CHAPTER 179: CHAPTER 177: RECOGNIZING FAMILY

However, she took nothing with her, and followed Li Yuzhu out of the kitchen empty-handed.

Li Xing’an jogged over, and upon seeing the two of them, said discontentedly, "There are female guests at home, and you aren’t accompanying them. What are you doing here? Mother couldn’t find anyone, so she sent me to fetch you."

"Chai Eying sure is putting on airs!" The Great Princess snorted coldly.

The two sisters followed Li Xing’an to the North Courtyard of the Princess Consort Luling’s main chamber.

Li Xing’an did not enter; he left as soon as he brought the two of them over.

Li Yuzhu and the Great Princess entered the main room.

Inside, only the Princess Consort Luling was accompanying the guests, making casual conversation with Miss Chai.

Miss Chai was quite reserved, but she wasn’t flustered, and responded smoothly.

As soon as Li Yuzhu and the Great Princess entered the main room, Miss Chai visibly breathed a sigh of relief.

"Miss Li, Miss Li," Miss Chai stood up and nodded toward the two of them.

Li Yuzhu placed the snacks on the table near Miss Chai and smiled, "These pastries were just made by my second sister. Have a taste. This one is baked with goat’s milk, this is date-flavored, this is mung bean-flavored, and this is osmanthus-flavored."

Miss Chai thanked her and politely picked up a piece of goat’s milk pastry to eat in small bites.

"Very nice, Miss Li’s hands are quite skillful," she said with a smile.

Just then, Xue Family came in with her child in her arms.

She didn’t want to come either, but the Princely Heir urged her to.

He said she was the mistress of the house, and when guests came, she couldn’t just sit in her room; she had to entertain them.

Xue Family feared that the Princess Consort Luling would blame her later, so she reluctantly came.

When Miss Chai entered the mansion, Xue Family secretly observed her attire.

She noticed that Miss Chai’s outfit today, though simple, was made from Su Jin fabric, and she wore a jade hairpin in her hair.

And as for herself, wearing rough cloth, with only a wooden hairpin, and no osmanthus oil to smooth her hair, it was untidy, so Xue Family had to wrap it in a blue cloth.

From head to toe, Xue Family felt more like a maid at the Royal Mansion, or a firewood woman; she had nothing resembling the Prince Consort!

This made her ashamed to meet Miss Chai.

But with so many house rules, she could only complain, as it was impossible to change.

"What a pretty little girl," Miss Chai immediately noticed Guoguo and smiled, nodding in greeting to the little girl.

As soon as Guoguo entered the room, she looked at no one but Miss Chai, staring straight at her.

"This is my granddaughter, she’s called Li Guoguo." Princess Consort Luling smiled, beckoning Guoguo, "Guoguo, come meet the guest, she is a friend of your aunts."

Li Guoguo just kept looking at Miss Chai, her eyes never leaving her.

Suddenly, her lips quivered, and she started crying loudly, "E Ying—ah—"

Everyone was taken aback.

"Is she hungry? Xue Family? She’s calling for food." Princess Consort Luling said anxiously.

With guests present and the child crying non-stop, Princess Consort Luling felt it was very inappropriate.

Xue Family irritably said, "She just had goat’s milk and a bit of pancake. She ate more than she did yesterday morning, she should be full."

"But she’s still crying." Princess Consort Luling held back her anger, "Give the child to me."

Xue Family, grateful, passed the child over.

At this moment, Miss Chai smiled slightly, "May I hold the child for a bit?"

Instantly, Guoguo stopped crying and reached out to Miss Chai.

Being so accepted by the child made Miss Chai very happy.

She held the child carefully.

"Mom, hug." Guoguo kissed her.

One kiss on the left cheek, then on the right.

Miss Chai’s expression froze for a moment, embarrassed.

"Mom, mom, mom," Guoguo wrapped her little arms around Miss Chai’s neck, calling "Mom" incessantly.

Miss Chai awkwardly laughed, "Why... why is she calling me mom?"

Xue Family was already boiling with anger. Ever since the baby could talk, she hadn’t affectionately called her like this!

"Oh, Miss Chai, you might not know, my daughter here just started speaking. She calls what she likes ’mom,’ as she can’t say much else. Before you came, she even called our house’s nanny sheep her mom."

Guoguo turned her head to look at her, then turned back to Li Yuzhu, "Aunt, Little Aunt."

Xue Family, "..."

Li Yuzhu couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

Miss Chai blinked in disbelief, "She...she can call others?"

Xue Family was fuming with anger.

To save face, she forced a smile and said, "Kids, you know, sometimes they’re quite confused and can’t tell who’s who."

"Is that so?" Miss Chai smiled shyly.

Li Yuzhu tugged Li Guoguo’s little hand and corrected her, "Guoguo, this is Auntie. Come, say it with Little Aunt, Auntie."

Li Guoguo looked at her, pouting.

Li Yuzhu sternly said, "Guoguo, say Auntie."

Guoguo furrowed her brows, blowing bubbles with her little mouth, but refused to say it.

Li Yuzhu, "..." Well, now with a new aunt, even the old little aunt is not acknowledged?

Xue Family discovered that Guoguo also disregarded her beloved Li Yuzhu, which immediately made her feel balanced.

Li Guoguo, in Miss Chai’s arms, refused to let go, no matter who reached out for her.

Her biological mother wanted to hold her, but she ignored her.

Miss Chai noticed that the child’s real mother’s face was getting darker and darker.

Embarrassed, she didn’t know what to do.

Li Yuzhu quietly observed Li Guoguo, realizing the child was indeed quite odd; how could she be so naturally familiar with Miss Chai?

Coming in and calling an unmarried young lady "mom," it was indeed very improper.

Li Yuzhu also saw Miss Chai’s awkward expression. To break the deadlock, she coaxed Guoguo, "Guoguo, Little Aunt will hold you, Little Aunt will take you to see the ’baa baa’ sheep."

Only then did Li Guoguo release her arms tightly wrapped around Miss Chai and threw herself into Li Yuzhu’s arms.

Miss Chai finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Xue Family’s face turned blue with anger.

Does the child not want her either?

She reached for Guoguo, "Guoguo, Mommy will hold you."

Guoguo ignored her.

Princess Consort Luling laughed, "Miss Chai, it seems you have a bond with my little granddaughter. If you don’t mind, could we become kin?"

"Sure," Miss Chai happily agreed.

She lost her parents when she was very young, had no maternal family, and her brother, much older than her, was always busy with his own affairs and rarely paid attention to her, so she grew up like a wild grass.

She always longed for someone to care for her.

Princess Consort Luling’s suggestion made her very happy, and without a second thought, she agreed.

Princess Consort Luling was also delighted. She took Guoguo from Li Yuzhu’s hands and placed Guoguo’s hand in Miss Chai’s hand, "Guoguo, let’s become kin, this is Auntie, Aunt Chai."

Guoguo looked at Miss Chai for a long moment before finally calling out, "Aunt."

After calling out, she grinned, revealing a few little white teeth.

"Hey," Miss Chai responded with a smile.