Both Ms. Xu and Ms. Xie Tingting were momentarily stunned.
I understand each word of this statement, so why don't I understand it when they're put together?
Qu Yuning looked around at the people and said, "Niece, I want to talk to you all alone."
Madam Xu waved her hand, telling Duo'er to chase everyone away.
Caiwei took the dog out to play as well.
"Uncle, what do you mean?" Xu asked anxiously.
“I sell radishes in the East City and have seen the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang going in and out of a courtyard many times. He keeps a woman there and has a son who is four or five years old.”
Madam Xu's first reaction was disbelief: "Uncle, are you sure you're not mistaken? You know the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang?"
"I didn't see wrong, it's real!"
Where in Dongcheng had Qu Yuning ever sold radishes before? Nor had she ever met Gu Chengyan.
He only learned of this news on the third day of the Lunar New Year.
After the Lunar New Year, relatives from all the families in the village would come to visit. On the third day of the Lunar New Year, a strange woman stood at his door and wouldn't leave. He asked the woman who she was looking for.
The woman told him she wanted to find Qu Yuning.
Qu Yuning said, "That's me. Just say what's on your mind."
The woman said, "I heard you are the maternal uncle of the First Madam of the Xie family?"
Qu Yuning said he was Xu Yingrong's uncle, but he rarely had any contact with the Xie family.
The woman told him, "Miss Xie married the heir of the Marquis of Pingyang. That man is a scoundrel. He keeps women outside and swindled all of your grandniece's dowry. He even said he would divorce her once the dowry was gone."
That woman was a plant hired by Dong Qin. She had already found out everything about Gu Chengyan keeping a mistress and told him about it in detail.
Qu Yuning originally didn't want to get involved. He was a countryman who was looked down upon by his own sister, niece, and grandniece. They never let him into the house. Now he was going to interfere with his grandniece.
Why do something that everyone finds annoying?
But the woman said, "No matter what, Miss Xie is your grandniece. You should go and tell the Xie family, or you'll have a guilty conscience for the rest of your life."
Qu Yuning asked her who she was.
"I'm the adulterer madwoman from the south of the city," the woman said defiantly. "My ex-husband kept a mistress and swindled all my dowry. I fought with her, and he divorced me. Now I'm fearless, and whoever keeps a mistress, I'll fight them to the death."
Qu Yuning was skeptical, but the man gave him the address of Dongcheng and said, "If you don't believe me, go and see for yourself."
Qu Yuning was still worried. If he went to the Xie residence and reported false information, the Xie and Hou residences would probably catch him and beat him to death!
He abandoned his household affairs and went to the eastern part of Kyoto in person, where he indeed saw Prince Gu enter the courtyard at the address.
Qu Yuning climbed up a large locust tree nearby and saw Gu Chengyan and Guan Yingying hugging and cuddling.
He was so angry his face turned green.
The old uncle spent two or three days looking at the tree to make sure it was correct before he went back and brought his wife and grandson to report to Xu under the pretext of visiting relatives during the New Year.
Qu Yuning said sincerely to Madam Xu, "You are my sister's biological daughter, I would never lie to you. I'm telling you this not for any personal gain. Here's the address of that courtyard, you can decide what to do with it yourself."
"Uncle, thank you so much for making this special trip in this cold weather," Xu said gratefully, gesturing for Duo'er to get the silver notes for Qu Yuning.
Xie Tingting remained silent, listening intently. She shared the same thought as Xu Shi: Qu Yuning would definitely mention the hardship fee.
"I still have many relatives at home, so I won't stay here any longer." Qu Yuning didn't take her silver notes and went back first.
Qu's wife was somewhat surprised. She hadn't even eaten, and she left so quickly?
She didn't want to come when she arrived, but Qu Yuning insisted on coming. See? She was looked down upon.
The family of three walked out of the Xu family's courtyard and happened to meet Ying'er at the second gate. Ying'er said in surprise, "Grand-uncle, you're leaving already? Why don't you have some food before you go?"
Qu Yuning said there were still many guests at home.
Thinking of how much money Xie Zhaozhao had given her last time, which allowed her family to repair their house, prepare a very nice dowry for her granddaughter, and even accumulate several acres of land, Qu Yuning said excitedly, "Sister, could you show me the way? I want to kowtow to the old lady and the young lady."
Ying'er had heard Old Madam Xie say that no poor person should be underestimated, as many great things are often ruined by insignificant little people.
Ying'er quickly said, "Okay, Grandfather, come with me."
As Xu watched Qu Yuning leave, she suddenly burst into laughter.
He glanced at Xie Tingting and said, "What are you doing here? Didn't you surrender to them?"
"I just want to advise Mother to stop unconditionally protecting Second Sister," Xie Tingting advised. "Mother, you have to make a choice, otherwise, Second Sister might drag Jin'er and me into the abyss."
"Don't worry, I'll help her this once. If she's still that stupid, I'll never help her again."
When Ms. Xu said this, Xie Tingting knew that her mother couldn't let go of Xie Xiangxiang at all, and that she always said it was the last time.
Without saying another word, he left with Caiwei and the vegetable basket.
Madam Xu said to Duo'er, "Prepare a New Year's gift for the Marquis's residence. I'm going to visit the Second Miss."
Duo'er prepared a gift, and Madam Xu went to Wutong Garden to ask Madam Xie for permission: "Mother, the Second Miss's words and actions were inappropriate, I will go and teach her a lesson."
With a sharp look in her eyes, Madam Xie said, "You should think it over."
Madam Xu, along with Duo'er, the highly skilled guard Zhang Lan, two gardeners and three grooms from the manor, drove two carriages, carrying sticks and ropes, to the Marquis's manor.
Outside the Pingyang Marquis's residence, Madam Xu told Zhang Lan, the gardener, and the groom to wait in the distance while she led Duo'er into the residence.
When the old lady and Madam Tu saw that Madam Xu had come to the mansion, they didn't stand on ceremony. Xie Xiangxiang had been expelled from the Xie family, and Madam Xu had been stripped of her management duties and imprisoned in the family temple for half a year. They despised her from the bottom of their hearts.
"The in-laws have arrived? Let's go see the young master's wife," Madam Tu said indifferently. "On the second day of the Lunar New Year, the Xie family couldn't even return home. The young master has completely lost face. I wonder how Madam Xie disciplines her daughter?"
Madam Xu was furious, but she couldn't vent it. After all, her daughter was already married, and Xie Xiangxiang had been ordered by Xie Anfeng never to enter the Xie residence again.
She and her daughter had no choice but to keep a low profile!
She suppressed her anger and went to Fanghua Garden with Duo'er.
Anxiang, who was at the door, saw them first and hurriedly opened the cotton curtain to let Xu Shi into the house.
When Xu saw Xie Xiangxiang lying on the bed, her face haggard, her eyes immediately welled up with tears.
"Mother?" Xie Xiangxiang was taken aback. She hurriedly got out of bed and poured hot water for Madam Xu, asking, "Why are you here?"
Madam Xu said to her, "Have all the maids leave. I have something to tell you."
After watching the maids leave, Madam Xu sat by Xie Xiangxiang's bedside, staring intently at her for a while, and said, "Tell me the truth, did you and Gu Chengyan consummate your marriage?"
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