Xiao Yunshu, who had been laughing and joking, slightly restrained her smile upon hearing this.
She glanced at her sister-in-law, then patted Nuannuan’s head. “Our Nuannuan is so clever—you even noticed that.”
“Sister-in-law, Su Wanying does indeed have feelings for my brother,” she said, a sharp glint flashing in her almond-shaped eyes. “But don’t worry, with her scheming nature, my eldest brother would never take a liking to her.”
“Hmph, even if my brother were blind enough to fancy her, I’d make sure to ruin this marriage.”
After saying this, the hostility on her face instantly dissipated as she affectionately linked arms with Wei Qinghan.
“But now it’s fine. With you here, Sister-in-law, even if Su Wanying were to glare her eyes out, she could only watch helplessly.”
“Everyone in our Wu’an Wangfu recognizes only you as the Shizi Fei.”
At this point, Xiao Yunshu suddenly remembered what her father had mentioned earlier and straightened her posture.
“Sister-in-law, there’s one more thing…”
…
Zuoxiang Fu.
Su Wanying slammed the teacup in her hand onto the ground.
“I don’t care! I’ve waited for Xiao Yunheng all these years—who in the capital doesn’t know? Now, out of nowhere, some country woman and her bastard child appear. Why should they take what’s mine?”
“In what way am I inferior to that village woman?”
“Fool, shut your mouth!” Su Wenyuan, seated at the head of the table, slammed his hand down and scolded sharply. “Can’t you see the situation clearly now?”
“Wu’an Wangfu is nothing but a hot potato now. Xiao Yunheng has been unconscious for three years—he’s practically a cripple! And then there’s that disabled Xiao Yunxiu… The entire household is being propped up by that old man Xiao Qingcang alone. How long can he last?”
“Others are avoiding it like the plague, yet here you are, rushing headlong into that pit of fire?”
Thinking of the frustrations he had endured these past two days, he grew angrier as he spoke.
“What’s more, that Madam Wei has already been personally acknowledged by Wu’an Wang, who petitioned for her to be officially appointed as the Shizi Fei. What are you trying to do now? Become a concubine for your beloved Xiao Yunheng?”
Su Wanying raised her voice even higher. “Father, I’ve waited all these years—I can’t just let it go! I won’t accept it! She’s just a country bumpkin, without power or influence. What would it matter if we dealt with her?”
“Master, please calm your anger,” Madam Duan, who had been silent until now, spoke unhurriedly. “In my opinion, Wanying’s words aren’t entirely unreasonable.”
“A rootless country bumpkin—what does it matter even if Wu’an Wang takes a fancy to her for now? As for that little girl, there’s no harm in letting her stay.”
A disdainful sneer curled at the corner of her lips. “Once our Wanying marries into the family with grandeur and becomes the rightful Shizi Fei, giving birth to a legitimate heir, that little girl will be entirely at our mercy.”
“Silence! Utterly foolish!” Su Wenyuan’s eyes flashed with severity.
“Duan Shì, look at your fine nephew—incapable of accomplishing anything but causing trouble. Wasn’t the lesson from his last trick enough?”
“He nearly dragged the entire Zuoxiang Fu down with him, and you still dare to encourage our daughter to commit such an outrageous act? Do you want my entire Su family to be buried alongside your Duan family?”
Madam Duan, scolded by her husband in front of their daughter, turned pale and dared not speak further.
Su Wenyuan then turned to Su Wanying, who still wore a defiant expression, and suppressed his anger. “And you, do you really think Wu’an Wangfu is made of paper? Xiao Qingcang’s three sons may be broken, but he is still alive!”
“Do you truly believe your father, this Zuoxiang, can already cover the sky with one hand?”
He snorted coldly, “What happened to that madman who publicly insulted Madam Wei a few days ago? Not to mention Xiao Qingcang, even that girl Xiao Yunshu is not someone to be trifled with.”
Upon hearing this, Su Wanying suddenly looked up at her father, her eyes flickering, but in the end, she offered no further rebuttal.
Not long after, rumors about Wei Qinghan began to surface in the capital, growing increasingly slanderous.
The content was nothing more than defaming her as having an unknown background and improper conduct, with some even speculating that Nuannuan was not Xiao Yunheng’s biological child.
These rumors spread with vivid details and eventually drifted into Wu’an Wangfu.
