Peaceful Farm Life

Chapter 2493: Chapter 2494: Return to Tianyun (60)

However, the moment Tao Chengyin saw Taoming Ye enter, he asked Taoming Ye to sit down. The common sons and daughters knew that Taoming Ye was allowed to sit because of his poor health, and they could understand and even envy how Tao Chengyin, their father, always favored Taoming Ye like this.

However, Mrs. Cao, Taoming Hai, and Wan Banyan felt differently; they were deeply uncomfortable with how well Tao Chengyin treated Taoming Ye, the commoner son.

As soon as Taoming Ye sat down, he pulled Su Xing to sit on the chair beside him. Su Xing naturally took the seat without any hesitation.

Tao Chengyin frowned slightly but said nothing.

Mrs. Cao, Taoming Hai, and Wan Banyan wanted to say this was inappropriate, but since the family head, Tao Chengyin, had said nothing, they felt it was not their place to speak out.

Taoming Hai and Wan Banyan kneeled on the prayer mats, offering tea to Tao Chengyin and Mrs. Cao.

After Tao Chengyin and Mrs. Cao gave them red envelopes and called them to rise, Taoming Hai and Wan Banyan stood up.

As soon as Wan Banyan stood up, Mrs. Cao said kindly to her, ”Banyan, although you’ve been to this home a few times, you may not recognize everyone yet. That is your Aunt Feng, that is your Aunt Zhu, and that is your Aunt Fang.”

”Greetings, Aunts.” Wan Banyan didn’t need to kneel to Tao Chengyin’s concubines and only offered a slight bow to each of them.

Aunts Feng, Zhu, and Fang each gave small red envelopes as a token, which Wan Banyan was quite disdainful of and didn’t really want to accept. However, not wanting to lose decorum, she pretended to receive them with respect.

Mrs. Cao then pointed to Taoming Ye and Su Xing and introduced, ”That is your elder brother and sister-in-law.”

Wan Banyan didn’t even give a bow of equal standing, merely smiling and saying, ”Elder Brother, Sister-in-law.”

Seeing this, Tao Chengyin frowned.

Mrs. Cao also felt dissatisfied. It’s the first day of coming into this family, and even if it’s just for show, one must at least pretend. Seeing Tao Chengyin frown, Mrs. Cao resolved to properly remind this daughter-in-law later. Tao Chengyin cherished Taoming Ye greatly, and one could not treat Taoming Ye this way, lest it displease Tao Chengyin.

Su Xing and Taoming Ye, observing that she didn’t perform even the slightest courtesy to them, did not rise in return. Instead, while still seated, they smiled and called out ”Sister-in-law,” thus acknowledging Wan Banyan.

Wan Banyan, being the daughter of Lord Wan, held her head high. Seeing Taoming Ye as a commoner’s son, and considering Su Xing almost married her husband, she felt uncomfortable and didn’t offer Su Xing and Taoming Ye any courtesy. Who could have known that Su Xing and Taoming Ye wouldn’t even stand in the presence of this marquis’ daughter, which infuriated her, but due to Tao Chengyin’s presence, she couldn’t react.

”These are your third brother, fourth sister, fifth brother, and sixth sister.” Mrs. Cao, suppressing her displeasure, introduced Tao Mingsheng, Tao Mingxiang, Tao Mingqing, and Tao Mingfang, the four common sons and daughters, to Wan Banyan.

Wan Banyan enthusiastically exchanged bows with the four, and even took four small brocade boxes from her maidservant, each containing a gift, and handed one to each, saying, ”These are small tokens from your second sister-in-law. As I have just entered this family, I will rely on all of you for guidance in the future.”

The four of them felt this was a hot potato because there were only four gifts, and their elder brother and sister-in-law received none. It was clear that this second sister-in-law had not prepared anything for their elder brother and sister-in-law. But as they were the first gifts from their second sister-in-law, it was hard to refuse, so they could only accept them with awkward smiles.