Springtime Affairs in a Noble Family

Autumn's mother went to the main kitchen, and Cui Lingrong asked Caixia and Caiyue to prepare tea.

Not long after, Cui Zeyu arrived, looking travel-worn. Before he even entered the house, you could hear him laughing and talking with Caiyue and the others.

"These are spices unique to the Western Regions. If you put them in a sachet, they'll stay fragrant all year round. Take them and share them. I have other gifts for you, but you'll have to wait a few days." Cui Zeyu was familiar with the people at Qiushuangzhai. He was a businessman and had a knack for charming people. When he entered the house, he saw his sister sitting upright and greeted her with a smile, "It's good that I made it in time, otherwise my sister would have worried about me again."

"Good to know." Cui Lingrong urged her younger brother to sit down. "Are you hungry? Have some fruit to tide you over. Aunt Qiu went to the main kitchen to get some food. The small kitchen has cooked your favorite plain noodles. You're lucky. Today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the estate also sent some wild game."

She looked at her younger brother; he had lost a lot of weight and gotten a bit darker.

In terms of appearance, the younger brother was even more handsome than Song Shulan was in his youth, with eyebrows like distant mountains and a delicate nose. Over the years, many families had come to propose marriage to him, but the young man had refused to marry any of them.

Soon, the plain noodles were served, but Aunt Qiu still hadn't returned.

After the noodles were finished, Aunt Qiu entered the room with a dark face. Cui Lingrong asked what was wrong, and Aunt Qiu gritted her teeth and said, "A bunch of spineless opportunists said that there weren't many snacks prepared today, and there weren't any extra Osmanthus Snow Lotus Root Cakes. This old servant said that other snacks would be fine, but the head of the household, Granny Hao, said that there weren't any extras either. The princess ordered that they must be offered first before being distributed, and it's no use who goes. This old servant argued with her for a long time, and in the end, Aunt Yu secretly took two plates."

After Rongjia County took over as head of the household, she changed several managers, and the original head of the main kitchen was replaced by someone she brought with her.

That's the difference between not managing the household and not managing it.

Although Cui Lingrong was still the eldest mistress, and the servants dared not take advantage of her, everything about her life—food, clothing, housing, and transportation—was not as convenient as before.

What Granny Hao said wasn't wrong. On days like these, we should prioritize offering sacrifices to our ancestors; there's no reason why we shouldn't do it.

Madam Qiu was so angry that her chest ached. Cui Zeyu frowned, "Princess? When did the Marquis's mansion get a princess?"

Cui Lingrong then realized that her younger brother was unaware of the matter of the concubine.

"It's a long story..." Madam Qiu relayed the recent events to her mistress. "The Marquis is hoping for the Rong Prince's Mansion to support him, and he's been favoring Princess Rongjia in every way. This old servant feels indignant on behalf of the eldest mistress, but it's no use. Since the eldest mistress returned home, the Marquis has only come once, and he's been staying at the Wutong Garden the rest of the time."

Cui Zeyu immediately put on a stern face. "What do you mean you didn't know? The Emperor isn't just sitting around doing nothing, why would he randomly put these two together? Sister, don't be afraid. I've amassed quite a fortune over the years. At worst, you can abandon Song Shulan, and I'll support you for the rest of your life!"

He stopped calling him "Lord Marquis" altogether, which shows how angry he was.

Moreover, his foster sister is such a good person. Song Shulan doesn't know how to cherish her. There are people who will cherish his foster sister!

Cui Zeyu clenched his fists, thinking to himself that he must teach Song Shulan a lesson. He was a hypocrite who did not deserve his beloved adopted sister.

Seeing that Young Master Yu's face was flushed with anger, Madam Qiu quickly advised, "This old servant knows that you are thinking of the eldest mistress, but the eldest mistress has been in charge of the Marquis's mansion for so many years. If she leaves, wouldn't it benefit someone else? Also, Yu'er is about to get married, and Brother Xuan'er is going to take the imperial examination. The most important thing is reputation."

With so many concerns, how could the eldest grandmother just leave like that?

Cui Zeyu had a different opinion: "Why care so much? If you have to cut your losses, you won't get yourself into a deeper mess. If Yu'er and the others are filial and understanding, they can understand their sister. But if they are dragging their sister down for life because of their own future, then it's better to have no children like that."

When he got emotional, Cui Zeyu's eyes reddened. He was taken in when he was ten years old, and no one looked down on him except his adoptive sister who took good care of him.

He had nightmares in his youth, which would wake him up time and time again.

Thinking about what happened in his dream, he would slap himself hard and berate himself for being despicable and vulgar, wondering how he could have such thoughts.

Qiu's mother still disagreed. Cui Lingrong then asked her younger brother to sit down, saying, "You're so easily agitated. All these years of business you've built up have been for nothing. Yes, I'm facing some difficulties right now, but I only want to escape and don't dare to face them. Have I wasted the past twenty-nine years of my life?"

"I know you're worried about me, and I envy those carefree days, but one's ties aren't so easily severed. How can I abandon my family and career just for my own pleasure?" Cui Lingrong's eyes darkened. Her aunt had never taught her to run away in the face of battle. "Princess Rongjia is of noble status, and the Marquis is hoping for the Rong Prince's Mansion's support. This is a tough battle, but I'm not sure I'll lose."

She smiled at the people in the room, her expression becoming confident. "Yesterday I saw that Zhou-ge'er had eaten until his belly was round. Qiu-ma, take this silver bracelet to the third house and tell them that it's a full moon gift from Young Master Yu to Lang-ge'er."

