Upon hearing Liu Mingjie's name, Song Anxin immediately thought of the time he fought with Xiaocao and Daxiaocao over food at her house, and her head immediately went blank. - -||
At this moment, Liu Mingjie was also brought in by the servants. To Song Anxin's surprise, he was very respectful this time. Liu Mingjie stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Madam Hui, and greetings, Sister Mingyue, your uncle and aunt."
Song Anxin and Brother Lin and his wife were slightly surprised, but quickly recovered their smiles and responded.
I thought to myself, this child is really so different from when we first met.
Master Liu was very satisfied with Liu Mingjie's attitude and said with a smile, "I really have to thank Madam Hui for reminding me before. After I personally taught Mingjie, he is no longer as unruly as before, and he is becoming more and more sensible. This is all thanks to Madam Hui."
Song Anxin said, "Master Liu, you are joking. This is not my fault. It is all thanks to your hard work and excellent teaching. I am sure that Mingjie will become a fine son of the Liu family under your guidance and bring honor to the Liu family in the future."
She genuinely hoped so. After all, Master Liu had just given her such a big surprise, she should at least say something nice.
When Master Liu saw that his teachings had been affirmed, he smiled broadly, but remained modest in his words.
A fleeting smile crossed Xiao Su's face, but she quickly regained her composure. Her fingers clenched tightly. What kind of awful teaching was this? It had made Mingjie suffer so much. But soon, it would all be over. As long as she maintained this facade, no one would be able to find fault with her.
At the dinner table, everyone was in a very harmonious atmosphere. Master Liu, Song Anxin, and Brother Lin were toasting each other, while Madam Su kept serving food to Lin Taohua.
"Peach Blossom, you've been through a lot while pregnant. Eat more. I even had the kitchen prepare some white fungus soup for you. Take a short rest this afternoon and then get up to eat," said Madam Su with a caring expression.
Master Liu was very pleased and said to Madam Su, "Madam, you are so kind. We have entrusted the care of everyone in the household to you. You have worked hard."
Madam Su smiled and said, "Master, what are you saying? As your wife, it is my duty to take good care of everything in the house. Concubine Lin is also carrying your child, which is part of the Liu family bloodline, so it is only natural that I must take good care of her."
Master Liu was very satisfied. Although Madam Su spoiled the child a bit, she was virtuous and managed the mansion and backyard very well.
When Sister-in-law Lin saw how kind Madam Liu was to Lin Taohua, she was overjoyed and said, "Madam, your kindness and benevolence towards my Taohua is a blessing from her past life. Now our family can rest assured."
Peach Blossom will be due to give birth in two months, and childbirth is a very dangerous time for a woman. I'll have to trouble you to take good care of her.
Sister-in-law Lin was genuinely pleading with her. Tao Hua was a good girl who had sacrificed so much for her family. She must give the Liu family a son safely and peacefully, so that Tao Hua's life would be better in the future.
Madam Su said in a very considerate manner, "Sister-in-law Taohua, I have already found the best midwife in the city. She will move into the mansion next month. She can deliver Taohua's baby as soon as she goes into labor, so you can rest assured."
Master Liu looked pleased upon hearing this, and Brother Lin and his wife also smiled with relief.
Although Song Anxin smiled along, she secretly hoped it was true.
After lunch, Song Anxin, Lin's elder brother and sister-in-law, and the others stayed at the Liu residence for a while before leaving. As they were leaving, Song Anxin walked ahead, and Lin Taohua took her arm and whispered:
"Don't worry, Second Sister-in-law, Madam treats me very well now."
She knew that her second sister-in-law was aware of her situation. Ever since the master started coming to her courtyard more often, the madam had become extremely attentive to her. At first, she was a little afraid that the madam was up to something again, but the madam became more and more affectionate towards her. During the New Year, it was the madam who prepared the gifts to remind the master to take her back to her parents' home to pay New Year's respects. Today, she was so warm to her own family. She thought that perhaps it was because of the master's attitude and her second sister-in-law's sudden promotion that the madam had changed her personality.
Song Anxin whispered, "It's always best to be careful, especially since you're pregnant. If anything happens, you must send someone to Linjia Village to find me immediately."
Lin Taohua nodded. All of this had started to improve after she reunited with her second sister-in-law. She trusted her second sister-in-law completely. Although the madam was treating her so well now, her second sister-in-law was right to be careful.
When Song Anxin was leaving the city, she was blocked by several innkeepers guarding the city gate. So she asked her elder brother and sister-in-law to take Erxi and Fengyao back first, while she led the old woman from Qingshanwei to the inn to discuss the matter.
With the hype from Kyoto and the amazing quality of the wine itself, several shopkeepers placed large orders. As soon as she arrived home, the shopkeepers from the neighboring Yang County also rushed over to place their orders. Everyone knew they couldn't miss this opportunity, as this wine was probably only available from Lin Ersao's shop.
By the fifth day of the Lunar New Year, everyone had finished their usual visits and had some free time. When Sister-in-law Lin came to visit, she recalled the events of the previous day and couldn't help but sigh:
"It seems I misjudged Madam Liu before. She must have been overprotective of her son last time. Who wouldn't love their own son? It seems that Madam Liu is indeed a kind and benevolent mistress. I'm relieved that Madam Liu treats Tao Hua so well."
Lin Erxi pursed her lips and said, "Even though you all say that, I feel particularly uncomfortable seeing Madam Liu like that. Oh well, as long as she's good to my aunt, that's fine."
Then, as if remembering something, she said happily, "Father, Mother, Second Aunt, don't be fooled by Liu Mingjie's well-behaved appearance yesterday. My cousin Mingzhu told me that he often cries to Madam Liu at home, hahaha."
Lin Fengyao, who unusually didn't go out today, also laughed and said, "Hahaha, serves him right for crying. That Liu Mingjie was really annoying before. Cousins Mingzhu and Mingyue no longer have to suffer from Liu Mingjie's bullying."
Song Anxin sat on the kang (a heated brick bed) and smiled without saying anything. At least things were developing for the better. However, she didn't think as well as her sister-in-law. How could a person change so quickly? After several interactions with Xiao Su Shi, Song Anxin definitely didn't believe that she had become so kind and generous.
When Granny Wei returned, she also reminded her that, based on her many years of experience in the mansion, this Madam Liu was probably not as simple as she appeared.
But Peach Blossom was, after all, a concubine in the Liu family. With someone like Little Su, Peach Blossom would ultimately benefit. Furthermore, Master Liu frequently showed concern for the family, so as long as he didn't fall from power, Peach Blossom would be safe. However, Peach Blossom was currently pregnant, and any accident could be difficult to explain. That's why she was told to be extra careful when leaving the manor and to contact her immediately if anything happened.
However, she wouldn't tell her sister-in-law any of this. Her brother and sister-in-law were honest and hardworking farmers who had never understood the intricacies of wealthy families. Knowing it would only cause them unnecessary worry.
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