In the past, Chu Qianchen would feel distressed and want to coax Aunt Jiang to smile when she saw her crying, but now, she only feels annoyed and hypocritical.

She had heard too many similar words in her previous life.

Chu Qianchen didn't even raise his eyebrows and interrupted Aunt Jiang directly: "Aunt, you don't have to cry. I won't go back home, lest I die suddenly for no reason. It's better to stay in the manor."

Hearing the word "sudden death", Aunt Jiang's eyelashes trembled slightly, and crystal tears hung on her long eyelashes.

The lady outside the pavilion naturally heard these words and looked a little embarrassed.

She also knew that Chu Qianchen mentioned "sudden death" all the time when he opened his mouth, and he said it deliberately for her and Chu Lingxiao to hear, just to taunt them.

She brought Aunt Jiang with her to Yanghezhuang this time, in fact, she hoped that Aunt Jiang, her biological mother, could persuade Chu Qianchen to let this girl go back to the Marquis' Mansion with them. Now it seems that all her efforts were in vain.

Chu Lingxiao curled the corner of his mouth sarcastically and did not comment.

He had already told the Madam Dowager that Chu Qianchen was a heartless and ungrateful person.

In her heart, there is no Chu family, no parents, only her own interests... Therefore, she would try to please Shen Shi in this way. To put it bluntly, Shen Shi is her biological mother, and Shen Shi has the support of the Duke Mu Mansion.

Aunt Jiang picked up a handkerchief and wiped the tears from the corners of her eyes, choking with sobs and saying, "Sister Chen, I know you are blaming me, that's why you said that."

"The emperor's decree granting marriage has put not only your father and grandmother in a difficult position, but also me, and I feel sorry for you."

"If I could, I would also like to take the blame for you..."

Aunt Jiang looked as if she "wished she could suffer for Chu Qianchen". Her motherly love made those who heard it sad and those who saw it moved.

But the words "suffer" did not sound very pleasant to Chu Qianchen's ears.

Her expression, which had always been calm, changed slightly.

To her, the prince is the most important person, and she cannot allow anyone to speak of the prince in that tone, not even her own mother!

"Aunt, you are being too presumptuous."

Chu Qianchen's tone was slightly cold, his eyes were as sharp as swords, and he shot straight at Aunt Jiang.

The surroundings suddenly became quiet.

Aunt Jiang's pretty face froze, tears slid down her cheeks again, and she looked at Chu Qianchen with a hurt expression.

Her tear-filled eyes seemed to be able to speak, so weak and so pitiful that Chu Lingxiao felt so distressed.

"Minshan." Chu Lingxiao ignored the pain in his body, walked forward, gently embraced Aunt Jiang, and coaxed her with soft words.

The look he gave Chu Qianchen was full of hatred, and he really regretted not strangling her to death when she was born.

The lady thought to herself that this was not good, fearing that her son might say something wrong and offend Chu Qianchen again.

"Sister Chen." The lady spoke before Chu Lingxiao, walked into the pavilion, and sat down next to Chu Qianchen.

Seeing that the Biluochun tea she had prepared could finally be used, Amber quickly served tea to the lady, with perfect courtesy and impeccable manners.

"I heard from your father... Hey, you have a deep misunderstanding of your father." The lady's tone was filled with a bit of sigh, pity, and emotion. "Your father was misguided for a moment. He was wrong. He has learned his lesson this time."

"Of course the Marquis' Mansion will not abandon you. If anything happens, I, your grandmother, will take care of it for you."

The lady looked at Chu Qianchen with gentle eyes, her tone sincere and loving.

Chu Qianchen, however, remained indifferent. He just drank his tea and did not respond.

The lady was not in a hurry. She observed the changes in Chu Qianchen's expression and continued, "Sister Chen, after you get married, you, a concubine's daughter, will have to rely on the Marquis's Mansion if you want to gain a foothold in the Prince Chen's Mansion. Your natal family is the support of a married woman. Don't be reckless just to vent your anger."

"There is still a long way to go, so we should take a long-term view."

"The wedding is only a month away. When you return home, you still need to prepare wedding clothes and dowry."

The lady appealed to their emotions and explained the situation to them with reason.

She believed that Chu Qianchen was not a blockhead who didn't understand the ways of the world. As long as she carefully analyzed the interests, she would understand what choice would be best for her.

In this world, what can maintain relationships between people, besides blood ties, is more importantly interests.

Chu Qianchen listened quietly for a while, until the lady mentioned the dowry, she reacted a little, stroking the teacup, and asked: "What do you plan to prepare for me, grandma?"

Seeing that Chu Qianchen finally responded, the lady secretly breathed a sigh of relief: as long as Chu Qianchen didn't insist, they could coax the girl back to the Marquis's Mansion. After all, the girl just wanted a good dowry.

Alas, although she is quite clever, she is still young and has a narrow vision. No wonder she clings to her stepmother and fourth brother like a lapdog all day long.

