Chapter 10: What a waste of her brains to tell such blatant lies!
*
The Yu family members are all handsome. If Yu Qingxue is a white lotus, then Yu Zhiheng is a white poplar. Even in middle age, he remains handsome and upright, with a refined and elegant demeanor.
If one wants to trace his handsome appearance in his youth, Yu Jingxian standing next to him is an excellent reference. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been chosen by Shen Linlang and selected as a son-in-law by the Shen family.
He noticed Shen Qinglu's bandaged forehead, his eyes flickered slightly, and then his gaze fell on the black characters on the white paper. He asked, "When did Ali learn to write? It's quite good."
Madam Xie couldn't help but boast, "This child only learned it today. He must have some talent. He's no worse than you."
“A nephew is like an uncle,” Yu Zhiheng laughed.
To everyone's surprise, Xie's expression turned slightly sour and she seemed a little uneasy upon hearing this.
Meanwhile, Yu Jingxian frowned and glanced at Shen Qinglu with an ambiguous look in his eyes.
As the eldest son, he naturally valued the reputation and honor of the Yu family in everything he did. From a young age, he knew that this cousin was the daughter of a disgraced official. They could provide her with food and lodging, but they could not get too close to her.
Then he asked Madam Xie, "Grandmother, how did she end up here?"
The word "she" alone is enough to prove his dislike.
Shen Qinglu immediately feigned timidity, her large eyes filled with fear and sadness, and looked pitifully at Madam Xie, "Grandmother, do they... not like me?"
Madam Xie looked at her eldest grandson one moment and at her the next, feeling extremely uncomfortable as if something was pulling her back and forth between her eyes.
"This is your uncle, this is your older brother, how could they not like you?"
The words "elder brother" made Yu Jingxian frown even more.
This cousin's surname is Yu, in order to avoid any connection with the Su family, but they are indeed cousins. Why doesn't Grandmother distinguish between them?
He didn't say anything, but it showed on his face.
Xie felt increasingly sad and sighed inwardly.
This is all the mess she made!
There's no going back now; all we can do is try our best to make amends.
Yu Zhiheng didn't say he liked Shen Qinglu, but he didn't care much either. He just felt that the child looked like his younger sister, so he couldn't help but ignore her or remain indifferent.
Seeing how pitiful she looked, he suddenly felt a pang of tenderness and softened his voice, saying, "Ali, don't be afraid, we all like you very much."
She could tell whether someone liked her or not, and she could sense it even more.
"I like you all too."
Madam Xie was overjoyed by her words. "Heng'er, Dalang, did you hear that? Ali said she likes you too. This child must be getting better. After a while, when she knows more people and knows more things, she will definitely be just like a normal person."
Compared to her genuine joy, Yu Zhiheng's reaction was ordinary, while Yu Jingxian was somewhat indifferent.
“If she is truly well, then Qingxue can rest assured,” Yu Zhiheng said.
Yu Jingxian then asked, "Grandmother, where is Aunt? Why is she here alone with you?"
“Ali fell into the water yesterday and bumped her head today. Your aunt can’t take care of her, so let her stay with me for the time being. I have nothing to do, so I can teach her to read some books and recognize some characters.” There were some things that Madam Xie couldn’t say too much about, so she could only speak vaguely.
Yu Jingxian didn't quite understand this explanation. "Grandmother, you're getting old. How can you have the energy to take care of others? She's feeling better now, and it's easier for Aunt to teach her. Otherwise, I'll help you send her back?"
Shen Qinglu felt cold inside, but her face looked pitiful. "Grandmother, I won't leave. I don't want to go back. I want to stay with you."
The voice was so low and pitiful that it broke one's heart.
Madam Xie couldn't bear it, and said, "Let her stay here with me for now, and we'll talk about it later."
Yu Jingxian wanted to say something more, but Yu Zhiheng stopped him with a look.
Yu Zhiheng has always respected his mother. He always remembers that without his mother's earnest teachings and encouragement, he would not have everything he has today.
“Mother, if you can manage, then let Ali stay here for a while. If you can’t manage, please don’t force yourself. Tell Qingxue to take the child back as soon as possible.”
That was a smooth way of putting it, offending neither side, and Shen Qinglu found it rather agreeable.
Mrs. Xie also felt that her son was considerate, so she agreed.
The father and son took their leave. After leaving Ruian Residence, Yu Jingxian finally spoke up, "Over the years, Aunt has always been well-behaved with her. Why have there been so many troubles these past two days? And why does Grandmother insist on keeping her by her side? If outsiders find out, they will surely gossip."
Yu Zhiheng was also puzzled. "Perhaps it's because she looks like your aunt, and your grandmother felt sorry for her and kept her here. After a while, once her injuries have healed, she will probably go back."
"That would be best."
Yu Jingxian spoke, but his brow remained furrowed. Only when he returned to the main courtyard and saw his mother and sister sitting together talking did his expression gradually soften.
The family of four talked about Yu Qingxue and Shen Qinglu. When Shen Linlang heard that the people had been kept by the Xie family, her expression turned a little bad. However, out of consideration for Yu Zhiheng, she didn't say anything.
"Where is Erlang?" Yu Zhiheng looked around and asked.
