Chapter 8
Aunt Lu, as usual, personally greeted Xie Yunchu at the door.
She was wearing a lilac-colored brocade gown with a delicate and low-key orchid pattern on the cuffs. Her slender figure was like a wisp of smoke floating in the sky after the rain, and her smile was like ripples on the lake caused by the wind. She was gentle and charming.
Which concubine can show her face in front of the gate? Moreover, the Xie family has a tradition of passing down poetry and etiquette and is very particular about appearance.
But Aunt Lu was able to make everyone willingly accept her and even respect her.
Xie Yunchu's father was the chief academic officer of the Imperial College, and his mother came from a prominent family in Jinling. The two were forced to get married because of an agreement made by their ancestors. His mother was outgoing and straightforward, while his father was a well-known nerd. After marriage, the two had different personalities and constant friction. When Xie Yunchu was four years old and his younger brother was born, his mother suffered from postpartum depression and finally decided to divorce his father and returned to her hometown in Jinling. She was away for fifteen years.
From that time on, Xie Yunchu learned to take care of her infant brother, and lived her life conscientiously, treading on thin ice under the disgusted gazes of the elders in the Xie family. She did not dare to cry or make a fuss. At the age of four, she was like a little adult, taking care of the younger ones, serving the older ones, and trying her best to be well-behaved and diligent in exchange for a little sympathy from her elders.
It was at that time that Aunt Lu lent her a helping hand.
The clothes for her and her brother were sewn by Aunt Lu, and the medicinal porridge for her and her brother was also made by Aunt Lu herself. Even when her father was dissatisfied with her brother's studies, it was Aunt Lu who rushed to his side, protected him, and pushed her son in front of others to take the blame for him.
He truly has a kind heart like a bodhisattva and his reputation as a wise man spreads far and wide.
Her tenderness and love made up for Xie Yunchu's longing for his mother, so much so that he always told himself in private that a drop of kindness should be repaid with a spring.
So, when she saw Aunt Lu busying around in her tattered coarse cloth shirt, she gave all her monthly salary to her for safekeeping.
When Aunt Lu knelt down in front of her because her younger sister Xie Yunxiu had smallpox and begged her to give the spacious courtyard originally occupied by the eldest daughter of the Xie family to her younger sister, she leaned forward without hesitation to give up the house.
In this way, what she has, her sister also has, and what she doesn't have, her sister also has.
She always remembers the kindness and trusts and gives back without reservation.
But she never imagined that all this was a scheme by Aunt Lu and her daughter. She humbled herself to gain a good reputation, used cunning and deceitful means to gain her trust, and successfully gained the recognition and respect of everyone in the Xie family. Then, she nibbled away at them step by step, from a concubine to a wife. What she didn't expect was that her ambition expanded, and she even set her sights on Wang Shuhuai, wanting to seek the position of the Prime Minister's wife.
It was such a kind face that gradually destroyed her trust.
Xie Yunchu went through the ups and downs of her emotions alone, and gave Aunt Lu a smile that was exactly the same as hers.
"Feng Da, even though you are my aunt, I still treat you as my elder. How can an elder wait for a younger person at the door?"
It's just hypocrisy, who wouldn't be that capable?
Aunt Lu's eyes welled up with tears when she heard this. "It is a great blessing for me that the eldest lady thinks highly of me. Come in with me quickly. I will make you your favorite mushroom and wolfberry chicken soup. You look so thin. You need to take good care of yourself."
My own mother is no more than this.
The two of them went in together.
Aunt Lu tried to hold Xie Yunchu's hand as she did before, but Xie Yunchu lowered his arm and did not give her a chance.
My father Xie Hui was famous since he was young. He loved to recite poems and compose essays, and to play with strange rocks and plants. When you enter through the gate, you will see a mountain of huge rocks as a barrier. After passing around the rocks, you will reach the main hall of Xie Mansion. Compared with the majestic and grand Wang Guogong Mansion, Xie Mansion is ingenious and beautiful, with lush greenery everywhere and stones decorating the scenery.
"Is my father at home?"
"He's still in the Imperial College. It is said that the court has been busy revising the fish scale atlas recently, and he has selected some students to help the Hanlin Academy. By the way, I heard that my brother-in-law is going to Jiangnan to take up the post. Miss, although you are not my biological child, I think you are more approachable than that pretty girl. If my brother-in-law is successful, you will also be proud." After saying that, Aunt Lu tucked her eyes with an embroidered handkerchief, looking happy for Xie Yunchu.
