Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 699 A Big Bird Leaning Against a Woman [Thank you! Thank you again! 38K words owed]

The sun was hidden behind the clouds.

Only a few rays of sunlight shone down.

This made the sky look somewhat gloomy at the hour of Chen (around 8 a.m.).

There was no sun, and the morning temperature was a bit low.

The Sheng family of Jiying Lane
Inside the entrance to Shou'an Hall courtyard,
Fang's mother stood there wearing rather thick spring clothes.

There was an old woman standing in front of Madam Fang, whispering something.

“Old sister, this is what I heard,” the old woman said.

Madam Fang nodded: "Thank you for your trouble! In a few days, when we have some free time, let's go out for a drink outside the mansion."

"Alright! I'll head back now." The old woman nodded with a smile.

Mother Fang smiled, but the smile disappeared after she watched the old woman leave.

With a soft sigh, Fang's mother walked into the courtyard, clutching her handkerchief.

Bowing her head, Fang's mother passed through the curtain and entered the house.

In the hall,
Mrs. Cui was standing by a table on one side, pounding something with a small mortar and pestle.

Cuiwei stayed by Cui's mother's side, helping to watch the stove fire.

Seeing Cui's mother walk in, Cuiwei quickly nodded in greeting.

Mrs. Fang nodded slightly in return, and then walked a few steps to the old lady sitting in the day chair.

Looking up at Madam Fang's expression, the old lady, who was wiping the incense burner with a cloth, asked in confusion, "Suqin, what's wrong?"

Madam Fang pursed her lips and said with a hint of anger, "Old Madam, a servant just spoke to me and told me about the situation of the two young ladies in the ancestral hall."

"After seven or eight hours, both young ladies had some bruises on their legs! Last night, Wei Xiaoniang brought in two prayer mats, and the two young ladies each lay on one of the two prayer mats and slept for two hours in the second half of the night."

The old lady nodded.

Madam Fang said, "This morning, Madam took Madam Liu to the courtyard of the ancestral hall to see the two girls. After leaving the ancestral hall, she said..."

Fang's mother stopped talking.

The old lady continued wiping the incense burner, and said leisurely, "What awful things haven't I heard before? Just say it!"

Madam Fang sighed: "The eldest lady said... that you are not the sixth young lady's biological grandmother, nor the master's biological mother, but only a stepmother!"

Upon hearing this, Cui's mother and Cuiwei exchanged a grim glance.

The old lady placed the incense burner on the table and said, "Continue."

Madam Fang said, "They say you're heartless for not visiting Sixth Miss. All the affection you showed her before was just for show."

The old lady glanced at Madam Fang and said, "There should be more, right? With Madam Fang's temperament and her sharp tongue, she wouldn't just stop after saying a few words."

Madam Fang sighed: "The eldest daughter-in-law also said that it was fortunate that we didn't send the fifth daughter to our house back then, otherwise she would be feeling like she was being fried in oil right now."

"I've been nagging for a bit longer. Neither you nor the master dote on Fifth Miss! Just before entering the courtyard, Madam, you happened to run into Fourth Miss of Linxi Pavilion!"

"The fourth young lady has no sense of propriety when it comes to her words, and she got into trouble because of her tongue. She even got slapped by the eldest daughter-in-law."

After listening, the old lady shook her head helplessly: "Alas! Our family is truly an unruly household! The master of the house favors his concubine over his wife, and the mistress is naive and straightforward."

"Look at how she does things, she's not even as good as the one in Anzhai now!"

Inside the room, Fang and Cui's mothers, along with Cuiwei, nodded in agreement.

Madam Fang added, "Mama Liu also went to the main kitchen and asked the cook to prepare some good dishes. I think they were prepared for the master to plead for the two young ladies."

The old lady nodded and said, "It's a good idea, but I don't know if our master will go."

Without the old lady giving any instructions, just by observing her movements, Mama Fang went to the side and brought over the tortoise shell, coins, paper, and pen used for divination:

"Grandma, even if the eldest daughter-in-law can't persuade her, our eldest daughter will still be going back to the Sheng family later!"

"In any case, the lord will always listen to a word or two of the young lady's advice!"

The old lady shook her head and smiled, "Hualan has always been a sensible child. Now that she's married, even if you try to persuade her father, she won't say it to his face."

morning,

In the Sheng family school,
It was the time for 'break between classes'.

On the last row of desks sat an exquisite inkstone.

The inkstone contains freshly ground ink in the center, emitting a delicate and subtle fragrance.

