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Xie Yunzhi’s room suddenly became lively, with Guan Qi and Mo Yan smiling brightly nearby.
They hoped that the Young Madam and the Young Masters would often come to visit the Eldest Young Master.
Otherwise, they would feel as if the Eldest Young Master had been forgotten, a thought that made them uneasy.
“Alright, go back and rest. It’s rare for you to have a day off, and tomorrow you’ll still need to go to school,” Xu Qingyi said.
In order to participate in the tea ceremony today, the children had been given the day off.
Lin was the first to leave. As he was about to go, he only nodded at Xie Yunzhi and said, “Father, I’m leaving. I’ll come back to see you next time.”
Anyone could see his indifference towards Xu Qingyi.
Guan Qi and Mo Yan exchanged glances, worried. Young Master Lin’s temperament was too cold. They weren’t sure if the Young Madam would be upset.
They cautiously looked at Xu Qingyi’s expression.
But to their relief, Xu Qingyi’s face was calm, and they finally relaxed.
Xie Yunzhi was also feeling troubled.
However, his bias naturally leaned towards his own son.
Whether or not Xu Qingyi could win over his son depended entirely on how well she performed as a stepmother.
Sincerity would breed sincerity.
If Xu Qingyi put in the effort, over time, Lin would naturally come to accept her.
On the other hand, if all she did was speak empty words, she couldn’t blame Lin for his coldness.
Xu Qingyi, unaware, didn’t realize that it wasn’t only her stepson, Lin, who was observing her as the new wife—there was also the Eldest Young Master, lying in bed.
If she knew… well, it wouldn’t matter.
It had nothing to do with her.
She just needed to do her job, and with so many children, there would surely be at least one who supported her.
And after all, there were still Zhen and Heng.
The Eldest Young Master?
Let him be, just a fleeting relationship!
“Mother, I don’t want to go back to my own room. Can I stay in your room?” Zhen asked.
Xu Qingyi patted his head gently. “Let’s go.”
Once back in her room, Xu Qingyi let Zhen play on his own. When he got tired, he could rest.
Children in ancient times didn’t have much to play with.
After thinking for a while, Xu Qingyi went to Xie Yunzhi’s small study and took out the ink, brush, paper, and inkstone.
She drew some simple designs for toys—things like seesaws, rocking horses, and slides.
She then added some explanatory text.
After finishing the drawings, Xu Qingyi instructed the nursemaid to go and ask the Old Madam’s nursemaid, “Ask if there’s a carpenter in the manor. If there is, bring one here.”
The nursemaid hesitated, unsure if she should say something or not.
After a moment of thought, she said, “Young Madam, after all, Madam Qin is the true head of the Marquisate. If you want to think long-term, you cannot rely on the Old Madam for everything. Otherwise, it will only make things more strained between you and Madam.”
Though Xu Qingyi’s actions in recent days, though done for self-preservation, were understandable, they had indeed offended Madam Qin.
Xu Qingyi knew what the nursemaid was concerned about—she was worried about what would happen if the Eldest Young Master never woke up.
What would happen when the Old Madam left?
Ultimately, the Marquisate belonged to Madam Qin and Xie Huaian. Having offended both mother and son, Xu Qingyi feared there would be no good outcome for her in the future.
However, the nursemaid only saw one side of the matter. Even if Xu Qingyi obeyed and complied, she wouldn’t have a good end.
“Nursemaid, my relationship with Madam Qin was never going to be harmonious. It’s not something I can change just by being good or bad toward her, because I am the Eldest Young Master’s wife.”
Xu Qingyi was well aware that she was bound to stand against Madam Qin.
The nursemaid was left speechless, and though she initially thought they could try to get along, upon reflecting on the situation—that the Eldest Young Master was not Madam Qin’s biological son—she understood the underlying power dynamics.
“Sigh, it’s my fault for speaking out of turn. If you have a plan, then it’s fine.”
Xu Qingyi smiled. “You’re not speaking out of turn. You’re right to give advice. It’s just that this particular mother-in-law isn’t worth it. If I had a better mother-in-law, then, of course, a harmonious family would bring prosperity.”
The nursemaid smiled as well. Ever since leaving the Yong’an Marquisate, she felt that the young lady had become more composed and mature.
Her calm demeanor was completely unlike that of a newly married young girl.
“Alright, I’ll go take care of it,” the nursemaid said, relieved.
After the nursemaid left, Mama Chang came to request an audience. Upon entering, she immediately knelt down. “Young Madam, please don’t dismiss me! I know I was wrong, and I beg you to forgive me! I’ll kowtow to beg for your pardon!”
“You’ve been disloyal to me. I won’t keep you,” Xu Qingyi said, without sparing her any mercy.
But she gave her a clear path: “If you don’t want to leave the manor, you can go and beg Du Jinyun. See if she’s willing to keep you.”
Mama Chang was surprised.
“If she agrees to let you stay with her, then you might still be useful to me,” Xu Qingyi hinted.
Mama Chang thought for a moment, understood, and gritted her teeth. “Fine, Young Madam. I… I’ll go try.”
At the Yong’an Marquisate, Mama Chang had a good relationship with Du Jinyun, and it was often her who covered for their secret meetings.
The path Xu Qingyi had suggested wasn’t a good one, but it would force them to deal with their own internal issues—like a nest of snakes and rats. Let them handle their own problems.
Mama Chang got up and immediately went to find Du Jinyun. At present, Du Jinyun lived in Xie Huaian’s courtyard, but she held no formal title.
However, everyone knew that she was pregnant with the Second Young Master’s child and would soon become his concubine.
Du Jinyun was in a good mood, as her plans were progressing smoothly.
Once the initial fuss died down, she would naturally become the Second Young Master’s concubine.
