Whose mother and daughter get along like this?
If the old princess was simply cold-hearted by nature and treated everyone the same way, that would be one thing. But one day, while she was in a daze, she and Chu Wan saw Chu Peiyi snuggling in the old princess's arms outside the window.
With such a mother, how pitiful Chu Wan was.
Wushuang felt she should take better care of her, so she replied, "Then come with me. Anyway, Brother Bo is off work today, so you can go find him to keep you company when I ask Mother something."
Chu Wan cheered with joy upon hearing this.
The two chatted and laughed all the way to the Marquis of Runan's residence. [Qiushu.cc has almost every book you want to read; it's much more stable than other novel websites, updates faster, and it's all text with no ads.]
Having managed the household for many years, Yang immediately knew how to solve the problem after hearing Wushuang's account of the difficulties she had encountered.
She gave her daughter a long lecture, afraid that she wouldn't remember, and then ordered someone to find the relevant records of the three marriages of daughters from the Marquis of Runan's mansion.
"It's all recorded in great detail here. If there's anything you still don't understand about what I just said, just look it up here. If you still don't understand after reading it, just come and ask me again."
He added, "However, there is one thing you cannot do as we do."
Wushuang asked, "What is it?"
“Of course it’s the dowry,” said Madam Yang. “We are daughters of a marquis’s family, but she is marrying a princess from a royal family. Her dowry will naturally be much more generous. You need to discuss it with your mother-in-law.”
After thinking for a moment, she added, "You can ask your second aunt for a list of the eldest princess's dowry for reference. Just remember not to bring more money than the eldest princess would have for the dowry."
Wushuang obediently took out a piece of paper and wrote it down.
Madam Yang further instructed: "Everyone in the capital knows that because the old prince passed away early, the Empress Dowager is particularly fond of the grandchildren born to the Prince Jing's family. Therefore, you will have to go to the palace to consult with the Empress Dowager several times. What the old lady likes most is that the younger generation understands her thoughts without her having to mention them. If you do this well, it will not only help you in this matter, but will also benefit you in the future."
Wushuang couldn't help but cling to Yang's arm and say coquettishly, "My dear mother is the best to me."
Madam Yang smiled and reached out to tap her forehead: "You can just say these words to me casually, but when you go back to your mother-in-law, you can't show it at all. You still have to be filial to her as usual. It's rare for two people who have just met to get along well. It's all about exchanging hearts and gradually getting along over time."
Seeing Wushuang pick up her pen to write something down, he gently patted the back of her hand: "Just keep it in your heart, why write it down on paper? Are you afraid others won't know?"
Wushuang was just being affectionate and silly in front of her mother; she didn't really intend to write it down. She just grinned and made a face, then changed the subject, asking, "Where's my cousin Yang? I haven't seen him."
Madam Yang said somewhat irritably, "I told you to come, but you didn't. He went to the academy first thing this morning."
Yang Tiange came to the capital to study at Xishan Academy.
This is not unusual.
He was exceptionally intelligent; at only sixteen years old, he passed the imperial examination this autumn, and even topped the list. With such achievements, transferring from Heshan Academy to any academy across the country would not be difficult.
Wushuang was just wondering why her cousin Yang, who had passed the imperial examination in his previous life, stayed in Hangzhou, but in this life he had transferred to the capital to study.
However, since her rebirth, whether intentionally or unintentionally, she has changed so much that, in comparison, where Yang Tiange studies is really insignificant.
While the mother and daughter were chatting, Wang Hongbo was in his study, practicing calligraphy while listening to Chu Wan complain in a spoiled tone about all the things that had happened since the old princess returned.
"...Mother and Aunt are sisters, and Grandmother always says they look alike. I thought Mother would love Wanwan as much as Aunt did, but she's always cold to me, either ignoring me or scolding me. Brother Bo, although I'm not exactly smart or capable, I'm not so unruly that everyone criticizes me for everything, am I? Even Grandmother always praises me as a good child. Besides, she always favors my sister, and my sister isn't nice to me either. When Mother criticizes me, she's secretly laughing. She's nothing like Third Brother." "Like my seventh brother, whenever he makes a mistake, my third brother scolds him mercilessly in private, but in front of others, even my aunt, uncle, and grandmother, he'll cover for him. Unless my seventh brother refuses to listen to him. But my seventh brother always knows how good my third brother is to him, so he always obeys him. Shouldn't sisters help each other like brothers do?" Chu Wan became more and more agitated, waving her little fist and saying in a rather fierce tone, "If only they hadn't come back!"
After Chu Wan finished speaking, she remembered that Wang Hongbo, who had always been very gentle with her and very good at chatting with her, had remained silent.
She looked over, somewhat puzzled, and saw Wang Hongbo writing with his head down, seemingly not having heard a word she said.
Why is even Brother Bo ignoring her?
Chu Wan was even more unhappy, and picked up the plum juice in her hand and gulped it down in one go.
After finishing writing on a piece of paper, Wang Hongbo washed the wolf-hair brush in the brush washer, hung it back on the brush rack, and then slowly said, "Do you know that you have a lot to complain about? Compared to people who have nothing to complain about, you are already very lucky."
Chu Wan, who had a piece of nougat in her mouth, turned around upon hearing this, but didn't quite understand what Wang Hongbo meant: "Why am I luckier when I complain? Isn't it luckier to have everything go smoothly without any complaints?"
Wang Hongbo chuckled: "You didn't understand what I meant. Your complaints stem from your mother being by your side. Compared to those who don't have a mother by their side, aren't you much luckier?"
Brother Bo's words really make a lot of sense.
Chu Wan nodded, her little face puffed out.
However, she suddenly remembered that Wang Hongbo was the one who didn't have a mother by his side.
He not only had no mother, but he also had no father.
Chu Wan felt that she was really too bad!
Her mother may not have been as loving towards her, but she still had her grandmother, uncle, aunt, maternal grandparents, brother, Shuangshuang, and many other close relatives. Compared to Wang Hongbo, who was adopted by the Jun family, she had so much more and was so much luckier.
But she actually wanted Wang Hongbo to comfort her.
“Brother Bo,” Chu Wan said tearfully as she approached the table, “I feel like I’ve been so immature.”
"Huh? What's wrong?" Wang Hongbo asked, puzzled.
Chu Wan was not good at pretending, and she stated her thoughts very frankly.
After listening, Wang Hongbo remained silent for a long time before saying, "Yes, sometimes I really wish I could go back to my childhood. Back then, my parents were still around, but I didn't think it was anything special. It wasn't until I could never see them again that I realized how precious what I had was. So, Wanwan, you can't be like me. You have to cherish what you have now and not wait until you lose it to regret it, okay?"
"Yes! I'll listen to Brother Bo!" Chu Wan nodded vigorously.
Seeing her blushing face, looking exceptionally well-behaved and adorable, Wang Hongbo couldn't resist reaching out and ruffling her fluffy head.
On the way back, Chu Wan repeated what Wang Hongbo had said to her to Wu Shuang, and couldn't help but praise, "Brother Bo always understands such principles, I really admire him."
Feeling something in her heart, Wushuang recounted what Yang had taught her, and the two of them decided that they would definitely get along well with the old princess and Chupei after returning home.
However, once they got home, before they could even sit down properly, something happened that almost shook their resolve once again. ()