No matter what she thought in her heart, the lady always had a gentle and loving look on her face, coaxing Chu Qianchen, "Sister Chen, you will be the princess in the future. You are the best married daughter of this generation of the Chu family. The dowry will naturally be comparable to your elder sister's share."

The lady thought that this little girl was very concerned about her reputation, and since the Chu family had promised to give her the honor that only a legitimate daughter could have, she should be content.

"Mom!" Chu Lingxiao couldn't believe his ears and blurted out. Mother is treating this girl too well!

Aunt Jiang first opened her eyes, then lowered them.

When the wind blew, the shadows of the trees swayed, casting a faint shadow on Aunt Jiang's gentle and beautiful face. Her eyes, washed by tears, were as dark as a pool.

"Madam, I know you love Sister Chen with all your heart." Aunt Jiang rubbed her handkerchief with her slender white fingers, feeling a little embarrassed and said timidly, "The Marquis' Mansion has its own rules. If we break the rules for Sister Chen, will it be..."

"Rules are made by people," the lady said flatly.

Aunt Jiang bit her lower lip delicately, seeming to want to say something but stopping herself.

Chu Qianchen curved his lips, revealing a pair of shallow dimples, and said as a matter of course: "Grandmother, according to the house's rules, the eldest daughter's dowry is 20,000 taels of silver from the family."

According to the custom in the mansion, the dowry shares of the eldest daughter, other daughters and concubines' daughters were different, and the eldest daughter had the highest share.

Chu Qianchen smiled brightly and continued, "Grandma, I'm getting married soon anyway. It's only a month away. I don't need you to prepare any dowry. Just convert it into silver."

"This is good. It's the most reliable money. It also prevents people from buying inferior goods as good ones, or changing their mind from day to day."

She deliberately emphasized the words "changing orders every day".

What this means is that they change their minds every day. Yesterday they wanted to let her die suddenly, but today they changed their minds and planned to take her back home, and even promised her a dowry of 20,000 silver coins. Then tomorrow, they could regret it again and reduce her dowry.

"..." The lady's face froze slightly.

She originally wanted to use the 10,000 taels of dowry from her eldest daughter to appease Chu Qianchen first, and deal with the rest when she returned. However, she didn't expect Chu Qianchen to ask for 20,000 taels right away, and even asked for cash directly.

Chu Qianchen sipped the tea elegantly, "Grandma, I want to marry into the prince's mansion anyway!"

From beginning to end, Chu Qianchen kept smiling, as if she was just asking for some money for cosmetics.

“…”

“…”

“…”

The Madam Dowager, Chu Lingxiao and Aunt Jiang were all shocked by Chu Qianchen's loud words.

Especially Aunt Jiang.

That day, she realized that Chu Qianchen seemed very different from before. However, Chu Qianchen had always been filial and obedient to her over the past decade. She just thought that Chu Qianchen was just thinking wrong for a moment and would be fine after a few days.

At this moment, she was convinced that Chu Qianchen had indeed changed...

After a brief shock, Chu Lingxiao came to his senses and became furious.

"Twenty thousand taels?" He said gritting his teeth, staring at Chu Qianchen with eyes that almost spit fire.

Chu Qianchen actually has the courage to say this!

He subconsciously raised his cane again, wanting to hit Chu Qianchen.

Chu Qianchen curled his lips with a smile, and reminded him casually: "Father, if you keep making trouble, I'm afraid you will be unable to leave your crutches for the rest of your life."

Others might not be able to see it, but Chu Qianchen was a doctor with sharp eyes, and he saw at a glance that Chu Lingxiao's left foot was more seriously injured.

If Chu Lingxiao's left foot had been well taken care of, it would have only been a slight limp. However, he ignored his injured foot and went about messing around. This time, he was caned by the emperor, and it was inevitable that he accidentally hit his injured leg under the cane, so his leg injury naturally became more serious.

Chu Lingxiao originally only felt unbearable pain in his hips, but after hearing what Chu Qianchen said, his attention returned to his legs, and he felt his injured leg starting to hurt again.

The pain was piercing and excruciating.

The lady looked at Chu Lingxiao worriedly, and then she noticed that her son had been standing with a cane. She said distressedly, "Lingxiao, please sit down. How do you feel about your legs? Is it hurting again?"

Chu Lingxiao had just been beaten with a stick today and couldn't sit down at all, but his legs had not been healed yet, so it was even more inappropriate for him to stand. The servant could only put a thick and soft cushion on the chair, and Aunt Jiang personally helped Chu Lingxiao sit down.

For Chu Lingxiao now, sitting is like a torture. The pain makes his facial features twisted and his teeth grimaced.

Aunt Jiang was beside him, comforting him softly, speaking sweetly and with great consideration.

The lady and others all surrounded Chu Lingxiao, asking about his health, and hurriedly ordered the manager of the farm to call a doctor.

Chu Qianchen turned a blind eye to this and drank the new tea that Amber had just served him. Whether it was the movement of picking up the teacup or brushing away the tea leaves with the tea lid, it was so elegant, as if they were measured with a ruler.

The elegant tea aroma mixed with the rich floral scent permeated the pavilion.

