Cuando regresemos

Capítulo 28

Xu Wei just smiled mysteriously, casually took a painting from the wall and handed it to You Tong, saying with a smile, "Take a close look, see it clearly."

Seeing his strange smile, You Tong couldn't help but feel suspicious. She took the painting and walked to the window, examining it carefully by the light from outside. After a long while, she finally noticed something amiss. Her eyes flashed, and she casually picked up another painting from the wall by the window. After looking at it for a while, she indeed saw the same mark. "This...this is all Jiu Ding's copy!"

You Tong's mind was a bit tangled. The facts were right in front of her, but she didn't dare to think about them. She just asked blankly, "Brother Xu, where did you get all of these?"

Xu Wei pointed to the desk on the east side, where an unfinished painting still sat—a flying apsara holding a pipa, the famous work of the former dynasty painter Yan Zimei. You Tong blinked, looking at him without saying a word. Xu Wei finally couldn't help but laugh, "I've wanted to bring you here for a long time. This Nine Cauldrons is none other than our old man who can't utter a word all day long."

Although she had already guessed it, hearing it with her own ears still made Youtong so excited that she couldn't contain herself. She wanted to rush back to ask her father-in-law immediately, but she was afraid of offending her elders. She murmured, "I really didn't expect it, I really didn't expect it. All the paintings here were painted by my father-in-law..."

Xu Wei blushed and said somewhat embarrassedly, "There are also a few paintings in there that were painted by my second brother and me. When we were young, we were naughty and could never concentrate on our studies, so my father forced us to learn to paint to cultivate our character."

Upon hearing this, You Tong was even more surprised, and then became very excited. With her eyes shining, she grabbed Xu Wei's hand and asked, "Which painting did you paint? Show it to me."

Xu Wei retrieved two rolled-up paintings from another room and handed them to You Tong, blushing as he said, "The painting 'Night Excursion to Hanshan' that I gave you last time was also painted by me, and it's signed by my father. That was several years ago. Later, my father made us collect all the paintings by Jiuding on the market, and now there are almost no paintings by us in the calligraphy and painting shops in the capital."

You Tong was stunned when she heard his first words. She stared at him for a long time without saying a word until Xu Wei gently patted her shoulder. Only then did You Tong react. She reached out and pinched his cheek, angrily saying, "Why didn't you tell me sooner? I had to send people to find out everywhere." She pinched Xu Wei's face until it turned red, but she was still not satisfied. She grabbed his hand and bit it hard.

In the main room, Madam Xu and Mr. Xu had already begun a heated discussion about naming their grandson and granddaughter. "Look at the names you've come up with!" Madam Xu was furious, pointing at the long list of names Mr. Xu had already chosen on the desk and stamping her foot. "Xu Zimei, Xu Zangfeng, why don't you just name them Xu Jiuding?"

Master Xu suddenly realized and said repeatedly, "Madam is right." After saying that, he happily wrote the three characters "Xu Jiuding" on the paper, which made Madam Xu so angry that she couldn't even speak.

The two argued and bickered until the very end, but still couldn't decide on names for their future grandchildren. Fortunately, there was still plenty of time, and they could think of two names every day and eventually find a suitable one.

Because of You Tong's "mother-daughter" relationship with the Grand Princess, the two had to go to the palace to pay their respects to the Grand Princess. Early the next morning, Xu Wei ordered his servants to prepare a carriage to enter the palace. At the palace gate, they were stopped by the Left Guard's subordinates, who were laughing and joking. Xu Wei usually had a stern face, so his subordinates dared not joke around freely. Now that they had finally witnessed his moment of triumph, they naturally put all their energy into saying things they hadn't dared to say before.

Xu Wei was in a good mood and smiled as he let them joke around. It wasn't until the Grand Princess from the palace sent someone to urge them that the subordinates of the Left Gate Guard dispersed. However, they didn't forget to wink at Xu Wei and whispered with a smile, "When will you invite us to your full moon celebration, sir?"

Xu Wei secretly glanced back at You Tong in the carriage. Seeing her shy expression, he felt a sweet warmth welling up inside him, but he still pretended to be serious and waved to the crowd, scolding, "What nonsense are you spouting, you little rascals? Get back here right now!"

He spoke harsh words, but his eyes were full of laughter, and his brows and eyes were brimming with joy. His subordinates were no fools; they could easily see through his intentions and burst into laughter. Even the palace servants who came to fetch him couldn't help but cover their mouths and laugh.

