so cunning, I don't know what he might do. Fortunately, you found out in time."
Xie Yunchu didn't want to talk about Aunt Lu, so he changed the subject, "I haven't seen you for a long time, how have you been lately?"
Xiao Youran stared at her and said, "What do you mean by long time no see? I came to your house with Chen Yi some time ago, but you were so busy that you didn't have time to entertain us."
Xie Yunchu was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that Xiao Youran was talking about the things that happened before her rebirth. She felt a little sad. Although she had several very good friends in her previous life, she was too busy with housework after marriage and had no time to keep in touch with them, so they gradually became estranged. In the end, she didn't even have anyone to talk to.
She held Xiao Youran's arm in shame and said, "Good sister, I was wrong. I will never do it again. Please come often in the future. I look forward to it."
Xiao Youran didn't take it seriously, and sighed in boredom.
"Chu'er, when you are free, you must accompany me to go shopping."
Xie Yunchu smiled, "I'm free recently, you can come find me," and then asked, "Why do you suddenly want to go shopping?" Xiao Youran was not too concerned about food, clothing and other expenses like her.
When this was mentioned, Xiao Youran's face was full of resentment. She shook her palace fan and sneered, "You know my mother-in-law, she is the most fierce and domineering, even meddling in her son's affairs. When she heard that I was pregnant, she drove her son to the outer study. She felt sorry for her son and quietly arranged for him to have a concubine. I was really angry..."
Xiao Youran fanned himself quickly, with the breath still burning in his chest.
When Xie Yunchu heard this, he immediately took her fan and fanned her himself, "Don't be anxious, don't be angry, let's talk it over."
Xiao Youran's mother was the most virtuous, and she didn't like to hear her nagging about the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Xie Yunchu was her best friend, and she was steady and kind. Whenever Xiao Youran had something on her mind, she loved to come to her, so she opened up the conversation.
"The most annoying thing is that the bastard usually cares about me. I see that he always does things to please me, so I just let his mother's matter go. I have no choice but to swallow my anger and live my life."
"Guess what? He cried bitterly in front of me, saying that he fell asleep after drinking. Heaven and earth can testify that he only had me in his heart. But today, I saw with my own eyes that he secretly bought a gold hairpin for that little bitch..."
At this point, Xiao Youran was almost angry and cried, "Chu'er, what do you think I want? I have been working hard for him to run the family business for so many years, and I have saved money for him. In the end, he turned around and used the money I saved to buy jewelry for that little bitch. No, I get angry every time I think about it."
"Chu'er, I finally understand. Women, don't save money for men. You don't know where the money you save will go to spend it."
Xie Yunchu was half distressed and half sighed, "That makes sense. I will accompany you to spend money tomorrow."
Xiao Youran thought of how Wang Shuhuai was very popular in the court, and how he was clean and never messed around. Such an outstanding person had never been involved with any woman. She looked at Xie Yunchu and said with envy, "You are so lucky to marry such an outstanding man."
Xie Yunchu was like a mute eating bitter herbs, unable to express her grievances. She also teased Xiao Youran,
"Your prince is also a handsome man."
Xiao Youran sighed inexplicably after hearing this, "Chu'er, to be honest, I don't really care which concubine he sleeps with. I just can't get over this."
Xie Yunchu rolled his eyes at her and said, "Nonsense, you don't even have a legitimate son yet, you can't push him somewhere else."
At this moment, Xiao Youran suddenly revealed an indescribable expression, winked, drove the maids away, pulled Xie Yunchu closer and said,
"He's not good at that."
Xie Yunchu's face froze, blood slowly seeping through his thin face. He glared at her angrily, "Why do you say anything?"
Xiao Youran was anxious, "Do you think I'm willing to say it? I'm really holding it in."
Xie Yunchu blushed and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "It's just like that. What's the difference?"
Xiao Youran shook his head and sighed, "There is still a difference. You haven't seen Shen Yi's rosy face every day, but I envy him to death."
Chen Yi was also one of Xie Yunchu's close friends. She married a military general. The sisters grew up together, had the same aspirations, and could talk about anything.
Xie Yunchu didn't respond.
In her past and present lives, she had not done that with Wang Shuhuai for a long time, so her experience was very limited. Later, her health was not good and she could not bear it, so Wang Shuhuai almost stopped touching her.
The sky was dark and golden as it set in the west. Xie Yunchu personally sent Xiao Youran to the door and slowly walked back to Chunjing Hall. He was so deeply involved in it in his previous life that he didn't realize it. Now, looking at himself and Xiao Youran, he couldn't help but sigh, what exactly does marriage bring to women. Before getting married, Xiao Youran was obviously a lively and cheerful young lady, but now she was forced into a nagging and complaining woman because of all this mess.
After playing with Ke Jie'er in the waterside pavilion for a while, I met the eldest grandmother Miao Jinyan coming back from the third room with her children. Miao's two children, a boy and a girl, the older one was five years old, and the younger one was three years old. They could run on the ground. Ke Jie'er sat on her mother and looked very excited. After a while, the maid came to report,
"Second Madam, Madam said that dinner is ready and we need you to come over."
Xie Yunchu invited Miao to come over for dinner, but Miao politely declined, and the two of them took their children back to their rooms.
Just as I reached the stone path outside the moon-shaped cave door, I heard the maids inside calling out,
"The Second Master is back."
Xie Yunchu was stunned for a moment.
In her previous life, every time Wang Shuhuai made an appointment with her, she would ask someone to prepare a sumptuous dinner and wait for her husband with great excitement, but Wang Shuhuai was not always on time.
Today I kept my promise.
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