Chapter 98 Two Wives

Having sternly rejected Emperor Sheng Yuan, Guan Suyi temporarily put the matter away and concentrated on organizing Ruan shi‘s funeral. She never planned to tell her family from the beginning to end, lest her grandfather and father be worried, and if she really made a fuss to the point where the monarch and ministers turned against each other and blood splattered in the court, what’s the point of her reborn? Becoming another scourge for the family? If the day come when it was impossible to refuse, when they have to obey, and if grandfather and father felt they were disgraced, they could resign and return to their hometown and continue to open academies. It would be better than the whole family dying.

In this life, her biggest wish was to protect her family, not her family being implicated by her again, and have a bleak ending. Strong will be humiliated, and wisdom will be hurtit means strong people will inevitably be insulted and too smart people will get easily hurt, she understood that better than anyone else. Therefore, when necessary, she must learn to endure humiliation and bear heavy burdens, and be able to bend and stretch.

After putting aside her distracting thoughts, she had no dream all night, and the next day before dawn, she was busy making breakfast for the children. Zhao Chunxi and Zhao Wangshu were indeed very sensible, they took Mu Mu with them everywhere they go, when they had leisure time they would visit little Huai’en, there were perseverance looks between their eyebrows.

Although Mu Mu was young, he could understand everything. He had been reluctant to talk these days, but every time he opened his mouth, there must be a crying “I want second aunt”. He knew that the second aunt would never come back, and he was sad in his heart, but he couldn’t express it in appropriate words.

Guan Suyi was very distressed, she took him into her arms and patted him for a while, and then put him on her lap to feed him personally, finally coax him to eat two more bites. After a while, Jinzi walked in with the crying little Huai’en in her arms and said anxiously, “Madam, the second young master is so noisy when he’s sleepy, and you have to constantly rock him. We have already changed people, and after shaking for a quarter of an hour, he is still crying, The little face is red from crying! Look at this pitiful look!”

Because Zhao Huai’en’s mother died before he was born, Guan Suyi inevitably felt more pity. When she was free, she would hug and pat and rock him, which made him suffer from a bad problem. When he fell asleep, his aunt must hold him and rock him, otherwise he would never close his eyes. He also gave birth to a dog nose, not the embrace of his aunt’s cinnamon scent, then he wouldn’t buy it.

Jinzi put him out with her own hands, and she loved him like a darling. Abandoning the military household and quitting the dark guard, one was for Madam, and the other was for this child. Although she knew that Madam was very busy recently, but she couldn’t bear that little Huai’en would not sleep, so she had to bite the bullet to ask for help.

Guan Suyi was not too tired, so she handed the spoon to Mu Mu, and said softly, “You eat by yourself, mother has to spare one hand to hold your younger brother. Younger brother has just eaten and is looking at you, you can’t lose to him, you have to eat two more bowls to show him. Second aunt is not here, younger brother will depend on you to take care of him in the future.”

Mu Mu, who was still a little depressed, immediately picked up the bowl and said in a milky voice, “Mother, hold younger brother, I will eat. Second aunt take care of me, and I take care of younger brother.”

“Good boy.” Guan Suyi suppressed the tears in her eyes and reached out to hug Little Huai’en.

When Zhao Luli helped his mother enter the door, he saw that his wife was holding Mu Mu in one hand and his nephew in the other, with his daughter sitting on the left and his son on the right. She just turned nineteen in August, but she had to take care of so many children, manage the inside and outside the house, honor her mother-in-law, and when there were female guest in the front hall still needed her to handle them. Even if she was as strong as iron, she should not be able to stand it any longer, but her back was straight, her eyes were shining, her face looked determine, and didn’t show any depression, which made others feel encouraged and boosted their spirits.

The dark cloud in Zhao Luli’s heart dissipated immediately, and after helping his mother to sit down, he went to pick up his nephew, and said in a low voice, “I’ll take him, you eat first, then we will exchange when you’re finished.”

Guan Suyi shook her head gently, “Just fell asleep, it will be troublesome to wake him up when he changed hands. When he is asleep, I will put him back in the cradle, you and old madam can eat first, don’t worry about me. ”

“Mom, I’ll feed you.” Zhao Chunxi took a steamed vegetables dumpling and brought it to her stepmother’s mouth. Her expression was not flattering or calculating, but full of admiration. The feelings between people could be developed, Guan Suyi taught her sincerely, and she was naturally filial, after getting along for more than half a year, although there was no blood relation, the feelings had been very harmonious.

“I also feed mom. Mom likes to eat thousand-layer cakes.” After Guan Suyi finished eating the steamed dumpling, Zhao Wangshu also broke off a small piece of cake and handed it over.

“Mother likes to eat steamed bun the most.” Mu Mu took a huge steamed bun and stuffed it into his adoptive mother’s mouth.

Guan Suyi didn’t want to spoil the children’s kindness, she quickly finished chewing what was in her mouth and grabbed the steamed bun.

When the old madam saw such a warm and touching scene, the sadness on her face faded a lot. While praising the children for growing up and being sensible, she reached out and took the steamed bun from her daughter-in-law’s mouth to save her from choking. Zhao Luli poured a cup of hot tea and slowly fed it into his wife’s mouth, with a gentle smile on the corners of his eyes.

When the children were full, they went back to change into their mourning clothes. Guan Suyi handed the sleeping little Huai’en to Jinzi, and then picked up the bowls and chopsticks to eat.

Zhao Luli asked people to reheat the few dishes and sat by the side to accompany her. He seemed calm, but in fact he was uneasy, then tentatively said, “When I see Little Huai’en, I can’t help thinking, if Madam gives birth to a child for me too, how cute will it be? It doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy or a girl, as long as they pick up half of Madam, they will be extraordinary in the future.”

