Chapter 81

  After finishing the half-day tour of Dashangguo Temple, Little Phoenix was safely escorted back to the small shop by Royal Cat.

  Then each returned home and found their own mother.

  "Miss, you're back."

  Lu Xiaofeng had just entered the backyard when Xiao He hastily came up to greet him, and he was somewhat surprised. "What's going on?"

  "Madam has sent someone over with a message, asking Miss to return to the manor for a visit."

  Lu Xiaofeng's heart skipped a beat, meowed, but it was just a matter of time before the truth came out.

  "When was it?"

  "It happened almost an hour ago."

  "Alright, I know, help me pick up these things and let's go back."

  "Yes."

  Xiaohe waited on the young lady as she changed her clothes, re-combed her hair and re-pinned her ornaments, then the two of them hired a small sedan chair to return to the Grand Preceptor's residence.

  Passing through corridors and gates, they made their way deep into the inner courtyard of the mansion.

  "Daughter." With one step into the house, Little Phoenix's spoiled state was fully on display. Her voice and tone were both delicate and charming, completely like a young girl who had been raised in her parents' loving care, without any worries or troubles.

  Mrs. Pang, who was drinking tea, saw her daughter come in and couldn't help but smile on her face without saying a word, "You this little girl." It's really hard to say a word or two about you.

  "What good things will Mother ask me to come back for?"

  "You're so spoiled, I know you've come for something."

  Little Phoenix walked up to Mrs. Pang's side, hugged her arm and shook it, with a coquettish face said: "Mother, daughter is mother's close little cotton-padded jacket, of course, is the closest to mother, mother naturally also close to me..."

  Mrs. Pang was surrounded by her relatives, but the smile on her face grew even more, yet in her heart she couldn't help but feel a little melancholy, such a doting and spoiled daughter, would eventually have to marry and belong to another man...

  "Daughter." Why do you look like you have something on your mind?

  Madam Pang waved her hand and the maidservants in the house all retreated.

  Lu Xiaofeng then knew that today's main event was about to begin.

  "Jade."

  "Mom." I'll be good, okay.

  Mrs. Pang pulled her down onto a stool beside her, looking somewhat sorrowful and somewhat relieved, "Yu'er is also a big girl now."

  Little Phoenix Maiden blinked her bright and beautiful big eyes looking at him.

  Madam Pang stroked her hair, a faint smile spreading across her face. "Mother is really reluctant to part with you. Your elder sister entered the palace and it's not easy to see her even once. Second sister... now Yu'er will also belong to someone else."

  "How could it be? A daughter is always her mother's closest confidante, as long as her mother needs her, she will rush to her side at the first moment."

  Mrs. Pong was deeply amused by her words, "A married daughter is no longer in control of herself."

  "Who said that? Even if the daughter gets married, she should still be the one who has a say in the family. We need to have an air of authority that makes him not dare to go west when we tell him to go east, and makes him not dare to catch chickens when we tell him to chase dogs."

  "Ah...!" Pang Fu couldn't help but burst out laughing and poked his daughter's forehead with his finger, "Who would dare to marry you if you're like this?"

  "My daughter firmly believes that there is someone in this world who was born just to suffer at my hands."

  Mrs. Pang smiled and shook her head, sighing softly, "How did you run into Zhan Huwei?"

  As expected, I still recognized it!

  Daughter

  "Don't worry, your mother won't say anything. Your father and Bao have some disagreements, and your mother can understand why you don't want to talk about it. However, keeping it hidden forever isn't a solution either."

  "It doesn't matter," said Little Phoenix, blinking her big eyes, "Actually, the daughter didn't really want to get married anyway, now that it's clear, she can't pretend to be confused all the time."

  Mrs. Pong: "......"

  The little phoenix girl continued to say seriously: "Daughters always feel that marrying a man is so troublesome, having to give birth to children for him, taking care of household chores for him, not being jealous, not showing off, and not being as free-spirited as before marriage..."

  Mrs. Pong was deeply convinced by some of the words... No, how could this child think like that?

  "Yu'er, it is the natural order of things for a woman to marry and give birth to sons and daughters, and managing household chores is also a common human sentiment."

  "Look, even you say so and think so, if the daughter marries into another family, wouldn't they be even more demanding of me than you are?"

  Mrs. Pong: "......" felt like being wrapped up in something.

  "Anyway, getting married doesn't seem like a good idea." Little Phoenix concluded.

