Xu Keke has been very busy these days. Old Master Chen had originally planned it out very well, deciding which days to take her out to visit others and which days to receive guests at home.
The next day, Xu Keke was picked up by Master Zhang. Later, Chairman Lin's young wife also sent an invitation, inviting Xu Keke to join them on a trip to a nearby estate for a few days.
Grandpa Chen had already made arrangements with others, so he could only take his grandson to revisit those families by himself.
Even so, Xu Keke still got a bunch of things back.
Knowing that Xu Keke had returned, Sixth Aunt and her servants brought the gifts that had been given to Xu Keke into her room.
Xu Keke had just finished washing up and changed her clothes.
As soon as Xu Keke entered the house, Huihui slipped out. Now Xu Keke was alone in the house.
Seeing that her hair was loose, her sixth aunt took a cotton towel and dried it for her. Then she put her hair up in a bun.
"You have such skillful hands."
Xu Keke wasn't just flattering her; in just a few moments, her sixth aunt had loosely braided two pigtails. Then, she took a few hair clips and coiled them around her neck. It was simple, pretty, and not too hot.
“I was originally a maid. I’ve been serving my mistress since I was eight. Even the clumsy hands would become skillful. By the way, I was bought by the steward under the First Madam. I even served the First Madam for a few days. I did nothing but style the mistress’s hair.”
Sixth Aunt was a straightforward person and didn't try to be modest at all, so she readily accepted what Xu Keke said.
Fearing that Xu Keke might not understand, he added, "The First Madam is your own grandmother. Everyone says you look like the First Madam, and I think you do resemble her somewhat."
"Huihui, it doesn't look like it." Xu Keke looked at her in the mirror.
Aunt Liu curled her lip in disdain, "Hmph! What is she? She doesn't deserve it."
"You don't like her?"
Aunt Liu chuckled, her laughter light and airy, yet hearty and cheerful.
"You don't need to try to trick me. What do you want to know?"
Since someone was being so generous, Xu Keke didn't hold back. "Who is her mother? She's my father's child, isn't she?"
"From what I heard about the suffering you endured over there, I knew you were no ordinary child. The Chen family underestimated you."
Huihui's mother was named Xiahe, and she and I were originally maids in the main house. Originally, it was said that she would become a concubine, but the Li family did not allow concubines.
Everyone in the family knows that she is the eldest son's child, but they keep the eldest mistress in the dark.
That whole family. Not a single good person in them. They're rotten to the core. They're all born evil.
Aunt Liu looked in the mirror, her tone calm, but Xu Keke could hear the hatred in her voice.
"Aren't you afraid I'll tell others?" Xu Keke turned back, scrutinizing her features. She must have been even prettier before, as delicate and charming as a tender yellow forsythia.
Aunt Liu laughed again, a decisive laugh. "Then I'll just say I was blind and misjudged people. Let me tell you, the wives the eldest son's family married are all good. But none of them are smart. They're all easily manipulated..."
The door was pushed open from the outside, and Chen Han and Chen Miao walked in, ignoring their sixth aunt. They always had a sense of superiority over those of lower social standing than themselves.
Aunt Liu didn't mind and put the comb and mirror back on the table for Xu Keke. She also helped her tidy up all the gifts she had brought.
Chen Han familiarly sat down next to Xu Keke, imitating the adults.
"Where did you go today? I was thinking of going to see the opera. But Sister Miao didn't sleep well last night, and my aunt hasn't been feeling well these past few days. I wanted to call you, but you weren't here."
"Why didn't you sleep well?" Xu Keke asked Chen Miao.
Chen Miao wasn't as domineering as Chen Han, and obediently said, "I'm a light sleeper. Last night, I don't know who was talking on the veranda, and then they started crying. It wasn't until she finally went back to her room that someone started running around on the veranda again. There were also things making noise outside. It kept me up all night."
They were chatting casually, not noticing Aunt Liu's expression.
Chen Han had just told her he wanted to invite her to see an opera. The next day, Chairman Lin's wife took Xu Keke to see the opera, the very same one Chen Han had wanted to see.
This was originally a spur-of-the-moment idea. Mrs. Lin was driving past this area on her way to dinner with some friends. She had the driver go in and bring Xu Keke out.
While having Western food, Mrs. Lin chatted with her friend about the interesting things that had happened in the past few days. They mentioned the recently performed opera. Mrs. Lin, being young, was naturally a lively and outgoing person.
Remembering that she hadn't seen it yet, she and her friend took Xu Keke to the opera house.
Xu Keke never expected to encounter the Chen family here.
While waiting, she encountered Young Master Chen. Upon seeing Xu Keke, he was initially flustered.
Later he said he came to buy tickets, saying that his seventh grandmother wanted to see the show, and he was afraid that if he came and couldn't buy tickets, his seventh grandmother would be unhappy.
After he left, Mrs. Lin's friend said that Young Master Chen was a loving husband. She also said that their relationship was the envy of many.
Mrs. Lin disagreed, saying, "Couples who truly have a good relationship won't be afraid. If two people can't buy tickets, they can do something else together. Or they can stand here and wait together, just like we are now. What a rare experience!"
"Even if he is afraid, he shouldn't be afraid of upsetting his wife, but rather afraid of making her wait too long. This man may not be truly sincere towards his wife."
With just one sentence, Madam Lin defined the nature of Seventh Young Master Chen.
Coincidentally, when they went inside, Xu Keke ran into an acquaintance again: Aunt Fang from the Chen family.
She came alone, saying she wanted to relax, so she came to enjoy the opera by herself. She also asked Xu Keke to keep it a secret. She was afraid that the young ladies of the Chen family would be unhappy if they knew she came alone without them.
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