A life of ups and downs is pure joy

"Grandma, I see that the young lady is in really poor health. In the whole yard, except for Luo Mama, whom my mother sent, the rest are girls in their teens. How can they take good care of her?" Hu Tao Niang said as she knelt beside the couch and massaged the old ancestor's shoulders.

"You are a sensible child. You are still worried about the young lady." Grandmother patted her hands and said.

"After all, the young lady is young, and she treats Tao'er and Li Niang very well. As a concubine, I must worry more about the mistress." Hu Tao Niang said.

"Then who do you think is more suitable to go?" asked the grandmother after thinking for a while.

"Sister Bai Lan is very good. She is the most decent and sensible one among us. Grandmother can rest assured with her serving the young lady." said Hu Tao Niang.

"Bai Lan is good, so let her serve." Grandmother said with a smile.

The grandmother of the Xiao family had four maids, Baizhi, Bailan, Baitao and Baisu. Among them, Baitao was Hutao Niang. Now she was Xiao Yi's aunt, so she used her mother's family name. Baisu was now Xiao Fan's concubine, and her mother's family name was Chen Suxiu.

Nanny Dong brought Bai Lan to Luoyi Pavilion, and Lin Qinghuan looked at her in confusion.

"Young Madam, the old ancestor is concerned about your poor health and the young maids around you, so she gave her eldest maid to you," said Nanny Dong. "You must take good care of the young madam in Luoyi Pavilion in the future and don't slack off."

"What's your name?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"My name is Bai Lan." said the head maid.

Chuxia and Lixue looked at Lin Qinghuan in astonishment.

"Madame Dong, this maid's name conflicts with her deceased mother's, so if she wants to stay, she needs to change her name." Lin Qinghuan said softly, and Madame Dong realized that something was wrong.

"Please don't blame me, Madam. It's our fault for not thinking it through. Please give this maid a new name." Nanny Dong stepped forward and said.

"From now on, you will be called Shuyin." Lin Qinghuan said after looking up and down at her appearance and temperament.

"Shuyin, this name is really nice. Shuyin thanks the young lady for giving her the name." The head maid knelt down and kowtowed, and Nanny Dong looked at Lin Qinghuan approvingly.

In Anyou Hall, Nanny Dong mentioned the matter of bestowing names, and Grandmother Xiao glanced at Hu Tao Niang next to her.

"Grandma, Tao'er was careless and forgot the name of the young lady's biological mother. Tao'er should be punished. I only knew that Marquis Lin's wife was called He Su." Hu Tao Niang knelt down quickly and said, but she didn't feel that she had done anything wrong. She had done it on purpose.

"Forget it, ignorance is not a crime. Huan'er's biological mother died early, so it's normal that you don't know. He is a child who knows how to give a name." Grandma Xiao said, and Nanny Dong nodded.

"The young lady said that this maidservant is from our ancestor, so she must not be given a random name," said Nanny Dong.

"You said she is very well-behaved at such a young age. She is worthy of being a child from a marquis's mansion. She is quite suitable for Yi'er." Grandmother Xiao said.

"That's right, the young lady and the eldest master are indeed a perfect match." Hu Taoniang also stood up and said.

"Look at her little mouth, she can actually talk." Grandma Xiao pointed at Hu Tao Niang and Nanny Dong and said.

Nanny Dong nodded and smiled faintly.

In Luoyi Pavilion, Luhua and Lixue looked at Yunxiang and Chuxia with unhappy faces.

"What does the old lady mean? Is she dissatisfied with us for not serving the young lady well enough? What about Mother Luo? Isn't this a slap in the face of the old lady?" Luhua said very unhappily. She had just brought pastries to serve Lin Qinghuan but was taken away by Shuyin, so she went back to the room and sulked.

"Okay, stop being angry here. I think the girl is in a more difficult situation than us. She doesn't like people she doesn't know. Now this person is from the old lady's courtyard. If she is obedient and serves well, it's understandable. But if he is a pretentious person, the girl will be in a difficult situation because she can't say anything and can't scold him." Chu Xia only thought about Lin Qinghuan, so she said.

"What Chuxia said is true. The young lady has a good temper and is easy-going. If you really meet someone like that, you will just be angry." Yun Xiang said.

Li Xue was also standing by, looking at the three sisters with a worried look on her face.

Lin Qinghuan sat on the chess couch and started playing chess again, but saw Shuyin still busying around in the room.

"Shuyin, go down and have a rest. I see you've been busy all day." Lin Qinghuan didn't know where she had so much work to do. She didn't usually see the four maids hanging around in front of her every day.

"Young Madam, I'll wait here. If you need anything, just call me and I'll be there to serve you right away." Shuyin said.

"You don't need to be so restrained in my yard." Lin Qinghuan thought she had been staying in the old lady's room for too long, so she said again.

"Young Madam, I'm still worried..." Shuyin said.

"Shuyin, go down and ask Chuxia to come over." Lin Qinghuan said and stopped looking at her.

