Lin Yuntang, Guo Boyan went out, Lin was entertaining guests in the front hall.
The little maids filed in with tea and refreshments, one was placed between Mrs. Lin and Aunt Tan, and the other was placed on the coffee table by the cousin Tan Wenli and the cousin Tan Xiangyu. During the tea service, the hall was extremely quiet. Mrs. Lin had a small smile on her face, she was quiet and elegant, and the three of the Tan family were all looking at her.
Aunt Tan is a few years older than Lin, and she is a widow. She is more fortunate than Lin. Although her father-in-law and husband are gone, she will leave her son the title of Earl of Yongan, even though this title is from the Duke of Emperor Gaozu. If the son is not able to make achievements and be promoted to the nobility, then after the son's death, the title of the Tan family will be gone. But no matter what, the Tan family has the title of nobility, as well as the in-laws of the Duke of Wei, so Aunt Tan will not be reduced to the level of the Lin family, and the orphans and widow mothers are bullied.
But Aunt Tan is not as good as Lin's. Lin has a rich dowry and does not have to worry about food and clothing, so before remarrying, he can cherish her husband every day with peace of mind, and be a lonely and lonely wife in the back house. The Tan family is different. The deceased old lady came from a poor family. He relied on brute force to make many military exploits on the battlefield. Neither the old lady nor the father and son knew how to run the business, so compared with the famous family like Wei Guogong's mansion, the Tan family lived a poor life and couldn't afford to show anything. When the uncle of the Tan family was in mourning, he still relied on Guo Boyan to help, and he was buried in a glorious way. In recent years, Guo Boyan has been indifferent to the Tan family, and Guo Xiao secretly gave his aunt several times of money.
Aunt Tan worked hard, and the meager income from the shop Zhuangzi was spent on her children. She was reluctant to dress up herself, and only added new clothes during the festivals. When she came to Guogong's mansion today, she was wearing a newly made Shu embroidered Beizi, which is what she will be using to be a guest in Beppu after the year. It's not Lin's face, but the clothes on Lin's body. The snow-blue Beizi is embroidered with exquisite Suzhou embroidery peony, and a pale pink Suzhou embroidery long skirt is attached below. Following Lin's footsteps, the skirt swaying like a lake, as beautiful as heavenly craftsmanship.
After seeing Lin Shi's beautiful face clearly, Aunt Tan felt as if she had overturned a few jars of vinegar in her heart, and she was so sour that she was about to cry. Her parents' family was an ordinary scholar's family in Taiyuan. Her father helped her father-in-law when he was down. After his father-in-law made a great contribution to the title, he repaid her favor and married her as his daughter-in-law. Aunt Tan was surprised and delighted, she only felt that she had become a phoenix by flying on the branch, but she did not expect that the Tan family was not as beautiful as it looked from the outside.
Aunt Tan didn't care. She was a widow in her duty, raised her children with all her heart, and finally earned a good reputation as a good wife and mother, but what is this Lin family, a beautiful business woman and widow, how can she still be a state after marrying a second time. Madam? Why does she have to look at people's faces every time she comes to the Guogong's mansion, for fear of offending this backer, Lin's can easily sit in the position of the Guogong's wife, enjoy the glory and wealth of the Guo family inside, and enjoy the government officials externally. Madam's flattery
God is so unfair! A shameless widow like Lin's should be soaked in a pig cage!
With her eyes down, Aunt Tan's face was watertight, but her hands under the table were clenched so tightly that her nails were sinking into her palms.
She was unwilling, and Tan Xiangyu, a twelve-year-old cousin, stared blankly at Lin's face, envy, and a glimmer of hope. Lin's background can be a lady of the country. She is a serious lady of the uncle, and her appearance has inherited the advantages of her parents. She is a beauty praised by the neighbors. If she plans well, cousin...
Both mothers thought of their situation from Lin's body, only the cousin Tan Wenli, who was attracted by Lin's wholeheartedly, did not expect Guo Xiao's stepmother to be born so beautiful, with clear eyebrows, beautiful face, tender lips, and a slender waist. , With just one glance, his soul was hooked away, and the fire inside his body was dark.
Three pairs of eyes stared at her, and Lin was indifferent. As early as when she was about to get married, she wanted to understand the various situations she might face after entering the manor. Now everything is going well in the Duke's Mansion, but she is mentally prepared for how other noble ladies treat her, and how the mother family of the eldest son, Guo Xiao, thinks of her.
"Madam, please use tea." Lin said with a smile.
Aunt Tan didn't like Mrs. Lin, and it was not pleasant to listen to her. She forced a smile, picked up the tea bowl, and looked at Mrs. Lin, she asked casually, "Is your grandfather out?"
