Chapter 3 I will cherish her for the rest of my life
Upon receiving a message from her brother that she was not allowed to take her cousin out the next day, Chu Yanqing personally went to the Green Bamboo Garden.
She suddenly felt a pang of regret; why had she ever invited her cousin out for no reason?
Thinking of her cousin's expectant look, she didn't know how to start the conversation.
My cousin is a little different from ordinary people, but she's not stupid.
If we keep them locked up in the mansion like this, like a canary with clipped wings, won't problems arise in the long run?
Chu Yanqing returned, and Xiaoqian saw her and invited her into the house with a smile.
"Third Miss, is there anything else you need to tell me? Our young lady was overjoyed to hear that she could go out. She even took out several sets of jewelry and asked me which one was the prettiest."
Chu Yanqing is a few years younger than Tang Xinuan, and they are practically sisters.
Because her maternal grandfather's family suffered a tragedy, and Tang Xinuan lost her parents at a young age, she felt even more pity for them.
Seeing her cousin busily preparing for tomorrow's palace banquet through the doorway, she couldn't bring herself to say anything.
"I came here... just to tell you it'll be a bit cold tomorrow, so please help her wear more clothes."
Chu Yanqing ultimately didn't say it.
She planned to first sound out her mother, and if her mother and brother agreed, she would then come and tell her cousin that she couldn't take her cousin with her tomorrow.
When Chu Yanqing arrived at the inner courtyard, she happened to run into Chu Yannuo, who came to pay his respects.
The brother and sister bowed first.
There were no outsiders in the room. Chu Yanqing tried to speak several times, but when she met her brother's cold eyes, she suppressed her words.
Finally, he spoke to Lady Hou and said, "Mother, my brother just told me not to take my cousin out tomorrow. I wanted to ask what you think."
Lady Hou pressed her temples, feeling a headache coming on.
"Yan Nuo, what exactly do you mean?"
Chu Yannuo frowned. "Mother, you know Nuannuan's condition. She's not suited to go out."
A strange sense of detachment arose in Lady Hou's eyes. "You just think she's not suited to go out?"
Chu Yannuo felt a little guilty. "Mother thinks I should think this way."
Lady Hou had endured it for two or three years, but now she was no longer willing to endure it.
"There are no outsiders here today. I'll only ask you one question: what's your decision regarding Nuannuan?"
Chu Yannuo unconsciously clenched his fist. "I don't know what Mother is referring to?"
The son pretended to be confused, and the Lady Hou held back again and again, "Don't you know what I'm referring to? How old is Nuannuan now? When your second sister was her age, her daughters were already running all over the streets."
Tang Xinuan's marriage was finally brought into the open.
Chu Yannuo restrained his emotions and said, "She is different from others."
Lady Hou, suppressing her anger, demanded, "Then why did you touch her?"
Chu Yannuo genuinely loved his cousin.
“Mother, my uncle and I made a vow back then that we would take good care of her, naturally because we love her.”
These words made Lady Hou laugh in anger: "You still have the nerve to mention your uncle? He was barely clinging to life when he sent Nuannuan here, and this is how you treat her? You..."
Lady Hou clutched her chest and gasped for breath for a while.
Chu Yanqing was worried that her mother was upset, so she rushed over to calm her down.
"Mother, please don't be angry. Let's talk this out."
He then reminded Chu Yannuo, "Brother, do you really have to do it this way?"
Chu Yannuo remained silent.
After she had vented her anger, Lady Hou said sarcastically, "Our Tang family only has this one daughter left. You don't intend to marry her, yet you still want to control her. Our Tang family are sinners and are not worthy of your Hou family."
Chu Yannuo, I'm giving you one last chance today. Are you willing to marry her or not?
If she's unwilling, I'll hire a matchmaker tomorrow to arrange a marriage for her and get her married off as soon as possible.
"Mother—" Chu Yannuo was also anxious, "You can't marry her off."
Lady Hou seemed to have never known this son she had given birth to and raised herself.
"You don't want to marry her, yet you won't let her get married. Do you want her to be your concubine? To live her whole life without a name or status, unable to hold her head high? Chu Yannuo, she is the last bloodline of our Tang family. How can you treat her like this?"
Chu Yanqing also said, "Yes, brother, your cousin doesn't understand anything. You will eventually get married and have children. Will she be able to tolerate her then? She can't even protect herself."
Chu Yannuo seemed to have been waiting for her to say those words.
“If that’s what you’re worried about, there’s really no need for that. I’ll find a gentle, virtuous, and kind wife, and I’ll definitely treat her well.”
Lady Hou nearly ground her teeth to powder.
But she was still not satisfied, "So you've already chosen your people?"
