Zhao Jin Yu and Chen Rong were taken to the hall by Cui Yu,

it was already the time to light lamps, lanterns hung from the eaves,

brilliantly red, appearing to reflect the joyous occasion, making those who

looked to be in a jubilant mood, the madam heard Zhao Jin Yu had arrived, in

spite of people stopping her, she personally walked to the door to greet her.

Apart from the young and old maids, there was a girl of

similar age to Zhao Jin Yu humbly supporting the madam as they walked over

together, she slightly lowered her head, showing her bright and full forehead,

but just from that it could be seen she was a very beautiful woman.

“Qing Luan, this is your younger sister, Rui Zhi.” The madam

Mao s.h.i.+ patted the back of Zhao Rui Zhi’s hand, intimately introducing her to

Zhao Jin Yu, “We are not flouris.h.i.+ng with heirs, you sisters have to get along

well from now on.”

Hearing this Zhao Rui Zhi lifted her head to nod at Zhao Jin

Yu, showing a full moon like gentle smile, she said, “Older sister, if there’s

anything you need feel free to tell me, I will definitely try my best to serve

you, I would be happy to pour tea or get water.”

The madam Mao s.h.i.+ liked Rui Zhi’s generosity the most, a

gratified expression flashed through her eyes, her mouth actually said, “You

are sisters, if your older sister needs something she naturally has maids to do

them, why would you need to serve her?”

Hearing these words the rim of Zhao Rui Zhi’s eyes suddenly

reddened, with a plop she kneeled, saying, “I’m merely an orphan, if it wasn’t

for madam’s kindness, taking pity on my sufferings with no one to rely on,

bringing me up by your side, how would I be here today? Everything of mine was

given by the madam, and older sister is the madam’s blood granddaughter, our

Zhao family’s eldest young lady, how can I compare?” Zhao Rui Zhi spoke to

here, large tear drops were falling, setting off in contrast her snow white skin,

so delicate that she would be knocked over with a breeze, not just the madam

but the old and young maids at the side all showed a pitiful expression.

“You girl, quickly get up.” The madam said.

Zhao Jin Yu suddenly had a bad premonition…, how was this a

bit like a move of taking a step back to advance, making her feel very uneasy,

she turned her head to gaze at Chen Rong, seeing she also had a somewhat

ridiculing expression. It looked like it wasn’t just her with a bad feeling,

this Zhao Rui Zhi was really using such an indirect method to beat her down.

“Younger sister Rui Zhi, it’s winter now, why are you

kneeling on the floor?” From outside came two men and a woman, one of them was

a young man wearing a lake green silk cotton padded clothes who practically

rushed over, if it wasn’t for the apprehension between men and women, he almost

seemed to want to pull her up.

Zhao Rui Zhi wiped her tears, saying to the young man,

“Cousin Zhen Shan, I’m fine.”

Xiao Zhen Shan’s gaze immediately landed on Zhao Jin Yu,

somewhat eccentrically he said, “She’s only an illegitimate child, does she

really think she’s the eldest young lady of the Zhao family? I advise some

people should know their place, don’t throw about an eldest young lady manner

before her place is established, causing bystanders to sneer at them.”

Xiao Yu Xue who followed behind him couldn’t help loudly

yell, “Impudent! Zhen Shan, you are in front of your maternal grandmother, what

are you saying? Hurry up and apologise to your cousin.”

“I won’t.” Xiao Zhen Shan clearly had a bad temperament, he

simply remained unmoved.

Zhao Jin Yu simply wanted to laugh in annoyance, if she

didn’t need the Zhao family to help plead for her adoptive father, she would

have already swung her sleeves in anger and left, this younger sister Zhao Rui

Zhi really was talented, it was hard to take her attack already, but

unexpectedly she 

had a helper, this time it was truly really difficult for her

to take.

Zhao Rui Zhi was clever and obedient, she was a child who

understood people very well…, the madam had brought her up for seven or eight

years, even a stone could become close, let alone a person? Naturally she loved

her, even though she was not happy with her behaviour today, but she still felt

she was innocent, it was this stupid child Xiao Zhen Shan who didn’t know how

to speak! 

Deliberately warping Zhao Rui Zhi’s words.

The madam’s face darkened, she firmly hit the top of Xiao

Zhen Shan’s head, shouting, “It seems that the usually spoilt you has become

more and more impolite, this is the first time your younger sister Qing Luan

has returned home, you however said these improper malicious words to her, do

you want to infuriate me?”

Xiao Zhen Shan’s forehead was smacked red but he stood his

ground not speaking, he seemed very stubborn.

Xia Zhen Shan’s father Xiao Yu Xue was greatly angered, he

kicked his son’s legs, forcing him to kneel, then yelled, “You’re grandmother

is right, your mother has spoiled you, getting more and more impolite, go kneel

in the ancestral hall!”

“Father, why are you helping an outsider as well?”

“Qing Luan is not an outsider, she is your younger sister!”

Xiao Yu Xue was fuming, he was itching to throw this disgrace of a son outside.

“Why is it so noisy?” A man around fifty years old came in

escorted in a crowd.

Xiao Zhen Shan saw him, he hurriedly respectfully said,

“Father.”

The Xiao family and the Zhao family had been friends for

many generations, they lived in the street, Xiao Yu Xue married the Zhao

family’s third branch’s daughter, because the two family were close, so they came

and went like one family.

The person who arrived was the second branch’s master Zhao

Tian Kun, this generation of the Zhao family went by the name Kun, altogether

there were twenty males, now the only one of the Zhao family who lived here

were the main branch Zhao Xing Kun, the second branch Zhao Tian Kun, fifth

branch Zhao Zhen Kun.

