Chapter 13
Today, Yunyou wore a royal blue brocade jacket and a snow-white soft fur cloak.
A gilded butterfly hairpin adorned her hair, and her features were exquisitely beautiful.
After not seeing her for a few days, Fu'er felt that she had become even more beautiful.
Thinking of how she had framed her last time, Fu'er's goodwill towards her vanished, replaced by a sense of disgust.
But remembering her cousin Cui Cui's reminder that the more gentle and dignified a woman appears on the surface, the more scheming she is.
Since she says one thing to your face and another behind your back.
Fu'er also wanted to follow her method.
She smiled sweetly and walked a few steps to Yunyou. "Miss Yunyou, is this your cat?"
"You don't resemble me at all."
As soon as he said that, Yun You and Cai Wei's expressions changed.
“Our girl raises a cat, not a person, so how could they resemble each other?”
Fu'er smiled sheepishly, "Please don't be offended, young lady. I just think this tabby cat is too fierce and doesn't suit your temperament at all."
The tabby cat at Fu'er's feet seemed to understand her words, and it bristled and bared its teeth at her.
Startled, Xiao Ju immediately darted out of Fu'er's arms and disappeared in a flash.
The tea flavor that Fu'er had just learned to use immediately shattered on the spot.
Yunyou covered her mouth and laughed.
Caiwei said proudly, "Our young lady likes tabby cats, and it was with the young master's permission."
"Whatever Little Orange has in the future, Little Flower will have too."
Fu'er's heart skipped a beat, thinking to herself, "As expected, Ning Shiyu treats Yun You differently."
He disliked cats and dogs. When he was a child, he was chased away many times for trying to bring Xiaoju's mother into his house.
In the end, seeing how shameless Fu'er was, he couldn't be bothered to argue with her.
She couldn't help but sigh, realizing that it really was just as her cousin had said: men are despicable. By using one woman to defeat another, they don't even have to lift a finger, saving themselves a lot of trouble.
It seems that getting Ning Shiyu to take the initiative to pursue her again is extremely difficult, and there's absolutely no chance.
Seeing Caiwei and her servant Yunyou, she bypassed her and went directly to Ning Shiyu's study.
Fu'er mustered her strength and went into Ning Shiyu's bedroom to change his bedding.
On the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, the mansion welcomed a distinguished guest, the matriarch of the Ning family.
When Ning Shiyu returned home, the old lady had already been there for quite some time.
Granny Yu arranged for them to stay in the guest courtyard.
When Ning Shiyu went to the guest house, he also brought Yunyou with him.
The old lady was over sixty years old, and her eyes revealed a gentle smile that came from years of pampered life, and her eyes were clear and bright.
He was wearing a thick, dark blue Hangzhou silk jacket, and was accompanied by two old women and a maid.
Ning Shiyu lifted the leather curtain and saw the old lady sitting in the main seat of the flower hall.
Granny Yu, who was accompanying them, chatted about everyday things.
He immediately put on a smile and said, "Grandmother, Yu'er is back."
"I was busy today and couldn't pick you up in person. It's all my fault."
Upon seeing Ning Shiyu return, the old lady immediately rose from her rosewood armchair and said with a kind smile, "Your business matters are of utmost importance."
"Grandma misses you terribly and worries every day that you're not eating or dressing well here."
"Thank God, my grandson is not only growing more and more handsome, but also getting stronger and stronger."
After looking Ning Shiyu up and down, the old lady walked up to Ning Shiyu.
He wanted to pat him on the shoulder, but Ning Shiyu took a step towards the dragon gate rack, took off his fox fur coat and casually hung it up.
The old lady's expression froze, and her outstretched hand changed course to tidying her sleeves.
He then sat back down in his original seat, a kind smile on his face the whole time.
Ning Shiyu sat down to the lower right of the old lady.
Only then did the old lady notice that Yunyou had also come in.
His brows furrowed slightly.
Upon seeing the old woman's cold expression, Yunyou dared not look up again.
With his head bowed, he stood behind Ning Shiyu.
"Grandmother, I feel really guilty for the long journey these past two weeks."
"I've kept you waiting for so long."
The old lady smiled and said, "Coming to see my grandson makes me happy, and I don't feel tired at all."
"Then Grandmother must stay in Lingyang for a while longer, just to keep her grandson company, okay?"
