Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 280 - 32: Sleepless All Night (Part 2)

When Ruan Jiu and Ling returned hand in hand, Sixth Son, Seventh Son, and Eighth Son were already back.

There was still half a bowl of braised pork, a bowl of lamb soup, and three white mantou on the table, saved from their mouths just in case their younger brother and nephew hadn’t eaten.

Ninth Son, seeing this, quickly said, "Brothers, go ahead and eat. We’ve already eaten, and Mrs. Lin left us plenty."

Then he cheerfully added, "Ling, quickly bring up the food box and show it to your uncles. It’s from Sister Su."

As soon as "Sister Su" was mentioned, the small room fell silent.

Sixth Son tried to open the food box but failed several times.

Seventh Son pushed him aside and opened the red wooden food box carved with auspicious bats, "Pine-nut and iced sugar lily cake, rose sesame pastry dumplings, ham and bamboo shoot fusion box, winter vegetable and chicken fluffy green sticky cake, ah, these are all dishes that Sixth Brother loves!"

There was also fruit-filled pastry and butter-soaked snails, seemingly Ling’s favorites.

"That’s so biased, why didn’t she remember our favorites?" Seventh Son muttered.

Eighth Son thought for a moment, then said, "I love bird’s nest ginseng powder eight-treasure Western cheese cake, almond bean powder Qi Qiao pastry."

Ninth Son tilted his head, pondered for a long time, and then said, "I forgot what I love to eat! But as long as I’m full, it’s fine."

Upon hearing this, the older ones shuddered. Sixth Son lifted his hand, wanting to pat his little brother’s head, but it fell weakly and he collapsed onto the kang, "It’s Sixth Brother’s fault!"

"Sixth Brother!" "Sixth Uncle!" The others exclaimed in surprise, rushing to support him.

Sixth Son waved his hand, "I’m fine, just tired today. Let’s rest, and talk about everything tomorrow."

They tidied up the food and desserts to avoid attracting mice, then fetched water for a casual wash.

Eighth Son extinguished the kerosene lamp and was the last to get onto the kang, where five of them lay down in a row without saying a word.

After a long silence, Sixth Son’s sleepwalking voice sounded, "It’s not a dream, right? I saw her."

Seventh Son nodded hard, then realized how silly the motion was in the dark, so he said, "You look thirty percent like her, especially those eyes..."

Ling recalled those phoenix eyes, exactly like his own, and felt a heaviness in his heart, "From now on, I’ll cover one eye, just like before."

Their eyes were too unique, making them stand out immediately.

Two people with exactly the same eyes, no matter how you looked at it, didn’t seem unrelated.

The others thought of this too, and the room fell silent again, Sixth Son remembering the trouble Ling’s eyes had caused, said, "Let’s listen to Ling."

Eighth Son ran through everything in his mind, then spoke, "I also heard about Madam Su’s background before, why is her last name Su?"

Ling slapped Eighth Uncle’s hand hard, "Of course, her last name must be Su. She can only be Su. Remember that, Eighth Uncle."

If her last name weren’t Su, but Ruan, how would the crazy Thirteenth Aunt—that witch who wished the whole family dead—ever spare her!

Ninth Son, though young, was the most perceptive, "What does the last name matter? As long as she is who she is!"

Sixth Son closed his eyes, tears sliding from the corners, indeed, as long as she is who she is!

In the small courtyard of the Hong Family, seven people were drinking a jar of Cold Fragrant Soul and a jar of Jinhua wine—not much, but not little either.

The three commanders muttered some sour words under the influence of alcohol. Hong Sheng, having shown off enough today, let them say what they wished.

But Commander Liu was impatient with their talk, "You bunch of brutes are wasting good wine!"

The others looked at Commander Liu, who with his big and burly frame was the most brute-like among them, and wondered if it was really okay to say that.

Not to mention that everyone in the Hami Camp would have a sleepless night, even Yue Baiyou in Hami County hadn’t slept for two nights; today would be her third!

Just two days ago, when she returned in the afternoon, her embroidery building had been leveled, even the soil was turned over.

The servants exaggeratedly said, "Oh, you might not believe it, but a lightning bolt struck in broad daylight and directly demolished the embroidery building." Yue Baiyou’s face was expressionless.

Looking at the now nonexistent embroidery building, completely "struck by lightning," she wondered if she should believe it or not...

But secretly, Yue Baiyou felt a bit of delight; that woman finally couldn’t hold back from making a move.

Her expression suddenly turned as if she had lost a loved one, "I don’t believe it, I don’t believe it. It must be that sister-in-law didn’t want me living here. I’ll go find Brother Hong to take charge—why must everything be taken away from me?"

Just as Yue Baiyou was leaving the inner courtyard, she ran into Leng Xiao, who had been waiting for her.

Actually, Yue Baiyou wasn’t very familiar with Hong Sheng; they only met a few times when he came back from the camp, not as often as with his four trusted aides.

The other three aides would at least smile at her, but Leng Xiao never showed any expression towards her.

Yet Yue Baiyou paid a lot of attention to Leng Xiao, because such a man was her type, while Hong Sheng was merely a task.

Leng Xiao, coldly watching Yue Baiyou’s act, spoke emotionlessly, "Boss Hong says since the embroidery building was struck by lightning, Miss Yue should move according to sister-in-law’s arrangements. However, having your residence struck by lightning is harmful to your reputation, so Boss Hong has ordered that no one in the house should mention it again, and Miss Yue should also be cautious."

What does that mean? Just let it go? Harmful to my reputation? Because I lived in it, it got "struck by lightning"?

Thinking this, Yue Baiyou’s face went stiff, as it was indeed because of her living there! But was there any need for such crude directness?

Hong Sheng didn’t even divorce that shrew, instead covering for her, and even telling me to be cautious?

He turns out to be nothing but a fake moralist, valuing beauty above all.

Leng Xiao, as Hong Sheng’s trusted aide, was surely speaking on Hong Sheng’s behalf. Yue Baiyou knew that causing a scene wouldn’t do any good.

She boldly put on a tearful face, bearing the humiliation, and said, "I understand."

The place Susu arranged for Yue Baiyou wasn’t a guest room; it was a small courtyard by the street, just a few steps from leaving the residence.

Fen Dai, who came to deliver the message, had a hint of sarcasm on her face, "In the Capital, even we maids wouldn’t go out casually, let alone a noble lady. But perhaps customs in Hami are different. Our madam said that for young ladies staying here, it’s easier for you to step out when guests come."

Upon hearing this, Yue Baiyou felt guilty and even more humiliated and angry, and naturally spent the night in grievance, sleepless.

The next day arrived. She anticipated Susu’s provocation. She didn’t believe the Su family would move her to such a remote place and do nothing.

Whether it was scraps or cold tea, she’d accept it all. Then she’d see if Hong Sheng could still pretend to be righteous!

But nothing Yue Baiyou expected happened. She was served good food and hot water on call. She even used a silver needle to check for poison in her food, but Susu was no fool, and this infuriated Yue Baiyou, leaving her sleepless again.

On the third day, Yue Baiyou went out, realizing the information was wrong. The Su family wasn’t as noble and carefree as they seemed; instead, they were as direct and rude as shrews.

When she returned, she found out Susu had moved to Hami Camp.

Damn, why can’t you play by the rules? I went out waiting to "battle" with you, but you just dropped everything and left. Can you not mess up the game?

Yue Baiyou was furious, realizing she couldn’t remain passive and had to take the initiative!