  Madam Pang's face slightly sank, looking at her disapprovingly, "Then did you go with him to the Temple of the Child-Giving Goddess?" Is that plausible?

  "Must I not marry if I want to have children? I must have a child with the surname Lu after all."

  Mrs. Pang's face was shocked, "Yuer -" Where did you get such a reckless idea? You actually only want to borrow his seed but don't want him as a person?

  Little Phoenix quickly comforted her stepmother, "Mother, mother, don't get agitated. Don't worry, even if I don't marry him, he won't have the chance to marry anyone else."

  Mrs. Pang was at a loss for words, crying and laughing at the same time, "......" How could anyone describe this child?

  "But, Mother." She gazed pitifully at her stepmother.

  Mrs. Pang was at her wit's end and reluctantly said, "Speak."

  Strike while the iron is hot. Little Phoenix hurriedly hit the snake with her stick, "If I were to get pregnant before marriage, you and Father wouldn't kill me first, would you?"

  Madam Pang glared.

  "After all, I don't often stay in Beijing anyway..."

  "If you really have it, then stay in the capital honestly and don't go anywhere. If you don't get married, then don't get married, but because of this, running around everywhere without a home, making your parents worried and anxious, is that reasonable?"

  "Mom, I'm not that unreliable. I've been traveling around and doing a lot of good things too. That... can only be considered incidental, besides it hasn't happened yet."

  Mrs. Pang was so amused by him that she laughed, "I really don't know if running into you is Zhao's bad luck or not. If I were to marry you off to someone, I wonder if it would be considered revenge."

  "Girl, you can't be so hard on yourself."

  "Hmph..." Madame Pang reached out and tapped her forehead with a moderate force, "This isn't scolding, it's the truth."

  "You'll hurt me like this." Little Phoenix Maiden cried out softly.

  "It's impossible." Madam Pong's words were final.

  Little Phoenix pouts.

  Mrs. Pang poked her again and couldn't help but worry, "That Zhan Zhao doesn't seem irresponsible or unaccountable, will he really not show any reaction?"

  "He took me back to our ancestral home for worship."

  Mrs. Pong glared again.

  "I really think getting married is a bit scary, as long as I don't have to marry him right away, other things can still be negotiated."

  Mrs. Pang let out a long sigh, "You really are his nemesis."

  Little Phoenix Maiden couldn't help but mutter: "He's still my nemesis, isn't he?" Originally, she hadn't planned on getting entangled with anyone emotionally in this era.

  Madam Pong couldn't help but knock on her head again, if this child were a boy with such a temperament it would be fine, but she's a girl, and it's simply too unconventional.

  "Mom, let's not tell Dad about it for now, anyway there's no conclusion yet."

  Mrs. Pang could only nod, "Let's just pretend for now."

  "My daughter is so good."

  "Alas." This girl is really at a loss for words, whatever unreasonable thing that comes out of her mouth can also become somewhat reasonable, truly a sharp-tongued person.

  Madam Pang has been taken care of, and Little Phoenix can finally breathe a sigh of relief.

  Tonight she didn't dare to run back to the small shop again, so she honestly stayed at Taishi's mansion for a night.

  The next day, Lu Xiaofeng went for a walk in the garden and saw Chongyun's wife Xiang'er sitting alone in the pavilion, looking somewhat desolate.

  "Xīn ér."

  "Sister." Seeing her walking over, Xiang Er also quickly stood up.

  Lu Xiaofeng pulled her hand and sat down on the corridor railing, "What's wrong? You don't look very happy."

  Xiang Er shook her head, "Nothing."

  "There are some things that even if others can't help with, saying them out loud will still make you feel a bit better."

  Xīn'ér is still shaking her head.

  "You don't want to say, I won't ask more. However, Xiang'er, if there's anything, feel free to come find me."

  Xīn'ér nodded, but her face still wore a light frown.

  Lu Xiaofeng sighed inwardly, "Life is like looking in a mirror. When you smile, the person in the mirror smiles too; when you cry, the person in the mirror sheds tears as well. So, one should be happy and life will become more enjoyable."

  Xiang'er smiled and said, "I know, thank you sister."

  Lu Xiaofeng patted her hand and decided not to sit with this slightly melancholic young woman any longer, as he couldn't comfort her and it would be pointless to try.

  Seeing her get up and want to leave, Xiang'er couldn't help but speak out to keep her, "Sister——"

  "Huh?"

