Chapter 1157, Redemption 8
After boarding the Su family's boat, Zhang Huahan became careful and attentive at all times, for fear of appearing weak in front of the Su family and tarnishing the Yan family's reputation. At the same time, he also didn't want outsiders to look down on the Zhang family too much.
Mrs. Su and the two young ladies of the Su family had been warned in advance and received Zhang Huahan and Miss Zhang warmly. Mr. Zhang and the eldest uncle of the Zhang family accompanied Lord Su and Young Master Su to drink tea on the deck.
The Su family tactfully did not mention why Yan Yile did not come, nor did they mention the Zhang family's affairs. They just talked about the scenery and interesting stories along the way.
The Su family was willing to accommodate, and the Zhang family tried hard to cater to them, so the two families got along well.
A day later, we arrived at the provincial capital's pier.
Master Zhang was reluctant to go to Yan's house, so after getting off the boat, he found an excuse and left.
The Su family did not ask much about this. They came to the provincial government this time to celebrate Yan's birthday, so they entered the city with the three brothers and sisters of the Zhang family.
In the carriage, thinking about the uncle and his family he was about to meet, Zhang Huahan couldn't help but feel his heart beating faster...
Although he is her biological uncle, she has never seen him since she was born, and her understanding of her uncle's family is limited to what An Ran told her. She doesn't know if they will welcome her?
In addition, her mother had cut off contact with the Yan family, which made her even more uneasy.
Zhang Huahan was able to maintain composure on his face, but Miss Zhang could not hide her nervousness.
After coming into contact with the girl from the prefect's family, Miss Zhang was overwhelmed by inferiority. Whether it was her dress, speech, behavior, or temperament and vision, every one of them was enough to crush her to the ground.
At this moment, listening to the noise in the city, she first thought that maybe she shouldn't have followed Zhang Huahan to the provincial capital.
Walking beside Zhang Huahan, she felt that she was not even as good as a maid.
As the eldest daughter of the Zhang family, she has received more than anyone else since she was a child. Even though her stepmother has a powerful family background and she has to give in to her fifth sister on the surface, her father and grandmother will give her money in private.
Therefore, she always felt that she was the most noble girl in the Zhang family.
But at this moment, this pride was shattered, and the huge gap almost made her run away.
Thinking of her grandmother's earnest advice when she left home; her father's expectant eyes when he left; and the county magistrate's family she was about to marry into, Miss Zhang forced herself to suppress the inferiority and uneasiness in her heart.
It's embarrassing, so be it. As long as she can get through this time, and have seen big scenes, she will be able to remain calm when she marries into her husband's family and faces their social circle in the future.
While the two sisters were thinking about their own things, they arrived at Yan's house.
Although Yan Wenjie's birthday was not until two days later, many guests had already arrived. Zhu Qiyun had to receive other people and could not get away, so she sent the housekeeper Yan Fangjia to welcome the Su family.
At first, Yan Fang's family did not notice the Zhang brothers and sisters. They just thought they were the young masters and young ladies of the Su family, so they only greeted Mrs. Su with a polite greeting.
This was the first time Zhang Huahan and the other two had faced such a situation. They didn't know how to introduce themselves and could only stand awkwardly next to the Su family.
Finally, An Ran saw that Yan Fang's family was about to lead the Su family in, so she had to stand up and said, "Sister Fang!"
Yan Fangjia paused, looking at An Ran in confusion. After a moment, his eyes widened as he looked at An Ran in surprise: "Are you the An Ran next to the fourth lady?"
An Ran smiled and nodded: "It's hard for Sister Fang to remember it, isn't it me?"
Yan Fangjia came over excitedly and pulled An Ran to his side, "How has everything been these past few years, Fourth Miss?"
An Ran's smile faltered slightly, and she nodded, "Okay, everything is fine." Then she looked at Zhang Huahan, "This is the fourth lady's daughter."
Yan Fangjia's eyes instantly shifted to Zhang Huahan. Seeing Zhang Huahan, whose eyes and eyebrows were very similar to Yan Yile's, he was so excited that his eyes were red. "Cousin, you are finally here. The master and the mistress have been thinking about you all this time."
After saying this, he knelt hurriedly to greet Zhang Huahan, "This old servant pays his respects to my cousin."
