Chapter 30, Chapter 8: The Heir Apparent's Wife
"Granny Dong?"
Yu Wanwan and Xu Qingzhou exchanged a glance, seeing confusion in each other's eyes.
What is Granny Dong here for at this time?
Yu Wanwan pondered, considering the possibilities.
"Please come in quickly!"
Granny Dong was a kind-looking woman who appeared to be around forty years old and slightly overweight.
As soon as she entered, Yu Wanwan and Xu Qingzhou stood up at the same time.
"Why has the old woman come over?"
Granny Dong wasn't surprised that Xu Qingzhou was here, but she was somewhat astonished that he was the one who spoke first.
She didn't show anything unusual, she simply gave a polite bow.
"Young Master, Young Madam, Madam has some matters she wishes to discuss with you, and has specially sent this old servant to invite you over."
Xu Qingzhou frowned.
"Did Mother say what it was about?"
Summoning her at this time just doesn't seem quite right.
Granny Dong glanced at Xu Qingzhou with surprise.
She was the lady of the house's dowry maid, and had been by her side since childhood.
She had watched the young master grow up; to put it bluntly, he was practically half her son.
She naturally knew a bit about what kind of person this man was.
Xu Qingzhou quickly realized that he had messed up his public persona.
He remained calm, casually frowning and adopting an impatient attitude.
"Why are you looking at me like that? Is there anything that I, as the heir apparent, cannot know?"
A knowing glint flashed in Granny Dong's eyes, and the doubt in her eyes unexpectedly vanished.
"After the provincial examination, it will be the second young master's coming-of-age ceremony. Madam is thinking that since the young mistress has been married for more than a month, it's time for her to practice as well."
The explanation was reasonable and well-founded, but Xu Qingzhou still felt that something was off.
Yu Wanwan, however, chuckled and didn't seem to care what the Lady of the Marquis was thinking.
"Then let's go."
"Would the young mistress like to change her clothes?"
"No need."
Granny Dong didn't say anything more. She lowered her head slightly and let Yu Wanwan go first, then followed beside her, keeping a distance that was neither too close nor too far.
Before they even left the courtyard, they heard a commotion behind them.
Turning around, they saw Xu Qingzhou following behind the two, fanning himself with a folding fan.
Yu Wanwan raised her eyebrows.
Where to go?
She didn't show him any more courtesy just because of Dong Mama's presence.
Granny Dong frowned almost imperceptibly, but Xu Qingzhou was already used to her attitude and didn't care at all.
"I haven't visited my mother in a long time, so I'll go see her while I'm at it."
Xu Qingzhou swayed forward and walked side by side with Yu Wanwan.
Granny Dong wanted to say something, but seeing how familiar the two were, and looking at the servants in the courtyard who all seemed used to it, she swallowed her questions and quietly followed behind them.
Ruijin Residence was the courtyard where Lady Hou lived.
When Yu Wanwan and Xu Qingzhou arrived, Madam Hou was looking at account books in the main hall.
Xu Qingzhou glanced at Granny Dong, and before she could go in to announce his arrival, he smiled and strode into the hall.
"Mother! Your child has come to see you!"
Lady Hou paused, more surprised than delighted.
Her gaze swept over Yu Wanwan at the door, then over Dong Mama, her eyes filled with questions.
Granny Dong was helpless.
In the entire Marquis's mansion, only the Marquis himself could control this man.
Even the Lady Hou, her mother, couldn't do anything, so what could a mere servant like her do?
Lady Hou lowered her eyes, put down the account book, and looked at Xu Qingzhou.
His dignified gaze held a subtle hint of gentleness and helplessness.
“Zhou’er, how many times have I told you? You are the heir, bearing the honor of the Marquis’s mansion. How can you uphold the family’s reputation in the future with such a frivolous manner?”
As soon as she finished speaking, Lady Hou's heart tightened.
In the past, whenever she said these words, Xu Qingzhou would already be showing his impatience.
It is precisely because of this that the relationship between the mother and son, who should have been inseparable, has gradually drifted apart.
