Chapter 647: Always the Second Option

The old lady of Duke Xin and her entourage walked around the main hall and saw that there were no problems. The alms table, the lonely soul table, and the Yanluo table were all properly arranged. The flowers, incense burners, fruits, water pots, food bowls, and eternal lamps on the altar were also ready. There was nothing wrong to find, so she nodded and settled the matter.

In the evening, Guanli prepared vegetarian dishes. Although they did not have any meaty smell, they were delicately cooked and delicious. Mrs. Wei ate them with great praise.

After dinner, it was still early in the temple. The old lady of Duke Xin and Mrs. Wei were old and tired early, and they were unwilling to go out for a walk. The two elders lazily leaned on the couch and chatted.

Xing Xing sat on the other side of the couch with her legs crossed, reading a storybook by candlelight.

Under the dim candlelight, the old lady of Duke Xin listened to Mrs. Wei talking about interesting things in the countryside. From time to time, she glanced at Xingxing who was reading obediently. She felt satisfied.

Mrs. Wei was just talking about how someone wanted to frame Yu Yongliu for carrying cheat sheets during the provincial examination, but was discovered by Xingxing. The old lady of Duke Xin was so fascinated by what she was saying that someone was trying to frame Yu Yongliu for carrying cheat sheets during the provincial examination. At this moment, there was a knock on the door, interrupting the story.

It was the maid guarding outside the corridor who came to report that the Crown Prince's wife had brought the eldest daughter to pay respects to the old lady.

Mrs. Wei stopped talking and stood up, saying, "Since the eldest lady of the mansion is here, let's go back first..."

Before Mrs. Wei finished her words, the old lady of Duke Xin reached out and grabbed Mrs. Wei's arm and said, "It's nothing, it's nothing, sister of the Wei family, don't leave yet. You have to tell me how Xingxing helped her third brother to see through the evil plot. Otherwise, I will be worried about it and I am afraid I won't be able to sleep well tonight."

Mrs. Wei thought about it and sat down again: "That's fine."

Xingxing put down her notebook, put on her shoes, and sat down on the edge of the couch obediently.

The old lady of Duke Xin felt a little sorry for the child's understanding.

Madam Qingluan, who was beside the old lady of Duke Xin, went to open the door in person. Jiao and Yu Mingzhu were standing outside the door. When Jiao saw that it was Madam Qingluan, she called her "Madam" out of respect and asked, "...Is mother still awake? I brought Zhuzhu to pay her respects to her."

Nanny Qingluan smiled and turned to the side: "The old lady is not asleep, she is talking to old lady Wei."

Jiao was startled and led Yu Mingzhu in, where she saw the old woman from the Wei family and Xingxing, both sitting on the side of the couch where her mother-in-law was sitting.

When Mrs. Wei and Xing Xing saw Jiao and the others coming in, they didn't stay sitting there in a daze. They stood up and bowed, "Madam, the Crown Prince."

Jiao smiled and said, "Hello, Madam Wei."

Yu Mingzhu also bowed obediently: "Meet Madam Wei."

Mother Wei sighed, looked at Yu Mingzhu, and asked the maid beside her to bring a sachet over: "This is the first time I meet Miss Yu, I haven't prepared any big gifts, just a small gift as a greeting."

Yu Mingzhu took it with both hands obediently: "Thank you, Madam Wei."

After this action, even the most picky maid in the palace could not find any fault.

Seeing Yu Mingzhu accepting the greeting from Mrs. Wei in a serious manner, the old lady of Duke Xin's expression eased and she asked warmly, "Old lady, it's so late, why did you bring Mingzhu here? What's the matter?"

Jiao smiled and said, "Mother, it's like this. Tomorrow we will have a water and land Taoist ceremony. Zhuzhu is also from the Duke of Xin's Mansion, and she also wants to wear mourning clothes to pray for the ancestors."

Jiao looked tentatively at the face of the old lady of Duke Xin.

In fact, Jiao was asking whether Yu Mingzhu's retreat in the temple could be completed.

If it cannot be concluded, I will naturally have to wear Taoist robes tomorrow.

But as long as the old lady of Duke Xin allowed Yu Mingzhu to wear mourning clothes tomorrow, it would naturally mean that Yu Mingzhu could end her retreat tomorrow.

When it was time to return, he would naturally take Yu Mingzhu back to the capital.

The old lady of Duke Xin looked at Yu Mingzhu indifferently.

Yu Mingzhu stood there obediently, without any makeup on, wearing only a loose Taoist robe. She looked empty and lonely.

The old lady of Duke Xin thought of Yu Mingzhu's apology to Mao Fuqiu during the day. No matter how you look at it, it seemed sincere.