Zhang Huahan was a little flustered, but she remained calm and quickly helped the person up: "Madam, please get up quickly."
Yan Fangjia looked at Zhang Huahan excitedly and quickly pulled the maid next to her over: "Quick, go tell the lady that the cousin has arrived."
After giving the order, he immediately welcomed Zhang Huahan, the other two, and the Su family into the house with a smile.
Before the group reached the Chuihua Gate, Zhu Qiyun arrived with her maids and servants.
Along the way, the guests and servants watched curiously. They wondered what kind of distinguished guest this was who could be greeted by the mother of the housewife herself.
"Are you Hua Han?"
As soon as Zhu Qiyun arrived, she stared at Zhang Huahan closely.
Zhang Huahan quickly knelt and saluted: "Huahan greets aunt."
"Get up!"
Zhu Qiyun helped Zhang Huahan up and held her hand tightly: "Come on, let your aunt take a good look." As she spoke, she looked at Zhang Huahan carefully, surprised and happy, "Yes, the eyebrows and eyes are like your mother."
Zhang Huahan lowered his eyelids slightly, looking a little shy, and let Zhu Qiyun look at him.
Zhu Qiyun pulled Zhang Huahan aside and looked at him for a long time. When she had seen enough, she looked at Madam Su beside her apologetically and said, "I'm sorry to have embarrassed you, Madam."
Madam Su said sympathetically, "Madam, please don't say that. I understand. I haven't seen my niece for a long time, so I have to kiss her well."
Zhu Qiyun smiled and nodded, holding Zhang Huahan's hand tightly: "Don't stand here, come with me to the main courtyard for tea." As she said that, she pulled Zhang Huahan and walked ahead.
Feeling his aunt's closeness to him, Zhang Huahan's tense mood finally relaxed a little.
Main courtyard.
When the ladies and young ladies saw Zhu Qiyun bringing a girl in intimately, they all looked at her curiously. After Zhu Qiyun introduced her, they realized that this girl was actually the niece of Governor Yan, and their respect for her immediately increased.
Zhu Qiyun smiled and introduced the ladies and girls present to Zhang Huahan. Seeing that Zhang Huahan was well-mannered and behaved gracefully, she couldn't help but feel relieved.
Before this, she was afraid that her fourth sister's daughter would inherit her temper.
Among the Yan sisters, the fourth sister had the worst marriage. After marrying into the Zhang family, she cut off all contact with her family, which often caused her father-in-law and mother-in-law to worry and concern.
This transfer to Huai'an was also something my husband had intended to do. One reason was to appease his parents-in-law, and the other was to help his younger sister.
People in the world are more sympathetic to the weak. My brothers and sisters are living a better life now. Whenever I think of Yile, I can't help but sigh.
Zhu Qiyun looked at Zhang Huahan beside her. She had expected Yile not to come. With her personality, she probably wouldn't be able to face her family.
As long as this niece knows her limits and how to advance and retreat, she is willing to find a good future for her.
Before Zhu Qiyun finished introducing the people in the room, a maid came in and announced, "Madam, the master has returned from the front yard and said he wants to see the cousin."
Upon hearing this, the expressions of the ladies present all changed slightly.
The governor left his guests and hurried back to the backyard, which shows how much he valued his niece.
The ladies lowered their eyes slightly, and their respect for Zhang Huahan increased to a higher level again.
Zhu Qiyun didn't want to abandon the guests, so she called her eldest daughter-in-law and asked her to accompany Zhang Huahan to meet Yan Wenjie.
Zhang Huahan met Yan Wenjie with a nervous heart. Perhaps because of their blood relationship, she felt a little sad when she saw Yan Wenjie for the first time.
Yan Wenjie looked at Zhang Huahan with pity and asked in detail about her and Yan Yile's life in the Zhang family.
It is not good to air family disgrace in public, and Zhang Huahan did not want to meet his uncle for the first time, so he complained to him to gain sympathy, and only vaguely said that everything was fine.
Seeing his niece's reserved expression, Yan Wenjie didn't continue to embarrass her. He just said, "When you're at your uncle's house, it's just like your own home. Tell your aunt what you want to eat or what you need. Don't be shy, okay?"
