0p0 Chapter 208 Brother-in-law's Heart-to-Heart Talk!
Chapter 208 Brother-in-law's Heart-to-Heart Talk!
Mu Xin Nuan nodded, "Cousin is right, that's exactly right. No matter what, Yang Shi is still one of the second branch's own people. If someone from our side interferes, I'm afraid Second Aunt will have to fight tooth and nail to keep order in her own courtyard."
"My second aunt is petty. She's greedy and thinks everyone is like her! This Aunt Yang is my second uncle's concubine, yet she's still at my second aunt's mercy. If it were my eldest aunt instead, who knows what kind of trouble she would have caused?"
Rongyue thought for a moment, then shook her head and said, "The master and madam are so harmonious and fair, so why does the second madam always seem to be at odds with the madam?"
"Where there are many people, there will naturally be disputes; and where there are many women, there will naturally be scheming! This time, Father and Mother originally invited the Chu family to be guests, but unexpectedly, Prince Chang Le also came to get involved. Second Uncle's official position this time is not particularly satisfactory, and he was already somewhat dissatisfied. He thought he could use Father's connections to make more connections outside, but who knew that Second Aunt would directly ruin everything!"
After Mu Xin Nuan finished speaking, she smiled again, "This time, it's a good opportunity for the Yang family to rise to power."
Liu Tingting was taken aback, and her hand holding the chess piece paused slightly. "Elder sister, are you going to lend that Yang family a hand?"
"How could that be? She's just a concubine, how could she possibly compete with Second Aunt? What right does she have? Even if Second Aunt is not so great, she still has the status of a lady of the Marquis's mansion! If nothing serious happens, the people of the Marquis's mansion will naturally not bother with her, but if they bully her too much and damage the face of the Marquis's mansion, do you think the Marquis of Dingyuan will just sit idly by?"
Liu Tingting became increasingly confused. "Elder sister, what exactly do you mean by this?"
"The meaning is very simple: Yang can take a small role and manage the household temporarily, but she absolutely cannot overstep Second Aunt's authority! Otherwise, if the Marquis's family lends a hand, do you think she won't become even bolder?"
Mu Xin Nuan smiled meaningfully, "You are my cousin. Although my parents arranged your marriage, you are still a member of the Liu family!"
Liu Tingting's expression changed slightly, and she looked at Mu Xinnuan with some unease in her eyes. "Elder sister, please enlighten me."
Mu Xin Nuan casually tossed the chess piece into the jade box, then waved her hand, and Rong Yue tactfully retreated outside to guard the door.
"Your future is probably the complete opposite of what your second aunt is like now! Because she is a concubine's daughter of the Marquis's family, the Marquis's family ignores her completely, as if she doesn't exist. This is a disregard for her and for your second uncle. In other words, the Marquis's family looks down on your second uncle's family! If it weren't for Father's sake, you would have suffered even more humiliation!"
"Elder sister, didn't you just say?"
Mu Xin Nuan gestured, "Don't rush! Let me finish what I have to say."
"My second aunt's current situation is that her own family dislikes her, and her husband's family is unstable, yet she always thinks she's clever and schemes against others! You are the complete opposite of her!"
Mu Xin Nuan's expression turned slightly serious as she spoke, and then she looked at her with a deep gaze, "Tingting, your father and mother both love you. The family you will marry into in the future will definitely be either rich or noble, or at the very least, an official family. Think about it, what will the Liu family do then?"
Liu Tingting's face paled, and a hint of disappointment and pain flashed in her eyes. "Elder sister, I understand everything you're saying. I know what kind of person Father is, and how power-hungry Grandmother is! Even though you never mention it in front of me, I'm not stupid! There are many things I just don't say."
"Tingting!" Mu Xinnuan said with some concern.
Liu Tingting, however, had tears in her eyes, shook her head and chuckled softly, "Elder sister, don't worry. I'm fine! I've already thought things through regarding the last marriage. I even sent someone out to inquire later. Father and grandmother have indeed betrothed me to a merchant. Hehe, actually, I don't care what kind of family I marry into. I don't seek wealth or status, I only hope for a peaceful and harmonious family life in the future."
Mu Xin Nuan's heart skipped a beat. She had actually sent someone to inquire about it as well?
Is it a lack of trust in the Liu family? Or a lack of trust in one's own parents?
Liu Tingting gently wiped away her tears with a handkerchief. "Elder sister, you have no idea what kind of life I was living in the mansion back then. I don't hate that He Shi, really! I only hate Father and Grandmother! I hate their favoritism, I hate that they didn't treat my siblings and me like human beings, I hate that they had no affection for me and Zhuangzhuang at all!"
"Alright, Tingting, it's all in the past, don't think about it anymore." Mu Xin Nuan couldn't help but feel a lump in her throat when she heard her recount the past. "It's all in the past. Things will get better from now on."
Liu Tingting shook her head. "Elder sister, I'm never worried about whether I'll marry well or not, or whether I'll be rich or not. Really! I'm just worried about Zhuangzhuang. He's surnamed Liu after all, and he'll eventually have to return to the Liu family. Are you suggesting that he marry and have children in the Mu family in the future?"
Mu Xin Nuan reached out and gently put her arm around her shoulder. "Good sister, don't worry. We're all family, why keep talking like strangers? Zhuangzhuang does indeed have the surname Liu, and he's the eldest son of the family. He'll inherit the family business in the future! Of course, if Uncle really is a muddle-headed person, then Zhuangzhuang can simply not go back. What can you do? Anyway, Father and Mother will make the decision for you. What's there to be afraid of?"
"Elder sister, you don't know, the more it's like this, the more painful it is for me! I clearly have my own closest relatives, my own blood relatives, but how come it's like this?"
Liu Tingting couldn't say anything more, and for a moment, only her soft sobs could be heard in the room!
Mu Xin Nuan gently patted her back, "Don't be afraid! No matter how difficult things are, they will always pass, right? Just like me, that day, when the Prince of Chang Le suddenly launched his attack, do you think I wasn't afraid? But, thinking about it carefully, if you don't experience some hardships and storms in life, how can you appreciate the sweetness of sugarcane?"
Liu Tingting thought about it and realized that she only knew how to cry, but looking at her cousin, she seemed to have never seen her panicked or at a loss!
It's not that she hasn't encountered trouble, but she knows that people should look forward, and that complaining and blaming others is useless!
Liu Tingting finally understood the painstaking efforts her elder sister had made for her today. She wiped away her tears and smiled again, "Elder sister, thank you for your guidance."
Mu Xin Nuan reached out and helped her fix her hair. "You! You're so young, yet you always keep things bottled up inside. That will make you sick. In the future, if there's anything wrong, just say it out loud. There's strength in numbers, and more people always mean more solutions."