Despite her troubled mind, Xu Gui and Xu Mian went to the old lady's courtyard together. When they arrived, they discovered that Xu Tao, who had already married, had also returned with her husband.
Looking at Xu Tao, whose belly was slightly protruding and whose face was rosy, Xu Gui knew that her second sister was living a very comfortable life.
The old lady sat in the main seat of the side hall, smiling as she watched her sisters greet each other. Her daughters-in-law, Madam Zhu and Madam Zhu, sat in the seats next to her, while her granddaughters-in-law helped Madam Ning to instruct the servants to tidy up the tables and chairs in the side hall and serve tea and fruit platters.
Xu Tong gently touched Xu Tao's belly. Xu Tong's mother, Yao, saw this and scolded, "Tong'er, don't bother your sister."
Xu Tong secretly made a face at Xu Tao and called out, "Mom, I know."
Zhou asked Ning, "Sister-in-law, have our eldest daughter and fourth daughter written back?"
Ning said with a smile, "They just sent a letter a couple of days ago. They said they are doing well in Liaodong and that we shouldn't worry about them."
Mrs. Zhou smiled and said, "That's good. Your eldest daughter's child must be two years old by now, right? We'll be grandmothers now."
Yao said, "Who can argue with that? I still feel quite young, and now I'm a grandmother."
Madam Chen joined in the fun, saying, "Our young master has been married for some time now. Once our young mistress gives birth, we'll be grandmothers."
Seeing her sisters-in-law laughing happily, Ning said, "Who says it isn't true? Before we knew it, the children had all grown up, and we've all gotten old."
Madam Yao smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, it's not appropriate for you to say you're old in front of Grandmother."
The sisters-in-law burst into laughter. The old lady, of course, heard what her granddaughters-in-law were saying. She smiled and said to Madam Zhu, "I've endured so many years, and finally, I've built such a big family. Seeing the children happy makes me happy too."
Madam Zhu nodded with a smile, as did Madam Zhu, the second wife. The old lady shook her head with a smile. Neither of her two daughters-in-law were lively. Fortunately, although they themselves were not lively, they did not restrict their daughters-in-law. Madam Ning and her other granddaughters-in-law could often come over to keep the old lady entertained, so that the old lady would not feel too lonely.
Madam Zhu was somewhat disdainful of the old lady's elaborate welcome party for Xu Zhi with her entire family. Was a child born out of wedlock really worth such a large family effort?
However, Madam Zhu never showed it. She just sat with the old lady with a smile. Although her daughter-in-law, Madam Ning, was in charge of all the affairs in the mansion, Madam Zhu knew very well that Madam Ning was only in charge of those small matters. The real important matters in the mansion were decided by the Marquis and the old lady. She was just holding the title of Marquis's wife.
Over the years, Madam Zhu had gotten used to it. She was never one to worry. She never cared about what others were striving for. Some said she was aloof, others said she was foolish, but Madam Zhu didn't care. Over the years, the only thing she cared about was the Marquis's feelings for her.
The old lady looked at her two daughters-in-law sitting below her, and she knew their personalities all too well.
The old lady had planned everything out. Her two sons were to be married off. The eldest son would inherit the title and take charge of the Marquis's mansion. She needed to find a shrewd, capable, and kind-hearted daughter-in-law for him. After all, she also had a younger son who would be living in the Marquis's mansion in the future. As for the younger son, she needed to find someone with a stable temperament who wouldn't fight or compete for anything, so that both families could live in harmony in the future.
The old lady had a good plan, but the Marquis had his own ideas. After marrying Zhu Shi into the family, the old lady couldn't stop him. When it came time for her youngest son to get married, she found a daughter-in-law named Zhu Shi, who was a bit sullen.
Fortunately, their youngest son was also a bit introverted, and the couple lived like that for decades, having a bunch of children.
Thinking of these past events, the old lady felt as if a breath was stuck in her chest, neither rising nor falling, making her feel really uncomfortable.
Just as the old lady was feeling a bit down, a servant ran in and said, "Please let the old lady know that our Ninth Miss has already entered the second gate and is bringing the Zheng family's daughter with her here."
Upon hearing this, the old lady perked up immediately and said, "Little Jiu is here! Oh dear, hurry up, let's go to the door to greet him."
Madam Zhu and Madam Zhu had no choice but to follow behind the old lady. When Madam Zhu saw the old lady's anxious back in front of her, she couldn't help but purse her lips. She felt that the old lady was being too good to Xu Zhi. Anyone who didn't know better would think that Xu Zhi hadn't come back last night.
Xu Zhi was also in a hurry. She saw the old lady smiling and running up to her in a few steps. She called out "Grandmother" and the old lady took Xu Zhi's hand, smiling and looking at her for a long time before letting Xu Zhi go to greet her grandmother, aunt, and sisters in the family.
After exchanging a few words in the old lady's room, Granny Shen came in from outside, smiling, and said, "Old lady, the Marquis has sent someone to invite Ninth Miss to speak in the front study."
The old lady said to Xu Zhi, who was sitting next to her, "Go and talk to your grandfather. After you're done, come back and we'll have dinner. Your brothers will be back from school soon, and then we can all have a good time together."
Xu Zhi agreed and got up to follow Granny Shen outside.
Not only Ning Shi found it strange, but Zhu Shi and even Xu Tao also found it strange. The young ladies in the family were never invited to the study in the front yard by the Marquis when they returned from their parents' home. The study in the front yard was where the Marquis handled official business, and the children in the family were not allowed to go near it without permission.
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