Before Song Shulang's full moon celebration, Cui Zeyu went to the Northwest to transport cloth.

Madam Qiu immediately understood. The eldest mistress was withholding the cloth shop's profits, and the princess, in order to maintain the dignity of the Marquis's mansion, had to squeeze money from others. The third master was not favored by the old lady, and the princess was picking on the weak; the third branch of the family was bound to have a hard time.

The eldest daughter-in-law is trying to win over the third wife's family.

After Aunt Qiu left, Yu Jie'er's three children came over. Cui Lingrong wanted to take them to the ancestral hall. Cui Zeyu was not a member of the Marquis's family. He had long since stopped spending holidays at the Marquis's family and went home to rest first.

Inside the ancestral hall, the old lady led everyone in offering incense. When it was the turn of the eldest son's family, Song Shulan stood at the front, while Cui Lingrong and Princess Rongjia stood side by side.

They could see each other out of the corner of their eyes, and they both felt annoyed by each other, finding the other an eyesore.

After offering incense, everyone went to Shou'an Hall for a meal. Princess Rongjia specifically mentioned that Aunt Qiu had asked the main kitchen for some snacks. "Sister Cui won't be angry, will she? This is my first time managing the offerings, and I was afraid something might go wrong, so I had Aunt Hao and the others keep a close eye on things. Granny Hao is really old-fashioned. Since it's Sister Cui's brother who wants to eat, just make more."

She knew the old lady didn't like Cui Zeyu very much, and given the recent dividends, she brought it up specifically.

As expected, Old Madam Song turned her head. "Oh, Zeyu is back?" She didn't even come to pay her respects. After all, he grew up eating rice from the Marquis's mansion, yet he showed her no respect.

Cui Lingrong nodded and said, "He rode back overnight without even changing his clothes. I told him to go back and change into clean clothes before coming to pay his respects, so as not to offend your eyes."

"We're all family, there's no need for such formalities," said Old Madam Song casually, taking Jiang's hand as she led her to the flower hall, no longer speaking to Cui Lingrong.

Cui Lingrong received a cold look and knew that the old lady was unhappy, so she didn't go over to her. She was thinking of teasing Lang Ge'er, but Song Shulan called her to a side room.

"How was Zeyu's harvest this time?" Song Shulan asked in greeting.

"I'm not sure. He rushed to see me and really didn't change his clothes. He sat for a while and then left." Hearing Song Shulan's opening remarks, Cui Lingrong knew what Song Shulan was going to say.

"I found out about the dividends a few days ago, Lingrong, are you still resentful towards me?" With such a large sum of money missing all at once, the princess and Song Shulan said they had to cut expenses everywhere. It was fine for a day or two, but after several days, Song Shulan couldn't take it anymore.

The difficulty in moving from luxury to simplicity is precisely this principle.

Cui Lingrong feigned ignorance, "Why would Your Excellency ask such a question? Have we argued since I returned home? Or have you complained that you spend all your time with the Princess and neglect me?"

No.

Not even once.

Cui Lingrong is not the type of person who would argue or make a scene with someone.

The most resentful thing she said was—she didn't know Song Shulan would marry a concubine.

Song Shulan fell silent.

"Indeed, I am unhappy. Who can accept being a concubine? The Marquis is my husband, and suddenly half of him is taken away. The children have to call the Princess 'Mother.' Don't I have the right to complain?" Cui Lingrong said these words calmly. "But I never showed it because I know how hard the Marquis has worked."

"Ling Rong, I..."

"My lord, regarding the profit-sharing, it's not that I'm deliberately venting my anger. I believe in the princess's abilities. Since both the marquis and the old lady have entrusted the household management to her, and the princess comes from a better background than me, whether it's her dowry or her abilities, I believe she's far superior. Even without the profit-sharing from the cloth shop, the princess can manage the household even better, don't you think?"

Cui Lingrong looked at Song Shulan earnestly, as if she truly believed it. "If I had to speak of selfish motives, I do have some. Over the years, all my personal assets have been used to supplement the Marquis's mansion, leaving nothing for Yu'er and her siblings. Next year, Yu'er will be fourteen, old enough to be introduced to potential husbands. Shouldn't I save some dowry for her?"

She paused deliberately, then asked in return, "My lord, Yu'er is your first child. She is straightforward and lively. You've said she's the apple of your eye, and you hope her marriage will go smoothly, right?"

Thinking back to how his daughter looked when she was first born, and then to her first unsteady steps, every scene was so adorable. It was Song Shulan's first time being a father.

He was persuaded by Cui Lingrong.

"And then there's Xuan-ge'er and his brothers. There are so many sons of princes and nobles in the Imperial Academy. Everyone has a competitive spirit. I don't want them to be ridiculed. It's not wrong to prepare some decent clothes for them, is it?" Cui Lingrong's series of questions made Song Shulan feel guilty.

"I'm sorry, Lingrong, I misunderstood." He said that Cui Lingrong, who always listened to him, wouldn't hold a grudge against him.

Cui Lingrong feigned anger, her back to Song Shulan, "Is this your own thought, Lord Marquis, or was it instigated by someone? I have a clear conscience, and even the old lady hasn't said anything. If anyone wants my private property, they're welcome to come and find me to my face if they're not afraid of being laughed at!"

Having been married for many years, Song Shulan had never seen Cui Lingrong so angry before. He quickly went over to coax her, "No one stirred things up. I was just asking casually. As you know, my marriage to the princess was only arranged by the emperor. It wasn't something I sincerely asked for."

At the same time, Princess Rongjia, who was standing at the door, turned pale instantly upon hearing this. All the affection between Song Lang and her was just an act.