Sheng Weiqiao was completely unaware that Xu Baomo had come for her, and she comforted Shen Jiuniang, "Anyway, Brother Xu will stay for a few days. You have mentioned that you want to study painting from my mother. After grandfather's birthday, you can live with us for some days instead of going with my aunt. Maybe, there will be a turn."

"He must think me tiresome now. Will he tell my grandfather what happened between us?" Shen Jiuniang said with enthusiasm and worries, "If so, grandfather will not allow me to stay here!"

In addition to the partiality for the eldest branch, Senior Master Sheng treated juniors including his sons and daughters in a normal manner, without excoriating or spoiling.

As his granddaughter, Shen Jiuniang visited the Sheng Family only on some special occasions such as some festivals. There were fewer chances for her to contact with her grandfather. As a result, she felt scared rather than close when facing him.

"He has taken the initiative to support the grandmother with his hands. So, I don't think he is a mean guy." Sheng Weiqiao said with a low voice, "If he did so, he might be unworthy of your favor!"

Shen Jiuniang thought it reasonable and said with her fist clenched, "Okay, I'll go back and tell my mother the plan. OMG! I must return this pair of earrings as soon as possible! Otherwise, she must beat me black and blue after realizing that I've stolen them from her. And it will also be impossible for me to stay here!"

Suddenly, she jumped up. With no time to bid a farewell, she lifted the hem of her dress and ran away like a gust of wind.

Lvjin happened to come in and she said, "Second Miss, Madam Feng came back!"

"My mother came back?" Sheng Weiqiao was a little surprised when hearing that. This morning, she had heard that her father was still drinking cold tea on a cold bench in the Feng Family. It could be known that she was still angry. Then, why did she come back?

She soon realized that it was going to be her grandfather's birthday the next day. Her mother had to care about his feelings.

She changed her clothing into a daily dress. Then, she went to Spring House where her parents lived. She saw some suitcases laid in a mess on the ground. Her mother's close maid Xiquan, who came here as her dowry, was guiding other maids to arrange objects in these suitcases.

Seeing Sheng Weiqiao step over the threshold, Xiquan stroked her hair in a hurry and walked near her, "Miss Sheng, you are arriving! In the early morning, Old Madam Zhan had ordered the cooking of chestnut cakes with sh.e.l.led melon seeds spread on the surface, and she supervised that by herself. Those cakes were being heated up now in the kitchen, and they would be sent here soon. Please come in and wait for a while!"

"Really?" Sheng Weiqiao said with lightened eyes. She walked into the bedroom with a cheerful mood. Then she saw a normal scene: her mother Madam Feng was leaning in the seat under the window. Holding a scroll in her hands, she read it with a peaceful mind. That was really relaxing. A young maid was called by her father to stand aside. Then, he half-knelt on the foot mat, taking a mutton-fat jade hammer and pounding slowly on her legs. He served Madam Feng wholeheartedly.

Seeing his daughter there, the father didn't feel ashamed, but Madam Feng frowned and pushed her husband away, "Stand up. How embarra.s.sing it was!"

"What's wrong with that?" Sheng Lanci said. It took him a lot to coax his wife to come back, and it was time to cheer her up. Hearing that, he thought it very proud, with no shame. Then, he a.s.serted, "Our sweetheart is thirteen years old now. She will be engaged to someone else soon. Why not show her what a good husband is like?"

"A good husband can't be the one bringing back the son of a mistress!" Sheng Weiqiao said. He wanted to flaunt himself, while that was ruined by her daughter. He was too deep for tears! Madam Feng couldn't resist her smile and burst into laughter, "Nice talk!"

Madam Feng was in her thirties this year. Because she had a high status with few worries in her daily life, her face was like a peach blossom and eyes like a tender apricot. She looked more like Sheng Weiqiao's sister than her mother.

