Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 509 - 500: Stepmother

Chapter 509: Chapter 500: Stepmother

After lunch, Chu Hanyan took a brief nap. Following the nap, Chen Afu had her woken and dressed up. Upon hearing that Zhang Ziqi admired the disc buttons on Chu Hanyan’s clothes, Chen Afu prepared five pairs of them, packed them in a wallet, and gave them to Chu Hanyan to give one pair to each of the girls.

Meanwhile, Chen Afu also dollied up Qi Qi and Hui Hui. Not only did she get them beautiful anklets, but also tied bow-knots around their necks. Given Qi Qi’s vibrant feathers, its bow-knot was white; Hui Hui’s being of a rather dull hue was decorated with a floral one.

She sternly cautioned the unruly Qi Qi not to use foul language or insult people. If it behaved well, Jin Yanzi would take them along with Zhui Feng’s family for a trip to Fragrant Hill on the outskirts of the capital. If not, not only would the trip be cancelled, they would also fasten it with an iron chain and let it starve.

Fearing starvation and having a desire to play, Qi Qi quickly assured, "I won’t talk nonsense, I swear to Daddy Chu."

For fear that the big dogs might frighten the little girls, she had people take them to the Outer Courtyard of Old Marquis.

She also tidied up the parlor of the young ladies and placed some building blocks and puzzles — supposed to be popular among girls of this age group — on the table. The blocks and puzzles, made out of smooth bits of wood, had complex images of animals, plants, trees, and fairies; the colors vibrant and diverse, the illustrations abstract and adorable.

Seeing an excited and nervous Chu Hanyan, Chen Afu chuckled, cupped her face, and reassured, "No worries, your mom will be in the upper room."

Towards the end of Xū— the time of the Earth Dog, several girls in their gorgeous dresses came to the Bamboo Pavilion one by one. First, they paid their respects to Chen Afu in the upper room. Ying Hui once again apologized to Chen Afu and Chu Hanyan on behalf of her grandmother, Queen An, and her mother, Princess An, for the neglect they had shown as hosts, which had caused discomfort to their guest, Ms. Chu, and even gifted a basket full of milk grapes conferred by the Emperor.

Once all the guests had arrived, they were taken by young Ms. Chu to play in her West Cross Courtyard.

The sight of their jubilant retreating figures and their silvery peals of laughter even lifted Chen Afu’s spirits. She did not join the enthusiastic crowd, instead, she had Miao’er and Luo Mei serve them there.

The little girls seemed to be having a wonderful time, their cheers and laughter could be heard all the way here.

The two young brothers, green with envy, kept insisting, "We want to go play with our sister."

It was just when Chen Afu was at her wit’s end that a servant from the Outer Court came with the news of Marquis’s return and asked her to send the children to his courtyard.

Upon hearing of the male nanny’s return, Chen Afu was secretly thrilled. She quickly had people carry Yu’er in a pushchair, and lead the two young brothers to the Outer Court.

Chen Afu thought that this time, Rong Zhao again cut a sorry figure and someone would inevitably submit a report condemning Rong Zhao for his poor character and fortune, advocating against his staying in the royal family amidst the fierce battles in the Southern Region.

During yesterday’s dinner, the third wife confided to Chen Afu that Old Marquis had received a letter from Marquis Chu asking The Chus not to make any moves, implying that no one from the Chu clan should submit any report.

Bearing grudges against Marquis Chu, the Emperor was wary of The Chus’ movements. It was in the best interest of Marquis Chu to do nothing at this point and play the part of a sacrificial lamb at the Emperor’s disposal.

Chen Afu wondered how the Emperor would deal with Rong Zhao this time. She hoped he would banish Rong Zhao to the nunnery...

As Chen Afu was sitting on the bed lost in thought, Qiu Yue showed up.

As Qiu Yue was now a court lady, Chen Afu accorded her due respect by promptly inviting her to sit down and serving her tea.

Making a few pleasantries, Qiu Yue picked up her tea and remained silent. Chen Afu sensed she had something to say that was preferably not said in front of others, and, with a signal from her, Hong Fei led all other personnel to leave.

Once they were alone, Qiu Yue whispered with a smile, "His Royal Highness said there’s a piece of great news he wanted me to share with you two. He hopes it’ll cheer you up." Lowering her voice so only Chen Afu could hear her, she chuckled again, "Congrats, Madam. His Royal Highness seeks Emperor’s approval for his marriage to your daughter. The Emperor has agreed to grant the marriage once victorious news arrives from the South. They, however, would get married when both turn fifteen."

This surprise rendered Chen Afu dumbstruck. She’d never dreamed that the Emperor would agree to arrange a marital alliance between Shiyi, who was still young, and Chu Hanyan. If that came true, not only would young Ms. Chu live happily ever after but Shiyi would also have a better life. So much so that Chen Afu could finally put her worries to rest after such a long time.

The joy suddenly gave way to doubt for that seemed unbecoming of Emperor’s character. The Emperor, a rather indifferent person known for not keeping his word. His treatment of the Chu veteran was a testament to this. Hence, it’s always wise to not take his promises seriously. As long as he doesn’t give the royal decree, he may change his decision at any time.

This realization took some sheen off of her initial joy.

Noticing Chen Afu’s fleeting joy, and her composure that was again regained, Qiu Yue felt puzzled. "Madam, don’t you want them to get betrothed early?" she asked.

Chen Afu laughed and replied, "Of course, I do. I’m elated. Having grown up together, these two children know each other so well. If they spend their lives together in the future, it will be good for both of them. However, let’s not make a big fanfare about this joyful occasion yet. Nothing has been set in stone and so, in case this gets into the ears of the unscrupulous, they might stir up trouble." She didn’t dare mention her disbelief in Emperor’s words.

An enlightened Qiu Yue nodded in agreement, "True."

When Qiu Yue left, Chen Afu sent some snacks for Shiyi.

The little ladies had to leave early and hence they had an early dinner. At evening, servants brought trays full of food to the West Cross Courtyard. All the dishes were prepared in the small kitchen of Bamboo Pavilion, mainly consisting of Luwei and desserts. The dishes were beautifully garnished with carved cucumbers and radishes, evoking much admiration from the young girls.

The joy knew no bounds to the little ladies who ate well, drank well, played well and upon leaving, got hold of the beautiful and unique disc buttons. They went to the upper room to say goodbye to Chen Afu, mentioning that they would like to visit again and also invite Chu sister to their residence.

Chen Afu welcomed them with a laugh and also expressed her willingness to let Chu Hanyan visit their place. Ying Hui promised once again that she won’t invite Feng Miaohua next time Chu sister came to her house ensuring that Chu sister won’t be offended anymore.

Chu Hanyan, Qi Qi, and Hui Hui accompanied the guests to the gate.

Zhang Ziqi whispered to Chu Hanyan, "Sister Chu, your mother is really nice. People say stepmothers don’t treat their stepdaughters well, but your mother loves you as her own daughter."

Chu Hanyan did not appreciate people mentioning in front of her that her mother was a stepmother and that stepmothers were not supposed to be nice. But Zhang Ziqi praised her mother, which confused Chu Hanyan, not knowing how to respond. She blurted out, "All people say my mother is very nice."

Yang Qian also said, "You can’t judge everyone with the same yardstick. Even my current mother, who is my stepmother, is very good to my brother and me. She did not bear her own children for our sake."