Chapter 34: Chapter 33: Confused
Du Yunluo noticed that Du Yunru was also observant, and couldn’t help but glance at Miao Ruoshan a few times.
Miao Ruoshan seemed to sense it, looked around, and when she saw it was the Du Yunluo sisters, she was slightly startled, then curled her lips into a shy and ingratiating smile.
Du Yunying let out a light hum.
Miao Ruoshan was a guest and also Miao Family’s niece. Miao treated her with extra kindness and said, "The kitchen has prepared some dishes you love, though I’m not sure if the cook from the Du Mansion suits your taste."
Miao Ruoshan blushed and said, "Aunt, I’m not picky."
Du Yunying circled to Miao’s side, took her mother’s hand, and said, "Mother, the cook from our Du Mansion isn’t bad at all. Not to mention us girls, even Father and Brother, who eat out often, are used to it. I think Cai’er should get accustomed too."
Du Yunying’s tone was unpleasant. Miao just assumed it was because she cared about Miao Ruoshan, which caused her daughter some jealousy, and said with a smile, "You silly child!"
Du Huaiping didn’t think much of it. He took a sip of tea and sighed, "Yunying, look at you, no matter if it’s good or bad words, they come out with a sour note from your mouth, unlike Cai’er, who speaks softly, like a canary. You’re about to come of age, you should tone down your temper."
If these words were said on normal days, Du Yunying would have held her tongue and let it pass, but today, with all the sisters present, Du Huaiping praised Cai’er while belittling her. Du Yunying couldn’t hold back.
She lightly bit her lip and, before Miao Ruoshan could be modest, turned her head and asked Du Yunluo with a bright smile, "Cai’er’s voice is good, but I wonder, compared to Yaya, which is better? Fifth sister, what do you think?"
Du Yunluo blinked. She knew that the so-called pen holder was hard to pick up. It was bold of Du Yunying to ask such an offending question, and she indeed didn’t know how to respond at the moment.
Du Yunru pressed Du Yunluo’s palm, signaling her not to answer.
Miao Ruoshan’s face alternated between red and white as she softly asked, "Sister Ying, who is this Yaya?"
Du Yunying giggled a few times, completely ignoring Du Huaiping’s dark expression and Miao’s constant glaring, as she raised her chin and said, "Yaya, oh, Yaya is very favored at our mansion. Its voice lingers for three days—a treasure of my grandfather. I even have to pick walnut kernels to feed it."
Du Yunying’s vague explanation made Miao Ruoshan assume that Yaya was some concubine of Du Gongfu. Hearing Du Yunying compare a small thing to her, Miao Ruoshan felt blocked in her heart and her eyes misted over.
"Such nonsense!" Du Huaiping placed the tea cup on the table with a half-put, half-slamming action.
This action startled Du Yunlan, who was lifting the curtain to enter, leaving her momentarily unsure of whether to proceed, standing dazed at the entrance.
Miao took the opportunity to smooth things over, instructing the maids to set the table and inviting everyone to sit down and eat.
Du Yunlan stood by Du Yunlang and whispered, "What just happened?"
Du Yunlang coughed lightly, glanced at Du Yunying with a hint of amusement, and said, "Yunying compared Sister Cai’er to Yaya."
Pfff.
Du Yunlan couldn’t help but laugh, winking at Du Yunying in amusement.
Du Yunying huffed and, while Miao and Du Huaiping weren’t paying attention, said, "I didn’t say anything wrong."
Miao Ruoshan couldn’t bear it any longer. She looked around and settled her gaze on Du Yunnuo. As a concubine’s daughter, Yunnuo would probably be easier to talk to than others. Having made up her mind, Miao Ruoshan softly inquired, "Nuomu, who exactly is Yaya?"
Du Yunnuo raised an eyebrow. Her silence wasn’t because she was easy to manipulate, nor did she have strong feelings for or against Miao Ruoshan. She understood the family dynamics clearly and naturally stood united with Du Yunying.
"Yaya? Oh, Yaya is a thrush that our grandfather keeps. Its voice is truly pleasant. Grandfather takes it everywhere he goes and it loves walnut kernels. Third sister even picks a bowl of them just for Yaya. Oh, and fifth sister recently gave it a bell—it had such a fun time with it!"
