Thirteenth Lady's Comback: Her Everyday Life as a Bystander-Chapter 237 - 14: The Green Hills Remain

The March sky is neither too cold nor too warm, yet there’s still a hint of chill. Especially in the early morning, the dew is quite heavy; Susu could see the hems of everyone’s skirts dampened by the dew, indicating they had been waiting for quite a while.

Susu forced back her tears. Clearly, she used to be the one who least loved crying, but lately, tears had been flowing at the slightest provocation. If they were truly as valuable as gold, she would have made a fortune by now.

Surrounded by maids and old women, Susu approached the Old Madam, while Hong Sheng, unable to accompany his wife, bid farewell to Prince Song, Yang Liu, and the husbands of a few others.

What needed to be said had already been spoken when Fourth Miss returned home yesterday, and everyone gathered. Now, as they looked at each other in silence, there was a sense of "all words left unsaid."

Seeing the group about to start crying, Susu quickly said, "I’m going out to have fun, don’t envy me while you’re at home. I’ll write to you once I arrive, about the fun places, delicious food, and beautiful people—oh, never mind, there won’t be anyone prettier than me."

Her words made everyone burst into laughter through their tears. Yang Liu stepped forward, "Let me see, how thick is this skin of yours?" The others also helped to hold Susu back.

Susu quickly hid in the arms of the Old Madam, "Old Madam, look at them, they won’t let anyone speak the truth!"

The men watching from the sidelines couldn’t hear what was being said and wondered why, in the blink of an eye, the farewell had turned into a merry gathering.

Moreover, stop laughing—a group of beauties laughing so heartily, even though the maids and old women formed a human wall, the clear laughter still made other bystanders glance over.

The men, including Hong Sheng, listening to the laughter of their wives, couldn’t help but feel exasperated. Women—one can never predict what they’ll do next!

Hong Sheng couldn’t help but signal Prince Song with his eyes, "Aren’t you going to do something?"

Prince Song shrugged, "If you have the guts, go ahead!" His wife wasn’t here; she was home watching the children and managing household affairs. So at this moment, "better him than me"—he wasn’t going to be the one to spoil the fun!

Hong Sheng glanced at the husbands of Yang Liu, Ning Cui, and Bisi, the "sisters-in-law." Susu and the others had formally pledged sisterhood, and these men were now his brothers-in-law.

Just as he was about to call on the eldest brother-in-law, Ning Cui’s husband, to step forward, he saw the three brothers-in-law step back in unison, shaking their heads. "Heh, don’t call us cowards, if you’re so good, you go."

Hong Sheng was momentarily speechless; in front of his wife, he too lacked confidence! Especially since he had just upset his wife earlier. Thinking of this, Hong Sheng glanced toward Prince Gong and his entourage, who were picking willows by the city moat not far from the long pavilion. "Maybe you’re the jester invited by the monkey!"

In fact, the women already knew their limits even without Hong Sheng and the others saying anything. Such a large group naturally attracted attention. The Old Madam soon stopped them, saying, "People often say the hardest tears to shed are those for departures, but you’ve ruined the atmosphere, turning it from reluctant farewells to a raucous send-off!"

Susu affectionately held the Old Madam’s hand, saying, "This is better; why should we always be tearful? It’s just a long trip, and who knows, I may return one day! Then, I’ll be at the mansion pestering you every day, and you’ll grow tired of me!"

Bisi, usually more of a doer than a talker, also chimed in, "Oh, please, stay out and enjoy yourself for a few more years, let the Old Madam pamper us for a change!" Yang Liu and Ning Cui echoed, "Exactly, when you come, the Old Madam doesn’t see anyone else. I’m so jealous I’m burning with envy."

Susu laughed, "There’s a saying that if you’re craving sour things, you’ll have a boy, and if spicy, a girl. You’re all sure to have big chubby boys!"

Happy times always pass quickly, and no matter how reluctant Susu was, the time for farewells had come. The Old Madam steeled herself and pushed Susu gently, "Go now, and write home once you reach the post stations along the way, to set our minds at ease. If the food and accommodations there don’t suit you, just write and I’ll have the merchants send you whatever you need."

After she finished speaking, the Old Madam handed a letter to Susu, "Our family can’t help much over there, but this is a letter Qing He’s wife wrote to her aunt. You should still remember, she’s the Third Madam of Duke Zhen’s Mansion. If you need anything, when you arrive, first pay a visit to your in-laws’ aunt; you understand all this without my saying." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Holding the letter in her hand, Susu felt it weighed a thousand pounds. She couldn’t fathom the feelings the Heir’s wife had as she wrote the letter; presumably, it was a bit reluctantly. Otherwise, why would the Old Madam only give it to her now? After all, asking her own blood aunt to look after someone from another’s household seemed somewhat awkward, even Susu herself felt embarrassed.