Chapter 128 A man who claims to be the steward of my cousin's family wants to take my cousin back to her hometown
What Du Heng's words meant was self-evident at this point.
Cheng was overjoyed, but her son said he would report to her after the Spring Examination, so she didn't dare to say anything. She just looked at Rong with a burning anticipation that seemed to burn a hole in Rong's clothes.
Compared to Cheng, the old lady was much more experienced and shrewd. She just said, "Heng'er is right. We will discuss it again after the Spring Examination."
Then, he casually mentioned, "I remember Ying'er's birthday is next month. When the time comes, let's hold a grand coming-of-age ceremony for her, okay?"
After saying that, he looked at his second daughter-in-law, waiting for her response.
For the first time ever, Rong did not respond to her mother-in-law's words. She set her eyes on her niece, just wanting to know whether Ying'er had really made up her mind.
Su Ying lowered her head. Her ears were red as she listened to Du Heng's words, her heart pounding with every word he spoke. When she heard her grandmother call her name, she raised her blushing face and met her aunt's inquiring gaze.
She couldn't hide it from her aunt, nor did she want to hide it from her aunt. In her eyes, her aunt was her mother.
There was a sense of determination in her eyes. She nodded slightly towards her aunt. Her eyes were clear and bright, and her cheeks were rosy and pretty, which reminded Rong of the happy but short time she had with her husband.
Weren't they like this in the beginning, with true feelings and firm determination, unwavering and unyielding.
Rong sighed softly in her heart: Since you have made up your mind, your aunt will fulfill your wish!
She slowly withdrew her gaze, turned around and bowed to her mother-in-law before continuing, "Mother, although Ying'er is my niece, I treat her as my own. I want to organize her coming-of-age ceremony properly."
After hearing this, the old lady knew that Rong had agreed. She breathed a sigh of relief and said with a smile, "Of course. You can make it as grand as you want. Ying'er is our Du family's own child!"
"Yes, yes." Seeing her sister-in-law finally agree, Cheng felt relieved. She stepped forward and took Rong's hand, saying, "Ruolan, whatever you say, we'll do it. Everything is up to you!"
The main room was filled with joy. After days of turmoil, the sea finally calmed down.
However, at this moment, Qingquan came in.
Seeing the masters chatting and laughing, he hesitated for a moment and stood at the door, not knowing whether to go forward or backward.
Fortunately, when Du Heng looked back at Su Ying again, he saw Qingquan hesitating, so he waved and called him to his side.
"What is it?"
Du Heng asked him with a smile.
Qingquan originally wanted to whisper this to the young master, but after being asked this question, he had no choice but to speak in public: "There is a man who claims to be the steward of my cousin's family. He said he brought a letter from Master Su and wanted to take my cousin back to his hometown."
As soon as the words fell, everyone's faces changed, even Su Ying was slightly stunned.
She recalled that before leaving Beijing, her grandfather used his reputation among the literati in Jiangnan to force Su Jianrong to give up the idea of marrying her to a fifty-year-old widower, and only then did he allow her to go to Beijing.
The two families agreed that if the Rong family could find a good match for Su Ying in Beijing, the Su family would not interfere. If they could not find one, after Su Ying returned home, the Rong family could no longer use their power to prevent the Su family from finding a partner for her.
"It's only right for the young lady to go to the capital to take care of her aunt, and we can't stop her. However, the young lady is now fourteen years old, and she will have to be betrothed after returning home in two years. When that time comes, she won't be able to act so willfully!"
The harsh voice of stepmother Lin was still echoing in her ears more than a month later, and now the Su family suddenly sent someone to pick her up.
Given their usual behavior, going back on their word wasn't uncommon, but sending a steward to pick her up personally made Su Ying suspicious. After all, when she went to the capital, the Su family was incredibly cold and indifferent. Not only did no one come to see her off, they even refused to give her a maid, leaving her to go to the capital in such a miserable state.
During the two years in the Su Mansion, Su Ying had already grown cold towards her father Su Jianrong. If it weren't for someone in the family speaking up, how could he have taken her back home after she had been in her maternal grandfather's care for ten years?
This time, I'm afraid he has bad intentions.
"Where is the steward? I'll go see him."
Su Ying was not afraid at all. She went forward in person and wanted Qingquan to take her to see him.
"This is the Du Mansion. Not everyone can come and do whatever they want!" Du Heng naturally did not want Su Ying to face it alone. He intervened and said softly, "I'll take care of everything!"
Rong stepped forward and shook her head at Du Heng, saying, "I will naturally handle the Su family's visitor."
Then he added, "Heng'er, you have your own things to do. Focus on preparing for the exam and don't let other things distract you."
Rong's eyes were firm and she would not allow Du Heng to refuse. At this critical juncture, no one wanted to make any more mistakes.
Su Ying understood her aunt's intention and relaxed her expression. She pretended to be relaxed and said, "My going to the capital was agreed upon by my grandfather and father. Don't worry."
As he spoke, he followed Rong and said, "Aunt, I will go with you."
......
After Qingquan received the message from the doorman, he specifically asked the doorman to take the person to the side hall next to the hanging flower gate, and neither let him sit down nor give him more tea.
He and the young master had witnessed what the young lady looked like when she first came. Although he had not deliberately eavesdropped on their conversation, as the young master's personal attendant, he could not help but hear some of their words.
Now that someone from the Su family had come to visit, he naturally wanted to vent his anger on behalf of his cousin. So, he confidently told the doorman, "He's just a servant from my cousin's family. Just let him wait there."
The steward sent by the Su family was named Su Run. He was a servant promoted by Su Ying's mother after Su Jianrong decided to go into business.
It was he who followed Su Jianrong, taking advantage of his business, to accompany his master in having affairs with other women, to keep watch at the door, and to redeem Lin Meifen, who came from a brothel.
It was also he who bought a house in the west of the city for the master without telling his wife. Not only did he settle Lin Meifen down, he also called her "Madam" all the time. His flattering appearance won Lin Meifen's respect.
It was he, after the legitimate wife passed away, who, intentionally or unintentionally, repeated some of the things Lin Meifen had taught him, stirring up the old master's resentment at not being valued by the Rong family for many years. Finally, at the master's command, Lin, pregnant with twins, was brought into the Su residence.
Such a man who can adapt to the situation naturally knows how to read people's faces and bend and flex with ease. He knew that he was in the capital at the moment, and he had heard from his master that the late master of the Du family was originally the Minister of Rites. Therefore, even if he saw that someone was deliberately neglecting him, he did not dare to express any dissatisfaction.
I don’t know how long it took, but I felt my feet going numb. When I was rubbing my legs, I heard a noise outside the door.
He looked in the direction of the voice and saw his own young lady, supporting the second young lady of the Rong family, now the second wife of the Du family, whom he had not seen for many years, walking slowly towards them.
Su Run immediately leaned forward and said respectfully, "Madam Du, Miss, I, the old servant Su Run, have been ordered by the master to take the young lady back to her hometown."
"Master said that the young lady's birthday is coming up, and there's no point holding her coming-of-age ceremony at a relative's house. This is Master's handwritten letter, please take a look, Madam Du."
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