Chapter 10: Troublesome

10. Troublesome

The Dowager Lady Yao of the Marquis of Zhongyong's Estate and Duan Yuran's mother, Lady Yao, were biological aunt and niece. However, the younger Lady Yao was born of a concubine and had not been highly valued in her family before marrying Duan Chunyu.

The Dowager Lady, Old Lady Yao, was the second wife of the late Marquis of Zhongyong. The previous Marchioness of Zhongyong was Old Lady Yao's elder female cousin. The first wife had borne three sons and one daughter to the late Marquis, among whom Duan Chunyu was the youngest.

When Old Lady Yao became the second wife of the late Marquis, the eldest of the three sons born to the cousin was eleven years old and had already been granted the title of Heir Apparent; the second son was nine, and the eldest daughter was eight—all were already sensible children. Only the two-and-a-half-year-old youngest son, Duan Chunyu, was still a child who understood nothing. Naturally, the older children would not be close to Old Lady Yao, so she poured all her energy into Duan Chunyu! If she could not bear a son herself, she might have to rely on this child to support her in her later years!

At first, Old Lady Yao truly raised Duan Chunyu as if he were her own biological child, with no ulterior motives. But after three years of marriage to the Marquis of Zhongyong, she gave birth to her own son, and her intentions began to shift! She started to grow envious of the Marquis of Zhongyong's noble title...

Before the age of eleven, Duan Yuran lived in the Marquis of Zhongyong's estate with her parents and elder brother. She frequently saw the Dowager Lady and the people of the Fourth Branch frolicking about happily, occasionally even using her own father—who had nearly been raised into uselessness—as a tool! If it weren't for her mother, the younger Lady Yao, being clever and devoted to her husband and children, and occasionally offering indirect warnings to Duan Chunyu, the Third Branch might have become the cannon fodder in the power struggles between the Dowager Lady and the current Marquis of Zhongyong!

It was also the younger Lady Yao's idea to leave the capital's estate and come to their ancestral home in Pingcheng to manage the family businesses. Rather than letting Duan Chunyu and his son have nothing to do in the Marquis's estate and spending every day worrying about becoming cannon fodder, it was better to stay far away from the trouble and seek peace! At the same time, it allowed Duan Chunyu and Duan Yuhang to learn some skills while managing the businesses, so they wouldn't end up with no expertise and nothing to show for themselves when the family eventually split and they had to live off their inheritance!

Originally, the family had been living quite well in Pingcheng over these past few years; her father and brother had both made progress. However, because of her marriage matters, the Dowager Lady in the capital had gained leverage, forcing the Third Branch to return to the capital!

Duan Yuran did not regret her insistence on divorcing Ren Feiteng, but she couldn't help feeling a sense of guilt toward her family! After all, if she had been a proper, traditional lady of an ancient noble family, perhaps this divorce would never have happened!

"Miss, are we really going back to the capital?" As they emerged from Lady Yao's courtyard, Bizhu couldn't help but say, "How can the capital's estate be as free as it is here in Pingcheng? Besides, once we return, the Sixth Miss and Ninth Miss of the Fourth Branch will surely use your divorce to say unpleasant things again!"

Among the girls of the same generation in the Marquis of Zhongyong's estate, Duan Yuran ranked fourth. After arriving in Pingcheng, there was only Duan Chunyu's immediate family. The Third Master had made a grand, heroic decision to act on behalf of his children, ordering all the servants to change their forms of address to call Duan Yuhang "Eldest Young Master" and Duan Yuran "Eldest Young Lady"! It was a way of venting the frustration they had endured in the Marquis's estate!

Duan Yuran also had a headache whenever she thought of those two cousins from the Fourth Branch! Before her transmigration, she was not a woman with a convoluted mind, and after transmigrating, due to her personality, she could not learn the way of speaking in half-sentences or making people guess her meaning, let alone guessing the thoughts of others! Thus, during those eleven years living in the Marquis of Zhongyong's estate, she was the one among her cousins who was taciturn and not close to any of the branches!

But it was precisely because she was not close to any of her cousins that she was isolated!

Duan Yuran gave a light sigh and said, "Let them say whatever they want; it doesn't affect me one bit. If they go too far, even Eldest Aunt will not permit it."

Tarnishing her reputation was equivalent to tarnishing the reputation of all the unmarried girls in the Marquis's estate! The Marchioness of Zhongyong would not allow them to do such a thing! What she had to worry about was how not to be exploited by those with ulterior motives! Now that she was returning to the Marquis of Zhongyong's estate with the status of a "returned daughter" (da gui), those waiting to use her to trample their rivals were likely already sharpening their knives!

Da Gui: In ancient times, when a woman divorced, was cast out, or became a widow and was taken back to her maiden home, it was called "da gui."