Tao Hong ran back with an empty lunch box and accidentally bumped into Liu Lu, who was about to step out of the room.
"Silly girl, where's our breakfast? Why did you come back with an empty lunch box? "
"Oh no, Miss Three is really insidious. She went to complain to Master Hou! I just saw her holding onto Master Hou and crying on the way back. I don't know how many bad things she said about Miss. "
"Is there such a thing?" Liu Lu quickly turned around and complained to her master, who was busy eating, "Miss, why did you fall out with her so quickly? She didn't provoke you. How are you going to explain it to Master Hou when he comes later? After all, she hasn't been home for 14 years. Master Hou will definitely feel sorry for her. "
Yu Xiang waved her hand disapprovingly, but her eyes kept moving towards the door.
A quarter of an hour later, Yu Pinyan stepped through the door under the morning light and sat down at the dining table that was filled with breakfast.
"This shredded chicken porridge is very delicious. Older Brother, do you want some? I'll feed you. "Yu Xiang scooped up a spoonful of porridge and blew on it to cool it, then carefully brought it to her older brother's mouth.
Her pretty face was pink and rosy, and she was smiling brightly at him while facing the morning sun. The salty smell of the shredded chicken porridge and the sweet smell of peach blossoms and lotus flowers wafted to his nose, greatly increasing his appetite.
Yu Pinyan's Adam's apple moved slightly. He finished the porridge with the spoon in his mouth and asked, "One who is unaccountably solicitous is hiding evil intentions. Tell me, what bad things did you do this time?"
"What bad things can I do so early in the morning?" Yu Xiang lowered her head and stuffed a mouthful of porridge into her mouth.
Yu Pinyan waited until she finished swallowing before he pinched her chin and turned her pretty face to him. He continued to ask, "Why don't you let Yu Miaoqi get close to me?"
Yu Xiang frowned. "I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"My heart hurts!"
"We're both younger sisters. Why do you feel bad?"
"I just feel terrible. My heart is throbbing with pain, just like this!" Yu Xiang really felt wronged. She picked up the whip hanging on the armrest of the wheelchair and lightly whipped her brother's arm. She said angrily, "You liar, you said you only like me. You actually scolded me for Yu Miaoqi! Do you know how bad she is? She burned the Protective Talisman given by the Old Ancestor. Not only does she hate me, she also hates you. I don't know how much evil water she's hiding in her stomach, and she's planning to pour it out! You clearly told me to stay away from her, but you ran over to get close to her. You big liar! "
Yu Miaoqi's return had touched her sensitive nerves. She was afraid that one day, Yu Pinyan would like Yu Miaoqi more than her and drive her out. She pretended to be calm on the surface, but once she fell asleep, she would have nightmares about breaking up with her Family Yu and being separated from her Yu Pinyan. She couldn't talk about this pain and had nowhere to vent it. This made her, who was already not very obedient, even more anxious. She only needed a little spark to ignite her anger.
Yu Pinyan knew that he wouldn't be able to get anything out of her this time. It was still too early to wait for the little girl to understand. He could only hug her on his knees and tightly hold her arms. He didn't know whether to laugh or cry. "When did I scold you? I was just asking a few questions. The one I like the most in my heart is naturally still you. "
"It can't be 'the most'!" Yu Xiang stared at him with her big cat eyes and seriously corrected him. "It's' only like '!"
"Okay, okay, okay. Big brother only likes you." Yu Pinyan chuckled and pressed her delicate cheeks into his chest. His tone became very serious. "If big brother also had a brother who was wandering outside, after finding him and bringing him back, would you like him or me?"
"Of course I only like big brother. Big brother is the one who gets along with me every day. Big brother is the one who depends on me. Big brother is the one who is intimate with me. How could it change because of an outsider? "Yu Xiang answered without hesitation.
Yu Pinyan was very satisfied with this answer, especially the definition of 'outsider.' In this way, even if Shen Yuanqi temporarily took Xiang'er away in the future, Xiang'er wouldn't accept him for a while. The one she trusted, depended on, and loved could only be himself.
