Normally, Li Chengjing would like to personally send Cheng Yujin back. But it was difficult for an engaged couple to see each other before marriage. Li Chengjing had to avoid gossips and scandals, so he could only dispatch a lot of guards to escort Cheng Yujin home. After seeing her off, Li Chengjing couldn’t put down his worry. He ordered Liu Yi to go to Yichun Marquis Manor and ‘suggested’ Cheng Yuanxian to pick up Cheng Yujin personally.
Even so, Li Chengjing was still uneasy and kept paying attention to Cheng Yujin’s situation all afternoon. Only after Liu Yi came to report that Cheng family’s carriage had driven smoothly into Yichun Marquis Manor that Li Chengjing finally was at ease.
Liu Yi couldn’t help shaking his head secretly. The distance was only a few roads away; how could there be any accidents? Could it be that womenfolks in the capital had never gone out of their houses?
At the same time, a manservant opened Yichun Marquis Manor’s gate. Cheng Yujin’s carriage entered and stopped in front of the second gate.
Except for Cheng Yuanxian, who went to pick up Cheng Yujin, all Cheng family members were standing in front of the second gate. Seeing Cheng Yujin’s carriage arrived, they were all eager to rush forward. Old Madam Cheng slammed her cane hard, which barely stopped them in place.
However, although their feet didn’t move, their gazes were very hot, staring intently in the direction of the carriage’s door. Cheng Yujin fastened her cloak and got out of the carriage with Du Ruo’s support, only to see such a grand ‘welcoming.’
Ruan-shi couldn’t help it anymore and immediately rushed to Cheng Yujin, holding her hand affectionately: “Eldest girl is back! Poor child, how is your illness? Have you got better? Is your head still hurting? Do you still have a fever?”
Ruan-shi wiped her tears with a handkerchief and sobbed emotionally: “I frantically looked for you on the day of Lantern Festival. It turned out that you fell into the water and was taken away by Ninth Master to recover. Of course, now we shouldn’t call him Ninth Master. He is His Highness the Crown Prince. My heart ached for you, ah. I cannot wait to take over your suffering on my body. I originally wanted to take care of you. You are sick, and servants are unreliable. How can they take good care of you? How can you make do without an elder by your side? But the Crown Prince said that we shouldn’t disturb your rest. I had to endure, and finally, you return!”
When Qingfu Junzhu saw Ruan-shi rushed forward, she inwardly cursed. Listening to Ruan-shi’s disgusting words, her teeth became itchy. Since Ruan-shi had taken the lead, Qingfu Junzhu refused to be outdone. She ignored Old Madam Cheng, who was still putting on the air of an elder, and greeted Cheng Yujin with the enthusiasm of a loving mother.
“Eldest girl, you are finally back. You have made your mother worried these days.” Qingfu Junzhu especially emphasized the word ‘mother.’ Ruan-shi’s expression stiffened, and Qingfu Junzhu took the opportunity to squeeze her to the side and stood next to Cheng Yujin: “Let mother see how you are. Are you still unwell? Mother personally cooked you chicken soup and kept it warm on the stove. Go back with mother and take a sip…”
Ruan-shi hated the phrase ‘go back with mother’ the most. She was furious. Qingfu, this wicked woman, was so shameless that she dared to con her daughter in front of her eyes. Ruan-shi was anxious and angry. She wanted to step forward to remind Cheng Yujin not to be deceived by Qingfu’s honeyed words, but Qingfu Junzhu’s personal servants firmly stood in front, blocking Ruan-shi intentionally or unintentionally.
Ruan-shi repeatedly failed to break through the tight encirclement. She was so angry that she burst into tears. She raised her hand and started crying: “Eldest sister-in-law, what do you mean by doing this? Eldest girl is the piece of flesh that fell from my body. You don’t know how much I suffer after hearing that she was seriously ill. It hurts me more than being stabbed by a knife. I want to take a good look at her, so why does eldest sister-in-law stop our mother and daughter’s reunion?”
“Bah!” Qingfu Junzhu scolded loudly. Her willow-shaped eyebrows raised in anger: “What is a piece of flesh that fell from your body? Second sister-in-law, you have never been smart, but you must watch your words in front of eldest girl. Eldest girl is clearly my daughter. It is me who raised her until this big, and it is also me who gave her food, clothes, and education over the years. Whether in genealogy or in fact, she is my daughter. What does second sister-in-law mean by saying such nonsense at this moment? When it was time to raise eldest girl, you hid farther than anyone else. Once she had good luck, you come with the fastest speed to recognize her as your daughter. Do you have no shame?”
As soon as Cheng Yujin got out of the carriage, she was surrounded by the two women. One was crying, and the other was scolding in a loud voice. Cheng Yujin chuckled inwardly. If one was poor, no relatives came even if they lived in a prosperous city. But once they got rich, relatives would come to visit even in the deep of mountains. The marriage edict had just been announced, and both Qingfu Junzhu and Ruan-shi couldn’t wait to snatch the identity of her ‘mother.’ But when she was young, when she was helpless and unable to protect herself, where were them?
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