Chapter 2, Grandparent-Grandchild Relationship

It is inevitable that the Ge family will be compared to Jiang and Gu, and she herself cannot help but compare herself to the two in her heart. At this moment, both of her sisters-in-law from separate rooms are presenting gifts to Wei Heng, yet Ge, this direct sister-in-law, is financially constrained, her dowry being almost non-existent. As for the meager salary of the third young master Wei Li, it is barely enough for his own social engagements, let alone spare funds for Ge to utilize. Ge also wishes to offer something to Wei Heng as a supplement, but what does she have to give?

The old lady held Wei Heng's face and said: "You have lost weight, too much weight. This time, you must take good care of your health and not fall ill at such a young age."

As soon as Jiang spoke, the second young mistress of the main house quickly said that she had high-quality deer antler. He replied with a smile, expressing his gratitude. In fact, Wei Heng was so young that she could hardly withstand the potent tonics like ginseng and deer antler; this was merely a gesture of goodwill that prioritized expense over suitability.

Although Ge is a standout in women's education, after marrying, she must wash her hands and prepare meals. While discussing poetry and composing verses cannot be entirely neglected, it is ultimately not her primary occupation. In a household with sisters-in-law, comparisons are inevitable, much like the lifelong competition between He and the noblewoman Mu.

As for Wei Xuan, with her delicate features, she was elevated to the heavens by a group of sycophants, becoming a celestial fairy descending to the mortal realm, leading a generation's aesthetic standards. Her slightly elongated, not overly large, phoenix eyes became known as the "window to the soul." In contrast, Wei Heng's eyes could only be described as large and devoid of spirit.

In fact, it is not the case for every matter; at least in one aspect, Wei Heng surpasses Wei Xuan, and that is in appearance. After growing up, Wei Heng can truly be described as a beauty that eclipses the moon and shames the flowers, captivating cities and nations.

It is said that Ge should not be able to marry into a family like the Jingning Marquis, but as we mentioned earlier, once a woman enters a girls' school, her value increases exponentially, and she has no worries about marriage. The He family adheres to the timeless truth that "noble families marry daughters, while humble families marry daughters-in-law." As the He family has fallen into commerce and their status has declined, if they were to marry a daughter from a prestigious family, it would sometimes be difficult for the He family to maintain their dignity. Therefore, they simply chose Ge, a talented and beautiful poor female student with a respectable background.

However, it is a pity that Wei Heng was born in an untimely era. Had she been born in a dynasty that valued beauty above all, she would undoubtedly have outshone everyone. It is regrettable that in the Great Xia Dynasty, women were judged solely on their talent and virtue, and Wei Heng's beauty became a burden for her, often leading to her being ridiculed as having looks without talent or being big-breasted but empty-headed

Listen, this is just childish talk, instead it speaks ill of the old lady

Therefore, in terms of appearance, Wei Heng cannot be said to surpass Wei Xuan.

However, Wei Xuan is even more formidable than her mother; throughout her life, she has always left Wei Heng far behind.

You say that Wei Xuan is such a formidable adversary that upon hearing her name, Wei Heng cannot help but feel a headache and chest tightness. In fact, Wei Heng enjoyed a life of luxury and wealth in her previous life, yet she was truly unhappy in her heart, and she caused He Shi to be disappointed for a lifetime, even having to witness the white-haired person send off the black-haired one. Wei Heng is unwilling to experience such a life again, nor does she wish for He Shi to be disappointed once more, thus she feels that it would be better for her to simply die, as enduring long pain is worse than a short one, sparing He Shi from repeated blows.

Thus, Wei Heng has never won a single thing against Wei Xuan in her entire life

At that time, women were considered to have elongated almond-shaped eyes and flat chests as the standard of beauty, as if these were essential traits for a talented woman

Wei Heng rubbed her eyes and said, "Sister Guiyun, it is Zhu Zhu'er who is being unreasonable, but I just miss our ancestors too much." Wei Heng wrapped her arms around the old lady's waist and buried her head completely in her embrace

Currently, the internal affairs of the Jingning Marquis's residence are managed by this eldest young lady, who is adept at dealing with people. There is not a single person in the household, from top to bottom, who does not like her

However, the eldest daughter-in-law of the second branch, the Ge family, was personally chosen by He. She came from a family of female scholars, and her family had been educated for generations. Unfortunately, she had little fortune, with the highest official position being that of a county instructor.

