Chapter Eleven: Clash Without Worries

  Entering the Duke's mansion from the main gate, it means that Shu Mulu Zhiyuan has officially returned to Beijing. Whether he has a heart for contending for the title or not, Zhiyuan will bring waves to the Duke's mansion. After Guajia and Shu Xiao got off the carriage, they knelt down to Zhi Cheng and Zhi Hao brothers, Shu Xiao said with a clever and lazy tone: "Third uncle, fourth uncle, peace."

  Zhiyuan and Zhihao glanced at Shuyao, who was just a delicate little girl with sweet features, although her eyebrows and eyes were beautiful and she had a lovely appearance. However, among the young ladies in the mansion, Shuyao couldn't be considered one of the most outstanding ones. Their niece Li Qiqing was an absolute beauty.

  Guar Jia's stunning beauty and refreshing temperament left her brothers momentarily stunned. Guar Jia wore a red peony cheongsam, with the blooming flowers on her chest perfectly accentuating her delicate features, making her look lovely and charming. Zhi Cheng couldn't help but sigh in admiration, thinking that Zhi Yuan was indeed blessed to have such a beautiful wife. Among the sisters-in-law, Guar Jia was undoubtedly the most stunning.

  "Second sister An."

  When the young uncle is not doing well, he always stares at his sister-in-law. Zhi Cheng shifts his gaze away, "In the past, when Second Brother lived in Wutongyuan, it was renovated a year ago and a part of it was allocated to his niece. After learning that Second Brother's family returned to Beijing, his niece is a sensible person who yielded the courtyard. Second Brother, please come with your younger brother, Wutongyuan has changed greatly now."

  Gua Erjia smiled and sighed, saying: "My niece is really a sensible girl. It's us who are being unreasonable as her uncle and aunt. As soon as we returned to the manor, we occupied her courtyard. My niece has always been a guest at the Duke's Manor, so it's only right that we take a step back."

  Guarjia told the servant, "Don't hurry to unload the boxes and furniture, wait until we've seen the old lady and made arrangements."

  "Second aunt, let's still follow mother's wishes and live in Wutong Garden. The niece has already vacated the place, it's her filial piety."

  "This won't do, who doesn't know that the niece is the apple of her mother's eye? The niece will have a day to get married, how can Uncle bear to let her live uncomfortably? If the niece suffers grievances, the old lady's heart won't be at ease, even if it's for filial piety to the old lady, the master can't just take away the niece's place to live as soon as he enters the house."

  Jian Zhi Cheng was about to speak again, but Guajia smiled and stopped him: "I'll make it clear to the old lady later. Household matters, you men don't understand our women's thoughts about their daughters."

  Guarjia's few words left Zhi Cheng speechless. "Second sister is right, let mother decide on this matter."

  Zhicong, who had always been clever and never suffered a loss, had just returned to the Rongguo Mansion with Zhiyuan's family and was immediately hit with two successive setbacks. Guan'erjia kept saying that her niece was a guest and should be indulged, wasn't this implying that Zhiyuan's family were the masters of the Duke's mansion?

  The old lady only gave birth to two daughters. Although Ama is still alive, she has been bedridden and confused all the time, unable to speak clearly. Everything in the house was controlled by the old lady. These illegitimate children were not as good as their legitimate sisters. The old lady loved her niece Li Qiqing so much that even her own grandson Shu Jie, who had been raised by her since childhood, couldn't compare with her niece.

  Zhi Cheng let his wife Tong Jia Shi instigate the old lady to give the Wutong Garden where her niece lived to Zhi Yuan. She had ulterior motives, first to test whether Zhi Yuan had any intention of usurping the title, and secondly to make her niece dislike Zhi Yuan, which would affect the old lady's impression of him. Zhi Yuan was not liked by the old lady anyway, and as soon as he returned to the mansion, he forced his niece to move out. The old lady was a person who valued face, and she would definitely be angry with Zhi Yuan. Moreover, when Zhi Yuan returned to Beijing, he occupied his niece's courtyard, making outsiders aware that his sister-in-law, a weak widow, was being treated this way by her own brother, showing that Zhi Yuan was arrogant and heartless.

