Chapter 39: Chapter 38: Envious
Du Yunluo pressed her lips and smiled.
Nanny Xu stood by, seeing Old Mrs. Xia was happy, she cheerfully chimed in: "Old Mrs., you’re so concerned, you’re causing yourself worry. Our Fifth Miss is the cleverest and most lovable, everyone in the family adores her! She doesn’t need to ask for candy, just standing there, and she’ll have her arms full of it!"
Old Mrs. Xia hugged Du Yunluo and laughed heartily: "No wonder she loves sweets; it’s like she’s immersed in a candy jar every day."
That night, Old Mrs. Xia couldn’t bear to let Du Yunluo leave, so she kept her to rest in the green gauze cabinet.
The elderly are light sleepers, so Lanzhi, who kept watch, was naturally busy. Du Yunluo, hearing movements, couldn’t sleep deeply either, so she woke up before dawn.
As everyone came to pay their respects, Lianfu Garden became lively.
Miao Family had found peace yesterday, so today her spirits were high, sweeping away the gloom of the past few days.
Liao Family noticed and felt uneasy, sourly remarked: "Second Sister-in-law, how will the renovation of Chunhua Courtyard be done?"
Within the mansion, there were rarely any secrets. Such matters, even if Miao Family didn’t announce them, couldn’t be concealed from Liao Family.
"The rooms in Chunhua Courtyard are clean, just lacking some human presence." Miao Family turned to Old Mrs. Xia with a smile and said, "Old Mrs., I specifically went to inspect yesterday, just repaint the walls and pillars, and it’ll be as good as new. The furniture inside was crafted by skilled artisans using pear wood during the time of our ancestors; you can’t find anything better outside now. The flowers and plants in the courtyard just need some care, and anyone who sees them will love them."
Liao Family, hearing this, felt a lump in her throat.
That Chunhua Courtyard occupied a good location, with a beautiful view front and back, who wouldn’t like it?
But what made Liao Family envious were the furnishings.
Those treasures left by the ancestors, money can’t buy anything as good from the outside.
Liao Family couldn’t help but resentfully think: That’s just like Miao Family, so greedy to get a good courtyard, wouldn’t even give up the interior furniture. When Du Yunluo moved into Anhua Courtyard, Mrs. Zhen was humble enough to say she’d move the furniture to Lianfu Garden, though Old Mrs. Xia declined in the end, at least she offered! But Miao Family just claimed everything.
Old Mrs. Xia listened, then quietly discussed a few words with Du Gongfu, nodding: "Huaiping’s wife, you can make the decision."
Miao Family agreed happily.
Because of this, Liao Family felt full of sourness.
Du Yunluo went back to Qinghui Garden with Mrs. Zhen.
Mrs. Zhen saw she was a bit tired and gently said: "Go inside to rest, and get up for lunch."
Du Yunluo was truly tired, so she didn’t refuse, and went into the green gauze cabinet to lie down and rest.
In her slumber, she vaguely heard some conversations, turned over, and awoke.
Outside, the voice was from Liao Family.
"Third Sister-in-law, I won’t speak of platitudes to you, I’m worried about Yun Lan’s marriage," Liao Family sighed, "Once Xin enters the family, next will be Yun Lan. This child hasn’t settled down, I’m genuinely anxious! Previously, I was just considering which family’s girl to marry him to. Today, hearing Second Sister-in-law and Old Mrs. Xia discuss, I realized just how many issues there are with arranging a marriage, including the courtyard, furniture, and bride price."
Du Yunluo, hearing this, couldn’t help but purse her lips, it’s all because of that courtyard!
Mrs. Zhen leaned against the pillow, smiling softly: "Fourth Sister-in-law, you’re right. Marrying off a daughter is already so troublesome, when it’s time for Yun Di to marry, I imagine I’ll be even more flustered. Luckily, Yun Di is focused on his studies, so there’s no rush for an early marriage. After all, he’s the youngest among his brothers, a bit later is fine."
This was heard by Liao Family, coming off as a boast about Du Yun Di’s academic achievements, causing Liao Family’s smile to falter. Remembering her purpose, she endured and said: "Third Sister-in-law is like one with grain in the house, calm in heart. Qinghui Garden is spacious, once Yun Ru is married, the East Cross Courtyard will be vacant. Later, when Yun Di marries, there will be space for them. Unlike me, I’m fretting!"
Mrs. Zhen disliked the petty thoughts between sister-in-laws, but wasn’t oblivious, especially since Liao Family spoke so clearly, pretending otherwise wasn’t an option, so she said: "Anfeng Courtyard is not small either. Yunuo is close to leaving the family too."
"It’s different for a concubine’s daughter..." Liao Family said with a bitter face, "No matter how well I treat her, or how close we are, we both know in our hearts that in outsiders’ eyes, they will always think more. If I keep her longer, people say I have ulterior motives to delay her. If I marry her off early, they say I’m eager to get rid of her because I dislike her. It’s always a dilemma, so I can’t really say which between her and Yun Lan will happen first. If Yun Lan marries and Yunuo isn’t yet, should I let her move out from East Cross Courtyard?"
Liao Family might be self-serving, but her words were reasonable.
Du Yunluo, hearing this inside, felt her heart sink.
When it’s not one’s own child, the actions are naturally different. She had raised someone else’s child before, the bitterness and grievances still make her tear up when she recalls them.
She believed she treated that child well, yet in others’ mouths, it became filthy intentions, almost like a sin, making it so that in her later years, she couldn’t even see the child she painstakingly raised.
Outside, Liao Family didn’t know anyone was in the green gauze cabinet, she smiled bitterly again and continued: "I’m truly troubled, unsure whom to speak to, so I came to find Third Sister-in-law. I was just thinking, there are still courtyards within the mansion, but not many suitable places. Many are long unrenovated and require significant expenses to repair, even though it’s public money, it can’t be spent carelessly, right? Third Sister-in-law, help me think, so I might request Old Mrs. Xia early to settle the location."
Mrs. Zhen lowered her gaze, thinking carefully about the layout of Du Mansion’s back courtyard, then suddenly had a realization, everything became clear.
She was wondering why Liao Family came to discuss with her, turns out...
Among the remaining courtyards in the back, apart from those long unrenovated, the rest included the Bihe Garden where the eldest branch had lived.
Uncertain when Du Huarang would return to the capital, but Bihe Garden needed to remain vacant, untouched.
Bihe Garden was spacious, but Du Huarang had two concubines, and Yang Family always had a "generous" nature, directly dividing out the east and west courtyards.
Du Yunhu got married and supposed Du Yuntao and Yan Family could live in the second courtyard, yet Yang Family, who has trouble sleeping with any disturbance, requested since Yan Family gave birth, they would continue living in one courtyard, likely making Yang Family sleepless nights.
As such, the adjoining Caimei Garden to Bihe Garden was certainly going to be requested by Yang Family for their son and daughter-in-law.
Counting this way, the ready good courtyards in the back were only Anhua Courtyard of Du Yunluo.
Mrs. Zhen glanced over toward the green gauze cabinet, her Nannan had not yet married, and Liao Family came to her discussing Anhua Courtyard. Not to mention she wouldn’t agree, if this reached Old Mrs. Xia, she probably wouldn’t agree either.
It seems, Chunhua Courtyard falling to the second branch really made Liao Family envious.