The old lady of Duke Xin sighed inaudibly: "Mingzhu is also from Duke Xin's mansion, so naturally she should wear mourning clothes as well."

After hearing this, Jiao couldn't hide the smile on her face. She nodded excitedly: "Yes, yes, mother is right."

Yu Mingzhu had obviously improved a lot. Tears welled up in her eyes, but she didn't show her joy like Jiao. She just looked at the old lady of Duke Xin with tears in her eyes and assured her softly, "Grandma, I will never make the same mistake again in the future."

The old lady of Duke Xin nodded faintly.

Yu Mingzhu looked at Xing Xing who was sitting beside her and suddenly said, "Princess."

"Ah?" Xingxing looked at Yu Mingzhu in confusion.

Jiao was inexplicably nervous.

She subconsciously wanted to stop in front of Yu Mingzhu, but then she realized something and resisted the urge.

——She did this obviously because she was afraid that Xingxing would hurt Yu Mingzhu.

But Xingxing wasn't some terrible beast and she had always been calm. Xingxing found her being so defensive a bit funny.

Yu Mingzhu said sincerely, "Princess, I heard that you have been helping grandpa and grandma check their pulses these days. I want to thank you very much."

As he spoke, Yu Mingzhu solemnly knelt down and bowed to Xingxing.

Xing Xing was somewhat helpless: "Nothing, Miss Yu, you are too polite."

Yu Mingzhu didn't say much, just smiled at Xingxing, looking very friendly.

Jiao had an expression of great relief on her face.

Jiao took Yu Mingzhu away. The old lady of Duke Xin had been absent-minded before, but as soon as the mother and daughter left, she immediately became alert and grabbed Mrs. Wei's hand: "Old sister, please tell me what happened to Xingxing's third brother after he was framed."

Mrs. Wei was really helpless.

Isn't it true that the old lady of Duke Xin is too fond of their daughter Xingxing?

She finally realized that as long as it was related to Xingxing, this distinguished wife of the Duke would be eager to hear every word eight times.

However, Mrs. Wei was actually very willing to tell others how amazing her daughter Xingxing was. She coughed and then continued to describe her in vivid detail.

Xingxing smiled helplessly.

In the past, Mrs. Wei often talked about these things with the aunts and uncles in the village. How to show off her granddaughter was Mrs. Wei's daily compulsory course.

Ever since the Yu family moved to the capital, Mrs. Wei has rarely boasted about her own apricots to others in the same hearty way as Mrs. Wang selling melons, and she feels so relaxed when she does so.

Now, one likes to listen and the other likes to talk, they are a perfect match.

It was getting late, and Mrs. Wei was so exhausted from talking that she finally finished telling the whole story. The old lady of Duke Xin couldn't help but pull Xingxing to her side and hug her: "Oh, our Xingxing is really a little lucky star!"

Mrs. Wei said proudly, "Of course not! Ever since Xingxing came to our Yu family, our family has been prosperous, and life has been getting better and better. Later, Xingxing's grandfather and I really suspected that something had happened to the ancestral tomb, so we went to see it. Guess what, the ancestral tomb is still the same ancestral tomb, there is no difference at all... Isn't it that Xingxing brought good fortune with her, and after coming to our Yu family, she also brought good luck to us?"

The old lady of Duke Xin agreed with this.

In the past, when they still thought that Yu Mingzhu was their granddaughter, a master had calculated Yu Mingzhu's fake "birth date" and concluded that it was an extremely noble birth date, full of blessings.

But later they found out that this birth date belonged to their real granddaughter, not Yu Mingzhu.

If you really calculate it, isn't that Xingxing's birth date?

No wonder, after Xingxing arrived at the Yu family, the Yu family lived such a good life!

At that time, the old lady of Duke Xin was not jealous of the prosperity of the Yu family. Firstly, the Duke Xin's Mansion was a top-class wealthy family. Secondly, if it weren't for Mrs. Wei who picked Xingxing up from the reef beach, such a little person would have died in the mountains long ago.

Without the Yu family, there would be no Xing Xing today!

The Yu family lives a good life, no matter if it is because of the blessings brought by Xingxing or not, it is the blessing they have earned!

They deserve it!

…

The old lady of Duke Xin and Mrs. Wei chatted for most of the night last night, and they were almost going to have a candlelit talk. In the end, Xingxing yawned a little. The two old ladies, who were getting more and more excited and not even sleepy anymore, stopped talking and dispersed so that Xingxing could go back to rest.

The next morning was the day for the water and land training at the Xin Guo Mansion.

Xing Xing and Mrs. Wei were very conscious and did not go to the front of the theater to join in the excitement.

The grandfather and grandson went to the back mountain of Baiyun Temple and started digging wild vegetables in the mountain after a long absence.

