After the Start of Spring, rainfall became frequent, and the moisture in the air intensified. On their way back from Cixin Hall, the outer garments of the mother and son were dampened by the mist and dew.
Especially since Cuiwei Courtyard was situated in a relatively remote part of Duke Lu Manor, the path was lined with abundant vegetation.
Yun Wan removed their dampened outer robes and handed them to the maids. She then took out a clean handkerchief to wipe her son’s hair, only to notice his sullen expression.
His soft, plump face, round like a steamed bun, was puffed up, and his faint arched eyebrows were furrowed tightly, making him resemble a prematurely serious little old man.
Unable to resist, Yun Wan gently pinched his eyebrows, eyes, and cheeks, teasing him, “What’s wrong? Who has upset our Ge’er?”
The term “Ge’er” was used in families with many siblings to address the younger generation, with one character from their given name added to distinguish them, making it slightly formal.
However, the Lu Family had few descendants in this generation, and A Sui had few siblings. Thus, Yun Wan rarely addressed him this way, except occasionally in jest, as she was doing now.
A Sui said, “Mother, I don’t like Grandmother.”
Yun Wan was taken aback. She cupped his face in her hands, leaned down, and asked seriously, “Why?”
With his cheeks pressed against his mother’s soft palms, A Sui nuzzled them, his expression hesitant.
Seeing this, Yun Wan dismissed her personal maid and closed the door, leaving only the two of them in the room.
She led her son to sit down and patiently inquired, “There’s no one else here now. A Sui, can you tell Mother honestly why you don’t like Grandmother?”
A Sui pursed his lips and replied in a muffled tone, “Because Grandmother treats you poorly.”
Yun Wan was stunned.
Recalling certain rumors she had heard before, Yun Wan suspected that someone had been gossiping in front of A Sui. Her heart sank abruptly, and her expression shifted.
“Why would you think that? Did someone say something to you?”
Yun Wan suspected that someone had been spreading malicious gossip in front of A Sui.
However, A Sui shook his head, took Yun Wan’s hand, and said, “Grandmother smiles when she sees others, but every time she sees you, she looks like this.”
Suddenly, he furrowed his brows into a frown, drooped his eyes, and mimicked Old Madam Lu’s expression when she saw Yun Wan. At first glance, the resemblance was striking, about seventy to eighty percent accurate.
Yun Wan couldn’t help but laugh but quickly stopped herself.
A Sui puffed out his little cheeks and continued, “Grandmother always speaks to you harshly, but she never treats the other aunts that way. Even the incense you painstakingly prepare for her and the forehead warmers you make—Grandmother never uses any of them…”
He listed the observations he had kept to himself for a long time, his mood visibly dampened. “I’m no longer an ignorant three-year-old child. I’ve noticed all of this. Grandmother simply doesn’t treat you well.”
Children are naturally sensitive to emotions. They may not understand the reasons, but they can clearly and directly discern likes and dislikes.
Old Madam Lu’s disapproval of Yun Wan was difficult to conceal in her demeanor, and over time, A Sui had naturally come to realize it.
Yun Wan’s heart was filled with mixed emotions. She opened her arms and hugged A Sui tightly, sighing softly, “My dear child…”
Looking down into his clear, spring-like eyes, she said gently, “Since that’s the case, Mother will be honest with you. Your grandmother… indeed has some misunderstandings about me. But these are matters between us adults. The reasons are complicated, and you’re still young. There’s no need for you to worry about this or take it to heart, understand?”
A Sui pouted, “But I feel sad for you, Mother. Grandmother is always kind and affectionate toward the other aunts, so why does she treat you this way? I don’t understand.”
His mother was so wonderful—the best person in the world. Why did Grandmother single her out for such harsh treatment?
Why?
Yun Wan knew all too well.
The Yun and Lu families had arranged a marriage alliance years earlier, stipulating that one of the Lu sons must marry a Yun daughter. However, with the old master passing away early, it had not yet been decided who would marry whom.
From the Yun Family’s perspective, they naturally wanted their daughter to marry the Lu Family’s legitimate eldest son.
But as luck would have it, Lu Yuanduo, the eldest son of the Lu Family, was already betrothed to his mentor’s daughter, with the wedding date fast approaching.
As the Lu Family gained imperial favor and rose in prominence, the Yun Family, fearing their bond might weaken, had no choice but to shift the marriage arrangement to Lu Fenglan, the second legitimate son of the Lu Family.
Yet everyone in the capital knew that the third son of the Lu Family was a sickly child. From birth, fortune-tellers had predicted he would not live past twenty. Any family with a conscience would hesitate to marry their daughter to such an invalid, condemning her to a wasted life.
