Chapter 34: I'm Jealous of Him
Yun Chu looked at Ting Yu with a complicated expression.
Ting Yu and Ting Shuang were born in the same year and were now twenty years old. Ting Yu was already a mother to a four-year-old child.
From as far back as she could remember, Ting Yu and Ting Shuang had been serving by her side. Ting Shuang was steady and reliable, while Ting Yu was meticulous and attentive. Both shared a sisterly bond with her.
When she was twelve, she accidentally fell into the water. It was Ting Yu who jumped in and saved her, but Ting Yu herself didn't make it ashore in time and ended up unconscious for over half a month.
Ting Yu had saved her, so even when Ting Yu secretly climbed into Xie Jingyu's bed behind her back, she never truly blamed Ting Yu.
It wasn't until the Yun family fell into misfortune later on that Ting Yu chose to side with the Xie family and even ordered Xie Shiyun to bring that cup of poison to her.
She couldn't let go of what happened in her past life.
Ting Yu had saved her, but she had also betrayed her. The two canceled each other out, so she maintained a cold and distant approach toward Ting Yu.
Yet Ting Yu kept approaching her again and again.
A person with greed would eventually run into trouble because of it.
"Mother!"
Just as she was lost in thought, Xie Shiyun rushed into her arms.
This child had been brought to her side right after birth. Apart from having Ting Yu nurse him, he had grown up by her side all the time.
It wasn't until Yun Ge'er turned three that he moved out of her bedroom and started living with Ting Yu in the side courtyard.
"Mother, it's been so long since I've had a meal with you, and it's been so long since I've seen you," Xie Shiyun pouted, feeling wronged. "Does Mother not like me anymore?"
Yun Chu smiled, though her eyes remained distant. "Yun Ge'er has grown up and should learn to understand propriety."
Ting Yu quickly pulled her son aside. "This humble servant will make sure to discipline Yun Ge'er properly from now on. Please, Madam, have your meal and drink the soup while it's hot."
"Concubine Yu is now half a mistress, so there's no need for you to keep doing rough work in the kitchen," Yun Chu said calmly. "I'm tired. You may leave."
Ting Yu nodded and left with Xie Shiyun.
"Concubine, why doesn't Mother pay attention to me anymore?" Xie Shiyun felt extremely wronged. "It wasn't like this before..."
Ting Yu didn't understand either. Previously, Madam had given Yun Ge'er her whole heart, but now she wouldn't even speak more than a few words to him. Where had things gone wrong...
Yun Chu entered the side hall. As soon as she closed the door, Chu Hongyu rushed over and hugged her.
The little one looked up and asked, "That child just now called you Mother. Is he your biological son?"
Yun Chu couldn't help but laugh. "Why do you ask?"
"I'm jealous of him," Chu Hongyu bit his lower lip. "I'm jealous that he can openly call you Mother, jealous that he gets to see you every day. I wish I could be him."
Yun Chu said gently, "You are who you are. You don't need to become anyone else."
"If it weren't for my sister still being at home, I'd really want to never go back," Chu Hongyu said, his dark eyes wide open. "Mother, my sister is very beautiful and adorable, but she can't speak. Would you like a child who can't speak?"
Yun Chu was somewhat surprised.
Everyone in the capital knew that Prince Pingxi had gained a pair of children, but no one had ever mentioned that the Little Commandery Princess of the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor was mute.
Her voice grew even softer. "If she's as well-behaved and sensible as you, of course I would like her."
Praised for being well-behaved and sensible, Chu Hongyu was so happy he couldn't stop grinning.
Just then, Ting Shuang came to report some matters. The little one very sensibly said, "I'll go read over there and won't disturb Mother while you handle your affairs."He walked over to the low table in the side hall, pulled out a book from somewhere, and began reading with earnest focus. His short legs dangled in the air, unable to reach the floor.
A smile unconsciously surfaced on Yun Chu’s face.
She turned her head and said softly, "Send someone to keep watch at the Prince of Pacifying the West Manor. Report back immediately if there’s any movement."
Ting Feng accepted the order and went to the front courtyard to make arrangements.
Ting Shuang carefully reported the previous month’s earnings from the shops and manors outside, holding the account book.
Listening to the figures, Yun Chu slowly furrowed her brows.
Just like in her previous life, the manors outside the city were declining steadily, eventually forcing her to sell them all.
She needed to think carefully about what other ventures, besides ice, could be profitable…
While Yun Chu was speaking with Ting Shuang, Chu Hongyu grew increasingly bored. He disliked reading—managing to sit quietly for even a quarter of an hour was an achievement. The main issue was that he couldn’t recognize many of the characters in the book, making it impossible to understand. Pretending to read was exhausting.
"Mother, I need to pee."
The little one jumped down from the couch, and Ting Xue came over to lead him to the privy at the back.
Because there was now a child in Sheng Residence, Ting Shuang had sent all the maids and matrons in the courtyard out to handle matters related to the birthday banquet. Only the maids brought from the Yun family remained in the entire courtyard.
After relieving himself in the privy, Chu Hongyu noticed a line of ants by the window. Curious, he followed them in another direction.
Unsure where he had wandered, he suddenly spotted a group of people ahead. Remembering Yun Chu’s words, he quickly hid in the bushes beside him.
The people ahead were Old Madam and Yuan Shi, who were admiring flowers in the courtyard.
"With you overseeing everything, Old Madam, the preparations for the birthday banquet are complete and nothing will go wrong," Yuan Shi said with a smile. "Jing Yu mentioned that Chu’er will also attend the banquet to help entertain guests. Once that happens, the rumors in the streets will naturally die down. You need not worry anymore."
Old Madam said coldly, "What? Is it such a grand favor for a junior to attend an elder’s birthday banquet? Am I supposed to be grateful?"
Yuan Shi didn’t know how to respond. Old Madam had once been quite fond of Chu’er, but after these repeated incidents, she had developed a bias against her. Nothing Yuan Shi said seemed to help.
"She has failed to bear a single child for our Xie family—the foremost offense among the seven grounds for divorce. Disrespecting elders is the second. Feigning illness to avoid household duties is the third," Old Madam said sternly. "Slapping her husband is the fourth. Out of the seven offenses, she has committed four. Do you think our Xie family can still tolerate her?"
Yuan Shi smiled bitterly. Why had the conversation turned to divorce again?
Chu’er had only been acting willfully recently, but in the past four or five years, she had always been proper and beyond reproach in both internal and external matters. One shouldn’t judge a person entirely based on a moment of willfulness.
But she knew that trying to persuade Old Madam now would only fuel her anger further, so she swallowed her words.
"Her only advantage is her high birth. In every other aspect, how can she compare to our Jing Yu?" Old Madam said resentfully. "Jing Yu is learned, talented, and handsome—there isn’t a second man in the entire capital who matches his brilliance and looks. He’s truly wronged by being paired with Yun Chu. And to be slapped by her! When the opportunity arises, I will make sure Jing Yu returns that slap…"
Hidden in the bushes, Chu Hongyu clenched his small fists.Mother is superior in every way to that man named Xie something Yu. This old woman is utterly blind and confused to utter such outrageous words.
She even dared to think about slapping Mother—what a daydream.
Chu Hongyu was itching to jump out and curse Xie Laotaitai.
But he feared his presence might be discovered, which would surely lead Mother to forbid him from coming to the Xie family again.
What should he do?
The little one’s eyes darted around, and a clever idea suddenly came to him.
Isn’t this old woman about to celebrate her grand birthday? Hmph, let’s make it a birthday banquet she’ll never forget.
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