Winter is approaching, and there are not many wild vegetables. However, Xingxing and Mrs. Wei haven't dug them for a long time. Although they didn't dig much, they were very happy.

It even feels like reliving an old dream.

While digging, Xingxing suddenly let out a cry of "Hmm".

There was a snake den in the meadow. There were obvious signs of smoking at the entrance of the den, which meant someone must have come here to catch snakes.

Snakes are about to hibernate now, why catch them for no reason?

Xing Xing was a little confused, but she still covered the area on the meadow.

"Xingxing, come here! Look, is this dandelion? Come and dig it up, it's a huge bunch!"

Mrs. Wei called her from the front.

Xing Xing put the matter behind her and walked over happily: "Let me see! Wow, it really is, a huge bunch!"

The grandfather and grandson waved their small shovels and started digging happily.

By the time Mrs. Wei and Xingxing returned home with half a basket of wild vegetables from the hill behind Baiyun Temple, the water and land temple in the front hall of Baiyun Temple had been almost completed.

Xingxing handed the half basket of wild vegetables to the cook at the stove, paid her some money, and asked them to help add some dishes for lunch.

The cooks waved their hands and said, "Your Excellency is really embarrassing us. It's just an extra dish, why do you need to pay more money?"

"After all, I'm sorry to have troubled you all." Xingxing still stuffed the silver into her hand.

The cooks' mouths were almost stretched to their ears, and they were much more attentive to Xingxing and the others.

Zhaoying suddenly asked, "The food here is so delicious that I couldn't resist eating two steamed buns last night. How come the eldest daughter of the Duke's Mansion has become so thin after only being here for a short time? Are you treating her too harshly?"

When Zhaoying asked this question, the cooks immediately cried out that they were wronged.

The fat cook who was in the lead cried out loudly, "Oh, young lady, what you said really wronged us. We all know that she is a young lady from the Duke's Mansion, not a nun here. Her family will take her back sooner or later, so how dare they treat her harshly?... The meals are different every day. Although there are not as many varieties as the vegetarian dishes last night, the taste is definitely the same. How can they treat her harshly?... It's just that the young lady has been very depressed since she came. Maybe she can't eat because of this? But to say that she is treated harshly, that is absolutely impossible. I saw the nun in the front yard also said that the young lady was never allowed to do any odd jobs or rough work."

Zhaoying nodded thoughtfully.

Xingxing glanced at Zhaoying and shook her head helplessly.

Although Mrs. Wei said she didn't know what happened between Yu Mingzhu and Xingxing yesterday, she saw Zhaoying, the always well-behaved maid, taking the initiative to ask about Yu Mingzhu. After leaving the courtyard of the stove room, she couldn't help but ask in a place where no one was around: "What's wrong? You are always well-behaved, why are you so talkative today?"

Zhaoying replied, "Madam, it's nothing. I just noticed that Miss Yu had lost a lot of weight, and I thought that Baiyun Temple had treated Miss Yu harshly... You didn't see how distressed the Crown Prince's wife was yesterday. She was afraid that our princess would do something to Miss Yu. I was just a little angry, so I asked a few more questions."

Mrs. Wei shook her head: "Then Miss Yu is the apple of the eye of the Duke of Xin's house after all."

Mrs. Wei didn't say much.

It’s not because of anything else.

The Yu family loves Xingxing even more than the prince's wife loves Yu Mingzhu.

Who can say who is biased?

Xingxing and Mrs. Wei walked towards the courtyard where they were resting, but they saw Mao Fuqiu, the eldest wife of the Duke of Xin's mansion, walking out in a daze like a wandering ghost.

Xing Xing saw that Mao Fuqiu's face looked a little pale, and couldn't help but call out, "Grandma Mao?"

Mao Fuqiu was startled. Seeing that it was Xing Xing and Mrs. Wei, she forced a smile and said, "Madam Wei, Princess..."

Mrs. Wei was also very concerned and asked Mao Fuqiu to sit on a stone bench nearby to rest: "Hey, what's wrong? You are such a healthy girl, why do you look so bad?"

Mao Fuqiu smiled bitterly and shook her head.

It wasn't anything else, it was just that she happened to run into her husband Yu Chongjie, who asked Yu Mingzhu with concern if she was tired after kneeling for the whole morning, her heartache was evident in words.

But she was also feeling very unwell.

Mao Fuqiu thought somewhat sadly that even two outsiders, Madam Wei and Princess Fusui, could tell at a glance that she was not feeling well.

As a husband, Yu Chongjie only cared about Mingzhu.

She admitted that Yu Chongjie was very nice to her - but that was only when Yu Mingzhu was not around, Yu Chongjie seemed to be able to see her.

But as long as Yu Mingzhu was around, she would always fall behind Yu Mingzhu and would always be the second option.