Chapter 4 Rejection
After the beginning of spring, there was a lot of rain and the moisture increased. On the way back from Cixin Hall, the outer clothes of the mother and son were stained with mist and dew and became damp.
In particular, Cuiwei Garden is located in a remote area of Duke Lu's Mansion, with many plants along the road.
Yun Wan took off the wet outer clothes of the two and gave them to the maid, took out a clean handkerchief to wipe her son's head, but saw that he was in a bad mood.
A white, soft and chubby little face was chubby, and two lightly arched eyebrows were wrinkled together, making him look like an old man.
Yun Wan couldn't help but rub his eyebrows and cheeks, teasing: "What's wrong? Who made our Sui brother unhappy?"
"Brother" is the name used by families with many brothers and sisters to address younger generations. A character from the given name is added in front of the name to distinguish it and make it sound slightly more formal.
However, the Lu family had few descendants in this life, and Asui had few brothers and sisters, so Yun Wan seldom called him that, unless occasionally joking, like now.
Ah Sui: "Mother, I don't like my grandmother."
Yun Wan was stunned, then she held his face with both hands, leaned over and asked seriously, "Why?"
With his cheek pressed against his mother's soft palm, Asui rubbed it with a hesitant look on his face.
Seeing this, Yun Wan dismissed her personal maid and closed the door, leaving only the mother and son in the room.
Yun Wan pulled her son to sit down and asked patiently, "Since there's no one else here, Ah Sui, can you tell Ah Niang the truth about why you don't like Grandmother?"
Ah Sui pursed his lips and said in a sullen tone, "Because grandma treats my mother badly."
Yun Wan was stunned.
Thinking about some of the rumors he had heard before, Yun Wan suspected that someone was gossiping about him in front of Asui. His heart sank suddenly and his face changed slightly:
"What makes you think that? Did someone tell you something?"
Yun Wan suspected that someone was gossiping and stirring up trouble in front of Asui.
However, Ah Sui shook his head, held Yun Wan's hand and said, "Grandmother always smiles when she sees others, but she is like this every time she sees A Niang."
His eyebrows suddenly twisted into a frown, and his eyes drooped, imitating the expression that Old Madam Lu had when she saw Yun Wan just now. At first glance, they looked about 70% similar.
Yun Wan couldn't help laughing, but quickly stopped herself.
Ah Sui puffed up his cheeks and continued, "Grandmother is always stern when she speaks to A-niang, but she's never like that with the other aunts and sisters-in-law. Even the incense and headband that A-niang painstakingly prepares for Grandmother, Grandmother never uses..."
He recounted the discoveries he had kept hidden in his heart for a long time, revealing his depressed mood: "I am no longer an ignorant three-year-old child. I see all of this. Grandma is just not treating you well."
Children are always sensitive to emotions. They may not understand the reason, but they can clearly and directly distinguish between likes and dislikes.
Old Madam Lu disliked Yun Wan, and her emotions were hard to hide when she was with her. Asui naturally noticed it over time.
Yun Wan felt complicated. She opened her arms and hugged Ah Sui in her arms, sighing, "My dearest baby..."
Lowering her head to meet his clear and pure eyes like a spring, she whispered, "Since that's the case, I'll tell you the truth. Your grandmother..."
After a slight pause, Yun Wan spoke gently and tactfully, "It's true that I have some misunderstandings about Mother, but these are matters between us adults, and the intricacies involved are very complicated. You're still young, so there's no need to worry about it. Don't take it to heart, okay?"
Ah Sui pouted, "But I feel sorry for you. Grandmother is always kind and friendly to the other aunts, so why would she treat you like this? I don't understand."
His mother was so good, the best person in the world, so why did his grandmother have to be so harsh on her?
Why?
Yun Wan naturally understood.
The Yun and Lu families had arranged a marriage many years ago. One of the Lu family's sons and doctors would marry the Yun family's daughter, but because the old man died early, it was not yet certain who would get married.
For the Yu Yun family, it was natural that they wanted their daughter to marry the eldest son of the Lu family.
But unfortunately, Lu Yuanduo, the eldest son of the Lu family, was engaged to the daughter of his mentor, and the wedding date was approaching.
As the Lu family was blessed with the emperor's grace and became prominent, in order to prevent the relationship between the two families from becoming estranged, the Yun family had no choice but to change the engagement partner to Lu Fenglan, the second son of the Lu family.
But everyone in Beijing knew that the third son of the Lu family was a sickly child. Since he was born, the Taoist fortune teller predicted that he would not live past the age of twenty. No family with a conscience would want to marry their daughter to a sickly child and ruin her life.