The Grand Princess sent a carriage to pick her up, so she arrived at Chongfu Palace quickly after entering the palace. The Grand Princess met her in a side hall, and as soon as they met, she hugged her and talked affectionately for a while before solemnly instructing her: "Now that you're someone's wife, you can't be willful and reckless anymore."

You Tong responded softly. The Grand Princess then asked Xu Wei if he treated her well. Poor Xu Wei, who was standing nearby, immediately tensed up upon hearing this, straining his ears as if afraid of missing a single word You Tong uttered.

You Tong, however, recalled the awkwardness of the morning after her wedding, and her eyes suddenly began to sting. The Grand Princess thought Xu Wei had bullied her, and her face immediately darkened. Xu Wei couldn't explain, and could only endure the Grand Princess's piercing gaze, a bitter smile on his face.

Afraid that the Grand Princess would blame Xu Wei, You Tong quickly rubbed her eyes and smiled at Xu Wei, saying, "Why are you watching us while we're having a chat?"

Xu Wei understood her meaning perfectly and quickly got up to take his leave of the Grand Princess.

After he left, Youtong dismissed the palace servants and then told the Grand Princess what had happened. The Grand Princess, upon hearing this, also sighed deeply, nodding and saying, "Your mother had good judgment; that's why she chose Xu Wei. This boy is upright and decisive, and devoted to you; he's a man you can entrust your life to." Having said this, she couldn't help but think of her deceased mother, Cui, and a wave of sorrow washed over her. She said sadly, "It's a pity that men like Xu Wei are rare in this world; otherwise, your mother wouldn't have—"

Upon hearing this, You Tong's heart suddenly stirred, and she abruptly looked up with a questioning expression.

The Grand Princess nodded heavily and said in a low voice, "Your mother was just like you back then, which is why Yu Hang..."

You Tong's tears streamed down her face. Only by experiencing something like this could one understand Cui's fear and unease at the time, the huge contrast of being pushed off a cliff without any preparation, the disbelief and terror, and the urge to escape everything.

But Lady Cui wasn't as lucky as her, to meet someone like Xu Wei who loved and trusted her wholeheartedly. So, her life was ruined in one night. For so many years, what kind of suspicion did Lady Cui endure to carefully raise her to adulthood? Just thinking about this made You Tong overwhelmed with sorrow, and tears streamed down her face.

58. Visitors from Guangbei

As the master and disciple were talking, An Hui suddenly announced from the doorway, "The Third Princess requests an audience."

The Grand Princess frowned and muttered to herself, "Why is she here?" Just as she was about to ask An Hui to send her away, You Tong quickly stopped her and whispered, "The Third Princess may have come to see me."

The Grand Princess looked at her with some surprise. You Tong looked strange and replied somewhat embarrassedly, "The Third Princess and I... well, we have something to talk about."

The Grand Princess recalled that she had indeed been close to the Third Princess for a period of time when she was in the palace. At that time, she had reminded You Tong, but You Tong only said that she knew what was going on, so she didn't say anything more. Now it seemed that the Third Princess really did have some sincerity towards her.

The Grand Princess, not wanting to concern herself with the private affairs of her children, nodded and asked An Hui to invite the Third Princess into the palace. She then went to the study with An Hui, saying she still had state affairs to attend to. You Tong knew that the Grand Princess was making room for her, and felt grateful. She got up and saw the Grand Princess to the door before returning herself.

A moment later, the Third Princess skipped into the room. Seeing that no one else was there, she became even more unrestrained. She rushed over and grabbed You Tong's hand, saying mysteriously, "It's incredible! You wouldn't believe it, the Third Young Master of the Shen family has returned to the capital. I saw him on my way to Grand Tutor Chen's residence a couple of days ago..."

You Tong already knew about Shen San's return to the capital, so she wasn't surprised. She patiently asked her, "Have you spoken to him?"

The Third Princess shook her head and said, "Didn't you tell me not to talk to him first? I barely managed to hold back, but that shameless woman Chen Lianqing kept trying to strike up a conversation with the Third Young Master. She really has no manners." As she said this, the Third Princess's eyebrows and eyes were filled with anger, her fists were clenched tightly, and she looked like she wanted to beat someone up right away.

Seeing this, You Tong was both annoyed and amused. She quickly said, "Why should Your Highness pay attention to her? The more tactless she is, the less the Third Young Master will respect her. Your Highness did very well. I'm sure the Third Young Master has also made an impression on you. It will be easier for you to get closer when you meet again in the future."