Xie Yunchu asked, "Is Xiu'er still in Jiangzhou? Has she sent any letters? When does she plan to return to Beijing?"
With the help of her father, Xie Yunxiu's uncle opened an academy in Jiangzhou. The entire Lu family also rose from a small family to become a local celebrity. Two years ago, Jiangzhou Academy had two people on the list of Jinshi in the same year as Wang Shuhuai, and thus became famous. Xie Yunxiu went to Jiangzhou Academy to study two years ago and became the top celebrity in Jiangzhou.
Aunt Lu mentioned her daughter with a loving look on her face, "She is not as sensible as you. She is just crazy and refuses to come back."
Xie Yunchu smiled calmly, "You can't keep playing tricks on me. She's already sixteen this year. You should find her a good match and let her stay in the capital to serve you and your father."
Aunt Lu didn't know what she was thinking about. Her smile froze for a moment, and then she shook her head and said, "Forget it, forget it. Your father dotes on her and indulges her. I can't make the decision."
After passing through an alley and entering a moon-shaped door in the middle, you will arrive at a courtyard with white walls and green tiles, which is the upper room where the old lady lives.
A group of people were waiting under the eaves, surrounded by flowers and willows.
The leader was none other than Xie Yunchu's biological grandmother, Old Lady Xie. The old lady had two sons. The eldest son, Xie Hui, was aloof and stubborn. She usually lived with her younger son and didn't care much about the affairs of the eldest house. After Xie Yunchu's mother left, the old lady disliked Xie Yunchu for a long time. Later, when she saw that the little girl was tough and pitiful, she felt pity for her and took her to her side to raise her.
Xie Yunchu's younger brother Xie Yunyou had always been at odds with his father. He gave up the Imperial College and went to Songshan Academy to study. He could not return to Beijing in a short time. Waiting for Xie Yunchu in the main courtyard together with Old Madam Xie were Li's daughter Xie Yunshuang, Lu's son Xie Yunzhou, and the aunts and cousins from the second room.
Xie Yunchu looked at them one by one and felt as if he was in another world.
A pretty girl with a bun on her head lifted her skirt and threw herself into her arms.
"I heard that my sister will be staying at home for a few days? This is a rare thing." Xie Yunshuang is the youngest sister. Her eyes and eyebrows are somewhat similar to Xie Yunchu. Although she is a concubine's daughter, the Xie family never sticks to the distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, and she is raised very well.
Xie Yunchu suppressed his emotions and pulled her out of his arms, "You're so old, but you're still like a child," he reproached her but his eyes were full of doting. It is said that an eldest sister is like a mother, and Yunshuang was also particularly dependent on Xie Yunchu, calling her sister in a tender voice.
They first stepped forward to pay their respects to the old lady, then the young masters said hello and left, and the female family members moved into the house to talk.
Aunt Lu also followed in.
After Xie Yunchu's mother left, it was Aunt Lu who took care of all the affairs in the backyard and managed the family's food, clothing and expenses. She did not have the title of mistress, but she was the mistress in reality.
On the other hand, concubines are not allowed to enter the upper rooms of the main courtyard at will, but Aunt Lu has free access in the Xie family.
Just as she was about to step in, Xie Yunchu suddenly turned around and smiled at her.
"By the way, Auntie, have I packed my place?"
Aunt Lu was stunned for a moment, then immediately retracted her legs, with a gentle and demure smile on her face. There was nothing wrong with her behavior. "I'll go and clean it up right away."
In the eyes of the Xie family, the eldest sister married well and lived a glorious life. Xie Yunchu never told anyone about the hardships she had gone through. Every time she returned home, everyone gathered around her. The Xie family was not large and there were not as many rules as in the royal palace, so the family was very happy.
Lunch was served in the old lady's main room. After the meal, the old lady dismissed everyone and took Xie Yunchu to the inner room to rest. In passing, she mentioned the matter of Aunt Lu's promotion to the legal wife.
"She has worked hard for the Xie family over the years and has been very attentive to your father. She has also been very considerate to me. Your father's intention is to make her the legitimate daughter of the family tree in public at this birthday banquet," the old lady asked Xie Yunchu, "Do you have any objection?"
Xie Yunchu sneered in his heart, "I will listen to my grandmother and father's arrangements on this matter."
The old lady nodded and said no more. She turned to ask about Xie Yunchu's situation in the Wang family. Xie Yunchu didn't want to make her worry, so he said yes to everything.
The old lady didn't believe it, and said bluntly, "Let's not talk about anything else. Your mother-in-law is a very confused person. She let you come back to stay for a few days this time. You must have put a lot of thought into it, right?"
