Xu Zekun took a look and said, "Send it to Auntie."
He now understood clearly. Su Su was already his woman and had given birth to two children for him. Even if Zhong Qingxi coveted Su Su, it would not change anything.
Susu has no family in her mother's family, and now she has a cousin who is the top scholar, which is a good thing.
Wu and Ningyuan Hou were very surprised to know that Yao Susu's cousin was the top scorer in last year's autumn examination, but the surprise passed in a moment. Although the top scorer was rare, it was still not enough for their marquisate that had been a noble family for generations.
Zhong Qingxi was naturally happy that her cousin had safely given birth to a baby boy. Seeing how grandly the Ningyuan Marquisate held the children's third-day bathing banquet, she knew how much the Marquisate valued the two children. As the children's biological mother, her cousin must be able to live a decent life.
He sighed inwardly, knowing that he still wouldn't be able to see his cousin today, but looking at the children his cousin had given birth to, especially little Yaoguang, was some consolation.
As long as my cousin is doing well, that's all that matters.
_
Yao Susu was in confinement at Yingxue Pavilion, so naturally she couldn't attend the third-day bathing banquet. But after the two children were carried out, her heart flew away with them. She felt uncomfortable no matter how she stayed. When Yuzhan came out, she hurriedly shook her hand and asked, "How is it? Are Lingyi and Yaoguang making a fuss?"
Yuzhan's eyes and eyebrows couldn't hide the joy: "Don't worry, Auntie, the young master and the young lady are very well-behaved. Everyone praises them. It's just that when they were bathing in the basin, they cried loudly. The old lady laughed so hard that she couldn't stop, saying that this was a noisy basin."
When Yao Susu heard this, she slowly leaned back on the soft pillow. The child had been by her side for the past few days since he was born, and now that he had just been taken out for a while, she missed him already.
But after waiting for a long time, even after the third-day baptism ceremony was over, the child still didn't come back.
The servants in Yingxue Pavilion all started to look strange, not to mention Yao Susu, whose face suddenly turned pale as if she had thought of something.
_
Inside Shou'an Hall
The two children were taken to bed by their nurse. Xu Zekun pursed his lips, his face slightly gloomy, and asked, "Mother, what do you mean?"
Wu raised her eyebrows and said, "What do I mean? I told you long ago! The child will be raised by me after birth. Do you really want your son or daughter to be raised by me?"
Xu Zekun took a deep breath, but didn't know what to say to refute his mother. His mother had indeed said so before, but he didn't expect it to happen so soon.
Susu gave birth to this child at the cost of half her life, but he was sent away after only three days with his mother. How could Susu bear it?
"The child is still young. Let him stay with his mother for a few more months. When he grows up strong, we can bring him to Shou'an Hall. How about that?" Xu Zekun softened his tone, trying to buy a few more months with Wu.
Who knew that Wu would not give in: "The child doesn't drink her milk, so why should I stay with her for so long? Besides, she is not the child's mother, she is just the concubine."
Ignoring Xu Zekun's unpleasant expression, she continued, "You are the one who understands the rules the most. After a while, I will choose a step-wife for you. That will be the child's legal mother!"
"Mother!" Xu Zekun frowned.
Wu slammed the table, her eyes slightly sharp, "What? You still want to contradict me for a concubine? Xu Zekun, you have to think carefully about the difference between raising this child with me and raising him with Yao. This is your own son and daughter!"
When Xu Zekun came out of Shou'an Hall, his steps were very heavy. He had no idea how to face Susu, but he couldn't disobey his mother either.
The reason was that Susu's status was too low. Even if she was the daughter of a fifth-rank official, he would still marry her.
But she was an orphan, and was bought by her mother. Her mother would not let such a woman be the prince's consort, let alone the mother of her child.
_
Yingxue Pavilion
Yao Susu was waiting anxiously on the couch. She was still expecting something, but when she heard footsteps and looked up, she only saw Xu Zekun.
The tears burst out instantly: "Grandpa, where are the children?"
Xu Zekun looked at Yao Susu with disheveled hair and tears in her eyes. She was obviously in great pain, and he felt a strange feeling in his heart.
Feili smiled and said, "Mother said they were tired, so they rested in Shou'an Hall today."
Yao Susu's face turned pale and her eyes became watery: "Just today?"
Xu Zekun felt a pang of pain in his heart, and he stepped forward to hold her in his arms: "Mother said that Lingyi and Yaoguang should be raised by her side."
Yao Susu's heart trembled. The thing she feared most had happened. Tears welled up in her eyes. She tugged at Xu Zekun's clothes and said, "But...but they are still so young..."
Xu Zekun simply didn't dare to look her in the eye. He could only tighten his arms and comfort her, "I know. You should take good care of yourself first. After you're out of the month, you can go to Shou'an Hall to see the child. Okay?"
Yao Susu loosened her grip, feeling hopeless. It seemed the child would never be able to return to her.
Yao Susu fell completely silent. Xu Zekun had never thought that Susu would treat him like this one day. She no longer smiled at him, and even ignored every word he said.
Xu Zekun was really being tortured to the point of going crazy. He went to Shou'an Hall and forcibly took Lingyi and Yaoguang away. Yao Susu was in his arms and had just taken a few glances at them when he heard Yin Zhu, the maidservant beside the old lady, hurried over with tears in her eyes: "My Lord, please go and see the old lady. She has fainted."
Yao Susu's eyes dimmed. She looked up at Xu Zekun and whispered, "Master, please take the child back to Shou'an Hall."
The old lady was determined not to let Yao Susu raise the child, so what else could she do? Was she really going to make the old lady angry?
But is there really nothing she can do?
-
Yao Susu began to drink soup to nourish her body and stopped complaining about herself every day. Since the old lady said that she could go to Shou'an Hall to see the child after she finished her confinement, she would wait until she finished her confinement to go.
The daily nourishing soup turned Yao Susu's pale complexion into rosy, her cheeks became fuller, and she became more beautiful and charming. But at some point, a layer of ice covered her eyes. Although it was very thin, it was different from before.
Xu Zekun was depressed and unable to relieve his depression. Before, he and Su Su were in love and inseparable, but now, he knew clearly that a gap had appeared between him and Su Su.
On the first day after Yao Susu finished her confinement, she went to Shou'an Hall to see her children. The children were already one month old at that time. However, what broke Yao Susu's heart was that the two children did not recognize her at all and did not even let her hold them. The old lady was particularly dissatisfied and asked her to come only once every first and fifteenth day of the month. If she came too often and made the two children cry like this, what would happen if they got sick?
Yao Susu felt as bitter as if she had swallowed coptis chinensis. She returned to Yingxue Pavilion in a daze. Yuping and Yuzhan were frightened when they saw her look. They had served Yao Susu for so long and their hearts had long been inclined towards her. They felt indignant for the old lady for taking the child away so forcefully, and they also wanted to stand up for the concubine, but they were just maids in the mansion and could do nothing.
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