A valuable calligraphy brush, bearing the marks of use, was placed into the inkstone by a fair-skinned hand with calloused skin.

After the brush tip was fully dipped in ink and dabbed against the edge of the inkstone, the brush began to write characters on the Xuan paper.

After writing six or seven characters vertically, the brush was placed on the brush holder.

Xu Zaijing picked up a handkerchief from the table and wiped his hands. He turned to look at Qi Heng beside him and said with a smile, "Yuan Ruo, why are you always staring at me?"

Qi Heng was taken aback, and a slightly embarrassed look appeared on his face. He said, "Brother Jing, judging from the sky outside, Uncle Sheng should have finished his court session by now."

Xu Zaijing glanced outside and nodded, saying, "If there's nothing going on in the court, things should be as you said, Yuanruo."

Changfeng, walking to the side, looked at the two people talking with a puzzled expression.

Qi Heng nodded, looked ahead, and continued, "I heard from Brother Zhang that Sister Hualan is also coming to the Sheng family today?"

Xu Zaijing nodded and said, "That's right! My sister-in-law found out about the Sheng family's affairs yesterday, so she had to come and see for herself."

Upon hearing this, Qi Heng's expression relaxed considerably, and he said, "That's good! With Sister Hua Lan stepping in, the two younger sisters should be able to suffer less punishment."

Changfeng chimed in, "Young Master, you are truly kind-hearted."

Qi Heng smiled.

Gu Tingye, sitting in front of Xu Zaijing, continued writing without turning his head, but a slight smile played on his lips.

He figured that once he got home, he'd be able to chat with Yanran about school again.
After all, Yanran and Minglan had a very good relationship.

Xu Zaijing raised an eyebrow, feeling quite curious about what might happen today.

When I picked up the brush and began to dip it in ink...
Xu Zaijing glanced back.
On the wooden platform behind her, her maid, Qingcao, was listlessly resting her elbows on her knees, her hands supporting her cheeks as she stared blankly into space.

When Qingcao saw Xu Zaijing looking over, she gave him a smile with dimples.

Over the years, Qingcao has always been close to Xiaotao and Xique, and only had polite interactions with the maids of Linxi Pavilion.

The reason for this was that when I was in Yangzhou before, someone splashed cold water on me in the winter.

Qingcao wasn't stupid; she naturally knew that her predicament was inextricably linked to Linxi Pavilion.

'After all this 'mischief,' I wonder if Granny Kong will come to the capital to tutor the Sheng family's daughters, just like before.'

Shaking his head to clear his mind of the distractions, Xu Zaijing continued to concentrate on his studies.

near noon,

In Shou'an Hall,

"The young lady has arrived."

With Danju's announcement,
Wearing exquisite jewelry and a light green spring outfit, Hua Lan walked in with a smile on her face.

Seeing the old lady stand up, Hua Lan smiled and curtsied, saying, "Grandmother!"

The old lady smiled and looked behind Hua Lan, saying, "You came here by yourself. Where's Zhong'er?"

Hua Lan walked up to the old lady, helped her up, and said, "My mother-in-law is watching the child! It's not appropriate for such a young child to be here today to discuss matters!"

The old lady took Hua Lan's hand, looked at Hua Lan's complexion, and smiled, "Hua'er, with your son Xingzhong here, his words pleading for his two aunts are much more effective than yours!"

“Grandmother, other things are easier to deal with! But this almost ruined the reputation of the Sheng family’s daughter, and Father will not let it go easily.”

As they spoke,
The old lady sat down in the day chair, while Hualan sat on the embroidered stool that Cui Mama had brought over.

"Have you been to your mother's place?" the old lady asked.

Hua Lan nodded: "I've been there! I talked to her for a long time with Aunt Liu. She should be preparing lunch for Father right now."

“After Father finished his morning court session, he ate breakfast in Lin Xiaoniang’s courtyard. Mother was very angry about it.”

After saying that, Hua Lan looked at the old lady and said, "Grandmother, I think if Mother can control her temper and use gentle words to persuade Father, there is still a chance that my two younger sisters will be released sooner."

“If I can’t help myself, I might only make things worse. As a married daughter, it’s not easy for my father to persuade me.”

The old lady nodded repeatedly, her eyes filled with satisfaction as she looked at Hualan. "Grandmother, you must have some plan, right?" Hualan asked.

The old lady did not answer Hua Lan's question, but looked at Hua Lan and said, "Back then, I didn't plan for you to marry into a high-ranking family, but I never expected that your father would actually be able to find you a marriage in the capital."

