"Mother, why? Doesn't she just want Second Sister to only see you and me, and not be allowed to enter any other courtyards?" Xie Tingting knew that Old Madam Xie's words were not kind.
"Your grandmother intends to divorce me! Your second sister can indeed see you and me without needing to enter the Xie residence!"
Upon hearing Xu's words, Xie Tingting's face immediately turned pale.
Second Sister will never return to the Xie family!
If they keep causing trouble and keep standing up for their second sister, then their mother, she, and the Xie family will all abandon them!
Does the fact that Xu was divorced mean that after being taken away by the Crown Prince's residence, she would no longer receive any support from the Xie family?
Without the Xie family behind her, she, a concubine of the crown prince, is less than an ant.
My grandmother was so cruel!
Xie Tingting immediately understood the implications.
She glanced at the maids Caiwei and Cailan standing outside the door, then suddenly stood up and cried, "Mother, you always say that Grandmother favors my eldest sister, but aren't you also favoring my second sister?"
Mrs. Xu was momentarily stunned: "Tingting..."
Xie Tingting left Xu's courtyard and stood at the door crying, "How many times has my second sister disrespected my eldest sister? Isn't it all because of your instigation? I am young, and you are my mother. I am powerless to refuse you, but that doesn't mean I can't distinguish right from wrong!"
Ms. Xu was dumbfounded.
Caiwei and Cailan saw that she was crying so hard that they were a little confused about what was going on, so they quickly persuaded her not to cry, saying that crying during the New Year was bad luck.
Xie Tingting wiped away her tears and said, "Indeed, my elder sister is coming back to her parents' home today, and it would be inappropriate for her to see me crying like this."
Wiping away her tears, she said to Madam Xu, "I am also your biological daughter, but you have never cared about my future because of my second sister. Mother, since you are so stubborn, I will sever all ties with you from now on."
I went to Wutong Garden with Caiwei and Cailan.
The women were eating when she entered, smiling, and went to Xie Zhaozhao's side, saying, "Elder sister, could you stay at the manor for a couple more days? The opera troupe is performing here these days."
Seeing that there were still some tear stains on her face, Xie Zhaozhao asked Yuanyuan to get a warm towel to wipe her face, and said with a smile, "What happened to you? Have you eaten?"
"Eldest sister is the best... Tingting misses eldest sister." Xie Tingting said, tears welling up again, but she dared not let them fall. With red eyes, she smiled and said, "When I see eldest sister, I feel happy... Eldest sister, I was ignorant before. Eldest sister disciplined me a lot, and I listened to everything you said."
Xie Zhaozhao patted her hand and smiled faintly.
Xie Tingting's attitude indicates that she is prepared to give up on Xie Xiangxiang.
Madam Xie said, "Find a seat and eat properly. Your elder sister also needs to eat. Don't talk while eating or sleeping."
Xie Tingting hummed in agreement and hurriedly apologized before moving to another seat.
Madam Xie the Second and Madam Xie the Third were overjoyed and came to keep Xie Zhaozhao company.
"Zhaozhao, the salt well you helped your second uncle negotiate has really been a great help. You have no idea how much the original salt tax revenue was only 800,000 strings of cash a year. Now that your second uncle has taken over this salt well, how much will his annual income be? Based on the operation these past few months, this alone will bring in 12 million strings of cash a year."
The national treasury's revenue could increase by ten million strings of cash out of thin air, increasing total revenue by half!
"Your second uncle was originally a judge of the fifth rank. He was promoted to the fifth rank in this assessment. He was promoted in just a few months! Your second uncle was so happy that he couldn't sleep. He said that raising a daughter should be like raising our eldest daughter."
Madam Xie had thought it through; their second branch of the family would follow Xie Zhaozhao's lead for generations to come.
Madam Xie smiled and said, "Of course you're happy. An Huai is now highly regarded by His Majesty, and Xie Jue has been admitted to the Palace Guard. You should be secretly delighted!"
Madam Xie also tried very hard to curry favor with Xie Zhaozhao. Xie Xiuxiu was almost fourteen years old, and Xie Lang was twelve. Whether it was for marriage or education, they all needed Xie Zhaozhao's help.
After lunch, Xie Zhaozhao said to Madam Xie, "I have some things I need my second brother to do. Can you rest assured, Aunt?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Xie was extremely excited and immediately declared, "You can send him away as you please, without worrying about our opinions. I agree to it, and your second uncle will definitely agree as well."
"Then call your second brother over here."
Madam Xie Er asked a servant to go check on the male guests. Xie Jue came over shortly afterward, and Xie Zhaozhao said to him, "These next few days, switch your duties at the Palace Guard with someone else. I have something I need you to do."
Xie Jue was overjoyed and, without asking what it was about, readily agreed, just like Madam Xie.
That evening, Xie Zhaozhao, Gu Zhongjin, Yin Jinan, and Li Yunmu met at Yuehu Garden.
Afterwards, Yunyang, Yunyuan, Yunxiao, along with Xie Jiuliang who had returned for the New Year, took Gu Chongjin and Xie Jue with them and left the capital on horseback.
Although the New Year had passed, the weather in the capital was still very cold. As Gu Chongjin and his group left the capital, snowflakes began to fall from the sky again.
After the group left, Xie Zhaozhao walked out of Moon Lake Garden. The bitter cold swept through the entire Dagan, and amidst the white snow, the red plum blossoms adorned the entire Moon Lake Garden.
Before she knew it, she saw Gu Shaoyu waiting for her at the garden gate. He had drunk a little too much at the luncheon at the Xie residence, and his fair face was still flushed.
Beneath the tall, leafless sycamore tree, beside a thicket of bushes, the man gave the impression of a child waiting for his mother to come home, or a naive puppy waiting for its owner, gazing expectantly in one direction, his clear eyes pure and untainted by any worldly thoughts or vulgarity.
Xie Zhaozhao couldn't help but laugh when she saw that he was covered in a layer of snow.
Why are you standing here?
"Wait for you!"
Why not go inside?
"You didn't tell me to come in." His voice carried a hint of grievance. "I was afraid of interfering with your business."
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