"Okay, okay, Grandma promises you."
Then Ning Shiyu instructed Mu Li, who was standing at the door, "Have someone prepare the meal."
A moment later, the maids brought the food to the table one after another.
Ning Shiyu then invited the old lady to the dining room on the other side, which was separated by a mica screen.
The eight-immortal table was laden with all sorts of delicious dishes, all of which were favorites of the people of Chang'an.
There are dishes such as roasted goose and duck, venison, minced meat and jade slices, stewed turtle with mutton fat, and five kinds of raw ingredients.
The old lady was astonished to see the table laden with delicacies.
Even in Chang'an, she had never tasted such delicacies.
Many of these were things that the Ning family couldn't afford.
Then she thought of the items in Ning Shi Yuwen Pavilion, each one of which was extremely luxurious, some of which she didn't even recognize.
She resented her grandson even more, for he was so wealthy but refused to share even a fraction of his wealth with the Ning Mansion in Chang'an.
"Grandma, do you like these dishes?"
"It was all made to your taste."
The old lady replied with a smile, "Yu'er, you're so thoughtful. Grandmother loves all these dishes."
"It was just a bit expensive."
"As long as Grandma is happy."
Ning Shiyu personally served the food to the old lady, creating a warm and harmonious scene between the grandmother and granddaughter.
Yunyou stood to one side, carefully serving the old lady.
After several rounds of drinks and several dishes of food,
The old lady spoke again, "Yu'er, you're not young anymore, it's time to settle your marriage."
"That's why I've come here."
After listening to his grandmother's long and polite conversation, Ning Shiyu finally revealed the purpose of his trip.
His expression faltered slightly, then he smiled faintly, "Thank you for your concern, Grandmother. I'm busy with business every day and don't want to talk about marriage yet."
The old lady put down her jade chopsticks and said sternly, "What kind of man doesn't get married? You're already twenty-one this year. Your parents' spirits in heaven won't rest in peace."
"Besides, the princess's residence has been empty for a long time. You've been in Lingyang for so long, it's time for you to return to Chang'an."
"Yu'er, listen to your grandmother. How about we go back to Chang'an together this time to finalize the marriage?"
Seeing that the old lady showed no sadness when she mentioned her son and daughter-in-law.
Ning Shiyu clenched his hands and smiled gently, but the smile didn't reach his eyes. "My grandson is used to being free and easy. I believe that if my parents were here, they wouldn't interfere too much."
"Grandson is very grateful that Grandmother brought Yunyou to his side."
"With her around, it doesn't matter whether my grandson gets married or not."
"I have no plans to return to Chang'an to live permanently in the next few years."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sound of a plate breaking came from outside.
The people inside the room were all taken aback.
It wasn't until Mu Li replied, "It was Xiao Ju who pushed the flowerpot under the eaves," that things changed.
The group then suppressed their surprise.
Yun You's eyes suddenly lit up with excitement.
The old lady looked at Yun You with a cold expression.
She sent Yun You to Ning Shiyu's side in order to win Ning Shiyu over.
The beauty has been delivered for several months, but Ning Shiyu hasn't shown any reaction whatsoever.
Not only did he keep a tight grip on his shop in Chang'an, but he also provided ordinary items for his cousin's dowry when she got married.
Now that's great, Yun You has been delivered right to his heart, and he doesn't even want his legal wife anymore.
How did she report back to the Empress?
The old lady suppressed her anger and gently advised, "No matter how good Yunyou is, you still need to marry a proper wife."
"Please don't make your grandmother worry, okay?"
"Your grandmother has already arranged a marriage for you in Chang'an. Why don't you come back with your grandmother to take a look?"
Ning Shiyu served the old lady a bowl of bird's nest and placed it in front of her. "Grandmother, I can't leave Lingyang and can't return to Chang'an for the time being."
"She has no plans to get married; Yu'er's mind is made up."
One sentence stopped the old lady from saying what she was about to say.
After the meal, Ning Shiyu took Yunyou away, citing other matters.
Yunyou also stayed at Wenxuan Pavilion that night.
*
The Luo family in Xieqiao Lane were having dinner together.
Business was good today, so the shop closed late.
Luo Linchun and her son and daughter-in-law also returned late.
Wen prepared the meal and waited until the three of them returned.
Today, Wen made fish-shaped steamed buns, and the whole family loved them.
