After separating from the people from the second house, Aunt Chai directly said to Feng Guanjing, "Go to your mother's house first."
"What?" Feng Guanjing was stunned. Why did they have to go to her mother's house?
"It's better to go to your mother's house. Why, you want to go to the Marquis's Mansion? Aren't you afraid they'll sever your ties?" Aunt Chai said, "They can still be useful at a critical moment. We'd better not go to the Marquis' Mansion now."
It wasn't as if Concubine Chai's brain was completely useless; she still had some ideas. She didn't think Concubine Qing would consider her. Concubine Qing was also a black-hearted person. Concubine Qing let the people from the third house go together because the people from the second house thought they were useful.
"This..." Feng Guanjing hesitated, "It's not good."
Feng Guanjing had no intention of taking Chai Yi Niang and the others back to her parents' home. Although she was not a concubine's daughter, she was not the legitimate daughter of the eldest wife. Her parents did not have a high status in the family. If she took her mother-in-law and husband to live with her parents, it would be very inappropriate.
"We'll just stay here for a while, not forever," Aunt Chai said. "If it really doesn't work out, just clean up a woodshed for us. That's fine too."
"..." Feng Guanjing wondered how he could prepare a woodshed for Aunt Chai.
Since the servants didn't live in the woodshed, it was impossible for Aunt Chai to live in the woodshed.
"Alright, let's go! Otherwise, it'll be dark and we'll have to spend the night out on the street," Aunt Chai urged Feng Guanjing. "If you don't lead the way, do you want me to?"
"Let's go." What else could Feng Guanjing say? Aunt Chai had made up her mind to go to the Feng family. Feng Guanjing didn't have that much money, so she had to make some plans.
Su Qiuya took Qing Yi Niang and Liu Yanbo to the Su family. Qing Yi Niang and Liu Yanbo didn't want to live there. But Su Qiuya said that she didn't bring much dowry, so she had to ask her family to compensate her.
Besides, she is the original wife's daughter. After she gets married, why can't she go home and live for a while?
Su Qiuya was a little thick-skinned, so she took Aunt Qing and Liu Yanbo with her.
Mr. Su never thought that Su Qiuya would bring Aunt Qing and Liu Yanbo with her, and these people had to stay in the Su family temporarily.
"Father, you're not going to kick us out just because we've severed our relationship with the Marquis of Jingning, are you?" Su Qiuya said, "Alright, if you kick us out, we'll go to my grandfather's place."
"Who wants to drive you away?" Master Su said hurriedly. The first and second branches of the Liu family were no longer related, but Liu Yanbo was still Marquis Jingning's biological son. Some people are just like that. If others can't bully them, they can bully them at will.
In the end, Master Su was still afraid that the Jingning Marquis' Mansion would deal with the Su family. If they drove Liu Yanbo and the others out, and these people went to the Jingning Marquis' Mansion to cause trouble, would they bring trouble to the Su family?
It's impossible for the Su family to break off the relationship with Su Qiuya.
What if Liu Yanbo and Su Qiuya are of some use in the future? Master Su just thinks that a yard and some food are nothing special.
"Since you are all here, then stay here." Master Su said, "The Su family doesn't have anything else, but we still have some money to feed you."
Mr. Su thought that these people could not live in his house forever. Liu Yanbo was a man, and men always had to maintain their reputation.
"Where's the yard I lived in before? I want to live there." Su Qiuya said directly, "Don't let it be given to someone else to live in."
"No, I'm still keeping it for you." said Mr. Su.
Mrs. Su didn't let anyone else live in that courtyard now. She thought it was just a better courtyard. If she let anyone else move in so quickly, it would probably make Mr. Su unhappy. It would be better to just leave the courtyard empty.
In this way, Master Su also thought Madam Su was good. Even though Su Qiuya had gone to the northwest before, it would not be wrong to keep this courtyard.
Mrs. Su thought that leaving an empty yard would make Mr. Su think she was good, so it would be worth it for her to do this.
"That's fine." Su Qiuya nodded. "There are several rooms in the yard over there. There's no need to arrange for other places. We can just live there. Don't give us less for food, clothing, and other expenses. If you do, I won't agree."
"Okay, okay, not a small amount, not a small amount," Master Su said, "and you shouldn't spend all your time thinking about going to your grandfather's house."
