Chapter 84: Chapter 71: Correcting Names_l
“Mother, why don’t Father and the others even glance our way?” Yan Yishuang said, dejected, as she followed Aunt Lin and Yan Wenbin back to Shuangxin Courtyard.
She had been looking forward to Father’s return for a long time. Before, whenever Father would go out, he would always bring her a gift, and she was always the first one he hugged upon his return. But this time, even though Father returned, his gaze never once fell on her.
This made her feel very let down, as if Father no longer loved her.
Aunt Lin’s expression was somewhat gray, but she still forced a smile and said, “Your father has been promoted this time; there are too many matters he needs to address. He simply hasn’t noticed us yet. Once he’s finished with his business, he will come to see us.”
Yan Yishuang was somewhat skeptical, “Really?”
Yan Wenbin also looked over, uncertainty in his eyes.
Aunt Lin looked at her eager children, her mood somewhat bitter.
No matter how favored she usually was or how much face she had, as a concubine, she still had no right to participate in important family occasions.
Only the legal wife, Madam, could always accompany her husband by his side.
Thinking of the scene of the master and Madam leaving arm in arm just now made Aunt Lin’s heart ache.
“Mother, are you alright?”
Seeing Aunt Lin’s pale complexion, Yan Yishuang and Yan Wenbin immediately panicked; the children, though clever, were still kids, quick to become flustered when something happened.
In a rush, Yan Wenbin said, “Mother, wait here, I’m going to the main courtyard to find Father.”
Aunt Lin wanted to call her son back, but Yan Wenbin ran too fast and was out of sight in a moment. After a short silence, she decided not to send a maid to chase after him.
Yan Yishuang helped Aunt Lin to sit down, “Mother, just hold on. Once Father knows you’re sick, he will definitely come to see you.”
Upon hearing this, Aunt Lin’s eyes flickered, uncertainty in her expression. Will he really come? He surely will, she felt. She could sense that the master truly cherished her.
In the meantime, Yan Wenbin first went to the main courtyard but didn’t find Yan Zhigao there; he hurriedly proceeded to Songhe Courtyard. When he arrived, Old Lady Yan had just finished preparing the noodles, and Yan Zhigao along with Daohua and a few others were just about to start eating.
“Father, please go see Mother, she’s sick!”
Usually, in front of others, Yan Yishuang and Yan Wenbin would address Aunt Lin as “Aunt,” as Yan Family’s rules, though not stringent, still had to be followed.
But today, first Yan Zhigao came back without paying them any mind, and then they saw Aunt Lin looking unwell. In his fear and hurry, Yan Wenbin called out the private term they used at home.
The harmonious atmosphere in the room was briefly brought to silence by Yan Wenbin’s sudden arrival, and his address made many feel awkward.
“What are you yelling about? Your mother is right here and well!” Though Yan Zhigao was somewhat displeased with Yan Wenbin’s intrusion and shouting, seeing his son’s anxious face, he ultimately didn’t have the heart to scold him.
“Apologize to your mother this instant!”
After receiving Yan Zhigao’ s signal, Yan Wenbin realized his mistake and immediately knelt before Madam Li, “Mother, I apologize. I was anxious in my heart and called out wrongly in a moment of haste.”
Madam Li faintly smiled, beckoned Yan Wenbin to get up, and did not say anything further.
Yan Zhigao: “Don’t make the same mistake again!” Unperturbed, Daohua continued eating her noodles, seeing how the stepfather let it pass so easily; her eyes rolled around, and she smiled at Yan Wenxiu, “Big Brother, I’ve thought it over and I feel like what you said before is right.
Yan Wenxiu was taken aback, not knowing why Daohua suddenly brought him
up.
Yan Wenkai quickly joined the conversation, “What did Big Brother say? Daohua inwardly praised Yan Wenkai for catching on so quickly, “Big Brother said that we should always be mindful of our words and behavior, to avoid causing trouble for Father.”
Yan Wenkai nodded, “Big Brother did say that.”
