Old Madam laughed: “You little monkey, how could you possibly be jealous of your sister?”
For a moment, the room was filled with cheerful laughter. But Qin Shuying knew that Old Madam’s heart had already grown suspicious. What did it mean that “the maids and servants all say Shuying is a jinx”?
Who had said such words? And how had they reached Qin Shuying’s ears? The young misses were of noble status—didn’t these servants know this? How dare they spread such gossip! Servants spreading malicious rumors could, in serious cases, be beaten to death with rods! So if even Qin Shuying knew about it, could it be that Xu Shi didn’t know?
Old Madam was not a confused person. On the contrary, she was extremely shrewd—otherwise, how could she have raised such an outstanding son as Qin Yongzhou? Even her concubine-born sons were excellent. Many wealthy families’ matriarchs raised their concubine-born sons with a “praise to ruin” attitude, yet Qin Yongluo now held a sixth-rank official position. And Qin Yongluo treated Old Madam with great respect.
Although Xu Shi was the eldest legitimate daughter-in-law with a good reputation outside, after all these years of interaction, Old Madam had her own assessment of what kind of person Xu Shi truly was.
Now that Qin Shuying had planted seeds of suspicion in Old Madam’s heart, it would be convenient for her future actions.
However, Xu Shi was quite anxious at this moment. How could this Seventh Miss be so foolish as to tell Old Madam things she had said privately? Indeed, to intensify Qin Shuying’s psychological burden, Xu Shi had said exactly that—that she brought misfortune to father and mother, making her truly inauspicious. The original Qin Shuying had been tormented by these words until she became neither human nor ghost, ultimately dying a fragrant death. But she had repeatedly instructed her never to tell others these words.
However, this was not the time for explanations. With everyone laughing and chatting, further explanation would seem too deliberate, and Old Madam was not so easily fooled.
Speaking of which, Xu Shi no longer held Old Madam in such reverence. First, Old Madam was advanced in years, and the household management authority had long been in Xu Shi’s hands. Moreover, her health had grown increasingly frail these past two years—how much longer she could live was uncertain. Second, her own daughter, Imperial Consort Lianpin, was currently the Qin manor’s greatest support. No matter what, Old Madam had to give her some face. Therefore, she set this matter aside.
After chatting for a while, Nanny Gu, who served beside Old Madam, reminded: “Old Madam, it’s three quarters past the hour of Chen.”
Since a noon banquet was arranged, ordinary guests would typically arrive at the end of Chen hour or the beginning of Si hour. But as hosts, they naturally couldn’t wait until guests arrived to be in the banquet hall. Old Madam was the birthday celebrant, and today’s visitors were all relatives, so she naturally didn’t need to personally welcome guests. These matters were all handled by Xu Shi alone. She nodded and said to Xu Shi: “It’s getting late. Go ahead first.”
Xu Shi respectfully agreed, nodded slightly to Qin Yunyun as a signal, then led the group of daughters-in-law away. Subsequently, Zou Shi also followed closely, as they too had responsibilities to handle.
Now only Old Madam, the young ladies, and the maids and nannies remained in the room.
“My child, let me have a good look at you.” Old Madam grasped Qin Shuying’s hand, looking while sighing. Qin Shuying smiled sweetly, tightly holding Old Madam’s hand.
Having received Xu Shi’s hint earlier, Qin Yunyun now hugged Old Madam’s arm and acted coquettishly: “Old Ancestor, now that you have Seventh Sister, you don’t want Yunyun anymore. My heart feels so sour!”
Old Madam said with a smile: “Yunyun, you’re the older sister. How can you compete with your younger sister?”
“No, no! Old Ancestor, it’s natural for you to love Seventh Sister, but you can’t forget me either.”
Qin Shuying smiled without speaking. Qin Yunyun had spent long periods beside Old Madam, so she could act coquettishly, but Qin Shuying could not.
Nanny Gu observed Qin Shuying from the side and couldn’t help being startled. Seventh Miss smiled without speaking, naturally possessing an air of noble composure, completely different from the timid and submissive demeanor she’d shown before. What had awakened her understanding?
“Old Madam, look—doesn’t Seventh Miss’s features and expression seem carved from the same mold as Third Master?” Nanny Gu asked Old Madam with some probing intention.
Nanny Gu was an old servant beside Old Madam. She kept in her heart how much Old Madam missed her most beloved third son. These past three years, because of Qin Yongzhou, Old Madam’s health had deteriorated considerably. Sometimes, Nanny Gu even felt Old Madam might not survive.
If Seventh Miss could regain Old Madam’s favor and properly serve her with filial piety, perhaps Old Madam’s health might improve. From a selfish perspective, only if Old Madam remained healthy could she, as a servant, live well.
With Old Madam still present, Nanny Gu already felt that conducting affairs wasn’t as convenient as before. She still had grandchildren to consider.
Ultimately, it was because Xu Shi had changed.
Old Madam said cheerfully: “Seventh Miss has resembled Yongzhou since childhood. Among all my grandchildren, only Seventh Miss looks most similar to her father. Look at Kaile—he doesn’t have a trace of Yongtao’s features, resembling the eldest daughter-in-law instead. They say daughters resemble their fathers and sons their mothers, but neither Imperial Consort Lianpin nor Feifei particularly resembles Yongtao.”
Old Madam was in an excellent mood. It seemed her thinking was correct. Nanny Gu couldn’t help but give Qin Shuying a few more glances.
Old Madam chatted on for a while longer. Qin Shuying simply listened quietly, even taking initiative to massage Old Madam’s legs and shoulders, making her even more delighted. Qin Yunyun also joined in the fun from the side, and the three generations appeared harmonious and joyful.
Before long, female guests arrived at Xuan Hall, with lively birthday congratulations rising one after another.
Qin Shuying spotted Madam Liu. She had seen her before when following Qin Yongzhou to his posting, and despite the years that had passed, she still recognized her. This time, Madam Liu happened to be in the capital—usually she remained in Huzhou.
However, Madam Liu didn’t recognize her. Fifth Miss Qin Lulu and Sixth Miss Qin Yunyun were both fourteen years old, while Seventh Miss Qin Shuying and Eighth Miss Qin Fangfang were both thirteen. The girls’ heights and dress were quite similar, making them difficult to distinguish. With so many people present, Old Madam didn’t have any particular granddaughter sit beside her footstool, making it even harder for Madam Liu to identify anyone.
Qin Shuying sat to the side, pondering silently.
Although Imperial Consort Lianpin held noble status and had given birth to the Sixth Prince, Empress had given birth to the Crown Prince. His Majesty and the Empress shared deep marital affection, and the Crown Prince had been established for over ten years, participating in all court affairs large and small. Empress came from the scholarly Wen family. Her grandfather, Grand Tutor Wen, had once been His Majesty’s teacher, and their teacher-student bond was profound.
After Grand Tutor Wen passed away, the Wen family descendants followed his dying wishes—each branch only allowed one legitimate heir to serve as court official. Currently, their highest-ranking official was only third rank. Therefore, the Emperor felt quite at ease with the Wen family. Empress and His Majesty treated each other with mutual respect. Barring any accidents, the future emperor would naturally be the Crown Prince.
Given this situation, official families had to be very particular and cautious about their interactions with the maternal families of other princes’ mothers. The maternal families of other princes’ mothers also had many necessary considerations in their social dealings.