Su Qiuya's grandfather's family had an official, and Master Su did not want to offend Su Qiuya's grandfather. It was also because Su Qiuya's grandfather's family was a little stronger that Master Su had always been kind to Su Qiuya, and Madam Su did not dare to make things too difficult for Su Qiuya in public.
"Yes." Su Qiuya said, "My biological father is still alive, so of course I live with him. How can I have the nerve to live at my grandfather's house?"
"..." After hearing this, Mr. Su felt helpless. Su Qiuya still had some opinions about him.
Many people in the capital knew that the first and second branches of the Marquis of Jingning had severed their relationship, so they didn't care where Su Qiuya and Feng Guanjing and their spouses lived. They knew that the Marquis of Jingning's mansion was no longer what it used to be, and that it was impossible for the Marquis of Jingning to care about these people, so the rest of them couldn't care about them either.
The Jingning Marquis' Mansion received a letter from the fourth house two days ago. The people from the fourth house have not returned to Beijing. They may come back to Beijing in the future, but not in the next few years.
"The people from the third house have returned to Beijing." Mother Liu said to Father Liu.
"We've already split up a long time ago," said Father Liu.
"Yeah." Mother Liu nodded. It would be fine as long as these people didn't come to the Marquis' Mansion to cause trouble.
But it doesn’t matter. Even if they come to make trouble, Mother Liu is not afraid.
Father Liu knew that Mother Liu disliked them, and that they had asked for a division of the family when they were in trouble. Now that those people had come to the capital again, who knew they were just trying to get benefits from the eldest wife's family.
There are many powerful people in the capital, and all they need to do in order to socialize is money. You need money to buy those things.
Father Liu knew that the family didn't have enough money and that they were going to host a party. However, most of the family members were responsible for making the things themselves, so if they made them look good, they wouldn't be looked down upon.
When Liu Yulian learned that the people from the third and second houses had returned to Beijing, she didn't have any thoughts. It wasn't like she was the head of the family. She was just a younger sister, so there was no need for her to think so much.
The Feng family and Mrs. Feng II never thought that Feng Guanjing and others would come to their house and stay for a while.
"Why don't you go to the Marquis' Mansion?" Mrs. Feng asked in confusion.
"It's not easy to go." Feng Guanjing also wanted to go to the Marquis' Mansion, but they didn't have a good relationship with the people in the main house, so how could they go? They were afraid that they would arrive at the door of the Marquis' Mansion but not be able to enter.
"Why is it so difficult to go?" Mrs. Feng Er still didn't understand. Feng Guanjing didn't say much about the several branches of the Liu family when she wrote to her before.
Feng Guanjing is the type of person who only reports good news and not bad news. Besides, if people knew that the relationship between the first and third wives was not good, wouldn't that make the third wife a laughing stock?
Feng Guanjing didn't want others to know about these things, and didn't want others to laugh at her. She also didn't want to go back to her parents' home, but they didn't have that much money, and Aunt Chai was a shameless person, so they came to the Feng family.
"Tell me, has something happened to you?" asked Mrs. Feng. "I heard that the second and first branches of your family have severed their relationship?"
"Yes, that's right." Feng Guanjing nodded. "The first and second branches severed ties, but not the other branches. But... as soon as we arrived in the northwest, we said we were going to separate, and the people in the first branch have a grudge against us."
"What?" Mrs. Feng Er only knew about the separation of her daughter and son-in-law. She didn't know that there was other things involved.
"When the eldest wife needed money, we forced them to give us money." Feng Guanjing was helpless. That was all in the past.
At that time, they were also worried that they would not be able to live without money. They were also afraid that the eldest wife's family was a bottomless pit. They did not want to work hard to make money and let the eldest wife spend that money.
Feng Guanjing regrets it now, but she knows that if she goes back to the past, she will still ask for a division like the second wife.
“…” Madam Feng was shocked.
"Later, the eldest wife's family got better off, so we couldn't take advantage of them anymore." Feng Guanjing didn't mention that Concubine Chai was dragged back, nor did she mention that they couldn't enter the Liu family's main gate. "Now, we're too embarrassed to go over there, for fear..."
"What's there to be embarrassed about? You are members of the Liu family after all." Mrs. Feng didn't really want her daughter to stay at home for too long. They were not the eldest son of the family, and the yard they lived in was not that big.
Now that Concubine Chai and her family had come to stay, Second Madam Feng didn't know what to do. If these people were only staying for a short while, it would be easy to deal with. But if they wanted to stay for a longer period, it would be difficult.
