Chapter 16 Shen Family
In the evening, just after Mrs. Ruan from the second branch of the Shen family had finished her dinner, she heard that the eldest daughter Shen Jingshu had returned.
"Mom!" The girl called out softly through the door curtain, sounding as if she had suffered a great injustice.
Madam Ruan was slightly stunned. She asked the maid beside her to help Shen Jingshu in, and asked someone to fetch water.
"Shu'er, come here quickly. What happened?" The voice was soft but the concern could not be concealed.
The house suddenly fell into chaos.
Shen Jingshu wiped her tears and sobbed.
Mrs. Ruan thought about her visit to Duke Cheng's Mansion today, and she could guess something.
Shu'er and that Prince Xiao were engaged when they were children, but so many years have passed. Now that they are both at the age where they have to get married, there is still no movement from the Chengguo Mansion. Who can feel good about this?
Madam Ruan asked tentatively, "Did Shu'er meet the prince today?"
The girl who threw herself on her and wiped her tears refused to raise her head. After a long while, she said angrily, "Mother! Please stop talking! At worst, Shu'er won't marry Prince Xiao. The engagement was originally yours, and Shu'er was there to fulfill it on your behalf. Now that he doesn't want to, why should our Shen family rush in?"
When mentioning the lost child, Mrs. Ruan couldn't help feeling sad.
But what can we do?
After so many years, there is still no news of the child.
If Shu'er hadn't mentioned it now, Mrs. Ruan would hardly have deliberately thought about the girl she had given birth to after ten months of pregnancy.
The husband said that we should look forward to everything, and they all had to look forward.
And Yu'er, he took all the blame on himself, it was tiring enough.
Mrs. Ruan lowered her head to look at the girl in front of her. She was only half a year older than her daughter.
After the child was lost on the night of the Lantern Festival, in order to continue the good marriage with the Chengguo Mansion, the Shen family decided to foster Jingshu, the daughter of the eldest wife, under her name. They did not announce the disappearance of their granddaughter to the outside world, thinking that if she was found in the future, it would not affect their reputation.
Mrs. Ruan found it hard to accept at first, but when she thought about the marriage between the two families and her own daughter, she suppressed her unhappiness and agreed.
But after so many years, Jingshu has always been filial to her, and calling her "mother" all the time has softened her heart.
Ruan was not a heartless person. She had already treated Shu'er as her own daughter. Moreover, the child was really outstanding. Not only did she shine in the palace because of her beautiful handwriting, but her daily moral character, speech, appearance and merit were all impeccable.
Ruan was very pleased about this. Even though the child was fostered under her name, it did not prevent her from meeting his biological parents.
But Shu'er may have lived in the second house since she was a child, so she is not very close to the first house.
Whenever he encounters grievances outside, he is the first one to look for her, just like now, she is still clinging to his arms and acting coquettishly!
"Okay, Shu'er! You have been wronged, but don't say such nonsense again in the future." Mrs. Ruan stroked her daughter's hair and said softly.
Shen Jingshu pouted: "That's right! They just don't want to fulfill the marriage arranged by their great grandfather."
Mrs. Ruan felt somewhat helpless. Although her daughter usually appeared to be well-behaved in public, she was very spoiled and clingy in front of her, and kept spouting willful words.
Madam Ruan frowned and thought for a moment before finally saying, "Mother will go to Duke Cheng's mansion in a few days to pay a visit to the Duke's wife. Would Shu'er like to go with me?"
Mrs. Ruan and the Duke's wife were close friends. When she was young, she often visited the Qingyuan Marquis' Mansion. Now, Mrs. Ruan's family home is only separated from the Qingyuan Marquis' Mansion by an alley.
Shen Jingshu knew about this. Although her eyes were filled with tears, she was watching Madam Ruan's actions without blinking. When she heard her say this, a hint of joy appeared on her face.
Mrs. Ruan saw this and pinched her nose, "Look at you, who was it that called off the marriage just now?"
Shen Jingshu curled her lips: "My daughter is just feeling sorry for her sister and our Shen family."
Shen Shaoyu had been there for a while. He didn't let the maid go in to report, but stood outside and listened to the conversation between the two. He felt something was blocked in his heart.
Seeing the maid was about to open the curtain, she hurriedly waved her hand and retreated alone.
When Shen Jingshu achieved her goal and left the courtyard, the maid told Ruan that the eldest young master had just come.
Ruan sat there and couldn't help sighing. She wanted to ask someone to call her son back, but after thinking about it, she waved her hand and said, "Forget it, let him go!"
His eldest son has never been able to accept Jingshu as his younger sister. In his heart, Shu'er has taken the place of his biological sister.
He had always stubbornly believed that his sister would come back, and he was still blaming himself for losing his younger sister when he was five years old. No matter how her mother tried to comfort him, it was useless.
In Jiyunzhai, Xu Shuyao came back and saw that her younger brother was indeed reviewing his lessons, and she felt a pang of heartache in her heart.
Two years have passed, and Shu Heng is now only nine years old.
At the age of nine, the nephews and nieces of the noble families in Shangjing were at the age to have fun, but Xu Shuheng, apart from going to the Shen family school on time every day, stayed in this small Jiyunzhai to study.
Even Xiao Jinwen has said more than once that he is too tense, which is not good for a child of this age and that he should combine work and rest.
How could Xu Shuyao not know? But no matter how many times she said it, A'di answered them all right, but after the people left, he still picked up the book.
Xu Shuyao stopped forcing it, because she knew in her heart that A-di wanted to share more of the burden and become her support.
They now live in the Mansion of Duke Chengguo. Although they have no worries about food and clothing, they are still living under someone else's roof and have to depend on others for their lives.
Xu Shuyao could only take better care of him in his daily life and try her best to prevent him from getting cold or hungry. As for the matters in the clan school, she was powerless to do anything.
Xiao Jinwen stopped going to the clan school since last year, so only the fifth son of the Xiao family, Jinli, was with his younger brother.
Thinking of the youthful Xiao Jinli, Xu Shuyao began to really worry.
But my brother said that the teacher valued him very much, and the school rules of the Shen family school were very strict. Even if there were a few naughty kids, as long as he had the reputation of the Chengguo Mansion, those people would not bully him.
Xu Shuyao was thinking about these things when Nanny Zheng tiptoed in. Seeing her inside, she seemed to want to say something but stopped herself.
"Just tell me what you have to say, Mammy!"
Nanny Zheng glanced outside. Huixiang had gone to get dinner and hadn't returned yet. She hurried over to Xu Shuyao and whispered in her ear, "Master! Qiaowei and Yuzhu have been called away by the Second Madam again."
Every now and then, the aunt would call these two maids over to question them. Xu Shuyao saw it all.
But what could she say? The maid's indenture was held in her aunt's hand.
They were servants of the Duke's Mansion first, and her maids secondly.
After Zheng Ma Ma finished speaking, she saw that the girl still had no expression on her face. She felt a little worried, but she was still standing there.
"It's okay, go ahead and do your work!" She said softly after a while.
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