Since the Second Young Master had no legal wife, the inner courtyard would be entirely hers. The more Du Jinyun thought about it, the happier she became.
“Jinyun… Miss,” Mama Chang entered.
Du Jinyun, with a frown, asked, “You’re not properly serving your own master—what are you doing here?”
Mama Chang forced a smile. “The Young Madam said that, as I’ve always been closest to you in the manor, she sent me to serve you.”
Du Jinyun’s expression darkened, and she furrowed her brows. “Has she found out about you?”
Mama Chang quickly shook her head and denied it. “No, the Young Madam is kind-hearted and simple, and I just told her a few things to placate her.”
That was true, Du Jinyun added to herself, though she thought, “and stupid too.”
Otherwise, why would she forsake being the Second Young Master’s legal wife to try and help a useless Eldest Young Master produce an heir? It was laughable.
However, Xu Qingyi’s actions were only a source of amusement for Du Jinyun, who found it quite entertaining to watch Xu Qingyi undermine herself.
“Mm, then you can stay,” Du Jinyun said, not fully trusting Mama Chang, but with no one else to rely on, she reluctantly agreed. “Later, I’ll have the Second Young Master bring over your contract.”
And hers as well.
Thinking of this, Du Jinyun gritted her teeth.
If it weren’t for the Second Young Master, she wouldn’t have signed that humiliating contract.
“Yes,” Mama Chang sighed in relief, thinking to herself that following Du Jinyun might not be such a bad thing after all.
Du Jinyun asked, “Did she really consummate the marriage with the Eldest Young Master?”
It was common knowledge in the Marquisate, and after a moment of thought, Mama Chang replied, “Yes.”
“Ha!” Du Jinyun sneered.
*
Meanwhile, Mama Yulan saw the nursemaid and quickly greeted her, inviting her to have tea. “Old sister, what brings you here? Is there something wrong with the Young Masters’ rooms?”
“Old sister,” the nursemaid called out, taking a sip of tea and smiling. “The Young Masters’ rooms are fine. This time, the Young Madam sent me to find a carpenter to make a few things for the Young Masters.”
“Oh?” Mama Yulan asked curiously. “What do they need? Let’s see if we have anything in the storeroom first. If not, we can always go out and buy it. It’s not easy to get time for such things.”
The nursemaid hesitated for a moment, her smile slightly embarrassed. “It’s for Young Master Heng’s toys. The Young Madam said that children of this age should have a few toys. When we were moving, she specifically asked me to tidy things up, but… I didn’t find a single one. The Young Madam was heartbroken. After lunch, she went straight to the study and, in a rush, quickly drew up a few designs.”
Young Master Heng didn’t have a single toy?
Mama Yulan’s first reaction was disbelief. How could a large household like this not have a few toys for Young Master Heng?
But then, remembering what had happened at lunch—how Zhen hadn’t been fed enough—she swallowed the doubt and kept it to herself.
“Sigh,” the nursemaid sighed. “I’m sorry to trouble you with this, but my Young Madam is just this way. When she wants to be kind to someone, she does it with all her heart.”
This enthusiasm only made it clearer how difficult life had been for the Young Masters in the Marquisate.
Mama Yulan’s face grew increasingly complicated and awkward.
Fortunately, Xu Qingyi was not an outsider.
Otherwise, if this matter spread, the Marquisate would be drowned in saliva and gossip.
“We have carpenters. I’ll immediately send one with good skills to take care of it,” Mama Yulan quickly said.
The nursemaid smiled brightly. “Thank you, old sister. I’ll go back and report to the Young Madam right away.”
Mama Yulan also smiled warmly. “Safe travels.”
Once the nursemaid left, she immediately went to report to the Old Madam.
“Old Madam, just now, a nursemaid from the Eldest Young Madam’s side came, asking for a carpenter to make toys for Young Master Heng,” Mama Yulan reported.
The Old Madam, who was older and needed more rest, was reclining on a couch in the afternoon nap.
She lazily lifted her eyelids. “That’s good. Heng is four years old now, it’s about time he plays with some larger toys.”
Mama Yulan snorted, her expression darkening. “But I’m afraid Young Master Heng, at his age, hasn’t even touched a single toy. The Young Madam sent the nursemaid specifically to tidy up Young Master Heng’s room, but not a single toy was found.”
She had been in the household for a long time, with a high status, so she had a say in many matters around the manor.
The Old Madam opened her eyes upon hearing this. “What do you mean?”
Mama Yulan guessed the worst-case scenario. “I’m afraid Madam Qin has never prepared toys for Young Master Heng.”
The situation with Zhen showed that it wasn’t a matter of the Marquisate lacking resources; it was clearly that Madam Qin wasn’t attentive enough.
Zhen’s issue with not being fed enough had been a huge shock for them. Even now, it still made them uncomfortable to think about.
“How outrageous!” The Old Madam bit her teeth and cursed, her anger making her sit up from the soft couch.
The issue with the child’s toys seemed minor, but it reflected a much larger problem—it showed that Madam Qin had been neglecting these three children completely.
It was even worse than the Old Madam had imagined.
“Good for her, That Qin!” The Old Madam spat. “She’s been deceiving me and the Marquis for so long! Always pretending to be so kind-hearted, and I actually thought she was a loving grandmother!”
Mama Yulan thought about the scene where Xu Qingyi had led Zhen back to the courtyard and said with emotion, “If it hadn’t been for the Young Madam coming in, we wouldn’t have known how the three Young Masters were really living.”
The Old Madam paused, her face filled with guilt. She reflected, “I, and the Marquis, are also at fault. We trusted Madam Qin too much.”
It was likely that the three children had suffered in silence, never once speaking up about it.
They had failed Xie Yunzhi’s trust in them.