Madam Wang, the first wife, quickly replied, “Yes.”
Old Madam Cui shifted her gaze to her most beloved granddaughter and asked with a smile, “What kind of birthday gift would our Jiuniang like for her coming-of-age ceremony?”
Cui Yaoning had just been thinking about how to reconcile her father and grandmother when her brother, Cui Zhan, nudged her, bringing her back to reality.
Lowering his voice, Cui Zhan repeated Old Madam Cui’s words.
Cui Yaoning tilted her head back, her charming phoenix eyes curving into crescents, and said sweetly, “I’ll like anything Grandmother gives me.”
“Look…look…” Old Madam Cui pointed at her and laughed. “No wonder I dote on this girl. Her words are as sweet as honey. Talking to her makes me feel so much younger.”
“Really?” Cui Yaoning smiled. “That’s great! I’ll just keep talking to you from now on, as long as you don’t find me annoying.”
Old Madam Cui laughed and scolded, “You little rascal, don’t bother me.”
Wanju, the head maid beside the old lady, smiled at the scene. “The old lady is clearly happy but hiding it. If Ninth Miss really doesn’t come, she’ll probably be disappointed for quite a while.”
Old Madam Cui glared at her. “You talk too much.”
Wanju, having served the old lady for a long time, smiled with pursed lips, unafraid of the scolding.
Cui Yaoning smiled and said, “Even if you scold me, I’ll still come.”
Old Madam Cui complained about how clingy she was and what would happen to her after marriage. Yet, though her words sounded annoyed, her face was full of smiles.
Cui Xuan pursed her lips, instinctively wanting to make a sarcastic remark again.
Madam Wei quickly covered her mouth.
Cui Xuan looked at her with displeasure. “Mother, what are you doing!”
Madam Wei lowered her voice. “Have you forgotten what your grandmother just said? Do you need her to scold you again before you remember?”
Cui Xuan choked and dared not utter a sound.
When her grandmother was angry with a stern face, even her mother didn’t dare to talk back, let alone her. She had no idea where Cui Yaoning had gotten such courage.
Madam Cui then turned to Madam Wang. “Once she comes of age, we should start preparing for her marriage. Find more portraits of eligible young men and let Jiuniang choose one. She has high standards and won’t look down on men from ordinary families.”
Madam Wang smiled and replied, “Yes.”
At this, Cui Xuan could no longer hold back. “Who said she looks down on them? I think Ninth Sister likes all sorts of down-and-out people.”
Old Madam Cui’s face darkened instantly. She narrowed her eyes and asked in a low voice, “What do you mean by that, Qiniang?”
Cui Xuan hesitated for a moment, a little scared, but her desire to see Cui Yaoning suffer overcame it. She raised her head and said loudly, “Aunt Pei’s nephew stayed at our house for a while before. He often asked Ninth Sister to go out and play. Over time, Ninth Sister fell in love with him.”
She’s not stupid.
Cui Yaoning is such a domineering and spoiled person. Apart from being polite to her elders, she has never treated her siblings the way she treats Pei Yu.
Cui Xuan disliked the Sixth sister and Aunt Pei. She hated Pei Yu even more.
What about the Pei family of Hedong?
The Cui family of Qinghe was still the most prestigious family around.
Old Madam Cui had met Pei Yu once a few years ago. He was a good student, handsome, and indeed a distinguished young man. As the eldest son of the second branch of the Pei family in Hedong, he could not be considered from a poor family.
But to say that he is a good match for Jiuniang, his status is indeed far too low.
Her elder sister is the Crown Princess!
Old Madam Cui liked both daughters from the first wife’s family.
If she had to choose who she preferred, she secretly favored Jiuniang a little more. When Jiuniang was born, she was such a tiny, delicate little thing, prone to crying, and no one could soothe her. Yet as soon as she saw her, she would grin.
How could she not adore such a beautiful and fragile little girl?
After Sanniang(Third Miss) became the Crown Princess, Old Madam Cui secretly thought that even if Jiuniang’s future husband wasn’t a prince, a county prince or someone of similar status would suffice. She could not bear to see her Jiuniang worse than her elder sister.
They were sisters with a deep bond, but outsiders didn’t see it that way. The thought of strangers using cruel words to harm Jiuniang pained her deeply.
Since Old Madam Cui remained silent, no one else in the room dared to speak. The atmosphere was so still that one could almost hear a pin drop.
Cui Xuan braced herself and said, “Grandmother, I’m not lying. If you don’t believe me, ask Sixth Sister. She knows more than I do.”
Old Madam Cui snapped out of her thoughts and looked over.
Cui Xiuxiu was startled, and a thin sheen of sweat slowly rose on her back. Under the old lady’s unreadable expression, she stammered, “Ninth Sister always likes to play with me. It’s inevitable that we’ll encounter my cousin. As for whether she… like him, I… I don’t know.”
Cui Xuan glared at her in displeasure. “What are you pretending for? Don’t you always take Ninth sister and your cousin along with you?”
Cui Xiuxiu bit her lip and said hurriedly, “Seventh Sister has misunderstood.”
Cui Xuan could not tolerate her behavior. Who was she trying to impress with her feigned weakness? Just like her mother, she was willing to demean herself. She was supposed to be a woman from a noble family, yet she acted as if she had learned such behavior from brothels.
Old Madam Cui’s expression remained unreadable as she turned her gaze to Cui Yaoning and said in a low voice, “Since that’s the case, you may speak for yourself.”
Cui Yaoning remained completely calm.
The people of the Great Zhou Dynasty were open-minded, and it was normal for men and women to go out together.
In her previous life, Cui Xuan had also mentioned this matter.
Cui Yaoning blushed slightly when her thoughts were exposed. To save face for her, her grandmother did not press the matter and quickly dismissed the others.
Since she had decided not to get entangled with Pei Yu in this life, she had no reason to let her grandmother or anyone else know about unnecessary feelings.
Anyway, her future husband would definitely not be him.
“Grandmother, you scared me,” Cui Yaoning said with a smile. “When I used to play with my Sixth Sister, she would always mention Pei Yu. I got curious after hearing about him so many times, and later I found out that he was quite an interesting person. He always found something new and exciting.”
She spoke frankly, her tone full of praise for her playmate, her voice sweet and soft, that of a little girl who had not yet grown up.
Old Madam Cui knew from the start that she was innocent and carefree, so she did not take the matter seriously. The girl was still young, it was normal for her to find it novel, as it was the first time a man from outside the household had come to the mansion.
But the Sixth daughter…
Thinking of this, Old Madam Cui’s face darkened immediately. She had no idea when Liuniang had learned such cunning and even used it against her own sisters.
Her little tricks might fool unmarried young girls, but the elders present were all shrewd and could see through her scheme at a glance.
Gazes came from all directions, some mocking, some scrutinizing, some indifferent, some angry. Cui Xiuxiu’s face turned pale, and she could barely sit still.
She was still a young girl who had just become engaged and could not remain composed. Before she could speak, her emotions broke down, and she nearly cried.
Old Madam Cui gently tapped the rosewood table and said calmly, “Wenlan, you are the head mistress of the second branch of the family. Ali’s children are also your children. You should pay more attention to raising them properly. If word gets out that the concubine’s daughter in the mansion is of bad character, how will it reflect on you?”