Do you know: I am Xu Jiazi

Chapter 830 "Even immortals and gods won't protect me!" [Thank you! Thank you again! 7k words owed]

The next day.

morning,

White clouds drift across the sky.

A gentle breeze occasionally blows by, bringing a slight coolness.

Jiying Lane,
The Sheng family,

Two gatekeepers sat on benches inside the gate, watching the passersby, vendors, and peddlers passing by.

If any young women or women from the neighborhood passed by, the servants would whisper among themselves.

At this time,

Someone rode by on horseback.

After following the horse's gaze for a moment, the servant appraised its quality and vaguely heard someone say, "This horse looks quite ordinary."

It wasn't that the servants of the Sheng family thought too highly of themselves; it was simply that they had seen the mount of the current Prince of Wei before.

Having just finished appraising the passing horses,
One of the servants glanced at the door and immediately stood up, smiling as he went to greet her: "Oh, Sister Danju, you've just returned?"

"Sister Danju, the basket you're carrying looks so heavy, let me help you!" another servant said with a smile.

Danju shook her head and smiled, "Thank you for your kindness, brothers! I can carry these things in myself."

Seeing Danju's expression, the two servants didn't linger and quickly stepped aside.

"Sister Danju, if you ever need any help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask," the servant said with a smile.

"I understand," Danju said with a smile.

As they were talking, Danju entered through the gate.

The steward, who had overheard the conversation, stepped out from the gatehouse.

Upon seeing Danju, the steward smiled and nodded, "Danju, from now on, for any odd jobs, just send the servants to do them."

Danju smiled and nodded, "Understood! You're busy, Manager."

"Ah."

Watching Danju walk away, the steward turned to the two servants and said, "What are you still looking at?"

"From now on, when you run into people from Jin'anzhai, you'd better keep your eyes open, so as not to cause trouble for our gatekeeper."

The servant nodded hastily.

A servant said, "Steward, do you think if the Fourth Miss were raised by the Old Madam, that Prince..."

"What nonsense are you talking about! How can you just gossip about the master's affairs?" the steward said, frowning.

The servant quickly shut his mouth.

The gatekeeper continued, "No matter what, the Xu family is the old lady's maternal family, so..."

Before he could finish speaking, the gatekeeper stopped and shook his head.

"What is the manager?" the servant asked curiously.

The steward had been with the Sheng family for many years and knew about Lin Xiaoniang's background.

The two servants had joined the Sheng family after arriving in the capital and were unaware of the story behind it.

Just as the gatekeeper was about to speak, he saw a carriage approaching from the gate.

After only one glance, the steward hurriedly stepped forward and bowed, asking, "Has the young lady returned?"

Cui Chan lifted the curtain of the carriage and nodded with a smile to the gatekeeper.

One of the servants immediately ran quickly toward the second gate.

Shouantang,
In the main house,
"The lady has arrived."

As the maid announced the arrival, Wang Ruofu led Liu Mama through the bamboo curtain into the room with her head bowed.

As soon as I entered the house,

Wang Ruofu then saw Hualan sitting on the embroidered stool in front of the old lady, being spoken to by the old lady while holding her hand.

Upon seeing Wang Ruofu, Hua Lan quickly stood up: "Mother."

Minglan, who was sitting not far from Hualan, also got up to call for someone.

Wang Ruofu nodded, walked up to the old lady, bowed, and said, "Mother."

"Madam, please sit down." The old lady pointed to the other side of the daybed and smiled.

After Wang Ruofu nodded in agreement, she glanced at Hua Lan with a hint of reproach in her eyes, then looked at Hua Lan's stomach before sitting down.

Hua Lan smiled nonchalantly at Wang Ruofu, then looked at the door and asked, "Mother, where is Wei Xiaoniang?"

Wang Ruofu looked at the bundle on the Luohan bed and said, "I asked Caihuan to call them; they should be here soon."

"Oh! Grandmother, where were we just now?" Hua Lan asked with a smile.