"Mother, did Uncle send this fish again today?"
The son, Luo Qiusheng, was eating a steamed bun, his mouth dripping with oil.
Wen joked, "How can we get fish from your uncle's shop every day? He's a businessman too, he can't afford us eating like this."
"This fish was bought by your younger sister,"
After saying that, he picked up the fattest piece of fish belly for Man'er, and then picked up a piece for each of his two grandsons.
Madam Ma felt relieved and kindly reminded her, "Little sister, you don't have much money on you. In the future, you should let your mother buy these vegetables."
Man'er knew her sister-in-law was just saying it, so she smiled but didn't answer.
Just then, the door creaked open, and the group saw Fu'er walk in with a bundle slung over her shoulder and a dejected expression.
She said weakly, "I'm back."
Ms. Wen stood up and took the bundle from her shoulder.
Unexpectedly, the bundle was so heavy that Ms. Wen couldn't lift it with one hand and immediately placed it on the dining table.
Luo Linchun put down his chopsticks and saw that Fu'er looked tired. He asked, "Why are you back at this time? Have you eaten?"
Fu'er shook her head and went into the inner room.
Luo Qiusheng smelled the aroma from the bundle, eagerly opened it, and exclaimed with delight, "It's roast lamb!"
The family was overjoyed, but then they saw a broken long porcelain plate inside the bundle.
They were all puzzled.
The two children's mouths watered, and they immediately tried to grab it.
Luo Qiusheng then took a cleaver from the kitchen and cut the mutton in half. "We're really in for a treat today."
Fu'er used to bring food home often, and the family got used to it.
They usually bring back either pastries or meat.
This is the first time I've had roasted lamb, and it's a whole lamb at that.
Luo Qiusheng, Madam Ma, and their two children began to feast.
The elderly couple, along with Man'er and her two children, were worried about Fu'er.
It's rare to see her like this.
She loves lamb the most. When she was a child, she would wait outside someone's house for a long time if they cooked lamb.
But he didn't eat a single bite today, which is very unusual.
Concerned about Fu'er, Madam Wen went directly into the side room.
I saw her sitting on the bed, secretly wiping away her tears.
Madam Wen felt a pang of heartache and sat down next to Fu'er, pulling her half-into her arms. "What's wrong? Did someone bully you?"
Fu'er was optimistic from a young age and rarely shed tears.
She shook her head without saying a word, and simply pushed Wen out the door.
Tonight, Fu'er and another maid will go to the guest courtyard to deliver the last dish to the distinguished guests of the mansion.
At the door, he overheard Ning Shiyu saying that he hadn't returned to Chang'an for the past few years.
He had previously told his close friends that he would return to Chang'an within the next year or two.
Now it's become that they haven't gone back for the past few years.
She's sixteen this year, and her parents are already giving her a colorless body.
They disagreed with the idea of becoming someone else's concubine.
I simply can't wait a few years.
Hearing how much he loved Yunyou, the plan he had been cherishing for so long suddenly came to nothing.
Fu'er was heartbroken and didn't care whether Ning Shiyu would punish her or not.
He couldn't hear what Mu Li said, picked up the roasted lamb and plate from the ground, and went home.
That evening, Man'er asked her several times, and Fu'er always said that nothing was wrong.
She didn't want her sister to worry about her.
He used to be full of enthusiasm and wanted to give his sister and Le Ge'er a spacious place to live.
It seems hopeless now.
She covered herself with the blanket and cried secretly again.
It seems like he's suddenly lost all motivation, and he doesn't even want to go back to the Ning residence anymore.
If you can't have it, it's better to leave early than to stare at it every day.
*
The old lady stayed at the Ning residence for a few days, but seeing that Ning Shiyu wouldn't budge, she was at a loss for what to do.
They had no choice but to return to Chang'an.
With the arrival of the old lady, Yunyou's status in the household was essentially confirmed.
Everyone below calls her Auntie.
Although Ning Shiyu neither admitted it nor stopped him, it was considered that he tacitly agreed.
Yunyou was overjoyed, already considering herself as half a master.
Granny Yu couldn't figure out Ning Shiyu's intentions, so she waited until he returned to the mansion that evening and asked for his opinion.
But before she could even speak...
Ning Shiyu asked first, "Fu'er, where have you been these past few days?"
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