Chapter 51: Chapter 50: Elder Brother
Mrs. Zhen heard this and immediately stood up, straightening her hair and adjusting her clothes. As she walked outside, she asked, "Shui Yue, do I look presentable in this outfit? How’s my complexion?"
Shui Yue held the curtain for Mrs. Zhen, smiling as she replied, "Madam, don’t worry, you look very spirited."
Du Yunluo heard the exchange between the mistress and servant clearly and couldn’t help but laugh, "This seems more like father is coming back, not brother. Anyone who doesn’t know better would think so."
Mrs. Zhen had already gone out, naturally she didn’t hear this remark.
Du Yunru turned her head, wanting to scold Du Yunluo for speaking nonsense, but recalling Mrs. Zhen’s appearance, couldn’t keep a straight face either, lightly tapping her sister’s back twice, "Talking nonsense again! Fourth Brother is very filial. If any elder at home falls ill while he’s away, he’d be very upset. Unlike you, little heartless one, who doesn’t understand our mother’s feelings and keeps talking nonsense."
Du Yunluo raised her eyes, just about to refute that she’s not heartless, when memories from the past suddenly darkened her gaze.
Wasn’t she indeed a heartless person who didn’t understand her elders’ feelings?
So much so that after Mrs. Zhen passed away, at the mourning hall, the always smiling Du Yundi slapped her hard.
Since that time, she hadn’t seen Du Yundi.
In the blink of an eye, twenty or so years had passed, and she found herself back in the boudoir.
"You!" Du Yunru, seeing her few words had left Du Yunluo dumbfounded, felt tender toward her younger sister, took her by the hand, and half-dragged her outside, "Aren’t you eager to see what good things Fourth Brother brought for you? Go quickly and check."
The two sisters exited the main house and immediately saw Du Yundi kneeling on the ground, kowtowing three times loudly. Neither Shui Yue nor Nanny Zhao helped him up.
Mrs. Zhen, red-eyed, accepted the salute and then embraced Du Yundi, hugging him, "Child! Why be so particular with your mother? If you’re determined to kowtow, at least wait to do so on a mat inside the house. You’re really sincere, injuring your forehead so. Let me see, it’s all bruised."
Mrs. Zhen was heartbroken but didn’t dare to rub the bruise, only blew on it gently.
Du Yundi was already fifteen, yet Mrs. Zhen treated him like a little child, coaxing and blowing on him, making him blush.
He caught a glimpse of Du Yunru and Du Yunluo standing behind, smiling with pursed lips, and quickly shot them a pleading look.
"Mother, Fourth Brother just returned, and it’s hot outside. Let’s go inside where it’s cooler," Du Yunluo said sweetly.
Mrs. Zhen paused, then nodded vigorously, "Nannan is right, Yun Di, come quickly with your mother inside."
Du Yundi stood up, brushed off his clothes, and as he passed by the sisters, suddenly reached out and pinched Du Yunluo’s cheek.
Du Yunluo opened her eyes wide, glaring at him, her voice sounding different with her cheeks pinched, "What are you doing, Fourth Brother! I was helping you!"
"I was wondering when you became so kind," Du Yundi laughed heartily, "Turns out it’s because of the cool room with the ice basin, and you didn’t want to stay out in the sun with me."
With that, hearing Mrs. Zhen calling inside, he let go and stepped in.
Du Yunluo rubbed her cheek and muttered, "A dog biting Lü Dongbin."
She had thought of past events, feeling incredibly guilty, and when she saw Du Yundi seeking help, she quickly helped, not expecting to be rewarded unkindly.
Du Yunru, having finished laughing, said, "Who told you to always love watching Fourth Brother’s jokes?"
Hearing this, Du Yunluo blinked her eyes, then also laughed.
Her past self would indeed have hide behind, making faces and enjoying the jokes because Du Yunru and Du Yundi pampered her, without any malice.
Today, Du Yundi encountered the reborn Du Yunluo for the first time and didn’t know about her changes in the past few months; he thought she was the same as before, so he teased her.
But teasing her, what’s bad about it?
For Du Yunluo, as long as Du Yundi didn’t resent her as badly as back then, it was fine.
Mrs. Zhen let Du Yundi sit by the table, sized him up carefully, and sighed, "Taller, but thinner."
Du Yundi was at a growing age, and after just half a year apart from her son, Mrs. Zhen felt he had changed a lot.
Du Yunru, embracing Mrs. Zhen, said, "Mother, Fourth Brother isn’t thinner, he’s more solid."
Seeing Du Yunru wink at him, Du Yundi understood and stretched out his arm, "Elder Sister is right. In the spring, a new master came to the academy to teach horseback riding and archery, and also encouraged us to strengthen our bodies. The Mountain Master said that even if you are full of knowledge, you can’t perform well without a good body, so we were advised to learn diligently. I’ve practiced earnestly. See, isn’t that some progress? Mother, feel it, it’s indeed solid."
Hearing these words, Mrs. Zhen felt warmth in her heart. She knew Du Yundi was trying to reassure her, so she reached out and gently pinched, finding it firmer than before, and nodded approvingly, "Not bad indeed."
As the conversation turned to the academy, Mrs. Zhen couldn’t help but ask more about his studies and life there.
Du Yundi answered each question and then asked, "Mother, I heard Grandfather has been going to the Eastern Palace often lately?"
At Lishan Academy, students were not segregated by background but only by academic merit. However, many like Du Yundi came from official families, making them more aware of news.
During the past few months, he was well aware of changes at home.
Younger sister is engaged to the Dingyuan Marquis’s heir, and Du Gongfu re-entered the Eastern Palace, causing subtle shifts in the atmosphere around him at the academy.
Du Yundi wanted to ask in writing why such changes happened so suddenly, but realized this wasn’t something that could be explained in writing, so he held back his questions until his return.
Mrs. Zhen explained to Du Yundi, "The eunuch who came to fetch the old gentleman said it’s because the Imperial Grandson’s progress didn’t satisfy the Holy Emperor, so the Crown Prince asked the old gentleman into the palace for guidance. But you know Grandfather’s health doesn’t allow for much movement, so in the past half a month, he’s been going less often, but there’s still a carriage to fetch him every now and then."
After saying this, Mrs. Zhen’s gaze gently drifted over Du Yunluo.
She had mentioned one thing but left the other unsaid.
These days, she had secretly exchanged words with Du Huaixi, suspecting that the sudden attention from the palace was because Du Yunluo was set to marry into the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion.
Although the selection of this bride was made by the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion according to its own considerations, the Holy Emperor favored the Dingyuan Marquis due to its frontier sacrifices, thus extending preferential treatment to the Du Family.
"I heard from Grandfather that the Imperial Grandson has a good foundation, just a bit too young and impatient. He will mature in a few years." Having said this, Du Yundi looked at Du Yunluo, "Our Fifth Sister is engaged?"
