The eldest princess smiled, a smile through her tears. Since her husband left last year, she had never seen a smile on her mother-in-law's face. Today was truly a good day!
Xiao Youran looked completely bewildered, indicating that she didn't understand anything and didn't want to understand anything.
Yueyue looked at Old Madam Lin with a wronged expression and said, "Old Madam Lin doesn't love me anymore. She used to say she wanted to arrange for me to live with your family..."
Madam Lin laughed heartily again, putting her arm around Yueyue, "Oh dear, our little princess is getting jealous! What am I going to do if I want both of you?"
Madam Xue immediately hugged the other little girl, Xiao Youran, tightly. "You old hag, you're getting more and more absurd! Don't even think about my granddaughter! Let your brats have their own babies!"
Xiao Youran struggled out of Madam Xue's arms, grabbed Yueyue, and ran outside, "Let's go quickly, if we stay any longer, we'll become someone else's!"
The little girl's adorable voice revealed a childlike wariness, which made everyone burst into laughter again.
Seeing her daughter leading Yueyue out, Madam Su hurriedly curtsied to the Princess and several old ladies, and with a gentle smile, quickly followed after them.
Looking at her smile, Madam Lin felt that she looked somewhat familiar. She couldn't help but recall the day her husband said that he felt familiar with Xiao Youran's smile, and a sense of closeness welled up in her heart.
A short while later, the wet nurse came out carrying Xuan Ge'er, who had just woken up.
Then several more ladies and young women arrived.
After a thorough examination and praise, everyone presented their congratulatory gifts.
Madam Xue presented a heavy, red-gold auspicious longevity lock, and sincerely said, "Although Xuan-ge is the only bloodline of my Xue family, this old woman only wishes him to live a long and peaceful life, to be content with his lot."
Everyone sighed, understanding the unspoken meaning in her words.
All the men of the Xue family died one after another on the battlefield. They had thought that the princess's husband could stay in the capital and at least survive, so that the Xue family bloodline could continue. But unexpectedly, he also died of poisoning. Fortunately, he left behind a trace of blood, so the Xue family line was not cut off.
Isn't this something that hurts like the apple of your eye? I doubt they'll send him back to the battlefield again.
As she presented her gift—a smooth and lustrous jade toad—Old Madam Lin said, “Isn’t that right? If you ask me, your grandson should study hard with the Lin family school from now on! I’m giving him this toad in the hope that he will one day achieve great success!”
Everyone: ...
Madam Xue laughed heartily, "What a wonderful 'golden toad winning the laurel'! I'm so grateful for your kind words, elder sister!"
The Xue family's style changed so quickly that everyone felt a little disoriented.
At this moment, a maidservant came in and said, "Your Highness, the Empress and the Imperial Concubine have sent congratulatory gifts from the palace."
"Please come in quickly," the princess said with a smile.
The Empress sent over a set of miniature pendants made of gold and silver, depicting the eighteen kinds of weapons. They were both adorable and interesting.
The Imperial Concubine sent a pair of tiger-head shoes and a peace lock, nothing special.
However, the eldest princess clearly valued Consort Zhou's gift and instructed people to put it away carefully, while she simply instructed people to put away the small pendant sent by the Empress.
The relative importance of each is obvious at a glance.
In the other garden, Yueyue happily pulled Xiao Youran to watch the fish in the pond in the back garden. "Youran, from now on, my mother will be your mother, and my grandmother will be your grandmother too."
Xiao Youran was inwardly in tears. In truth, she didn't want another mother and grandmother.
How did she, a benefactor, suddenly become a junior who has to be filial to her elders?
Yueyue, oblivious to her distress, continued, "Your mother and grandmother will protect you just as they would protect me and Xuan-ge!"
Xiao Youran was taken aback for a moment, then felt a little more at ease.
Su's voice rang out from behind, "Thank you, young princess."
Yueyue said happily, "Aunt Su! If anyone dares to bully you in the future, tell my mother and grandmother, and they will definitely protect you!"
Little You Ran snuggled into her mother's arms.
Madam Su smiled and gently stroked her daughter's head, saying, "Little Youran, you will eventually have to get married. If you marry without a maternal family, you will inevitably be bullied. With the Princess and the Duchess of Zhenguo as your maternal family's support, you will have more confidence, won't you?"
Xiao You Ran: ……
So that's what Mother was thinking!
The baby is still young, and we don't know yet whether she'll get married!
She looked up and saw a figure far behind Su Shi by the pool, seemingly veiled, squatting by the water and vigorously washing her hands.
She was about to ask in surprise when she heard a voice from behind, "So it's you!"
Yueyue pouted and called out softly, "Aunt Qingping."
Madam Su glanced over indifferently, "So it's Princess Qingping."
"So you're Jiang Mingyi's divorced wife?" Princess Qingping sneered.
Su retorted, "It's one thing for others who are neither talented nor virtuous to be unable to distinguish between a divorced wife and a woman who has been divorced, but how come you, a princess, can't tell the difference?"
Not to be outdone, Xiao Youran retorted in a cute and innocent way, "So you're Jiang Mingyi's mistress who rose to power through a mistress?"
The first wife is the one who marries the first wife; the second wife is the one who marries the second wife.
Princess Qingping was furious. "Last time you caused a scene at the Princess's residence, you still knew to respectfully address me as your stepmother. How come you've become so unrestrained in just a few months? Is this how your mother taught you?"
Although she didn't know what a mistress was, she knew it wasn't a nice term just by hearing it.
Little Youran held her mother's hand tightly, "My mother taught me to give out porridge, do good deeds, and heal the sick. That's much better than your mother teaching you to steal someone else's husband and get pregnant out of wedlock, isn't it?"
Princess Qingping was so angry her nose almost crooked. "You! Guards! How dare you speak so disrespectfully! Slap this princess!"
A maidservant stepped forward from behind and raised her arm to strike.
Yueyue immediately stepped in front of the maid, "Wait! Aunt, Youran just recognized Yueyue's mother as her godmother. You can't hit her!"
Princess Qingping's chest heaved violently as she pointed at Madam Su and said, "It's a mother's fault if her daughter is not taught properly, but beating her mother is the same!"
The maid then moved her feet to stand in front of Madam Su, raised her hand, and slammed her down hard.
Xiao Youran quickly pulled her mother back, then raised her little foot and kicked the maid in the stomach.
The maid was kicked flying a full ten feet away.
Little Youran lowered her raised leg and complained, "Being too short is so inconvenient, Mommy, my little thing hurts so much..."
Su: ...
Yueyue: ...
The maid, lying on the ground groaning in pain: ...
Xiao Youran secretly rejoiced that she had taken a power-up pill before coming; otherwise, with her small stature, she probably wouldn't have been able to kick that tall and strong maid.
Princess Qingping was furious. Pointing her finger at Madam Su, she yelled, "You! You're all so disrespectful! Even if you're a fifth-rank lady, you're still not as noble as me! I order you to kneel down!"
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