Yu Pinyan was very happy for a moment. He laughed and said, "That's it. Although we have the same blood flowing in our veins, Yu Miaoqi is just a stranger to me. Silly girl, why are you randomly getting jealous? "
Yu Xiang thought for a moment and also laughed. She broke free from her brother's arms and poured a few drops of vinegar on the steamed dumplings. She picked them up and stuffed them into her mouth. She said vaguely, "I like to eat sour dumplings. It's none of your business."
Yu Pinyan chuckled. He hugged her and finished the remaining half of the bowl of porridge.
Liu Lu stood outside the window and peeped. His expression alternated between joy and sadness, resentment and anger. Tao Hong was stunned. He thought to himself, This person is calling me a silly girl, but he's becoming more and more silly!
-----
When Yu Miaoqi arrived at the East Courtyard, her expression was very natural. She smiled and greeted Yu Siyu. She sat next to her and her eyes stopped on an unfinished veil in the sewing box.
She picked it up and chuckled, "Sister, are you embroidering the dowry? Why is there only one veil? "
Yu Siyu blushed. She snatched the veil and whispered, "The embroiderer will help with the wedding dress. This veil is simple. I have nothing to do, so I embroider it to pass the time."
Yu Miaoqi covered her mouth and joked, "So, sister's wedding date is near. Sister congratulates sister in advance. I wonder who is the son-in-law of our family?"
Yu Siyu was lacking a sister who would listen to her show off. She blushed and whispered, "He is the Tanhua Lang of this year's imperial examination. He is from Yangzhou. His father is Minister Tong Fang of the Salt Transport Commissioner. Although he is only a fourth-rank official, his family is rich and richer than many aristocratic families. He was personally appointed as the Zhizhou of Yangzhou by the Emperor. He took office a month ago. "
Yu Miaoqi listened very seriously. She sighed in admiration, "Tanhua Lang? Then he must be overflowing with talent and outstanding appearance. Sister, congratulations on finding such a good man. "
Since the marriage discussion, this was the first person who was happy for her. Yu Siyu was touched in an instant. She whispered to her, "Sister, you flatter me. Fang gongzi is indeed talented and handsome. But compared to this year's top scholar, Shen Yuanqi, he is still a bit lacking. The top scholar's appearance can be said to be peerless. He can almost compete with Big Brother. On the day he paraded his horse through the streets, many people were stunned. Flowers, purses, melons, and fruits were scattered all over the streets. "
Everyone loved beauty. Speaking of the top scholar, there were very few women who didn't praise him when they saw him. Of course, Yu Xiang, who could only accommodate one person in her heart, was an anomaly.
Yu Miaoqi was playing with a hollow incense ball. When she heard the name that she had deliberately forgotten for a long time, her hand trembled and she threw the incense ball away. The calculations in her heart were all replaced by shock.
The two maidservants standing at the door hurriedly went to pick it up.
She secretly took a deep breath. When she opened her mouth again, her voice trembled slightly, "Sister, you said that Shen Yuanqi is really that handsome?" That person was also very handsome. In the past, he had charmed countless young ladies. The iceman who came to the Family Shen to propose marriage had even stepped on the threshold. This was the truth and not an exaggeration.
Yu Siyu covered her mouth and chuckled, "Of course he is very handsome. I heard that when the Emperor saw him, he even used a poem to describe a beauty that could cause the downfall of a city — 'What an elegant and charming man's appearance, he is unique and outstanding.' Everyone present laughed in agreement. Not only did he not feel awkward, he sat steadily and nodded with a smile. This caused the Emperor to exclaim in admiration. Immediately, he was bestowed with a navy official's robe and became a scholar of the Imperial Hanlin Academy. He saved four years of exile and directly became an official in the capital.
The Emperor is really blessed! "When the anecdote of the top scholar was mentioned, any family's daughter would say a few words.