Upon hearing this, the third princess's face lit up with joy, and she even showed a hint of shyness, her face slightly flushed as she whispered, "Then... will he like me?"

You Tong said, "Your Highness, there is no need to rush. Matters of the heart cannot be determined in just a few days. Even if the Third Young Master is truly interested in you, given his personality, he would certainly not show it. I think you should remain still. If you have the opportunity, go up and say a few words to him, but you must not be too obvious and scare him away."

The Third Princess now completely believed You Tong's words. After hearing her instructions, she naturally kept them in mind and agreed repeatedly. She then pulled her aside and asked her all sorts of questions for a while. You Tong kept praising how brave and talented Shen San was, which made the Third Princess, who had been locked in the deep palace and had never seen many men, very happy.

Emerging from the palace, You Tong's eyes were still slightly red. Xu Wei wanted to ask, but seeing that You Tong seemed unwilling to speak, he ultimately remained silent. You Tong didn't intend to hide it from him, but this matter concerned her birth mother's privacy, and it was truly inappropriate to tell him. Fearing Xu Wei might misunderstand, she thought for a moment before saying, "I was just talking to my master about my mother, so..."

Xu Wei smiled, took her hand, patted it gently, and said softly, "I know." He paused, then added, "Once the situation in the capital isn't so tense anymore, let's take some time to go to Qiantang to pay respects to Mother, shall we?"

You Tong nodded and forced a smile, "Before I left, I paid my respects to my mother and said that I would live in seclusion in Huzhou and never return to Qiantang. I never thought that I would have to go back one day, and I never thought that I would be with you. My mother will be happy to see you, and she can rest in peace in the afterlife."

Xu Wei had met Cui Shi when he was young. He only remembered her as a beautiful and elegant woman, like a white lotus. Unfortunately, she was envied by heaven and passed away at a young age, leaving You Tong alone in the cold Yu Mansion for several years.

You Tong jokingly brought up the matter of the Third Princess and Shen San, and didn't hide her thoughts of bringing the two of them together when she told Xu Wei. Xu Wei listened but didn't comment. After a long while, he whispered, "Although Shen San isn't ruthless enough, he's very cunning and scheming. You don't stand much of a chance of winning if you try to outsmart him."

Hearing him speak like that, You Tong was slightly moved and asked in surprise, "You shouldn't have had much interaction with him, so how come you seem to know him very well?"

Xu Wei only smiled and remained silent. Seeing this, You Tong knew it was probably related to politics, so she didn't ask further, only smiling and saying, "I'm just trying to annoy him. If it succeeds, he can vent his anger; if it doesn't, it'll at least make his life difficult for a while." If she used to hate Shen San to the bone, now that hatred had gradually faded. She was now the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xu family, the adopted daughter of a princess, and the wife of a general; her life was incredibly comfortable. Why should she make things difficult for herself over someone unrelated? As for Shen San, revenge would be good, but if not, it wasn't a big deal.

Back at the mansion, neither Madam Xu nor Master Xu were home, but Xu Cong was. Upon seeing the two of them return, he quickly sent someone over to invite them, saying that guests had arrived at the mansion and asking his sister-in-law to come and greet them.

You Tong quickly changed her clothes and prepared to go to the front hall, but Xu Wei stopped her and said unhurriedly, "What's the rush? Let the servants find out what happened first." You Tong saw that his expression was not right and knew that something was wrong, so she quickly ordered Hui Ying to find out the information, while she and Xu Wei went into the inner room to find out the truth.

After dismissing the servants, Xu Wei plopped down on the couch and said with a wry smile, "Why do you think my father and mother are not in the mansion? It's most likely that they are from the Xu family of Guangbei. My father is too lazy to deal with them, and my mother doesn't want to be gossiped about, so she went out. Xu Cong is here in front, so you can let him handle it."

Before entering the door, You Tong had heard Xu Wei talk about the Xu family of Guangbei. She knew about their past experiences of being ostracized and forced to go to the capital. In recent years, the Xu family and the main family in Guangbei had stopped having contact. Now, Guangbei had sent people over again, just because they saw that the Xu family was being valued and wanted to get a share of the pie.

After thinking for a moment, You Tong smiled and said, "You really are something. Second Uncle, how could a grown man like you handle these things? It's naturally better for me to go. Since they are family members, we can't be too negligent. However, I'm a newlywed daughter-in-law and don't know them. My mother-in-law isn't in the house either. As a junior, I can't act on my own. I can only ask them to be understanding."

