Before the three sisters had even stepped through the door, the tone of Zhou Dalang's voice, though deliberately feigning aloofness, still couldn't conceal its fawning eagerness, quickly wafting out from the front hall.
How truly... embarrassing!
It had to be said, at this mont, this was undoubtedly the shared sentint of the three sisters, especially for Eldest Young Lady Zhou. Thinking this was her own full-blooded elder brother, she nearly felt her vision go dark on the spot.
Her heart ached even more for her own mother.
Third Sister Zhou was even particularly grateful that, though their days were sowhat harder now, at least they weren't like the First Madam, who not only had to face a man like Father every day, but also gave birth to a son who...
The mont she stepped through the doorway, Eldest Young Lady Zhou couldn't help but touch her already swollen belly. She had already decided that after eting Fifth Sister today, at least until the child was one month old, she really shouldn't co back to the manor too often in the near future.
It's often said that unborn children are the most sensitive;
one takes on the color of one's company. If by chance they saw too much of Father and Eldest Brother...
Perhaps the scene was too frightening, as Eldest Young Lady Zhou violently shook her head.
"Eldest Sister, what's wrong?" Seeing her strange expression, Third Sister Zhou beside her quickly asked.
"It's... it's nothing!" Thinking of her own mother, the Eldest Young Lady couldn't help but give an awkward smile.
On the other side, An Ning, who vaguely sensed sothing, nearly choked back a laugh.
Such were the thoughts of the three sisters. Little did they know that aside from the Zhou father and son, the several sons-in-law present in the room also found it sowhat hard to watch.
Watching his younger sisters marry into good places, and even his usually dull-as-a-stick Second Brother gaining benefits, while he himself hadn't moved an inch or gained the slightest advantage in terms of prospects, Zhou Dalang was naturally getting anxious.
Being anxious was one thing;
there was nothing inherently wrong with currying favor. But the trouble was, like Father Zhou, this person had to put on an act of aloofness while doing it, and what was worse, his acting skills were terrible...
Even Han Xu and Provincial Graduate Chen beside him couldn't smooth things over. Seeing that the long-awaited Fifth Brother-in-law, after just a short while, had already started supporting his forehead with one hand, clearly showing a weary expression, and his eyes kept glancing outside from ti to ti.
Obviously, at this mont, he had no mind to listen to their chatter anymore.
Thinking that because of this fellow's disruption, they had barely managed to speak a few words with the long-anticipated Fifth Brother-in-law, the two n cursed the unlucky elder brother-in-law countless tis in their hearts.
The remaining two unlucky sons-in-law exchanged a glance. As fellow sufferers, their hearts were uncharacteristically in sync for once.
After a relatively sumptuous al, in the carriage, An Ning poked Xie Huai, who had once again latched onto her:
"No matter what Eldest Brother or the others said today or might say in the future, husband, you really don't need to pay it any mind."
"What, did that person bully you before?"
Clutching his wife's warm, soft, jade-like little hand, Xie Huai's expression couldn't help but change.
"That's not it!"
An Ning shook her head almost imperceptibly, giving a light hum: "Doesn't husband think dealing with people like that is quite exhausting?"
Clearly not intelligent, yet possessing their own powerful, unshakeable logic.
It must be said, to so extent, Zhou Dalang was clearly worthy of being Father Zhou's dear, beloved eldest son. From the looks of it now, he even showed signs of surpassing his master.
Indeed, thinking of the scene earlier, Xie Huai naturally nodded, pulling her closer into his embrace again. His slightly hoarse voice carried a hint of heartache as he said:
"You've had it hard, A-Ning!"
An Ning: "..."
Well, that really wasn't necessary. The ones truly having it hard were actually others!
For instance, right now, looking at her own son standing before her, earnestly hoping that she, as the legitimate mother, would persuade Fifth Sister, telling her not to be petty and hold grudges, disregarding the bigger picture.
"Which woman in this world establishing herself doesn't need the support of her natal family? At a ti like this, for Fifth Sister to still nitpick about the past is simply too narrow-minded!"
Lady Jiang: "..."
Lady Jiang: "!!!"
After much persuasion, she finally managed to send him away.
Only after watching his back completely disappear from sight did Lady Jiang, after a long daze, finally couldn't help but wearily press her fingers to her temples. She instructed Yang Da's Wife beside her:
Leaving aside what the First Madam of Changping Earl's Manor thought this night and what decisions she made. After returning to the Princess's Manor, the couple resud their... ahem... carefree, leisurely, poetic days of sleeping until they naturally woke.
Due to his constitution since childhood, Xie Huai was destined to be unable to exert himself ntally or physically. Even reading required keeping track of ti, not exceeding half an hour a day, let alone ordinary official duties.
It could be said that previously, large chunks of his days were spent in quiet daze or solitary rest. Now that An Ning was here, those old habits had vanished.
Whether it was sipping tea and admiring the moon, boating on the lake, occasionally playing instrunts in harmony, or even when An Ning occasionally felt like gardening and tending to plants, this man could stand by with keen interest watching.
In the study, during a break from handling official business, even the Grand Princess felt sowhat speechless upon hearing the report from the maid below.
"Twenty-four hours a day, these two aren't bored stiff..."
As a proper career-oriented woman, the Grand Princess, who clearly couldn't understand such things at all, quickly put it out of her mind. She picked up the long saber behind the desk, planning to practice a set later to relax her muscles and bones.
Yes, aptitude. Earlier, the Grand Princess had already noticed that compared to her own son, her new daughter-in-law's physical constitution, or rather her aptitude for martial arts, was simply too good.
She appeared delicate and pampered, but in fact, her blood and energy were exceptionally abundant. She learned everything quickly. Initially, she would tire after a while, but within a few days, even running a dozen laps on the horse track with her wouldn't make her breathe heavily.
Unfortunately, such a person was utterly lazy at heart.
Forget it. Thinking of her son, who had clearly been in much better spirits lately, after a thoroughly invigorating set of saber techniques, the Grand Princess soon picked up the official docunts on the desk again, putting the matter aside.
anwhile, within the gauze curtain faintly perated with wisps of warm fragrance, thanks to her mother-in-law's martial instruction these days, An Ning, with her "exceptionally unique aptitude," had thoroughly mastered her lessons. By now, she had successfully pinned her seemingly frail and delicate husband beneath her.
Gently caressing his face, flushed crimson from passion, revealing even more of its breathtakingly beautiful features, and his eyes, constantly glistening with moisture from excitent and shyness...
The temperature within the gauze curtain quickly rose once more.
In short, after this episode, a certain soone, though seemingly very shy, actually led to the couple unlocking even more positions, and even locations.
Under the flickering lantern light, as the couple chatted, sensing the occasional furtive glances from the banquet seats, An Ning suddenly looked up. Sure enough, she t a gaze from among the consorts' seats that hadn't yet been withdrawn.
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