Xiao Zhen Shan’s legs weakened despite his arrogance when he

saw his father-in-law, he kneeled on the floor without speaking.

Zhao Tian Kun glanced at him, then glanced at Zhao Jin Yu, Zhao

Rui Zhi and others, after listening to the servant explain what just happened,

he heavily rapped his walking stick saying, “A family’s harmony require

everyone’s hearts to be together, work together, if you argue like this all

day, what is there?” After he pointed at Xiao Zhen Shan saying, “You have an

evil tongue not understanding of sibling love, completely lacking in brotherly

affection, I punish you to kneel in the ancestral hall for a day.” Again

pointing at Zhao Rui Zhi he said, “The Zhao family adopted you, gave you food

and clothes to wear, that is an enormous kindness to you, if however you

continue to weep endlessly like today, who will you be crying to then? Qing

Luan is the Zhao family’s eldest young lady, isn’t it right for you to serve

her?”

Zhao Rui Zhi couldn’t help be humiliated, covering her face

she wanted to cry but afraid to provoke an even further scolding, without any

better option she held back her tears and stood there, the fact was compared to

Xiao Zhen Shan who would provoke pity if he cried, his fingernails were digging

into his palm.

Zhao Tian Kun imposing gaze again swept onto Zhao Jin Yu, he

said, “I don’t care how you lived before, here you must follow by this family’s

rules, you just arrived yet instigated your older cousin and younger adopted

sister to be scolded, you really are talented, humph, as expected coming from a

low family, unable to be in public.”

Zhao Jin Yu would be a fool if she continued to remain

silent, she naturally and unrestrained greeted 

Zhao Tian Kun, then said, “May I

ask which elder are you?”

Cui Yu trembled saying, “Young lady, this is the master of

the second branch.”

“So it’s the master of the second branch? Even though we are

all a part of the Zhao family, but my grandfather is Zhao Xing Kun, even if I

don’t have any parents now, my mother gave birth to me but I was not brought up

by her, however is it so bad that second master has to lecture me?” Zhao Jin Yu

said with stiff sarcasm.

Those words born from a mother but no mother to bring her up

immediately stabbed the madam Mao s.h.i.+’s heart, her sadness came from there,

with a calm expression she said, “Second uncle, I haven’t died yet, you have no

right to chide my Qing Luan!”

“What does a married woman like you know?” Zhao Tian Kun

roared.

In a moment the original gathering to see family became a

battle of words, Zhao Xing Kun arrived to stop this farce, “What is all this

shouting? People who know this family knows this is the century old prestigious

Zhao family, those who don’t know would think this is the home of a common

villager, all of you shut up!”

Zhao Xing Kun was the head of the family, even the second

master had no option but to listen to him, the people stopped talking, Zhao

Xing Kun angrily walked around the courtyard a few times with his hands behind

his back, saying, “If there is anyone who doesn’t want to partic.i.p.ate in this gathering

feast get lost, if you’re truthfully here to congratulate us then I’m happy,

don’t dampen people’s spirits, hurt our Qing Luan’s feelings!”

The second master’s second daughter, Xiao Zhen Shan’s wife

Xiao Zhao s.h.i.+ hurriedly put on a smile, saying, “We’ve found younger brother

Ying Guan’s daughter with such difficulty, of course it’s a joyous thing, how

could we come to dampen your spirits? I’ve even prepared a gift.” Afterwards a

maid to the side produced a brocade box, opening the box it revealed a jadeite

bracelet inlayed with gold, she said, “Qing Luan, this is a bit of my your

aunt’s kind intention, quickly accept it.”

With Xiao Zhao s.h.i.+ easing the tension, the atmosphere suddenly

mellowed a lot, Zhao Xing Kun also knew not to go overboard, steadily he said,

“Since you all came to congratulate us, then enter the house.”

Several people entered the house in succession, the madam

reached out wanting to hold Zhao Jin Yu’s hand but was evaded without batting

an eyelid, she smiled saying to Zhao Rui Zhi, “Younger sister, you have always

been waiting upon grandmother over these years, and there was even more trouble

today, I’ve been outside for so long, I’m inevitably heavy-handed and clumsy,

it wouldn’t be good if I injured grandmother.”

These words almost made Zhao Rui Zhi cry again, her face was

extremely unsightly, Zhao Jin Yu also didn’t care, with a smile she bowed at

her, saying, “Grandfather is calling me, I’ll go in first.”

The madam seeing Zhao Jin Yu act so indifferently, was

distraught with anxiety, she couldn’t help think…, how could this girl act like

her mother? Not knowing how to be pliant at all? She was her paternal

grandmother, the closest person to her in the world, how could she not be

docile? It looks like this was something she needed to teach her, otherwise she

would be more and more out of control.

Even though her heart thought this, but after all they were

related by blood, before she taught her the family rules her heart already

ached, with a glance she could tell this girl was stubborn by nature, what

would happen if she decides when the moment comes to just leave?

The madam’s mind went through thousands of thoughts, she

again thought Zhao Jin Yu was too rebellious, annoying people, but then

thinking about that indifference just now hurt her deeply.

However everyone nevertheless needed their family, it’s

because this blood relation is so new and odd, it would create a natural bond,

Zhao Jin Yu was not as loveable as Zhao Rui Zhi, and was not obedient, she was

clearly headstrong, but the madam’s heart felt she couldn’t help but get close

to her.