Lin nodded: "Today, General Han returned to Beijing to face the saint, and the grandfather of the country has entered the palace."
Zhenbei General Handa is Guo Boyan's best friend. In the morning, before Guo Boyan went out, he told Lin Shi that he wanted to stay with Handa tonight without getting drunk, so Lin Shi didn't have to wait.
Aunt Tan knew the relationship between the Guo and Han families, and she moved in her heart and sighed: "When I mentioned General Zhenbei, I thought of my hard-working sister. My sister likes flowers and plants, and she shares the same interests with Mrs. Han, so I will reward them with them. All kinds of exotic flowers, after the death of my sister, Mrs. Han was very sad and never held a flower banquet again..."
Lin's new arrival, and restrained the maids around her not to inquire about the former princess's affairs without authorization, but she really didn't know this. Hearing this, she immediately remembered Mrs. Han in her heart, reminding herself to be cautious when meeting in the future. If Mrs. Han really regarded Mrs. Tan as her confidant, Mrs. Han might be picky about her.
Wiping away the tears that didn't exist, Aunt Tan quickly glanced at Lin, seeing that Lin had no special reaction, she pursed her lips, and persuaded kindly: "My sister loves lotus the most, the lotus in the pond and lake of the Duke's Mansion, It was all planted by the younger sister who watched and planted by the people herself, and now the madam is the housekeeper, please keep an eye on it, the lotus flowers are blooming, and the three of them will have a place to cherish the memory."
Lin said with a smile: "Thank you Madam for reminding me, I will ask the gardener to take care of me."
She understands Aunt Tan's careful thinking, but Lin Shi just finds it funny. Guo Boyan really misses his original wife so much, so he won't force her to be his wife just by one side, let alone every night... What's more, she wants to be a good wife of this country, just to support her daughter, she hopes Guo Boyan Give her respect, as for who Guo Boyan really has in her heart, she really doesn't care, it's enough to be nice to her daughter.
Aunt Tan wanted to talk about her sister-in-law's past, but Guo Xiao came with her two younger sisters.
Aunt Tan's envy and hatred for Lin's family disappeared immediately, and only the care and love for her nephew remained on her face, she got up to meet her, and asked with concern, "I haven't seen each other for half a month, why are Pingzhang and Tingfang so thin? already?"
In the main seat, Mrs. Lin lowered her eyes and smiled, revealing a touch of helplessness. Mrs. Tan said that she suspected that she was treating Guoxiao brothers and sisters harshly
"Auntie is really good at joking. The third brother just said that I'm fat." Tingfang glanced at her stepmother, smiled politely, and quickly changed the subject: "This year's twelfth lunar month is very cold, how is your aunt recently? I still want to see it tomorrow. Look at you, you came first." As he spoke, he nodded to brothers and sisters Tan Wenli and Tan Xiangyu.
"Just your sweet mouth." Aunt Tan put her niece into her arms lovingly and touched her head. Whether it is true love or must love, Aunt Tan herself can't tell. She only knows that she will take care of the nephews and nieces as her own children. Only in this way will the relationship between the Tan and Guo families be unbreakable.
Tingfang leaned against her aunt's arms and sighed silently. It is true that her aunt works hard, and it is true that she is good to them, so she can understand her grandmother's dislike for her aunt, and her brother's help to her aunt's family. In any case, the Tan family is the mother's family, and the cousins are their blood relatives.
"Jianing, this is the aunt of the Uncle Yong'an." Mrs. Lin came over and gestured for her daughter to salute the elders with a smile.
Song Jianing obediently blessed Aunt Tan: "Auntie."
Aunt Tan pursed the corners of her mouth. The daughter of a widow who doesn't obey women's ethics, she looks just like Lin's. What face is there to call her aunt? Aunt Tan really doesn't want to respond, but Lin's can hook people, Guo Boyan is probably fascinated by the newly married Hu Meizi.
No, she has to endure. Before her nephew inherits the title of the duke, or before Guo Boyan dislikes the Lin family, she has to maintain a clear-cut harmony with the Lin family.
"Jianing is so beautiful." Aunt Tan boasted with a smile, bent over to touch Song Jianing's face, and pinched it in a rare manner: "Why are you so fat?"
Song Jianing took a deep breath and almost couldn't help touching her face. She endured it wisely, but the handprints on her fleshy cheeks revealed Aunt Tan's strength just now. Lin saw it, and Tingfang and Guo Xiao also saw it. Tingfang was in a dilemma, and Guo Xiao directly said to his stepmother: "Mother is busy here, I invite my aunt to sit at the Yihexuan."
Lin Shi was not polite, and said with a smile: "I have Lao Shizi, another day when I have time, I will invite Madam to use tea again."
Guo Xiao nodded and turned to ask his aunt's family to go out.
