After washing up and changing their clothes, Yu Pinyan and Shen Miao Qi entered the main hall one after another. The Old Lady was already sitting on the main seat and waved to her granddaughter in her grandson's arms, "Xiang 'er, come sit beside Old Ancestor."
Yu Pinyan carefully put his younger sister down and sat next to her.
The Lin Clan ordered Mama Kim to pour tea and helped Shen Miao Qi to sit down before reproaching, "Yan 'er, next time clean yourself up first before coming back. Look at how scared you made Qi' er today. What if you hurt yourself? Moreover, today is our family's big day. Why did you come back with a body full of blood and bring so much bad luck for no reason! "
This was really … fourteen years of not caring for her son and the moment she opened her mouth, she complained that her son was not clean. Do you know why he was tainted with such a strong smell of blood? Do you know what kind of huge price he had to pay to support this family? Do you know how many life and death situations he had to go through in order to let everyone have a good life? Where were you when he was suffering? What qualifications do you have to talk irresponsibly to him?
Yu Pinyan did not speak and only lightly glanced at her. The Old Lady was so angry that she laughed and slammed the table with a 'peng' sound as she scolded, "This is Marquis Yongle, Yan 'er's home. He can come back whenever he wants to. What right do you have to interrupt? If you dislike Yan 'er, then get out of here as soon as possible! Mama Ma, go get the divorce papers! "
Every time she spoke to the Lin Clan, the Old Lady would take out the divorce papers that she had already written to force her. After fourteen years, she was really tired. If she was not Yan 'er's birth mother, she would have already thrown her back to her maternal family.
If it was in the past, the Lin Clan would have covered their faces and cried, ignoring the Old Lady's scolding. But this time, her daughter was watching from the side and she felt that she had received a great insult. Her face turned red for a moment. But she had not been in charge of the family for fourteen years and the Old Lady had the final say in the household. If the Old Lady wanted to divorce on behalf of her son, she could only take her luggage and leave.
She secretly scratched her palms and looked at her son with pleading eyes.
Yu Pinyan lowered his head to peel the melon seeds and stuffed them into his sister's mouth one by one. He pretended not to see or hear anything.
At this juncture, there was no place for Yu Siyu to talk, so she buried her head and pretended to be dead.
The hall was strangely quiet for a moment, leaving only the sound of Yu Xiang munching on the melon seeds. Her big eyes with distinct black and white were looking at Shen Miao Qi's face.
Shen Miao Qi spoke in fear and trepidation, "Grandmother, Mother's heart ached for me so she misspoke. Please forgive this one."
Just then, Mama Kim came in with a pot of tea. She quickly poured a cup of hot tea and knelt in front of the old lady. She said, "This is the first time your granddaughter has returned home. This cup of tea is for Grandmother. I wish Grandmother a long and happy life." With that, she raised her hands and looked at Grandmother eagerly.
Matriarch Taitai stared at her for a long while before taking the teacup and taking a sip. She then handed over a pouch. "You're a discerning person. Get up. Keep this well and it will ensure your safety. Since you've avoided death, you don't need to take on other people's surname. In the future, you will be called Yu Miaoqi and will be ranked second. Xiang 'er will be ranked below you and will be Miss Three. "
Shen Miao Qi respectfully took the pouch and used her fingertips to secretly pinch it. There was only a thin piece of paper inside and she did not know what it was.
She poured another cup of tea and offered it to the red-eyed Lin Clan. She softly said, "Mother, please drink this tea. This is the first cup of tea that your daughter has offered you. I wish Mother good health and eternal youth. "
Lin Clan immediately smiled and took the cup of tea and drained it in one gulp. She then took off the priceless jade bracelet on her wrist and put it on her wrist. She then took her into her arms and gently patted her.
The scene of the two people quietly cuddling looked very warm but it made the mood of everyone in the hall even more gloomy. Old Lady Taitai twirled her prayer beads and sneered. Yu Pinyan simply turned his head away.
Yu Xiang was worried that his heart would be unbalanced so she brushed off the melon seed shells on her skirt and plunged into his arms. Her small hands reached out to his back and gently patted him. She used her actions to tell him — — Older Brother, you still have me!
