Chapter 3, Teasing Grandmother

At the latest, Yang Chongting, having heard the words of Madam Guo, indeed went to inquire with Yang Shangbao and learned that You Wu had broken off her engagement with the Shen family before marrying into the Yang family, which finally put his mind at ease

Upon hearing that Lady Lu had arrived, You Wu instructed Shi Zhu to invite her in promptly

Upon hearing this, Lady Ji ceased her weeping, though tears continued to fall. She pulled You Wu closer and said: "My dear, there is one more thing I must tell you. After you hear it, do not let it trouble your mind."

Madam Song of the second household is not the original wife, but a secondary wife. Among the sisters-in-law, she often feels inferior. Because her family has connections with Madam Guo's family, she was able to marry into the Yang family as the secondary wife largely due to Madam Guo's influence, as she has always followed Madam Guo's lead. Since Madam Guo has not shown any particular attitude towards You Wu, she too remains passive and signals her daughter Yang Siyi and son Yang Siyi to behave themselves and refrain from making any small moves.

Upon hearing this, Granny Gu felt relieved. If You Wu were to flaunt her authority as an elder and require each household to come and pay their respects every morning, it would likely cause a great uproar.

You Wu was taken aback, wow, at this age, Yang Shangbao actually has a concubine competing for his affection? This Lu concubine even came crying in front of me, the main wife.

After everyone had finished paying their respects with tea and had withdrawn one by one, Yang Shangbao also went to the study on his own. You Wu then called over an old maid and smiled, "You are Gu Ma, aren't you?"

What on earth is going on? You Wu is at a loss for words; how can this be decided?

In the afternoon, Gu Momo came to report, saying that each household would come to pay their respects tomorrow morning, and she was unsure whether it would disturb You Wu's tranquility

Hearing this, You Wu did not require them to pay their respects, and Madam Gu breathed a sigh of relief, saying to Madam Song, "She indeed has self-awareness"

Yang Siyi felt somewhat indignant, how could you, Yang Siming, actually sneakily touch grandmother's little hand in front of so many people, is this reasonable?

"Mother, do not cry!" You Wu could not help but persuade her a few times

"Mother, I do not blame you; this is fate." You Wu, feeling helpless, could only say: "Since the matter has occurred, crying is of no use. If you cry until you are unwell, what will happen to your younger siblings?"

Madam Song, seeing that there was no one in the room, stepped forward and whispered: "I have heard that she was originally betrothed to the son of the Shen family. Now that she is marrying into the Yang family, how can the Shen family tolerate this?"

You Wu observed the expressions of the crowd and felt a slight sense of emotion. Not to mention that Yang Siming had concealed his actions well when he scratched her hand, few had noticed. Even if he had not concealed it, would the people of the Yang family blame him? No, they would only blame Yang Shangbao for bringing this calamity into the house, and they would turn around and accuse her of being unfaithful to her husband.

On the third day of returning home, Yang Shangbao happened to suffer from a cough, so he assigned Yang Siming and Yang Siyu to escort You Wu back to her family, while he stayed at home to recuperate

I think so too," Yang Siduan sighed and said, "I understand now. It was right for Madam Ji not to bring her to the banquet earlier. If she had appeared, what would have been the point for anyone else?

Aunt Gu hurriedly said she did not dare, and only then did she sit sideways at the lower position of You Wu, smiling as she explained the personnel relationships of the Yang residence to You Wu one by one

Madam Guo said: "The son of the Shen family has recently lost his mother, and during the mourning period, he cannot take a new wife. To avoid misfortune, she naturally needs to break off the engagement with the Shen family and then marry into our Yang family."

Seeing Youwu's surprise, Aunt Lu sobbed a few times and said: "Aunt Gu is actually the niece of Granny Gu. Relying on her youth and beauty, she always monopolizes the master. The madam should take a stand for us."

Madam Lu noticed that You Wu did not respond to her words, so she said again: "If the matriarch has any matters to attend to, please feel free to instruct me"

Seeing that Madam Ji could only cry, You Wu understood why You Wenda had to send himself off in a bridal sedan chair before leaving. The You family currently had few members, and with Madam Ji being weak and the younger siblings still young, once You Wenda was no longer at home, if the Yan family came up with any excuse to pressure them, she feared she would have to obediently go to the Yan family as a concubine

Madam Ji wiped her tears and said softly, "The Shen family has sent someone to ask you to return the items to Shen Yunan."

Madam Song whispered, "How come I heard that she hasn't broken off the engagement with the Shen family yet, and is just waiting for the Yan clan to fall, so that the old master can write a divorce letter for her, and then she will marry the son of the Shen family?"

You Wu felt Yang Siming's fingers glide across her palm, his nails lightly scratching her palm, causing her heart to tremble involuntarily. What a bold boy, daring to tease his grandmother!

"Where did you hear that?" Lady Guo was taken aback and shook her head, saying, "That's impossible. Everyone knows that the Shen family values their reputation above all else. Even if the Yan family were to fall, the Shen family would never accept a woman who has been married before as a daughter-in-law"

Yang Shangbao has two daughters and five sons, among which the third son, Yang Chonglou, and the fifth son, Yang Chongshan, are both born of a concubine, Lady Lu.

You Wu nodded slightly and smiled, saying: "Aunt Gu, please take a seat! I am new to the residence and am unaware of the matters here, so I would like to seek your guidance."

Madam Song did not mention where she heard this news, but frowned and said: "So has she broken off the engagement with the Shen family or not? If she has not broken off the engagement and marries into the Yang family, it would be quite embarrassing for the old master when it comes to light"

"I have taken the elixir!" Yang Siqing casually replied, then added, "No wonder Yan San is so infatuated, determined to win her over! If I were a man, I would also be moved.

