Chapter 243 - 241: You’re Finally Willing to Talk to Me

Chapter 243: Chapter 241: You’re Finally Willing to Talk to Me

Chunxiang’s nature isn’t as meticulous as Chunyang’s. She pouted and said, "You speak as if you’re the one investigating the case, even though the mistress hasn’t said anything yet."

Chunyang immediately glared at Chunxiang, feigning to hit her. Chunxiang quickly hid behind Xu Jing, laughing and begging for mercy, and the atmosphere in the carriage gradually improved.

After playing around for a while, Chunyang composed herself and spoke of serious matters, "These past few days, the mistress has been so preoccupied with the investigation that she scarcely has time to teach Zisu and the others, let alone prepare for the end-of-month wedding. Mistress, you should stop running around and properly prepare for the wedding!"

Zisu and the others were the little female doctors Zhou Qi had helped Xu Jing find earlier. Since they were all orphans, they had ridiculous names, even someone called Big Ya. Xu Jing simply renamed them after medicinal herbs.

Previously, it was Cheng Xianbai who taught Zisu and the others, but not long ago, Cheng Xianbai and Cheng Qingqing took the three doctors she trained back to Anping County to reopen Xinglin Hall. They couldn’t return anytime soon, so Xu Jing had to teach them personally.

Seeing Chunyang’s expression of "If mistress doesn’t agree, I’m going to die of advice," Xu Jing lightly coughed and said, "Alright, but often, it’s not that I seek trouble, it’s that trouble finds me..."

She felt quite helpless about it!

Chunyang immediately smiled with satisfaction and said, "Don’t worry, Mistress, everyone in the Western Capital knows that you and Vice Minister Xiao are remarrying at the end of the month. Those with any sense will no longer bother you!"

However, just as Chunyang finished speaking, her words slapped her face.

As soon as they returned home, a guard at the gate approached them with a strange expression and said, "Mistress, a guest came earlier. Since you weren’t here, Nanny Wen had to welcome them in and entertain them first."

A guest?

Besides Zhao Shaohua and Zhao Jingming, who else could it be?

Xu Jing raised her eyebrows slightly and asked, "Did they mention their identity?"

"They did."

The guard paused and said, "They said they’re from your mother’s side."

Someone from her mother’s side...

Xu Jing was stunned.

Chunxiang, after recovering, couldn’t help but excitedly say, "Mistress, it must be the Xu Family! They must have heard about your remarriage with Vice Minister Xiao and rushed over!"

But Chunyang thought more deeply, biting her lip and saying, "Why is the Xu Family coming only now? Clearly, when mistress... was forced to leave the Western Capital, they didn’t come looking for you."

For the past half year, they hadn’t even sent a letter of concern!

This was why Chunyang didn’t insist that mistress go to Bianzhou to seek refuge with the Xu Family later on.

If they truly cared about mistress, how could they remain silent after such a major event transpired with her?

Chunxiang said somewhat hesitantly, "Maybe there’s some misunderstanding? Over the years, the Xu Family has always cared about mistress. When we were on the estate, it was thanks to them that life was so good. How could they not care about mistress? Besides, at that time, it was mistress who didn’t want to see them first..."

"Chunxiang!"

Chunyang immediately scolded.

Chunxiang anxiously said, "I...I didn’t mean to blame mistress. I just want to say there might be some misunderstanding..."

Xu Jing had remained silent, finally softly saying, "We’ll discuss it inside."

Though she inherited the original owner’s memories, she had always been reluctant to explore them too deeply. There were too many negative emotions. Just having arrived in this world, she needed to focus on living her own life well.

However, avoiding exploration didn’t mean she could escape the original owner’s past, just as she couldn’t escape from Xu Ya and the others.

Xu Jing slowly walked inside. Before she even reached the main hall, those sitting inside eagerly stood up.

Inside were four people—a tall, middle-aged man with a handlebar mustache and sharp eyes, a refined-looking man in his twenties, fair-skinned and dressed in light blue brocade, another man with similar eyebrows to the first but clearly younger, and a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl with a pretty face dressed in an orange gown.

Seeing Xu Jing, they were evidently very excited, and they all said in unison:

"Jing!"

"Cousin!"

Upon seeing them, images of their corresponding identities immediately flashed through Xu Jing’s mind.

The middle-aged man was Xu Sihai, the original owner’s maternal uncle and head of the Xu Family.

The man in the light blue brocade was Xu Huan’an, Xu Sihai’s eldest son and the original owner’s cousin. The younger man was her younger cousin, also Xu Huan’an’s younger brother—Xu Huaiyang.

The girl in the orange gown was Xu Sihai’s youngest daughter, the original owner’s younger cousin Xu Huaijin.

Xu Jing glanced at them and lightly smiled, saying, "Uncle, cousin, younger cousin, little cousin, why have you come so suddenly? You didn’t even inform me beforehand."

Her attitude clearly surprised them, and they looked at Xu Jing in a daze for a while. Xu Sihai suddenly stepped forward, a man of great stature, even teared up from excitement, "Jing, you... you’re not avoiding us anymore? You’re finally willing to speak properly to Uncle?"

Xu Huaiyang, younger in age and less composed, quickly stepped forward, anxiously saying, "Cousin, don’t blame our father and brother. They were unaware of the happenings back then. It was all Yang Quanfu, that villain, who betrayed us and kept us in the dark! When the Xu Family wanted to marry you to the Marquis Wushun’s family, we genuinely didn’t know!"

As they spoke, involuntary images began to flash across Xu Jing’s mind.

After the original owner was sent to the estate, the Xu Family wanted to bring her to Bianzhou, but Xu Guangyi wouldn’t allow it. After all, she was still a Xu daughter. Xu Guangyi, by then the Minister of Public Works, was not someone the small Xu Family could contend with, so they had to give up.

But Xu Sihai subsequently went personally to the Western Capital to negotiate with Xu Guangyi. They agreed not to take her away, but the Xu Family must be responsible for her life on the estate.

Xu Guangyi was indifferent to this matter, and Mrs. Wen was eager not to spend a copper coin on the original owner, so they agreed.

After that, the Xu Family sent a steward and several servants to the Western Capital to take care of the original owner’s life. This steward was Yang Quanfu, as mentioned by Xu Huaiyang.

Yang Quanfu treated the original owner well and even found Chunyang and Chunxiang for her. According to the Xu Family’s instructions, he arranged tutors for the original owner to learn literacy and properly attended to her life. The Xu Family, though eager to personally care for her, was thwarted by the thousand-mile distance between Bianzhou and the Western Capital, so they could only visit at most once or twice a year.

Thus, at times, the original owner felt more attached to Yang Quanfu than even to them.

Yet, little did they know, seeds of distrust had been planted long before.