Lady Hou also noticed these things, but her sense of justice made her want to teach him whenever she saw him.
Later... he used his new marriage as an excuse to exempt the couple from their daily morning and evening greetings, so they wouldn't have to see each other and be bothered.
Lady Hou tightened her grip on the handkerchief, feeling a headache coming on.
This time... he's probably going to get angry with her again.
To the surprise of the Marquis's family, Xu Qingzhou did not show any displeasure like the young master.
He sat crookedly, legs crossed, casually picked up a plate of grapes, placed it on his knees, and tossed them into his mouth one by one.
"Isn't this how I act, Mother?"
He was shaking his leg, his eyebrows and eyes were raised, looking every bit the dashing and unrestrained young man.
"Those empty formalities are just for show. If we still have to observe those formalities in front of Mother, it will only make us seem distant!"
Lady Hou's gaze was somewhat dazed.
How long has it been since she heard such childish, willful words?
Xu Qingzhou, however, did not stop. His expression was slightly aggrieved as he hung his head and muttered resentfully.
"If Mother only wants to see that 'respectable person' wearing a mask, then I will never come again!"
As he spoke, he actually put down the grapes, lowered his legs, stood up and bowed respectfully to the Lady Hou, then turned to leave.
Lady Hou's eyes stung, and her eyes reddened. She quickly stepped forward to stop him.
"Zhou'er! What are you doing?"
Xu Qingzhou didn't really want to leave, so she stopped and turned her head away with red eyes.
"I can't even be at ease in front of my mother. Being the heir apparent is quite unpleasant. I feel suffocated."
Seeing her usually unrestrained son so aggrieved, Lady Hou couldn't describe the feeling in her heart.
But she seemed to vaguely understand why she and her son, with whom she shared blood, had drifted further and further apart over the years.
She was momentarily at a loss.
Born into a prominent family, she received the strictest rules and etiquette from a young age.
The same approach was taken in how the mother raised her younger brother.
She believed she had done nothing wrong in raising her son, but what Xu Qingzhou said clearly contradicted her own principles, and she couldn't refute it.
Lady Hou couldn't understand it, so she simply sighed, her gaze softened, and she skipped over this topic that didn't please the mother and son.
"You're all married now, why are you still acting like a child! Go back and sit down."
Xu Qingzhou noticed that Madam Hou's attitude had changed, so he softened his stance accordingly.
"Even if I'm married and have become a father, in front of my mother, am I still a child?"
Lady Hou shook her head and chuckled, not bothering to argue with him any further.
She turned around and waved to Yu Wanwan, who was still standing properly outside the door.
"Yaoyao, come here."
Yu Wanwan walked to the Lady Hou's side and gave a slight curtsy.
"Mother."
He was composed and his smile was appropriate.
Even after being neglected for a long time, she showed no resentment or bitterness whatsoever.
Lady Hou was satisfied with this daughter-in-law in every way.
She took her hand, led her to the head seat, and handed her the ledger.
Yu Wanwan didn't answer, feigning surprise and confusion.
"Mother, what is this...?"
Lady Hou simply smiled.
"Didn't Granny Dong tell you? After the provincial examination comes Che'er's coming-of-age ceremony. It's time to start preparing now. You can practice with these. If you don't understand anything, just come and ask me."
In fact, Xu Mingche was just an illegitimate son, so his coming-of-age ceremony didn't need to be too grand.
However, Madam Hou had seen Xu Mingche's talent and achievements.
He will definitely not fail this provincial examination.
When a successful candidate in the imperial examinations is selected from the Marquis's household, even if the score is not high, it will still be a long-awaited good thing for the Marquis's household.
Lady Hou is not a foolish person. Even if Xu Mingche is not her biological son, she will not be careless about this matter.
Giving people something to talk about is secondary; the most important thing is that she, as the mother, knows her son's personality all too well.
When he enters officialdom in the future, he will inevitably need the more reliable Xu Mingche to help him, and he cannot let Xu Mingche down.
