Just as the Old Lady was waiting anxiously, a little maid rushed in and reported, “Old Lady, Third Lord has arrived. He has reached the main entrance.”
After a while, those who were waiting finally heard an old woman cry out, “Old Lady, Third Lord is back.” As soon as this was said, there was a loud noise outside.
There were tears in Old Lady’s eyes. Yuchen, who was beside the Old Lady, while supporting her, was very excited while looking at the door. If it wasn’t for the Old Lady, Yuchen would have already gone out.
A group of people came in from outside.
Yuxi looked at the man who was walking in front of her. In her mind, appeared an image of the man throwing white silk at her and said that if she did not marry, she would die. If Jiang Hongjin was responsible for her tragedy in her last life, her biological father, Han Jingyan, was the biggest accomplice.
Han Jingyan went straight to the Old Lady and knelt on the ground. He then tearfully said, “Mother, this unfilial son is back.”
The son who the Old Lady longed for all the days and nights had finally returned. She couldn’t help but burst into tears and patted Han Jingyan on the shoulder. “It’s good that you’re back, it’s good that you’re back.”
The Old Lady cried for a long time. After she was hard persuaded by Qiu Shi, her tears finally stopped. She took Yuchen’s hand and said, “Yan-er, this is Yuchen. She was only one year old when you left. Now she is a big girl.”[+]
Yuchen looked at Han Jingyan and cried, “Father…” After the greeting, her tears also fell, not because she was too emotional, but she was just too excited.
Han Jingyan was a man. Even if he loved his daughter so much, he would not show it in public. Looking at his daughter, who was so outstanding, he nodded and said, “Good, good, good.” He said good three times in a row, which shows how much he was satisfied with Yuchen.
Behind Han Jingyan, Wu Shi’s face changed a little. Shouldn’t it first started with her greeting, and then he introduced her to her two stepdaughters. Now, the order was completely reversed.
Han Jingyan turned to introduce Wu Shi and his other children to the Old Lady.
Although Wu Shi had been married to the Han family for ten years, this was her first time to enter the door of the Han family residence. Therefore, this greeting, the cup of tea from daughter-in-law tea was just to make up for the years she wasn’t here.
Yuxi could see the unusual way the Old Lady looked at Wu Shi. Although the Old Lady quickly covered up her expression, Yuxi knew that some matters were unknown to her.
The Old Lady gave a pair of double happiness ruyi long jade hairpins as a jianmianli. She took Wu Shi’s hand and lovingly said, “It must have been hard for you all these years.”
Wu Shi smiled and said, “This is what a daughter-in-law should do.”
After Wu Shi had given her tea, next came five younger generations gave their greetings to the Old Lady. They were Wu Shi’s children that consisted of two sons and a daughter, while the other two were concubines.
Qiu Yanfu had always been very confident of her appearance. However, when she entered the hall, her eyes would not move when she saw Yuchen. That woman’s appearance and general temperament could no longer be described in words. Seeing her, Qiu Yanfu couldn’t help feeling inferior.
Wu Shi tugged at Qiu Yanfu, who was still in a daze, and introduced, “Mother, this is my niece, Fu-er.”
Qiu Yanfu recovered herself and gave the Old Lady a grand greeting, “Old Lady is well.”
The Old Lady didn’t even care if Wu Shi brought a child from her previous marriage. She just smiled and asked the maid to give Qiu Yanfu a gold hairpin as a gift. After that, she lovingly said, “Don't be a stranger here. Just think of this place as your home.”
Qiu Yanfu replied with a smile, “Thank you very much, Old Lady.”
After all the greetings came to end, Qiu Shi smiled and said, “Mother, look, Third Younger Brother and Sister have come from a long distance. They are also tired from the journey. So, let them have a rest first.”
The Old Lady felt sorry for her son’s trouble as she hastily said, “Okay, go take a rest first and we’ll have a family reunion dinner in the evening. By the way, have all the empty houses been cleaned? Don’t make any careless mistakes.“
Qiu Shi’s face turned stiff, “They all have been cleaned.”
