Chapter 251

Chapter 251: Suzhou Embroidery On the night of the wedding, Cui Zeyu slept on the couch all night and woke up the next morning looking listless. When the Duke of Dingguo saw him, he assumed his son had been vigorous during the wedding night, which was why he seemed so drained. Wu Hui hadn't slept much either, but her manners were impeccable—serving tea, paying respects, everything she did radiated proper decorum. "Excellent, truly excellent!" The Duke of Dingguo drank the daughter-in-law's tea and gave her a generous red envelope with satisfaction. "With you married into the family, I can rest easy about matters of the inner household." As the Duke of Dingguo spoke, a servant brought over a box, which the Duke said contained the keys to the estate's storehouses. "The account books and such have all been sent to your quarters. I only hope for one thing—that you two will soon produce heirs, so the Duke's estate will be lively." The Duke of Dingguo looked happily at his son and daughter-in-law before him. He had long wanted grandchildren. His eldest son was frail, but his youngest son was different—he looked robust at first glance, and perhaps within two months there would be good news. When the topic of heirs came up, Wu Hui lowered her head slightly. The Duke of Dingguo assumed she was simply shy. Cui Zeyu, however, rose and urged Wu Hui to get up as well. "The Duke's estate is large, but there aren't that many rules. As for Father here, you only need to come pay your respects with me on the first and fifteenth of each month. As for the household affairs, I'll leave them to you." "It's no trouble—all of it is my duty." After Wu Hui spoke, she had breakfast there. She was quite reserved, but she actually noticed that neither of the two masters of the Duke of Dingguo's estate was particularly particular about formalities. After breakfast, Cui Zeyu went to the training grounds, and the Duke of Dingguo had his own matters to attend to. Wu Hui returned to her quarters and looked at the several chests of account books and land deeds, unable to suppress her surprise. She knew the Duke of Dingguo's estate had substantial holdings, but she hadn't expected them to hand everything over to her so quickly—after all, she and Lu Zeyu were only... "Miss, the Duke and the Young Lord truly treat you well." Zhuo Mama, who had accompanied Wu Hui as part of her dowry, was very pleased. "And the household is simple—no other branches to contend with. All of this belongs to you and the Young Lord." "Has Zhuo Mama forgotten that the Duke of Dingguo's estate has another son?" Wu Hui reminded her. She had no interest in the estate's holdings. Being able to have a place to call her own was already fortunate enough; she certainly wouldn't covet the estate's property. "That one—who knows what will become of him. Clearly the Duke favors the Young Lord more. At least the lion's share is yours." Zhuo Mama clearly hadn't taken her mistress's words to heart. "You've finally seen better days after all your hardship. But speaking of the Duke's other son—regarding the Duchess, would you and the Young Lord like to go pay her a visit?" People outside didn't know the reason Madam Qin had been sent to the old estate. Even if they caught wind of rumors, gossip was something that couldn't be verified as true or false. The Wu family had made inquiries. They knew Madam Qin might have committed some offense, but she was still the Duchess. If Wu Hui, as her daughter-in-law, showed no acknowledgment at all, she feared others might seize on it to make trouble. But Wu Hui said it wasn't necessary. "The Young Lord already told me—Madam Qin committed a grave offense and was sent to the old estate for that reason. Zhuo Mama, keep this to yourself and don't tell anyone else." "Understood, this servant knows. Even if the Madam asks, this servant won't say a word." Zhuo Mama was perceptive. She had accompanied her young mistress as part of the dowry, and from now on, her mistress was her true master. Especially since her mistress referred to her as "Madam Qin"—it seemed Madam Qin's offense was particularly serious. Better not to get involved at all. "Mm, I trust you. One more thing—from now on, be extra careful with anything concerning Madam Qin. She wishes nothing less than the Young Lord's death." After giving her instructions, Wu Hui began organizing the Duke of Dingguo's estate holdings. She had been raised from childhood to be a matriarch of a great house, so handling these matters was well within her ability. Especially since the Duke of Dingguo's estate had few masters and no complicated interpersonal relationships, she quickly got the hang of it. On the day of the return visit, Wu Hui had just stepped down from the carriage when she saw her mother waiting at the gate. Dong Shi was about to call out "Hui'er" when her nose tingled with emotion. She had been anxious about her daughter's marriage these past two years, but now that her daughter was truly married off, she missed her