"We've started talking about what happened after the Rong family's concubine entered the household," the old lady said with a smile.

Listening to the conversation between the grandmother and granddaughter, Wang Ruofu glanced at Minglan with an inscrutable expression.

Hua Lan looked at the old lady and said, "Yes! Grandmother, to be honest, it wasn't until the day my younger brother and sister-in-law from the Rong family returned home that I realized just how extravagant the Chai family was."

Upon hearing this, Wang Ruofu nonchalantly accepted the drink offered by Mama Fang.

The old lady and Minglan looked at Hualan with curiosity.

“From the moment Wulang left Quyuan Street for the Rong family, Cuichan saw no fewer than seventy or eighty stewards enter and leave the Xu family’s gate.”

As Hua Lan spoke, Cui Chan nodded repeatedly.

Wang Ruofu, who was holding a teacup, was stunned when he heard this: "So many people?"

Minglan and the old lady were also somewhat dumbfounded.

Wang Ruofu then asked, "With so many stewards, how much must the Chai family's dowry be?"

Hua Lan smiled and glanced at Ming Lan, then shook her head and said, "I don't know! After the Chai family's dowry list was sent over, only my mother-in-law saw it."

Wang Ruofu blinked: "Hua'er, if we calculate based on your dowry from your wedding, the Chai family's dowry must be worth one or two million."

The old lady and Fang's mother exchanged a glance.

Minglan lowered her eyes and took a deep breath.

Hua Lan smiled and nodded: "Wu Lang has received many rewards over the years. With Father-in-law's approval, the Xu family has also received a share of their assets! As a result, Wu Lang will definitely have more money to spare when he opens his new residence."

The old lady waved her hand: "No matter how much Jing'er is rewarded, even with the Xu family's share of the family property, it probably won't be as good as the Chai family's dowry."

After saying that, the old lady smiled again: "However, with that amount of property, it's enough for daily expenses."

“Grandmother is right, but I think my sister-in-law is not stingy or miserly. She gave all the wedding gifts to her mother-in-law.”

The old lady asked in confusion, "All this betrothal money was given to your mother-in-law? What about later?"

"My sister-in-law said that she will pay for the return gifts from the Prince's Mansion in the future," Hua Lan said.

"Wow! That's quite a lot of money!" Wang Ruofu exclaimed.

The old lady nodded in agreement.

Putting aside everything else, when Xu Zaijing and Chai Zhengzheng got married, countless families in the capital came to celebrate.

These are all social obligations; once Xu Zaijing moves out, the family will be separated.

When other families have events, not only the Xu family of the Duke of Dai's Mansion, but also the Xu family of the Prince of the County's Mansion will send a separate gift.

"Although my mother-in-law accepted them, I think she will definitely find a way to send them to Wulang when the opportunity arises."

After Hua Lan finished speaking, Wang Ruofu frowned slightly in disagreement, and was about to speak when Liu Mama tugged at his brow.

At this time.

"Miss Wei has arrived," the maid announced.

Hua Lan and Ming Lan stood up and looked towards the door. "Greetings, Madam, Eldest Miss, and Eldest Daughter," Wei Shuyi greeted them with a smile as she entered the room.

Wang Ruofu glanced at the old lady and said with a smile, "Please forgive me, come and sit down."

Wei Shuyi stepped forward and bowed, saying, "Thank you, Madam. I will not sit down."

Before Wang Ruofu could speak, Wei Shuyi continued, "Just now at Jin'anzhai, I was sitting and embroidering. Standing up now will make me feel more comfortable."

"Alright!" The old lady smiled and nodded, "If that's the case, then Madam, please don't force me."

"Yes, mother."

Hua Lan gave Wei Shuyi an approving look, then pointed to the bundle on the armchair and said, "Little sister, in a couple of days, my seventh brother will be going to the Xu family to make a bed. I specially picked out a good piece of fabric and made him a new outfit."

"Your needlework skills are quite good. Could you help me see if this outfit fits?"