The matriarch of the Yun Family—Yun Wan’s stepmother—was no exception.
Unwilling to let her own daughter throw her life away on a sickly man, yet unable to send a secondary daughter without risking offense, the marriage naturally fell to Yun Wan.
With her birth mother long deceased, her father indifferent, and no one to shield her, she became the one to marry the third son of the Lu Family.
While her husband Lu Fenglan was still alive, Old Madam Lu had treated Yun Wan with relative kindness and normalcy.
But after her husband’s passing, the old madam grew particularly cold toward Yun Wan, her youngest daughter-in-law. She believed Yun Wan’s striking beauty was like that of a fox spirit, who had clung to her youngest son, draining his vitality and ruining his health.
Moreover, she listened to slanderous whispers, convinced that Yun Wan was ill-fated—cursing both husband and mother—and bore an inauspicious destiny.
Just half a month after her youngest son’s death, she even attempted to…
Recalling that moment, Yun Wan trembled slightly, instinctively pulling A Sui closer. Feeling the warmth of his small body, the icy fear that had seeped into her limbs gradually receded.
Thankfully, this child had come just in time.
Noticing his mother’s unease, A Sui looked up. “Mother?”
Yun Wan pushed her emotions aside, her palm gently stroking his soft cheek, her expression full of maternal affection. “My dear child, your concern warms my heart. I’m so touched. Without my noticing, my little one has grown into such a thoughtful boy.”
“But I must tell you, this is a matter between your grandmother and me. You’re still too young to handle it—leave it to us adults, alright?”
A Sui neither nodded nor shook his head, his face etched with confusion.
Yun Wan asked him, “It’s good that you can sense others’ likes and dislikes, but let me ask you: Does Grandmother usually treat you well?”
A Sui thought for a moment, then nodded obediently. “Grandmother is very good to me, even better than to Cousin Changze.”
Yun Wan smiled gently, her voice soft as water. “Exactly. How Grandmother treats me is one thing; how she treats you is another. They shouldn’t be confused—you must see them separately, understand? No matter what, she is your grandmother, your elder, and it’s true that she treats you well, right?”
A Sui nodded.
Yun Wan continued, “As the saying goes, ‘A drop of water shall be returned with a bursting spring.’ You should be grateful to those who are good to you, and never let them feel unappreciated.”
“As for the discord between your grandmother and me, that’s for us to resolve ourselves. Do you understand?”
Despite the many disagreements between her and the old madam, Yun Wan did not want A Sui, at such a tender age, to be influenced into losing his sense of right and wrong. At the very least, the old madam genuinely doted on him.
A Sui nodded with partial understanding. “I see.”
Yun Wan felt relieved.
But then she heard him say clearly, “But I still don’t like Grandmother.”
Yun Wan blurted out, “Why?”
A Sui replied, “Because she treats you poorly.”
Yun Wan: “………”
She held her forehead, both exasperated and amused.
Meeting his mother’s helpless gaze, A Sui tucked his hands into his sleeves, his expression innocent yet stubborn.
There was another reason he didn’t mention: he disliked how Grandmother always said he resembled his father.
Whether A Sui learned to write a character, recite a poem, read an essay, or tell a story, Grandmother would praise him, saying he was as clever as his father and had inherited his intelligence.
Every time he heard such words, A Sui felt uncomfortable, as if everything he had learned was attributed to his father.
It was as if he was clever only because his father was clever, and he could learn only because his father could.
But in truth, every character, poem, and phrase A Sui had mastered was the result of his mother’s patient teaching and his own diligent efforts.
He had never been lazy or negligent.
If one were to trace it back, wasn’t it his mother’s intelligence he had inherited?
Just like earlier at Grandmother’s place, it was because he had followed his mother’s teachings from the previous night and deliberately mentioned something about his father that Grandmother was moved to tears and finally agreed to send him to school.
Yun Wan sighed softly and ruffled his double bun hairstyle vigorously. “Then let this be our little secret. Don’t tell anyone, and don’t let others know your true thoughts, alright?”
After all, A Sui was a junior. If word got out and his words were misinterpreted, it would not be good for him.
Yun Wan did not want her son to be criticized for being unfilial or looked down upon.
A Sui nodded, shaking his head with a serious expression. “I understand. A gentleman should not show his emotions.”
Amused, Yun Wan reached out and tapped his nose. “Little pedant.”
A Sui blushed slightly and nestled into Yun Wan’s embrace like a young swallow, breathing in her unique, warm, sun-like scent, feeling a deep sense of attachment.
He had lied to his grandmother. His ambition to excel in the imperial examinations was not for his father’s sake but to grow up and become his mother’s protector.