terribly. Seeing her daughter's rosy complexion, and how she and Lu Zeyu made a handsome couple, Dong Shi turned away to quietly dab at the corner of her eyes, then immediately put on a smile. A mother cares most about how her daughter is faring. After her daughter and son-in-law served tea, she had her son take the son-in-law off for a chat while she pulled her daughter aside for private words. Hearing her daughter speak only of good things, Dong Shi wasn't entirely convinced. "Don't just tell me the good news and hide the bad. I'm your mother—if you were truly happy, wouldn't I know?" "You worry too much. If things were bad, would you have me seek a Mutual Divorce right now?" Wu Hui said. "Pah, pah, pah—you girl, why say such inauspicious things?" Dong Shi still wasn't reassured, so she called over Zhuo Mama to ask, "You tell me—what has my girl been doing these three days at the Duke of Dingguo's estate?" Zhuo Mama glanced at her young mistress, then began from the morning greetings, all the way to how the young master had slept in her mistress's chambers all three nights—only then did she see the Madam smile with satisfaction. When Dong Shi heard that the Duke of Dingguo and his son had entrusted the management of the Duke of Dingguo's estate to their daughter, she knew her daughter's future would be secure. "Indeed, good things come to those who wait. I'm relieved now. In the future, you must be filial to your father-in-law, serve your husband well, and if you can produce heirs sooner, even better." Dong Shi held her daughter's hand and spoke at length, finally coming to Cui Lingrong. "I heard that your husband is especially grateful to his adopted sister. Although the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion is a bit chaotic, if anything truly happens, you must think of Lady Cui. Your mother has been through this—you need to be of one heart with your husband, and only then can you live harmoniously together. Some things you can't be overly sensitive about, understand?" "Mother, do you really think I know nothing at all?" Wu Hui said helplessly. Her mother had never been this long-winded before. How could she not know such a thing? Besides, she and Lu Zeyu had no real marital relations. Even if Lu Zeyu's heart belonged to Cui... no, no, that shouldn't be. Lu Zeyu was such a proper person, he would never have such thoughts. Wu Hui startled herself with that thought. Fortunately, someone from the front courtyard came to call them for dinner, and she was able to escape. The next day, Cui Zeyu brought Wu Hui to visit the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion. Cui Lingrong naturally received Wu Hui warmly. She noticed that Wu Hui resembled her former self—cautious and meticulous, constantly observing and recording what others said. "Here, you don't need to be so restrained. From now on, we're family. If anything comes up, feel free to come find me." Cui Lingrong's smile was genuine. Wu Hui looked at the elegant and beautiful Lady Cui, whose every expression made one want to draw closer. Such a beauty was truly rare. If only... Wu Hui glanced at Cui Zeyu, who was chatting with Xuan-ge and Jin-ge, and silently thought for a moment—even if that were the case, it had nothing to do with her. She just needed to do her duty as the young marquis's wife. "Alright, then I'll thank you in advance, sister." With that, Wu Hui looked at Yu-jie beside Lady Cui. Her mother wanted to match Yu-jie with her brother. Looking at the charming Yu-jie, she took out the gift she had prepared. The Wu family had prepared an extremely generous dowry for Wu Hui, so she was liberal with her spending. The gift she gave Yu-jie was two bolts of Suzhou embroidery as precious as gold—the satin was lustrous and exquisite. If made into clothing, no one could fail to notice it. Song Yu turned to look at her mother. Cui Lingrong said it was too precious. "I prefer plain and elegant colors. Such fine silk, if left unused, would lose its luster over time—wouldn't that be a waste?" Wu Hui said with a smile as she looked at Song Yu. "Yu-jie, don't think of it as too precious. Just consider it my goodwill. If you look beautiful wearing it, it's the same as if I wore it myself." Her words were graceful and impossible to refuse. Cui Lingrong nodded slightly, and Song Yu quickly rose to thank her. "Then I thank my aunt. When I get back, I'll make you a sachet—please don't mind my clumsy hands." "Not at all, not at all. I love the scent of gardenias. I'll be in your care." Wu Hui and Song Yu chatted back and forth. They weren't far apart in age, and soon learned each other's preferences. They were laughing and talking together, and when it was nearly noon and time for the meal to be served, Song Shulan arrived. With Wu Hui present, Cui Lingrong maintained the dignity of the marquis mansion and did not issue an order to leave. After Song Shulan took his seat, he deliberately brought up the Cui family to Cui Lingrong. "Yesterday, your father sent me a letter."