Chapter 144

Chapter 144 Middle-aged Couple Who Came to Reclaim Their Child

“My lady, Second Madam did take some of the new pastries.” Qu Moying was embroidering a sachet when Granny Miao came in to report. Her work was sloppy, but she was very attentive in making it.

Putting down the sachet in her hand, Qu Moying thought for a moment, and a faint and cold smirk appeared on her face. “She didn’t take many, right?”

“No, just a few pieces. Later, a maid went out and said that she was going to the street to buy some candied fruits to help Second Madam drink the medicine,” Granny Miao reported again, her admiration for Qu Moying growing more and more. Qu Moying was really smart to be able to think of such a tiny detail.

Qu Moying nodded. Although the pastries were trivial, they would be of some help for her if they successfully played a role later.

There were some things that looked like small knots, but at a critical time, they might be the evidence to turn things around. Right now, she was looking forward to how Qu Qiuyan would go on with her ruse…

When a faint shade of brightness painted the sky, some people, who got up early, walked on the street in a bit of a hurry. Among them, there was a middle-aged couple who stood in front of the Qu Mansion. Looking around, they retreated sheepishly to the breakfast shop opposite the Qu Mansion.

There were already diners in the shop, and they were eating buns in small groups.

When the couple entered the shop, they looked so timid that it was obvious that they were not from the city.

“Morning, what would you like to order?” The attendants in the shop were not snobbish. An old maid, who came up to greet them, asked with a smile.

“Uh… two steamed buns!” The middle-aged man swallowed as he looked at the buns in the steamer and ordered two steamed buns.

“Right on!” the old woman replied and went over to bring two steamed buns.

The man took out the copper coins from his pocket and handed them to the old maid.

The old maid took the coins with a smile and went to take the other diners’ orders. At this time, there were not many diners, and she was not particularly busy.

The couple sat down and ate the buns slowly. After a few bites, the middle-aged woman suddenly lowered her head and wiped away her tears.

The middle-aged man also sighed and put down the steamed bun in his hand. He comforted the woman, “Don’t cry. What’s the use of crying? At least… at least she still misses you!”

“She misses me? No way! It’s been so many years. We told her that she is our daughter, but… who knows if she will accept us as parents or not! Even now… I… I feel disappointed!” the woman whimpered as she spoke.

Her remarks could be interpreted in so many ways that the people around them, who had nothing better to do, heard her clearly. A few of them could not help but turn their gazes over curiously.

“Look, her chef just invented some new pastries, and she immediately sent her maid to give us some. You can tell that she loves us. In the past, she would always bring something to us…” The man took out a small bag from his pocket and opened it, revealing the exquisite pastries inside. These exquisite-looking pastries were definitely not store-bought. They were more like pastries from rich and powerful families.

They were exquisite and delicious.

However, instead of eating such delicate pastries, they ate the bland steamed buns. Other than being surprised, the onlookers were skeptical. This matter seemed a bit mysterious.

“Do you think I crave for her pastries? A-All I want is to reunite with my daughter. I don’t want any wealth. All I’m asking for is that we stay together as a family.” The woman pushed the pastries away and continued to wipe her tears.

“What happened to your daughter?” a curious onlooker asked.

“Our daughter… she… she doesn’t accept us.” When the middle-aged woman heard this question, she immediately burst into tears. She couldn’t suppress her sorrow now.

“Don’t cry, and don’t talk nonsense. S-She won’t do that to us. She is in a difficult situation.” After the man comforted her, he also turned around and secretly wiped his tears.

Just looking at them made people sympathize with them.

“Why doesn’t your daughter accept you? Is it because… you are poor?” Someone sized up the appearance of this couple. It was obvious that they were poor. Although their clothes were considered clean, they had been patched several times. Their hands were full of calluses from hard physical labor.

“S-She wants to be a rich young lady and refuses to go back with us… She…” The woman cried and responded, but the man interrupted her.

“Don’t talk nonsense! Don’t cause trouble for our daughter.”

The woman immediately shut her mouth, and she did not say anything else no matter what the others asked. She only frequently glanced at the Qu Mansion that was opposite the shop meaningfully.

Their conversation was too ambiguous and mysterious that they intrigued everyone’s curiosity.

The onlookers originally thought that it was just a maid working in a rich family who did not want to accept her biological parents, but many people heard the term “young lady” just now. Was it not a maid, but a young lady?

Seeing the couple looking at the Qu Mansion’s door from time to time, the onlookers came up with more speculations.

Many people were discussing on the side. There were also people who came forward to strike up a conversation with various excuses. They wanted to ask something, but the couple kept their mouths tightly shut. From time to time, they would cry, but they wouldn’t say anything.

“Which of the Qu Mansion’s young lady is your daughter?” Finally, a seemingly clever and skinny middle-aged man stepped forward and asked with a smile. This time, he asked the question in a different way which stunned the couple. The woman looked up at the man who asked the question and shook her head quietly.

