Miss Truth-Chapter 487 - 320: Grandma Ran Jiu

Several young women nearby also stood up and came over, each bending their body to address her as "Ninth Aunt", and Ran Yan responded to each of them with composure.

"Fourth Son, quickly call her Ninth Grandmother." Wan Lu took a chubby one-year-old boy from the maid’s arms and teased him to call Ran Yan.

Great, now I’ve been promoted from auntie to grandmother! Not only that, ever since Ran Yan scared someone last time by saying their child had "such a lively, jumping heart, how cute", and left them frightened, she now felt the aftereffects; seeing a child made her even more at a loss for what to do.

"Truly, truly adorable." Ran Yan’s face flushed red as she squeezed out a few words. Perhaps it was because Ran Yan’s expression was so amusing, the child, very obligingly, began to giggle. Coached by Wan Lu, he called out in a milky voice, "Grandma, Grandma..."

The child was still young and couldn’t articulate complex words, only repeating the same two words over and over.

Ran Yan’s eyes lit up, a smile reaching her lips, but she was also very aware that these people had only come to speak to her because of Duke Xiao, Xiao Song, and the proud brothers and sisters-in-law in her family. In reality, they might not actually respect her origins, so she didn’t reach out to hold the child.

As expected, Wan Lu had no intention of letting her get closer to the child and turned around to hand the boy back to the maid.

"Paying respects to Her Highness the Princess." There was a faint sound of someone arriving at the door.

Immediately following, there was a rise and fall of voices paying respects. Those gathered around Ran Yan dispersed with astonishing speed, bending their knees to pay respects to the Princess of Xiangcheng, who was dressed in plain clothes. Suddenly, only Wan Lu remained by Ran Yan’s side, where she had just seemed so sought-after.

At this moment, Ran Yan truly realized that if it were an ordinary family, they genuinely wouldn’t have the courage to marry a princess. No matter the time or place, they must always prioritize the propriety between sovereign and subject. Even though the Princess of Xiangcheng positioned herself as "the perfect wife, virtuous and mild, with an emphasis on filial piety and brotherly respect", those brave enough to offer her support were truly few.

"Paying respects to Her Highness the Princess." Ran Yan also bent her knee in respect, inwardly feeling relieved that thankfully, the Great Tang did not require one to kneel at every occasion.

"We’re all family, there’s no need for such formality, please all rise quickly!" The Princess of Xiangcheng had a gentle and warm smile on her face, but her eyes were red and swollen.

Everyone stood up straight, and those adept at flattering were quick to praise the Princess for her kind heart and filial piety, calling her a paragon among women with imperial decrees.

These were the noblewomen of the Xiao Family, and even in the presence of a princess, they would not seem too lowly. Their flattery was delivered with utmost sincerity, as if it came straight from the heart.

The Princess of Xiangcheng looked sorrowful and haggard, and when everyone heard that Princess Jia Rong had fainted from excessive grief and had yet to awaken, they sighed in pity. Compared to them, Ran Yan seemed too composed. But given her status and etiquette, no one dared to voice criticism, although the looks they gave her contained some subtle changes.

Seizing the opportunity, Wan Lu pulled Ran Yan aside and whispered, "Wife, you have to cry, at the very least you must look broodingly miserable."

Ran Yan truly wanted to cry. Although she felt a great sense of loss for Lady Xiao’s death, she truly believed that life is fleeting. Lady Xiao had lived a long life, surrounded by her children and grandchildren, passing away peacefully – that was fortunate, something not everyone was blessed with.

Wan Lu was anxious and, making sure no one else was around, lowered her voice to the softest level, "It’s alright if Wife doesn’t cry today, but on the days of condolences, you must cry. Otherwise, what if someone impeaches your husband?"

This idea seemed laughable, but it was indeed the case.

The family matters of officials and the virtue of their family members were part of an official’s overall character assessment. With Lady Xiao’s passing, if a grandson’s wife did not shed a single tear, it was considered unfilial and reflected poorly on Xiao Song for not training his wife well. Such matters could be seen as trivial if no one made an issue out of it. But if someone did, the Imperial Censorate, those professional impeachers, could make numerous charges out of it, and Xiao Song’s political enemies would surely grasp onto it tightly.

Ran Yan nodded, deciding to procure some tear-inducing medicine that very night; solving such a small matter was not a problem.

Wan Lu finally breathed a sigh of relief, also thinking of ways to make Ran Yan cry when the time came.

Just as the two were about to turn around and leave, they heard a soft snicker from the flower bushes. Ran Yan thought someone was eavesdropping and was about to speak when she heard a young woman’s hushed voice say, "The Xiao Family taking him in was giving him face in the first place. Now, he even wants to wear sackcloth and filial piety for the old lady, not even considering what his status is."

Ran Yan’s heart tightened, the words clearly referencing Liu Qingsong. Liu Qingsong’s status was awkward, the Lady of the Xiao Family valued him greatly, yet she hadn’t taken him as an adopted son nor had Duke Song taken him in. He was of official rank but not considered a servant of the Xiao Family, and therefore, there really was no need for him to wear sackcloth and filial piety.

But Ran Yan knew that although Liu Qingsong was usually flighty and unreliable, he was someone who valued relationships and remembered past kindness. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to survive over ten years in this time period, continually numbing himself with those old storylines, nor would he have been moved to tears at the taste of familiar braised fish.

"Keep your voice down, do you want to die! He is of official rank, not someone you and I can judge!" another person chided softly.

Through the gaps in the tree leaves, Ran Yan could see two maids dressed in grey, one unwillingly being pulled away by the other.

Ran Yan coughed lightly, and the two people’s movements stopped. Turning their heads, they saw Ran Yan through the gaps in the leaves and hurriedly came over to pay respects, "Greetings to Ninth Lady."

The two were uneasy, unsure how much of their earlier conversation Ran Yan had overheard.

"Which household’s maids are you?" Ran Yan asked indifferently.

One of the older maids answered, "We are slaves of Princess Jia Rong’s residence."

"Oh, no wonder," Ran Yan said dismissively, "I heard the second sister-in-law fainted from grief, and I was just about to see her. I might as well ask why the servants in our house are so unruly."

Ran Yan was annoyed with Liu Qingsong, but she couldn’t stand others belittling him like that, and it wasn’t that Liu Qingsong was a useless scoundrel who couldn’t stand by himself. In fact, he was quite shrewd. Given the chance, he could climb to a position worthy of respect.

"Please spare us, Ninth Lady!" the two maids begged in unison as they knelt on the ground.

However, Ran Yan could hear that their voices lacked much fear. Just as they looked down on Liu Qingsong, they could very well look down on her too. There are those kinds of people in the world, who aren’t much themselves, yet look down on others.

Ran Yan’s tone was cool as she left them with one phrase, "Get up. Take these words back to your master; I cannot be the one to decide for you."

"Ninth Lady!"

As Ran Yan turned around, the voices of the two maids behind her finally carried a hint of fear.

Ran Yan had no intention of bothering with them. With such people, being too kind only leads them to believe they can take advantage of you, and next time they might belittle you even more.

Coming out onto the small path, the atmosphere was bustling. The Dougu clan and Princess Jia Rong had also arrived, with the women of the household gathering for conversation in the pavilion.

Ran Yan was just about to step toward the pavilion when a piercing scream came from the neighboring courtyard, followed by a burst of commotion.

But in just a moment, several maids rushed over in a panic, "The old lady! Something has happened to Ling Xiang!"

(To be continued. If you like this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation ticket and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation.)

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