Seeing the strange smile on her face, Xu Wei knew she had something in mind. Thinking that she wasn't someone to be trifled with, he smiled and agreed, adding, "Just send them away, no need to show them any mercy. My mother would love for them to never come again."

You Tong nodded and said, "Don't worry, I'll take care of it." With that, she went to the wardrobe and found a bright red brocade robe inlaid with pearls and jade, then changed into it. She also took out several of the red-gold and kingfisher-feather phoenix hairpins bestowed upon her by the Grand Princess, and inserted them all behind her head. Looking at herself in the mirror, seeing herself adorned with pearls and jade and dressed in fine silk, she nodded in satisfaction. Xu Wei, standing beside her, guessed her intention and burst into laughter, clutching his stomach, saying, "You'd better be careful; your head is so heavy, don't twist your neck."

You Tongxiang glared at him angrily, then summoned Huiqiao and Hongyun, and called over four or five maids and servants. The group marched in a grand procession toward the front hall.

Xu Cong was having a headache in the room when he suddenly heard a servant announce that the eldest young mistress had arrived. He quickly jumped up and went to greet her, saying, "Now that my sister-in-law is here, you two aunts can talk to her if you need anything. I have things to do at the yamen, so I'll take my leave first." After saying that, he ignored the people calling him from behind and ran out.

Soon, only two women who were dressed reasonably well remained in the hall. When Xu Cong said that the person who came was the eldest young mistress of the mansion, they originally wanted to put on airs as elders. However, when they saw a large group of people at the gate, they felt a little uneasy and stood up involuntarily.

The curtain at the door was lifted, and two maids dressed side by side in pale yellow entered. They were both about sixteen or seventeen years old, with delicate features and clean eyes. Judging from their attire, they were even more presentable than the young ladies of ordinary families. Upon seeing this, the two women exchanged glances, their faces hardening, and they immediately suppressed their previous smugness.

Then came two slightly taller girls, dressed in light green long dresses embroidered with lotus branches. Each of them wore a translucent emerald green bracelet, which made their already snow-white arms appear even more rounded and radiant. The two women couldn't help but swallow hard, and a thought immediately formed in their minds. They stepped forward to greet them.

"The eldest young mistress has arrived—"

Dressed in her finest attire, You Tong slowly strolled into the room, her back ramrod straight, head held high, glancing down at people as she did so. Seeing the two people in the hall, You Tong didn't greet them, only nodding slightly before taking her seat at the head of the table. When Hui Qiao poured tea, she took a sip, frowned slightly, and slammed the teacup down on the side table, saying casually, "I was talking with the Grand Princess in the palace just now, and we got so engrossed in our conversation that I returned late. Please forgive me."

She spoke words of apology, but her face showed no remorse. The two women, however, dared not utter a single word of complaint, only repeatedly agreeing and smiling obsequiously, saying, "The Grand Princess's invitation is of utmost importance; it is only right, only right?"

You Tong smiled faintly, without replying. She took a couple more sips of tea, and only when the two women showed unnatural expressions did she ask, "I just returned home and heard that we had guests, but I don't know who you two are—"

“We are relatives,” one of the slightly taller women said with a smile. “We are all family. We are from the Guangbei branch of the family. The current head of the Xu family is my great-uncle. Speaking of which, Master Xu and my husband are cousins of the same generation, and the eldest mistress is my niece-in-law.”

She was talking animatedly, but You Tong neither responded nor responded. She simply lowered her head slightly and slowly sipped her tea, her brows furrowing slightly as she scolded Hui Qiao in a low voice, "Didn't the Grand Princess bestow this year's new tea? Why are you still drinking this kind of shoddy stuff?"

Huiqiao knelt down with a "plop," tears welling in her eyes, and said in a sobbing voice, "It's my fault, I'll go and get some fresh tea right away."

You Tong waved her hand impatiently and said angrily, "You can't even handle a small matter. What use are you? Get out of here right now. You don't need to serve me anymore starting tomorrow."

Huiqiao looked up in alarm, her eyes reddening. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she just gritted her teeth and silently retreated.

The two women were taken aback by You Tong's terrible temper and fell silent, afraid to utter another word. You Tong, however, smiled at them and explained, "These two are all so troublesome. I've only been here two days and they've already given me a headache. The old lady doesn't manage things, so it's all on me. Luckily, the Grand Princess sent over a few capable confidantes; otherwise, I really wouldn't be able to handle it."

Upon hearing that there were actually people sent by the palace in the Xu residence, the two women became even more uncertain. They had originally planned to stay at the Xu family's house for a while, but now they were having second thoughts.

