Chapter 62: Chapter 26: Lian Dongfang_2
Old Madam liked Yueyao, and part of the reason came from her son, Lian Dongbo. Previously, her son had always expressed regret in his letters that Yueyao was not a boy, otherwise the Lian family would definitely produce another Top Scholar. Having spent some time together, Old Madam also knew that Yueyao was stubborn and obstinate. But considering her filial piety and her lack of parents, it was inevitable that Old Madam would be particularly fond of her.
However, she also knew that such a nature was dangerous. Had she not known about Lady Mo’s malicious schemes, it might have been alright, but now that she was aware, Yueyao would doubtlessly oppose any designs against her. In the end, it was the Lian family’s reputation that would suffer. But now, it appeared that this girl not only distrusted Lady Mo but also had no faith in the eldest son. This disposition truly gave Old Madam a headache.
Lady Mo was secretly pleased, thinking that if Yueyao did not gain the Old Master’s favor, it would be for the best. Yueying was puzzled by Yueyao’s attitude. To openly defy her father seemed terribly imprudent.
Yuebing had no idea of the undercurrents stirring beneath the surface.
Yuehuan noticed Yueyao’s indifference in her eyes, which seemed somewhat strange and chilling. Over this period, Yuehuan had been listening to Maternal Aunt Su’s analysis of various matters. She also knew that her biological father had a very strict personality, a man who was resolute and significantly patriarchal. What could be the reason now that she had boldly defied her father?
During this time, Yuehuan had essentially dismissed the idea that Yueyao was a replica of Younger Sister Lin. Compared to Yueyao, her situation was even more precarious. Who could know that this body was to be Second Young Lady Yuebing’s subordinate. Subordinate was a euphemism; to be precise, she was a daughter born of a concubine who had to ingratiate herself with Second Young Lady Yuebing. The thought of having to please Second Young Lady Yuebing weighed heavily on Yuehuan.
Old Madam said with a smile, “Today, with your return, my place has been much livelier. It always felt too serene here. It’s all thanks to this maid Yueyao, who comes to keep me company every day.”
Lian Dongfang glanced at Lady Mo, then quickly stood up and accused himself of being unfilial. This merely revealed his stance. Everyone in Capital City knew of his extreme filial piety and virtue. People took him as a role model, earning unanimous praise.
Lady Mo’s expression froze immediately. As Lian Dongfang stepped out to call himself unfilial, where could Lady Mo dare to linger? She had to follow Lian Dongfang. Inside, Lady Mo felt aggrieved, thinking that as a daughter-in-law, she had been as perfect as possible, yet Old Madam could always find fault. The Old Master, however, never asked why; as long as Old Madam declared something unsatisfactory, it was her fault.
Old Madam waved her hand and laughed.
Lian Dongfang revisited an earlier suggestion, “Mother, why don’t you keep a child close by? It would also liven up the courtyard a bit.” He had previously made this suggestion, but Old Madam hadn’t agreed, always saying that she was old and wished for peace. Now mentioning the quietness again, Lian Dongfang believed Old Madam might be softening her stance, considering keeping a child close by.
Everyone assumed Old Madam would still refuse, but surprisingly, she nodded immediately, “Yes, the courtyard is indeed too quiet. Having a child would make it more lively.” Old Madam had no intentions of keeping a grandchild close by. The grandchildren were already big and needed to go to school. She lacked the energy for that.
As Lian Dongfang naturally proceeded, “Since Mother likes Third Girl, let Third Girl stay and keep Mother company.” It was commendable that she could come over every day to read scriptural texts to her grandmother.
Lady Mo was left hanging, worried that if Yueyao stayed by Old Madam’s side, even if she didn’t learn everything, learning three or four parts would make her harder to control later.
Aside from Yueying and Yuehuan, everyone else looked towards Yueyao. Lately, Yueyao had been accompanying Old Madam during her morning greetings. No one in the Lian family knew that Third Young Lady was Old Madam’s favorite. Thus, everyone believed Old Madam was referring to Yueyao.
Yuebing, however, showed no reaction. She might not be chosen anyway. The reason being simple: Grandmother did not like her, and she did not like her prejudiced and overly strict grandmother.
Yueyao, however, was doubtful. In her previous life, Grandmother had never kept a granddaughter by her side. Could it be that because of her performance and persuasion, she really convinced Grandmother to decide to keep a granddaughter close? But even so, being a daughter in the household, how could she stand against Lady Mo?
Old Madam shook her head, “Yueyao still needs to look after Brother Zheng; having both of them close by would be too much of a commotion.” Excluding Yueyao also gave Lian Dongfang the final say.
Yueyao was very puzzled about what her grandmother was doing.
Lian Dongfang looked at his three daughters and after a moment said, “Mother, Yueying is the eldest sister and should set an example for her younger siblings. Mother, let Yueying stay with you.” Of his three daughters, only the eldest was more composed. The second daughter was too capricious, and the third daughter, slightly dull, had now become more lively but had lost her memory. All things considered, only Yueying was the most suitable.
Upon hearing this, Lady Mo nearly gnashed her teeth in anger. To elevate a child born of a concubine was unacceptable, even if she was unwilling for Yuebing to endure restrictions at Old Madam’s side. But she also disliked the idea of Yueying pandering to Old Madam, especially since Yueying was born by the loathed Maternal Aunt Chen.
Yueying was somewhat nervous. If she was raised by Old Madam’s side, being acknowledged as a lady taught by Old Madam would raise her status significantly, promising a good match in the future. Moreover, gaining Old Madam’s favor would also benefit Brother Chao. So, Yueying looked towards Old Madam with great hope, wishing for her approval.
Yuehuan kept her head down, pondering her own situation, ambiguous and uneasy. Maternal Auntie was the personal maid to the head Madam. Maternal Auntie said that the three of them, mother and daughters, must stand with Madam on the same front. Being a daughter born of a concubine, she could only please Second Young Lady to satisfy Madam. All these complicated matters burdened her. To avoid suspicion, she dared not speak or act carelessly, fearing mistakes. Today was also her first public appearance.