“Xi’er is a reliable person. I feel at ease having her look after the children.” The Grand Madam smiled and said, “Xi’er, I’m entrusting the children to you.”
Anxi quickly got up and agreed.
Yu-ge called out and was about to take Nian-ge'er's hand to go out, but Nian-ge'er leaned against An-ran instead, a shy glint in his eyes. He could greet people with ease and confidence when he was with An-ran, but he felt quite uneasy when he was away from her.
“Mother—” Nian Ge’er looked at An Ran for help, unable to make up his mind.
An Ran curled her lips, squatted down, and said softly with a smile, "Nian-ge'er, why don't you go play with your uncles for a while? Your little uncle has a lot of fun little gadgets, which are newer than the ones we have at home. Didn't Mother teach you how to play cat's cradle? You can ask your little uncle if he knows how, and if he doesn't, you can teach him."
Nian Ge'er then nodded vigorously.
Although An Xi and An Mu, who went out with them, were both older than Yu Ge'er, An Ran placed Nian Ge'er's hand in Yu Ge'er's, letting him hold Yu Ge'er's hand. An Ran smiled and said, "Yu Ge'er, I'm entrusting Nian Ge'er to you. Can you take good care of him?"
This was the first time Yu-ge'er had been treated like a little adult. There was someone even younger than him suddenly coming to the house, and he was excited and nodded vigorously.
"Don't worry, sister, I'll definitely take good care of Nian-ge'er." Yu-ge'er patted his chest, full of confidence.
An Ran couldn't help but laugh and said, "Then I'll leave it to Brother Yu."
An tide and An Mu didn't need to say much; a single glance was enough for them to understand. An Ran had always trusted her two children.
After the four people left, An Ran sat down and spoke with the Grand Madam and the others.
It was just some everyday stuff.
Anran asked Jinping to bring up the gift list and prepare gifts for everyone.
Seeing that Anran acted appropriately and did not act timidly or frivolously because of her young age, the old lady felt more satisfied and fortunate.
She then asked Anran some questions about housekeeping, and Anran answered them fluently.
The Dowager and Madam Zhao had something to say to Anran, and some things were no longer suitable for Sixth Sister and the others to be present. Sixth Sister then tactfully said that she was going to check on the children who had gone out to play, and left Rong'an Hall.
Anran looked at Liu Niang, a sense of unease lingering in her heart.
The fact that Liu Niang acted so calmly and perfectly actually made people worry.
To be honest, her dream of marrying Fang Ting was shattered, and she could only marry Chen Qian, the son of a merchant. Although Chen Qian might not necessarily like Liu Niang, for him, marrying a daughter of a marquis was definitely a step up.
For Liu Niang, it was like a nightmare. She had such high standards, willing to ruin her reputation to marry Fang Ting, but unexpectedly, Chen Qian benefited from it.
Logically speaking, Liu Niang should have shown some dissatisfaction or resentment in her eyes, but to everyone's surprise, she accepted it calmly, without showing the slightest dissatisfaction or resentment on her face. Moreover, compared to her previous eagerness and the inevitable emotional outpouring, Liu Niang's expression became even more calm and humble, giving people a sense of indifference and non-contention.
This is what Anran finds most terrifying.
"Ninth Sister, how did you settle Nian-ge'er? When did Nian-ge'er enter the manor?" An Ran was still thinking about Sixth Sister's matter when she was suddenly asked by the Grand Madam.
An Ran quickly regained her composure and focused on dealing with the situation.
“Nian-ge’er was brought back by the Marquis and me a few days ago.” An Ran straightened up and said, “Originally, we opened a small courtyard for him next to the main courtyard, and he had an old servant by his side. But later I felt that it would be better to take care of him myself, so I brought Nian-ge’er to live with us.”
The old lady nodded in satisfaction.
Since the birth aunt is gone, raising her by one's side will make them closer, and it will also prevent them from being instigated by malicious people and causing discord with their stepmother and son in the future.
"Who are the old servants who serve him?" Zhao asked.
Perhaps the stepmother is worried that some old acquaintances might be instigating Nian-ge'er! Or perhaps she's thinking of seducing Lu Mingxiu, using her position as the eldest son of a concubine to make herself different from others. Madam Zhao is indeed worried that An Ran is too young to control those below her.
If someone with ulterior motives were to speak ill of Nian-ge'er to Lu Mingxiu, even though he was the eldest son of a concubine, he was still Lu Mingxiu's son, and he couldn't possibly ignore it. An Ran would likely be caught in the middle and find it difficult to put herself in a difficult position; she was only thirteen years old, and in Zhao Shi's eyes, she was still just a child.
“She’s just a maidservant of Nian’er’s mother,” An Ran said with a smile. Before she could finish speaking, Zhao interrupted her.
“We can’t keep someone like that around. If he takes advantage of our relationship with the young master and tries anything improper, it will be difficult to deal with him.” Madam Zhao said decisively, “Find an excuse to sell him off.”
The Dowager Lady gave her a disapproving look. How could the matriarch of the Pingyuan Marquis's mansion act so rashly?
Seeing this, An Ran quickly said, "Thank you for your concern, Mother! However, the Marquis has already decided that she should leave the capital for a while, and asked me to take care of him first."
A hint of satisfaction flashed in the eyes of both the Dowager Lady and Madam Zhao.
If the Marquis speaks personally, it will avoid giving anyone cause for criticism. Zhao couldn't help but feel a little bitter. If An Yuanliang had been so capable back then, protecting and valuing her, would she have been willing to do things that lowered her status?
The old lady then inquired about other matters.
******
Ever since Xu Hui wanted to use Zheng Xing to inquire about information, she was at least willing to give him some perfunctory answers.
That day, she came out of the silk shop again and specially bought a piece of royal blue fabric to make a purse for Zheng Xing.
If you don't give him some sweet treats, how can you expect him to be completely obedient?
Xu Hui had weighed the situation very clearly, so she remained calm and composed even though she hadn't run into Chen Qian these past few days.
The clerk at the silk shop said that the wedding shop on the back street needed some embroidery and suggested she go and ask. Xu Hui was a regular customer there, and they were familiar with each other. Knowing that Xu Hui's family was struggling financially, the clerk thanked her for her help and introduced her to any good jobs he could find.
Xu Hui quickly thanked her and went through the alley to the back street.
Before she even left the alley, she heard a familiar voice, and she almost burst into tears.
"Sir, the master and mistress have both sent letters—"
It's Changqing's voice!
Xu Hui felt a surge of excitement. Changqing was Chen Qian's most trusted person and his constant companion, so the person he was speaking to must be Chen Qian!
It's truly a case of "searching high and low without finding it, only to have it come to you effortlessly."