Guan Suyi said without blinking, “It’s enough to have so many children at home, I can’t bear a few more.”

“How could that be? It’s said that the more children, the more blessings. Madam is still so young, and it’s not too much to give me seventeen or eighteen more children.”

Guan Suyi suppressed her discomfort and said perfunctorily, “Don’t say these words at your sister-in-law’s funeral, it’s disrespectful to the dead.”

“I was confuse, Madam please forgive. After the filial piety period is over, let’s discuss the matter of extending the family.” Zhao Luli felt a little regretful, but he was not in a hurry. He has a lifetime to get Madam’s forgiveness. In one lifetime, forty or fifty years, even a stone could be warmed up, not to mention Madam’s heart was not a stone, but a flame wrapped in solid ice.

This solid ice was originally frozen by him layer by layer, and it should also be broken by him layer by layer. If you do something wrong, you will always be punished accordingly.

However, he imagined it well, but the world always turned against him. When the mourning period came, in front of the full house of guests, a servant woman rushed in like her butt was on fire and shouted, “Master, ma, madam is back! You go and have a look, madam is back!”

After Ye Zhen left, all the servants of the Zhao family had been changed, but they also left a few useful servants, and this woman was one of them. She didn’t expect the madam who climbed the high branch would come back. When she saw the visitor lift the veil hat, revealing a familiar yet unfamiliar face, she was almost scared out of her wits.

As soon as she finished shouting, Ye Zhen had already followed. Jueyin Temple was a public place, and no one blocked the door, so she walked to the mourning hall unhindered, showing her true face in front of everyone.

“Ye Cainu?” Someone recognized her.

“No, it’s not Ye Cainu, it’s her twin sister Ye Zhen. Don’t you see a mole in the corner of her eye? Ye Cainu doesn’t have one.” Someone explained.

“Didn’t Ye Cainu‘s sister drown a long time ago?”

“It never said that she was drowning, just fell into the Yellow River and washed away. Maybe at that time she had a great luck and was rescued by some kindhearted person, then she lived outside for all these years, and only been found today.” The person kept explaining, as if deliberately guide the conversation.

The people around really believed it. They looked at the relatively silent couple for a while, then at Madam Guan who looked surprised, and then shook their head, thought in their hearts: the ex-wife is not dead and married a second wife, and now both are present, it’s a difficult problem to choose which one to pick up which one to give up; to take both, who is high who is low is another problem.

In theory, the one who came in first should be the main wife; in terms of interest, the one with a prominent family background should also occupy the exclusive position; in terms of feeling, this must be a sure win for the ex-wife! Who in Yanjing didn’t know that Zhao Luli was willing to give everything for Ye Zhen, and he fell to such a point like today was also because his feeling was too heavy thus implicated by the Ye family. What’s more, he and Ye Zhen raised two children together, which were the most important bargaining chip.

A woman as amazing and brilliant as Madam Guan was helpless in the face of such situation. She could neither monopolize the position nor the husband, and a single sentence “first come, first served” could crush her to death. No matter how people say it, the original first wife who officially wed was the di wife, and even the dowry and children were kept in the house!

This time there is a big trouble, two women are fighting for one husband, let’s see who wins and who loses! Everyone’s mind was lively, but their faces were extremely serious.

Ye Zhen was inexplicably sent out of the palace, and when she was penniless, she had to come to her ex-husband. In the past six months, although she was demoted to Cainu, Emperor Sheng Yuan did not let the palace people to treat her harshly, but continued to serve delicious food like before, so that her face was delicate and her figure was graceful, her appearance was the same as when she left.

When she thought that this was a sign that the emperor had long been in love with her and would choose to forgive her one day, she was dragged out of Ganquan Palace by several men in black and thrown on the street at will. She finally walked to the Zhao Mansion, but found that there was no one inside. She asked the neighbors to find out that the Ruan shi had died violently, and the whole family went to Jueyin Temple.

“A’li, I’m back! I finally found you!” Seeing that Zhao Luli was just staring at her with complicated eyes, but did not rush up to acknowledge her, she had no choice but to called out tearfully. She couldn’t go back to the palace, and Ye family was ruined, she couldn’t find any support except her ex-husband. How high she flew back then, how much she fell right now. Looking back, the only person who could catch her was the person who was in love with her in the first place.

“You, why are you back? You’re not…” Zhao Luli was in a trance, as if in a dream.

“Come in and discuss it inside!” The old madam resisted her anger and interrupted.

“The sacrificial ceremony of sister-in-law is about to begin. You family get inside to talk, and I take care of the outside.” Guan Suyi waved to her mother secretly, saying that she was fine. At first, she was indeed a little surprised, but after thinking about it, she realized that this must be Hunnar’s handwriting. He thought that she was too comfortable in the Zhao family, so he put Ye Zhen back, anyway, Ye Zhen’s ruse had been exposed, and there was only death left in the palace, it’s better to make the best use of things.

She had to admit that this was a smart move. She never liked to play those inner house tricks, and she was not good at fighting openly and maneuver covertly. If Ye Zhen wanted to be a demon, she would be too lazy to deal with her, so she could only reconcile. Maybe exposing Ye Zhen’s true face in front of Zhao Luli was also a way out, but why bother? That person loved Ye Zhen for two lifetimes, might as well let him realize this dream. Whether it’s bitter or sweet, you have to eat the karma you sow.

Afraid she couldn’t stay in the Zhao Mansion any longer, but what should Mu Mu do? What should Little Huai’en do? These issues that she should not have to consider had now become her biggest worry.

Previous     TOC     Next