Wei Shuyi looked up in surprise at the smiling Hua Lan and quickly said, "Thank you for your kind words, Miss!"

Wang Ruofu then gave Hua Lan a sidelong smirk.

As they spoke, Liu's mother untied the bundle and carefully took out a new garment.

Looking at the excellent quality of the fabric, Wang Ruofu's expression became even more unpleasant.

"It's wonderful!" Wei Shuyi exclaimed. "It fits me perfectly too."

"The Fourth and Fifth Misses have arrived," came another announcement.

Perhaps they bumped into each other on the road, and the sisters exchanged a few sarcastic remarks, as neither Rulan nor Molan looked very pleased.

After bowing and greeting the servants, the two Lans also sat down in the chairs.

Looking at the precious jewelry on her older sister Hua Lan's head, Mo Lan glanced at it several times with great envy.

Afterwards, everyone chatted about Changbai and Changfeng's marriage.

The marriage between the Sheng and Hai families is proceeding smoothly in all aspects, with the wedding scheduled for August or September.

Changfeng will arrive a little later, but still before the new year.

It's practically a done deal that Rulan will marry back into the Wang family.

Therefore, among the Sheng family's children, only Mo Lan's marriage is still undecided.

What made Wang Ruofu extremely distressed was that

As the only girl in the Sheng family who is still unmarried, Mo Lan has recently been inquiring about families with increasingly better social standing from Wang Ruofu.

Among them were sons of dukes, marquises, and high-ranking officials.

After all, whoever marries Mo Lan will be the brother-in-law of Xu Zaijing, the Prince of Wei and the top scholar in the imperial examination, and Wang You, whose grandfather was enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple.

He was also the son-in-law of Sheng Hong, a high-ranking official in the Ministry of Personnel, the brother-in-law of Sheng Changbai, a third-ranked scholar in the imperial examinations, and a distant relative of the prestigious Hai family.

These close relatives were an excellent asset in his career.

As a result, the Sheng family's Cymbidium orchids became highly sought-after items in the capital.

Wei Rui Xuan
inside the house,

Hua Lan sat down next to Wang Ruofu with a helpless expression, and together with Liu Mama, helped Wang Ruofu catch her breath.

"Hua'er, tell me, why? Why is it that so many good families are inquiring about Fourth Sister? Huh?"

“These past two days, the more I look at these posts, the angrier I get! And the thing is, whenever I mention those families’ social standing, he just grins like an idiot!”

"Especially that bitch Lin Qinshuang! Guess what she said in her own yard?"

Hua Lan shook her head: "Mother, I can't guess."

Wang Ruofu took a deep breath and said, "That vixen was saying in her own courtyard that Mo Lan was even better than Xie Daoyun, and that her beauty and talent were renowned! That's why so many prominent families in the capital are vying to propose marriage to her."

"I bother!"

Wang Ruofu said with great disdain.

"This is outrageous!" Wang Ruofu held Hua Lan's hand, which trembled slightly. "Hua'er, these past two days, my heart has been like it's being fried in oil. I haven't been able to sleep at all!"

"Heaven is so unfair! Even the gods and immortals don't protect me! They let that girl Mo Lan have so many good families to choose from!"

Hua Lan listened from the side, her face full of helplessness.

Looking at Rulan, who was studying peaches below her, Wang Ruofu was furious again: "All you know is how to eat!"

Rulan tilted her head and said matter-of-factly, "Mother, why shouldn't I eat? It was you who arranged my marriage! With my grandmother and the others around, my life won't be too bad."

"At this moment, you're just looking at the grass on the other side and thinking it's not as good as it seems; you're only making things harder for yourself."

Wang Ruofu glared angrily at Rulan: "You—"

Rulan looked over, her eyes filled with a "What's wrong with me?" expression.

When Hua Lan looked at her reproachfully, Ru Lan awkwardly looked away and continued to eat the peaches in her hands.