Daohua continued to smile as she turned to Yan Wenxiu, “Big brother, at that time, only I, third brother, and fourth brother heard what was said. Now, we’ll have to trouble you to repeat those words for our other brothers and sisters to
hear.”
Yan Wenkai laughed, “Big sister, haven’t you already said it? What else do you want big brother to say?”
Daohua grinned, “I want big brother to analyze it deeply, to give examples. For instance… the title used by our fifth brother just now, if it were overheard by someone with ill intent, they might think our father intends to dote on his concubine and destroy his wife!”
It wasn’t the first or second time that Yan Wenbin and Yan Yishuang had called the woman from the Lin Family ‘mother’; Daohua had heard it several times.
She really wanted to ask her stepfather, by indulging Shuangxin Courtyard so much, what position did he leave for her mother?
The people in the room fell into dead silence once again at Daohua’s words.
Yan Zhigao’s hand, holding the chopsticks, shook slightly. He understood that his eldest daughter’s words were mostly meant to vent for Madam, but they weren’1 without basis.
The affairs of the inner courtyard might seem trivial, but they are not insignificant; how can one who cannot even manage his own household be trusted to handle affairs of the officialdom?
Madam Li’s eyes reddened as she forced back her tears by blinking hard, and she scolded Daohua with a laugh, “You girl, what are you babbling about?” For years, the way Yan Yishuang and Yan Wenbin addressed the Lin Family woman was known to everyone in the Yan Family; such behavior undoubtedly amounted to a severe slap in the face for her, the principal wife.
Yet, under the overt and covert indulgence and neglect of the master, everyone had almost grown accustomed and indifferent to it.
Because of this, she had always been enduring in silence.
Unexpectedly, today her daughter had so bluntly brought it into the open.
Indeed, a daughter is a mother’s intimate little cotton-padded jacket.
Daohua said with a laugh, “Isn’t this just me randomly recalling big brother’s teachings, wanting to share them with our younger brothers and sisters?” As she spoke, she looked at Yan Zhigao with a smile and asked, “Father, do you want to go and see Aunt Lin?”
“When I returned just now, I seemed to have seen her; she looked quite refreshed at that moment. How come she’s fallen ill all of a sudden? Seeing how anxious fifth brother is, could it be some aggressive and serious illness?”
Yan Zhigao heard the mockery and sarcasm in his eldest daughter’s words, and his face became somewhat stiff.
He suddenly realized that having children who were too clever was not necessarily a good thing.
Old Madam Yan tapped Daohua’s forehead, “Can’t your face stop your mouth at all?” Having said that, she signaled with her eyes that Daohua had done enough and not to overdo it.
Daohua pouted, “Aren’t I just concerned about Aunt Lin?”
“Pfft~”
Yan Wenkai, sitting beside her, couldn’t hold back and directly spit out the noodle soup from his mouth, drenching Yan Wenxiu and Wentao who were sitting across from him, turning their faces dark.
“It wasn’t on purpose,” Yan Wenkai said weakly.
Seeing Yan Wenkai trembling under the stern looks of Yan Wenxiu and Wentao, Daohua couldn’t help but be extremely amused, while Old Madam Yan also found it funny.
With Old Madam laughing, Yan Zhiyuan immediately started making conversation, and the atmosphere once again became lively.
Madam Li walked over to Daohua and patted her head, “Eat up, the noodles are getting clumpy!”
Daohua nodded and began to eat heartily. After a few bites, something occurred to her, and she pulled off the Jade Pendant on her waist and handed it to Madam Li, “Mother, keep this Jade Pendant for me.”
Old Madam Yan looked at it and took the Jade Pendant to inspect, “Is this the one Yeyang gave you?”
Daohua nodded, “Yes! Grandmother, can you see if it’s worth a lot of money? If we’re ever short of money later, we can sell the Jade Pendant!”
Yan Wenkai jumped over, “Big sister, didn’t you say that the Jade Pendant shouldn’t be sold, otherwise that young master will be angry if he finds out?” Daohua sighed like a little adult, “It seems there won’t be such a chance in the future!” The gap between their family and Xiao Yeyang was too large.