Having been so humiliated, Zeng Xiaofeng felt like wringing her handkerchief to pieces.
The maidservant cautiously stepped forward. "Miss, it's getting late. Let's go home."
Zeng Xiaofeng withdrew her gaze and left with her maid.
Back at the inn, she picked up her pen and wrote a letter to her father, explaining that this plan was not feasible and that the rest was up to him to decide.
As Su Yunzhi stepped into the house, Zhu Jinhui, who was waiting in the hall, stood up and peered behind him.
"Where is Miss Zeng? Didn't she come back with you?"
“Mother, Miss Zeng is not related to us. It is not proper for her to come so late.”
"How is it against the rules? She'll be a member of the Su family in the future, so what's wrong with her coming to get acquainted with the family beforehand?"
Zhu Jinhui spoke as if it were perfectly reasonable.
Su Yunzhi looked at her earnestly and said, "Mother, Miss Zeng and I are not suitable for each other, and I will never marry her in the future."
After saying that, he started to walk towards the yard, but Zhu Jinhui hurriedly stepped forward to stop him, "Are you still thinking about that little bitch Lin Yinan?"
"Mother, she is now the city lord of Longtan. Don't speak recklessly, or you'll bring trouble upon yourself."
"Oh, I only said one sentence, and you're already defending me."
Faced with Zhu Jinhui's relentless insistence, Su Yunzhi sighed in exasperation. His mother was adamant about her beliefs, and no matter what he said, it was no use.
The servants were too frightened to approach. Su Yunru came out from the backyard, followed by a wet nurse carrying the baby.
"Mother, elder brother, what are you talking about? I could hear you arguing from far away."
As if she had found an ally, Zhu Jinhui grabbed Su Yunru's hand and began to list all of Su Yunzhi's faults.
"Ru'er, you've come at the right time. Quickly tell your brother that he doesn't want to marry Miss Zeng."
“Brother, although the Zeng family has declined in recent years, even a starved camel is bigger than a horse. It’s still better than fleeing and becoming a lonely and helpless clan,” Su Yunru advised.
Su Yunzhi's mother and sister couldn't understand the situation, so Su Yunzhi said helplessly, "The Zeng family makes ephedra paper, and they know I can make paper. Their proposal to form a marriage alliance with our family at this time is not without ulterior motives, and we cannot agree hastily."
"In the end, you still can't forget that bitch Lin Yinan!" Seeing that her daughter couldn't persuade her son, Zhu Jinhui wiped away her tears with her handkerchief.
Su Yunru quickly went forward to coax him.
As Su Kunliang stepped into the house, he saw his wife wiping away tears. Which little rascal in the family had made her angry again?
"What's wrong? What's going on?"
Su Yunru wanted to complain, but Su Yunzhi beat her to it and explained the whole story, including what Zeng Xiaofeng had just said to him.
Not only Su Kunliang, but even Zhu Jinhui and Su Yunru were shocked when they heard this. They never expected that the Zeng family would abandon all pretense of dignity for this papermaking secret.
“From now on, we should have no further dealings with the Zeng family. Ru’er, you’ve been away for quite some time now. Tomorrow I’ll go to the county office to inquire. If there’s a boat available in the next couple of days, you can go back.” Su Kunliang’s face darkened, and his words left no room for argument.
"Yes, then I'll trouble you, Father." Su Yunru replied with her eyes lowered.
Her temperament was no longer as impulsive as it used to be. Perhaps because of her father or Longtan, her mother-in-law had taught her many principles.
Deng Shifa was the eldest son of the Deng family. His mother-in-law said that the management of the Deng family would be handed over to her in the future, and that she should be careful in everything and listen to her father's teachings. She always kept this in mind and learned to behave like a matriarch of a noble family.
After talking about his daughter, Su Kunliang looked at his wife. Over the years, she had been good in every way, but she was short-sighted and too blind to reason, which was why she let go of their eldest son's marriage.
Zhu Jinhui felt a chill run down her spine under his gaze. "Master, I also want Yunzhi to find a good marriage."
“I will personally oversee Yunzhi and her husband’s future marriage arrangements.”
"Yes, Father, you are the children's father, so naturally you should be in charge," Zhu Jinhui said hastily, trying to please them.
The Zeng family was unaware that they were trying to poach Su Yunzhi through a marriage alliance.
As soon as Lin Yinan entered the house, Yunmu came out to greet him, giving Yun Mo a reproachful sidelong glance.
"You really are something else. Nineteen and Ding'er were having a great time, and he just rushed in, grabbed Nineteen, and ran out."
“My husband said he misses his mother at nineteen.” Lin Yinan showed no mercy and exposed him to his face.
Hearing her say that, Yun Shijiu bared her teeth and raised her little fist at Yun Mo.
Surrounded by three women, Yun Mo had no choice but to make an excuse to feed the horses and flee in disarray.
That night, after Yun Shijiu fell asleep, Yun Mo quietly carried her to the low couch.
After Qianxia got married, she moved out of their courtyard. Qianwu was restless at night, so Lin Yinan wouldn't let Yun Shijiu sleep with her. He slept with her instead, planning to have her sleep in a separate room when she got older.
Aside from the Qianxia sisters, the Yun family didn't hire any servants. They only invited A-Liang's parents and family members to come over during the day to help with housework and cooking.
After an unknown amount of time, the croaking of frogs outside gradually subsided.
Yun Mo finally felt a sense of relief, and he was so hot that he was about to throw off the covers.
Lin Yinan was panting, her cheeks flushed. She glared at him and gestured toward the low couch.
My daughter is still asleep over there. Although there's a screen to keep her out of it, it's still not a good idea.
His hand was still clenched, kneading and rubbing, his eyes slightly narrowed as if he was still savoring the moment. He rested his chin on her disheveled hair, his voice low and husky.
"I'll try to get a small bed for myself when I have some free time tomorrow."
Lin Yinan thought about it for a moment and realized that it wasn't a bad idea. If the small bed was placed in Qianwu's room, she wouldn't have to worry about Qianwu kicking Shijiu off the bed.
Overcome with drowsiness, Lin Yinan struggled to get up, put on her clothes, and change into dry bedding.
Yun Mo carried his daughter back and placed her at the innermost part of the bed, with Lin Yinan sleeping in the middle.
"I'd like to ask the Deng family to buy a few mares," Yun Mo suddenly said, just as Lin Yinan was about to fall asleep.
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