Zhang Huahan nodded obediently.
Yan Wenjie talked for a while, then asked the eldest son's wife to take Zhang Huahan downstairs to rest. As soon as she left, he called An Ran over.
An Ran didn't think of hiding anything. Her master and the fifth lady needed the support of the second master, so she told them everything in detail about how Yan Yile had lived in the Zhang family over the years.
After hearing this, Yan Wenjie's expression became very complicated and he remained silent for a long time.
Yile loves the hustle and bustle the most, but she didn't expect that after marrying into the Zhang family, she would be trapped in a yard and live there for more than ten years!
It wasn't until An Ran mentioned Yan Yile's disregard for Zhang Huahan that Yan Wenjie lost his temper: "How could Yile still be like this? She only follows her own temper and never cares about other people's feelings. That's her own daughter!"
An Ran sobbed, "Second Master, please don't blame the girl. She's suffering too. Zhang Wan used such dirty tricks on her. How could she be willing to bear children for him?"
"Every time she saw the fifth girl leave in disappointment, she would cry silently. As a mother, how could she not love her own flesh and blood? The girl could not let go of her hatred for Zhang Wan."
Hearing this, Yan Wenjie's anger turned into a sigh: "This is all her own fault. Hua Han has suffered so much to have such a pair of parents."
An Ran said quickly, "The young lady has changed a lot now. The Fifth Miss has been paying her respects without fail, which has melted her heart. Before she came, their mother-daughter relationship was already very harmonious. The young lady even personally taught the Fifth Miss how to burn incense and arrange flowers."
Yan Wenjie sighed and asked some more questions about the Zhang family. After finding out everything he wanted to know, he waved his hand and let An Ran leave.
After An Ran left, Yan Wenjie sat in the study for a long time before getting up and going to the front yard to receive the guests.
When it was time for dinner, Yan Wenjie saw Zhang Huahan again. There was a bit more pity in his eyes, and he used practical actions to show how much he valued her, making people dare not neglect her.
Before going to bed, Yan Wenjie told Zhu Qiyun what he had learned from An Ran.
After hearing this, Zhu Qiyun was silent for a long time.
Yan Wenjie: "As for Yile, she has to let it go on her own. We can't help her much. But you have to pay attention to Huahan."
"You know the situation of the Zhang family. If Hua Han relies on them, he won't be able to find a good husband. As her aunt, you must choose a good one for Hua Han and don't let this child suffer any more."
Zhu Qiyun nodded. After knowing what kind of life Zhang Huahan had lived in the Zhang family, she felt very sympathetic towards this little girl who was neither loved by her father nor her mother. "Don't worry, I will."
"Yile agreed to let Huahan come to see us. I guess she wants us to help her find a good marriage partner. I just asked Anran, and Huahan will be coming of age in September."
"Here's my plan. Let Huahan stay at our house for a while, and hold her coming-of-age ceremony right here. I'll invite more people over then. Firstly, I'll let Huahan learn some etiquette and housekeeping skills from me. Secondly, it'll show how much we value Huahan, which will also be good for her marriage."
Yan Wenjie nodded and said, "You're very thoughtful. Let's do as you say." He looked at Zhu Qiyun gratefully and said, "Thank you for your hard work. I'm glad to have you by my side."
Zhu Qiyun laughed and said, "You're already an old married couple, and you still say such things? Aren't you afraid that the children will hear and laugh at you?" She paused and said, "I'm both your sister-in-law and your aunt. I feel bad if Yile and her daughter don't live well."
With Yan Wenjie's statement, everyone in the Yan family was considerate and attentive to Zhang Huahan, not daring to treat him with any neglect. Even the Funing Residence where Zhang Huahan was temporarily staying was not an ordinary guest house, but a house specially cleaned up by Zhu Qiyun.
Miss Zhang followed Zhang Huahan and experienced the luxurious life of a real lady from a noble family.
"Fifth sister, I really envy you for having such kind uncle and aunt."
Miss Zhang looked at the precious ornaments in the Duobao Pavilion and the elegant and warm boudoir, and she could not hide the envy on her face.
Zhang Huahan did not respond. Her uncle and aunt were good to her, but sometimes other people's kindness could also be a burden, and she was afraid that she could not repay their kindness.