Mrs. Feng's family was not that strong and was rather timid. They were worried that if Aunt Chai and others lived in the house, it would cause dissatisfaction among others.
"Mother, we'll live here for a while." Feng Guanjing said, "We just returned to Beijing and haven't found a place to stay yet. After a while, we'll buy a house and move out."
Shops in the capital are expensive. Feng Guanjing knew that it would be difficult for her family to buy a shop. If she set up a stall outside... she still preferred shops. She knew that her mother had a shop, and it would be great if she could borrow her mother's shop first.
"That'll take a while." Mrs. Feng said.
The Mei family, when Mrs. Mei Ershao learned that her younger brother and sister-in-law had arrived, she was in a good mood. Didn't the people in the Mei family bully her? Didn't the people in Jingning Marquis Mansion refuse to make decisions for her? So she had to find a way out on her own.
Mrs. Mei couldn't keep her head down forever. She wanted Young Master Mei to obey her completely.
"Your brother has severed his ties with the Marquis of Jingning." When Second Young Master Mei saw how happy his wife was about Liu Yanbo's return to the capital, he poured cold water on her, "What else do you want from him?"
"He's my biological brother. It's their business if they break off the relationship." Madam Mei Ershao said, "Don't think too much about it."
It was impossible for Madam Mei Er Shao to deny her biological brother. She had heard Aunt Qing say that her biological brother would have great potential in the future. If she treated Liu Yanbo badly now, that would not do.
"My brother is also your brother." said Mrs. Mei Ershao.
"Heh." Second Young Master Mei thought that it would be fine if the people from the Liu family's main branch thought so. The people from the Liu family's main branch were not so nice to him at all.
The second young master Mei thought about the last time he went to the Jingning Marquis's mansion, and how Jingning Marquis treated him very badly. He had only taken a concubine, which was not a big deal. After all, it was normal for a man to have three wives and four concubines.
In the eyes of the Second Young Master Mei, he just did what many men would do.
"What are you doing?" Mrs. Mei asked, "He's my own brother, don't you understand? If he has a promising future, wouldn't it be good for you too?"
"..." Second Young Master Mei didn't think Liu Yanbo would be very successful.
"Do you think you can bully my brother because he's not that powerful now?" Mrs. Mei said, "That's right. Your family wasn't that powerful back then. Back then, we got engaged to the Jiang family just for money."
"Okay, let's not talk about these things." The second young master Mei didn't want to hear these things.
His engagement with Jiang was decided when he was very young.
The second young master Mei thought that Jiang was much better than the second young master's wife. At least Jiang would not bother with these things.
Aunt Qing lived in one of the rooms in the courtyard where Su Qiuya originally lived. The Su family's house was relatively large. The Su family was very rich, and as long as they had money, they could buy a larger house, as long as it did not exceed a certain standard.
"It's time to go see your sister." Aunt Qing said to them while they were eating.
"Okay." Could Su Qiuya say she didn't want to go? No, because Mrs. Mei Ershao was Liu Yanbo's biological sister.
"She has been bullied by the Mei family for so long, and the people in the Marquis' Mansion don't know how to help her." Aunt Qing thought that the people in the Marquis' Mansion were too mean to the wife of the second young master Mei, but it was a pity that the Marquis' Mansion was headed by Mother Liu.
Aunt Qing thought it would be great if she could be the head of the Marquis's Mansion. Unfortunately, they had already separated and the relationship was severed, so she couldn't go back.
Fortunately, most people in the capital didn't know about what happened to the Liu family in the northwest. Qing Yi Niang thought that the second branch had nothing to be ashamed of, and they didn't need to be pointed at. Those people in the capital wouldn't pay too much attention to Liu Yanbo, as Liu Yanbo's status was too low.
"She can't stand on her own, so it's useless for others to help her." Su Qiuya didn't think that the people in the Marquis' Mansion did nothing. The people in the Marquis' Mansion must have given the second young master Mei a cold face.
However, the second young master Mei’s wife had never thought about divorce, and it would be the same as long as the people from the Jingning Marquis’ Mansion continued to suppress the Mei family.
"What are you talking about?" Aunt Qing frowned. "You are also a woman, you should know how difficult it is for a woman to live in this world. I'm afraid the people in the first house just don't want your sister to have a good life. They just want your sister to..."
"Don't always slander people." Su Qiuya couldn't bear it any longer. "This is the Su family. If those servants hear it and exaggerate it, my father will kick us out."