The more detailed Du Yunnuo’s description, the worse Miao Ruoshan’s expression became.
She had thought Yaya was a concubine, but it turned out to be merely a bird.
She was indeed muddled; if Yaya was someone by Du Gongfu’s side, how could Du Yunying have the audacity to call out "Yaya" so casually?
This blatant humiliation nearly brought Miao Ruoshan to tears. She looked up at Du Yunlang, only to see him so engrossed in conversation with Du Yunlan that he paid her no mind. Lowering her head, she bit her lip, holding back her tears.
The room full of people took their seats around the table.
Miao cared for Miao Ruoshan attentively, while Du Yunying acted properly, abiding by the etiquette of not speaking while eating or sleeping, ignoring Miao Ruoshan altogether.
After the table was cleared and the fruit platter was served, Miao, fearing that Du Yunying might target Miao Ruoshan again, asked Du Yunlang, "It’s still early. Why not tell us about some interesting stories in the city these past few days?"
Before Du Yunlang could speak, Du Yunying interjected, "Second brother is too dull; if Mother lets him speak, even fun stories wouldn’t be fun. Why don’t you let third brother tell them instead?"
Du Yunlang wasn’t angered.
Du Yunlan picked some stories to tell, amusing the crowd. After talking himself dry, he reached for the apricots on the table, but Du Yunying stopped him with a playful laugh.
"Third brother, these apricots are Cai’er’s favorite, so be careful with them."
Miao Ruoshan, who was just savoring an apricot, looked up and met Du Yunlan’s somewhat embarrassed gaze, quickly lowering her head once again.
Seeing that it was getting late, Miao sent Du Yunlang and Du Yunlan back to the front courtyard and instructed the servants to carefully escort each lady back to her room.
Du Yunluo wasn’t in a rush to leave and, upon returning to Du Yunying’s room, whispered, "Third sister, you can’t just push her to third brother just because you can’t stand her liking second brother!"
Du Yunying was taken aback, then said after a moment, "Push to third brother? How could that be? Fifth sister, you’re mistaken! Given who she is, how could any Du Family man be at her whim to choose? Neither second brother nor third brother are within her reach."
Du Yunluo initially thought that Du Yunying’s criticisms of Miao Ruoshan were due to matters concerning Du Yunlang, but it turned out Du Yunying’s disdain for Miao Ruoshan was even stronger.
For this matter, Du Yunluo didn’t want to cause trouble by getting involved, but she was also concerned that Miao Ruoshan might create some sort of scandal, potentially sullying the Du Family’s reputation. She advised, "Everyone can see her intentions. Hasn’t Aunt noticed? Even if Aunt hasn’t thought about it, if you mention it once or twice, once Aunt understands, wouldn’t the matter be simpler?"
Du Yunying angrily sat down by the couch, grumbling, "Mother treats her like a treasure. Even if she finds out, what can she do? Anyway, Mother doesn’t like that Xia Anxin girl. If Cai’er replaced Xia Anxin, she would be the first to agree."
"You’re too involved to see clearly!" Du Yunluo sighed. Despite Du Yunying usually being sharp, she was getting muddled over this, "Who is Xia Anxin? She’s from Grandmother’s family, already has a semi-engagement with second brother; can she be replaced now? Aunt cares about face—if Sister Cai’er and second brother get entangled, it’ll disgrace the Miao Family. Aunt couldn’t even lift her head before Grandmother."
Du Yunying’s eyes lit up, pondering Du Yunluo’s words carefully, and she nodded vigorously, "You’re right! If Mother knew Cai’er had feelings for an already engaged second brother, once she comes of age, she’d send her back to the Miao Family, never to let her visit again."
Miao Ruoshan, shamelessly having impure thoughts even knowing Du Yunlang was engaged, was therefore utterly despised by Du Yunying.
Since it was impossible for Miao Ruoshan to replace Xia Anxin, Miao would never let her run wild. If Miao Ruoshan ever became a concubine, how would Miao have the face to manage the household?
"Fifth sister, thanks to you, all my doubts were cleared up today." Du Yunying felt her gloom lifted, and her face bore a smile, "Wait a moment, I’ll go fetch the pen holder for you."
Du Yunluo wasn’t here for the pen holder and waved her hand, "Eldest sister is still waiting for me; I’ll head back first."
