Something Fishy About My Origins

Qingfeng hurriedly went out to greet them, and soon came in with Daimao.

"Fifth Miss, the Old Madam requests your presence." Daimao paused, then added, "The Second Madam is here, lamenting your unruly behavior."

"Thank you for the advice, Sister Daimao," Xu Xi said with a smile, standing up. "I'll be right there." As she spoke, she winked at Qingfeng.

Yesterday during the day was fine, but last night the First Madam gave her some silver, so it wouldn't be right not to reward her now. Daimao could have said or not say what she just said. Now that someone was willing to offer advice, it was a kind gesture, Xu Xi couldn't leave without showing any appreciation.

Last night, after Xu Xi received the silver, she gave five taels of loose silver to Qingfeng, intending to reward her in this situation. As for how much the reward would be, Qingfeng had been a second-class maidservant by the old lady's side for two or three years, and she knew the standards for rewards in the mansion.

Qingfeng had the same thought in mind. Seeing Xu Xi's gesture, she quickly turned around, took out a purse from a small box, and handed it to Daimao, saying with a smile, "Our young lady has just returned to the manor and is not very familiar with the affairs of the manor. She will need to give her more guidance in the future."

The maids in the manor who could become first-class or second-class maids were all shrewd and adept at seizing opportunities. Daimao was willing to give Xu Xi advice because the old lady and the first lady treated Xu Xi very well, and she took this opportunity to build a good relationship with her.

She accepted the purse gracefully, bowed to Xu Xi in thanks, and followed Xu Xi and Qingfeng to the Rongxi Hall.

The group entered the main room of the Rongxi Hall and saw Lady Wei talking to the old lady while wiping away tears. The old lady sat at the head of the table, expressionless.

Xu Xi stepped forward to greet the old lady, then curtsied to the second madam and called out, "Second Madam."

"Look, look," Lady Wei said to the old lady, wiping away her tears with a handkerchief. "You see, she won't even call me 'Mother'."

Xu Xi didn't argue, she just stood there and listened to what the old lady had to say.

They reached an agreement last night. If the old lady forces her to return to the second branch of the family now, she'll have to think about what to do next.

"Miss Xi, why don't you come back to the second house for dinner?" The old lady looked at Xu Xi, her tone flat, revealing no emotion whatsoever.

"The second madam dislikes me and they argue every time we meet. I just want to go to school quietly, so I simply avoid provoking her." Xu Xi's calm tone mirrored that of the old lady.

The old lady then looked at Lady Wei and said, "I think what Miss Xi said makes a lot of sense. Since you dislike her, why force her to come to you and make you uncomfortable? Now that she has moved out, there's no need for her to come back to the second house for meals. I'm old and feel a little lonely by myself, so let her keep me company from now on. Consider it my way of fulfilling my filial duty on your behalf."

"..."

Lady Wei stared at the old lady in astonishment, never expecting such an outcome.

As the elder, the old lady's opinion was influenced by her position, and she was naturally the one in the household who valued filial piety the most. She thought that Xu Xi's disrespect towards her mother would be disapproving and would certainly reprimand Xu Xi. But unexpectedly...

She glanced at Xu Xi, then at the old lady, lowered her eyelids, pressed a handkerchief to her nose, and looked heartbroken. "It's only right that you fulfill your filial duties to the old lady on our behalf. But one thing is one thing. The old lady..."

She looked up, tears welling in her eyes, her voice thick with a nasal tone. "You're a mother too. If your child never bows to you, never calls you 'Mother,' and if you try to teach her a couple of things, she'll have ten retorts and even fight you, do you think that's right? As elders who truly care for our children, are we just going to let her be so unfilial and rude? What if she gets married and suffers in another family? How can we live with ourselves then?"

If these words hadn't been directed at him, Xu Xi would have applauded Lady Wei enthusiastically. Her expression and words were truly masterful.

Wiping away her tears, Lady Wei said, "Indeed, I didn't do well before either. Because I mistook the child for someone else, I felt ashamed and angry, so I took it out on the child. Besides, this child..." She paused, rubbing her nose with a handkerchief, "I won't do it again. I will definitely treat Miss Xi well and make up for all the maternal love she has missed over the past ten years."

Xu Xi got goosebumps from listening and quickly looked up to see the old lady's reaction, only to see the old lady nodding in agreement.

"Alright, it's easier to resolve a feud than to create one, especially between a mother and daughter. Let's clear things up today. Miss Xi has suffered all these years since she was taken away, and she has resentment and grievances against you. You should understand and not pressure her too much. Since she doesn't want to go back now, let her stay with me for now. Take good care of her from now on. Once she knows how much you love her as a mother, even if I try to stop her, she will beg me to let her go back."

Lady Wei wasn't necessarily forcing Xu Xi to return to the second branch of the family. To be honest, this girl was quite infuriating in both her words and actions. She was worried that if she clashed with this girl, she might impulsively start a fight with her.

"The old lady sees things clearly," she flattered, standing up. "In that case, let her stay here with you. I won't disturb your meal any longer." With that, she bowed to the old lady and left, not even glancing at Xu Xi before departing.

After she left, the old lady raised her head, gestured for Xu Xi to sit down, and asked, "Haven't you eaten yet?" She then turned to a Daimao and instructed, "Go to the kitchen and prepare a few dishes for Fifth Miss."

"No need, I've already eaten. I ate Dianjiang's portion." Xu Xi waved his hand, stopping Daimao.

The old lady was momentarily taken aback.

Xu Xi, however, paid no attention to any of that. She sat opposite the old lady, silently watching her with a complex expression, but remained silent for a long time.

The old lady was puzzled by her gaze, put down the teacup she had just picked up, and said, "Just say what you have to say."

"You really have no doubts about my background?" Xu Xi asked.

"Didn't your mother just explain that?" the old lady said.

Xu Xi chuckled, "Do you believe that? I certainly don't. There are some things others can't see clearly, but as her daughter, no one understands them better than me. The way she looks at me doesn't seem like she's a daughter; it feels more like she's an enemy."

She looked at the old lady and said, "Madam, you are also a mother. No matter how naughty and disappointing your children are, you wouldn't hate them, would you? Especially your daughter who has been lost for more than ten years, you would only pour all your maternal love into making it up to her."

"If the Second Madam doted on Zhao Ruyu, that would be understandable; she hates me for coming back and ruining the mother-daughter relationship between her and Zhao Ruyu. But I don't think she treats Zhao Ruyu very well either. So I really can't understand her behavior, and I can't agree with what she just said. I feel that there must be something fishy about my background."