The Eldest Daughter Is Beautiful and Saucy
Chapter 289: grief
Chapter 289 Sorrow
Nanny Jiang hurried forward and helped the eldest princess up.
“Has Abao not arrived yet?” asked the eldest princess with a kind look.
Nanny Jiang was very attentive, so how could she not detect the trepidation in the eldest princess’ voice? She smiled and said cheerfully, “It should be soon! The other day, I came back and told the eldest princess that my sister had been in better shape after her trip to southern Xinjiang, but the eldest princess didn’t believe it. Now that my sister is here… the eldest princess will know that I am telling you the truth.”
The eldest princess smiled. Although she had accumulated great power over the years, her face was gentle and her voice was full of heartache: “I just don’t know how much suffering Ah Bao has gone through. That child has been the most hardworking among all the brothers and sisters since he was young.”
“Now that we have returned from southern Xinjiang, His Majesty has conferred the title of princess on our eldest sister. Our lives will surely get better and better in the future!” Nanny Jiang helped the eldest princess out of the house.
Before Wei Zhong had the chance to pay his respects to the Grand Princess, he saw Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi slowly approaching the open courtyard gate, surrounded by maids and servants.
“Grand Princess, the eldest lady is here!” Wei Zhong said.
The Grand Princess tightened her hands slightly in her sleeves, grasped the Buddhist beads on her wrist, turned her head to look in the direction of the door, her eyes suddenly turned red, and she ordered Wei Zhong: “Go and call Miss Lu over.”
Wei Zhongcheng walked away with his head down.
As Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi entered the room, they saw the Grand Princess standing in the corridor, smiling at her and Bai Jinzhi.
After not seeing my grandmother for several months, she looked thinner and more haggard than before. Although she remained dignified, the plain and luxurious clothes she wore could no longer hide her increasingly hunched back.
She was already in her twilight years, and had experienced the loss of her husband… and the pain of losing all her children and grandchildren. Even a dignified, steady and capable grandmother could not help but look tired and old after experiencing such great grief.
Bai Qingyan brought Bai Jinzhi into the door and saluted to the Grand Princess: “Grandmother, we are back safely.”
“Well, I’m glad you’re safe…” The eldest princess spoke in a normal voice, with tears in the corners of her eyes. She said kindly, “Come in, it’s a little cold outside.”
“Big sister, fourth sister, come in quickly! This morning, I had someone make red date and milk tea. Big sister, fourth sister, drink a cup to warm your body.”
Bai Jinzhi followed Bai Qingyan obediently, looking up at Bai Qingyan as if waiting for Bai Qingyan’s instructions.
The former eldest princess could never have imagined that she and her granddaughter, whom she had loved so much since she was a child, would reach this point today. She held Nanny Jiang’s hand and turned into the house first, sitting on the turmeric cushion with passionflower pattern.
As soon as they entered the room, Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi wanted to kneel, and Nanny Jiang hurriedly ordered someone to bring a cushion.
Seeing her two granddaughters kneeling on the ground and kowtow three times, the eldest princess’ eyes were red with tears. She smiled and asked Madam Jiang to help the two children sit up and said, “A Bao does look strong, but how come Xiao Si has become a charcoal boy after this trip?”
Bai Jinzhi was always reserved in front of the Grand Princess, and felt a little embarrassed. She whispered, “Yes! I also find it strange. My elder sister and I both ride horses, but why is my elder sister still fair and tender, while I am so tanned.”
Nanny Jiang covered her lips with a handkerchief and laughed. When she saw Miss Lu coming in with red dates and milk tea, she ordered the maids to leave and asked Wei Zhong to guard outside.
Although Nanny Jiang had not introduced her yet, Bai Qingyan already knew that the woman who was lowering her head and serving her red date milk tea was Miss Lu, and she looked at her silently out of the corner of her eye.
The eldest princess took off the Buddhist beads from her wrist and placed them on the small black lacquered square table. She took a sip of the red date milk tea and said, “This is Miss Lu. When Grandmother adopts you as her adopted daughter, you will have to call her Little Aunt according to seniority.”
Bai Qingyan then looked at Miss Lu seriously. Seeing that the girl was standing beside the Grand Princess with neither arrogance nor servility, she asked, “Does it look like her?”
Aunt Bai Suqiu passed away too early. Bai Qingyan was still young at that time and had almost no impression of her. However, as her biological mother, it was different. Her grandmother must have been the one who was most familiar with and understood her aunt.
“Appearance is 60% to 70%, and the remaining 30% to 40% can be made up by dressing, speaking and behaving.” The eldest princess put down the azure-green sweet-glazed porcelain teacup, “Madame Jiang is training her these days. Although time is tight, we must be cautious first.”
The Bai family has been prosperous for more than a hundred years. Now all their children and grandchildren are dead, leaving only the female family members. The emperor is still worried, and Prince Liang still has plans, so the eldest princess must be more prudent and cautious, and take every step carefully.
Bai Jinzhi was holding a cup of milk tea in her hand, looking at Miss Lu with curiosity, not quite understanding what her elder sister and grandmother were talking about.
“Do you know medical skills?” Bai Qingyan asked Miss Lu.
Miss Lu was a little surprised. She bowed to Bai Qingyan and said, “My lady, my mother’s ancestors studied medicine, so I know a thing or two.”
No wonder my grandmother chose this Miss Lu.
If it wasn’t necessary, I’m afraid my grandmother wouldn’t have taken this step.
“My granddaughter thinks that if His Majesty allows grandmother to adopt Miss Lu as her adopted daughter, then let Miss Lu stay by grandmother’s side to take care of her daily life. Third sister… can come back to Shuoyang with us on the first day of May.” Bai Qingyan said.
They say a wife is not as good as a concubine, a concubine is not as good as a secret lover, a secret lover is not as good as not being able to have a secret lover…
With such a “reincarnated Bai Suqiu” guided by Nanny Jiang and the Grand Princess, the emperor’s heart will always be concerned about her, and the noble lady Qiu in the palace will definitely fall out of favor.
Naturally, after “Bai Jintong” returned to Shuoyang, he had to pretend to be ill.
“According to the date, it’s time for your fifth aunt to give birth…” The eldest princess thought of the child in Fifth Madam Qi’s belly. She had high hopes for that child and hoped that this time Fifth Madam Qi could give birth to another son for the Bai family, or at least leave a male heir to the Bai family. In this way… Abao wouldn’t have to work so hard to support the family.
“Mother has already prepared the midwife and the delivery room. Doctor Hong is also waiting at home. The wet nurse, Aunt Fifth, personally selected two children and later discussed with mother about feeding the children herself.” Bai Qingyan said.
She could understand Fifth Aunt’s desire to feed the baby herself; the baby was Fifth Uncle’s posthumous child and Fifth Aunt’s only flesh and blood.
The eldest princess’ expression was filled with grief, and she seemed to nod: “It’s up to you, Fifth Aunt!”
Nanny Jiang originally wanted to keep Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinzhi for a vegetarian lunch, but Bai Qingyan said, “No, I still have to go to the farm to see Ji Tingyu. After seeing Ji Tingyu, Xiao Si wants to go to the Guping Town Temple Fair to eat Baoxianglou’s Baoxiang duck…”
When mentioning Ji Tingyu, the eldest princess’ lips twitched. What really caused her granddaughter to become estranged from her was the matter of how she dealt with Ji Tingyu.
She fiddled with the Buddhist beads wrapped around her hand, nodded with closed eyes, and told Nanny Jiang: “Go get five hundred taels of silver for Abao, and have Abao take it to Ji Tingyu.”