Aunt Tan didn't bother to be with Lin Shixu and Wei She, and walked away with Tingfang's little hand. Tan Xiangyu hired Tingting to follow behind her mother. Song Jianing stopped beside him, lowered his head and smiled at Song Jianing: "Cousin, would you like to go with us? We are so busy."
Apart from Princess Duanhui, Song Jianing doesn't know anything about Guo Xiao's relatives, but she's not stupid. Her aunts, nephews, cousins, cousins and cousins reunited to talk about her own words. What did she do over there? What's more, Aunt Tan obviously doesn't like her, and her face is still aching from pinching.
"No, I still have to do my homework." Looking for an excuse, Song Jianing walked to her mother's side, and Lin's took advantage of the situation to support her daughter's shoulders.
Tan Wenli was a little disappointed, this girl was pretty and he liked it very much.
Guo Xiao gave him a cold look, and when the whole group had gone out, he turned around and bowed his head to apologize to his stepmother: "Auntie's rudeness, I also look to my mother Haihan, don't worry, I promise there will be no next time." He was not happy This sudden stepmother doesn't like anyone taking her mother's place in this family, but he won't bully a weak girl before Lin shows any hostility.
"It's human nature, the prince is too worried, let's go." Lin Shi sincerely said.
Guo Xiao snorted, and before leaving, his cold eyes glanced at Song Jianing, and he saw the little girl pouting slightly, her head resting on her stepmother, obviously aggrieved.
Of course Song Jianing was wronged. As soon as Guo Xiao left, she rubbed her face and complained to her mother, "It hurts."
Lin supported her daughter's little face to check, and saw that her daughter's tender tofu-like face was pinched in a small red spot, she gritted her teeth secretly, and rubbed her daughter's face in a low voice: "I see the Tan family hiding in the future. "Guo Xiao's mansion is ultimately owned by Guo Xiao, Guo Xiao's relatives, it's best if they can afford no conflict.
Song Jianing nodded glumly.
~
"Tingfang, tell your aunt honestly, did the Lin family bully you, and did the father-in-law have partiality?" On the way to Yihexuan, Aunt Tan held her niece's little hand and asked suspiciously.
Tingfang was amused, looked at her elders and said, "Auntie, my mother is very kind to me, and my father is not partial to anyone. You can take it easy."
Aunt Tan didn't believe it, looked back and forth, and whispered: "The stepmothers in the world are all the same, and it is impossible to treat the children left by the original spouse. Now her foundation is unstable, so she has to pretend to be gentle and virtuous, and wait for her to sit firmly in the country. Madam's position, hmph, wait, I'll be the first to attack you. Your eldest brother is in the front yard, she can't control it, and my aunt is most worried about you. "
Tingfang can only stress repeatedly that her stepmother is not that kind of person.
Aunt Tan even felt that her niece was stupid.
"If you talk too much, you will lose. Aunt should say a few words less." Guo Xiao reminded coldly. What happened to Lin's family cannot be determined overnight, so he acquiesced to his aunt's warning to his sister, but the same meaning, aunt does not need to repeat it over and over.
Aunt Tan looked at her nephew and shut up. When her nephew was young, she still dared to show her elders. In the past two years, her nephew has grown tremendously, and the majesty of her son-in-law has become more and more powerful. She is simply another Guo Boyan. Became the one who bowed his head.
But there is more to be said.
When they arrived at Guo Xiao's Yihexuan, Aunt Tan called her nephew aside and said in a low voice, "Pingzhang, you are old, you may see some things better than your aunt. Tingfang is by Mrs. Lin's side, and Mrs. Lin can't play. How much ingenuity. You are different. Your position as the heir is given by the grandfather of the country. Since the grandfather can give it, he can take it back. You have to keep an eye on it, in case Lin gives birth to a son... She is a widow Who dares to ask for the name of the lady of the country, who dares to say that she doesn't care about more?"
Guo Xiao sneered: "I'm afraid she doesn't have that ability."
The young man was crazy, Aunt Tan sighed: "What do you know, she is like that, the wind blows a lot on the pillow, the grandfather of the country..."
"Auntie." Guo Xiao didn't want to hear anyone slander his father.
Aunt Tan stopped wisely.
Guo Xiao looked at her, and in turn warned: "Auntie, I know you care about us, but I know what's going on in the house. Auntie doesn't have to worry about it, let alone take care of it on her own. Today's matter, I don't want to do it again. next time."
The nephew noticed the small movement, and Aunt Tan blushed, not knowing how to answer.
"It's cold outside, auntie, sit inside." Guo Xiao handed him a step.
Aunt Tan breathed a sigh of relief and went in to accompany her niece, leaving only Guo Xiao standing under the porch with cold brows and eyes.