All Hail Cousin Brother

203 I Will Protect Yao Yao

Old Madam Yu looked at Madam Xie and was silent for a long time. Finally, she lowered her head and said solemnly, “Okay!”

Upon receiving Old Madam’s promise, Madam Xie let out a cry and spat out a mouthful of blood, which landed on the jade pendant on Yu Youyao’s chest.

The little baby was lying in bed, snoring loudly. There were even small bubbles in his mouth. She looked innocent. Perhaps because mother and daughter were connected, as soon as Madam Xie spat out a mouthful of blood, the child opened her eyes and stared at her mother with her dark eyes. She started crying.

Madam Xie was also crying. Blood and tears rolled down her face. “Yao Yao, my Yao Yao’er, don’t be afraid. Even if Mother is no longer around, I’ll still protect you and let you grow up safely. Yao Yao’er, don’t cry, don’t cry…”

As she coaxed her daughter, she even hummed an intermittent tune…

Old Madam Yu gripped her prayer beads tightly. “Don’t worry, I’ll protect Yao Yao.”

The past was still vivid in her mind. At some point, Old Madam Yu’s hand that was twirling the prayer beads had stopped.

Madam Xie personally hung the jade pendant of the child Buddha on Yao Yao’s chest and said those words to her. Other than entrusting her with an orphan, she was also reminding her to treat her granddaughter well.

Every time she saw the jade pendant on Yao Yao’s chest, she couldn’t help but think of Madam Xie.

When she thought of Madam Xie, she couldn’t help but think of the terrible things her eldest son had done.

When Madam Xie gave birth to Yao Yao, she knew that she wouldn’t live long and wouldn’t be able to protect her daughter when she grew up. Therefore, she didn’t expose her eldest son’s disgraceful deeds to others.

Instead, she helped to cover it up!

Therefore, she also planned that since she was a Buddhist, she would protect her granddaughter more in the future because of the guilt in her heart.

It was obvious that Madam Xie had made arrangements before her death to send the people from the Xie Residence out easily.

Madam Xie donated 30% of the profits of her businesses to the clan.

The Yu Clan was a scholarly clan, so they needed to maintain their reputation. Since they had received a favor from the Xie Clan, and the Yu Clan also had to rely on the Xie Residence for many businesses, it was inevitable that they would respect Gu Yaoyao.

Madam Xie had given 20% of her profits to the residence. She had to protect Yao Yao using this large sum of money and her sons’ future.

Before Madam Xie died, she had schemed in every way, all for the sake of her daughter.

What a pitiful and admirable parent!

At this moment, Nanny Liu lightened her footsteps and walked in quietly. “Old Madam, Eldest Miss has recruited an old servant from the Xie Residence. When a master and servant meet, it’s inevitable that they’ll talk a lot. You…”

Old Madam Yu was silent for a while before she slowly opened her eyes and reached out to Nanny Liu.

Nanny Liu quickly stepped forward and helped Old Madam up from the futon. The two of them left the temple hall.

Old Madam Yu twirled the prayer beads in her hand around her wrist. “The Xie family’s dowry will have to be handed over to Yao Yao sooner or later, so some things can’t be avoided.”

She had originally wanted to wait until Yao Yao was a little older before handing over the dowry to her.

However, as Yao Yao grew up day by day, it was obvious that she was maturing. It was time to know that some things should not be delayed.

There was a strong sandalwood smell on Old Madam’s body. Nanny Liu was a little hesitant. “Eldest Madam Xie didn’t say anything about what happened back then, and even the people around her weren’t clear about it. However, after serving her for so many years, she might have known about it. It’s also hard to guarantee that First Madam Xie wouldn’t have left a backup plan before she died and told the people in front of her about it. Now that the master and servant are meeting, if…”

Before her death, First Madam Xie had schemed and planned for her daughter’s future. It could be said that she had done everything possible.

Old Madam Yu shook her head. “Xie Roujia’s old servants are all very smart. Back then, when she sent them out of the residence, they didn’t complain at all. All these years, they’ve often been in and out of the residence. At most, they would find an opportunity to meet Yao Yao and confirm if she was really a good person, but none of them approached her. Why do you think that is?”

Nanny Liu said nothing.

Old Madam Yu’s voice was also calm. “They have eyes. They can tell that I dote on Yao Yao very much, so they’re worried that if they interact with her privately, they’ll make me unhappy with her, so they might as well not interact with her. Even if they meet Yao Yao and become her servants now, they still have to establish themselves in the Yu Residence. In the future, I’ll hplan everything, so they’ll naturally be more cautious.”

Nanny Liu also heaved a sigh of relief. “Old Madam has thought it through.”

Old Madam Yu sighed slightly. “Back then, although the matter between Eldest Son and Madam Yang was tightly covered up, it wasn’t even a hundred days later after Madam Xie’s death when he married Madam Yang. Madam Yang isn’t anyone special, but the daughter of Eldest Son’s concubine. Even outsiders have many speculations about Eldest Son’s daily visits to the Yang Residence. They just think that it’s a love affair between Master and Madam Yang. We can have a chat after dinner. Such a matter isn’t considered new in the capital. Every family has at least one or two cases. Yao Yao can roughly guess it. I’m just worried about her…”

In the first few years, she didn’t want Yao Yao to interact with the people in front of Madam Xie because she was young and she was afraid that someone would instigate her to leave home.

Nanny Liu agreed deeply. “Eldest Miss knows what’s good for her. She also understands who has been protecting her and treating her well all these years.”

Old Madam Yu lowered her eyes and didn’t say anything. “In the end, it’s all thanks to the two of them. They’ve both lived for more than half their lives. Now that they will be involved for the next half of their lives, it’s time to let go of all their schemes. I can only hope that Yao Yao will recover and that she’ll be able to rebuild her relationship with Madam Xie and her daughter-in-law. Her relationship with Yao Yao will also make up for some of my…”

The rest of her words were already inaudible.

Yu Youyao returned to the Jade Courtyard with the letter from Nanny Yue.

Seeing Miss’s serious expression, Chun Xiao was a little worried. “Miss…”

Yu Youyao did not seem to hear her. In silence, she walked into the study and sat at the table. She opened the letter in her arms and read it page by page.

She read it very slowly, almost word by word and over and over again.

Chun Xiao glanced over. Miss had been looking at it for an hour.

After an unknown period of time, she finally reached the last page of the letter. Yu Youyao looked at the end of the letter steadily—

Yu Xie’s calligraphy was brilliant!

Her eyelashes trembled slightly, and the tears that had been in her eyes for a long time splashed onto the bottom of her name.

Yu Youyao panicked and quickly wiped it with her sleeve. When the ink on the letter was smudged, she realized that she couldn’t wipe it with her sleeve, but there was already a ball of black ink at the bottom of the letter. It was useless.

Yu Youyao couldn’t help but tear up. “Mother.”

Chun Xiao poked her head in from the outside and saw Young Miss sitting there in a daze, crying silently. Her tears kept flowing out.