In the East Wing, Du Yunru lowered her eyes, sneaking a glance at Old Mrs. Xia.
She knew what Mrs. Zhen and Old Mrs. Xia were going to discuss. Logically, she should have excused herself, but when Old Mrs. Xia sent Du Yunluo and Du Yunnuo out earlier, she was directly ignored, making it difficult for her to suddenly speak up and get involved.
Old Mrs. Xia adjusted her sitting position, pinched her swollen leg, and said, "Yunru, help Grandmother with a massage, will you?"
Upon hearing this, Du Yunru quickly responded, picked up the Beauty Hammer, and sat on the Arhat Bed to assist.
Only then did Old Mrs. Xia speak to Mrs. Zhen, "What are your thoughts?"
Mrs. Zhen had already thought of what to say upon her arrival, "Old lady, Yunluo is the apple of our eye. I have repeatedly pondered over this marriage proposal and found it impossible to straightforwardly choose one path over the other. However, a few days ago, a remark from Mrs. Shi seemed quite sensible to me. She said that no matter whether to accept or reject, a reply should be given sooner. Dragging it out will not be beneficial for Yunluo."
"Sigh..." Old Mrs. Xia let out a long sigh, "People often say that the older one gets, the more indecisive one becomes, unlike the swift decisiveness of the young. Looking at us today, it seems we, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, are about the same."
Mrs. Zhen offered a wry smile; when it came to her daughter's future, she indeed lacked the courage to be bold and decisive.
"However, I have discussed this matter with the Old Master. There are also advantages to delaying," Old Mrs. Xia paused and explained, "If the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion tests the waters and we hurriedly accept, people might talk behind our backs, accusing us of selling our daughter for future gains. If we immediately refuse, we not only damage the dignity of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion but also make others view them as increasingly sinister. If I were the Old Madam of the Marquis Mansion, I would be furious.
If we delay... even if we eventually refuse, we would have at least given it thoughtful consideration. If the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion is reasonable, they will not hold a grudge. If they are unreasonable, hmph, why should Yunluo suffer after marrying into such a family? If it gets to that point, she must not marry at all."
Listening to this speech, Mrs. Zhen couldn't help but nod in agreement with Du Gongfu and Old Mrs. Xia's considerations.
However, throughout, Old Mrs. Xia had only mentioned three situations, leaving out the possibility of eventually accepting the marriage proposal. This left Mrs. Zhen somewhat puzzled.
Concerned about Du Yunluo, Mrs. Zhen didn't bother to engage in a mental contest with Old Mrs. Xia and asked directly.
Old Mrs. Xia turned her head, her wrinkled yet bright eyes staring straight at her, "Speaking of which, the Princely Heir is indeed not bad."
Mrs. Zhen's heart sank heavily. She understood; this was the answer from Du Gongfu and Old Mrs. Xia.
She opened her mouth, wanting to make another attempt, but then she recalled the undeniable tenderness in Du Yunluo's eyes when she mentioned Mu Lianxiao, causing her to hesitate once more.
Seeing Mrs. Zhen's hesitation, Old Mrs. Xia casually asked Du Yunru, "You are Yunluo's elder sister; what do you think?"
Du Yunru was taken aback.
"Just say what you think; you are a grown lady now," Old Mrs. Xia said.
Originally, girls shouldn't hear about these matters, but Old Mrs. Xia, considering that Du Yunru would soon be wed, did not shy away. Besides, once married, everything would need to be decided by oneself. It's better to start learning and thinking about these matters early.
Du Yunru nodded; she knew Yunluo's thoughts and naturally sided with her sister: "What I think is, one shouldn't, for the sake of an unpredictable future, reject a good man who stands before us."
Old Mrs. Xia was momentarily taken aback and muttered to herself, softly sighing, "That is the truth, isn't it?"
It's just that, seeing the sacrifices and heroism of the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion over the years, one stubbornly assumes that Mu Lianxiao would meet the same fate as his deceased grandfather and father. Old Mrs. Xia admitted that deep inside, she was afraid.
But who could say for certain what the future holds?
Mrs. Zhen lightly bit her lip, her eyes turning red.
