The Valued Lady is Truly Dominant

Song Ci looked at Mrs. Lu and saw her face with a slight smile, her eyes flickering.

”Third Daughter-in-law, how is it going for Little Seven being raised by you? I’ve heard you’ve been focusing on Zhou’er’s studies lately, can you manage it all?”

Mrs. Lu felt a chill in her heart and replied, ”Mother, please rest assured. The people around Little Seven are all capable, and he is obedient, eating and sleeping well. Now that he’s growing older, he’s starting to turn over, playing for a while and then sleeping again, so everything is still manageable.”

”The child is still young, and your third household only has three males, with the fifth child in that state. In the future, the one who can truly support each other among sons would be Little Seven, so as the legitimate mother, you should be more careful in your upbringing.”

While Song Ci spoke, Madam and Mrs. Jiang sensibly sipped their tea quietly, not interrupting.

Even so, Mrs. Lu felt her face burning, forcing a smile, ”Mother is right, that’s what I think too. Little Seven is adorable from head to toe, and since his full month, he’s been with me. I genuinely like him. In fact, if our husband has no more children in the future, I was considering that once Little Seven is mature, I would register him under my name, so he wouldn’t be raised in the main courtyard in vain.”

Song Ci raised an eyebrow, ”Oh? You have such a thought?”

Madam also said, ”Sister-in-law, you should think carefully. If he’s registered under your name, he would be considered a legitimate son.”

Mrs. Lu smiled gently, ”Elder Sister-in-law, I understand. It’s just that I feel a bond with this child, and I miss him if I don’t see him for a day. Some time ago, I wanted to send the child back to his biological mother, but Madam Shen made a vow, saying that once the child was born, he should be raised by me. She wishes to serve Buddha and doesn’t want the child to live with her, only visiting occasionally.”

Madam and Mrs. Jiang felt a bit uncomfortable listening to this. The idea of serving Buddha seemed like an excuse to them, but they couldn’t say much, politely praising, ”Madam Shen is indeed of an honest nature.”

Mrs. Lu laughed, ”Madam Shen is a Noble Concubine granted by the Emperor, she’s indeed different from other concubines. She’s quite honest. I also think Zhou’er would need a brother’s support. If Little Seven proves himself, what does it matter if he’s registered under my name? I only hope that the brothers will support each other in the future.”

This speech truly manifested magnanimity.

Song Ci then said, ”There is no need to decide this matter early; revisit it later on. As for Zhou’er’s studies, you shouldn’t push him too hard. I’ve noticed this child has been more silent lately, losing some weight, and seems to have a heavy heart.”

Song Ci had seen many parents in later generations impose their aspirations on their children; she wasn’t afraid of Song Lingzhou taking drastic measures, but feared that the more pressure there was, the further the mother and son would drift apart, backfiring instead.

Mrs. Lu awkwardly replied, ”I will pay attention, Mother.”

Seeing her like this, Song Ci said nothing more.

After leaving Chunhui Hall, Mrs. Lu returned to her courtyard, wiping her eyes with redness, aggrievedly saying, ”It seems that being a daughter-in-law of a concubine makes me inferior, not valued. Why did Mother choose to reprimand me in front of Elder and Second Sisters-in-law?”

Nanny Zhou was startled, quickly persuading her, ”Madam, be careful, there may be ears behind the wall. If this spreads, you might be accused of being unfilial.”

”I just feel wronged.”

”Please be open-minded, Madam. Although the Grand Madam does not particularly regard you, she has not shown dislike for the third branch either. Otherwise, she could have easily separated the third branch to live separately, but she hasn’t, and she cares about the young master, which is already quite benevolent. Look at other families, where have you seen such kindness? There are many grandmothers who wouldn’t even pretend to show care.”