The Marquise: I Earn My Own Worship

When the companions were officially confirmed, many families were surprised. They had expected one to be from the Duan family, but unexpectedly, it was a child from the Ding family or the Rui Palace.

Bai was surprised and happy when she received the imperial edict. She didn't expect that Jian Ge'er would be chosen to be the sixth prince's study companion.

But after a little thought, I know it must be related to Kang Ge'er. If it weren't for him, Jian Ge'er would not have had this good fortune.

The prince's tutor is a burden to the Rui Wang Mansion, but it is an unattainable opportunity for ordinary officials and families.

The next day after receiving the imperial edict, Bai went to Duan Bo's mansion.

"My dear niece, what should I do? This tutor spot should have belonged to Kang Ge'er, but Jian Ge'er got it instead."

(Xiangyin, in colloquial terms, means picking up a bargain.)

Bai's face was full of shame. She held Lu's hand and turned her head away, not looking at her.

Lu was a little angry when she knew that Kang Ge'er was not a study companion. From the very beginning, she had thought that Kang Ge'er would become the prince's study companion in the future. She did not expect that the plan would change in the end. Later, she understood the inside story after Duan Jingzong explained it to her.

In addition, Kang Ge'er had already told his family about it before the imperial edict was issued, so she was just a little regretful.

"Look at what you're saying. Brother Jian is Shu'er's brother, which means he's my brother. Isn't that being too distant?"

Mrs. Lu took Mrs. Bai's hand and patted it soothingly.

"Brother Jian is studious, unlike this naughty boy in my family. It was Kang who suggested the role of study partner. Brother Jian is close to Kang, and since they are cousins, it's natural that he would think of Kang when it comes to good things."

Mrs. Lu directly said that Brother Jian was recommended by Brother Kang just to do Mrs. Bai a favor.

"And I won't hide it from you. Our Kang'er is going to pursue a martial arts career, so being a study companion is no longer appropriate for him. We are relatives by marriage, so I can only be happy if your family is doing well. There's no need for us two families to be so awkward, don't you think?"

When Mrs. Bai heard this, she felt relieved. She would have been worried if Mrs. Lu had just been praising them.

What Lu said in private was about the interests between the two houses, which made her even happier.

No one would be nice to you for no reason. Saying this clearly is much more effective than testing the waters.

"Sister Lu, although they are uncle and niece in terms of generation, they are as close as brothers. They have a deep bond and will support each other more when they grow up. We both only have this one brother, so we will only become closer in the future."

As they spoke, they smiled at each other. Some words are not good if they are said too bluntly.

Ding Meishu stayed by the side without interrupting.

"You are about the same age as me, only a few years younger than me. If we weren't counting our lifetimes, I would really like to call you my sister."

Bai and Lu were talking affectionately, as they were supposed to be of the same generation.

"So what? It's only right for you and I to call each other sisters. Jing'an may be my brother-in-law, but I've been raising him since he was a child, so he's almost my own son. Even my mother-in-law sometimes teases me that I'm his mother, and even teases him to call me sister-in-law. Sister Bai and I hit it off right away, so it's no problem for us to call each other sisters privately."

After Lu and Bai discussed it, they began to treat each other like sisters.

Ding Meishu was confused. How come her mother suddenly became her sister-in-law's elder sister? Should she call her mother or elder sister now?

With this doubt in mind, I waited for Duan Jing'an to come back in the evening and asked him.

Duan Jing'an looked at Ding Meishu's puzzled expression and a smile appeared on the corner of his mouth.

"why are you laughing?"

Ding Meishu knew at a glance that his smile was malicious.

"Nothing to smile about."

"Nonsense, I saw it all, you just laughed."

Ding Meishu leaned over, turned his face and looked at it carefully.

"Look, you lied to me."

Duan Jing'an restrained his expression and took the person into his arms.

"Then what you said would completely mess up the order of generations. Why are you overthinking so much? Just call her what she should be called as usual. Otherwise, when you go back tomorrow, ask your mother."

Ding Meishu only heard that she would go back tomorrow, and she sat up excitedly, bumping into Duan Jing'an's chin, and her head shrank in pain.

Duan Jing'an didn't care about the pain in his jaw and quickly rubbed it for her.

Ding Meishu covered her forehead and asked, "I'm going back tomorrow, really?!"

Duan Jing'an looked at her with some amusement.

"Really? Why are you so excited? Let me see."

Duan Jing'an pressed her head and looked carefully at her forehead, which was a little red.

"It's okay, it's okay. Can I really go back tomorrow?"

Ding Meishu's eyes sparkled as she looked at Duan Jing'an like an eager puppy.

Duan Jing'an lowered his eyes slightly and touched his chin.

Ding Meishu then remembered that she had just bumped into his chin, and forgot what she was going to ask. She held up his face and looked at it carefully.

"Does it hurt?"

Duan Jing'an nodded aggrievedly, and Ding Meishu leaned over and blew on it.

"Blow it and it won't hurt."

Duan Jing'an stared at the pouting little mouth, his Adam's apple rolled up and down twice, as if he remembered something, his ears felt a little hot, and his eyes looked away.

"It doesn't hurt anymore. I talked to my mother and sister-in-law today, but they didn't say anything. My mother said that if you want to go home in the future, just let them know."

"real!?"

Ding Meishu was surprised and dazed. She thought about it and found that there was no in-laws in the whole capital who would let their daughter-in-law go wherever she wanted.

In addition to the aunts in Prince Rui's Mansion, it is also because of Prince Rui that they can return to their parents' home from time to time.

"Did mother really say that?"

Duan Jing'an nodded, supported her with one hand, and rubbed her forehead with the other.

"Then I will go to my mother's yard tomorrow and thank her before going home."

Ding Meishu was in a very happy mood. Since she married into the Bo family, she had no unpleasant things except missing home.

The life she lived made other families' wives envious and their eyes bled.

Envy will lead to jealousy, and whatever happens in someone's family in the capital will be spread everywhere.

Ding Meishu went back to her parents' home from time to time, sometimes staying for two or three days, which naturally caused a lot of gossip.

"I'm not being talkative, Madam, but you should also take charge of your younger brother's wife. She keeps running back to her parents' house all day. What's the point of that? If it were our family, she would have been grounded and made to follow the rules long ago."

The person who was speaking was the wife of an imperial censor. Lu recognized her. She also married a daughter-in-law this year. It was said that she often bullied the young daughter-in-law, causing her to go back to her parents' home to complain, and then she was tied up and made to stand in line all day long.

"Yes, Madam Bo, you are the head of the family. How dare your sister-in-law resist? In my opinion, you should let Madam Hou come forward and teach her what the rules are."

Someone on the side joined in the commotion, plotting and planning how to teach Lu how to deal with this kind of sister-in-law.

Mrs. Lu sat upright at the side, looking at the people in front of her, all of whom were daughters-in-law and mothers-in-law from various families.

After they had said enough, Lu put on a professional smile and spoke.