Han Jingyan and Wu Shi went to Biteng Courtyard, a three-room courtyard. Yuxi and Yuchen followed along. They couldn’t do anything about it. As junior members of the family, they had no right to speak.
Biteng Courtyard was spotless and very clean. Han Jingyan had not been in the residence for more than ten years, and yet, the servants had never slackened off. They came to clean up the courtyard every day.
Han Jingyan came in and looked at everything inside. He felt a little strange. Eleven years. He had been away from home for eleven years.
Yuchen let out a gentle cry, “Father.” Looking at her father like this made Yuchen nose soured. After all these years, she had been hoping that her father would come back.
Han Jingyan nodded slightly and said, “Go greet your mother.”
Yuxi was now determined that everything would be based on Yuchen. She would do whatever Yuchen did so that she would not make any mistake.
Yuchen gave Wu Shi a younger generation greeting to the elder, and Yuxi followed suit. Only that, no one noticed the haze in Yuxi’s eyes when she lowered her head.
When Yuxi first met Wu Shi in her last life, she didn’t greet her the way younger generations should greet their elders, but she greeted her with a direct three times kowtow. She didn’t understand it before, but now she did. She had fallen into a disadvantage since she kowtowed to Wu Shi.[+]
Wu Shi felt distressed in her heart. Although she was their stepmother, she was also their mother. When they saw her, shouldn’t they kowtow and serve her tea? How could she give them gifts in return? Since she saw there was no objection from Han Jingyan, she then had to give them jianmianli with a smile. Yuchen was given a piece of yupei carved with a blooming flower pattern, while Yuxi was given a pair of golden butterfly hair clips.
When Han Jingyan saw this, he did not feel anything wrong. He just said to Yuchen, “Yurong has just arrived in the capital city and doesn’t understand the rules of the residence. As the eldest sister, you should give more guidance to her.”
Yuchen nodded softly and said, “Father, I will take good care of my Fifth Sister.” Although her heart was a little bitter, she was her little sister that she should take care of.
Yuxi was more tactful as she didn’t say anything. She knew she didn’t have the right to speak here.
Qiu Yanfu, who was sitting beside them, had time to look at Yuxi. Just now, all her attention was on Yuchen. Only now did she realize that Fourth Miss should not be underestimated either. She saw Fourth Miss dressed in a rosy satin and bright pink brocade dress, embroidered with thick numerous patterns, with real pearls and emerald being sewn on the collars of her dress. For outerwear, she wore a cyan kesi style jacket on top. While underneath, there was a pink brocade ribbon sewn with lotus silk, wrapped around a long satin skirt. She looked very rich. She was also very good-looking, with her round oval face, charming wonderful big eyes and pink lips. She looked delicate and beautiful.
First, Han Jiangyan introduced his other children to Yuchen and Yuxi. From Jiancheng to Yurong, today was the first time these brothers and sisters met. The scene was harmonious.
At this time, Wu Shi drew out Qiu Yanfu, who had been neglected by all. She then smiled and said to Yuchen and Yuxi, “Come on, Yanfu. Meet your two cousins.”
When Yuxi heard Wu Shi’s words, she deliberately opened her eyes big and asked, “Yanfu? Is it yanfu from yanfubuqian? Isn’t this name too strange?”
Yuxi’s voice was not low, so everyone in the room could hear it.
Qiu Yanfu’s face changed slightly, but she quickly smiled and said, “Cousin, the yan is from dayan. While the fu is from furonghua.”
Yuxi had always known that Qiu Yanfu was an intelligent person. It was also with this intelligent that made her mixed with people in the residence like a fish back in the water, otherwise, she could not have successfully planned on her Er Ge. [+]
Without waiting for Yuxi to speak, Han Jingyan said with a cold face, “Nurturing momo had taught you for so many years and she only taught you such filthy things?”
