Old Madam Xue held Tang Zhuyun's hand and said in a low voice, "Your second aunt was originally from the capital. She was betrothed to your unfortunate second uncle when they were still children. Later, something happened to her family, and they thought we wouldn't be a burden to them, so the marriage was called off..."
The Deng Family thought so too.
Unexpectedly, Lady Deng took her dowry and went to Liaodong to find her husband.
A woman traveled a long distance with her dowry to fulfill her promise.
Putting everything else aside, his sheer courage is admirable.
Old Madam Xue wiped her eyes and said, "Your second uncle was unlucky. He was wounded on the battlefield after only a few years with her, leaving behind only Fourth Son as his son."
"She has been waiting for over a decade, from her twenties to her thirties. Before she knows it, she'll be old."
"Back when she was still at her parents' home, someone proposed marriage to her, and both sides had tacitly agreed to the marriage, but she refused."
"That man is also in the capital now, and he's been widowed for several years."
Tang Zhuyun's eyes widened. "Grandmother, do you mean you want to match my second aunt with that man?"
"That man came to propose marriage," Old Madam Xue. "I was willing to agree, but your second aunt herself disagreed, saying she wanted to keep him safe for your second uncle."
"A-Yun, once someone is dead, they are dead. We're keeping vigil for them, but they won't even know!" Old Madam Xue wept.
"I lost my own daughter, so I treat my daughter-in-law like my own. I think if I treat someone else's daughter well, they will treat my daughter well in return..."
As Old Madam Xue spoke, she broke down in tears.
Tang Zhuyun's eyes also reddened.
"All your aunts are good, and they are all filial. But your second aunt is particularly different..."
Tang Zhuyun understood.
After her second maternal uncle passed away, Old Madam Xue would definitely take care of Lady Deng the most, and Lady Deng was a grateful person.
Therefore, after spending time together, the relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was even stronger than that between a mother and daughter.
"Fourth Son is eighteen, and she's thirty-four this year," Old Madam Xue. "Women don't have many good years to begin with; let her enjoy a few years of happiness."
After thinking for a moment, Tang Zhuyun said, "Grandmother, I understand that you are doing this for my second aunt's good; but this matter also requires her own consent."
Even if that person was indeed good to her back then, who knows what's become of him now?
Even if he remains unchanged, his second aunt's own wishes are the most important.
Old Madam Xue, "Yes, I understand. I'm thinking of letting her stay for a while and think it over. In the end, whatever she chooses, she will always be my daughter."
Tang Zhuyun was easily moved to tears and couldn't bear to hear such words. For a moment, she dared not speak again, afraid that if she cried, it would make Old Madam Xue cry as well.
"I didn't dare say it directly, so I just said that I wanted Lie'er to stay in the capital to broaden his horizons, in case he caused trouble, so I asked your second aunt to stay and take care of him."
Tang Zhuyun nodded. "Grandmother, don't worry, I'll help if you have any difficulties."
That was exactly what Old Madam Xue had been waiting for.
"... Everything else is fine, but I'm worried that Fourth Son, that little tyrant, will cause trouble. After all, this is the capital city, and you're his older cousin. You should discipline him if necessary, and don't hesitate to discipline him if necessary."
Tang Zhuyun suppressed a laugh, "... Okay."
When Tang Zhujun was leaving the Xue Family, Lady Deng came out to see Tang Zhuyun off.
Perhaps knowing that she was going to stay and possibly want to speak with Tang Zhuyun alone, the others wisely did not follow.
Lady Deng asked, "A-Yun, did the old lady tell you about me staying?"
Tang Zhuyun was pleased that the Xue Family family still addressed her as A-Yun at home and did not treat her as an outsider.
"Um."
"Madam," Lady Deng with a bitter smile, "Is it so that I can remarry?"
"You can't say that," Tang Zhuyun said, "It's for your happiness."
Whether you marry or not, it's all good.
Lady Deng replied firmly, "I will not marry."
Even though their beautiful memories together only lasted a few years, they were enough to sustain her for the rest of her life.
One day, they will meet again.
She is his, in life and in death, for all eternity.
Her deceased husband was like a spark that ignited her spirit before leaving, and the light and warmth he left behind were enough for her.
"I know she'll be upset if I don't stay," said Lady Deng. "So I pretended not to know and stayed! I have a little selfish reason..."
"Fourth Son?"
"Yes." Lady Deng smiled. "What a clever girl, no wonder she captivated the Prince."
Xue Lie has a fiery temper, and she wants to find a daughter-in-law who is well-educated, reasonable, and gentle.
Tang Zhuyun thought to herself, "Can that even control the little tyrant?"
She felt that only someone like Nanxing, with overwhelming strength, could subdue Xue Lie.
"It's easier to find in the capital," Lady Deng said.
After all, she was a girl raised in a prestigious family in the capital, and deep down she still had some pride as a person from the capital.
But in fact, that is indeed the case.
Tang Zhuyun thought to herself, "Don't ever ask her to find someone. The women she associates with are all wicked; they're not that nice."
"I've already asked your sister-in-law to keep an eye on it for me," Lady Deng with a smile.
Tang Zhuyun: "You've made a good choice in entrusting me with this; I'm reliable!"
Meng Yulan's keen eyes and thorough understanding of the situation of various families in the capital made her the perfect candidate.
When they reached the second gate, Prince of Jin was already waiting for Yanran, holding her hand.
Upon seeing her, Yanran let go of Prince of Jin's hand and ran over excitedly. "Mother, Mother, guess what gift I received today?"
Tang Zhuyun: If I were blind, I definitely wouldn't be able to guess it.
But she wasn't blind. That beautiful, snow-white pony was licking the Prince of Jin's hand—couldn't she see it?
Tang Zhuyun: "I can't guess! Tell me quickly!"
The Prince of Jin wanted to laugh at her pretentious act, even though all the complaints he had just made had already flashed across her face.
The Prince of Jin could now easily deduce her inner thoughts from her expression.
"A little pony! My uncle gave it to me," Yanran said proudly. "What's most remarkable is that it doesn't have a single stray hair on it. Even my father's stable doesn't have a horse this beautiful."
The Prince of Jin wanted to say that for horses, good looks are not the most important thing.
But he wisely swallowed his words.
Xiu'er stepped forward and looked the little horse over.
Song Jingyang said in a low but excited voice, "Xiu'er, you know about horses!"
She's such a gem of a girl.
Xiu'er rolled her eyes at him and said, "What's so hard to understand? You're not blind, it's a mare."
Song Jingyang: "..."
So, she was looking for that.
Xiu'er muttered softly, "As soon as I saw the prince beckoning with that horse, I guessed it was a mare."
Song Jingyang: "Don't talk nonsense. Both the stallions and the mares get along well with the prince."
The Prince of Jin desperately wanted to shut these two idiots up.
When is his wet nurse, Song Jingyang's biological mother, finally coming to properly manage things?
Yanran said, "Mother, may I ride the pony back? The saddle and everything else were given to me by my other uncles, and you see, everything is provided!"
Alright, alright, now even the Prince of Jin has been accepted, and she has become the beloved little princess.
(One more chapter~ hehehe)