Then he glanced at her belly.
"No movement yet?" The old lady was an experienced person and knew that intrigue was commonplace among the wealthy families. With a son, she had gained a firm foothold and was not afraid of difficulties from her mother-in-law.
Xie Yunchu's face was a little hot, "My granddaughter plans to take care of herself first, there's no rush for the baby."
The old lady glared at her and said, "You are so stupid. I see that you look much better. Your husband is going to go south soon. If you don't get pregnant at this critical moment, when will you get pregnant? Wait for him to bring back a concubine from Jiangnan to comfort you?"
The old lady never beats around the bush when she speaks.
"Right now, you two are very affectionate with each other. Once you separate, even the deepest feelings will fade. Hurry and get pregnant while there are still three months left."
Before the concubine could try to stop Xie Yunchu, the old lady's words pierced her heart.
In her previous life, she never complained in front of anyone. Wang Shuhuai looked gentle and modest, and everyone thought that they had a good relationship.
She had deep feelings for Wang Shuhuai, but Wang Shuhuai treated her with "cold respect".
Xie Yunchu responded calmly, "You're right, it's time to get pregnant."
That night, the couple lay together. Wang Shuhuai was indifferent, and Xie Yunchu had no interest in anything either. She could no longer cling to him like she did before. If Wang Shuhuai did not take the initiative, it was still unknown when the child would come.
The old lady was old and soon became weak. Xie Yunchu helped her lie down and quietly folded it.
Second Aunt Li was still sitting in the west room drinking tea, apparently waiting for her. She caught a glimpse of her smiling somewhat resentfully, "Did you really watch Lu become the wife?"
The only person in the Xie family who disliked Aunt Lu was the aunt in front of them. Li thought highly of herself and was disdainful of being a sister-in-law to Lu, who was born a concubine. She often instigated the old lady to stop Xie Hui from becoming the legal wife.
Xie Yunchu spoke for Aunt Lu without leaving any trace, "Aunt has given birth to a pair of children for father. Her hard work over the past ten years is obvious to all. When my sister is going to arrange a marriage in the future, she should be given a more glorious family background."
In her previous life, Xie Yunxiu did not return to the capital until Lu was confirmed as the legitimate daughter of the Xie family, in order to travel around the capital as the legitimate daughter of the Xie family.
After she ruined Xie Yunxiu's future, I don't know how she would stay in Jiangzhou?
Li still felt uncomfortable, and sighed in boredom for a long while, "Now that you say that, what can I do? In fact, someone came to me not long ago and wanted to find a good marriage for your father. Unfortunately, your father is tightly controlled by Aunt Lu, and he won't listen to a word others say."
These words reveal the truth.
Xie Yunchu agreed with this, but pretended to say, "Aunt, outsiders need to get used to each other when they come in, and you and my aunt are old acquaintances. Isn't it better for everyone to live in peace?"
In the evening, Xie Hui returned home and heard that Xie Yunchu had returned, so he came to the old lady's yard to have dinner.
The old lady looked at him without any extra expression on her face. She just pointed at Xie Yunchu and said to him,
"Your eldest daughter is back and is preparing a birthday party for you."
Xie Hui's eyes fell on Xie Yunchu's face. Looking at the face that looked very similar to Qiao's, he was slightly distracted, but soon changed his expression to a kind one. "It's good that you're back. It's not a birthday party, so there's no need to make a big fuss."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Xie Yunchu stood up and sat down next to Xie Hui. While looking at Aunt Lu who was busy running around, he glanced at everyone.
"Grandma, father, aunt, and auntie, I came back home early because I had an idea."
Everyone looked over.
Xie Yunchu looked at Aunt Lu and smiled sincerely, "Father wants to make Aunt his wife. That's a great joyous event. I agree with it. Not only do I agree, I think we should hold a formal family banquet before the birthday banquet, open the ancestral hall and list the family tree for Aunt, and then let Aunt host the birthday banquet as the mistress. This is more appropriate."
Aunt Lu's slender fingers trembled slightly, and tears rolled down her face first, "Chu'er..." She couldn't help herself and her body trembled.
Xie Hui thought about it for a moment and nodded slowly, "Chu'er does make sense."
If she was specially promoted to be the legitimate wife at the birthday banquet, it would draw more attention to Lu's background as a concubine. It would be better to promote her to be the legitimate wife first and let her appear in front of people as Madam Xie, which would make Lu more respectable.
Xie Hui looked at the old lady, "What do you think, mother?"