Yu Pinyan scooped her up and placed her on his lap and smiled happily.
Old Lady Taitai tilted her head to look at the intimate brother and sister. Her tense face gradually softened and she waved her hand, "Alright, since you have already met the elders, let's move to the side hall to eat. You three sisters can meet again in private. "
Shen Miao Qi withdrew from the Lin Clan's embrace and obediently agreed. Her complacency before she came had long been replaced by apprehension. The Lin Clan's position in Prefecture Yu seemed to be different from what she had imagined. Not to mention that Old Lady Taitai did not take her seriously, even Yu Pinyan and Yu Xiang treated her with indifference.
How did the Lin Clan survive all these years? A sense of crisis attacked Shen Miao Qi's heart.
It was rare for all the masters of the Family Yu to gather together. Therefore, today's meal was especially sumptuous. There was even a jar of good wine that was placed on Yu Pinyan's seat.
After everyone sat down, Old Lady Taitai picked up some food with her chopsticks and then waved her hand to let everyone do as they pleased.
The Lin Clan kept moving food into their daughter's bowl. They could not wait to move all the dishes in front of their daughter. Yu Miaoqi returned the courtesy and placed the food back into her bowl.
Yu Xiang supported her chin with one hand and enjoyed the mother and daughter's endless affectionate drama.
Yu Siyu, who was sitting opposite her, winked at her with schadenfreude. But the conflict in the hall also made her understand that no matter how much the Lin Clan doted on Yu Miaoqi, as long as Old Lady Taitai and Yu Pinyan were here, they could forget about suppressing Yu Xiang. Fourteen years had passed and the Lin Clan was no longer the Matriarch who kept her word.
Yu Pinyan pinched his sister's chin and turned her head back. He said in a deep voice, "What is there to see? Eat. Older Brother will get food for you. You don't need to be envious of others. " He had also longed for the maternal love of the Lin Clan. But after so many years, he understood that it was something that did not exist. If his sister needed affection, he could give it to her. He could even give her more than she could imagine.
Old Lady Taitai also felt sorry for her grandchildren. She gave each of them some food and gently said, "Eat. If you want anything, just tell Old Ancestor. Old Ancestor will get it for you." She only gathered this once. Next time, she would let the mother and daughter go back to their own room. This attitude was really disgusting. They were all children. She could not just favor one child and treat the others as if they were picked up.
Yu Miaoqi was very perceptive. She quickly persuaded the Lin Clan to eat on their own. Then, she gave Old Lady Taitai and Yu Pinyan a piece of fish each with a shy smile on her face.
"Hey, don't give Big Brother fish. Big Brother doesn't eat fish." Yu Xiang put the fish back into her bowl.
The smile on Yu Miaoqi's face stiffened. She ignored Yu Xiang and looked at the Lin Clan to ask, "Mother, does Big Brother hate to eat fish? This is my first time coming home, so I really don't know. What does Big Brother like to eat? Tell me and I'll remember. "
The Lin Clan was stumped by the question and looked very awkward. When her husband died, her son was only five years old. He did not even have the ability to take care of himself. He ate whatever was fed to him. How could she know what her son liked?
Old Lady Taitai's face darkened when she saw the Lin Clan trying to avoid the question. Her daughter-in-law's indifference to her grandson had always been a thorn in her heart. She would never forgive her daughter-in-law's irresponsible behavior until her death. The more she cared about Yu Miaoqi now, the more pitiful her grandson looked back then.
A wave of depression surged into Old Lady Taitai's chest. She could neither spit it out nor swallow it. It was very uncomfortable.
Yu Xiang's face also turned cold. She slammed her chopsticks on the table.
Yu Miaoqi knew that she had said something wrong, but she did not know where she had gone wrong. Even if she was not the biological daughter of the Shen Family, Mother Shen had never mistreated her. She had even given her twice the amount of motherly love. Therefore, she could never imagine that there would be a mother in this world who would ignore her own child like this.
As the saying goes, a peck is a drink, and a bite is returned with a bite. The Lin Clan's current awkward situation was also her own doing.