"By the way, you two must have come to visit the old lady. It's quite unfortunate, the old lady left the manor the day after my marriage to the general. But it's alright, it's the same whether you two come to talk to me. I'm not used to living at home either, and—what are you doing now?" You Tong was speaking softly, but halfway through her sentence, her almond-shaped eyes widened, and she suddenly raised her voice to scold outside: "Who told you to bring this pot of flowers here? These are orchids bestowed by the Grand Princess, they must be kept in the flower room. If anything happens to them, you'll lose your head!"

The two women, startled by her shrill voice, took two steps back and plopped back into their chairs. When they looked up again, they saw Youtong rushing out the door, still shouting angrily, grabbing the ear of the little maid carrying the flowerpots and unleashing a torrent of abuse. The little maid, whether from the scolding or the pinching, was sobbing uncontrollably…

The two women dared not mention staying at the Xu residence again, fearing that You Tong would cause them trouble as soon as she turned around. They quickly got up, said goodbye, and ran away without looking back.

After scaring the two away, You Tong smiled and let go of Hong Yun, saying, "You cried just like that, tears were falling."

Hongyun clutched her stomach, laughing so hard she could barely stand up straight. She stammered, "I...I...how could I possibly have that skill...General...made me go...to the kitchen...to put some pepper on my sleeve..." She then raised her sleeve to show Youtong. Youtong joined in the laughter.

After returning to the house, he told Xu Wei what had just happened, and the two of them couldn't help but burst into laughter again. Xu Wei laughed and said, "Aren't you afraid of ruining your reputation? What if they go around telling everyone that you're a shrew? What will you do then?"

You Tong scoffed, "What can the two of them accomplish? In this capital, who doesn't know that the Ninth Miss Cui is famously gentle and virtuous? Otherwise, how could she have caught the eye of the Grand Princess? Who would believe their nonsense? Not only would they not believe it, they would probably accuse them of deliberately slandering her."

Xu Wei found this very reasonable. He thought about how those two women always caused his mother to hide in the mansion whenever they came to visit, and he also thought about how they were frightened away by You Tong. He felt a sense of satisfaction.

59. Returning to the bride's family home

Immediately afterward, Youtong was to return to her parents' home. The Cui family had already prepared Jiangxue Studio, where Youtong had lived before her marriage. The second master of the Cui family had also specially gone to the yamen to report his leave, and even the third master had rushed back from his other residence to personally accompany Xu Wei for drinks and conversation. Youtong, on the other hand, was pulled away by Wenyan, and the two sisters closed the door and whispered some private words.

Seeing the two girls so close, the Second Madam felt a mix of emotions. On one hand, she harbored resentment towards Youtong, but on the other hand, she thought that Youtong's status was now different, and if Wenyan befriended her, it would be beneficial to her in the future. Even if she married into the Sun family, others would likely view her differently because of her sisterly relationship with the Grand Princess's adopted daughter. Torn by this conflict, and unable to voice her concerns, she could only shake her head and sigh twice before retreating to her room, preferring to avoid seeing it.

However, there were many things to do in the manor, and the second mistress had only been in her room for less than fifteen minutes when a maid came over to ask her where lunch was to be served. Helpless, the second mistress had no choice but to cheer herself up and continue her work.

Cui Weiyuan was serving in the palace and hadn't been home for several days, so only the Second Master and the Third Master were keeping him company at the mansion. Fortunately, Xu Wei was a shrewd man who knew how to speak to different people in different ways, and he got along very well with the two of them. The Third Master even repeatedly exclaimed that the Cui family had gained a good son-in-law.

You Tong, however, felt rather uncomfortable. Just before the meal, Wen Qing suddenly arrived with her maids and servants, her face beaming with smiles, seemingly very familiar with You Tong. Wen Yan's face immediately turned cold. If it weren't for the fact that she didn't want You Tong to cause trouble during her homecoming, she probably would have already turned on her and kicked her out.

Wen Qing, however, seemed completely oblivious to Wen Yan's meaning. With a smile on her face, she kept talking to You Tong. You Tong was wondering what tricks Wen Yan was up to, but on the surface, she was all smiles and answered every question. Anyone who didn't know better would really think that the two of them were very close.

You Tong's mind was in turmoil. Wen Qing was always impulsive and foolish; she never showed her dislike for anyone. Today, she had suddenly become a smiling tiger. If you said there was no one plotting behind it, You Tong would be the first to disbelieve. But even if someone was planning it, so what? Not to mention Wen Qing was just a concubine's daughter from the third wife's family, even if it were a rich young lady trying to interfere in her relationship with Xu Wei, who had You Tong ever been afraid of?

