Chapter 605: Some are happy, some are sad (two chapters in one)
One stone can cause a thousand ripples.
Mrs. Zhu Si, who was filled with resentment, and Zhu Qiyun, who was powerless to change her fate, both looked up at the gatehouse.
Mrs. Zhu Si stood up quickly, wiped the tears from her face hastily, and asked anxiously, "Did the Yan family invite us?"
The concierge nodded quickly.
Mrs. Zhu Si's eyes suddenly lit up. Without paying attention to the other people in the room who were stunned, she snatched the note from the doorman's hand and quickly read it. When she saw the content clearly, she suddenly burst into tears and laughter.
Mrs. Zhu was stunned for a moment, then hurried over and took the post from Mrs. Zhu Si's hand and started reading it.
"Third sister-in-law, is it true that the Yan family invited us to attend the birthday banquet of Prefect Yan?"
Mrs. Zhu Si seemed a little bit unbelievable. She looked at Mrs. Zhu eagerly, waiting for her answer.
At this time, the Yan family suddenly sent an invitation. Mrs. Zhu naturally understood the meaning of it. Thinking that the Yan family actually agreed to accept Qiyun, who had been rejected by the engagement, and thinking about her daughter who still had no marriage, she felt a little blocked in her heart and nodded coldly.
Mrs. Zhu Si didn't care about Madam Zhu's attitude at all. She quickly took the post and looked at it carefully again. Perhaps she was too excited, her hands were shaking.
When Mrs. Zhu saw her like this, the blockage in her heart suddenly dissipated.
As a mother herself, she could understand her fourth brother's wife's feelings.
Madam Zhu softened her tone and said with a smile, "Alright, look at you now. You don't look like the mistress of the house anymore. Don't make fun of the servants."
Mrs. Zhu Si laughed and cried and said, "Don't blame me, Third Sister-in-law. I'm just happy."
The second elder looked at Master Zhu.
Teacher Zhu quickly signaled Mrs. Zhu to bring the note over.
Madam Zhu looked at Zhu Qiyun and said, "Help your mother go back and wash up."
Zhu Qiyun had recovered from her shock. She looked at the second elder and Zhu Jiaoyu, knowing they had something to say, so she went forward to help Mrs. Zhu Si: "Mother, let's go back first."
Madam Zhu Si glanced at the second elder and knelt down to salute: "I was rude just now, please don't blame me, second uncle."
The second elder's expression also softened. "It's understandable for a mother to be anxious about her daughter's marriage. I understand. Now, go down and rest."
At this time, Mrs. Zhu Si left with the support of Zhu Qiyun.
As soon as the mother and daughter left, the second elder took the invitation and began to read it carefully. After reading it, he asked Zhu Jiaoyu, "Does the Yan family really like Qiyun?"
Madam Zhu still felt a little pity for her niece Qiyun. She nodded and said, "The last time we went to the Yan family, Old Madam Yan and the First Lady of the Yan family had a good impression of Qiyun. It was just that the Second Lady of the Yan family was a little bothered by Qiyun's broken engagement."
The second elder fell silent.
Zhu Jiaoyu thought about his fourth brother's help to him, thought for a moment, and said, "Although the second branch of the Yan family are all commoners, they have the support of Prefect Yan. Moreover, the eldest son of the Yan family is now a juren. The Yan family is also on good terms with the young prince, the Dong family, the Su family, and the Zhou family. Although their foundation is still a little weak, their status has been raised. It would be a good thing if Qiyun could really marry into the Yan family."
The second elder nodded and looked at Madam Zhu: "I spoke a little hastily just now. Your fourth sister-in-law must be feeling resentful. Find some time to comfort her."
He didn't really want to force Zhu Qiyun into a fire pit. He would favor whoever was beneficial to the Zhu family.
Upon hearing this, Teacher Zhu breathed a sigh of relief. He knew that his second uncle's words meant that he did not object to Qiyun marrying into the Yan family.
Seeing that her master and the second elder still had something to say, Madam Zhu left the house. As soon as she came out, she saw her daughter standing under the eaves, looking into the house: "What are you doing? Are there any more rules?"
Zhu Xiuyun smiled and walked forward to hold Madam Zhu's arm. "Mom, I heard that the Yan family invited our family. Is this true?"
Mrs. Zhu nodded.
Zhu Xiuyun looked a little confused: "Didn't you say before that the Yan family would not agree to marry Sister Qiyun? Then why did they invite us?"
Mrs. Zhu was also puzzled. "Who would have thought they would change their minds? Forget it, don't think about it. I'll ask the sewing room to make clothes for you. Now that the Yan family has invited us to be their guest, you can go too."
Zhu Xiuyun was immediately happy: "That's great, I can finally go see Yishuang and the others."