Yuxi knew very well that Han Jingyan hated people crying in front of him, especially at this time. So after listening to his scolding, her tears immediately poured out.
As Yuxi expected, when Han Jingyan saw her acting like this, he said with a cold face, “Get out.”
As soon as Yuchen wanted to speak to clear things up, she saw Yuxi hide her face and ran out with tears. Yuchen turned to look at his father’s grim look, full of disbelief. Although Yuxi’s remark just now was a bit inappropriate, Father’s reaction was too much. It was just a joke. There was something indescribable that appeared in Yuchen’s heart. Yuxi was Father’s biological daughter and somehow, he treated her much worse than a cousin who just emerged out of nowhere, “Father, I’ll go and check up on Si Meimei.”
Qiu Yanfu also said with a worried face, “I’ll go and see Si Biaomei too.”
Wu shi was somewhat embarrassed. Although that person had been driven out by her husband, it was inevitable that she would be the one who would be criticized for making Yuxi run out like this. “Fourth Girl has a bad temper.”
When Yuchen heard this, she became more disgusted with Wu Shi.
Han Jingyan pulled his face away and said, “No one is allowed to go.” His temperament was so big that he was not used to be the one to back down.
In response, Yurong hurriedly shifted the topic, “Father, will we be living here in the future? The layout here is much more beautiful than that in Hebei.”
“When a young miss of the residence is eight years old, she will have her own separate courtyard. Later, you will move to your own courtyard.”
Yurong smiled and said, “I just hope the courtyard will not be too far from my parents’ courtyard.”
Wu Shi smiled and took Yurong’s hand. She then said with a smile, “You’re a big girl. You can’t be so delicate. You should learn a lot from your San Jiejie in the future.” She looked sheepishly at Yuchen’s overall impressive style.
Yuxi ran out just became a small episode and did not affect the mood of the people in the room. However, watching Wu Shi talk to her father, with Yurong and Jiancheng inserted a few words from time to time, made Yuchen feel like an outsider. She was out of place here. Her heart felt empty and sour as she was unable to speak.
Yuxi had been crying all her way back to Rose Courtyard. The servants in the residence were startled when they saw this scene. This matter soon fell into the ears of the Old Lady and Qiu Shi.
The Old Lady asked with a cold complexion, “What’s going on?” A few years ago, Yuxi was a bit obstinate, but these two years, she had improved a lot. Also, over the past two years, Yuxi had often made kneepads and scarfs for her, showing their close relationship. So, the Old Lady was now quite satisfied with Yuxi.
Mama Luo shook her head and said, “I don’t know. The people we sent to inquire about this matter haven’t returned yet.”
While Qiu Shi rushed to the Rose Courtyard once she got the news. When she saw Yuxi with her red and swollen eyes, Qiu Shi asked in distress, “What’s the matter?”
Kufu immediately told Qiu Shi about the incident.
Yuxi tearfully said, “Aunt, I heard her name at that time and it was only when my mind was hot that I said something like that. After that, I knew I was wrong. I wanted to apologize to her, but Father just scolded me. “
Qiu Shi also felt that Yuxi’s remarks were somewhat inappropriate, but in the end, she was partial towards Yuxi as she comforted her by saying, “Don’t cry. Your father’s scolding may be a bit heavy, but it’s also for your good.”[+]
Mama Li glanced at Yuxi. Fourth Miss had acted safely before. Why did she make such a mistake at this time? Despite having some doubts, Fourth Miss had always been close to her Master and she was too lazy to investigate.
Yuxi did not complain about any grievances but only cried. At this time, whatever she said, would be considered wrong. Thus, it was better if she said nothing at all.
Noob Translator's Musing
There is a reason why the Old Lady treats Wu Shi nicely. It will be revealed in upcoming chapters.
I'm also like Mama Li. I was suspicious why Yuxi suddenly couldn't control her feelings this time. She was doing great before. Was the memory of her father from her previous life affected her reasoning?
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The Rebirth of Han Yuxi