“Is she First Lady Qu?”

“No!” The middle-aged lady shook her head.

“Second Lady Qu?”

“Of course, not.” The middle-aged woman shook her head again.

“Third Lady Qu?”

“No, no!” The middle-aged woman panicked. She raised her eyes and shook her hands.

“Then it must be Fourth Lady Qu!” the person on the other side said with certainty.

As soon as he finished speaking, the middle-aged woman stood up in shock. Her expression changed greatly. She reached out and pulled the middle-aged man up. In a panic, they walked towards the Qu Mansion’s door. They did not dare to stay here any longer.

Fourth Lady Qu? Wasn’t she the Fourth Lady who was rumored to be dimwitted and ugly and have eye problems, and whose engagement was even called off? If it were in the past, many people in the capital would have only heard these things about Fourth Lady Qu. But recently, many things about her had been revealed.

The news that the engagement had been annulled and the rumor of being framed by Second Madam Qu were still spreading in the city.

Speaking of Fourth Lady Qu, everyone now felt pitiful. When talking about Young Master Yongning, who had a good reputation in the past, many people despised him. As for Second Madam Qu, more people felt that such a vicious woman was too hateful because she couldn’t accept the poor girl born by her husband’s ex-wife.

But what was the current situation? Was Fourth Lady Qu not the biological daughter of Vice Minister Qu? Was she actually the poor couple’s daughter?

Everyone exchanged bewildered looks and immediately felt that this was a piece of breaking news. There were a few idle passers-by who did not intend to leave. They just sat in the breakfast shop to watch the bustle. It was still early, and the Qu Mansion’s door had not been opened. Everyone sat there and discussed. People who were busy left in a hurry, but there were more and more idle people sitting in the shop, waiting to watch the drama unfold in front of the Qu Mansion.

Fourth Lady Qu was fake!

Fourth Lady Qu was not Vice Minister Qu’s biological daughter.

Fourth Lady Qu was the daughter of poor and lowly parents…

In just a while, more and more rumors spread among the onlookers. Everyone consciously did not approach the Qu Mansion’s door and just watched the fun from afar.

Finally, it was dawn, and the Qu Mansion’s door opened. When the servants guarding the door saw the couple huddled at the door, they immediately went forward and asked a few questions. Then, they turned around and ran inside.

Everyone waited for a while. Only then did they see a servant who looked like a manager come out. After looking at the middle-aged couple at the door, he gestured for them to enter. Then, the Qu Mansion’s door closed again.

“They went in. They really went in.”

“It looks like it is true. Otherwise, the couple wouldn’t have the courage to enter the Qu Mansion.”

“Fourth Lady Qu is fake. Did it mean that the wife of Vice Minister was…”

“It doesn’t seem like it. It sounds more like their daughter had been snatched from them and they finally found her many years later.”

The people in the shop discussed animatedly with all kinds of speculations popping up here and there. But there was one thing that everyone had in common—they were just here to watch the show…

Outside the mansion, the people were discussing the matter to their hearts’ content. Inside the mansion, Qu Moying was greeting the Old Lady, but Qu Qiuyan had done it even earlier.

After bowing, an old maid hurried over and reported, “Old Lady, Second Master wants to invite Fourth Lady over.”

“Now?” The Old Lady was also surprised. These days, Qu Zhizhen did not go to court, and he stayed in the mansion every day.

“Yes, now. It seems urgent,” the old maid answered.

Old Lady frowned. “What exactly is it?”

“I don’t know either. This is what Second Master has instructed,” the old maid lowered her head and replied.

“Grandma, I will accompany Moying to take a look.” Qu Qiuyan volunteered.

Qu Moying’s eyes darted around, and a trace of ridicule flashed through her eyes. Now she understood why Qu Qiuyan came here so early today. No wonder Qu Qiuyan got up so early today—she wanted to make a scene personally.

Yu and Qu Qiuyan were really impatient. They had made their move so soon!

“Grandmother, maybe Father suddenly thought of something important and wanted to ask me,” Qu Moying explained softly.

Hearing their words, despite her doubts, the Old Lady let Qu Moying go. Coincidentally, Qu Qiuyan was going to accompany Qu Moying, so she let them go together.

In the study, Qu Zhizhen looked sharply at the crying couple kneeling in front of him. His eyes fell on the pile of little things in front of them, and he was furious.

“Are these the evidence you said?”

“Yes, this is our evidence. Sir, Fourth Lady is really our daughter. We just want to take her back. We are old, and she is our only daughter. Now we are going to return to our hometown, and we are worried about leaving her here. All we want is to take her back with us.”

The middle-aged woman kowtowed a few times to Qu Zhizhen and cried.

The middle-aged man, who looked a little dull, also kowtowed a few times and cried with the middle-aged woman.

The veins on Qu Zhizhen’s forehead bulged. He slammed the table hard, and the brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table bounced up. “Nonsense!”