After finishing their meal, Wenqing didn't leave. She kept chatting and laughing with Youtong. Then, she jokingly said, "Since we have nothing to do tonight, why don't we keep Ninth Sister company and chat? Speaking of which, my sister and I had some misunderstandings before. Let's clear things up tonight. We really have to apologize to General Xu." After saying that, she chuckled again, looking like she was teasing him.

Before Youtong could refuse, Wenyan interrupted, "How could it be your turn to accompany Ninth Sister? We've always been good friends, so naturally I'll sleep with her tonight. You—" She was about to accuse Wenqing of having ulterior motives when Youtong secretly pulled her back, stopping her from speaking.

Wen Yan was just impatient, but not stupid; she quickly realized what was happening. Now that Wen Qing had come to make peace with a smile, if she were to humiliate her without considering the consequences, she would be the one in the wrong. Therefore, although she was unwilling in her heart, she didn't say anything more.

Seeing that she was obedient, You Tong smiled slightly and said to Wen Qing, "I told Tenth Sister when I got married a few days ago that I would sleep with you when we return to our parents' home. Eighth Sister has some intimate words to say to me, so I'm afraid we'll have to find another time. How about—the three of us sisters sleep together?"

Wen Yan was displeased upon hearing this and quickly gave You Tong a meaningful look, fearing that Wen Qing might actually agree. Fortunately, Wen Qing simply pretended that she had already guessed You Tong would refuse and covered her mouth with a smile, saying, "My two younger sisters have something to say to each other. How could I, as the older sister, be so blind as to step forward and invite trouble?"

You Tong glanced at her indifferently, her face still bearing a faint smile, but this time she didn't reply. This attitude clearly acknowledged that she was being disliked. Wen Qing, after all, hadn't cultivated to a high level of spiritual power, and seeing You Tong's attitude, she immediately felt embarrassed. A hint of ferocity flashed between her brows, and she wanted to say something, but ultimately held back, only managing a stiff smile.

According to the customs of the Great Liang Dynasty, married daughters are required to stay at their parents' home for a period of time when they return home, ranging from three, six, to nine days. The higher the status, the longer they stay. If they are daughters of princes or emperors, they must stay for a month. You Tong's current status is that of the adopted daughter of the Grand Princess, and the Cui family is a prominent and powerful clan, so she must stay for at least nine days during this homecoming.

Xu Wei, however, could not stay overnight at the Cui family's house. He had to return home as soon as it got dark and could not see them again until the next day. The two young children, who had just gotten married, were reluctant to part. However, they could not say any sweet words in front of everyone. Their eyes met tightly, showing their reluctance to separate.

"I'll come back tomorrow." Xu Wei mouthed to her, waved, and turned to mount his horse. You Tong watched from the doorway, and seeing that he didn't turn back, she felt inexplicably sad. She wished she could come earlier the next day so she could give him a good scolding.

As expected, Wenqing didn't leave that night. The Second Madam arranged for her to stay in the same courtyard as before, and this time she didn't complain. Wenyan slept with Youtong, and the two talked for most of the night. By the next morning, Wenyan refused to get out of bed.

Youtong was in good spirits. Now that she was a guest at the Cui residence, she could no longer sleep in until dawn without worrying about gossip, so she got up early, washed up, and went to pay her respects to the Second Madam. When she returned from the Second Madam's place, Wenyan was sleeping soundly in bed like a little pig. Youtong told the maid not to wake her, and she brewed a pot of tea and sat in the pavilion by the pond to read a book.

I'd only turned two pages when Wenqing came over.

You Tong knew she had something to say to her, so she deliberately kept her waiting, waiting for her to get impatient so she could reveal her true intentions.

"Ninth Sister, you seem to be in a good mood." Wenqing plopped down on the stone bench opposite her and turned to dismiss the servants. Huiying and Huiqiao, who were beside Youtong, remained motionless as if they hadn't seen her move. Wenqing's face immediately darkened, and she gave a dry laugh, saying sarcastically, "Ninth Sister's maids have quite the airs."

You Tong smiled and said, "These two girls were personally trained by the old lady. They only relaxed when they saw that I had no one to serve me. I won't mention their other good qualities, but they are always the most loyal. They don't listen to anyone except me, and even Brother Xu's orders are useless." After saying that, she nodded slightly to the two girls, and Huiying and Huiqiao then bowed properly and retreated quietly.