The old lady, out of affection for Wei Heng, inevitably favored her a bit more. Moreover, Wei Heng had a difficult start in life; when she was born, she was as weak as a kitten. The old lady specially spent a large sum to invite a high monk from Fahua Temple to chant scriptures for seven days to pray for her blessings and to ward off disasters. There was also a wandering Taoist who said that Wei Heng had a light fate, easily susceptible to evil influences, and that she needed to be nurtured beside someone with a heavier fate for a year.

Wei Heng inadvertently caught a glimpse of Ge's flushed face, and could not help but feel some sympathy for this sister-in-law. In her previous life, she had looked down upon Ge, thinking that she came from a humble background and was not at all gracious, often bringing her embarrassment, as is the case in the current situation.

Wei Heng wiped her tears and raised her head, sobbing as she said: "No one is bullying me, I just miss my ancestors. Why don't the ancestors come to see Zhu Zhu?"

Such a pitiful little one, how could the old lady not like her? Holding her close, she couldn't help but wipe away her tears, saying: "It's all right, it's all right, may the Bodhisattva bless you; this illness of yours has truly shattered your grandmother's heart"

After much consideration, it was concluded that the old lady in the household held the most weight in terms of her life, which is why Wei Heng spent a year by her side during her childhood. However, He's desire for a daughter was strong, and the old lady was not a cruel stepmother like those found in broken families. Therefore, in the end, Wei Heng returned to He’s side, but this made the old lady's feelings for Wei Heng particularly special.

Turning to He, Jiang said: "Second Aunt, my family has just sent two old ginseng roots, please give them to Third Sister to help her regain her strength."

Everyone was busy persuading the old lady to take a rest, and it took a great effort to finally stop the tears of both the grandmother and the grandchild

Upon arriving at Ruiyun Hall, Wei Heng, holding He's hand, had just stepped inside when she saw the elderly lady in the seat of honor calling out to her: "Zhu Zhu, come here to your grandmother quickly"

However, the old lady felt great pain and would never blame Wei Heng

However, in the past two years, due to the He family's strict control over Wei Hang, she has often been lectured on the demeanor of a proper lady. As she is now in the presence of the elderly matriarch, she no longer indulges in her usual coquettishness and must instead adopt the poised demeanor of a lady who walks gracefully without moving her skirt.

Wei Xuan is exceptionally talented, mastering whatever she learns effortlessly. At the age of 12, she easily gained admission to the girls' school. In contrast, Wei Heng had to struggle tirelessly and only managed to enter the girls' school through the means of "favoritism".

In her youth, Wei Heng was naive and once lost her temper at the He family, questioning why she had such large eyes.

The old lady is extremely fond of Wei Heng, and she is one of the few who does not favor Wei Xuan simply because of Wei Xuan's outstanding qualities. As the saying goes, the emperor loves the eldest son, while the common people love the youngest. Wei Heng's father, Wei Jun, is the youngest son of Zhang's mother. Before giving birth to Wei Jun, Zhang's mother had two consecutive pregnancies that did not result in live births. When she became pregnant with Wei Jun, she initially thought that this child would not survive either, but unexpectedly, he was born healthy and chubby. How could Zhang's mother not dote on him? Wei Heng's father, Wei Jun, is the youngest son of Zhang's mother. Before giving birth to Wei Jun, Zhang's mother had two consecutive pregnancies that did not result in live births. When she became pregnant with Wei Jun, she initially thought that this child would not survive either, but unexpectedly, he was born healthy and chubby. How could Zhang's mother not dote on him?

