Chapter 4 Nickname Your nickname is A Yuan?
Chen Lianxiu put down the teacup in his hand and was about to speak without taking time to organize his thoughts.
Unexpectedly, Chen's mind worked faster and she was one step ahead of her.
"She's the second-born. There's an older daughter in the family," Chen said, her forehead sweating, but she spoke fluently. "But the older daughter, Lianxiu, isn't mine. I didn't recognize her until she was about ten years old. Before she came back, Yu'er was the older daughter in the family. We've always called her 'Auntie', and we've gotten used to it. Sometimes we call her the wrong name if we don't change it."
Shen Lianxiu opened his mouth and his eyes dimmed.
No wonder Chen was able to come up with words to respond so quickly. Half of what she said was true. Even if she went outside to inquire, she wouldn't be wrong.
In Shen Lianxiu's eyes, Chen is her stepmother, but Chen herself never thinks so. She always says that she is Shen Lianxiu's legal mother, not her stepmother.
As a young man, Shen Ji traveled to his hometown of Shouzhou to pay respects to his ancestors. Passing through Chenzhou, he was injured during unrest and rescued by Shen Lianxiu's maternal grandfather. During that time of war and turmoil, Shen Ji, after recovering from his injuries, remained with Shen Lianxiu's maternal grandfather. He quickly developed a romantic interest in Shen Lianxiu's mother, Yu. Seeing the prolonged unrest and the long-standing interruption of communication between Chenzhou and the capital, Shen Lianxiu's grandfather arranged for their marriage.
By the time Shen Lianxiu was born, the rebellion had been put down by Duke Cheng Zhou Chang, and various places had gradually recovered. Not long after, Shen Ji said that he wanted to go back to the capital first to take a look, and then come with his family to pick up his wife and daughter after the situation was stabilized. Because Shen Lianxiu was still in her infancy at the time and there were risks ahead, the Yu family naturally agreed.
As a result, Shen Ji never came back after he left.
The Yu family sent someone to the capital to inquire about him, only to learn that he had remarried soon after returning. Although Chen was not from an official family, the Chen family was wealthy, while the Yu family only made a living by practicing medicine in Chenzhou. There was no comparison.
After learning the news, no one in the Yu family mentioned Shen Ji again, and even Yu never mentioned her father in front of Shen Lianxiu.
It was not until Shen Lianxiu's grandfather and mother died one after another and there were not many people left in the Yu family that Shen Lianxiu was taken to the capital by the person entrusted by Yu before her death and found the Shen family.
Shen Ji didn't disown her. Chen made a scene for a few days, but she eventually gave up when she realized it was useless. The Chen family knew Shen Ji had been married before the marriage proposal, but they refused to acknowledge Yu. After marrying Chen, Shen Ji also mentioned that he wanted to take Yu and her daughter back, but Chen refused to even allow Yu to be a concubine. Now that Yu had passed away, leaving behind only a ten-year-old daughter, Chen knew that she couldn't kick her out, otherwise it would be embarrassing if the news got out, so she had no choice but to hold her nose and let Shen Lianxiu come back.
But Chen still insisted that Yu was a concubine and she was the original wife.
Even when naming her daughter, Chen insisted on naming her "Wu Yu". Wu Yu means "Yu" and there is no Yu in it. Shen Lianxiu heard this from some older servants of the Shen family.
Chen Lianxiu was still young when she first came back. She knew that Chen didn't like her, but she still wanted to argue with Chen about her mother's affairs. In the end, she was the only one who suffered. Chen didn't even have to torture her. She just had to find an excuse to discipline her, lock her in the room, not let her go out, not give her food, and then take away her bedding. After a few days, Shen Lianxiu couldn't stand it anymore.
Chen Lianxiu knew that Chen Ji would not care about her, and she did not want to go to this father whom she was not familiar with at all, so she could only endure it herself. Later, she gradually learned her lesson and became afraid. No matter how dissatisfied she was, she would not quarrel with Chen about such things.
After coming to the Shen family, she could only be controlled by Chen.
"So that's how it is." After listening to Chen's explanation, Zhou Linjin nodded and accepted this reasonable statement.
Chen Ji almost got into trouble, and now he was still in shock. He quickly explained, "Yes, my memory is not good, and I always call her the wrong name. Anyway, A Yuan is good-looking and has a very good temperament. She is very gentle and obedient. You will understand after getting along with her for a long time."
Chen glared at Shen Ji again.
Chen Lianxiu smiled bitterly in her heart. A Yuan was her nickname, and Chen Ji said her nickname again.
Fortunately, Zhou Linjin didn't know what Chen Wuyu's nickname was, so it wasn't a big deal. Otherwise, Chen would have to rack her brains to cover up the lie.
It was not yet time for lunch, so Chen asked them to go back to their rooms and rest.
The place he returned to was Shen Lianxiu's own courtyard, not Shen Wuyu's.
Since Zhou Linjin couldn't see, Chen didn't bother adding more people to Shen Lianxiu's place. The room was still furnished as before. To put it nicely, it was simple and elegant, but to put it bluntly, it was shabby.
However, Chen Lianxiu never cared about these things. Since Chen had money, she would naturally give it to her daughter. She was not Chen's daughter, so it was understandable that Chen was unwilling to spend money. As long as the house was habitable, it was fine.
The two of them sat down and the maid brought hot tea and snacks. Chen Lianxiu took a look and found that it was indeed good tea and snacks. Zhou Linjin could not see these things but he could taste them.