At the moment, she was in a short s.h.i.+rt with narrow sleeves, with a green pleated skirt tied around her waist. There were some rosa rubus flowers embroidered on the dress. A cla.s.sic hairpin with gra.s.s and insect patterns on it was put obliquely in her chignon which was on one side of her head. She nodded with a smile, with slyness and grace shown from her eyes. She was as attractive as they first knew each other. Sheng Lanci saw her with much appreciation. And now he saw his sweetheart as a redundant one in the room. When he served his wife seemingly in calm, he also thought about ways to get her daughter away.

However, Sheng Weiqiao kicked off her Chinese silk shoes and climbed onto the soft couch that Madam Feng was leaning on. After glancing at her father, she said coyly with arms around her mother, "Mom, I have something to tell you. Let dad go out?"

Sheng Lanci, "…!"

He thought, "Sweetheart, dad wants you to go out now!"

Madam Feng ignored grievances shown through her husband's eyes. She nodded with no hesitation, "We haven't seen each other these days. It's time to have a secret talk!"

Seeing that Sheng Lanci has no intention of walking out, she said, "Honey, could you please go to the kitchen and ask how long it will take to send the chestnut cake here!"

"Anyway, don't bother us!" Sheng Weiqiao added, "Also, I'll eat the chestnut cake after talking with my mother. Daddy, don't eat up all the sh.e.l.led melon-seeds and leave those for me!"

Sheng Lanci thought, "…OMG!"

After her father left sadly, Sheng Weiqiao threw herself into Madam Feng's arms and said nervously, "Mom, why do you come back so late? Has grandmother made it clear? Is he really the son of my father?"

Hearing these questions, she said with complex feelings, "Of course, he is the son of your father. If not, why did your father pick him up?"

"What?!" Sheng Weiqiao said angrily. She shook her fist in the air and didn't know whether it was because of disappointment or fury. In a fierce voice, she asked, "So, did you have some good ideas to get him out of the family?!"

"I have no idea. That's because I didn't have a son." Madam Feng said. Her sorrow could be felt through her frowning face. She said with a sigh, "The eldest branch must have a son for heritage. Yes, you have cousins, but your cousins are just as mediocre as your uncles. How come your dad doesn't look down upon them? It was said that the person brought back by your father was taught informally by an old scholar who failed the imperial examination at the provincial level. After being one part of our genealogy, he could partic.i.p.ate in the intermediary step of the imperial examination next year."

It couldn't be too many of a child like him. Even if Sheng Lanci loved his wife and daughter deeply, he couldn't let Sheng Shuihe rove here and there out of the family.

Madam Feng spoke out the most important factor for her acceptance of the son of a mistress, "We can't protect you for a lifelong time. In the past, I always worried about having no sons, not only because of the responsibility for the Sheng Family but, more importantly, because of you. You grew up in a family with many favors on you. If there were no capable brothers helping you, what if your husband's family treated you badly?"

After all, not everyone was as lucky as her to marry a husband like Sheng Lanci, not to mention that the good husband also had a son of a mistress.

After hearing that, Sheng Weiqiao felt both disappointed and moved, with tears in her eyes. She said in a sobbing voice, "All you have done is for me! But I would rather have no brothers to give me some help in the future than have such a brother! Why must I have a brother to protect me? Am I the one easy to be bullied?"

"If you are not easy to be bullied, you would not be easily annoyed by Sheng Shuihe and be hopping mad!" Madam Feng said. Although she was not at home these days, she was the female master of the family, with easy access to various information. She said without saving her daughter's face, "He was not a bad man. You tried various ways against him, while he did no harm to you, except for teasing you several times. And he punched Xuanyu Che for you. Since you are not very familiar with each other, you should behave genteelly. If you continue to do so, he might not bear you days later!"

"I will not change my behavior!" Sheng Weiqiao replied angrily, "Who cares about his help? I feel angry every time I see him. I will no longer be happy until he is driven out!"

Glancing at her daughter, she was about to say something, while there was a knocking sound. Xiquan's voice followed, "Madam, Second Miss, something happened to the second branch. Old Madam asked you to come to Jinxue House!"