Chapter 15: Mother, This Is The Lin Family
So she spent countless thoughts trying to please and obey the Jiang family members.
Back then, the Jiang Family and the Lin Family had an engagement relationship, but the Jiang Family disdained the Lin Family for its decline.
Although Lin Ningkun was remarkably talented in appearance, his official position was not high after all. The Jiang family members were unwilling to let Jiang Xuerou suffer in the Lin Family, so they chose the Zhenguo Marquis Manor, which had a higher status and identity.
But there was no way to explain to the Lin Family, so they turned around and brought her back, letting her marry into the Dingning Marquis Manor.
It was just to shut the Lin Family’s mouths.
“Mother, I’m fine. There’s jade that Second Brother brought me from Mobei in the carriage. I’ve been using it to cool my hands all the way. That jade is cool in summer and warm in winter, so I didn’t feel hot at all.”
Jiang Xuerou had a gentle and soft personality, appearing delicate and frail, evoking pity.
“Even so, you should have brought it when you got out of the carriage.” Madam Wei said with heartache, “The sun is too strong here. Let’s go inside the room and talk.”
But Jiang Xuerou shook her head and walked toward Jiang Ruanxi, calling out coquettishly to Jiang Ruanxi, “Sister.”
Looking at the woman standing in front of her, although her face was not stunningly beautiful, it was very refined. Beneath her willow brows was a pair of clear eyes, like mist often rising from water, looking at you hazily yet purely. Her skin was somewhat sickly pale, making one unable to help but feel pity.
In her previous life, all the people she cared about had surrounded her completely.
Even now, she could not forget the words her brother had said.
“It’s all because of your appearance that you took away everything from Xue’er…”
Now it felt ridiculous. In her previous life, she had gotten nothing. What had she taken from Jiang Xuerou?
The so-called “everything” was none other than Lin Ningkun. But the Jiang family members had originally looked down on him and brought her back to substitute for the marriage. Now they turned around and said she had taken him away—it was truly ridiculous to the extreme.
Thinking of the events from her previous life, her heart churned as she tried hard to suppress her anger, smiling on her face. “Heir Apparent’s Wife, this is not the Jiang Family here; this is the Lin Family. Please follow the Lin Family’s rules. You should call me Aunt.”
Jiang Xuerou had not expected Jiang Ruanxi to say this, and her face immediately showed some embarrassment.
But Madam Wei could not bear to see Jiang Xuerou being bullied and immediately stood up to scold, “Jiang Ruanxi, she is your sister. How can you speak like that?”
“Mother, this is the Lin Family, and all the people who came today are the Lin Family’s relatives and friends. You wouldn’t want people to say you have no rules, would you?” Jiang Ruanxi said coldly.
When Madam Wei wanted to say something more, Jiang Xuerou tugged at her hem, smiling as she said, “Aunt is right. It was I who forgot the rules.”
Jiang Ruanxi adopted the posture of an elder and magnanimously said, “Your health is poor. I won’t blame you for being muddled from illness.”
Jiang Xuerou’s body stiffened, but Jiang Ruanxi pretended not to notice and held her hand, saying, “Aunt is very happy that you came. I thought you wouldn’t come because of your poor health. Today you represent the Zhenguo Marquis Manor in coming over. Go greet your uncle.”
Jiang Ruanxi glanced at Lin Ningkun not far away, who was greeting the male guests. On the surface, he appeared to be chatting and laughing with others, but she had noticed several times that his peripheral gaze kept looking over here.
Since that was the case, why not fulfill them by letting the two meet under everyone’s watchful eyes and allowing others to see them gazing at each other with affection.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Xuerou’s eyes flickered slightly, and her heart beat fiercely, that feeling just like having her little braid grabbed by someone.
One could only say that those with ghosts in their hearts felt guilty no matter what they did.
Madam Wei was still more worldly than Jiang Xuerou and immediately said, “There are all men over there. It wouldn’t be appropriate for Xue’er to go. You should go greet Madam Lin instead.”
After Madam Wei helped her out of the situation, Jiang Xuerou breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, saying, “Mother is right. I’ll go right now.”
Jiang Ruanxi did not mind and let go of Jiang Xuerou’s hand.
As if suddenly remembering something, she smiled at Madam Wei. “Last time Mother came, Xiao Ge’er had gone to the school, but today he specially asked for leave from the tutor. Xiao Ge’er is in Shoukang Hall. Would Mother like to go together?”
“What? You say Xiao Ge’er is also in Shoukang Hall?”
“Mother, what’s wrong? Is there a problem with Xiao Ge’er being in Shoukang Hall too?”
“No, I’ve been here so long; I should go see your mother-in-law.” A smile covered Madam Wei’s face as she pulled Jiang Xuerou along to walk. Their footsteps were so quick that one could see the anxiety in their hearts.
The corners of Jiang Ruanxi’s mouth curved up slightly as she went around the courtyard to Madam Zhou’s room.
“Mother…”
As soon as Jiang Ruanxi entered the room, Lin Xiao’s childish voice came from inside.
“Xiao Ge’er, what are you calling her?” As soon as Jiang Ruanxi entered the door, she heard Madam Wei’s rebuke.
When Jiang Ruanxi went in, she saw Lin Xiao standing there innocently, while Jiang Xuerou’s expression beside him carried some embarrassment.
But Jiang Ruanxi could see that her hand pinching the handkerchief was clearly exerting slight force.
All the Lin family members were present today, and seeing this scene, they were all surprised.
They began discussing animatedly.
“This child is the one the Marquis brought back. Isn’t he said to be the child of the Marquis’s close friend? Why is he calling the Zhenguo Marquis Manor’s Heir Apparent’s Wife ‘Mother’?”
“Yeah, the Zhenguo Marquis Manor’s Heir Apparent’s Wife doesn’t have children yet. Could this child have called the wrong person?”
“Hey, don’t say it, but looking at this child, he seems to resemble the Zhenguo Marquis Manor’s Heir Apparent’s Wife somewhat?”
“…”
Listening to these people’s words, Jiang Xuerou’s face had already begun to turn pale. Jiang Ruanxi saw that the back of her hand was starting to show bulging veins.
“This child must miss his own mother too much, so he called out wrongly, right?” Madam Wei, who had not spoken until now, said.
Although Lin Xiao was young, he was a clever child.
He did not understand in his heart why he could not call Jiang Xuerou “Mother,” but he also knew that in front of so many people, he could not bring trouble to Jiang Xuerou.
His eyes turned, and in a childish, milky voice, he said, “My mother resembles this aunt somewhat, but she is gentle and lovely. I’ve been in the Marquis Manor for a long time and haven’t seen her for a long time. As soon as I saw this aunt, I felt like I was seeing my mother, so I couldn’t help calling out. Was that wrong of me?”
Blinking his eyes, he asked innocently.
These words were innocent and heart-wrenching; who would think too much?
“Child, you miss your own mother, don’t you?”
“This child is also pitiful.”
“Yes, he’s clearly a filial child, but it’s a pity that at such a young age, his father has passed away, and he has to depend on others.”
Madam Zhou, whose heart had been about to jump out of her throat from tension, saw the crisis resolved and breathed a sigh of relief.
She had truly been afraid that Lin Xiao would blurt out childishly that he usually called Jiang Xuerou “Mother.”
Fortunately, this child was smart.
