A Beautiful Duchess with a Dark Heart – Chapter 144

Chapter 144

“Her name is Yan Zhu. She’s the companion Mother left for Yu’er.”

Yan Zhu’s small face was flushed, a little nervous.

“She’s also the goddaughter that Yu’er took in for Uncle and Aunt!”

Aunt gasped, pulling Yan Zhu closer. “Zhuzhu, just call me Aunt like Ah Yu does. Such a pretty goddaughter, I can’t bring myself to call you that!”

Everyone laughed again.

Yan Zhu said earnestly, “You are both Zhuzhu’s godmother and Zhuzhu’s aunt. In the future, just remember that no matter what name you call, it’s Zhuzhu calling you!”

“Oh my, this child!” Aunt patted her chest, overwhelmed by the sudden surge of happiness.

Uncle stroked his beard and laughed. “Anything goes, anything goes! You two sisters supporting each other all these years, it hasn’t been easy! Wife, they’ve already addressed you, shouldn’t you show your appreciation?”

“Right!” Aunt quickly picked up a box beside her. “These two bracelets are a pair… the original things from home are gone, used up. These are newly bought! One for each of you, I hope you won’t mind. When life gets better, I’ll make it up to you!”

Ma Shi’s eyes swept over them like knives.

Yan Zhu opened it excitedly. It was a silver bracelet. The silver quality was excellent, the carving intricate and full, shimmering brightly!

She quickly put it on. “It’s so beautiful! Thank you, Godfather and Godmother! This is a small token of Zhuzhu’s filial piety to you both!”

Yan Zhu took the gift she was about to give from Xiao Ji’s hands.

“Uncle, Aunt, Zhuzhu is very skilled with her hands. She made all of this herself!” Wen Yu explained.

Uncle took a look at his cloak. It was lined with grey rabbit fur! It was soft, shiny, and of excellent quality. He was not someone without discernment. He sighed with emotion, “Zhuzhu is so thoughtful.”

“Indeed!” Aunt looked at the forehead band in her hand. “This work is truly outstanding. When I was young, I even sought out a master to teach me, but I could never achieve this level of skill! Jie’er, you must learn from Sister Zhuzhu properly.”

Chen Wenjie, holding the handkerchief in her hand, was also overjoyed. Her own skills weren’t great. “Yes…” she mumbled like a mosquito.

Chen Wensi received a brush and expressed his thanks softly.

As soon as Yan Zhu offered it, “Eldest Sister-in-Law…” Ma Shi snatched it, opened it, and her eyes lit up…

Pearls!

She had some gold and silver jewelry, but pearls? Her family wouldn’t buy her those! She had so many things she wanted to buy… or rather, take, or get her hands on! She wouldn’t bear to spend money on pearls…

“I’ve received the godsister’s gift. What about the real cousin’s?” Ma Shi looked at Wen Yu.

Aunt said, “How many New Year goods has Ah Yu sent over these days? Can you stop complaining?!”

Chen Wenliang received a heavy pouch. He opened it slightly, and the gleam of silver appeared. His eyes lit up like stars…

Cousin came, and she even brought Sister Zhuzhu, how generous! Sister Zhuzhu is so beautiful, she’ll definitely marry well in the future. Ah, Chen Wenliang, your good days are coming.

You must keep an eye on these two money-bringing sisters. “Thank you, Cousin. May Sister Zhuzhu stay forever young and marry into a wealthy family!”

Uncle was nodding along with the first half of the sentence, but when he heard the last part, he pointed at him, so angry…

Wen Yu also glared at Chen Wenliang.

“This is for my eldest nephew!”

Ma Shi snatched it again. “So generous!” She didn’t expect this goddaughter to have such a lavish hand. Father-in-law’s fur cloak was good too, why didn’t she get one…

Wen Yu said, “Aunt, in a bit, I’ll take Cousin away! Let her stay with Zhuzhu for a while, they can keep each other company. It just so happens that there’s a Master Qing over there, his vision and skill are top-notch. Whether she learns or not, let Cousin be influenced by him.”

“Well, wouldn’t that be too much trouble for Zhuzhu?!”

Yan Zhu quickly said, “No trouble at all! There’s another sister, Lingling, in Zhuzhu’s house, she should be about the same age as Sister Jie’er. You two can play together!”

Aunt Chen looked at her daughter. She was shy but a little yearning, and nodded. “Alright! Then go! If you find her troublesome, just send her back!”

Ma Shi became even more unhappy when she heard this.

She had been to that courtyard once, and it was much better than the one they lived in!

Furthermore… if she moved in, when Wen Yu got married, that Zhu whatever her name was would also eventually marry…

Then, wouldn’t it all belong to her?!