In short, it's all about getting married, so it doesn't matter if it's earlier or later. The old lady doesn't like ostentation, so she approves of Xie Yunchu's idea and says, "Just follow Chu'er's wishes."
Xie Yunchu did this because he didn't want anything to go wrong at his father's birthday party and didn't want his father's reputation to be damaged.
Aunt Lu ran over with tears in her eyes, hugged Xie Yunchu, and said excitedly, "My eldest lady, you treat me so sincerely, even if you want to take my life, I am willing to do it."
Aunt Lu always has the ability to say some high-sounding, tender and sweet words in a soothing way, and even if you know she is acting, you can't help but be moved.
Xie Yunchu avoided her embrace without leaving a trace, held her arm, and said with disgust, "What are you talking about? I hope you live a long life and accompany your father forever."
The family dinner was scheduled for the day after tomorrow. The next day, Xie Yunchu helped Aunt Lu to prepare for it. By the evening, everything was ready and she slept soundly.
Without any children to worry about, I can fall asleep right away with my head touched to the pillow.
Wang Shuhuai was not so lucky.
He completely forgot Xie Yunchu's instructions on the first night. It was not until the next day when he heard his colleagues mention their one-month-old baby that he remembered his wife's instructions before she left. So in the evening, Wang Shuhuai returned to Chunjingtang.
The heart-wrenching cry was deafening, and Wang Shuhuai immediately frowned.
Holding up her skirt, she quickly entered the yard and saw the maids and nannies gathered in the east wing. The crying inside was crisp and aggrieved, and it came in waves, making her head ache.
He doesn't like quarrels, and Chunjingtang has never been so messy.
Wang Shuhuai suppressed his anger, came to the door of the wing room and glanced inside. The seven-month-old child was rolling around on the bed, refusing to eat rice porridge no matter what, and the porridge was all over his body, bed and floor.
The servants knelt down to pay their respects, but Sister Ke was so immersed in crying that she didn't notice her father coming.
Wang Shuhuai pressed his eyebrows together. His tall figure stood at the door, making the whole room look cramped. His tone was quite gentle.
"What's going on?"
Nanny Lin knelt on the ground and trembled as she spoke, "Sister refused to eat the rice porridge. It was fine during the day, but when it got dark and she didn't see mother, she started to make a fuss."
Can't even do the smallest things well.
Wang Shuhuai's eyes were dull and almost emotionless.
When Ke Jie heard her father's voice, she stopped crying immediately. Her red face was still tense, and she lay on the bed with a pout looking at her father.
Wang Shuhuai usually doesn't like to hug his daughter. The child probably finds it novel and likes to stare at her father.
Wang Shuhuai walked over the messy water stains with an expressionless face, came to Luohan's bed, and leaned over to look at the dirty child. Sister Ke opened her big watery eyes and made a sound at him like a puppy. Maybe it was because Xie Yunchu taught her well, she actually made a coquettish sound and raised her chubby little hands, as if she wanted to be hugged.
Wang Shuhuai had no choice but to hold her under the armpits and lift her up, deliberately keeping some distance between them. Ke Jie'er was stronger than he had imagined, and she fell headfirst into his arms, with rice soup, tears and snot all over him.
Wang Shuhuai took a deep breath.
The child was feeling the novelty, so Wang Shuhuai fed her himself. He finally got her to eat two bites, but unfortunately she soon stared at the door and refused to eat anymore. Wang Shuhuai had a headache and had to look at Ke Jie'er with a stern face.
Sister Ke didn't even look at him. She was tired of crying, so she rolled off him and grabbed the tiger-head doll on the bed to start playing with it.
Wang Shuhuai took the opportunity to scoop a spoonful and serve it to her mouth. Ke Jieer raised her hand and waved the doll, inadvertently spreading the rice paste on the Luohan bed, and smiled happily at Wang Shuhuai.
Wang Shuhuai lost his temper. He put the bowl of porridge on the small table and didn't say anything for a long time.
Turning around, he asked the kneeling wet nurse and Aunt Lin,
“Who feeds you on weekdays?”
"Young Madam."
"Who put you to sleep?"
"She is also the young lady..."
Wang Shuhuai was silent for a moment, suppressed his impatience, and pointed at her forehead with his finger, "Doesn't she cry or make a fuss on weekdays?"
Nanny Lin smiled bitterly, "It's normal for children to cry. Grandma is careful and patient. Since she became a mother, she has taken care of all the headaches, fevers, abdominal pains and vomiting. She has become half a doctor."
Wang Shuhuai remained silent.
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