Madam Zhu smiled and said, "When you go to the Yan family in a few days, you must make good friends with the girls there."
Zhu Xiuyun nodded quickly.
On the other side, as soon as Mrs. Zhu Si and Zhu Qiyun returned to the guest house, Mrs. Zhu Si hugged her daughter and kept muttering, "That's great, that's great! I told you, how could my daughter be so unlucky?"
Zhu Qiyun lay silently in her mother's arms and cried, her eyes no longer as dim as before.
Provincial government, Dong family.
Old Mrs. Dong and Madam Dong were talking about trivial matters at home. They were a little surprised when they heard the maid outside the door greeting Dong Yuanxuan.
Madam Dong glanced at the sky and asked in surprise, "Usually at this time of year, Yuan Xuan is helping the master with things. How come he has time to come back today?"
As soon as he finished speaking, Dong Yuanxuan entered the room and quickly stepped forward to greet Old Lady Dong and Madam Dong: "Grandma, Mother."
Mrs. Dong asked, "Why are you here now? Is there something wrong?"
Dong Yuanxuan joked for a while, then hesitantly said, "Grandma, Mother, May 20th is Uncle Yan's birthday. Shouldn't we go there?"
Old Mrs. Dong looked at Madam Dong and asked, "Why, did the Yan family send an invitation?"
Mrs. Dong glanced at her son and shook her head: "No."
Mrs. Dong said immediately, "Since there's no invitation, it means the Yan family doesn't plan to hold a big event, so there's no need for us to go."
Dong Yuanxuan was a little anxious: "Our family and the Yan family are good friends, so we should go for this kind of thing."
Old Mrs. Dong looked at her grandson who seemed a little strange today and said: "But we didn't go there in previous years."
Dong Yuanxuan blurted out: "This year is different."
Mrs. Dong wondered, "Why is it different?"
Dong Yuanxuan quickly looked at Mrs. Dong.
Mrs. Dong's heart skipped a beat. She had previously promised her son that she would consider marrying into the Yan family, but after receiving the letter from the old marquis, she simply put the matter behind her.
Now her son's horoscopes and the eldest daughter of Marquis Zhaode's family have been matched, making them a match made in heaven. She was just thinking about when to talk to her son about this.
Seeing her son looking at her expectantly, Mrs. Dong fell silent. She seemed to have misjudged how much her son cared about Yi Yi. After a while, she spoke, "My child, your mother and grandmother have something happy to tell you."
Looking at his mother's guilty expression, Dong Yuanxuan suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart: "Mom, what's the good news?"
Just as Madam Dong was considering how to start, Old Lady Dong took the initiative and said with a smile, "Your grandfather has arranged a marriage for you with the eldest daughter of the Marquis Zhaode family. Do you think it's a happy occasion?"
Hearing this, Dong Yuanxuan stood up in an instant and looked at Madam Dong anxiously: "Mother, didn't you promise me that you would consider Sister Yan?"
Seeing her son's big reaction, Mrs. Dong quickly said, "Mother did consider it, but after thinking it over again and again, I feel that the gap between the Yan family and ours is a bit too big. Yiyi is good, but she is not suitable for you and is not suitable to be your wife."
Mrs. Dong obviously didn't know about this. She looked at her grandson, then at her daughter-in-law, pondered for a moment, and said to Dong Yuanxuan earnestly:
"Yuanxuan, Grandmother knows that the eldest daughter of the Yan family is beautiful, and you are inevitably attracted by her appearance. However, the wife you want to marry cannot only be beautiful, but also must be able to help you with housework and socialize."
Dong Yuanxuan quickly interrupted, "Sister Yan knows all of these things. She's now managing several farms and shops. She's no less capable than a noblewoman from an aristocratic family."
Mrs. Dong said, "Okay, Grandmother, let's assume Miss Yan is capable, but her family background is there after all. You are your father's only legitimate son, and you will be the one to support your family in the future. Your wife must be someone who can help you, not someone who needs your support. Having a wife like the Yan family would be very tiring for you."
Dong Yuanxuan: "Grandson is not afraid of being tired!"
Seeing Dong Yuanxuan interrupt her again, Mrs. Dong, who had been a feudal lord for more than ten years, showed a hint of displeasure on her face, and her voice became deeper: "Yuanxuan, you can't just care about your own momentary preferences. You must know that you are shouldering the prosperity and decline of your family."
Dong Yuanxuan said, "Grandma, I will work hard, and Sister Yan will also assist me." Then he looked at Madam Dong and said, "Mother, I don't agree with the marriage with the Zhaode Marquis's family."
Upon hearing this, Old Lady Dong became furious: "You child, you didn't even listen to what Grandma said just now. The Zhaode Marquisate is a perfect match for ours. Their eldest daughter is the most suitable candidate for your wife."