  "I..."

  Lu Xiaofeng had no choice but to sit down again.

  "I've been married for two years, but still no news from my belly..."

  From ancient times to the present, women have been disadvantaged in reproductive issues. They are often blamed for things that are not their responsibility.

  "You are still young, and your marriage has just begun, this is normal, don't rush."

  "But..." Xiang'er trailed off, hesitant to continue.

  Lu Xiaofeng understood and smiled, patting her hand, "Alright, I'll go talk to your mother."

  "Thank you, sister."

  "It's nothing, just a small matter."

  Xinger sincerely bowed to her.

  "Laugh more often, life will be better. Alright, I'm off."

  "Send sister."

  "Not sending."

  Lu Xiaofeng turned to find Madame Pang, but halfway there he saw Pang Yu coming back from outside.

  "Third sister."

  "Alright, come with me."

  Pang Yu raised an eyebrow in surprise, but still followed him.

  Sit.

  Two people sat down on the stone bench in the corridor.

  "What does Third Sister want to tell me?"

  Lu Xiaofeng asked straightforwardly: "Pang Yu, are you very anxious to have a child?"

  She asked him so directly that Pang Yu's face turned hot and he replied somewhat awkwardly: "Third sister——"

  Lu Xiaofeng looked at him and said seriously: "Pang Yu, women are different from men. After they get married, they will face the problem of having children. If the wife is not pregnant for a long time, the husband's family will be dissatisfied and may help the man take in a new woman."

  Pang Yu lowered his head, then raised it and said seriously: "Sister, I understand what you mean. It's Xiang Er..."

  "She didn't say anything, but she wasn't happy. As her husband, you should care about your wife a bit more, at such a young age, it's not hard to speak some sweet words, is it?"

  "Sister—"

  "Alright, you've been married for so long and still so shy. Let's go, Xiang'er is in the garden."

  "Oh."

  "Goodbye, hurry up and go, say something nice."

  "Got it, sis."

  "Go ahead."

  Pang Yu walked away with a red face.

  After sending off Pang Yu, Little Phoenix continued on her way to find her adoptive mother.

  When speaking with her stepmother, Xiaofeng couldn't be so direct and had to adopt a more roundabout approach.

  Mrs. Pang listened to her daughter's indirect hints for half a day, and finally couldn't help but laugh, "You don't have to try so hard, I understand."

  "Huh?"

  "You think Xiang'er will definitely get married and leave us now, right?"

  "Originally, girls are their parents' precious darlings before they get married. However, once they're married, their husband becomes everything to them and they have to endure the strict scrutiny of their husband and his family members. This can lead to a huge letdown in their heart, making it easy for them to become unhappy."

  "Life is hard from the start, why would I want to suffer if I can have a good life, right?"

  "You."

  "Mother, I'm right, aren't I? Think about it, if I get married and don't have children for a long time, my in-laws will be critical and disapproving. Won't you and Father feel sad?"

  "Does it still need to be said?"

  "Right! From oneself to others, parents all over the world are the same."

  Mrs. Pang patted her hand, "Alright, I understand what you mean. Xiang'er is also thinking too much, she and Yu'er are still young. Your father and I weren't in such a hurry either. But when we get to the temple, it's inevitable that we'll have to go along with the scene."

  "My mother is indeed the best mother and mother-in-law in the world."

  Mrs. Pong couldn't help but poke her head and said with a smile: "You've been told off, and that's good."

  "A harmonious family is the foundation of all happiness; only when a family lives in harmony can their days be filled with joy and meaning."

  "I can tell just by looking at you, you're always fooling around."

  "I'm happy, didn't you see that I'm unhappy?"

  "Seeing you so happy makes me happy too."

  "So, I saw that Xiang'er was unhappy, and I was also unhappy in my heart. Then, after thinking about it for a long time, I figured out why she was unhappy, and then I came up with ways to make her happy. Once she's happy, her brother sees it and is also happy, and Mother sees her son being happy, so naturally she's also happy. Is that the way it works?"

  "Right, right, right." Originally, Mrs. Pang still had a bit of discomfort in her heart, but this sentence made her thoroughly comfortable.

  Finally made it through safely!

  Little Phoenix girl gave herself a thumbs up in her heart.

  As the saying goes, it's hard for a clean official to mediate family affairs. This kind of thing is not easy to handle in the first place. Today she played a "Big Sister Xian" and considered it a perfect ending.