Mentioning Yu Jingliang inevitably brings up Mu Lin.
Not only Yu Zhiheng, but also Yu Jingxian were very concerned about Mu Lin's visit today.
"Now that Prince Mu has returned to the capital, it's time to settle his marriage."
Upon hearing Yu Jingxian's words, Shen Linlang subconsciously looked at Yu Liuzhu.
Yu Liuzhu's face showed a bitter expression, and she said softly, "Mother, even if what happened in the dream hadn't happened, I'm afraid Prince Mu has no interest in me. Today he probably didn't look at me much, he was looking at Sister Ali the whole time."
Upon hearing this, Shen Linlang's expression immediately changed.
*
It drizzled all night, and Xie barely slept. She got up before dawn.
After she finished tidying up, she went straight to the left wing.
Hearing that Shen Qinglu had woken up, he went into the room.
Shen Qinglu didn't sleep well either. No one could sleep soundly without a care in the world or a body that had been changed. She tossed and turned until the middle of the night before finally closing her eyes, and only managed to doze off in the latter half of the night.
When Xie lifted the curtain and came in, she was yawning listlessly, but in an instant, she burst forth with dazzling brilliance.
"Grandmother!" With a face full of innocent admiration, she immediately slipped on her shoes and ran happily toward Madam Xie, disregarding the fact that she was only wearing a thin nightgown.
The torment and suffering Xie had endured all night seemed to vanish in an instant.
She has four grandchildren in total, including both her grandsons and great-grandsons, but none of them were raised by her side.
Yu Jingxian was calm and composed from a young age, and was always raised and cared for by Yu Zhiheng, leaving her little room to intervene. Her second grandson, Yu Jingliang, was naturally mischievous and deeply loved by the Shen family, practically growing up in the General's Mansion. As for Yu Liuzhu, needless to say, she was Shen Linlang's darling, and she personally took care of her in every way.
Shen Qinglu was the first grandchild to stay by her side, even if it was only for one night.
"It's quite chilly early in the morning, so hurry up and put on some clothes so you don't catch a cold."
Xia Chan had already brought the clothes and helped Shen Qinglu put them on.
Shen Qinglu kept looking at Xie Shi, as if afraid that she would suddenly disappear. "Grandmother, I had a dream last night that you hid, and I couldn't find you no matter how hard I looked."
What you think about during the day, you dream about at night. This child must be afraid of being abandoned, that's why he's like this.
Thinking this through, Madam Xie solemnly promised, "Ali, don't be afraid, Grandmother is right here, I won't go anywhere."
Shen Qinglu glanced at the light streaming in through the window, estimating the time, but her expression was serious. "I want to find my grandmother."
She pointed to a place in the house where people could hide and said, "Grandmother, hide. Ali will find you."
Madam Xie paused for a moment, then smiled kindly upon seeing the expectation in her eyes and actually hid behind the bed.
"You two go too," she said to Granny Li and Xia Chan.
Since Xie had already hidden herself away, the others had nothing to say. One of them hid behind the cabinet, and the other hid under the table.
The person hiding behind the cabinet was Xia Chan; the location was quite obvious, easily visible. She seemed quite dissatisfied, pointing inside the cabinet.
Although the cicadas didn't understand, they still did as instructed.
After the group hid, she said like a child, "Hide well and don't make a sound, I'm coming to find you!"
She said she was looking for someone, but actually she was waiting for someone.
Sure enough, Yu Qingxue arrived very early and at just the right time.
"Why are you all alone? Where's Xia Chan?" she asked Shen Qinglu when she saw that there was no one else in the room.
Then she saw that Shen Qinglu's hair was not combed and said, "Ali, come here, let me comb your hair."
Shen Qinglu was like a puppet, letting her do whatever she wanted.
She must have had a sleepless night too, as there were obvious bluish shadows under her eyes. "Ali, have you remembered what your mother told you?"
"What did you say?" Shen Qinglu finally reacted and asked her.
She was somewhat surprised that Shen Qinglu had finally spoken to her, but she didn't think much of it, unaware that this was a trap she had fallen into. She quickly said, "It doesn't matter if you forgot, Mother will tell you again. You must remember that you are a cousin of the manor, not a girl of the Yu family. If it weren't for your cousin Tang'er's help, you would have been sent to exile to suffer. You should repay kindness tenfold, and you must remember to be grateful to her."
What does "profiting from someone else's success" mean?
"To benefit from someone's kindness is to receive their favor."
What a load of bull!
Who is really benefiting from whose advantage?
"What favor? I didn't see it," Shen Qinglu said, feigning confusion.
Yu Qingxue was determined to impose her will on her, completely unaware that there were other people in the room, and proceeded to lecture her relentlessly.
"It doesn't matter if you don't understand. Just remember that your cousin Tang'er is the eldest daughter of the Yu family. You can't compare to her, and you can't surpass her in anything."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qinglu secretly sneered.
If she were truly mentally deficient, she could easily be brainwashed by such nonsense.
What a pity, she's smart!
She slowly got up and walked to the back of the bed. When she saw Xie Shi, her eyes were full of innocence and naivety.
"Grandmother, Ali has found you!"
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