First Concubine

Chapter 191 Punishing the Aunt (4)

Her husband was originally a forest guard in a lush forest outside the capital, but he was suddenly beaten and seriously injured a few months ago. If he had not pretended to be dead and rolled down to the bottom of the lake to escape the disaster, he would probably be separated from her now. So what if you remember what the murderer looked like? Untouchables like them don't even have the money to hire someone to write a petition, let alone file a lawsuit with a person who is highly skilled in martial arts and presumably of high status. In order to treat her husband's injury, her mother-in-law considered selling her daughter. But she knew that if she went out to work without her daughter, her mother-in-law could sell her daughter. Fortunately, she gave birth to a son during her second pregnancy, otherwise, she really wouldn't be able to work with peace of mind. Xiaoxia held back her heartache and longing, and asked: "If you want to, please feel sorry for yourself. Dad needs money for medical treatment, and money for food for the whole family. Auntie helps us take care of our younger brother. Should we also get some money from auntie?"

Xiao Qiuyan counted on her fingers, seeming to understand: "How much will it cost?"

Xiaoxia's eyes flashed and she said: "My mother is not very smart and can't figure it out, but it's a lot!" It's an astronomical figure. A better wound medicine costs thirty taels a month. This is just the wound medicine, not counting the supplements. Expensive food for her body, living expenses for the whole family, medical treatment money for the elderly, personal money for her siblings, annual taxes... Her current allowance is four taels per month, which is still far from being able to shoulder the burden of the family...

Xiao Xia felt like there was a big mountain pressing on her head and she was about to be out of breath. But when she thought of her seriously injured husband at home, her son who was waiting to be fed, and her cute and cute daughter, she felt that she had to persevere! Holding her daughter on her lap, she said earnestly, "This job is very good. Mom can get a lot of money every month, and she is not tired. Mom can use the extra time to make clothes for dad. Dad will have more to wear. Mom You can also sell it on the street. The most important thing is that mother can take you with her. You can eat, drink and wear well without having to separate from mother or worry about grandma selling you. Come on, tell me, is it worth being a little angry?”

Xiao Qiuyan thought of those ferocious traffickers and shivered in fear: "I know, I will be better next time. I won't cry if anyone beats me, I will let them beat me, as long as I can stay with my mother." good."

Xiao Xia nodded and solemnly warned: "Protect your head and stomach."

When Zhuge Yu returned to Wisteria Courtyard, Shui Linglong was catching up on her sleep. Her sister was next to her and her brother was in the back. Zhuge Yu quietly walked to the bed and sat down, a deep sense of satisfaction and happiness overflowing from his obsidian eyes.

Zhi Fan opened the curtain and came in, whispering: "Your Majesty, do you need to pass on the meal? My servant..."

“Hush—” Zhuge Yu made a gesture, and Zhi Fan covered his mouth, turned around and retreated. But Shui Linglong still woke up. Shui Linglong rubbed her groggy eyes and found Zhuge Yu looking at her with a smile, so she asked, "You're back, haven't you had dinner? I haven't eaten either."

Zhuge Yu looked at the crows in her eyes, and his heart moved: "Isn't it hard to take care of children?"

"It's not hard, but I can't sleep a full night. I have to wake up every hour to feed, so I don't get enough sleep. I'll get used to it after a while." Shui Linglong replied calmly.

Zhuge Yu frowned and wanted to say, "How can this go on? Let's find a suitable wet nurse for my sister." But as soon as his eyes swept over his daughter's body, which was as big as his hand, his throat felt like a stone was stuck. , not a single word came out.

Shui Linglong sat up and planned to put on her shoes. Zhuge Yu squatted down and picked up her feet: "I'll do it." Shui Linglong was startled, this...is this against the rules? How can a man put shoes on a woman?

Zhuge Yu put the embroidered shoes on her feet with a natural expression, as if there was nothing wrong with lowering his body to serve her like a wife slave. In fact, he didn't really think it was appropriate, he just thought that it would be difficult for her to give birth prematurely, and that his daughter was weak and difficult. He felt distressed just by looking at her. She had to be held, fed, and coaxed all day long, and the pressure she endured was far beyond his imagination. She made a huge sacrifice, and there was nothing he couldn't sacrifice, even his knees that he had never bent in twenty years.

 “Pass the meal around.” Zhuge Yu raised his head and smiled fondly.

Shui Linglong nodded: "Okay."

After the two had dinner, Zhuge Yu took the initiative to talk to Shui Linglong about the Shangguan family and Brother Hao: "... She left Kashgar Qing like this back then, but in fact she did not remarry, but lived alone with Zhuge Ling. She opened a cloth shop and lived an ordinary life. Five years ago, Zhuge Ling married the concubine of a local powerful man, who was not recorded in the family tree and had an independent mansion. Zhuge Ling had proposed. She refused to take her into the mansion to support him. About a year later, Zhuge Ling died of a hemorrhage after giving birth to Brother Hao."

“Then how did she leave South Vietnam and return to Dazhou?”

"Brother Hao's father also died last year. He fell into a swamp when he was out on patrol, and the body was not even recovered. She was afraid that Brother Hao would be poisoned by someone, so she let him go in the name of visiting the house. Huo, fake death and bring Brother Hao out. "

Shui Linglong understood that Brother Hao's father was a concubine from another family. The reason why he was not included in the family tree was that he had a very powerful aunt. She couldn't tolerate him, so she would definitely tolerate his son, even if it was to prevent Hao. If Brother Hao takes away his family property, it is very likely that his aunt will kill Brother Hao.

“Father, have you verified the news about South Vietnam?” Shui Linglong asked uneasily.

