Song Yulian chuckled self-deprecatingly. Her days in the manor were numbered anyway, so even if she was unhappy, she wouldn't have to endure it for long.
“Cousin Yulian.”
Song Yulian’s cousin, with an air of impatience and disdain, offered her a perfunctory greeting.
“Shu’er!” Song Yulian’s aunt feigned a scolding. “Your cousin is about to be married. Don’t be so temperamental.”
Then, she turned to Song Yulian with a gentle smile. “Yulian, Shu’er has been spoiled by her mother. Please don’t take offense at her behavior.”
As usual, Song Yulian smiled gently. “Aunt, please don’t worry. Cousin is still young, and I won’t take offense.”
Xie Shu sneered, “Mother, what kind of marriage is this for her? Being carried into a door by a small sedan chair, without anyone knowing. I truly don’t know what she was thinking, rushing to be a concubine. Before her son was even conceived, she set her sights on the father. How shameless!”
Xie Chen’s affairs had already caused Xie Shu considerable embarrassment.
The Xie family was large, and each member had their own agenda.
This Song Yulian was her mother’s niece and lived in the Xie household. Even if she was from their branch of the family, if she did something shameful, Xie Shu would also be unable to hold her head up.
The Xie sisters were usually competitive and had often made sarcastic remarks about her because of past events.
Now, it was even worse. Song Yulian was to become a concubine to the second grandfather, and the shame was immeasurable.
Song Yulian’s expression remained unchanged, as if Xie Shu were speaking about someone else.
“Shu’er, do not speak such nonsense!” Song Yulian’s aunt glared at Xie Shu. Some things, though thought, were unnecessary to voice.
She would be leaving in a few days anyway. More importantly, it was still unclear how she would fare in that Xie manor.
If Xie Chen’s father cherished her, then in the future, they might have reason to rely on her.
Song Yulian’s aunt forced a smile and held Song Yulian’s hand. “Yulian, the only reason I brought you back to live with us was because I hoped you would live well and comfortably. Don’t pay attention to what others say or think. As long as you feel it is right, that’s all that matters.”
“Yulian knows that Aunt truly cares for me. I will always remember Aunt’s kindness. If my younger cousins need help in the future, I will never refuse,” Song Yulian said with a charming smile.
She had always been skilled at saying pleasant things and at coaxing people.
“Later, I will mention the matter of my cousin seeking a teacher to Lord Xie,” Song Yulian added.
Song Yulian’s aunt’s eyes lit up, and her smile became even more amiable. “Yulian, I knew you were a good girl.”
Regardless of whether it was Xie Chen or Xie Chen’s father, their connections were formidable. Especially Xie Chen’s father, who knew many learned individuals. Receiving guidance from any one of them would be immensely beneficial.
Previously, she had considered asking Xie Chen and his father for help, but she had been refused.
If Song Yulian could accomplish this…
“Your cousin will surely remember your kindness,” Song Yulian’s aunt continued. “The Song family cannot be your support. In the future, your cousin will be your backer.”
“Yulian understands. We rise and fall together.”
“Indeed, a sensible and good girl. I have never misjudged people. Of your father’s many daughters, I am most fond of you.”
Xie Shu gritted her teeth secretly. Song Yulian was so adept at this, coaxing her mother with just a few words.
It had originally been agreed that Song Yulian would come to hand over a shop given by the old master, to be used as her dowry.
“Mother!” Xie Shu stamped her foot.
“Shu’er, you are no longer young. Learn more from your cousin. It’s time you became sensible.”
She doted on her daughter, but compared to her son, her daughter had to take a backseat. The benefits of her son finding a good teacher far outweighed the profits from a shop.
She could still calculate this much.