The Old Madam was still holding up the delicate headband she had just received and comparing it. Hearing her husband's words, she gave him a sideways glance and deliberately said, "Don't you usually treasure those things on your table the most? You don't even let the little maids clean them on weekdays. Now you're willing to replace them?"
Yu Chongshan waved his hand indifferently and said, "No matter how good those things are, can they be better than the things my granddaughter gave me?"
Then he leaned closer to his wife and said somewhat sheepishly, "Madam, I've thought it over. You're right. Although this isn't a round birthday this year, who says we can't invite relatives and friends to celebrate my 52nd birthday?"
As if thinking of something, he smiled and said, "Madam, look, there aren't many days left until the big day. Shouldn't we let the eldest daughter - in - law take charge of the arrangements and send out invitations to relatives and friends?"
His granddaughter had said she would prepare a birthday gift for him. Just imagining receiving it in front of everyone made Yu Chongshan excited.
He also wanted those who wanted to snatch his granddaughter away to see clearly that the child was close to them. They shouldn't always try to take her away.
The Old Madam naturally saw through his little thoughts and deliberately said, "Didn't you say before that it would be okay for the family to have a meal together?
It's really a bit tight on time if we want to have a grand celebration. Especially now that it's getting colder, we have to carefully consider the dishes."
A look of embarrassment flashed across Yu Chongshan's face and he said, "It's just that this is the first time our granddaughter is coming home to participate in her grandfather's birthday. I just want her to have some fun.
Besides, we don't have to worry too much about the dishes. Just the usual dishes served at banquets will do."
As long as people come to see his granddaughter give him the gift, as for the food, as long as people can be full. Who among his colleagues' families would be short of a meal?
In the room of Yu Zhongchun, the eldest son of the Yu family, and his wife, they were also looking at the things their daughter had sent them.
Yu Zhongchun pointed to a jade pendant carved from green jade and said, "Madam, remember to hang this jade pendant on my waist when I go to court tomorrow."
Madam Zhang picked up the jade pendant on the table and examined it carefully. The pendant was carved with a scene of the Four Immortals of Good Fortune, Emolument, Longevity, and Happiness preaching on a fairy mountain.
It was obviously the work of a master. The carving was exquisite and had an air of antiquity, and the meaning was also auspicious.
Madam Zhang smiled and said, "Sir, you usually don't like wearing these kinds of beads and jades the most. You even said they were women's things and not suitable for a man like you."
It could only be said that as expected, they were mother - in - law and daughter - in - law. They both had the same way of teasing their husbands.
Yu Zhongchun hadn't developed the same thick skin as his father. Being teased by his wife, his face immediately turned red.
He quickly smiled ingratiatingly and said, "Madam, it was my fault before. I hope you can forgive me. This jade pendant was given by our daughter, so of course I'll wear it every day."
Seeing that her husband had softened, Madam Zhang didn't continue to tease him. She just smiled and said, "Sir, don't worry. I'll definitely put it on you tomorrow morning. And this jade thumb ring, do you want to wear it too?"
Yu Zhongchun took the white jade thumb ring his wife handed him and silently put it on his left hand. He smiled and said, "Our daughter has good taste. It fits me perfectly."
As always, while some were happy about the gifts, others were not.
In the courtyard of Yu Ningrong from the fourth branch of the Yu family.
Yu Ningrong asked her senior maid, Fuxi, "Have you found out what I asked you to inquire about?"
Fuxi's heart sank. She had served Miss Yu for three or four years and naturally knew her temper. She felt a bit nervous.
She curtsied and said, "Reply to Miss, I've asked the maids beside the other young ladies. The things they received in their yards are the same as ours."
She watched as Miss Yu's originally beautiful face became more and more distorted, and her heart sank even further.
Sure enough, soon there was the sound of a kettle and teacups hitting the ground.
Fuxi quickly knelt down to plead for forgiveness and hurriedly said, "Miss, calm down. Maybe... maybe those maids saw it wrong..."
Yu Ningrong said resentfully, "She just looks down on me. She thinks I'm the same as those concubines' daughters. Before, that bitch Yu Ningrou was also like this.
Well, that bitch is gone, and now there's another wild girl of unknown origin treating me the same way, comparing me to those low - born concubines' daughters..."
With a crash, a vase filled with several bright red chrysanthemums inlaid with gold thread was also knocked to the ground. The water in the vase splashed all over Fuxi's head and body.
A small piece of porcelain flew past her forehead, leaving a small splash of blood.
The commotion here soon alerted the couple from the fourth branch.
When they came in, they saw Fuxi kneeling on the ground, covered in tea and with blood still oozing from her forehead. Their daughter was standing angrily in the inner room, which was in a mess.
"What's going on? Why are you so angry?"
Madam Bao, the wife of the fourth son of the Yu family, walked in while asking anxiously, "If the maids make mistakes, just drag them out and beat them with boards. Why does a young lady like you have to do it yourself?"
"If word gets out, people will laugh at you. You're already an eight - year - old girl. You mustn't be so reckless in the future."
Seeing that her daughter wasn't hurt, Madam Bao finally felt relieved.
Hearing her mother say so, Yu Ningrong got even angrier. "Mother is in charge of our courtyard. Can't you even keep such a small matter from spreading?"
This wasn't the first time she had done such a thing, and hadn't it been kept completely under wraps before?
In the Yu Mansion, people only knew that the Eighth Miss was a bit naive and willful, and liked to compete with the Sixth Miss. But these were just matters between young sisters, mere trifles that didn't really matter.
However, the fact that the Eighth Miss had a hot temper in private and often took her anger out on the servants was only known to the people in their Fourth Branch. No one in the other courtyards was aware of it.
Moreover, the rumor that the Eighth Miss had a worse temper than the former Sixth Miss hadn't even reached the ears of the family head.
Old Master Yu didn't pay much attention to the affairs in the inner courtyard. As for Old Madam, because the Fourth Branch was of concubine - born status and the concubine was still alive, as long as things seemed okay on the surface, she wouldn't bother to care.
Of course, another reason was that Madam Bao was good at keeping things hidden. She came from a wealthy merchant family, where there were many siblings, both legitimate and illegitimate. One could say that she had been involved in the in - house strife every day for her own interests.
Practice makes perfect. Madam Bao was very good at managing the affairs in her own courtyard.
Fourth Yu waved his hand, signaling all the servants in the room to leave. Then he asked someone to help Fuxi go for treatment.
He found a stool and sat down, asking calmly, "Eighth girl, tell me what on earth has angered you this time?"
He didn't have the same blind love as his wife and thought his daughter was perfect in every way. The Eighth girl was his first child, and naturally he doted on her. But as the child grew older, he found that this daughter had an extremely bad temper.
She always wanted to be the best in everything and even secretly disliked her father for being a concubine - born son, complaining that he had achieved nothing in his studies and hadn't obtained an official position, which couldn't give her a good background.
Fourth Yu's love for his daughter gradually faded. Especially after he later had two well - behaved and clever sons, his affection for his daughter became even weaker.
If Yue Fuguang knew what Fourth Yu was thinking, she would definitely say that although she didn't like Yu Ningrong either, objectively speaking, if he favored his sons, he should just admit it instead of making excuses!
Everyone likes well - behaved children. Could he just abandon the one who didn't meet his expectations?
Fourth Yu didn't realize his own partiality. He only thought that now, in his eyes, the Eighth girl was only different from the Ninth girl, Yu Ningjin, in terms of her status as a concubine - born daughter.
Yu Ningrong had already noticed that since her father had sensed her secret dislike for his background, he had become cold towards her. She was still a bit afraid of him.