Zhuge Yu said calmly and without any emotion: "After checking, there is indeed such a powerful man in Linzi, and he has indeed raised a bastard, and he married Liu Ling, my sister. These are all reported by the Ministry of Household Affairs There is a record of the case. The cloth village opened by Shangguan Qian is also recorded in the government. She paid a large sum of money to adopt a farmer in his family, and her pseudonym was Liu Qian. "She never called Shangguan Qian "mother".

Shui Linglong held Zhuge Yu's slightly cold hand, and Zhuge Yu moved his fingers, then said nonchalantly: "From South Vietnam to Dazhou, the money was stolen, so she could only support herself and Brother Hao while doing embroidery. While slowly approaching Dazhou, there was no carriage, and I walked and stopped all the way... I only reached it this summer. "

 Been gone for nearly a year! In this way, Brother Hao has been living in the open with the Shangguan family since he was three years old. No wonder he is so... withdrawn and has bad living habits. I think he suffered from hunger and cold and was surrounded by dangers on the way here. Shui Linglong looked sideways at Brother Hao's vigilance that he did not possess even in many adult years. I still remember that when they first met, she kindly gave him candy, but he was afraid that she would poison her, so he had to let Zhifan try it. After Zhifan tried it, it proved that the candy was non-toxic, and he was probably afraid that she was spreading some kind of bait. So I grabbed the fruit plate and ran away from the "potential danger". This child...she didn't even know what to say.

“Does grandma know?” Shui Linglong asked again.

Zhuge Yu frowned: "I just found out. I cried so hard that I almost lost my breath. I wanted to hug Brother Hao, but Brother Hao has been hiding behind Shangguan Qian. Anyone who comes near will drive him crazy."

Shui Linglong leaned on Zhuge Yu's shoulder and said, "Brother Hao is too unsociable. We can find ways to make him normal while he is still young and has high plasticity." A four-year-old child should be enlightened. You also have to have your own friends.

Zhuge Yu and Shui Linglong thought together: "Yes, children from wealthy families usually start to learn to read at the age of two or three, and ask their master to teach them at the age of four. Brother Hao now doesn't even recognize his own name. Father and grandma After deliberation, after the three banquets were held in the palace, we started to teach Brother Hao. Feng Yanying's Brother Zhi was similar in age to Brother Hao. His father wanted to either send Brother Hao to study at the Yao family, or invite him to study. Brother Zhi is studying in the palace, and the two children are together."

Shui Linglong's fingers gently scratched Zhuge Yu's palm. Zhuge Yu looked at her and she asked with a smile: "Are you willing to accept your mother?"

Zhuge Yu's eyes flashed, and he stood up as if he hadn't heard anything. He walked to the bed and picked up his son, holding it high: "My son is awake, look!"

Hush--

 A pool of boy urine sprayed all over his face...

In Pingting Pavilion, Dong Jialin had embroidered the inkstone screen and asked Xing'er to send it to the prince's study. When Xing'er came back, Dong Jialin was staring at the three pieces of colorful satin thoughtfully.

"When you and your brother get married to my fifth sister, our relationship will take another step forward. On the surface, I can't protect you too much, but as long as you stay on your own and make no mistakes, I will try my best to take care of you."

Obviously, Shui Linglong's care is conditional, that is, she doesn't want her to do anything to harm Qiao Hui! She was obviously the one who met Shui Linglong first, and Qiao Hui was the latecomer. Even putting aside these things, considering that her brother and Shui Lingqing were about to get married, shouldn't Shui Linglong be more considerate of her? The same is true for the county king. She was obviously in love with the county king at first, but due to her identity as an orphan, she lost her life to Qiao Hui, the daughter of the prince's family. But in fact, in what way is she inferior to Qiao Hui?

 The more I think about it, the more unbalanced I feel. But not everyone is like Zhuge Shu and will lose to jealousy and inner demons. Dong Jialin complained for a long time, and finally convinced herself to accept the reality.

Of course, as an excellent concubine, it is necessary to win over her husband, please her mother-in-law, and respect her mistress without delay. It is not impossible for the mother to become an equal wife one day in the future based on the value of her son. After refining her goals, Dong Jialin was freed from the emotional abyss and became full of energy again!

Xing'er watched her young lady go from resentment to anger, from anger to unwillingness, then to resentment, and finally enlightenment... The various expressions were unpredictable, making her heart flutter, for fear that she was unhappy in her heart. Balance, blame the second young mistress. Although she advised her aunt to fight for her favor, she never approved of her frantic attempt to kill the second young mistress. Dong Jialin's path was destined from the moment she entered the palace. She might be an equal wife, but she would never be a legitimate wife. The second young mistress could be someone else if she wasn't Qiao Hui, but could anyone else be as simple and kind as Qiao Hui? Not necessarily.

"Auntie." Xing'er walked to Dong Jialin and saw the colorful satin with different patterns on the table and said, "Huh? Didn't the embroiderer just come to the house to make clothes for you? Who gave this material? Er Young lady?"

Dong Jialin shook her head: "It was a gift from the Crown Princess."

 “Huh?” Xing’er was stunned.

Dong Jialin touched the gorgeous satin and said: "I made too many excuses, and it was hard to refuse the imperial concubine's kindness, so I took them all back. All of this is thanks to my brother."

I thought that the Crown Princess wanted to win over my aunt to do some shameful things, but I just wanted to do it for the sake of the young master. The young master is at the peak of his power in the court. With the young master's support, the prince can be even more powerful. No wonder the prince's concubine looks up to her aunt with admiration. Xing'er poured a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Auntie, please drink."

Dong Jialin pushed away: "Put the tea aside and cut the fabric for me first. This autumn-colored floral satin is just right for the second lady. The pattern is also very special. It's not as vulgar as ordinary flowers and plants, but it is simple, clear and elegant. Atmosphere. Time is running out, I have to make it overnight."

 (End of this chapter)