Chapter 672: Chapter 673: Extra – Family_1 Chapter 672: Chapter 673: Extra – Family_1 Muniang laughed, “Indeed, we have found quite a bit of peace.”

“That Zhao Dangui got what she deserved, who asked her to provoke the Lady!” Qingya said indignantly.

Muniang snorted lightly, “That’s not important; after all, she didn’t gain any advantage. What matters is, I’ve managed to keep a peaceful life for Mother. If Zhao Dangui really were to be sent back after being divorced, that would be the real trouble. Mother is gentle and weak, how could she have a good life if such a strong-willed and astute woman returned?”

“The only ones who can hold Zhao Dangui in check are the Wang family. Initially, I felt uneasy about the Wang family taking fifty taels of silver monthly from the Zhao Family for free, but now I think it is indeed a good deal, considering it as a guardianship fee for the Wang family,” Muniang said.

Qingya burst into laughter, “Guardianship fee? Leave it to Lady to come up with such an idea.”

Muniang smiled and curled her lips, but she said nothing more.

——

Capital.

“Lady, all the items have been packed. Please check if there is anything missing. Also, the gifts for my lord and lady back home and Lady Yu have all been prepared according to your instructions. Please have a look, what do you think?” Chun Xin handed over a list.

Tianniu glanced over it casually and responded vaguely, “Mhm, that should be about right.”

Chun Xin blinked, “What do you mean that should be about right? Weren’t you longing to go home early in the morning? You miss your family in your hometown so much, how come you seem to have lost interest now?”

“It doesn’t matter; father and mother, Mu, they don’t care about gifts. They’ll be very happy just to have me return. These things are not so important,” Tianniu obviously had her mind elsewhere.

Chun Xin tentatively asked, “Lady, are you still upset over the matter of Junior Minister of Dali Temple’s daughter, Mu Xinlin?”

Tianniu’s expression was unmistakably forlorn, “Chun Xin, I am tired. You may go out.”

Chun Xin pursed her lips and refrained from saying more, but seeing Tianniu’s slightly pale face, she still felt uneasy, “Lady, you’ve just caught a cold, better not think too much, it’s not good for your health.”

“Mhm.”

Chun Xin sighed and withdrew.

With a distant look, Tianniu idly played with the teacup in her hand. Her once immature appearance had faded, now she seemed much more mature and composed. Dressed as a dignified and elegant lady, there was no trace of the wild and crazy tomboy from before. Every move she made exuded grace and nobility.

She married Zhao Jiangshui at the age of fifteen, and was now just eighteen years old in her prime. She had once thought she would be a wild child for life, but now she understood the words Muniang had spoken to her—that when she met a man she liked, she would accept all changes for his sake.

Zhao Jiangshui now holds significant influence at court, but if he wanted to climb even higher, he undoubtedly needed to build and manage relationships. Among them, the Junior Minister of Dali Temple, Mr. Mu, was one of the most important figures. However, the condition Mr. Mu proposed was quite demanding: he wanted to send his legitimate daughter, Mu Xinlin, into the Zhao Family.

Mu Xinlin had long admired Zhao Jiangshui, and she was willing to become his concubine, even though her father had no choice but to propose this request. It really wasn’t appropriate for Zhao Jiangshui not to give this much face.

In the past three years, Zhao Jiangshui had rejected countless marriage proposals, and Tianniu couldn’t even keep track. Although Zhao Jiangshui was resolute and repeatedly assured her that there would be no other women, Tian Niu’s heart had never felt at ease.

When she married him three years ago, her heart fluttered with the purest feelings of a young girl experiencing her most beautiful love; she had never thought too much, believing that marrying him was the key to happiness.

But such days had never made her feel secure. Zhao Jiangshui needed to climb the social ladder; he wasn’t of high rank or power, and he couldn’t afford to be willful. He had to consider relationships and be wary of offending all parties, just like with Mu Xinlin. Zhao Jiangshui couldn’t outright refuse her.

To do so would be akin to slapping Junior Minister Mu in the face. How could he reject an offer when a legitimate daughter was willing to marry him as a concubine?

Zhao Jiangshui had finally managed to get a long vacation, and he was supposed to happily accompany Tianniu back to Qinghua City to visit her parents. But now, Tianniu had lost all interest in the trip.

“Jiangshui, the name you chose for our family’s pavilion is really beautiful. My father said no one in the Capital has better handwriting than you, and it’s truly so,” a girl’s crisp voice came, stirring a sense of nausea in Tianniu.

Zhao Jiangshui humbly clasped his hands and said, “I dare not accept such praise. It was only due to Mr. Mu’s overestimation of my abilities that I had the opportunity to inscribe the Mu family’s new pavilion. Miss Mu, you needn’t be so formal.”

Mu Xinlin said irritably, “Why are you always so indifferent? I’ve come to see you, and we’re supposed to be friends. Why be so estranged? Hasn’t my father said you should treat our home as your own? Can I treat your home as mine?”

Zhao Jiangshui quickly replied, “Miss Mu, you mustn’t say such things carelessly. Otherwise, it might inadvertently damage your reputation.”

Hearing the voice, Tianniu knew Mu Xinlin had arrived. These days she was becoming too familiar, coming to their house every other day, not treating herself as an outsider at all. Even though Tianniu was furious, she couldn’t lash out indiscriminately. But she knew even better that if she didn’t go out now, Zhao Jiangshui would be unable to withstand Miss Mu’s advances!

“Lady, would you like to take a walk? The weather is pleasant today, and a stroll by the lake would be nice,” Chun Xin had been waiting for Tian Niu to come out and intentionally spoke loudly to remind Miss Mu that he was a married man!

But Mu Xinlin didn’t care about Tianniu’s status as the principal wife. She linked arms with Tianniu as if they were close sisters, saying, “Sister, why are you here? Are you also here to enjoy the beautiful scenery by the lake?”

Tianniu forced a smile, “Yes, the weather is nice. I came out for some fresh air.” She turned to glance at Zhao Jiangshui, catching his helpless gaze.

“However, Miss Mu and I aren’t very close, so it doesn’t seem quite right for you to call me ‘sister’…”

“What’s wrong with that? I’m a few years younger than you, so it’s appropriate to call you ‘sister.’ Jiangshui doesn’t mind. Sister, you can’t despise me like that, can you?”

Tianniu met Mu Xinlin’s eyes, which wore an innocent tone but the words that came out were calculated. Tianniu really couldn’t refuse to acknowledge this ‘sister.’

“Jiangshui, don’t you have official duties to attend to? I’ll entertain Miss Mu for you. You can go ahead with your work,” Tianniu simply said.

Zhao Jiangshui then said, “Alright, I will go ahead and…”

Zhao Jiangshui hadn’t finished speaking when Mu Xinlin, seemingly by accident, was about to tumble into the lake. Zhao Jiangshui was startled and instinctively reached out to pull her back, but Tianniu, upon seeing Mu Xinlin’s sly smile, suddenly understood her intentions.