The more she listened, the more she felt that his behavior and bearing resembled that person. Yu Miaoqi felt that her heart was about to jump out of her throat. With trembling hands, she poured a cup of hot tea and continued to ask, "Sister, do you know where he is from?"
"It's a very, very distant place. I vaguely heard someone mention it, but now I have forgotten. If sister is anxious to know, sister will send someone to help you ask around. "Yu Siyu giggled.
Yu Miaoqi hurriedly shook her head, "No, no, I was just casually asking. Sister should concentrate on embroidering the dowry. You don't need to trouble yourself for me. It's getting late, I'll leave now. "
When she stepped on the ground, she couldn't help but sway. She felt that her head was heavy and her feet were light.
If this Shen Yuanqi was really that Shen Yuanqi, who knew how he would deal with her now that he had a meteoric rise in his career. After all, she had taken Shen Yuanqi's lifesaving money. If he revealed a word or half a sentence to others, how could she establish herself in the capital?! No, no, no, there were many people in the world with the same name and surname. It might not be him. He had already signed a death contract and became a slave. How could he still have the qualifications to participate in the imperial examinations?
Impossible!
Her mood fluctuated several times. Yu Miaoqi took a deep breath and ran to the Lin Clan for help.
-----
In the side hall of the main courtyard, the Lin Clan waited for Yu Miaoqi to leave before suddenly kneeling in front of the matriarch. She firmly said, "Mother, I want to be in charge of the family."
The matriarch's face didn't show any surprise. She half-closed her eyes and asked, "After living in seclusion for fourteen years, why do you suddenly want to be in charge of the family? Back then, I begged you many times. "
The Lin Clan said word by word, "Fourteen years ago, your daughter-in-law had nothing to live for. Fourteen years later, Qi 'er came back. I have hope to live again. Everyone says that a mother is strong … "
Without waiting for her to finish speaking, the matriarch gave her a slap. She fell to the ground, her lips stained with blood.
"A mother is strong. You still have the face to say that a mother is strong in front of me!" The matriarch sat up straight. She picked up the walking stick by the bed and used it to hit her, "Back then, when Yan 'er was forced into desperate situations and needed your help, where were you? You want to live when your daughter comes back, but you want to die when your son is by your side. What are you thinking? Could it be that imaginary things are more precious than real people by your side? If you had dared to die with Junjie back then, I would have admired you. Now, I'm disgusted by your attitude! You should be glad that you gave birth to a good son. Otherwise, my Prefecture Yu wouldn't have been able to tolerate you! "
The Lin Clan didn't dodge. She allowed her to hit him. Taking advantage of the time when she stopped to rest, she spoke again, "No matter what, your daughter-in-law is awake now. Your daughter-in-law wants to support this family again and let our son and daughter live peacefully and happily without any worries." How could she not want to reconcile with her son now? But it was obvious that her son didn't need her anymore. Her daughter was still so weak and helpless. This made her feel that her life wasn't completely useless.
Worry about the future? You're the one who's worrying about the future! The matriarch sneered in her heart. She picked up the prayer beads and twisted them with her eyes closed. She didn't speak for a long time.
The Lin Clan didn't give up. She kowtowed three times and threatened, "If mother doesn't allow it, your daughter-in-law will run to that bastard and reveal her identity. Let's see if she still has the face to stay in my Marquis Yongle."
The matriarch suddenly opened her eyes. Her expression was so fierce that she wanted to eat the Lin Clan alive. After four years of companionship and leaning on each other, she had long regarded Yu Xiang as her own granddaughter. What she was most worried about was that she would distance herself from her and Yan 'er after learning about her identity and then make a fuss about wanting to leave.
As expected, Yu Miaoqi's return woke the Lin Clan up. But they didn't wake up in the right place. They actually dared to threaten their mother-in-law. The matriarch took several deep breaths to suppress the urge to beat the Lin Clan to death.