Chapter 229 - 138: Two Cousins

Others aside, quite a few relatives from the Su Family had visited, and there were even some who couldn’t come due to the recent surge in banditry; for safety’s sake, they merely sent gifts.

As for the Han Family, Su Wenyue had woken up not two days before and had already sent someone to inform them. Remembering that Mrs. Wang’s child must be having a one-month celebration, she also included a gift to send over, for the grievances between adults should not involve the children. Mrs. Wang, having given birth to a girl, did not hold a banquet, and they merely sent a message here in passing.

“We don’t need to wait for Father and Mother any longer; I’ve already sent someone with a letter telling them not to come,” Han Yu saw that Su Wenyue seemed to be waiting for someone and spoke up.

Su Wenyue looked at Han Yu with some surprise. Although the bandits were rampant, it hadn’t reached such a severity. The Han Family was merely an ordinary farming household, with little wealth to attract the attention of bandits. Furthermore, she understood her Father-in-law and Mother-in-law, and knew that having given birth to three children in one go, they would surely be yearning for their grandson, especially with Mrs. Wang having a daughter. Today, some guests at the Su Family had come from their direction with no mishaps, suggesting that Han Yu was perhaps being overcautious. Otherwise, sending a few bodyguards to escort them would also be feasible. However, considering Su Hengyi’s previous injury, Su Wenyue felt it was better to be cautious.

Han Yu, seeing his wife in such a state, explained, “I was at the military camp these past few days, so I couldn’t inform you in time. To be safe, it’s better not to have Father and Mother come over. Those bandits are no ordinary bunch.”

Su Wenyue clearly heard a mocking undertone in Han Yu’s words, hinting at something more, and her thoughts stirred, seemingly alighting on something she wanted to ask about, but the timing didn’t seem right.

“Stop worrying about it now; it’s inappropriate with so many people around. I’ll tell you the details later. I kept it from you earlier because I feared you would worry and it would affect your pregnancy. Now, whatever you want to know, I will tell you. Is that satisfactory?”

Having learned from this experience, Han Yu intended not to just protect his wife under his wings but rather to let her face the storms with him, supporting each other. He believed she would handle it well, much like how she had won over his subordinates.

When Su Wenyue heard Han Yu say this, her eyes shone brightly, and she nodded vigorously, “Husband, you must keep your word.”

“Of course, when have I not kept my word? You just focus on the children, and we can talk tonight,” Han Yu said as he affectionately stroked Su Wenyue’s head, which she dodged with dissatisfaction.

“I’m already a mother now; don’t keep doing that, it makes me seem so young.”

Han Yu smiled without responding. His wife’s childlike demeanor made him think of her as a kid too—like a big child taking care of little ones. The scene amused him. Thankfully Aunt Li and Grandma Chen were reliable, along with the nanny; otherwise, he would never be at ease.

“Lady Yue, congratulations on having three children at once; that sure saves trouble,” Su Yun said smilingly as she gazed at the three adorable little ones, unable to look away, unconsciously touching her own stomach.

At today’s one-month celebration for the three children, Su Cai and Su Yun, being Su Wenyue’s concubine sisters, naturally attended. Somehow, without any coordination, the two always arrived together in front of Su Wenyue.

“Indeed, Lady Yue has always been blessed with good fortune from an early age, cherished by everyone. Now that she’s married, life has been even smoother. In the blink of an eye, she has given birth to the children; who wouldn’t be envious?” Su Cai said with an evident trace of sourness in her voice. She had thought that marrying a farmer, Su Wenyue’s life would be incomparable to hers. But who could have known that the farmer would join the military, secure a petty official position of the eighth rank, and rise so quickly, ascending to a seventh-ranked official position in a few months? Su Wenyue had become the Wife of an Official and had secured her position with the birth of three children in the Han Family, inciting envy, jealousy, and resentment in others.

Su Wenyue was used to Su Cai’s attitude. Su Cai had always been jealous of her since they were young, but Su Wenyue didn’t mind. After all, Su Cai just talked, never actually harming her. A smile from Su Wenyue and it was all in the past.

Seeing Su Wenyue’s increasing composure, so much so that she couldn’t even be bothered to sarcastically respond, Su Cai felt even more frustrated.

At that moment, Mrs. Pei brought Pei Yuhan over, with two girls trailing behind her—one only in her early teens, the other appearing about the same age as Pei Yuhan. It seemed they were concubine daughters from the Main House. Mrs. Pei hadn’t shown much regard for the two concubine daughters previously, so Su Wenyue was seeing them for the first time.

In the Su Family, the distinction between legitimate and concubine daughters was clear. Even though Su Wenyue’s father had split from the Marquis Beian Mansion, a legitimate daughter remained so. The two concubine daughters presented themselves to Su Wenyue with proper formality.

“No need to be so formal, my cousins. Since you’re staying at the Su home, do not restrain yourselves. Treat this place as home and, should you need anything or find something lacking, just inform the housekeeper, or you can speak with my Mother and Sister-in-law,” said Su Wenyue warmly to her cousins. Due to the Su Family’s rules, the cousins were raised somewhat timid, but were exceedingly well-behaved. The two clean and tidy young girls made Su Wenyue quite happy, unlike Pei Yuhan, who didn’t seem as comfortable. Su Wenyue’s words also had Pei Yuhan in mind.

“Thank you, Cousin, for your concern. We sisters are well taken care of by our Aunt; our Mother has arranged everything, and there’s nothing lacking,” the slightly older Su Lanxin replied gracefully.

“That’s good to hear. Feel free to come over and play when you’re bored, but the day after tomorrow I will be returning to Xinluo Town. If you wish, you can come and stay there for a few days with me; we won’t be heading back to Chang’an so quickly anyway,” Su Wenyue said with a smile, looking fondly at the two cousins. She had never had younger sisters, and these two cousins were sweet and well-mannered, unlike her concubine sisters who had always played nasty tricks, never getting along with her.

“Really? I may go?” Su Lanfang, the younger one, couldn’t contain her excitement at the prospect of joining Su Wenyue. She asked joyfully, then realizing her impertinence, looked toward her Queen Mother; as a Concubine’s Daughter, she never had the right to make decisions freely—everything had to go through the Queen Mother.

Seeing Su Lanfang so eager, Su Wenyue came to her aid, appealing to Mrs. Pei, “Eldest Aunt, my cousins rarely get to go out. How about letting me take them back with me for a few days? Don’t worry, I promise to take good care of them.” n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Mrs. Pei was indifferent; after all, they were Concubine’s Daughters, not needing much attention from her: “Wouldn’t that bother you, Lady Yue?”

“No, no trouble at all. They seem so sweet and obedient, how could they possibly be a bother?”

Pei Yuhan watched the three sisters warmly interacting; she felt left out: “Lady Yue, you’re so biased. Why are you taking my cousins and forgetting about me? I want to go too.”