Chu Qianchen casually praised: "Amber, your tea-making skills have improved."

"Thank you for the compliment, young lady." Amber bowed happily, feeling a little flattered.

The master and servant were chatting and laughing happily, forming a sharp contrast with the surrounding lady, Chu Lingxiao, Aunt Jiang and others. It seemed as if there was an invisible barrier that separated such a small pavilion into two worlds.

Aunt Jiang bent over and pressed Chu Lingxiao's acupoints while quietly looking at Chu Qianchen. An image of a swaddled baby girl appeared in her mind.

Nearly fourteen years later, the image of the little baby girl is still etched in her memory.

The little baby girl's sleeping face was peaceful, her long, thick eyelashes were like a comb, her slightly reddish skin was delicate and flawless, and her lips were like delicate flowers that seemed like they would break if touched.

As time flies, the baby girl grows up day by day. From a cute little girl, she grows taller little by little and gradually becomes a bright young girl.

Just like the hibiscus flowers blooming on the branches.

Aunt Jiang stood up and picked a hibiscus flower from the branch next to her.

Her hands pulled off the petals of the hibiscus flower one by one, her eyes still looking straight at Chu Qianchen.

Chu Qianchen vaguely felt something, looked up, and accurately met a pair of willow-leaf eyes as black as ink. There was a hint of cold resentment in the other person's eyes.

The next moment, Aunt Jiang smiled softly again, with a pitiful look on her face, as if the "resentment" just now was just Chu Qianchen's illusion.

Chu Qianchen raised her eyebrows, her gaze falling on the withered hibiscus flower in Aunt Jiang's hand. Her long feathery eyelashes trembled, and something seemed to flash across her eyes... and then she returned to calm.

"Sister Chen." Aunt Jiang threw the hibiscus flower in her hand to the ground and walked slowly towards Chu Qianchen. Her embroidered shoes happened to step on the withered hibiscus flower, which was faintly visible under the rippling skirt.

She sighed slightly, but the sigh was blown away by the breeze as soon as it left her lips...

"It's my fault that I failed to protect you and caused you to suffer so much."

"I know all your grievances."

"Sister Chen, you are just a concubine's daughter. You are a far cry from His Royal Highness Prince Chen. This marriage is too high. I'm afraid you will be wronged if you marry into the palace."

"Every time I think about it, I can't sleep at night and can't eat."

Aunt Jiang looked at Chu Qianchen worriedly, her slightly red eyes looking pitiful.

Chu Qianchen stared at Aunt Jiang without blinking, and it was impossible to tell what she was thinking from her calm face.

She was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "Yes, Auntie is right, this marriage is really too high."

"So, I still have to prepare more dowry. With the dowry, I won't be wronged in the Prince Chen's Mansion in the future."

"Aunt said so, didn't she?"

Without waiting for Aunt Jiang to answer, Chu Qianchen continued, "Grandma, why not give me thirty thousand taels?"

Aunt Jiang: “…”

Aunt Jiang opened her eyes slightly and wanted to say something, but the lady gave her a cold glare and she had to shut her mouth.

The lady was very unhappy. Originally the dowry was 20,000 taels, but Aunt Jiang had only said a few words and an additional 10,000 taels had been added. If she continued to talk, wouldn't she have to add another 10,000 taels? !

The lady's eyes became increasingly darker. She hated Chu Qianchen's greed, but on the other hand, she also blamed Aunt Jiang for not being able to manage her own daughter.

She calmed herself down and discussed with Chu Qianchen in a gentle voice: "Sister Chen, you have learned housekeeping from your mother for a few days, so you should know that the harvest has not been good in the past two years. There are many children in the mansion, and the expenses are increasing year by year. There is not much cash in the public treasury, and to take out 20,000 taels, it is already scraping together."

"Besides, you have so many younger brothers and sisters. They are all grown up and want to start their own families."

Madam Ren kept talking, but Chu Qianchen just smiled and drank his tea.

In fact, her mind had already drifted away.

There is still a month left until the wedding. Counting the days, half a month should be enough time for Xue Fengyan and his men to contact the prince.

She had to get the 30,000 taels of dowry silver as soon as possible. Once the silver was in her pocket, no matter what happened in the future, no one could expect her to give it back.

The prince has a crossbow team. In recent years, the military pay allocated by the court has been insufficient, and there has been a long-term shortage of iron arrows. She had heard from Su Mubai and Xue Fengyan in her previous life that when they were the poorest, they often had to collect the iron arrows when cleaning the battlefield and continue to use them later.

War costs the most money, and thirty thousand taels of silver is just right to buy some iron arrows for the prince.

Chu Qianchen smiled happily, with the corners of his lips curved.

She was immersed in her own thoughts, but her smile had a different feeling in the eyes of the lady, who felt that Chu Qianchen was demonstrating.

The lady's eyelids twitched.

Could it be that Chu Qianchen already knew that the emperor had ordered her to go to the palace tomorrow to attend the emperor's birthday banquet, so she was so sure that they had to bow their heads.

Silence spread in the pavilion.

(End of this chapter)