She understood the principle of shared prosperity and shared loss better than anyone else.
Lady Hou wasn't worried that Yu Wanwan would have any objections, but she was afraid that Xu Qingzhou wouldn't understand the key to this.
Her son had disliked Xu Mingche since childhood, even though she had told him many times that as a legitimate son and the heir apparent, he didn't need to treat his half-brother that way.
He would only think she was being biased, without understanding the reasoning behind it.
She placed the ledger in Yu Wanwan's hand, gently patted her hand, and glanced at Xu Qingzhou's expression out of the corner of her eye.
“From now on, this Marquis’s mansion will ultimately depend on you two as a couple.”
Xu Qingzhou seemed not to hear, and just lazily nestled in the chair, idly peeling grape skins.
Lady Hou was surprised and relieved, and breathed a sigh of relief.
Yu Wanwan was genuinely surprised this time.
She thought that what Granny Dong said was just an excuse to call her over.
After all, no mother-in-law would relinquish power to her daughter-in-law so early, especially in prominent families.
Power is the sharpest knife they wield.
Judging from Lady Hou's demeanor, it was clearly not a spur-of-the-moment decision.
Yu Wanwan did not refuse again and put the account book away.
"Then I will have to trouble Mother to give me some guidance."
There was no hint of being flattered or petty; only poise and generosity, with a smile that carried just the right amount of filial piety and gratitude.
Lady Hou was pleased and started talking to her about other things, which Yu Wanwan responded to one by one, so there was no awkward silence.
Xi Qingyao is a talented woman, but Yu Wanwan is even more knowledgeable than Xi Qingyao, and they can talk about anything and everything.
Even when it comes to mundane family matters, she can speak meaningfully about them.
The more the lady of the house talked to her, the more satisfied she became with her.
For a while, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law chatted amiably, while Xu Qingzhou sat there as if she were an outsider.
He wanted to chat with them, but unfortunately, the topics they were discussing were things he shouldn't be familiar with given his current status and persona.
Xu Qingzhou could only silently drink tea from his teacup and peel the grapes.
It wasn't until the whole plate of grapes was peeled that Madam Hou belatedly realized she had forgotten about her son.
She paused, glanced at Xu Qingzhou who was still standing there, and inexplicably found him somewhat of an eyesore.
She quickly suppressed the slight feeling of disdain that had just arisen, finally remembering the important reason she had been called over today.
After that conversation, she gained a better understanding of Yu Wanwan's personality. The Lady of the Marquis didn't hold back and went straight to the point.
"I heard that Che-ge'er has been going to Chengruixuan a lot lately?"
Yu Wanwan and Xu Qingzhou exchanged a glance, and a realization dawned on their minds at the same time.
It seems that this is why the Lady Hou summoned her here today.
Yu Wanwan never expected that Xu Mingche would get into trouble.
Xu Qingzhou had thought of something and spoke up before Yu Wanwan could.
"How would Mother know? But that boy came to you for help?"
He slammed his teacup down on the table, his whole demeanor radiating irritation.
"Please don't agree to him! A-Yao is my wife, not his! No matter how much he annoys me, I will not agree to let A-Yao teach him!"
Xu Qingzhou gets angry when this is mentioned.
Ever since Xu Mingche saw some annotations Yu Wanwan had made for him in the study, he has been acting strangely.
They would surround him all day long, spouting a lot of classical Chinese phrases, but their central idea was the same: to get him to come and listen to Yu Wanwan's teaching exams.
That scene made Xu Qingzhou imagine the fanatical fans he had seen in his future life.
If Xu Mingche hadn't been mindful of etiquette and hadn't been impolite enough to pester Yu Wanwan or ask her for her writing materials, he would have already lost his temper.
Not to mention Lady Hou, even Yu Wanwan herself was completely bewildered and couldn't understand what he was talking about at all.
Before Lady Hou could ask what was going on, she was interrupted by a voice.
"What kind of teaching? And who is to be taught?"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com