Sisters in Rivalry

  Mr. Li was a clever person, seeing the old lady's face showing fatigue, he stood up and bid farewell, until all the people had gone out, the old lady opened her slightly closed eyes, with fine lines in her eyes full of brightness.

  "Miss, you should take a good rest. You've been sitting in the carriage for so long, and there's still a welcoming banquet tonight." Lian'niang was an old maid who had been serving as Qin Shi's personal attendant since before her marriage, and she was used to addressing her as "miss" even when they were alone.

  "These two are really a well-matched couple!" The old lady sighed.

  "But Master Cheng has already inherited the title, and I think Miss Qinglian is also clever, so...". It's likely that there will be a dispute between the first and second houses. The old lady has been in the countryside for years, although life is not as lively as in Beijing, but at least it's quiet and peaceful. This muddy water is really unbearable to wade through. Anyway, neither side is related by blood, so whoever gets the title will just be saving face.

  Qin saw the look on Lian's face and knew what she was thinking, so he pulled the corner of his mouth and said: "I'm also helpless, the Qin family has a favored concubine, I've benefited from the Qin family's influence, why wouldn't the Qin family want to pull the Weiyuan Marquis's household over? After all, Concubine Hui is pregnant with an imperial heir."

  Lian's aunt couldn't help but feel sympathy for Qin Shi, "Miss, this life is really hard to live!"

  It was a difficult life, married off to a man in his forties as a second wife at such a young age. At that time, she didn't hope for anything else, just hoping to give birth to a son, so that she would have someone to rely on in the future. However, it seemed that heaven wasn't satisfied with her suffering and after the old man passed away, she became a middle-aged woman but still couldn't bear any children. She spent several years living a peaceful life in the countryside, but such days were apparently coming to an end.

  "It's unbearable yet we have to bear it, anyway the hardest part has already passed." The old lady forced a smile on her face, but that smile looked somewhat bitter.

  "Miss, which side will you stand on?"

  "I don't know, let me take another look."

  On the other hand, Qing Luan returned to her own courtyard, but before she entered, she heard Gu Yu scolding a little maid: "What are you doing? Are you just eating and not growing your brain?" This vicious look was something Qing Luan had never seen before.

  Xia Zhi quietly followed behind, seeing her own young mistress frowning slightly, but in her heart she didn't sympathize with Gu Yu at all. She and Gu Yu were both the young mistress's maidservants, because the young mistress valued Gu Yu highly, Gu Yu was implicitly the leader of the maidservants in this courtyard. It wasn't that she was jealous of Gu Yu being favored by the master, but rather she felt that Gu Yu had a small heart and was always seeking to gain more, several times she discovered Gu Yu talking about the young mistress's affairs with Hong Xia beside the second madam, although the second madam was the young mistress's aunt, Gu Yu was just a maidservant, and the primary condition for being a maidservant was loyalty to one's master.

  It's just that the young lady used to trust Yu Yu, and there were some things she didn't dare say out loud, for fear of getting into trouble. But these past few days, it seems like the missus doesn't seem to trust Yu Yu as much as before. Is this a good thing?

  Qing Luan stood for a while, but the sound of Gu Yu's scolding did not stop. Qing Luan took a step forward and walked in, and the maid in the courtyard called out, "Young lady is back!" Gu Yu immediately stopped her voice, and a thin face changed to a smile: "Young lady, you're back, did the old lady trouble you?"

  "How dare you speak like that, can you even arrange for the old lady?" Qing Luan's sudden anger scared Gu Yu to death. Looking at Qing Luan's expression, stern and cold, Gu Yu hurriedly patted her own mouth lightly and said, "Miss, it was slave's mistake, please don't be angry."

  "Kneel down." Qing Luan's low voice growled.

  "Miss?" Gu Yu looked at Qing Luan in disbelief, she couldn't understand why a single misstep would lead to this, and being punished in front of all the maids and servants, how could she still work here with her head held high.

  "I'm done with you now, and since that's the case, you don't need to stay here either." Qing Luan said coldly.