Hua Lan was about to continue helping Wang Ruofu catch her breath when Wang Ruofu grabbed Hua Lan's hand and said, "That's enough! You're pregnant with another one! Don't waste your energy."

Hua Lan smiled and said, "Mother, although I am young, what I say makes sense."

Liu's mother nodded in agreement.

Seeing Wang Ruofu's attempt to explain, Hua Lan continued, "Mother, you said so many high-ranking families in the capital have come to inquire, where is the head?"

Wang Ruofu frowned and thought for a moment, then straightened his chest and said confidently, "It's because of your younger brother, Changbai! He became the third-highest scorer in the imperial examination and is going to marry the daughter of the Hai family."

After glancing at Rulan, who seemed hesitant to speak, Wang Ruofu quickly said, "And you, Hua'er! Your son-in-law is the eldest son of the Duke's family and a Jinshi (successful candidate in the highest imperial examination). He has a bright future ahead of him!"

Rulan pursed her lips, then turned her eyes away.

Hua Lan waved her hand at Liu Mama and said earnestly, "Mother, what you said makes sense! But the most important reason is still with my sixth sister and my uncle."

"Ming girl and the Prince of Wei?" Wang Ruofu looked puzzled.

Hua Lan nodded: "If Sixth Sister hadn't entered the Prince's Mansion, our family would only have one daughter who would be the daughter-in-law of the Xu family. The families that would come to inquire wouldn't be of such high social standing."

Seemingly finding the peaches quite delicious, Rulan smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Hua'er, what you're saying is true of your father too," Wang Ruofu said, only uttering half a sentence before falling silent.

Sheng Hong wasn't the Minister of Personnel, so he didn't have that much influence.

"It was precisely because Sixth Sister entered the Prince's Mansion and asked to marry Mo Lan that Fourth Sister's status rose accordingly."

After Hua Lan finished speaking, Wang Ruofu disagreed somewhat: "The son-in-law is Wu Lang's own brother. With you here, he is also a real relative."

"But my uncle and his family are moving to a different place! That's when they've separated their households."

Mrs. Liu nodded repeatedly in agreement: "Madam, what the young lady said makes sense!"

Wang Ruofu thought for a moment, then looked at Hua Lan and said, "So, you came back today just to give Qi Lang a new dress? And to give Liu Ya Tou some money and shops?"

Hua Lan shook her head: "Mother, Ming Lan is also my younger sister. As the older sister, can't I come back to add to her dowry?"

“That’s true. In the future, you and Liu Yatou will be considered sisters-in-law,” Wang Ruofu said.

Hua Lan smiled and nodded, continuing to persuade her: "When I was little, my grandmother told me that we sisters in this family are of one mind and share the same fate, and we will share the same fate if one of us prospers or suffers the same fate."

Rulan put down the peach pit and said, "Sister, Granny Kong said the same thing!"

Hua Lan smiled and looked at Wang Ruofu, saying, "Actually, when other families seek to marry Mo Lan, they are not looking at Mo Lan herself, but at the Sheng family behind her and the social standing of the Sheng family's relatives!"

Wang Ruofu took a deep breath: "I just can't accept it, I can't swallow this! That vixen Lin Qinshuang's daughter actually gets to choose such a good family because of our Sheng family!"

Hua Lan smiled and said, "Mother, if Ru'er's marriage were still undecided, do you believe that the families who would come to inquire about her marriage would be better than the families who are asking about Mo Lan now?"

“Of course!” Wang Ruofu affirmed.

"So, it's not that Ru'er is inferior to Mo Lan, but that others only have one choice! Don't be upset! The right thing to do is to focus on preparing for Sixth Sister's wedding."

Seeing Wang Ruofu's expression, Hualan glanced at Rulan, who was hiccuping, and whispered to Wang Ruofu, "Mother, do you really think that Sixth Sister and Wei Xiaoniang won't hold Lin Qinshuang's actions in Yangzhou against us?"

Wang Ruofu was taken aback.

“My uncle has personally experienced all of these things! You’ll see in the future.”

(End of this chapter)