Yu Miaoqi did not dare to ask the gloomy Old Lady Taitai. She could only look at Yu Xiang beside her. "Little Sister, what does Big Brother like to eat? My culinary skills are not bad. I can cook for Big Brother personally in the future. It can also make up for the regret of us not seeing each other for so many years. "
After hearing this, Yu Xiang was even more unwilling to tell her. She hugged Yu Pinyan's arm and pretended to be ignorant as she asked, "Big Brother, what do you like to eat? I forgot about it too. "
Yu Pinyan tapped the tip of her perky nose and said with a smile, "I like to eat whatever you like to eat."
Yu Miaoqi gripped her chopsticks tightly and asked persistently, "Then what do you like to eat, Little Sister?"
Yu Xiang tilted her head and looked at her. Her contrasting cat eyes sparkled with a sly light. "Me? I'm not picky. I like to eat everything."
In the end, she was just teasing her. Not only was she hostile to her, but she also disliked her. But what right did she have? Who did she think she was? The fire in Yu Miaoqi's heart burned fiercely. Instead, she smiled faintly and lowered her head to eat with tears in her eyes.
Her aggrieved attitude softened Old Lady Taitai's heart. She picked up her chopsticks again and said, "Don't talk while eating. Everyone, eat quietly. Today is a good day. Don't waste it."
Everyone agreed in low voices.
Yu Xiang no longer had any appetite. She moved a plate of drunk prawns in front of her, peeled the shell, dipped it in sauce, and stuffed it into her brother's mouth. Yu Pinyan poured half a bowl of egg custard into a bowl, mixed it with white rice, and fed it to her brother one spoonful at a time until they were half full.
The siblings had loved to eat like this since they were young. Old Lady Taitai was already used to it. On the other hand, Yu Miaoqi kept looking over. She did not show it on her face, but her heart felt like it was being scratched by a cat. She could see that in terms of ranking in the Marquis Household, Yu Pinyan was the true master, followed by Old Lady Taitai, and then the Lin Clan.
If she wanted to have a foothold in the Marquis Household, winning over the Lin Clan was far from enough. She also needed to win the favor of Old Lady Taitai and Yu Pinyan. However, based on how much Yu Pinyan spoiled Yu Xiang, it would not be easy for her to occupy a more important position in his heart than Yu Xiang.
Without Yu Pinyan's love, how could she live in the future?
All kinds of calculations appeared in her mind. Yu Miaoqi felt like she had lost her appetite.
Yu Xiang was also absent-minded. In fact, she really wanted to grab Yu Miaoqi and ask her how her family was doing. Although she did not want to leave with them, she still wanted to know about them. If they were doing well, then so be it. If they were not doing well, then she could still help them out a little. She would have done her best for the original owner. However, it seemed like Old Lady Taitai and her brother did not want her to have any contact with that family. She could only pretend that she did not know.
She knew what was going on in her heart, but she still had to pretend to be ignorant. This kind of life was not easy.
Everyone at the table had different ideas. Unknowingly, the meal was finished. Yu Pinyan did not want to stay any longer. After saying goodbye to Old Lady Taitai, he picked up his little sister and left first.
Yu Miaoqi wanted to leave with the Lin Clan, but Yu Siyu stopped her.
The Lin Clan was happy to see her have a playmate. They waved their hands and told her to go ahead.
Yu Siyu led Yu Miaoqi back to her small courtyard. As soon as she entered the door, she asked, "Where is your original family? Why didn't you let them come and pick up Yu Xiang? Don't you hate her for taking over a magpie's nest for fourteen years? That family is a lowly traveling merchant. Yu Xiang should be the daughter of a merchant family. This is letting her off too easily. "
The smile on Yu Miaoqi's face froze. She said in a low voice, "I don't know what you're talking about."
At the same time, her good impression of this stepsister of hers turned into deep malice. It was one thing for her mother, grandmother, and brother to know about the past that she had tried her best to cover up, but why did this person know as well? Without a doubt, Yu Siyu had surpassed Yu Xiang. She had become the obstacle that she wanted to get rid of the most.
She was the legitimate daughter of the Marquis Family, not some daughter of a merchant family!
The author has something to say: Thank you to my patrons. In order to maintain this relationship, I will work hard to write. I will definitely update twice this weekend. If I see a single update, I will definitely make it up within a day.