At this time, Zhou Linjin asked her, "Your nickname is A Yuan?"
Chen Lianxiu was a little embarrassed. She didn't want Zhou Linjin to know her nickname. Such things would always cause complications and the more she said, the more trouble she would have. But Chen Ji was not a good father and was more of a hindrance than a help. So she had to admit this nickname and nodded.
After nodding, she remembered that he couldn't see, so Shen Lianxiu said dryly again: "Yes."
Zhou Linjin asked again: "Which 'circle'?"
"Yuan, the roundness of Tuan Tuan." Chen Lianxiu thought for a moment and then spoke in one breath, "I was fat when I was little, so my mother... called me Ah Yuan. It has a good meaning, so it stuck."
To save him from more questions, Chen Lianxiu poured more hot tea into Zhou Linjin's cup. However, Zhou Linjin was obviously more interested in her family affairs than drinking tea. After that, he asked another question: "Your sister has already married, right? I don't think I've heard where she married."
Chen Lianxiu's heart trembled. Although she had been prepared, she still complained secretly, "It's finally here."
As for the whereabouts of "Chen Lianxiu", Chen had already arranged a statement, and everyone from top to bottom had already confirmed their statements. After all, "Chen Lianxiu" was Shen Wuyu's biological sister, so Zhou Linjin was likely to ask about it.
Chen Lianxiu quickly calmed down and said calmly, "My mother wanted to marry her to a wealthy businessman as his second wife. She probably already had someone she loved, so she looked down on such a good marriage and ran away."
Before he could finish his words, Shen Lianxiu had already bitten the tender meat in his mouth.
Chen could have easily fabricated a story that "Chen Lianxiu" had married far away, and Zhou Linjin would not investigate. However, Chen chose to pin the blame on her for Shen Wuyu's affair, damaging her reputation, as if she had to vent some anger.
Perhaps what she said was really unpleasant, so Zhou Linjin didn't dare to ask any more questions. Instead, he picked up the tea and started drinking.
Chen Lianxiu looked at him and curled the corners of her lips coldly, then said, "It's also a family scandal. Since my husband knows about it, please show some mercy to me and don't spread this matter any further."
Zhou Linjin was also feeling depressed at this time. He just wanted to get to know her better, so he asked casually. Who would have thought that he would ask such a thing? He should not have asked such a question earlier. He had no interest in such things at all.
"Of course not." He said awkwardly, feeling a bit frustrated.
The two of them rested in the room for a while, and then Chen asked someone to come and call them over for dinner. After dinner, they sat for a while and then it was time to go back.
Shen Ji and Chen saw them out together. Zhou Linjin and Shen Ji walked in front, while Shen Lianxiu and Chen were some distance behind.
Chen slowed down her pace again, glanced at Chen Lianxiu sideways, and lowered her voice, saying, "Behave yourself. Don't reveal any clues in the Zhou family, and don't even think about confessing to Zhou Linjin. I've told you long ago that if you don't obey, there won't be any rich businessmen for you to marry this time. You'll be sent to a village in the countryside to be imprisoned until you grow old, or I'll find you a lame old man to marry. I'll also smash your mother's tablet and throw it away. Remember?"
In fact, Chen had said these words to her before she got married. Although in Chen's view, letting Chen Lianxiu marry Zhou Linjin was like a pie in the sky, and Chen Lianxiu had no reason to refuse, some means still had to be used to let her always remember that she was in her hands.
Just now, Shen Lianxiu wanted to take advantage of Shen Ji's slip of the tongue to tell the truth directly, but Chen Shi got there first. She thought Chen Shi would not notice her little thoughts, but Chen Shi was sharp-eyed and careful, and she saw through her.
Chen Lianxiu was speechless, then blinked hard, trying to suppress the soreness that was welling up in her. She choked back a response and said nothing else.
At this time, Zhou Linjin, who was walking in front, seemed to find that Chen Lianxiu did not catch up, so he slightly leaned to the back.
Shen Ji laughed and said, "The mother and daughter are talking in private in the back!"
Seeing this, Chen nudged Shen Lianxiu with her elbow, signaling her to hurry forward.
Zhou Linjin heard Shen Lianxiu's footsteps approaching him, and asked teasingly, "Are you done?"
Chen Lianxiu felt a pang of bitterness in her heart because of what Chen had just said, but she had to deal with Zhou Linjin. In addition, Chen was still staring at her intently, so she had no choice but to answer completely, "I've finished."
She herself didn't notice it, and neither did Shen Ji and Chen. Perhaps because they were close to her, Zhou Linjin could hear that her voice was a little muffled, as if she was crying.
But Zhou Linjin didn't ask her. He thought she was reluctant to be separated from her parents, so he asked her, "Do you want to stay for one night before leaving?"
These words froze the faces of the three people over there. Fortunately, Zhou Linjin was now blind and could not see at all. Chen Lianxiu waved his hand and said, "No need. It's not a long way. It's very convenient to come and go. No need to stay. No need to stay."
Zhou Linjin didn't say anything after hearing this.
After returning to Duke Cheng's Mansion, Zhou Linjin asked Chen Lianxiu to go back to Zhuoxinzhai by himself. He wanted to go to Yang's place. Chen Lianxiu knew that he was going to Yang's place to discuss the consummation of the marriage, and he finally breathed a sigh of relief.
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