On the third day after Chu Ye left the capital, Wu Xiao, finding nothing amiss at home, took the opportunity, as he had instructed before leaving, to visit her parents' home.
Previously, Wu Hui had been punished by the old lady to kneel in the ancestral hall for writing a letter to falsely accuse Wu You. Today, her time was up, and the old woman guarding the gate opened the gate and let her out after asking for permission. She also conveyed the old lady's message: "The old lady said that the fourth young lady has been working hard these past few days. If there is nothing else, she should go back to her room to rest. The eldest young lady is back today, and the whole family will have dinner together in the evening."
Big sister is back?
They were all laughing and joking together, but they always sent her away to another place.
Unhappy, Wu Hui deliberately retorted, "Who said I'm alright? If I have something to say, go find Grandmother!"
After saying that, he ignored the old woman and hurried towards Fuyou Residence.
At that time, Wuxia had not yet arrived. Early in the morning, Wushuang, Wuyou, and the boys in the family had all gone to school. Only the old lady and her two daughters-in-law were in Fuyou Residence.
Wu Hui was the only girl in the family who hadn't yet gotten married, and the conversation between the three of them naturally drifted to this topic.
Over the years, Madam Yang had been living with Jun Shu in Fujian. Naturally, He Caiqiong was responsible for the Jun family's social interactions among the noble ladies in the capital. When the old lady asked her if she had any suitable candidates in mind, she did not answer the question.
He Caiqiong said frankly, "There are a few candidates. The young man himself is promising, his mother and sisters are of good character, and his family background meets the condition of 'marrying off a daughter is better than our family.'"
The saying "marrying off a daughter is better than marrying into our own family" means that when a daughter marries into a family of higher social standing, it is a custom that has become common in the capital when families choose a husband for their daughters.
The marriages of Wushuang and Wuxia are absolutely suitable. As for Wuyou, although her future husband's family is a marquis like the Jun family, Wuyou is born out of wedlock, while Pang Yuan is the eldest grandson who will inherit the title in the future. Strictly speaking, it is also suitable.
He Caiqiong's idea was to treat all the girls equally. Marrying into the royal family like Wushuang and Wuxia depended on luck, and family members couldn't make that decision. But at least Wu Hui's marriage should be on par with Wu You's.
Unexpectedly, the old lady waved her hand, indicating her disapproval.
“If we go to a high-ranking family, it would be like we’re begging them. With Wu Hui’s temperament…” She shook her head. “I think if we want a family to tolerate her unreasonable and irrational temper, we have to find a family that needs to rely on us and treat her like a goddess. That’s the only way. So we still have to choose a family of lower social standing for Wu Hui.”
When Wu Hui walked to the window, she heard the last sentence, and her expression immediately changed.
She always suspected that her grandmother was biased and didn't love her. She never expected that her grandmother would manipulate her so much in her marriage. All her sisters married so well, but she was chosen to marry someone from a family of lower social standing than her own. Wouldn't she become a laughing stock in her family's eyes in the future?
Wu Hui gritted her teeth in hatred, no longer thinking of going inside to be with everyone. She turned around, took off running.
In his haste, without looking where he was going, he bumped into Wuxia, who was entering the courtyard.
The two walked slowly with small steps and ran with big strides. As a result, Wuxia was knocked to the ground, clutching her stomach and groaning in pain.
Chapter 85 | Table of Contents
Chapter 85:
Following behind Wuxia were her maids and servants from the Prince Yi's mansion, as well as old women from the Marquis of Runan's mansion; everyone stepped forward to help her.
The experienced ones saw her clutching her lower abdomen, sweating profusely, and immediately ordered the maid to fetch a doctor.
Six-month-old Chu Yi nestled in her wet nurse's arms. Although she didn't understand what was happening, she probably cried loudly out of the natural bond between mother and daughter, and nothing could soothe her.
The noise and commotion outside could naturally be heard inside. Just as the old lady was about to order someone to come out and see what was going on, Wuxia's maid, Guyu, lifted the curtain and rushed in in a panic.
“Madam,” she said hastily, bowing, her words flowing rapidly, “the eldest daughter just fell in the courtyard, causing excruciating abdominal pain. It seems she may be having miscarriage. I would like to ask that you allow her to rest in your room for a while. The doctor will be here shortly.”
No one knew beforehand that Wuxia was pregnant, and even now it cannot be completely certain. However, since it concerns the royal offspring, no one dares to be careless, and the old lady naturally did not refuse.
Several tall and strong old women carried Wuxia steadily into the room, and Dr. Zheng, who was often used by the Jun family, arrived soon after.
Everyone was busy cleaning up the aftermath of the accident, and no one had time to investigate the responsibility. Wu Hui, the perpetrator, stood alone in the yard, stunned.
If we're talking about the sisters with whom she had the best relationship, it would undoubtedly be Wuxia.
Wuxia was much older than her younger sisters and had always been considerate and caring towards them. Even when there were occasional disagreements, she would never hold a grudge against them. Wuhui's personality was not likable, and Wuyou and Wushuang had both had many disagreements with her. Only Wuxia was always magnanimous and simply thought that her younger sisters were just being immature.
Of course, that was all in the early years when Wuxia was still unmarried. After she got married, she rarely had the opportunity to return to her parents' home, let alone have any unpleasantness with Wuhui.
Wu Hui twisted her fingers, the only person in the family who made her feel the warmth of sisterhood had just been harmed by her.
She was just twelve years old, unmarried, and inexperienced in matters of the heart. But having witnessed the birth of her younger brother and nephews, she knew a little about women. She had just overheard the old women talking about how Wuxia seemed to have had a miscarriage, which meant she might have suffered a miscarriage.
Feeling deeply guilty, Wu Hui quietly went inside.
Everyone in the room was focused on Wuxia's belly, and no one paid any attention to her.
She made her way to the side room and tried to listen to the diagnosis through the curtain.
Doctor Zheng's voice was slightly low and difficult to hear through the room, but the words of concern and inquiry from the old lady, Madam Yang, and He Caiqiong could be heard clearly.
Wu Hui knew she should also care about Wu Xia, but the bitter feeling of being isolated and abandoned by her relatives when she heard about the marriage arrangements was still there. The rebellious emotions that followed made her less willing to do what she knew she should do.
Whether the older sister is doing well or not, so many people are there to accompany and care for her, treating her like a star. Why would she, someone who is disliked, need to care about her?
With a pained expression, Wu Hui stamped her foot and left without looking back.
People may leave, but their hearts remain uneasy.
She returned to the ends of the earth, but sent Yuanxiao to Fuyouju time and time again to find out what was going on.
"The eldest daughter has experienced some miscarriage, but Doctor Zheng said she is in good health and the fetus was originally very stable. So although there are signs of a miscarriage, she may recover after some rest." Yuanxiao relayed what she had heard, and seeing that Wu Hui's complexion was still not good, she added, "Don't worry, young lady. The eldest daughter is very lucky and will definitely be fine. The old lady even vowed that she would be a vegetarian until the child is born safely, and the first and second wives will do the same. If everyone prays together, the Bodhisattva will surely bless the eldest daughter, and next year you will have another soft-spoken little nephew."
"Or I'll become a vegetarian too," Wu Hui murmured.
This is different from writing a letter to sabotage Wuyou's marriage. At that time, she simply couldn't bear to see Wuyou happy; she didn't think that far ahead about what would happen to Wuyou after the engagement was called off.
But today, she almost killed a little life.
No regrets, no peace of mind for a single night.
He acted rashly and caused trouble, but fortunately, no serious consequences resulted. However, bystanders will not let it go unpunished.