"Yes." Shuyin glanced at her and left the room. After a while, Chuxia walked in.

"Miss, have some tea." Chu Xia came forward and said, holding a cup of tea.

"Why didn't I see the four of you come in today?" Lin Qinghuan put down Heizi, took the tea handed to him by Chuxia and asked.

"Sister Shuyin is too hardworking. She did all our work." Chuxia said with a smile.

"You can't bully her because she's a newcomer and ask her to do more work." Lin Qinghuan tapped Chu Xia's forehead and said.

"No way, we wouldn't dare. She is the old ancestor's maid. She didn't allow us to serve her. Maybe she thinks we are clumsy." Chu Xia said unhappily.

"I still like you when you're clumsy." Lin Qinghuan said with a smile.

"Good girl, I'll add some more water for you. It contains the calming tea ingredients that the second girl asked someone to send over." Chu Xia said.

"According to the date, my sister Mo is about to give birth. How are the little clothes and tiger shoes I asked you to embroider for my little nephew?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"They are all embroidered. Sister Yunxiang even embroidered an extra set, saying that it is to be prepared for the young lady's future master..." Chu Xia said, then realized that she shouldn't have, and then looked at Lin Qinghuan.

"Then Yun Xiang will probably be disappointed." Lin Qinghuan smiled helplessly.

"Miss, Chu Xia knows that I shouldn't advise you, but you've already married the eldest son, so it's time for you to..."

"The eldest master is here." Yun Xiang shouted happily in the yard.

Chu Xia and Lin Qinghuan looked at each other, and then Chu Xia went forward to open the door.

Xiao Yi wore a dark red suit today and a white jade belt around his waist.

"I heard that your grandmother gave Bai Lan to you?" Xiao Yi asked as he sat opposite Lin Qinghuan.

"Her name is Shuyin now." Lin Qinghuan had just finished speaking when Shuyin walked in with tea. She blushed and glanced at Xiao Yi, put down the tea, saluted Xiao Yi, and left.

Lin Qinghuan saw everything and guessed that this girl also admired her eldest son.

"Shuyin is a nice name. Did you choose it?" Xiao Yi rearranged the chess pieces in the messy game played by Lin Qinghuan.

"Yes, after all, he is from my grandmother's house, so he can't use any name casually." Lin Qinghuan said, "What do you want to see me about?"

"The person who poisoned me has been found." Xiao Yi looked at Lin Qinghuan for a long time and said, he could feel that he was always rejected by this woman every time he came. "It was the maid in the Imperial Concubine's palace."

"Imperial Concubine, you said it was Fourth Brother's mother?" Lin Qinghuan asked in surprise, then shook her head, "It can't be the Imperial Concubine's people, she must have been framed. Fourth Brother has a very good relationship with my eldest brother, and he regards my father as his uncle. Besides, Fourth Brother was also at the hunting ground that day and was injured. The Imperial Concubine will not harm him." Lin Qinghuan's voice was a little excited.

"Why are you so excited when you mention the Fourth Prince? Is it Yu'er or Ning Junze who is in your heart?" Xiao Yi asked with a cold face.

"You're overthinking it. Fourth brother is my brother, and he's gone too. I don't have anyone else in my heart. I just believe in the Royal Concubine. She's a good person." Lin Qinghuan was somewhat aware that she was panicking. Xiao Yi's question to her made her panic.

"It's been two years, and you're still so cold. Are you planning to be an estranged couple with me for the rest of your life?" Xiao Yi asked.

"Brother Xiao, you have a woman you like, so why bother talking to me like this? At most, I won't make things difficult for Madam Hu in the future. Don't worry, the Xiao family will only need to recognize Madam Hu and won't need to look at me as the young lady." Lin Qinghuan said, "If you want children, don't ask them to drink the medicine. If you mind the difference between legitimate and illegitimate children, you can choose a suitable one to be your co-wife. I won't ask father and mother to make things difficult for the Xiao family. From now on, I will live in Taohuawu." After Lin Qinghuan finished speaking, he felt like a big stone in his heart fell to the ground.

"You are so unwilling to be my wife that you even mentioned calling me your equal wife. Are you young and ignorant, or am I, Xiao Yi, so disliked by your Princess Changping?" Xiao Yi looked at Lin Qinghuan and asked.

"Isn't it because I interfered with your love with Hu Taoniang that you asked me to go to Taohuawu after she returned home? I have already saved face for you in front of my grandmother. Why do you still feel so wronged? If that's the case, just face it calmly. I don't have to be an eyesore in the Xiao Mansion. There's no need to act with you here. It's ridiculous to mix truth and falsehood." Lin Qinghuan also looked up at him and said.

"Who told you that she is back and I asked you to leave the house?" Xiao Yi was a little shocked by Lin Qinghuan's words.