One day, after Wei Qinghan finished wiping Xiao Yunheng’s body, she took Nuannuan for a walk in the garden and faintly overheard a few low-ranking cleaning women whispering among themselves.
Though she couldn’t hear clearly, fragments like “country bumpkin” and “bastard” still reached her ears.
The servants in the mansion appeared respectful and dared not speak openly, but their probing and suspicious gazes followed her like a shadow.
Xiao Yunshu happened to be passing through the corridor when she saw several maids gathered together, whispering.
Her face darkened as she scolded sharply, “What are you all gossiping about? Have you finished your work? If you’re so idle, I might as well send you all to the estate to farm.”
The maids trembled and knelt on the ground, pleading for mercy.
Wei Qinghan turned and gently tugged at Xiao Yunshu’s sleeve, “Yun Shu, let it go. They didn’t say anything much.”
Xiao Yunshu looked at Wei Qinghan’s restrained expression, her brows furrowing with even greater worry, “Sister-in-law, you’re just too kind-hearted.”
She reached out and patted Wei Qinghan’s shoulder, her face full of concern, “Sister-in-law, don’t worry. Once I find the source of these rumors, I’ll make sure they pay.”
Wei Qinghan was moved but remained firm, “Yun Shu, thank you, but I understand that the truth will prevail.”
Though she felt sorrow in her heart, she didn’t want to cause more trouble for the Wangfu because of her own affairs.
Fuming with anger, Xiao Yunshu went straight to her father’s study.
As father and daughter discussed the rumors circulating in the city, Xiao Yunshu brought up Li Dafu, whom she had seen on the street that day.
“Such a thing actually happened!” Xiao Qingcang exclaimed angrily, slamming the table upon hearing this. “I suspect the rumors on the streets are connected to that Li Dafu.”
“I think so too,” Xiao Yunshu nodded, though her brows remained tightly knit. “Yesterday, I specifically went to the Jingzhao Yin Office to request an interrogation of this person, but unexpectedly…”
“The Metropolitan Governor informed me that Li Dafu, due to suffering from a contagious and severe illness, had been released on bail and taken away for treatment.”
Xiao Qingcang was stunned, “They dared to release someone sent by our Wu’an Wangfu without permission?”
Xiao Yunshu sighed, “Father, please calm down. The Jingzhao Yin Office had all the proper procedures and a doctor’s certificate. They were just following protocol.”
“I also investigated. A wealthy merchant from out of town pulled some strings to take him away. That merchant has already left the capital, and there’s no trace of him now.”
The fury in Xiao Qingcang’s eyes intensified. This alone explained everything.
“I suspect this matter is connected to the Su or Duan families. I want to try to get some information from Su Wanying.”
“No need. Since you dislike her, there’s no need to see her.” Xiao Qingcang snorted coldly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. “He’s just a merchant. As long as he’s still within the borders of our Yan Kingdom, it’s impossible for him to leave no trace. I will send someone to investigate.”
“Right now, the most urgent matter is to find Li Dafu, the key witness.”
He paused, his tone softening: “You must take good care of your sister-in-law and Nuannuan. As for matters outside, I am here.”
Perhaps because of this, the atmosphere at dinner was somewhat heavy.
Xiao Qingcang hesitated for a moment, then put down his chopsticks: “Qinghan, since you came to the capital, I have not yet asked about your family…”
Wei Qinghan’s hand holding the chopsticks trembled slightly as she whispered: “Father, I consider… I consider myself as if I never had a family.”
A group of “family” who pushed her into the fire pit for money—her heart had long grown cold.
Seeing her mother’s sudden low spirits, Nuannuan immediately slipped down from her chair and stretched out her little arms to hug her tightly.
“Mommy be good, Mommy don’t cry.”
“Mommy has Nuannuan, has Daddy, has Grandpa, has Auntie.”
Xiao Qingcang looked at the mother and daughter embracing each other, knowing this was a hurdle in Wei Qinghan’s heart, and nodded: “Since you do not wish to speak of it, I will not mention it again in the future.”
Wei Qinghan also smiled and bent down to pick up her daughter: “Thank you, Father. Nuannuan is right—we are a family.”
Seeing her mother smile, Nuannuan immediately cheered up.
“Mommy eat meat, meat smells yummy.”