"It's natural for him to stay at the Duan's house!" Wang Zhihe and Duan Duang exclaimed in unison.

  "No, no!" Wang Yingshuai shook her head, looking flustered. "She's still so young, I can't leave her at the Duan's house..."

  Can't even bring it back to the Wang family?

  Even if the Wang family agrees, it's impossible for them to agree with the Duan family!

  Wang Zhi looked at his sister, who was acting like a spoiled child, and felt a headache coming on.

  Their family had such a thing, and the villagers had been discussing it in private for a long time. Now that Father has recovered, he knows that there are more people in their household, and when the time comes, not only will the small village of Nanwa be gossiping about them, but probably the entire Zhen Ding Prefecture will be pointing fingers behind their backs. Not to mention Father's loss of face, but also the children may find it difficult to stand up straight and live in Nanwa Village in the future. So when they came, Father had already discussed with him to quietly bring his sister back home, wait until Father is settled, and then move the whole family to follow Father to his post, never to return to Nanwa again.

  He thought of waiting a few more years until everything was calm and peaceful before telling his sister about the good marriage.

  What's the point of bringing this kid along?

  Will you get married in the future, little sister?

  Even if the Duan family is willing to let their daughter take the child away, and the father agrees to raise the child, how will they explain the child's origins when relatives and friends ask?

  They were originally afraid of those rumors and left Nanwa, if they said that the child was born by his sister, his sister's past would not be able to be covered up, wouldn't this family have moved in vain?

  If he wanted to shirk responsibility, he could only say it was his child or the child of his younger brother Wang Zhiyue.

  This child came at the worst possible time.

  It's said to be his, but he hasn't been home for years; it's said to be his younger brother's, and the sister-in-law has just given birth to a big fat baby boy who is only one month old... Could it be that they picked him up?

  These thoughts flashed by, but after all, it was his own family affair, and he didn't want to discuss it in front of Du Dang.

  Wang Zhibing had no choice but to say in a low voice to Wang Yingshuai: "Some things we'll discuss when we get home."

  Wang Yingshuai didn't dare go back with her brother.

  In her situation, it's either being sent to a nunnery or married off to a distant place, and she might never see her daughter again.

  Dong Zhao still had her uncle and mother's loyal servant, nanny, to take care of things, but her daughter was all alone with nothing. She couldn't entrust her daughter's future to the hands of the Fifth Miss of the Zhū family, whom she had never met or interacted with before.

  How is Su Shiying?

  Wang Yingxue looked around in all directions.

  Why isn't he here?

  He has always had a soft heart and would never stand by and watch the mother and daughter separate.

  "No!" She took two steps back, creating some distance between herself and her brother, a hint of wariness in her gaze. "I won't discuss Ming's sister's affairs, I won't follow big brother home!" As she spoke, she gave Qiongfang a signal with her eyes, then tearfully implored Dou Dong: "Elder, Ming's sister was born weak and frail, without even the strength to drink milk. The doctor and those experienced old nannies all said that Ming's sister might not live long. I, with one hand wiping away her feces and the other hand holding back her urine, carefully raised her to be this big. How can I casually hand her over to someone else? Please, for Ming's sister's sake, let me take her with me!"

  "Ah, Ming's name was given by me, wasn't it?" Dou Dong said with a warm smile. "Children are flesh and blood of their mother, we all know you're worried about Ming's feelings, but Ming is a child of the Dou family, how can she just follow you to the Wang family without any explanation? You've just arrived at our house, you know what kind of situation we're in... as soon as you entered, we arranged for an experienced nanny, two maids, and several servant women to serve you, and after Ming was born, apart from her wet nurse and the servants attending to her, we added two more maids... don't worry. The fifth young lady of the Zhu family is well-versed in etiquette, gentle, kind, and virtuous, she will take good care of Ming..."

  "No matter how good others are, they can't compare to one's own mother." Wang Yingshu watched as Qiong Fang quickly left the He Shou Hall, feeling slightly at ease in her heart, but still repeatedly pleading with Dou Dong, "Please, Old Master, just grant us this wish for a mother and daughter?"

  Dong smiled and said: "Wan Yuan also grew up in front of his biological mother, so don't worry about it, Ming sister!"

  Neither of us is willing to give in, each insisting on our own words.

  Dong Zhao soon received the news.

  She thought for a moment and said to Tuan Niang: "Let's go take a look at Father."

  Dong Zhao wanted to know what his father thought about this matter and what plans he had.

  Tuo Niang nodded and put down the needlework in her hand, then went with Du Zhao to Du Shiying's study.

  Dòu Shìyīng is not in the study room.

  Dong Zhao thought for a moment and went to the flower hall behind the main hall.

  Grandfather and Wang Zhibang were drinking tea in the flower hall, while Father and Wang Yingshuai were talking beside the bamboo grove behind the flower hall.

  Dong Zhao made a halting gesture to Tuo Niang, and then took advantage of his small stature to sneak past the flower hall and hide behind a bamboo tree to eavesdrop.

  "No matter what, I was wrong to you." The father's voice was tinged with a hint of sadness. "I'm older than you and have been married before. Even if you had feelings for me, I should have refused you sternly instead of taking advantage of the situation and doing something that humiliated you. Afterwards, I even blamed Gu Yu for not wanting to help me cover it up, and because of this matter, I spoke harshly to Gu Yu, causing him to lose face completely and hang himself."

