The temperamental white moonlight is back, and the entire Marquis's family obediently calls him

Chu Yuan'er had actually heard such things quite often.

When she was by the Marquis's side, she always did some servant's work, such as serving tea and water, adding clothes and delivering medicine.

Whenever the Marquis saw it, he would repeatedly tell her that she didn't need to do these servants' chores anymore.

But she took it as the Marquis's concern for her, and it didn't sound harsh to her.

But Zhao Xianglan's words about "half a master" really stung her.

Chu Yuan'er is here, yet she's only considered half a master.

If she were more strong-willed or easily angered, she would probably lose her composure on the spot after hearing these words.

But she won't.

She has persevered for so many years, she will definitely not leave so easily.

So she quickly adjusted her mood and smiled again: "I don't care about being a servant or not, but now that my sister is back, I am willing to serve her with all my heart."

Chu Yuan'er called her "elder sister" affectionately, and Lu Mingzhao, having heard it so many times, no longer found it strange. So he replied, "My sister comes from a wealthy family, but I didn't expect her to be just like us farmers, preferring to do everything herself."

Lu Mingzhao said this without any malice.

She was too lazy to rack her brains to say anything hurtful.

But when these words reached Chu Yuan'er's ears, they still didn't sound so pleasant.

Lu Mingzhao's servants had just mocked her for only being half a mistress, and Lu Mingzhao had said she was like a country bumpkin.

Isn't this a blatant slap in her face?

Although her family had fallen on hard times, she was still from a scholarly family and was proficient in poetry, lyrics, and songs. Before her father passed away, she was a well-known talented woman in the capital.

How come you're just like a country bumpkin?

She felt down for a while, but soon realized that no one around her was paying attention to her.

Even Zhou Shixu didn't seem to think it was a derogatory description of her.

What she didn't know was that the people in the mansion were already used to Lu Mingzhao's way of describing things. Even Lu Mingzhao herself claimed to be from the village and had planted many fruits and vegetables in the mansion.

Now even the elderly are personally farming in the fields. Lu Mingzhao says they're like farmers, and they're actually quite happy about it.

Chu Yuan'er found the meal utterly unpalatable.

Lu Mingzhao would occasionally bring up funny stories from the children's childhood. Although Zhou Shixu didn't have those memories, he couldn't help but listen with great interest.

Zhou Ningchuan then added details from the side.

When they got into the conversation, Zhou Shixu and Zhou Shili couldn't help but ask follow-up questions.

Although Zhou Ming'an didn't say a word throughout the entire meal, he was quietly listening to everyone and observing them.

Only Chu Yuan'er seemed like an outsider.

She was not a topic of conversation among the family.

For the first time, she felt that she truly wasn't part of this family.

Before Lu Mingzhao returned, the transmigrated woman was hated by everyone, and her two children revolved around her.

Although Zhou Shili didn't say it, he still gave her enough respect.

With her father's entrustment, the Marquis treated her with even greater kindness.

Therefore, whenever the family dined together, she was always the one who controlled the central topic of conversation.

but now……

"Miss Chu, have you ever built a snowman?"

Suddenly someone mentioned her, and Chu Yuan'er immediately looked up, only to belatedly realize that it was Lu Mingzhao asking.

Lu Mingzhao shifted her gaze from everyone to Chu Yuan'er, who remained silent. Perhaps sensing the loneliness and unseen feeling she had experienced, she took the initiative to speak to Chu Yuan'er.

Chu Yuan'er quickly smiled and said, "I built it when I was very young."

"How about we build a snowman together after dinner?"

Lu Mingzhao pointed to the three snowmen in the yard: "These were made by Li'er, Mu Qiu, and me. You can all try them out later. It's cold outside, so moving around will help you sweat and warm up."

Chu Yuan'er felt disrespected once again.

Lu Mingzhao made her do these children's toys; he was clearly trying to make fun of her.

She hesitated for a long time, but finally couldn't help but whisper, "These are all children's toys..."

"I haven't piled it up in a long time either."

Zhou Ningchuan spoke at the same time as her, seemingly unaware of what she said.

After saying that, Zhou Ningchuan stood up abruptly, rolled up his sleeves, and strode towards the courtyard.

Seeing him busy in the yard, Zhou Shixu and Zhou Ming'an exchanged a glance and stood up eagerly.

"Then... I'll give it a try?"

Zhou Shixu followed, but Zhou Ming'an did not move.

Lu Mingzhao took a sip of tea and said softly, "Aren't you going to play for a while?"

She didn't look up.

But Zhou Ming'an knew she was talking to him.

Ever since Zhou Ming'an thought she was going to harm him, the two have hardly spoken to each other.

Lu Mingzhao also seemed worried that talking to his daughter would frighten her, so he tried to reduce contact with her as much as possible these days.

Although she longed to see her daughter more closely, she would try to avoid looking at her for her daughter's sake.

During this meal, Lu Mingzhao spoke to her for the first time.

"No, I feel a bit cold." Zhou Ming'an remained silent for a long time before responding to her in a very soft voice.

Although it was just a simple sentence, it was enough to make Lu Mingzhao very happy.

This shows that their relationship has at least not continued to deteriorate.

But just then, Chu Yuan'er suddenly seemed to remember something: "By the way, An'an, why don't we ask your sister to make the decision about your marriage today?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ming'an quickly gave Chu Yuan'er a meaningful look, not wanting her to continue.

Chu Yuan'er chuckled softly and patted Zhou Ming'an's hand reassuringly: "Silly child, now that your sister is back, you may not understand the reasons, but just know that your sister is now wholeheartedly devoted to you."

"Such a big matter as marriage is something my sister will find out about sooner or later, so why don't you two just talk it out face to face today?"

Zhou Ming'an felt uneasy.

Despite what Chu Yuan'er said, and her mother's extremely kind demeanor today, she still harbored many worries.

When she looked up at her mother, she saw that the other woman was indeed frowning slightly.

"Wedding? What wedding?"

Zhou Ming'an bit his lip, took a deep breath, and mustered up the courage to bring it up: "My father asked me if I had a favorite family and wanted to arrange an engagement for me as soon as possible."

I said yes.

Chu Yuan'er smiled and said, "If you're shy, Miss, let me speak for you."

"The young lady's chosen husband is none other than Liu Muyuan, the younger brother of the current eldest mistress's family. The Marquis has heard of this and says that Young Master Liu is quite good, and he is thinking of choosing an auspicious day to send his invitation."

"What do you think, sister?"

Lu Mingzhao was completely unaware of this matter.

But she believed that Zhou Ningchuan wouldn't dare hide such a big thing from her; it was very likely that he hadn't had time to tell her.

Now that Chu Yuan'er has asked her in front of her daughter, she has no choice but to state her position.

"Let's discuss this matter further; there's no need to rush."