一夜情

“She already passed away,” Zhao Chuchu said without showing any emotions.

Old Mrs. Yuan nodded.

“This Xia clan sure is…”

“It’s because they can take advantage of me.”

“Chuchu, you sure lived a hard life.”

“Really? I think I’m pretty lucky.” Zhao Chuchu smiled.

At the very least, she didn’t have much to do with the Xia clan.

The original owner’s parents had died early on, and no one could prove that she carried the blood of the Xia clan. As long as she didn’t admit to it, the Xia clan couldn’t do anything about it.

She wasn’t the person who the Xia clan could easily threaten.

Old Mrs. Yuan was surprised by the response but quickly smiled as she understood what the lady meant.

“Grandma, Chuchu, what are you two talking bout?” Yuan Hui asked. “Why does it sound like you two are talking in another language?

“It’s nothing. It’s been a while since the both of you last met. Why don’t you head out and have fun? Don’t worry about this old lady,” Old Mrs. Yuan said.

“Then, we’ll be leaving.” That was what Yuan Hui was waiting for her grandmother to say.

“Go.” Old Mrs. Yuan waved her hand.

Yuan Hui then quickly grabbed Zhao Chuchu’s hand and dragged her out of the mansion.

Old Mrs. Yuan laughed and shook her head.

“It’s good to be young.” She sighed.

Yuan Hui took Zhao Chuchu to the building she was living in.

Most of the maids had already been changed.

Zhao Chuchu could tell that the Yuan clan felt different compared to the last time she was there.

“Chuchu, there are a lot of rumors in the city about you! They’re all saying that you’re Xia Chenglan’s daughter and that you’re unfilial for not treating Xia Songquan’s illness,” Yuan Hui said the moment they sat down. “It’s just so annoying to hear that! Does it even make sense for that disgusting and arrogant woman to give birth to such a smart and lovely daughter like you? But before I could even have someone look into it, Xia Chenglan’s children were exposed. That was when I learned that Xia Chenglan had eloped back in the day and has a couple of children now.”

After a short pause, Yuan Hui continued, “Also, Xia Chenglan’s husband is another arrogant prick too, and so is her mother-in-law. They are the main reason why the inheritance battle is such a mess for the Xia clan. Xia Songquan’s illness worsened because of that.”

“Wait. The family of Xia Chenglan’s husband is here too?” Zhao Chuchu was caught entirely off guard by that and found it interesting.

She didn’t even hesitate to think that Xie Heng was the one behind that.

“Yes! The whole family is here! They are now staying with the Xia clan and fighting Xia Chengzhu for the inheritance. The whole clan has been fighting even before Xia Songquan could be laid to rest. Everyone wants a part of the riches that the Xia clan possesses.”

“What about the Kang clan?”

“The Kang clan have always had their sights on the salt license. It won’t be long before the salt license of the Xia clan falls into the Kang clan’s hands.” “Who knew so many things had happened while I was gone!”

“Even the Ye clan is doing really bad now. The vice magistrate has been locked up.”

“Oh? What happened?’

“An imperial commissioner arrived from the Imperial City. I heard someone report to the emperor saying that the vice magistrate is corrupt and has been taking all that belonged to the citizens.”

“Was Heir Qiao behind it?”

“I’m not sure. He returned to the Imperial City to spend his New Year there.”

“So, what do you think of him?”

Yuan Hui’s face turned red immediately. “He’s really nice. I missed him a lot when he was gone.”

“Is he nice to you?

“For now, yes.”

“Huihui, Duke Ding is different from the Yuan clan. When you finally marry him and move there, remember to be extra careful. The people of the Imperial City will skin you alive if you’re not. The wife to an heir of a noble family is a position that a lot of ladies dream of taking.”

“I know. That’s why I’ve been learning a lot from grandma’s butler. I’m not a smart person, but I’m willing to learn. Even if I can’t be as good as grandma, at the very least I won’t get played by another person.”

“That’s good to hear.”

The Yuan clan then hosted a feast to welcome Zhao Chuchu. They even sent someone to get Xie Heng and Xie Jun over.

Since Yuan Hui’s two younger brothers were around Xie Jun’s age, the three children immediately became friends and played together.

“I’ve heard a lot of you, Mr. Xie. Now that I’ve seen you, you sure are as smart as the rumors say.” Old Mrs. Yuan grinned when she finally met Xle Heng.

“Those are just rumors.” Xie Heng returned a smile and bowed to greet the old lady. “I’m just a normal scholar.”

“I’ve heard from Chuchu that you’re here to study. Have you taken care of your admission to the academy?

“Everything has been settled. Thank you for worrying about me, Old Mrs.

Yuan.”

“I would love to help you a little, but it looks like you’ve taken care of everything.” Old Mrs. Yuan laughed. “Chuchu sure has an eye for spotting good men. If you ever need any help from us, just let us know. We still owe you and your family a lot.”

“I will. Thank you, Old Mrs. Yuan.”

“Since there are no men at home, I’ll have to trouble you to entertain this old lady.”

“There’s no such thing. You’re a woman who can replace thousands of men. The only reason the Yuan clan can be so successful now is all thanks to you. It would be my honor to have a meal with you, Old Mrs. Yuan.”

“Alright, alright. Let’s stop with the praises. Just treat the Yuan clan as your own home. Chuchu is like my own granddaughter to me now.”

“Really? Then, I’ll call you grandma from now on too!” Zhao Chuchu chuckled.

“You better not chase me away if I visit here often!”

“Hahaha! That would be the best. We’ll be the ones who benefit from that.

Happy wouldn’t be enough to describe it if you can visit me every day!”

“Deal!”

Zhao Chuchu liked Old Mrs. Yuan a lot.

Despite her old age, her mind was still clear, and she was extremely smart.

Being in a good relationship with Old Mrs. Yuan meant that the Yuan clan would also take care of Lengshui Village.

Old Mrs. Yuan was so happy to get a talented doctor as her granddaughter that she even ate more than usual.

To show how serious she was, Old Mrs. Yuan even asked whether Mrs. Yuan was willing to accept Zhao Chuchu as her goddaughter. Once Yuan Hui’s mother agreed, they quickly looked for a day to host a feast to announce that Zhao Chuchu had the full support of the Yuan clan.

When the news of that got out, the one that got affected the most was the Xia clan.

However, Xia Chengzhu knew how strong Zhao Chuchu was and didn’t dare to trouble her.

On the other hand, Xia Chenglan was different.

She thought that Zhao Chuchu wouldn’t be able to do anything to her in the city.

Also, since Zhao Chuchu’s mother was “Xia Chenglan”, she still believed that there was nothing wrong in thinking that Zhao Chuchu was her daughter.

To her, as long as she had Zhao Chuchu, her brothers wouldn’t be able to do anything.

“Zhao Chuchu is my daughter before I married you. Remember to say that,” Xia Chenglan told her husband, Zhang Qun. “If you ruin this, don’t even think of getting a cent from the Xia clan.”

Before Zhang Qun could even say anything, his mother, Madam Zhangli’s expression darkened. “Are you saying you have a child before marrying my son?”

“Mom, you’re mistaken! Chenglan only has me as her husband. Zhao Chuchu kept saying that her mother’s name is Xia Chenglan. She’s a talented doctor. If she can become Chenglan’s daughter, then we’ll benefit a lot from that,” Zhang Qun quickly explained. “Let’s just do what Chenglan says if we want to live a better life.”