The old lady wasn't referring to the Xu family, but rather the Yuan family.

"By a twist of fate, you have married into the Marquis's mansion."

"Since you married into the Marquis's family, Hua'er, when you go out with your sister-in-law and mother-in-law, do you find these tea-making and incense-burning things useful?"

Hearing the old lady's question, Hua Lan thought for a moment and said, "I think these are useful, but not very much!"

“Grandmother, you have lived in the capital before, so you naturally know how to deal with the powerful and wealthy families there. These are not the important things.”

The old lady feigned confusion and asked, "Oh? Why aren't these important?"

Hua Lan said, "There are countless maids and servants in the capital who are skilled in tea ceremony and incense burning! So these are not important!"

"What matters is family background! And whether the clan's members are successful!"

"My mother-in-law often tells her granddaughter that she came from a family of low-ranking military officers!"

"Although she is the eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis's mansion, when she went to the elegant gatherings and banquets in the capital, she was always left sitting on the sidelines and ignored by everyone."

"The previous Lady Gu had the same experience as my mother-in-law."

"My father-in-law gradually made a name for himself in the Western Army and later took command of the Tianwu Army. When my mother-in-law attended these banquets, she didn't change much, but even if she didn't speak, nobles and officials' wives would still gather around her."

"Ever since Gu's brother-in-law, Brother Yu, passed the imperial examination and entered the court as an official, and was highly favored by the emperor, Gu's wife's experiences have been even more exaggerated than her mother-in-law's."

Mother Cui served Hualan a cup of tea.

After clearing her throat, Hua Lan said, "My mother-in-law also said that even if there are some things she doesn't recognize, the relatives of officials around her will take the initiative to explain them to her."

Looking at the smiling and nodding old lady, Hua Lan said with a smile, "Grandmother, after our fifth son heard what his mother-in-law said, he said, 'When you achieve success and fame, the people around you will naturally become good people, and everyone will be friendly and kind.' Such is the fickle nature of the world."

Upon hearing this, the old lady smiled and said, "These words are indeed concise and original; it's no wonder he's studied for so many years."

Hua Lan nodded and said, "Grandmother, what I'm referring to are women like me and my mother-in-law who have become wives."

"If it were my younger sisters, they would definitely need to learn these things. After all, who knows what kind of people they will be dealing with in the future?"

“Those who don’t understand these things will surely use these cold words to mock and ridicule us.”

"Especially my sixth sister."

The old lady frowned and asked, "Minglan? Hua'er, what's wrong with Minglan?"

Hua Lan looked at the old lady helplessly and said, "Grandmother, aren't you just asking a question you already know the answer to! With Sixth Sister's complexion, I'm always amazed and can't take my eyes off her when I see her."

"Not to mention other families. The fate of Rong family's Feiyan is a clear example."

"The Rong family's daughter? The younger sister of Consort Rong?" the old lady asked.

Hua Lan nodded: "Yes, Grandmother, there were many families in the capital who secretly talked about her family background and made sarcastic remarks about her."

"The reason for this, besides Consort Rong's status, is that Miss Feiyan's beauty aroused jealousy."

"The more knowledgeable the younger sisters are, the less they will suffer from sarcastic remarks."

"Hua'er, you're right!" The old lady nodded thoughtfully.

"Grandma, the kitchen says the dishes are ready, would you like to see them?" Mrs. Cui asked from the side.

"Serve the food," the old lady nodded.

When the grandfather and grandson were eating...
In the Wei Rui Xuan,

Sheng Hong sat at the table laden with dishes.

Wang Ruofu stood to the side, looking at Sheng Hong with a delicate expression, and said in a soft tone, "My lord, did the official business go smoothly today?"

Sheng Hong nodded.

As she spoke, Wang Ruofu tucked her sleeves in and personally picked up chopsticks to serve Sheng Hong some food, saying, "My lord, this is something good that my mother-in-law asked Hua'er to bring. Please try it."

Wang Ruofu's uncharacteristic behavior made Sheng Hong very uncomfortable, and he looked at her closely, his eyes darting around.

Looking at the slices of meat placed in his bowl, and then at the smiling Wang Ruofu, Sheng Hong thought to himself, 'This can't be poisonous.'

Taking a small, careful bite with his chopsticks, Sheng Hong said as he ate, "Madam, you invited me over for lunch because of this? What's the matter? Just tell me!"

Wang Ruofu was about to speak when he seemed to remember something and stopped himself, saying, "My lord, please eat first, we can talk later."

