Ling Dapeng's plan to take a concubine progressed quickly. On the day of the concubine's arrival, Tao Wanniang did not appear, but Ling Dahu did.
"Brother, are you coming alone? Doesn't Mother give me any face at all?" Ling Dapeng said with great dissatisfaction.
Ling Dahu looked at his younger brother solemnly and said earnestly, "Brother, no one in our Ling Family Village has ever taken a concubine."
Ling Dapeng's face immediately darkened. Since taking Shishi into the family today, Zhou Xiaoyun hadn't given him a single pleasant look all day. It was one thing that his parents hadn't come, but now his older brother had come and was lecturing him; how could he possibly be in a good mood?
"Brother, let me tell you a secret, Shishi is deeply devoted to me. She did all this for me, and she even brought several hundred taels of her own wealth with her. Afterwards, she even came to the estate with me. Brother, how could I let down a woman like that?"
Ling Dapeng's words were moving, while Ling Dahu remained speechless.
“Brother, there are many good women in the world, but you are a man with a wife and children.”
"Brother, if you're here for a wedding banquet, don't say such unlucky things. I'm sorry to Xiaoyun, but I will treat her and the child even better. Besides, Shishi said she's here to join our family, not to break me up with Xiaoyun."
Ling Dahu's expression was somewhat indescribable. He helped wait for the girl Shishi to be carried in, and as an elder, he drank tea and then took his leave. As for whether his sister-in-law was going to fight with Shishi, he didn't care.
The next day, Ling Yunzhou came with his men to take the child.
When Ling Zhi cried out in his childish voice for his parents, Ling Yunzhou was somewhat moved. There are many irresponsible parents in this world, but children are innocent.
"Zhi'er, be good and follow your grandfather. Your grandfather is a great general!" Zhou Xiaoyun felt sorry for her son, but she still convinced herself that if her son became the heir of the general's mansion, then couldn't she, as his mother, become the lady of the general's mansion?
"Waaah~ Mother..." Ling Zhi's voice was still heavy with childishness, but the sound of calling for his mother was exceptionally clear. His little face was flushed red, and he was crying with tears and snot streaming down his face.
Ling Yunzhou was extremely annoyed and ordered someone to put the child on the carriage.
"Pack your things yourselves, and someone will take you there this afternoon."
"Father, you must take good care of Zhi'er!" Zhou Xiaoyun choked with tears, clutching her chest as she looked at the child who was being carried onto the carriage and was still crying.
"Do you need to tell me?" Ling Yunzhou said impatiently. "You've bought two servants, so don't go. This house is still your house, and someone has to take care of it."
"Dad, that won't do. My belly is so big, it's very inconvenient if I don't have someone with me." Upon hearing this, Zhou Xiaoyun immediately spoke up, disregarding the child.
"Dapeng, didn't you take a concubine? Your wife is pregnant, shouldn't the concubine take care of her?" Ling Yunzhou sneered. After saying that, he turned and left without paying attention to Shishi's increasingly ugly expression.
Zhou Xiaoyun looked at Shishi, then at Ling Dapeng, and sneered.
"Little sister, you'll have to take good care of your older sister from now on!"
Shishi's smile was forced; she had only just married into the family and couldn't afford to displease Ling Dapeng.
“Sister is right. Sister is feeling increasingly unwell. I will take good care of you.”
Ling Dapeng looked at Zhou Xiaoyun, who was smiling sinisterly, and then at Shishi, who was meek and submissive. His feelings were complicated.
"Xiaoyun, Shishi has a very kind heart."
Zhou Xiaoyun snorted coldly and turned around to pack her things.
"You two stay home and take good care of the chickens and ducks, and make sure the vegetables don't wither. We're just going to the estate to lay low for a while, and we'll probably be back soon."
Cao'er and Aunt Liu were a little confused. They were going to be living in this house from now on?
“Madam, what if we run out of rice at home…” Aunt Liu asked. She and Cao’er had both signed indentures, which provided them with food and lodging, but no wages.
Zhou Xiaoyun was stunned for a moment, then immediately looked at Ling Dapeng and said sharply, "Go ask him for the money!"
Holding her large, plump belly, Zhou Xiaoyun walked out with an air of indifference, heading straight back into her house.
"Brother Dapeng, my sister still won't accept me!" Shishi followed behind Ling Dapeng with a bitter expression and said in a low voice.
"That's just her temperament. It's alright. Once we get to the estate, she'll gradually realize how good you are to her."
Ling Dapeng and Shishi were deeply in love. He was a man full of youthful vigor, and after Zhou Xiaoyun became pregnant, he naturally dared not act recklessly. However, after getting together with Shishi, he became somewhat addicted to the pleasure.
Holding Shishi's hand, he entered the house. When he met Cao'er and Aunt Liu who came forward, Ling Dapeng patted his pockets and was about to give them money when Shishi stopped him.
“Brother Dapeng, my sister is too strict with your money. How can a man not have money? Here’s what I’ll give you: one string of copper coins. Use them sparingly. If you run out, I think you can go to the General’s Mansion. Father won’t let you go hungry.”
Shishi said softly, "Brother Dapeng, do you think what I did was right?"
"Yes, yes, Aunt Liu, Cao'er, you should go see my son too."
Cao'er and Aunt Liu immediately agreed. They had no other intentions. With the host not around, it would be great for them to stay in the house!
When Ling Dapeng's family was sent to the estate, Tao Wanniang did not show up. After hearing about Ling Dahu's concubine-taking yesterday, she became even less willing to care about her son.
She ignored it, but Ling Yunzhou came to her door on his own.
"Wan Niang, Da Peng and the other two have been placed on the estate. My grandson is in my residence, being cared for by two women. Do you have any further suggestions?"
“You are Dapeng’s father and Zhi’er’s grandfather. You can take care of them yourself. You don’t need to tell me,” Tao Wan’s mother said indifferently.
Ling Yunzhou was somewhat puzzled and looked Tao Wanniang up and down.
“Wan Niang, if you’re unhappy, you can tell me. There’s no need to pretend you don’t care in front of me,” Ling Yunzhou said tentatively. “After all, you raised the child yourself. His absurd behavior must make you uncomfortable.”
"No, I didn't!" Tao Wanniang interrupted Ling Yunzhou. "Erda has no say in his mother's affairs. I've done everything I should. Dahu and his wife are honest and upright, and I haven't mistreated them. As for Dapeng, he probably hasn't suffered enough. If he's not going to live a good life, then he should go and experience a hard life!"
"Zhou is due to give birth in six months. I was thinking that if Dapeng realizes his mistake by then, I'll let them come back. What do you think?"
“Ling Yunzhou, you don’t need to tell me these things.” Tao Wanniang looked Ling Yunzhou up and down. “There’s no old affection between us, and we don’t need to play the role of parents anymore. I’ve already said it, the children are grown up, and they don’t need their parents together anymore, you know that?”
Ling Yunzhou was troubled by Tao Wanniang's straightforwardness and decisiveness.
"I am but a merchant's wife, and have no connection whatsoever with you, General. If you wish to patronize the restaurant, I have no objection, but I am the head chef and not responsible for entertaining guests," Tao Wanniang said bluntly. "General, please make yourself at home. I'm going to the kitchen!"
Ling Yunzhou was speechless. Tao Wanniang's departing figure was very resolute. Feeling irritated, he simply sat down in the hall and called the waiter to order food.
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