Duan Maochuan nodded. This illegitimate child was just like his mother, cautious and timid. Even though he was loved by his father, under his mother's constant instruction, he never considered himself as a young master of a marquisate. From this point of view, he was really unlike his father, and instead inherited the temperament of his third uncle.
"Dad, Mom was bullied today." Duan Maoming suddenly spoke up. Compared with his younger brother who was three months younger than him, this brother was a devilish person, and his degree of badness was almost as bad as his father. It was conceivable that if he was not disciplined well, it would be no problem for him to surpass his father in the future.
"Your mother was bullied?"
Duan Tingxuan laughed, put his two sons down, and tapped Duan Maoming on the forehead: "You are talking nonsense again, kid. Is there anyone in this mansion who dares to make your mother angry? Even your second aunt doesn't have the courage."
"It's not Second Aunt." Duan Maoming rubbed his forehead with his hand, staring angrily at his father who had wronged him: "I don't know where my mother went today. When she came back, there was a bruise on her forehead. She cried."
"Really?" Duan Tingxuan could tell from his son's serious expression that what he said was true, and he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart. He thought to himself that although there were constant intrigues in the mansion and the backyard, everyone still abided by the rules. Who was so ignorant? He actually let go and went straight to the fight? Wouldn't that make him a shrew? Damn it! This is the Anping Marquis's Mansion. Who on earth is so bold as to want to make trouble?
When he thought of this, he couldn't help but get angry and became bold. He put his two sons down and went into the house. The maids hurriedly squatted and saluted. Xu Ranyun and Aunt Jiang were sitting opposite him. When they saw him coming, they also stood up. Xu Ranyun's eyes were slightly swollen. Before she could say anything, tears flowed down. She wiped them with a handkerchief, took a deep breath, and ordered the maids to serve tea. Then she let Duan Tingxuan sit on the left side of the kang bed, and he sat on the right side. Aunt Jiang had already seen through it and sat on the chair below.
Duan Tingxuan was very satisfied with Xu Ranyun's "dignified and calm" and couldn't wait to cry and complain. That was the behavior of an ignorant concubine who was spoiled. He took a closer look at his wife and saw a black spot on her forehead. He frowned and said, "I heard that you wanted me to come as soon as I returned to the mansion. Just now, Ming'er said in the courtyard that you were angry. I didn't believe it. I thought there was no one in this mansion who didn't know the rules. Who knew that your forehead was really black? What happened?"
After asking, he slowly brought the teacup to his lips and took a sip of tea. As a prince, he had to maintain the elegance and grace of a marquis' successor at all times and in all places.
"My Lord, you're still asking me? Don't you think about it, besides the one in Meiyue Tower, who else in this mansion is so ignorant of the rules?" Xu Ranyun sneered, still angry in his heart. He thought to himself, I've made things clear directly and won't give you the chance to play dumb. I'd like to see how you plan to deal with that shrew.
With a "puff", the young marquis's elegance and grace instantly disappeared along with the spray of tea. He raised his head and looked at Xu Ranyun in astonishment: "You went to Meiyue Tower? What are you doing there for no reason?"
"My Lord, you left her there for three to five days, but now it's been half a year. I don't know what you are thinking, but I can't just watch her suffer alone, right? So I want to go and visit her today."
Just hearing these words, the image of a virtuous and kind mistress is so touching that it can move heaven and earth. However, Duan Tingxuan will not be fooled by his wife's high-sounding reasons. He gently turned the teacup in his hand, and a faint, barely noticeable, mocking smile appeared on the corner of his mouth. He said leisurely: "Didn't you just say that she didn't know the rules? Why do you care about her life or death?"
Xu Ranyun choked, then turned his head and snorted, "She is unkind, I cannot be unjust."
"Okay, stop pretending in front of me." Duan Tingxuan put the teacup on the table and laughed, "Do you think I don't know that you hate her? You are putting on a virtuous face in front of me now. Tell me, what's going on?"
Xu Ranyun also knew that her husband was smart. It was okay to say a few polite words occasionally, but saying too much would be hypocrisy, and her husband hated hypocritical people the most. So she pouted and said angrily, "Yes, I hate her. How much anger did I suffer from her in the past? Even if I didn't see it, I knew it in my heart. So when I drove her to Meiyue Tower that day, I didn't say a word. I didn't gloat over her misfortune, but I felt that I had vented my anger. So in the following days, I didn't care about them. After a while, I actually forgot about them. Unexpectedly, my wife suddenly mentioned them this morning, and I remembered that, to be honest, so much time has passed, and they are still three living people after all. Even if I hate them, can I just watch them starve to death? What's more, I have forgotten them all these days. So when I heard my wife mention it, I felt ashamed, and hurriedly took people over to see what their situation is now, but... but... my kindness was rewarded with a donkey's liver and lungs. Look at my face, look at my body..."
Later, her voice was choked with sobs. Xu Ranyun pointed to the wound on her forehead and rolled up her sleeves. There were two bruises on it. She said with tears in her eyes, "This is what they left for me. They have lived in Meiyue Tower for so many days. Not only have they not cultivated their minds and tempers, but they have become more and more domineering. I think this mansion can no longer accommodate them. You should think of a way to get rid of them as soon as possible, otherwise I don’t know what trouble they will cause."
"Did they hit you?" Duan Tingxuan gasped. With his understanding of Su Nuannuan, it was not surprising that she would do such a thing. Fortunately, he kicked her for a few dumplings. If it were someone else, they might not be able to avoid it. He was just wondering, after all, she was a lady from a wealthy family, why did she hit others at every turn? She was not so excessive before. Or was she desperate and just gave up because she had become an abandoned woman?
"That's not the case." Xu Ranyun didn't dare to lie, and said angrily: "They were drying beans at the door, and I... I got caught by accident."
Duan Tingxuan stared, not knowing what to say. After a long while, he gave a dry laugh and said, "So that's how it is. That... ahem, Ran Yun, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but you shouldn't be too proud. You usually like to hold your head high when you walk. Sometimes, it's not a bad thing to lower your head. At least you can see the road clearly."
"Sir, stop speaking well for them." Xu Ranyun saw that her husband was clearly trying to smooth things over, and she immediately became furious. She gritted her teeth and said, "I was wrong just now. They were not drying beans at all. They were basically setting a trap. Who would dry beans right in front of the door? There is clearly a balcony paved with bluestone bricks in the yard."
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