  "No, no!" Wang Yingshuai hastily said, "How can this be blamed on Seventh Master! It's Gu Qiu who is too harsh to others and herself..."

  "I used to think that way too." Father smiled and interrupted Wang Yingshuang's words, "But thinking of what Gu Qiu said to me before he died..." Father's tone was slightly paused, "I feel that what Gu Qiu said is really right. It's my own mind that's muddled, I did something wrong, but all I know is to blame others and hope they can clean up the mess for me..."

  "Seventh Brother!" Wang Yingshu said with a look of not daring to have her father blame herself, "Don't say that. When you say that, I feel even more distressed..."

  "Alright, alright, I won't say anymore!" Father smiled and said, "In the end, Gu Qiu can't come back anyway." He took out a blue silk pouch with a jade orchid embroidered on it from his sleeve, "There are three thousand taels of silver bills inside. Take it and follow your older brother home. If you need my help in the future, just send me a message. I will take good care of Ming's sister, and won't favor one over the other. You can rest assured to go back. Don't learn from those sharp-tongued women and go to some temple for cultivation. If you meet a good family, get married! One day when you miss Ming's sister, secretly send someone to tell me, I'll let Shou Gu take her to the temple to burn incense or visit our fifth brother's house. You can see each other from afar, and that will fulfill your mother-daughter bond. If Ming's sister grows up and still wants to acknowledge you, I'll tell her about her origins..."

  It turns out that Father wanted to persuade Wang Yingshuang to return home!

  Dong Zhao smiled and looked at the two, then saw Wang Yingxue crying and throwing herself into her father's arms, tightly hugging his waist: "I won't go anywhere, I just want to be by your side, even if it means being a slave or servant..."

  "Don't be like this!" His father gently pried open the arms wrapped around him and said softly, "This way, what can Lord Wang do?" He took a few steps back, looking at Wang Yingxue with sincere eyes, "Your parents and brother treat you very well, you should cherish it, don't make them sad again..."

  Wang Yingshu looked at the distance between the two of them, a hint of bitterness in her eyes, and asked her father: "Is it because of Miss Zha?"

  "Father was shocked: 'What?'"

  "Is it because of the Fifth Miss of the Zhu family?" Wang Yinxue asked again, and tears suddenly flew like rain. "Have you fallen in love with the Fifth Miss of the Zhu family? I've heard that she is extremely beautiful..."

  "Where did you go?" Father smiled, "I have never seen Miss Wu of the five families."

  "Why did you let Gao Sheng deliver messages to all the families?" Wang Yingxue's gaze was somewhat pressing.

  It seems that it's not just her who cares about the marriage between the two families!

  Dong Zhaowei scratched his ear.

  "Do you know I had Gao Sheng deliver messages to all of your families?" Father was surprised.

  Wang Yingshu saw that she had misspoken and nervously said: "That night, Ming's sister was making a fuss, I coaxed her until dawn, just about to go to bed, heard the maids say Gao Sheng sent you to send messages to various families..."

  Nonsense!

  Dong Zhaohui curled her lip.

  Gao Sheng is Father's trusted aide; if he couldn't keep his mouth shut, Father would have replaced him long ago.

  It must be her who found out about it!

  His father did not entangle himself in this matter, and frankly said: "I sent a letter to Mr. Zhu, telling him some things about our family, asking him to wait until I have sorted out the family affairs before bringing up the marriage..."

  "Why?" Wang Yingshu's gaze was like a sharp knife as she stared at her father, "Why did you have to do this?"

  Does she think her father is not good enough for her?

  Dong Zhaoleng coldly smiled.

  Father was silent for a long time, and said in a low voice: "Yingxue, I have my responsibility! Xidu needs an heir, and Father is also waiting to hold his grandson. I don't want to drag the five misses of the various families into this, she has no responsibility to bear the mistakes I made, nor does she have the obligation to face these disputes as soon as she enters the door..."

  "Am I a mistake for you?" Wang Yingshuang's face turned white as snow, and she asked sharply.

  "Don't get any wrong ideas," Father said warmly. "I just don't want anyone else to get hurt because of me!"

  "What about me? What am I?" Wang Yingshu asked her father, "You don't want to hurt the Fifth Miss of the Zhujia family, but can you bear to let me and Ming'er be separated from now on? Can you bear to let Ming'er grow up without a mother since she was little?"

  "It's not that I'm heartless," Father sighed, "Ming's status in the Wang family is unclear, but at least she's the fifth Miss of the Duan family. She's still young and doesn't remember anything, whoever raises her will be the one she's close to, and there won't be so much pain and hardship..."

  "She is my daughter, my daughter!" Wang Yingshu shouted in a low voice, angrily slamming her purse on her father's body. "I don't want your silver ticket, I want my daughter." After finishing speaking, she raised her head and chest, turned around and entered the flower hall.

  Father smiled bitterly and shook his head as he followed into the flower hall.

  Dong Zhaowang gazed at the purse on the ground, pondering whether he should take the three thousand taels of silver notes for himself, and wondering if it would implicate the maids and young servants who were on duty in the flower hall.

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  Some friends left messages in the comment area, saying that I was whitewashing Du Shiying. In fact, I think there is no issue of whitewashing. Every person has many sides and it's impossible to be just black or white, nor can one always have only one face.

  O(∩_∩)O~

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