Chapter 524 - 523: Understanding

Chapter 524: Chapter 523: Understanding

Returning to Baijie Hall, Madam Wu listened to the events at the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, her brow furrowed tightly.

"This is intolerable!" Mrs. Lian gritted her teeth, thinking that even a married lady dared to be so brazen.

Du Yunluo lowered her eyelids and said, "Grandmother, the kind of person Lady is, she won’t suffer in silence. After this incident, the Pingyang Marquis Mansion probably won’t be so quick to provoke her again."

Madam Wu hadn’t spoken yet when Mrs. Lian hastily said, "Lian Xiao’s wife, a family that unreasonable, how can they be judged by common sense? Hui’er has suffered enough over these three years."

Du Yunluo glanced sideways at Mrs. Lian, and quickly withdrew her gaze.

The Pingyang Marquis Mansion, though unreasonable, was better than the ungrateful nature of Mu Yuanmou and his wife.

Mu Lianhui, how much more hardship could she endure over these three years?

Mu Lianhui had endured over thirty years in the Imperial Mausoleum; how could she be afraid of such petty schemes?

And in the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, Mrs. Zhou, Mrs. Xu, and Du Yunluo had suffered so much in their past lives, yet Mrs. Lian had never shown a shred of compassion then.

Leaving Baijie Hall, the sound of cicadas filled the air. Instead of feeling annoyed, Du Yunluo felt much calmer.

Mu Lianxiao led her towards Shaohui Garden.

Du Yunluo had said she didn’t want to help Mu Lianhui, but in today’s situation, she ended up helping anyway. Her words made the Pingyang Marquis Mansion wary for the coming years.

At the time, it was a necessary action. Now, to dwell on it seems a bit petty.

After a moment’s thought, Du Yunluo decided to leave it all behind.

As she left the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, she met Mu Lianhui’s eyes.

Mu Lianhui’s calm eyes suddenly curved into a smile, forming crescent moon shapes on her face. Her dimples were shallow. If not for her plain attire, she looked just like the Mu Lianhui from their first meeting at Wangmei Garden in this life.

That smile lingered in Du Yunluo’s mind. Mu Lianhui wasn’t one to sit and wait for death, nor was she someone who swallowed her grievances. Her smile indicated she may have found a way forward.

What exactly was she planning to do...

Du Yunluo wouldn’t impede Mu Lianhui’s path, but if she couldn’t understand what Mu Lianhui intended, and if Mu Lianhui acted rashly, the reputation of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion could suffer.

If she had some understanding beforehand, she wouldn’t be caught off guard if anything were to happen.

Mu Lianhui could escape for sure; she had silver and could live incognito.

However, that would mean abandoning everything, especially her identity. Facing trouble in the future, she couldn’t even turn to the government.

Without a household registration, Mu Lianhui would be like a runaway slave.

Marriage was out of the question; she couldn’t register a marriage certificate. Making Mu Lianhui a concubine would be a huge joke.

To have a child would also pose a problem regarding the child’s registration.

Mu Lianhui was determined to have a child and would plan for the child; she wouldn’t want them to live in hiding.

The only way would be to use silver to exchange for a household registration, but flaunting wealth as a woman also brought its own troubles.

Considering all this, running away was the last resort, one Mu Lianhui wouldn’t take unless absolutely necessary.

But if there were any other feasible ways...

Du Yunluo knew Mu Lianhui well enough; she wouldn’t place all her hopes on the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion three years from now; she must have thought of another method.

Returning to Shaohui Garden, Mu Lianxiao went to the purification room to freshen up, while Du Yunluo wiped the sweat from her forehead and had Jin Rui loosen her tied-up hair.

Du Yunluo sat in front of the mirror, seeing her delicate and exquisite features reflected. She slightly turned her head, observing her side profile...

Recalling the scenes in the Pingyang Marquis Mansion, Du Yunluo suddenly grasped a detail.

Jin Huan.

A slap; Mu Lianhui surely wouldn’t take it lying down. Across two lifetimes, it was likely the first slap Mu Lianhui had endured.

Mu Lianhui had the capabilities to deal with Jin Huan.

"Did your brothers agree to the Marquis having a mistress? Has the Marquis taken one?"

Mu Lianhui’s voice echoed in Du Yunluo’s ears.

Jin Huan was one to make a scene. If her husband took a mistress, who knew how she would react.

Moreover, Mu Lianhui knew about Jin Huan and Huo Ruyi’s rivalry as sisters-in-law. Three years later, with no Jin Shang to mediate, who knew how the brothers’ quarrels would end?

Mu Lianhui would certainly use these disruptions.

However, Mu Lianhui didn’t know that Du Yunluo had informed Princess An Ran to keep Huo Ruyi from getting involved with Jin Huan. Whether the brothers would argue or not was still uncertain.

The only certainty was that, even if Jin Huan’s husband didn’t have a mistress now, Mu Lianhui would certainly make it happen.

Then it would depend on how the Pingyang Marquis Mansion would react to their son-in-law’s affairs.

Mu Lianhui’s nature was such, and Du Yunluo had figured out most of it, giving her some clarity of mind.

Mu Lianxiao emerged from the purification room, taking a comb from Jin Rui’s hand to gently manage Du Yunluo’s long hair.

Though her hair was soft, it wasn’t straight, and the ends often tangled. Mu Lianxiao patiently untangled them one by one.

Seeing Mu Lianxiao’s focused expression through the mirror made Du Yunluo’s lips curve into a smile.

In the capital’s June, the heat-averse Madam Wu had already started using ice basins in her room.

Even if the Pingyang Marquis Mansion didn’t mind spending more on ice, Jin Shang’s spirit hall couldn’t be kept for long. In seven days, the funeral and burial would take place.

Once the Marchioness had spoken, after consulting with Madam Wu, Mrs. Lian visited Mu Lianhui at her house once, returning with an displeased expression. Who knew what conflict had arisen between the two mother and daughter this time?

By mid-June, Mu Lianxiao had gone to the palace for discussions, and Du Yunluo played with Brother Yan.

Brother Yan couldn’t sit still; he walked back and forth barefoot on the Arhat Bed, the silver bracelet on his ankle jingling, laughing gleefully.

The laughter of a happy child always livened up the atmosphere.

Jin Lan lifted the curtain and entered, bowing, and said, "Mistress, someone from the Du Family has come to deliver good news."

Du Yunluo raised her eyebrows. If it was good news, it must be that Mrs. Tang had given birth.

Nanny Zhao came personally to deliver the congratulations.

Du Yunluo quickly invited Nanny Zhao to sit: "What brings you here? Mother needs you by her side."

Nanny Zhao smiled with sealed lips, "Mistress is too kind to a humble servant."

Always proper, Nanny Zhao reported Mrs. Tang had a daughter, and recounted with a smile the nervousness of Du Yundi during the delivery, causing Du Yunluo to chuckle.

Seeing Nanny Zhao off, Du Yunluo lifted her eyes towards the entrance of the adjoining room, where Yan’er and Hongfu were whispering to one another.

Whatever was said, Hongfu’s face suddenly soured, and she turned to run back inside, slamming the door shut.

Du Yunluo turned her head towards Hong Jinbao’s wife.

Hong Jinbao’s wife nodded slightly, speaking softly, "As per your instructions, nothing went amiss."

Du Yunluo smiled, it seemed Ruozhu had performed just as she had envisioned.