Sheng Hong put down his chopsticks and said, "If it's about Rulan, Madam, please don't ask. Rulan won't let her out until she admits her mistake!"

"Just make her kneel in the ancestral hall."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruofu's chest heaved, and his breathing became rapid, clearly indicating that he was extremely angry.

After taking a deep breath, Wang Ruofu looked at the dishes on the table and said coldly, "Not letting Ru'er out? Ru'er won't admit her mistake, do you want her to kneel to death?"

Seeing Wang Ruofu's expression, Sheng Hong instantly understood what had happened. He picked up his chopsticks and started eating, saying nonchalantly, "It's just a matter of kneeling for two days. How did it come to the point of kneeling to death?"

"Kneeling like this and still not admitting your mistake, we let it go so easily. Who knows what will happen to you in the future!"

"If Rulan grows up and can't distinguish right from wrong, she'll cause trouble, and then we'll have our turn to cry!"

Wang Ruofu looked at Sheng Hong and said excitedly, "Only seven or eight hours have passed, and both children's knees are already bruised! How can they not kneel to death if they keep kneeling for a few more days?"

"Do you really want two children who will be disabled because of this? How much suffering will they have to endure when Ru'er gets married and pregnant?"

"She still understands right and wrong. Mo Lan, go to the front hall."

"Snapped!"

Sheng Hong angrily slammed his chopsticks on the table.

Seeing this, Wang Ruofu felt uneasy, but still forced herself to look at Sheng Hong.

"Kneeling for a few hours, how could it possibly leave you crippled? Why are you dragging Mo Lan into this again!"

"Tell me, what time is it now? It's already the beginning of summer! And the two of them are still using prayer cushions to support their knees!"

As he spoke, Sheng Hong stood up, somewhat excited.

“When I was a child, I would kneel on the icy cold floor tiles for seven or eight days straight in the dead of winter. Did you see that I ended up with a disability?”

Seeing Sheng Hong's excited expression, Wang Ruofu recalled Hua Lan and Liu Mama's words, and her attitude became 'delicate' again.

Then, Wang Ruofu said with a sob in her voice, "My lord, I... I was only thinking of the child!"

"Hua'er just told me how heavy she was when she was pregnant with Zhong'er, which made me think about Ru'er's future!"

As she spoke, Wang Ruofu felt tears welling up in her eyes, and, seizing the opportunity, cried out:
“My lord, I understand you are concerned about the reputation of the Sheng family children! But Madam Wu and my mother-in-law have always been on good terms, and yesterday she spoke up for us and gave us a way out! She certainly won't spread rumors around!”

"Waaaaah, the children were forced to kneel for a whole day as punishment. At least they can talk about it with a clear conscience now!"

Crying and wailing, Wang Ruofu leaned weakly against Sheng Hong, saying, "My lord, Ru'er is someone you've watched grow up since she was little! Please show her some love!"

As she spoke, Wang Ruofu hugged Sheng Hong tightly, pressed her face against his chest, and let out a soft moan.

Sheng Hong, who had just been angry, felt that Wang Ruofu's words made sense. After all, he had been there that day, and Wang Ruofu's hug made him instantly flustered: "Tsk! What are you doing! I, I..."

"Hua'er is so obedient because her husband taught her from a young age. Naturally, she also loves her younger sisters!"

“Ming’er is growing up by the old lady’s side again. Hua’er is only able to live well because of Mother! Please, for their sake, spare Ru’er and Ming’er.”

"Alright, alright, Rulan and Minglan, if you truly want to admit your mistakes, come out this afternoon!" With that, Sheng Hong helped Wang Ruofu and placed her on a stool.

"Okay, okay, I'll go find the two maids and talk to them right away!" Wang Ruofu nodded and wiped her eyes with a handkerchief.

Sheng Hong stood up and nodded, saying, "I'll go see Hua'er at my mother's first. Those two girls need to apologize. They'll come to my study later."

“Yes, sir,” Wang Ruofu quickly replied.

After Sheng Hong left,

Wang Ruofu breathed a sigh of relief. As she wiped her eyes, Liu's mother pushed open the door and came in.

The look in Liu's mother's eyes as she looked at Wang Ruofu was full of "Madam, how is the situation?"

Wang Ruofu took a deep breath and said, "I'm exhausted! So this seductive thing really does require physical strength!"

"Fortunately, it works well! No wonder Lin Qinshuang likes to use this trick!"

With that, Wang Ruofu stood up and said, "Let's go to the ancestral hall!"

(End of this chapter)