They were all chatting happily, barely mentioning her!

The eldest son’s wife, who had even given birth to the eldest grandson, why was she looked down upon?!

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“Oh! Cousin, shouldn’t you also invite your cousin-in-law to stay? Look at our place, one room, half a kang. Your place is so big, you wouldn’t be able to spare a room?”

Chen Wenliang was also thinking about this. Hearing Ma Shi’s words, he scoffed.

Wen Yu tilted her head and said lightly, “There are indeed many rooms in that courtyard! However, I asked Uncle and Aunt, and they refused to live there. You are the daughter-in-law, not staying by their side to show filial piety to your parents-in-law, not serving your husband, but running off to live in someone else’s house. I’m afraid Cousin-in-law would be accused of being unfilial and improper!”

Uncle and Aunt hated it most when Ma Shi opened her mouth, but seeing Wen Yu’s attitude, they exchanged glances, a little stunned.

Ah Yu was always so nice to them!

Why was she being like this to Ma Shi?

This was their first meeting… hmm, it seemed that Ma Shi was just unlikeable!

Seeing the wealth before her eyes seemingly having nothing to do with her, Ma Shi became annoyed. “I was just saying, you don’t have to shut me up with words! Really, I haven’t had a good day since marrying into the Chen family!”

Uncle Chen’s face darkened, but as a father-in-law, he couldn’t argue with his daughter-in-law.

“Ma Shi, what nonsense are you talking about?!” Aunt was furious. Wen Yu had just arrived for the first time, and she was causing trouble without any sense of propriety!

“Sister-in-law, what good days did you have at your parents’ home?” This was Chen Wenliang speaking. “In the Ma family, having meat in your dishes meant it was New Year’s. You came in with just a small bundle. If you hadn’t married into the Chen family, would you be wearing silk and satin, with ornaments in your hair?”

Ma Shi glared at him. “What’s it to you? Marry a man, marry a man, clothes and food! I married into the Chen family, gave birth to a son, you have to take care of my food, clothing, and everything!”

“Can’t take care of you, go back to your parents’ home to eat!” Chen Wenliang said.

Chen Wensi’s face turned pale with anger.

“Fine! Now that you have a niece who’s going to marry into a Marquis household, you look down on me?” Ma Shi argued with Chen Wenliang, her face red and neck thick, but her eyes were glancing at Uncle and Aunt, acting fearless.

“We looked down on you long ago! Now we have even more reason to!” Chen Wenliang retorted quickly!

Wen Yu felt that Chen Wenliang and Li Jiang would probably get along well!

Uncle Chen saw that a grown man was arguing with a woman?

“Wenliang, you’re a grown man arguing about this? You’ve wasted all your education!” He yelled at his son angrily.

“Isn’t he just wasting it? Spending all that money on education, he hasn’t learned a damn thing! He should have been sent out to carry burdens long ago!” Ma Shi said contemptuously.

“Ma Shi, go back to your room!” Aunt roared.

“Am I wrong?” Ma Shi often argued with her mother-in-law. “What kind of family are we? Still supporting two people to study? Chen Wensi at least passed the county exam, we should only support him.

My son will have to go to school in two years, we should be saving money! But we’re just throwing it away! Filling the hole for this good-for-nothing, it’s better to buy me some clothes! Look at what they’re wearing? What am I wearing?”

Ma Shi clutched her sleeves and complained shrilly.

Uncle Chen turned his face away in disgust, Aunt Chen was so angry she pointed at her but couldn’t speak.

Chen Wensi lowered his head, his anger reaching his head.

Chen Wenliang wore a mocking expression. “Even if you were to wear clothes of gold thread, you wouldn’t even reach the dirt on the soles of my two sisters’ shoes!”

“Still better than you, a useless bum! Chen Wensi! I’m being bullied at home, and you’re just going to stand there and watch, are you?! You’re over twenty and haven’t even become an official, freeloading at home, dragging me down with you… You should go out to the courtyard and get slapped!”

Chen Wenjie nervously clenched her hands.

Wen Yu watched coldly: Ma Shi was truly formidable, single-handedly stirring up the entire family like this.

Aunt Chen was truly helpless and said, “All of you go out, your father and I have something to say to Yu’er!”

Ma Shi stood up abruptly. “What’s so great about it! Don’t think that just because you’ll be an official’s wife in the future, you can be arrogant in front of me!” She turned and left!

“Laba, follow her and bring my eldest nephew here, I haven’t seen him yet!” Wen Yu ordered.

Ma Shi would go back and hit the child… then Chen Rui would cry loudly, and the two elders would be dumbfounded…

This was her tactic!

“I’ll lead the way!” Chen Wenliang hurried out.

Laba followed behind, calm and collected.