Soon, it was Yan Wenjie's birthday.
At the birthday banquet, Zhu Qiyun personally took Zhang Huahan to visit the female relatives of various families. Except for being a little nervous at the beginning, Zhang Huahan gradually became familiar with the social interactions with the wives of officials.
The fact that Yan Yile married into the Zhang family could not be concealed. In addition, the Zhang brothers and sisters also came this time. After a little inquiry, everyone soon found out Zhang Huahan's background.
Originally, everyone was just being polite to Yan Wenjie because of her appearance, but now seeing that she spoke neither humbly nor arrogantly, behaved in a measured way, and did not have the bad habits of merchants, many people looked at her with a higher opinion of her.
After the birthday, Yan Wenjie personally talked to Zhang Huahan and wanted her to live in the Yan Mansion for a while.
"Your aunt wants to hold a coming-of-age ceremony for you. Also, your mother hasn't taught you about household management in these years, so your aunt wants to take care of you."
Hearing this, Zhang Huahan's face was moved. In the Zhang family, the eldest sister was taught by her grandmother, and the second and third sisters also had their own mothers. Only she had never been taught about housekeeping.
As for the coming-of-age ceremony, no one ever mentioned it.
Zhang Huahan was not an ungrateful person. He knew that his uncle and aunt were showing pity for him, so he immediately bowed and thanked them. "Huahan, thank you for your kindness, uncle and aunt. But will this bother you?"
Looking at his cautious niece, Yan Wenjie's eyes were filled with pity, and he immediately said with a smile: "What's the matter with disturbing or not disturbing? We are blood relatives, and your uncle's house is your own home. Just stay here."
Feeling his uncle's appreciation and love, Zhang Huahan felt a little sad: "Thank you, uncle."
Seeing that she agreed, Yan Wenjie smiled and said, "That's right. We are a family, so don't be embarrassed. I will write to your mother personally. As for your father, your brothers and sisters will pass on the message, so there won't be any problems."
Seeing that his uncle was so thoughtful, Zhang Huahan's eyes felt a little hot. He didn't dare to look up, but nodded with his head down.
Zhang Huahan was going to stay at the Yan family. When Mr. Zhang and Ms. Zhang found out, they were extremely envious.
Apart from the initial discomfort and uneasiness of being surrounded by dignitaries, the two of them have now lived in the Yan family for a few days, coming into contact with people and things they have never come into contact with before. It seems as if a new door has opened for them, and they are reluctant to leave.
However, the two of them were quite perceptive and did not want to stay with them. The next day, they said goodbye and left the Yan family. After leaving the city, they went to meet up with Master Zhang outside the city.
When Master Zhang knew that Zhang Huahan stayed at the Yan family, he was not unhappy but very happy.
The better the Yan family treats Zhang Huahan, the better Zhang Huahan's marriage will be, which is undoubtedly the most beneficial for the Zhang family.
"Let's go, let's go back."
On the way back, Master Zhang and his two companions immediately experienced the benefits brought by the marriage into the Yan family.
There were actually officials who took the initiative to invite them to take a boat ride, and there were not just one or two of them!
In the past, officials would never look down on businessmen like these!
This time when they came to the provincial capital to celebrate the birthday, the fact that the Zhang and Yan families were in-laws was made clear.
No matter how confused everyone was about why the Yan family was interested in the Zhang family, this was enough for the Zhang family. As long as people knew that the Yan family was behind them, the Zhang family would have a strong protective backing.
Master Zhang was still sober and did not get carried away. He declined the official's invitation and warned his two children, "The Yan family's name cannot be used carelessly."
"You have seen the relationship between me and your stepmother. The Yan family is also very dissatisfied with me as a father."
"They might not care if you use the Yan family's name to avoid trouble in small matters, but if you exceed a certain limit and damage the Yan family's reputation, the Yan family will not show mercy to the Zhang family. You must remember this."
Uncle Zhang and Miss Zhang both nodded seriously. They had also seen the Yan family's attitude towards the Zhang family when they went to celebrate the birthday this time.
Rich families valued their reputation, and although they didn't treat them coldly, they could clearly feel the alienation and exclusion.
If it weren't for the fifth sister, they would probably have been kicked out directly.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com