You only need to serve the master well

You Wu was called "mother-in-law," "grandmother," and "madam" by various people this morning. Regarding these forms of address, she had long since become numb and merely smiled while serving tea to Lady Lu, not engaging with her words. For a moment, she observed Lady Lu, noting that she was just over fifty, her hair neatly styled, her brows and eyes gentle, giving the impression of a good-natured person, which made her secretly breathe a sigh of relief

Yang Siming's small actions may deceive others, but they cannot escape the notice of Yang Siyi and Yang Simu, who have always been with him

Youwu could not help but smile. Just as she was about to speak, she saw Shizhu come in and ask if they needed to prepare lunch. She nodded and asked Lanyue to invite Yang Shangbao to join them for the meal

Although the You family and the Yang family have been family friends for generations, after the passing of Elder You and Madam You, Madam Ji, the wife of You Wenda, seldom ventured out and rarely visited the Yang residence, leading to a gradual estrangement between the two families. Furthermore, since Madam Ji arranged for You Wu to be betrothed to Shen Yunan at the age of ten, she kept her confined and rarely allowed her to go out, nor did she take her to various banquets hosted by other families. As a result, among the members of the Yang family, except for Yang Shangbao who had met You Wu, the others, although they had heard of her renowned beauty, had never seen her before. Moreover, Madam Ji, due to the same reasons, continued to restrict You Wu's outings, further contributing to the distance between the two families.

Mother, you said, I can endure it

You Wu understood that this was a test from everyone, so she smiled and said, "There is no need for formal greetings. If there is something, I will have someone invite them over."

Since the passing of Yang Shangbao's elderly wife, Aunt Lu has been burdened with a great weight, yet her days have been quite carefree. Moreover, her third son, Yang Chonglou, is exceptionally diligent and has achieved academic success early on, becoming the fastest among his brothers to enter the court as an official. Although he currently holds only a fifth-rank position, his future prospects are boundless. With such a son, Aunt Lu naturally feels a sense of pride and considers herself a half matriarch of the Yang family. However, now that there is suddenly another mistress above her, she naturally feels compelled to investigate the situation.

Just as I was pondering, a maid named Shizhu entered and reported: "Madam, Aunt Lu has arrived!"

Madam Lu entered with a smile and greeted You Wuxing. After taking her seat, she smiled and said: "Our master is indeed fortunate to have been able to marry the madam into the family"

After Aunt Lu left, Lan Yue frowned and said, "Miss, this Aunt seems to be quite honest in appearance, but in reality, she harbors ill intentions! She is stirring up trouble between you and the other Aunts."

Although Madam Guo reluctantly called You Wu "mother-in-law," she felt somewhat comforted in her heart upon seeing that Yang Shangbao did not ask his sons to pay their respects with tea and call You Wu "mother." Everyone was well aware of the reasons behind You Wu's marriage into the Yang family; it would be excessive for the entire family to support her because of that.

Upon hearing You Wu's words, Lady Ji cried even harder, sobbing: "It is I who have wronged you, my child. That day, I should not have allowed you to go pay your respects. Had you not gone, naturally, Yan San Shi would not have seen you, and such a thing would not have happened."

Yang Siduan from the third house has always been proud of her beauty, and now she appears even more enchanting. Her tender heart is shattered into pieces, and she says to Yang Siqing from the fourth house: "What do you think she eats to have grown up like this?"

After Granny Gu left, You Wu remained silent for quite a while. The Yang family is large and influential; pulling one hair can move the whole body. Moreover, Yang Shangbao is elderly and only awaits the emperor's approval to retire honorably. At this juncture, to risk offending the Yan family by bringing oneself into the family may not be as simple as one thinks.

Speaking of this, Aunt Lu suddenly burst into tears, took out a handkerchief to wipe her tears and said: "I am old, no longer of use, and the master no longer requires my service. Now, the ones serving the master are Aunt Gu and Aunt Liu."

Yang Shangbao was indeed aware that Lady Lu had visited, yet he refrained from making any comments, and You Wu also chose not to elaborate further

Yang Siming's fingers brushed against You Wu's palm, feeling a smooth and warm sensation that stirred his heart and mind. However, under the watchful eyes of the crowd, he could not reveal any signs of his feelings and had to quickly retract his hand. He watched as You Wu sipped her tea and handed him a pouch before she finally stepped back.

Madam Ji sent off You Wu for her marriage, and then also saw off You Wen Dao, crying for two days straight, her eyes swollen from weeping. When You Wu returned home, she embraced her and cried once more.

Madam Gu's expression also became serious, and after a while she said: "I will discuss this with my husband in the evening and have him ask the elder master. We must not let the entire Yang family suffer because of one woman"

Aunt Gu originally received instructions from Yang Shangbao and did not dare to neglect You Wu, so she bent down and replied: "Indeed!"

Yang Simu was also angry. As soon as grandmother entered, you, Yang Siming, were already coveting her, even stroking your fingertips and scratching your palm. How outrageous is this

At this moment, the members of the Yang family, while serving tea, each took a careful look at You Wu. They noticed that today she was wearing a maroon auspicious-patterned long-sleeved jacket, styled her hair in a dignified peony bun, with a red gold hairpin shaped like a phoenix holding a pearl inserted in the center, and adorned with a few small emerald hairpins at her temples, presenting the appearance of an elderly lady. The issue was that such an elderly-looking attire on You Wu only accentuated her fair skin like jade and her eyes that held the depth of autumn waters, exuding an unusual charm. They all secretly sighed, thinking that the old master was not marrying a wife, but rather bringing a calamity into the home.