The Eldest Daughter of a Rural Family-Chapter 1181 - 272: Adopting a Son for You

Pei Qin and Mo Heng were busy with the operations for manufacturing and selling fireworks at the Manufacturing Bureau, but they still came home every day.

Jun Suxue managed all aspects of the Tiance Mansion’s food, clothing, and expenses; as long as Pei Qin and Mo Heng returned, she would be in the main courtyard to attend to them.

Before she began to try it out, Xie Yi, who had heard the news, followed her on her own, eagerly helping and seemingly wanting to show off, occasionally inquiring about Pei Qin and Mo Heng’s travel and return schedules.

In the afternoon, Pei Qin returned home to have lunch with Jiujiu and Xixi.

When Xie Yi was setting up the tableware, she also set places for herself and Jun Suxue.

Although Jiujiu didn’t dislike Jun Suxue for being considerate and attentive, her father had said that Jun Suxue was competing with them for their mother’s affection, so she couldn’t bring herself to like her. As for Xie Yi, she liked her even less. Seeing that two extra sets of tableware were placed, Jiujiu asked in surprise, "Do we have honored guests at home today? Why haven’t I heard who it is?"

Xie Yi stiffened at her actions, seeing Jiujiu’s surprised and innocent look, hastily turned to Jun Suxue. Weren’t they going to eat together?

Jun Suxue looked back at her with some surprise too, "None, neither Madam Zhao nor Madam Fang are coming today!"

The only ones who could sit and eat with Mo Heng and Pei Qin without separating by gender were their own family members.

Xie Yi looked at Mo Heng, who had come over after washing his hands, her face turned red with embarrassment and she quietly said, "I... I’m sorry, I absentmindedly set too many places."

"You should let the maids take care of these matters," Jiujiu directly said.

Xie Yi immediately bit her lip with a look of grievance and, eyes reddening, took away the extra tableware and stepped back.

Waiting until the dishes were set and Pei Qin’s family began their meal, Jun Suxue came out and saw Xie Yi with tearful eyes in the side room, "What’s wrong? Why are you crying here?"

"Nothing!" Xie Yi hurriedly said.

Jun Suxue smiled and asked, "When you set the extra tableware just now, you were setting places for you and me, weren’t you?"

Xie Yi was publicly embarrassed, and yet Mo Heng didn’t even give her a glance; she was just a temporary resident here, not a servant!

Jun Suxue advised her not to take it to heart, "The Grand Empress Dowager has always been saying she wants to see the elder and younger miss. The Marquis specially requested a Sister Educate from the palace to teach the two misses etiquette and discipline. With the festival approaching, the elder miss is learning very diligently!"

Hearing this, however, Xie Yi felt even worse. It was hardly consoling, "The Marquis requested a Sister Educate from the palace?"

"Yes! Tiance Mansion is large, and so are the rules. That Sister Educate even said the elder miss is somewhat late in learning etiquette! Thankfully, the Marquis isn’t too concerned with such formalities, and the General is generous and sometimes lax; otherwise, that Sister Educate would have trained the children terribly by now." Jun Suxue said with a laugh.

Xie Yi thought that made sense—Mo Heng doted on someone like Pei Qin, who had the least sense of propriety, a woman who disguised herself as a man in the army camp. Though she earned glory, there was also retribution; she couldn’t bear children anymore.

Jun Suxue changed her tone, "Though the Marquis and the General don’t say it, those of us below can’t really lack manners! Only the two misses can sit and eat with the Marquis and the General. When the General allows it, you still can’t be presumptuous."

Xie Yi’s face turned purple with resentment, yet what Jun Suxue said was reasonable and polite. She wanted to say she was a guest, not a servant, but Jun Suxue was also known as ’Miss Suxue’ in Tiance Mansion.

A young maid from the kitchen came over to ask, "Miss Suxue! Are you going to eat back there, or here?"

Jun Suxue glanced at Xie Yi, "I’ll just have my noon meal here in the kitchen from now on."

The main kitchen of Tiance Mansion was quite large with partitions on the side where one could eat or drink tea.

Jun Suxue saw the look on Xie Yi’s face, "You’ve never eaten in a place like a kitchen before, have you?"

Xie Yi indeed hadn’t. Even when she moved out with Pei Wendong for a while, she’d only cooked for one day, and even then with Pei Wendong’s help. She’d always had a matron to tend to her and had never dealt with laundry or cooking.

Back in the main house, after finishing the meal, Pei Qin hurried back to the Manufacturing Bureau.

Jiujiu grabbed Mo Heng, "Dad! Did you see the look she just gave? So disgusting!" The snake that Aunt Mingzhu saw in the hot spring room must have been her doing! Yet she pushed the blame onto Jiujiu.

"Uh-huh," Mo Heng nodded and then told her, "Just keep an eye out, no need to get too involved. Focus on your studying."

Jiujiu felt as if there wasn’t enough time in the day; she needed to study, practice calligraphy and painting, play instruments and chess, and learn mathematics and chemistry. She could grasp mathematics, but learning about explosives and being taught chemistry by her mother was too abstruse. However, if anyone dared to cause trouble in the family, she would definitely not let it slide!