Dong Yuanxuan: "But I don't like her."
Mrs. Dong snorted coldly, "Marriage is a matter of parents' orders and matchmaker's words. You haven't even met the daughter of a respectable family, so how can you say you like her? Only the daughters of families with poor manners and etiquette would be looked at before marriage."
Dong Yuanxuan immediately retorted, "Grandma, how can you say that? Sister Yan and I have met because our two families are good friends."
Old Madam Dong's expression softened. "I didn't say anything about Miss Yan. I was just telling you that the eldest daughter of the Marquis Zhaode family is a true lady of noble birth. The daughters of local officials are a little inferior in some aspects. This is due to their background and outlook."
Seeing that her grandson wanted to say something, Mrs. Dong didn't want to waste any more time and said directly, "Okay, you don't have to say anything. Grandma will tell you the truth. There is no possibility for you and the eldest daughter of the Yan family."
"Don't you think about her background? In this Central Plains, she's just the daughter of a prefect. How can she be worthy of your status as a nobleman?"
Dong Yuanxuan looked incredulous: "Grandma, didn't you like Sister Yan very much before?"
Old Madam Dong said calmly: "I like that girl very much. She is good friends with Yun Yao. For Yuan Yao's sake, I will give her more face. But there are many ladies that grandma likes. Do you think I have to marry all of them home for you?" As she spoke, her tone softened a bit.
"Yuanxuan, your grandmother and your father and mother will not harm you. The eldest daughter of the Yan family is lively and cheerful. Such a girl is very popular before she gets married, but it may not be the same after she gets married."
"When you marry, you should marry someone who is gentle and virtuous. Think about it, if your wife is like Yuan Yao, running around the streets every other day, would you be happy?"
"Good boy, listen to Grandma and put your thoughts on the eldest daughter of the Yan family to rest. If you really like beautiful girls, how about Grandma give you two maids who are prettier than the eldest daughter of the Yan family?"
Dong Yuanxuan frowned tightly, "Grandma, in your eyes, is your grandson such a superficial person?"
Mrs. Dong smiled and said, "Yes, my grandson is the best. But no matter how good he is, you are still just a young man. It's not shameful to like a beautiful girl."
Mrs. Dong saw her son's face becoming increasingly grim. Worried that he might contradict her, she quickly stood up and walked towards him. "Son, you must believe that your mother and grandmother are doing this for your own good. You and that girl Yiyi are truly inappropriate."
Dong Yuanxuan retorted, "Mother, shouldn't it be my decision as to whether Sister Yan and I are suitable for each other?"
Old Mrs. Dong snorted, "What do you mean by 'you have the final say'? At your age, can you be as thorough and thoughtful as we are? Don't be fooled by appearances. Many people in this world are just good-looking but useless. Once you get married, you'll know that Grandma is doing this for your own good."
Dong Yuanxuan: "I don't."
"You don't what?"
Governor Dong suddenly walked in and looked at Dong Yuanxuan with a grim expression: "What have you read in these years? How dare you contradict your grandmother? Go, kneel in the ancestral hall and think carefully about where you went wrong."
Old Mrs. Dong immediately wanted to speak up to stop them, but Governor Dong stopped her with a shake of his head.
Mrs. Dong seemed to be hesitant to speak, as it was obvious that her husband was really angry. She didn't know what to say and could only watch her son go to the ancestral hall in silence.
After everyone left, Mrs. Dong said dissatisfiedly, "If you have something to say, just talk it out. Why punish the child?"
Governor Dong sat down and said, "We must cut the Gordian knot now and let Yuan Xuan know our resolute attitude. If we give him the slightest impression that we will back down, he will continue to make trouble with us."
Mrs. Dong didn't want to hear her husband say this about their son: "Yuanxuan has been very sensible since he was a child. He is not like what the master said."
Governor Dong shook his head. "You, don't you know what a boy is like when he's in love? He's willing to give up anything."
Mrs. Dong sighed. "How could this happen? I've never heard Yuanxuan mention Yiyi before. How come he's taken her so seriously?"
Old Mrs. Dong snorted out of pity for her grandson, "In my opinion, this girl from a low-class family is just not very well-mannered. If she were a good girl, she would know how to avoid suspicion and would never let Yuan Xuan get involved."
Madam Dong said quickly, "Mother, Yiyi and Yuanyao have the same personality. She may not even know that Yuanxuan likes her. Please don't misunderstand her."
Old Mrs. Dong moved her lips, but in the end she didn't say anything. She knew that she was taking her anger out on others, but there was nothing she could do. Regardless of whether the eldest daughter of the Yan family did it intentionally or unintentionally, she caused a conflict between her grandson and her family, and she was angry.
(End of this chapter)
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