Chu Yannuo had indeed made her choice: "The youngest daughter of the Duke of Wei is gentle, virtuous, intelligent, and kind. She is the best candidate to be the future mistress of the Marquis's mansion. I ask Mother to make the decision and help to facilitate this marriage."
He walked up to the Lady Hou and bowed deeply, saying, "I beg Mother to make the decision."
Lady Hou looked at her son with eyes full of disappointment.
Chu Yanqing wanted to try again, but her mother stopped her with a warning look, and she had to swallow her dissatisfaction.
Lady Hou was so angry that she laughed instead.
"Very well, Chu Yannuo, my good son. I will do my best to make this marriage happen. Today, I would like to offer my congratulations and wish you and the youngest daughter of the Duke of Wei a perfect match and many children and grandchildren."
Chu Yannuo wanted to explain a few more words, but noticing her mother's disappointed look, she said nothing.
This vast Marquis's mansion is not easy to preserve, and as the only son of the Marquis of Wu'an, he dares not make any mistakes.
His mother should understand him.
"Since Mother has agreed, then I thank Mother. I would also like to make a promise to Mother that I will take good care of my cousin for the rest of my life and never let her suffer any grievances."
Lady Hou finally couldn't hold back and picked up the tea on the table, splashing it hard on Chu Yannuo's face.
She was filled with regret at that moment, wondering why she had only given birth to this one son.
This marquis's mansion has to be handed over to him, even if you don't want to.
Chu Yannuo slowly wiped the tea off her face, but was filled with regret.
If the parents have another son to inherit the title, then he won't have to work so hard for the family and won't be understood.
At that time, he could have lived a blissful life with his cousin.
But there was no other way; he carried the heavy responsibility of the Marquis's mansion on his shoulders.
The entire Marquis's mansion's honor, disgrace, rise and fall rested entirely on his shoulders.
"Cousin is coming?" Tang Xinuan's first reaction upon seeing Qing Ning was to hide all the clothes and jewelry she would be wearing for the trip. "Xiaoqian, hurry up and help."
Xiaoqian asked in bewilderment, "Miss, why are you hiding these? You need to wear them tomorrow morning."
Tang Xinuan put her fair, delicate fingers to her lips and shushed them.
"My cousin definitely won't let me out. Let's hide quickly and leave quietly tomorrow morning."
Xiaoqian quickly understood her meaning and helped her pack, while also warning Qingning, "Don't talk nonsense, otherwise if anything happens to your Songxiuzhai in the future, don't expect our young lady to come to your rescue."
Qing Ning chuckled awkwardly, "Xiao Qian is joking. I won't say a word about things that aren't relevant."
Fortunately, the master and servant had wasted their time, and Chu Yannuo didn't come over until Tang Xinuan fell asleep.
Tang Xinuan was very happy and slept soundly.
However, I received bad news early this morning: my cousin is sick and can't attend today's palace banquet.
Tang Xinuan felt a pang of regret, but her cousin hadn't done it on purpose. She brought some homemade desserts to visit her cousin.
Chu Yanqing originally intended to feign illness to avoid attending the palace banquet.
However, since the little princess rarely organizes such an event, her absence would not only affect the friendship between the two of them but also the Marquis's mansion.
The little princess is the emperor's younger sister and the youngest daughter of the late emperor. She is doted on by the entire royal family.
She promised to be okay, but if she goes back on her word at the last minute and then news spreads that she wasn't sick at all, she'll really offend people.
After much deliberation, Chu Yanqing decided to sneak out through the back door.
When Tang Xinuan arrived, Chu Yanqing had already been gone for quite a while.
"Cousin, cousin..." Tang Xinuan carried a food box and skipped to her cousin's house, but was stopped by a maid who looked guilty.
“Miss, the Third Miss is ill and is worried that she might pass on her illness to you, so she specifically instructed that you not be allowed to enter.”
Tang Xinuan didn't think much of it and handed the food box to the maid, saying, "Then tell my cousin that I've been here. I'll come again when she's feeling better."
Xiaoqian was more perceptive than Tang Xinuan, and reminded her mistress, "Miss, do you think it might have been the Third Miss who went by herself?"
Tang Xinuan paused, turned around to look at Chu Yanqing's bedroom, and her eyes inexplicably reddened.
She ignored who was blocking the door, pushed them aside, and ran into the house, only to find that her cousin was nowhere to be seen.
"Cousin, cousin—"
Tang Xinuan prepared for the palace all night, but was still abandoned.
Like a child, she suddenly burst into tears.
"You all bully me, ignore me, and don't take me with you. You're all bad people—"
Chu Yanqing's maid hurriedly explained, "It's not that our young lady didn't want to take you, it's that the young master instructed that you are not allowed to leave the manor. The third young lady didn't want to go either, but she promised the princess and was worried about being scolded by the princess, so she..."
A note from the author:
----------------------
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