  It was a good plan, and it also moved the old lady. But is Guajia eating vegetarian food? A few words of courtesy turned things around in an instant, and the niece became the host, and Zhiyuan's family, for the sake of filial piety to the old lady and love for their niece, chose another courtyard to live in. Among the many courtyards in the mansion, only the most remote Huaiyuan Courtyard near the corner gate was suitable for Zhiyuan's family to live in.

  Guaerjia pulled Shu Yao, "Master, although the boat and car are tired, we will see Ama E Ma first. It's been over a decade since we last met, Ama E Ma must be thinking of us."

  Who misses you? Zhi Cheng lowered his head, and couldn't wait for you to never return to the capital. Suddenly, Zhi Cheng smiled and said: "Second sister is right, we should kowtow to our mother."

  Shu Yao wrinkled her delicate eyebrows, perhaps because she had been holding Gual Jia's hand all along, Shu Yao somehow sensed Gual Jia's thoughts, the triumphant plan to foil Zhi Cheng, 'Dare to bully our master? Let you know what it means to be fierce.'

  Shu Yao grasped Gual Jia's hand tightly, and her mother asked in a loud voice. Gual Jia lowered her head and asked, "What? Tired?"

  Shu Yao also felt a sense of desolation and puzzlement, pouting her small mouth: "Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle's smile seems so forced, with a hint of bitterness, is it because they miss Ama? Once the whole family reunites, Third Uncle and Fourth Uncle won't be sad anymore."

  Guarjia endured the laughter, Zhi Cheng was almost choked to death by Shu Yao's words, his mouth corners twitching upwards, his internal organs trembling. Zhiyuan emotionally chimed in: "Third brother, fourth brother, I'll be returning to the capital for official duties and won't leave again; we brothers will finally reunite."

  Zhiyuan grasped Zhi Chengzhi's hand, talking about brotherly love and righteousness. Shu Yao nodded repeatedly, "Third Uncle's complexion isn't good, he must be missing his mother."

  Shu Yi retreated to Guajia's side and lowered her voice: "Mother, is Ama telling the truth or lying?"

  Little sister Shuyao is still young after all, and she has been spoiled since childhood. Zhiyuan's family is harmonious, with love between siblings, but how can her mother be so naive too?

  Guarjia sighed, glanced at her son, indicating that the task was heavy and far-reaching, and her son had to help take care of Zhiyuan. Shuyi's forehead was sweating, it seemed that it was really true, his mother was still truly hardworking. Shuyi looked again at Shuxuan who was already holding a book, with ears not hearing the things in front of him, his eyebrows lightly jumping, the task was very arduous, he would rather be less worried, just like his big brother Ama who was more carefree.

  "Big brother, I remember there's a poem about this, is it chrysanthemum or taro?"

  Everyone was silent, and Zhiyuan burst out laughing: "Taro? Shuyao, are you hungry? The snacks in the capital are more abundant than those in Huizhou. When Ama has time, she'll take you to try them."

  Zhi Cheng Zhi Hao was stimulated too much today, Shu Xuan's eyes left the book in his hand. "Ama, little sister isn't hungry, she said it should be Wang Wei's poem from the Tang Dynasty 'Alone in a foreign land as a stranger, every time I encounter a good festival, I miss my relatives even more. From afar, I know that my brothers are on high grounds, inserting osmanthus flowers, but one person is missing.'"

  Xiu Yao nodded slightly: "Still, big brother is clever. However, Ama, the snacks in the capital are delicious? Then we must try them, let's go another day."

  Zhiyuan started listing the names of Beijing snacks, one by one. Shuyao's only task in this life was to enjoy delicious food and beautiful clothes, she never wanted to be exhausted again.