"Everyone in the Xiao Mansion knows it, and everyone whispers it." After Lin Qinghuan finished speaking, she stood up and went back to sit at the dressing table behind the screen. She really didn't want to say another word to this hypocritical man.

Xiao Yi sat alone on the chess couch for a long time, then got up and left the room.

"Da Yuan, what do people say about me and the young lady, or about bringing Madam Hu along?" Xiao Yi asked on the way back.

"Young Master...this..." Da Yuan looked at Xiao Yi with some embarrassment.

"Just say it, I want to hear the truth." Xiao Yi stopped and looked at his follower.

"Everyone says that the eldest master is nostalgic for old friends. Although the young lady is the most beautiful woman in Dasheng, it seems that she is destined to live alone in the empty room. There is no place for her in the mansion, so the young lady was sent to the south of the city. But eldest master, these are all gossips and bad words. I heard a few old women saying such things and asked them to slap them in the face." Da Yuan said, and then kept looking at Xiao Yi secretly.

After hearing this, Xiao Yi was silent for a long time, and then returned to Qingbo Courtyard.

Ever since Lin Qinghuan had spoken frankly to Xiao Yi, she felt much more at ease. She no longer had to worry about the two women drinking the soup. She would go back to the mansion to see Lin Mutang tomorrow. Right now, she saw Yun Xiang and Chu Xia drying the dried bamboo shoots that Lin Mutang loved to eat with Luo Yun.

Michelle Reis and Ruyi came to Luoyi Pavilion with freshly made cakes.

"Sister Li, you're here. Come in and sit down." Lin Qinghuan stood up and greeted Li Jiaxin when he saw her.

"I heard that the young lady will go back to her mother's home to visit Marquis Lin tomorrow, so I specially made some light pastries for the Marquis and the lady to try." said Michelle Reis.

Lin Qinghuan looked at the big food box in Ruyi's hand and was pleasantly surprised.

"Normally I'm greedy and pester my sister to make something for me, but now I have to bring my mother's family to trouble Sister Li. Do you know that my brothers and sisters are greedy cats, especially my sister Luo Feng. If she takes a bite of my food, she will have to live in Sister's Huaying Pavilion." Lin Qinghuan was in a good mood and was willing to joke with Li Jiaxin.

"If the young lady's sister likes it, I will make some for her every day. I will be happy." Li Jiaxin was very gentle. Lin Qinghuan felt that Xiao Yi was blind. He liked a maid but not such a gentle woman.

"Then my Ru'er will be in for a treat." Lin Qinghuan said.

The two of them sat there watching the maids busying themselves.

"Young Madam, do you know what happened at Qingbo Court yesterday?" Li Jiaxin asked.

"What's going on in Qingbo Courtyard?" Lin Qinghuan asked in confusion.

"Young Madam's Luoyi Pavilion is like a pure land. Not even a little strange thing can be spread here." Li Jiaxin said with a smile.

Shuyin came over with tea.

"This girl seems to be from my grandmother's yard?" Li Jiaxin looked at her and said.

"Madam Li, it was the old ancestor who showed such kindness that asked Shuyin to come and serve the young lady." The head maid bowed and said.

"I said she looked familiar. My grandmother actually favors the young lady and even gave the four maids to Luoyi Pavilion." Li Jiaxin said.

After Shuyin left, Li Jiaxin continued, "Yesterday, Madam Hu went to Qingbo Courtyard but was stopped. My husband said that from now on, except for the young lady, all concubines are not allowed to enter Qingbo Courtyard. She was angry at the door for a long time, but my husband never came out to see her. Since I entered the mansion at the age of sixteen, she has been able to enter and leave my husband's study freely. I never thought it would be like this now." Li Jiaxin looked at Lin Qinghuan as she spoke.

"Then Sister Li won't be able to go to Qingboyuan in the future?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"Well, but I couldn't go to his study anyway, so it doesn't matter." Li Jiaxin said. Lin Qinghuan felt a little sorry for her when he saw her like this.

"Then Sister Li, please come to Luoyi Pavilion more often when you have time. At least you can come and go freely in my room." Lin Qinghuan said.

"Yes." Michelle Reis smiled and nodded, "Young Madam, try these. I prepared them especially for you."

"It's delicious, Yunxiang. You should go to Huaying Pavilion to learn some cooking skills. Look at the snacks you made yesterday. They were so sweet that they almost killed me." Lin Qinghuan raised his voice and said to Yunxiang who was busy working.

"Young Madam, even if Madam Li teaches me personally, it will be difficult for me to learn the essence!" Yun Xiang said with a bitter face, and she really thought that Lin Qinghuan was going to ask her to go to Huaying Pavilion.

"Girl, you should ask Sister Shuyin to go. She is the smartest and knows everything." Chuxia said deliberately, and Yunxiang was secretly delighted.

Shuyin just stood there, looking at Lin Qinghuan at a loss.

"You're so talkative." Lin Qinghuan said.

Several maids started to get busy again, and Shuyin breathed a sigh of relief.