Madam Yun, Yun Wan's stepmother, is no exception.
He didn't want his daughter to marry a sickly man and waste her life, but he couldn't just pick a concubine's daughter to make an enemy, so the marriage naturally fell to Yun Wan.
Her biological mother died early, and she was not loved by her father and had no one to protect her, so she became the one who married the third son of the Lu family.
When her husband Lu Fenglan was still alive, Mrs. Lu was quite kind to Yun Wan and they got along normally.
However, ever since her husband's death, the old lady has been particularly displeased with her daughter-in-law Yun Wan, believing that she was too beautiful and that she was like a vixen, obsessed with her youngest son, sucking his blood and essence and completely corrupting his body.
In addition, they also believed in slander, thinking that Yun Wan had a hard life, would bring disaster to her husband and mother, and had an unlucky fate.
Even half a month after the death of the youngest son, the intention...
Recalling the situation at that time, Yun Wan trembled slightly all over and subconsciously hugged Asui tightly, feeling the warmth of his small body, and the coldness spreading to his limbs and bones, and the fear gradually subsided.
Fortunately, the child arrived in time.
Noticing his mother's strangeness, Asui raised his head and asked, "Mother?"
She suppressed all the emotions in her eyes and stroked his soft cheek with her palm, her face full of love: "My dear son, I am very happy and relieved that you have this kind heart. Before I knew it, my child has grown up and become a caring child."
"But Auntie still has to say that this is a matter between me and your grandmother. Since you are still young and can't handle it, leave it to us adults to handle it, okay?"
Asui neither nodded nor shook his head, his expression showing a hint of confusion.
Yun Wan then asked him, "It's a good thing that you can tell what others like and dislike, but I'm asking, is Grandmother good to you?"
Asui thought for a moment and nodded obediently, "Grandma is very good to me, even better than she is to my cousin Changze."
Yun Wan nodded at him, her tone gentle as water: "That's it. How Grandmother treats A Niang is one thing, and how she treats you is another. The two cannot be confused and need to be treated separately, understand? No matter what, she is your grandmother, your elder, and it is a fact that she treats you well, right?"
Asui nodded.
Yun Wan raised her lips and said, "As the saying goes, a drop of water should be repaid with a spring. You should be grateful to those who are good to you and never let them feel disappointed."
"As for the rift between my mother and my grandmother, we should handle it ourselves. Do you understand?"
Although there were many disagreements between her and the old lady, Yun Wan did not want Asui, at such a young age, to be affected and unable to distinguish right from wrong. At least the old lady loved him sincerely.
Ah Sui nodded, not quite understanding, "I see."
Yun Wan was relieved.
Then he said crisply, "But I still don't like my grandmother."
Yun Wan blurted out: "Why?"
Asui: "Because she treats you badly."
Yun Wan:.........
She held her forehead and laughed angrily.
Facing A Niang's helpless eyes, Asui put his hands in his pockets, his eyes innocent and stubborn.
In fact, there was another reason he didn't say: he didn't like his grandmother always saying that he looked like his father.
Whether Asui learned to write a word, recite a poem, read an article, or tell a story, his grandmother would praise him for being as smart as his father and inheriting his father's intelligence.
Whenever he heard such words, Asui always felt awkward, as if everything he had learned was attributed to his father.
Because his father is smart, he is also smart. Because his father can do it, he can learn it.
But it is clear that the words, phrases and poems that Asui learned were all the result of A Niang's patient teaching and his own diligent study.
He did not slack off during this period.
To be honest, didn't he inherit his mother's intelligence and talent?
Just like what happened just now at his grandmother's house, he also listened to his mother's teachings last night and took the initiative to talk about his father, which moved his grandmother to tears and she agreed to send him to school.
Yun Wan sighed softly and rubbed his buns hard, "Then let's keep this a secret between us, mother and son. Don't tell anyone else, don't let anyone know your true thoughts, okay?"
After all, Asui is a junior, and if his meaning gets out and is misinterpreted, it will be disadvantageous to him.
Yun Wan didn't want her son to be criticized for being unfilial and despised by others.
Ah Sui nodded, shaking his head seriously: "My child understands that a gentleman should not show his emotions."
Being amused by him, Yun Wan reached out and scratched his nose: "Xiaoxuejiu."
Asui was slightly shy and threw herself into Yun Wan's arms like a young swallow. She smelled the unique scent on her body, which was as warm as the sun, and her heart was filled with attachment.
He lied to his grandmother. He was determined to pass the imperial examination not for his father, but to be able to protect his mother when he grew up.
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