Only Wei Heng's sister-in-law, the third young mistress, had a flushed face and stammered, unable to speak. It turned out that the two young mistresses of the main family, Jiang and Gu, both came from noble families and had substantial dowries. Their maternal families were also influential, and sending a little ginseng or deer antler was merely a drop in the bucket for them, not worth mentioning.

Able to eat, drink, run, and jump, Wei Heng must go to Ruiyun Hall to pay respects to the elderly Madam Zhang, and then begin attending school

Later on, Wei Xuan married Lu Zhan, the Duke of Qi, who was equally talented and distinguished in both literature and martial arts, and could be considered a remarkable son-in-law of the nation. The two shared a deep affection for each other, and Wei Xuan managed to keep all the concubines in line. Furthermore, Wei Xuan was fortunate, as she gave birth to a son in the first year of her marriage, and subsequently had five more sons before taking a break.

As for Wei Heng, she married Wei Xuan's cousin, the later Duke of Yongping, Fan Yong. Throughout his life, Fan Yong was secretly in love with Wei Xuan, and marrying Wei Heng, in his words, meant that Wei Heng and Wei Xuan shared the same bloodline

Such matters as the lady, fellow scholars, and female students are all regrettable events that make one pound their chest and stamp their feet

He family's dowry is so substantial that it leaves people astonished, and every year there are dividends from the He family. Naturally, they do not lack those two ginseng roots, but what is truly valuable is the sincere intention from the Jiang family

Today marks the first time Wei Heng has met the old lady since her rebirth. Before this meeting, it did not matter much to her, as in her heart, the old lady was someone who had passed away decades ago. She had not yet sorted out her own thoughts and was still in a daze, unwilling to accept the reality of her rebirth. However, upon hearing the old lady call her "Zhu Zhu Er" and seeing her in person, how could her heart not be stirred? At that moment, she broke free from He's hand and rushed into the old lady's embrace, crying sorrowfully.

The young maid Guiyun, who was attending to the old lady, quickly spoke up: "Third Miss, you have misunderstood the old ancestor. Your illness pains her heart; it is not that she does not wish to see you, but rather that we are all concerned that seeing you unwell would sadden her. We had to persuade her with much effort to refrain from visiting you."

How should one put this? Wei Heng simply did not want to recall it. When Wei Heng failed to gain admission to the women's academy, it was as if the sky had fallen for the He family. Later, seeing Wei Heng's plight, Wei Xuan secretly sought the help of her aunt, the Empress Mu, who provided a backdoor entry for Wei Heng, allowing her to be admitted to the women's academy. However, the circle in the capital was quite small, and everyone knew that Wei Heng had entered through the backdoor. People like them had a colloquial term, which was "same female students"

Oh dear, my precious grandson, why are you crying so sadly? Who has bullied our Zhu Zhu? Tell your grandmother, and she will seek justice for you.

In fact, when Wei Heng was gravely ill, the old lady had gone to see her. However, at that time, the doctor suggested preparing for the end and seeking to lift her spirits. Upon hearing this, the old lady nearly fainted, causing everyone to hurriedly assist her in leaving, and they forbade her from visiting Wei Heng again

In the end, Wei Heng was also injured because of this, passing away in her thirties. As soon as she closed her eyes, she returned to the present, while at that time, Wei Xuan was still alive. She, Wei Heng, had an even shorter life than Wei Xuan.

Thanks to Wei Xuan, Fan Yong treated Wei Heng relatively well, and there were no scandals of favoritism towards concubines at the expense of the wife. However, it was indeed difficult for Wei Heng to give birth; she worked tirelessly her entire life and finally gave birth to a son at the age of thirty.

However, despite the thoughts, the will to survive is deeply hidden in everyone's heart. Wei Heng was forced by the He family to take medicine and eat, and coupled with her young age and strong recovery ability, after half a month, her little face regained its rosy complexion, beautiful like a ripe apple

Isn't this the way of things? The young lady Jiang stepped forward and took Wei Heng's hand, sighing, "In the past, you were plump and fair, just like the jade maiden beneath the Bodhisattva Guanyin. Now, you must take good care to restore your vitality."