Liu Yanbo didn't want to be kicked out or talked about. He was about to speak, but Su Qiuya glared at him and he didn't say anything.
Aunt Qing felt bad when she saw this. Her son had simply married and forgotten his mother. He simply didn't know how to consider her.
"Let's eat." Su Qiuya said, "We just returned to Beijing, so we still have to be careful about some things."
“…” Aunt Qing glanced at Su Qiuya, she was too lazy to say anything.
When it was time to go to bed at night, Su Qiuya told Liu Yanbo about the wife of the second young master Mei.
"The Marquis' Mansion can't afford to lose face, they must have warned the Mei family." Su Qiuya said.
"Maybe." Liu Yanbo said.
"Don't always think that the eldest wife is wrong. They have also helped you with many things. It's just that you ask for more and they give less, so you think it's not enough." Su Qiuya sighed, "Don't think that we have moved in. My stepmother is not a good person. She is the one who really only knows how to put on a show."
Su Qiuya sincerely believed that the Marquis of Jingning and his wife treated their illegitimate children very well, and that they were also good to their concubines. However, Concubine Qing and Liu Yanbo were completely unaware of this problem, and neither was Mrs. Mei, the Second Young Master.
"Be careful." Liu Yanbo said, "We can move out."
"No, I'll just stay here for a while." Su Qiuya said, "I have to ask them to compensate me. The dowry I brought was small, and I didn't take away all the dowry my mother brought."
Su Qiuya knew at the time that the Jingning Marquis Mansion was in a precarious situation, so she didn't think about taking more things from the Su family.
"Okay, I'll listen to you." Liu Yanbo thought Su Qiuya did nothing wrong.
On this day, the Jingning Marquisate held a banquet. Of course, they did not invite Liu Yanbo and his wife, nor Feng Guanjing and his wife. Instead, they invited the powerful and influential people, as well as those who had a good relationship with the Liu family.
The Marquis of Jingning's Mansion did not invite the Huo family. When Mrs. Huo learned that the Marquis of Jingning's Mansion was hosting a banquet, she did not have an invitation, so of course she could not go.
Mrs. Huo was very dissatisfied and she even told Uncle Huo about this matter.
"After all, we are Yun'er and Jia'er's grandparents. How could they be like this?" Mrs. Huo said.
"Think about your eldest daughter," said Master Huo. "She's acting crazy now, and she's still saying she's the Crown Prince's wife. She's not the Crown Prince's wife at all. She's a member of the Ouyang family now. That's all she's going to live like this. She caused such a big disaster, and now she's leaving it to others to clean up the mess."
"This is not our fault," Mrs. Huo complained. "Our daughter married into the Marquis of Jingning's mansion with a clean record from the beginning. If the incident hadn't happened at the mansion, our daughter wouldn't have divorced their son. If anyone is to blame, it should be them, not us."
Mrs. Huo wanted to exonerate herself. She didn't want to think it was her family's fault, nor did she want to think that she was the one who caused her daughter to become like that.
"No wonder my mother wanted to raise her grandson herself." Uncle Huo sneered.
With Mrs. Huo's personality... Uncle Huo thought it would be better not to let her bother with those things. "If you really want to do good for your children, you can build a small Buddhist temple and chant more sutras there."
"You want me...let me..." Mrs. Huo couldn't say it out loud. This was equivalent to putting her under house arrest in disguise, not allowing her to go out. She wasn't an old lady yet, not a widow, so why did she set up a small Buddhist temple?
Most of the noble ladies in the capital are widows or old ladies. That is why they set up small Buddhist temples and stay in them all day long.
Generally speaking, they would just go to the temple to worship Buddha and donate money.
There was no way Mrs. Huo would be willing to stay at home in a small Buddhist temple.
"The elders came to see me a few days ago," Uncle Huo said. "If I don't punish you severely, what will happen to the rest of the Huo family?"
Someone from the Huo family wanted to apply to the graduate school. Originally, the Huo family had no grudges against the Jingning Marquisate. However, Madam Huo and the eldest Huo were foolish. They did something foolish, which made the Jingning Marquisate's people look at them a few more times.
"Others?" Madam Huo didn't think the others would react. "Do you want to curry favor with the Marquis of Jingning?"
"Don't say it so harshly. It's just that we should keep out of each other's way." Uncle Huo no longer thinks about his granddaughter and grandson coming to the Huo family. He just hopes that Princess Rongning will not make things difficult for the Huo family.
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