Chapter 277: 285: Growing Suspicions

Su Lanxin and Su Lanfang paid their respects to Mrs. Pei and, as usual, didn’t talk much; they simply stood aside. Whenever Mrs. Pei asked a question, they would respond concisely. As concubine’s daughters, what was required of them was not cleverness and agility, but honesty, understanding, and cleverness. This they both understood very well, so they had behaved this way for many years, managing not to annoy anyone.

“Lady Yue sends her greetings to Eldest Aunt. Eldest Aunt, have you been well these past days staying here? After all, the climate is different, and the weather here is more humid. But looking at you, your complexion actually seems quite good. I don’t know how you maintain your health, but you seem to be getting younger as the days pass,” Su Wenyue said with a giggle, affectionately taking Mrs. Pei’s hand as though she were as close as her own mother.

“I am doing well. Your flattery is too sweet. Listen to how you talk, as if anyone could grow younger,” Mrs. Pei said, but her smile brightened even more, showing how much she enjoyed Su Wenyue’s words. No woman dislikes beauty, and the vanity of it does not fade with age.

“Of course! If you don’t believe me, just ask my two cousins. Maintaining a good attitude naturally leads to a more youthful appearance. Eldest Aunt has it good, with a successful son and a dutiful daughter-in-law, everything going smoothly; indeed, that’s the secret to looking younger.”

Su Wenyue added this, skillfully including Su Lanxin and Su Lanfang in her compliments. Having just witnessed how cold Eldest Aunt had been toward the Lanxin and Lanfang sisters and seeing the smug look on Pei Yuhan’s face, Su Wenyue understood that Pei Yuhan must have sown discord between them. She had brought the girls back herself and had helped them in many ways; now that she sent them back, she couldn’t allow Eldest Aunt to blame the Lanxin and Lanfang sisters for any reason.

Lanxin and Lanfang, understanding Su Wenyue’s kindness, followed her lead and echoed, “Indeed, Mother does seem to be getting younger day by day. Cousin speaks nothing but truth.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Mrs. Pei wasn’t much concerned with flattery from the concubine’s daughters but praised Su Wenyue instead, “Our Lady Yue is getting better at speaking by the day. No wonder Second Brother and his wife adore you. If I had a daughter like you, I would treasure her as the apple of my eye.”

“If Eldest Aunt truly wants a daughter, you could treat me as one, and I would cherish having you dote on me,” Su Wenyue said playfully with a giggle, acting coyly, which made Mrs. Pei burst into cheerful laughter again.

“Speaking of that, I must thank Eldest Aunt. These days have indeed been quite eventful. Originally, the plan was just to host my cousins for a few days, but so much happened, and I couldn’t handle it all on my own, so my cousins ended up staying for a longer time. Eldest Aunt has raised them well; they remained composed and capable when faced with issues and have been a great help to me these past days.”

Su Wenyue knew, even if Pei Yuhan had stirred up trouble, it would have been over this issue. It was better to clear the air since their Eldest Aunt was a reasonable person despite not favoring her concubine’s daughters much.

Hearing Su Wenyue’s words, Mrs. Pei indeed looked more warmly upon Lanxin and Lanfang: “They’re both still young, there’s only so much help they could be, but it’s good they have this intention. I haven’t raised them these years in vain; they know how to support their sisters.”

“Eldest Aunt, you underestimate my cousins. When Husband had gone to the mountain to suppress bandits and the folks from Li Mansion bore ill-intentions, I didn’t feel at ease at home. Thankfully Lanxin and Lanfang were there. Having a genuine Mater Familias around is far superior to just servants. Moreover, I can see that both Lanxin and Lanfang can shoulder responsibility. When the moment of crisis came, they didn’t speak of leaving but chose to stay and support me. At that time, the situation wasn’t without danger, and I am thankful for their presence. Even though Elder Brother and Sister-in-law also arrived later, these past days, I’ve been much comforted and reassured by their company,” Su Wenyue elaborated, deliberately portraying the situation as more dire to emphasize Lanxin and Lanfang’s significance.

“Lady Yue, why speak of such matters? After all, you are Cousins, and although the Su Family has been split, our affection for each other has not. It is only right for sisters to help each other,” Mrs. Pei said and then turned her gaze to Su Lanxin and Su Lanfang.

“The way you handled things this time was proper; you haven’t let down the years of upbringing I’ve given you, showing that you understand how things work. Since you both have this ability, don’t idle away your days indoors. Come and help me manage some affairs from now on.” Mrs. Pei’s tone was very satisfied, indicating she might invest more in nurturing Lanxin and Lanfang.

Upon hearing this, Lanxin and Lanfang became somewhat excited but did not immediately accept, nor did they dare to show too much joy. Instead, they showed a mix of nervousness and worry, “Thank you, Mother, for your generous love. We are more than willing to help you manage affairs, but we’ve never done it before and fear that we might disappoint your trust.”

Mrs. Pei was even more pleased upon hearing the concubine’s daughters speak so prudently, “What’s there to fear? Isn’t it true that one learns by starting from not knowing? You sisters are also not that young, especially Lan Xin, who is of the age to be spoken for in marriage. Later on, as Mistress of a household, managing domestic affairs will be your first duty. It’s time you learn. Daughters from Marquis Mansion excel in everything; we cannot let others look down on you.”

“Thank you for your teachings, Mother. We sisters will study diligently and never disgrace Mother, nor taint the reputation of Marquis Mansion,” Lanxin and Lanfang suppressed their joy and spoke in unison.

Their greatest concern had always been that their birth mother would, for the sake of empowering the family, send them to become concubines in distinguished households. Now, it seemed that the Queen Mother had no such intentions, otherwise she wouldn’t have said these words. They preferred to be a poor family’s wife rather than a rich house’s concubine; they grew up watching their aunt be humiliated and disrespected in front of their birth mother, lacking status at home and her children undervalued—not much better than a servant. They didn’t hope to marry well; they only wished not to live a dignity-less life like their aunt.

Pei Yuhan had only just managed to incite dissatisfaction in Mrs. Pei towards the concubine’s daughters, even receiving a lecture from her because of it. Now, Su Wenyue’s few words had delighted Mrs. Pei to no end and changed her view on the concubine’s daughters, which left Pei Yuhan feeling resentful but unable to pick out a flaw in their behavior. Suddenly, noticing the clothes Lanxin and Lanfang were wearing, an idea came to her.

“Aunt, speaking of which, ever since my cousins arrived at Han Family, even their demeanor and attire have changed. Look at the clothes they are wearing: both the material and craftsmanship are of the highest quality, making them appear even more splendid than legitimate daughters of other households. I heard Cousin personally made those clothes, even I, an aunt, don’t have the fortune of wearing clothes personally made by Cousin,” Pei Yuhan said, planting seeds of unease.

Her comment immediately caused Su Lanxin and Su Lanfang to look anxiously at Mrs. Pei, fearing that their presence might cause a rift between their birth mother and their cousin.