After His Majesty was reborn, the poor little girl in his previous life was spoiled to death

With unspeakable sorrow in her heart, Ning'er fell asleep in a daze.

It was already past the second watch, but candles were still burning in the old lady's room.

The old lady naturally rested in the largest main courtyard in the garden. Xiu Yu and a group of people had already tidied up the house according to the old lady's daily living habits.

The children had already been taken to wash and go to bed by the maids and nannies, but Old Lady Zhu and Shen Cunzhu, the mother and daughter who had not seen each other for a long time, still had endless private conversations.

Shen Cunzhu held his mother's hand and hesitated: "I see that my elder brother treats my sister-in-law a little coldly, right?"

The old lady smiled bitterly, "It's more than just a little cold. From the beginning of the year till now, your brother hasn't even returned to the backyard to live for a few days. How can we be close after being distant for such a long time?"

Normally, she had no one to talk to, so she could only complain to her biological daughter whom she rarely saw: "Chongyan is just like your father, with his stubborn personality. He is not the type to listen to advice. An'er has been gone for so many years, and there is no movement in his courtyard anymore."

An'er was the child born to Aunt Ye in her early years. Unfortunately, such a smart boy died of illness at the age of five, which made Shen Chongyan very sad for a long time.

"No matter how much your father dislikes women, he still has four of you siblings."

"Chongyan is already in his thirties, and he only has Ying'er and Yao'er as his children! How can I feel at ease with such a small family?"

Seeing her mother so worried about her brother, Shen Cunzhu slowly advised, "Children depend on fate. Brother and sister-in-law are in good health. You never know when we will get news."

The old lady sighed, "A couple can stay together every day, but they don't see their child. That's not destiny. But now I see Chongyan and his wife coldly, and now they don't even have any face left. They can't even live together, so where can we get any news?"

Shen Cunzhu was a little surprised. Before she got married, Luo Miaoyun had already married into the family, and the two sisters-in-law had a harmonious relationship. At that time, even though the brother and sister-in-law often had some conflicts, they were young couples after all, and there was a natural affection between them.

She hadn't been back to the capital for just a few years, and when they met this time, no one needed to say anything; the unfamiliarity and coldness between the most distinguished couple in the mansion was palpable.

"Originally, for a family like ours, we don't necessarily have to seek a harmonious and loving relationship. It's good enough if we can respect each other like guests and live in harmony with each other."

The old lady looked at her daughter and said, "Look around the capital, which man's house doesn't have many wives and concubines? Even if your son-in-law is as close as you are, he can't avoid having several concubines. Your brother is a great marquis, but he only has one concubine, Ye, in his house - and she's Miaoyun's maidservant!"

"When An'er was here, Chongyan would often go to her room, but the boy was unlucky, and when he left, Aunt Ye became completely discouraged. She has been a vegetarian for years, and when she came out last year, she was in her early thirties, but half of her hair was white."

"If Chongyan has two more children, I will never interfere in his affairs. Not to mention the distant past, just look at your second brother, who is a few years younger than Chongyan, and now has three sons and four daughters, and his concubine is pregnant."

"The number of direct descendants is so small, how can I explain this to your father in the future!"

Seeing her mother so worried about her brother's backyard, Shen Cunzhu could only say tactfully, "Brother is such a talented and handsome man, I'm not boasting, even the princess is worthy of him. Since he doesn't like the ones in the mansion, just keep an eye out for some new people for him."

It would have been fine if she hadn't mentioned this. Once she did, Old Madam Zhu was even more resentful: "I have thought about this. I have mentioned it several times. If Chongyan likes anyone or sees someone he likes, as long as she is a girl from a good family, regardless of her family background, she can be hired to the mansion. The mansion can afford to support her."

"But Chongyan's mind is not on the backyard at all. If you say a few more words to him, he will turn around and get busy with official business. I just say that he has no such thoughts. Why waste the youth of other girls in vain."

"Miao Yun is even more..."

At this point, Old Madam Zhu shook her head. She didn't want to say anything bad about her sister-in-law in front of her daughter.

Shen Cunzhu smiled and said, "Mother, you are too concerned. Offspring are always more valuable in quality than in quantity. Ying'er and Yao'er are both rare good children. If you educate them well, you won't have to worry about not being able to establish your own family in the future."

When talking about the pair of golden-looking grandchildren, Mrs. Zhu smiled: "They are naturally good children. It's just that..."

She held her daughter's hand tightly, as if to ease her inner anxiety: "Maybe I'm old and always suspicious. I always feel that Chongyan is not close to these two children."

After hearing this, Shen Cunzhu couldn't even laugh. She quickly refuted, "How is it possible! How can a father not love his own children, who are as precious as pearls? It's just that the eldest brother has inherited his father's temperament and is determined to be a strict father."

Old Madam Zhu said dejectedly: "I also hope that I am just being too suspicious. I used to think so too, even if my mother doesn't like it very much, the child is always good. But..."

She was a little hesitant, not knowing whether she should tell her daughter this, but after seeing her daughter's concerned look, she couldn't help but say, "My son, you don't know that Ning'er was sent to the mansion by Chongyan."

Shen Cunzhu was shocked: "What?!" She immediately thought of something else: "Could it be my eldest brother's..."

Mother Shen said, "No, don't you know what kind of person your eldest brother is? Ning'er was originally the orphan of an old friend of his. Because there was no one to take care of her, he left her with me."

As she spoke, she told her daughter in detail what happened and why Ning'er came into the mansion.

Shen Cunzhu suddenly understood: "So that's why. I was wondering why mother treated her differently than others. I was wondering why she was a descendant of Aunt Jiangdu but never went to the Zhu Mansion to pay respects. So this is the reason."

Madam Zhu nodded: "Your eldest brother has considered everything for her!"

"Her father's crime has not been cleared yet, Chongyan is worried that she will be implicated by his father's crime, and also worried that she will be without a mother and elders to take care of her and be helpless for the rest of her life. After finally sending her to the mansion, he was afraid that she would be looked down upon by the servants because she did not have a proper identity... Even today's Flower Festival is just a cover, so that Ning'er can appear in front of everyone openly."

"It's hard for me to pretend I didn't see all these things. How can I deceive myself when there is such a living example of how he can be so attentive to his friend's daughter? Is Chongyan just distant from Ying'er and Yao'er because he has a cold personality?"

Including the one in her belly, Shen Cunzhu is already the mother of three children. Needless to say, she knows very well what kind of relationship a normal father and son and daughter should have.

She forced a smile, held her mother's hand, and tried to comfort her: "Mom, you're overthinking."

"Big brother is not a person without sympathy for his children. He is so caring for Miss Ning because he feels sorry for her young age and the fact that both her parents have passed away. Ying'er and Yao'er are doted on by both families. If a father is not strict with them, they might get spoiled."

Seeing her daughter say this, the sadness between Mrs. Zhu's brows slightly dissipated. She touched her daughter's belly and said lovingly, "It's all mother's fault. Why am I telling you all this? You don't have to worry about anything now. Just give birth to this baby peacefully."

"As for your eldest brother, I have already taken a fancy to a girl. When I see some promise, I will invite you to meet her!"