The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 71

Mama Lin hadn’t come along. The maids were about her age, and Xia An was even two years younger. It would be too shameless for her to ask them. Wang Shuhuai tied his belt and stood, “I’ll check.”

His tall figure quickly disappeared behind the screen.

Xie Yunchu watched the future Prime Minister humbly fetch hot water and thought, so Wang Shuhuai isn’t as indifferent to that as he seemed. She hated herself for being too naive in her past life, realizing the truth too late.

After a while, Chun Qi came in to clean. The young maid blushed, not daring to look at Xie Yunchu. Xie Yunchu, also embarrassed for the maid, tidied up her appearance and slowly got out of bed to head to the washroom.

Wang Shuhuai was standing at the corridor entrance leading to the backyard. After a while, he saw Ming Gui carrying two buckets of water, and Wang Shuhuai pushed them inside.

The washroom was different from home—there was no partition, just a tub, so they had to take turns.

Xie Yunchu gripped the tub with both hands, occupying the space. “Go sit in the front hall first. I’ll let you have the bath after I’m done.”

Wang Shuhuai, of course, wouldn’t compete with her, but Xie Yunchu was still worried. Leaning against the screen, she softly asked, “Where did the water come from?” The direction Ming Gui had come from didn’t seem to be the villa’s kitchen.

Wang Shuhuai glanced back and saw his wife, her clothes disheveled, hair hanging loose, like a delicate flower drenched in rain. Calmly, he replied, “Don’t worry, no one will notice.”

He was also concerned about his reputation and wouldn’t give his aunt any reason to tease them.

It was late, and the place was unfamiliar, so Xie Yunchu slept deeply that day. Chun Qi had to shake her for quite a while before she woke up. Xie Yunchu struggled to get up and applied some peppermint oil to her forehead, which refreshed her.

Before leaving, Wang Shuhuai told the maid he would be accompanying the Emperor at Qiankun Palace.

Xie Yunchu knew what that meant, so she dressed neatly and went to the main courtyard to meet Wang Yining. From a distance, she saw Wang Yining sitting in the hall, looking unhappy. But when Wang Yining noticed her, she immediately smiled.

“Come, how did you sleep last night?”

Xie Yunchu didn’t hide anything and pressed her eyebrows, “It was hard to adjust on the first night, but fortunately, your room is spacious, so I slept comfortably.”

Wang Yining understood.

Seeing that Wang Yining couldn’t hide her emotions, Xie Yunchu asked, “Aunt, what happened?”

Wang Yining sneered, “It’s my mother-in-law. When she heard my mother gave me a villa, she blamed me for not informing her in advance so she could invite the two sisters-in-law over to play. Early this morning, she sent a nanny and asked someone to bring the sisters-in-law, but because I refused, she got angry and said that I only have my mother’s family in my heart.”

Wang Yining found it amusing. “My mother gave it to me. It has nothing to do with the Yao family. How dare she say such things?”

Xie Yunchu frowned, saying, “It’s us causing you trouble.”

Wang Yining quickly responded, “Please don’t say that. Even if the villa was empty, I wouldn’t let the Yao family live there. Hmph, she never dared to be so arrogant before. She just wants to act like a mother-in-law because I haven’t given birth to a son yet. If she angers me tomorrow, I’ll sever ties with her.”

Xie Yunchu liked that spirit. That was the aura befitting the daughter of the Eldest Princess. Even if Wang Yining could stand up to Jiang, with the Eldest Princess’ support, she had nothing to fear.

“Don’t punish yourself over someone else’s foolishness. The more they cause a scene, the calmer you should be. If you let it get to you, it’ll only please them. Stay happy, and make them angry instead.”

Wang Yining looked at Xie Yunchu in surprise. “That doesn’t sound like something you’d say.” She pulled Xie Yunchu along. “I’ll listen to you. Come, I brought a chef from the south to make a special breakfast. Let’s try it.”

As they walked and talked, Wang Yining asked, “By the way, did Shu Huai come over last night?”

Xie Yunchu answered calmly, “Yes, he came back late, I apologize on his behalf for not greeting my aunt.”

Wang Yining laughed, “Why apologize for that?” But in her mind, she noted that she should instruct the kitchen to prepare water for the young couple at night. Xie Yunchu was shy and probably wouldn’t ask. Since she had invited them to stay out of kindness, she needed to be considerate.

Soon, Wang Shuqin and Wang Shuya joined them. The two girls were excited. “Oh, Young Aunt, we slept so well. We couldn’t help but stay in bed.” 

Usually, they would visit their aunt every morning and evening, but since they didn’t have to, they were happy to enjoy a good rest.

Wang Yining playfully pinched Wang Shuqin’s nose. “You’re so cheeky here. When you return, your mother might scold me.” Everyone laughed as they headed to the dining hall together. After the meal, they made their way to Zhangde Hall to pay their respects to the Eldest Princess.

Since the villa was some distance from the temporary palace, the Eldest Princess allowed them to have breakfast before coming. When the four arrived at the main hall, it was already full of people. It turned out that Old Lady He from Duke Yao’s mansion had also come to visit the princess. The Duke had gone to Qiankun Hall, leaving the women of the Wang family sitting with the Eldest Princess.

Old Madam He looked at her daughter-in-law, who had arrived late, narrowed her eyes slightly, and then turned to the Eldest Princess.

“Yi Er has taken good care of herself. She still looks like a little girl after all these years. You can’t recognize her among the younger generations.”

The hidden message was that Wang Yining didn’t behave like a proper housewife and acted more like a girl among the younger generation.

The Eldest Princess was sipping tea and glanced at her. Although she was younger than the Eldest Princess, the wrinkles on her forehead and her long, thin eyebrows hidden within those wrinkles made her look older.

The Eldest Princess spoke slowly, “As the ancients said, ‘Makeup should never be discarded’. A girl must know how to take care of herself. Would you rather be a sallow-faced woman? There’s no such girl in our Wang family.”

“You must remain composed in everything and know how to make decisions. Women who wear themselves out are incompetent in the end. I prefer women who are full of vitality.”

These words silenced Madam He. Her face turned pale, and she felt a bit embarrassed. Wasn’t she, after all, the yellow-faced woman sitting among a group of blooming flowers?