Chapter 327 Stingy
The old lady of the Marquis's mansion was his second wife, not his biological mother, and she had no influence over raising him. The nominal mother-son relationship between them was very ordinary.
Ever since Tan Qingrou was framed at the Marquis's residence, the Marquis of Yongyi used this as a pretext to divide the family property, separating the troublesome second and fourth branches of the family, without giving them much of the family property.
The old lady naturally resented the Marquis of Yongyi's family because her beloved biological son could not be by her side to be filial.
Unable to harm this family, she tried to control Tan Qingrou, the new bride from a humble background, in order to suppress them.
Tan Qingrou was well aware of this and kept Sheng An's words in mind: "Thank you for reminding me, Sister An'an. I know what to do."
Sheng An laughed and said, "You know what I mean even if I don't tell you."
Tan Qingrou felt very relaxed in her presence and couldn't help but hug her arm and act coquettishly: "It's a very happy thing to be cared for!"
Sheng An chuckled and tapped her forehead: "If you encounter anything unpleasant at the Marquis's residence, just send someone to tell me or come directly to me. Although I may not be able to help you, it's better than keeping it to yourself."
Tan Qingrou's eyes welled up slightly, and she nodded emphatically: "Mm."
It is a lucky thing to have met Sister An'an in this lifetime.
There are some things she can't tell her family, but she can confide in Sister An'an without any burden. It is also under Sister An'an's influence that she has been living a much happier life in recent years than before.
While the two were chatting, Zhuozhuo woke up and whimpered for her mother to hold her.
Seeing the mother and daughter's affectionate interaction, Tan Qingrou's face was full of smiles: "Our Zhuozhuo is a lovable child, everyone who meets her will like her."
This child is so well-behaved; I've almost never seen her cry or fuss, unlike her younger sister who is already over ten years old and cries at the drop of a hat, requiring someone to patiently coax her for ages before she calms down.
"Don't praise her too early. The real challenge will come when she can walk and run."
When Sheng An saw the little dumpling's paws reaching for her head, she quickly pressed them down to stop her from scratching: "Your nails have grown back. I'll trim them in a couple of days."
The little dumpling couldn't catch her mother's loose hair, and she babbled in dissatisfaction, not forgetting to furrow her little brows.
Tan Qingrou touched her soft cheek, and when she looked over, she reached out her hand and smiled, "Can Auntie give you a hug?"
The little dumpling ignored her, its attention completely drawn to the gold-inlaid jade hairpin swaying on her head, and its little paws began to twitch again.
Sheng An saw it clearly and quickly said, "This girl has a strong grip; once she grabs something, she won't let go."
The family members' hair suffered a lot, and repeated attempts to correct it didn't change this girl's ways.
Tan Qingrou remembered that when the maid was doing her hair this morning, she piled a lot of hairpins and hair ornaments on her head. She was also worried that she might scratch the baby's soft little hands, so she didn't force her and just smiled as she watched the mother and daughter interact.
At noon, Sheng An cooked several dishes to entertain Tan Qingrou and her husband.
Song Zhihang had been longing to try her cooking for days, and today he finally got to eat it. He was in a great mood and drank quite a bit of wine.
As the drinking progressed, everyone became somewhat drunk.
Xu Jinnian was somewhat disgusted and had the wine pot taken away so he wouldn't drink from it.
Song Zhihang grumbled, dissatisfied: "It's just a pot of wine, you're being too stingy."
Xu Jinnian was too lazy to reason with the drunkard. After the meal, he had someone help him to the carriage without even pretending to suggest that he go to the guest room to sober up before leaving.
Even after the carriage had driven quite a distance, Song Zhihang's drunken complaints and Tan Qingrou's comforting voices could still be heard.
Sheng An shook his head helplessly, then turned and went back into the house with Xu Jinnian: "Their personalities are quite complementary."
He appears aloof on the surface but is actually a goofball, making him easy to get along with.
She is tolerant, resilient, and strong-willed, and will not find her husband childish or immature.
There is no romantic love between the two at present, but over time they should develop some affection for each other.
"We complement each other very well."
Xu Jinnian took his wife's hand and walked towards the main room, his gaze falling on her face: "We've been married for nearly five years, and I can't live without you anymore."
Sheng An glanced at him sideways and deliberately asked, "What, did you ever think about leaving before?"
Xu Jinnian chuckled, stopped in place, and placed a kiss on her brow: "I never thought of that."
Sheng An nervously looked around to make sure no one was watching. She playfully nudged the man, saying, "We're still in the courtyard. Aren't you afraid the servants will laugh at us?"
Xu Jinnian didn't care: "So what if they see it? Even if they spread it, our love will still be a beautiful story."
A sweet feeling welled up in Sheng An's heart, but she still had to tease him, saying, "I'm not as shameless as you."
Upon hearing this, Xu Jinnian raised his other hand to pinch her cheek, then pinched his own, comparing them in a serious manner before saying, "Indeed, my skin is thicker."
Sheng An: "..."
Has this person suddenly become childish because he caught Song Er's influence?
Song Er, who had already walked away, was unaware that he had taken the blame. He angrily accused Xu Jinnian of being stingy, but was calmed down by Tan Qingrou. He seemed to have no bones in his body, closing his eyes and leaning against Tan Qingrou.
Tan Qingrou was thin and weak. With his large frame leaning on her, she was almost crushed onto the stool.
She struggled to sit up, carefully pushed Song Zhihang aside so he could lean against the car wall, and then breathed a long sigh of relief.
Suddenly, Song Zhihang opened his eyes and stared straight at the person opposite him.
Tan Qingrou's heart tightened, and her hands unconsciously clenched into fists. She forced a smile and asked gently, "Why are you looking at me like that, my husband?"
Song Zhihang blinked, stretched out his long arm and pulled her into his arms, holding her tightly, resting his chin on her shoulder.
As he breathed, the man's warm breath, carrying the scent of alcohol, sprayed onto Tan Qingrou's neck. She shifted uncomfortably, but could not break free from the man's strong arms.
"Madam, you're too thin, it's uncomfortable."
Song Zhihang squeezed Tan Qingrou's shoulder with his large hand, and Zhou Zheng's face showed a hint of grievance.
Tan Qingrou paused for a moment, suspecting that he was using his drunkenness to nitpick and express his dissatisfaction with her as his wife.
As a result, the man spoke again: "My lady needs to eat more and gain more weight so she can grow strong and be more comfortable to hold at night."
Tan Qingrou's lips twitched. "Why don't you sleep with a pig tonight?"
Thinking this to herself, she smiled and said, "Yes, my husband, I will definitely eat more."
Song Zhihang was satisfied, seemingly treating Tan Qingrou like a toy, constantly pinching and kneading her body.
Tan Qingrou, unable to bear it any longer, was about to push the man away with all her might when a heavy weight pressed down on her shoulder as the man's head rested on hers again, uttering a plea that sounded like a murmur:
"Madam, shall we get along like Xu Jinnian and his wife from now on?"
Tan Qingrou was shocked. Her raised hand froze in mid-air, and she didn't come back to her senses for a long time.
By the time she realized what was happening, the man had already fallen asleep on her shoulder, and the sound of his even breathing made her stay still for a long time.
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