Old Mrs. Xia noticed this and advised, "See, we haven't thought as deeply as Yunru."
"She is young," Mrs. Zhen replied.
Old Mrs. Xia chuckled, her forehead wrinkles relaxing a bit, "Yes, she's young. Yunluo is young too; she's always been a brave child."
"Clearly reckless," Du Yunru said with a pout.
Mrs. Zhen heard this and couldn't help but smile as well.
Old Mrs. Xia was about to say more, but maid-servants' voices came from the main room, greeting. She stopped the conversation and raised her voice to ask, "Is Yun Ying back?"
Du Yunying stood in the main room and was about to answer when she saw the curtain of the West Attic lifted. Du Yunnuo poked her head out, mostly obscuring the figure of Du Yunluo inside.
Du Yunying instantly understood and replied, "Grandmother, I'm back."
"Your two younger sisters are in the West Attic; go call them and bring the new woven knots for me to see."
Du Yunying winked at Du Yunnuo, who pulled a wry face and turned back to look at Du Yunluo.
Du Yunluo tidied up, holding a half-finished knot, and led her sisters into the East Wing.
"Grandmother, I'm learning slowly. Fourth Sister teaches me carefully, but I've only done this much so far," Du Yunluo approached, speaking sweetly.
Old Mrs. Xia took it and looked, "Not bad, not bad. Remember, weaving knots requires consistent force; too tight in one place and too loose in another, and it will come out crooked."
Du Yunluo hurriedly acknowledged, her gaze catching Du Yunru's. She saw her elder sister wink at her playfully.
She quietly breathed a sigh of relief. It seemed Old Mrs. Xia and Mrs. Zhen did not immediately intend to reject the marriage proposal.
Du Yunnuo wanted to know the progress but couldn't ask. Just then, she noticed Mrs. Zhen's reddened eye corners and couldn't help but smile.
Mrs. Zhen was feeling upset; it seemed she and Old Mrs. Xia had hit a dead end in their talk.
In that case, there was still a chance to approach Princess An Ran about it.
Having finished discussing matters, Old Mrs. Xia didn't keep everyone any longer. She said a few casual words and then dismissed them.
Du Yunluo and Du Yunru supported Mrs. Zhen back to Qinghui Garden.
Mrs. Zhen was a bit tired and didn't want the sisters to serve her, so she went to take a nap.
Du Yunru took Du Yunluo to her residence in the side courtyard.
The side courtyard was small but not cramped. The garden had many flowers and plants under the corridor, some in bloom, others still budding.
After entering and sitting down, Du Yunru asked someone to keep watch at the courtyard door and quietly confided to Du Yunluo, "I put in a good word for you with Grandmother. From the tone today, the marriage seems not to be off. You're happy about this, aren't you? Quick, tell me, where and when did you meet that Princely Heir?"
Where and when?
Du Yunluo's breath caught; all the little details between her and Mu Lianxiao were held dearly in her heart, yet she couldn't tell anyone.
Seeing her remain silent, Du Yunru feigned anger, "Not even telling me? You ungrateful thing, and I helped you for nothing."
Du Yunluo was coaxed into laughter by Du Yunru, leaned closer and teasingly said, "How could it be for nothing? Don't worry, elder sister. I'll tell Fourth Brother to make sure when Brother-in-law comes for the wedding, he throws a bunch of tricky questions his way, so that Brother-in-law knows that it's not easy to marry you, that he has to cherish you dearly."
Du Yunru's face flushed crimson and she leaned back, increasing the distance between herself and Du Yunluo, "What nonsense you speak!"
"Oh?" Du Yunluo cupped her face, laughing even more merrily, "Elder sister, are you reluctant? Not even married yet, already siding with Brother-in-law? Fine, fine, I'll tell Fourth Brother not to make things difficult for Brother-in-law, so elder sister won't feel pained."
Even Du Yunru's ears turned red as she grabbed a pillow from the couch and threw it at Du Yunluo, "You rascal! Why are you making fun of me?"
Du Yunluo caught the pillow and laughed quietly for a while, then her nose stung a bit emotionally.
This was really wonderful—without disputes, without disappointment, without complaints. She was still the pearl of her mother and elder sister.
They could laugh and cry together.