Chapter Thirty-Three: Xu Mingjin's Sisters

  As they spoke, Xu Mingxuan was also helped down from the carriage behind him. For a moment, everyone's gaze shifted away from Xu Mingjin and turned to Xu Mingxuan in unison.

  Xu Mingxuan's face had fully recovered from the injury. The medicine was incredibly effective. At this moment, with so many people staring at him, Xu Mingxuan's face showed no signs of tension after getting off the car. Although Xu Mingjin had repeatedly instructed and reminded him, he couldn't bring himself to show an excited expression when seeing Ye Shi, just like he would when seeing Fan Furen. This was what Xu Mingjin had strongly demanded, and Xu Mingxuan had originally agreed to it. However, at this moment, facing his mother's killer, he still had to force a smile and make an excited expression. Xu Mingxuan felt an unbearable pain in his heart. For a moment, he wanted to turn around and run away, but when he glanced at Xu Mingjin, he found her quietly gazing at him, as if she knew what he was thinking deep down.

  Xu Mingxuan suddenly calmed down.

  Standing there for a moment, he burst into tears and knelt down in front of Xu Ruoyi, his voice trembling as he shouted out two words: "Father!"

  Xu Ruoyi's face showed a moved expression, he took a step forward, pulled up Xu Mingxuan who was kneeling there, and wiped away his tears with his hand, saying: "Good child!"

  Mrs. Ye smiled slightly, and Xu Mingxuan turned around to kneel down to her, but was quickly pulled back by her: "Good child, I know your filial piety, you've had a long journey, don't kneel, hurry up, mother has prepared a welcoming feast for you, let's go in quickly!"

  At this time a bright and clear female voice came: "Mother, we sisters have not seen the new sister and brother from the countryside yet!"

  Xu Mingjin heard this and looked at the woman who was speaking, only to see that she had skin as white as snow, a standard melon-seed face, and a perfect beauty. However, there was a glint of malice in her eyes: "But we haven't asked for Sixth Sister's name yet? However, Sixth Sister grew up in the countryside, and her previous name is not something that can be mentioned in polite society, it would make people laugh at our Minister's estate! Why don't Mother give Sixth Sister a new name herself?"

  "How dare you!" Mrs. Xu's phoenix eyes flashed with anger as she glared at the beauty, her originally proud and arrogant expression suddenly wilting like a frost-bitten eggplant.

  Mrs. Xue smiled and said to Xu Mingjin, "This is your second sister, Mingying. She has a bad mouth, but she's not a bad person." Xu Mingjin took a step forward, bowed to Xu Mingying, and said, "Greetings to my second sister, thank you for your concern. However, this name was given by Father himself, even if it's not suitable for me to be on stage, it's still Father's intention. I, Jin'er, will never disappoint him."

  After hearing Xu Mingjin's words, Xu Ruoyi looked at Xu Mingying with a displeased gaze. Frightened, Xu Mingying immediately reddened her eyes and repeatedly apologized to Xu Mingjin: "It was Second Sister who was ignorant and narrow-minded, Father's naming is of course the best. Our sisters' names were all given by Father, it was Second Sister's mistake for forgetting, please forgive me, Younger Sister, don't mind this matter."

  Xu Ruoyi heard Xu Mingying say this, and his expression improved a bit. In his heart, he couldn't bear to scold this daughter whom he had always doted on. Xu Mingjin saw through it clearly and couldn't help but smile sarcastically, saying lightly: "Second sister is being too serious, my younger sister has just arrived from the countryside, please second sister give her more guidance in the future."

  Xu Mingying listened and puffed up with pride again. At this time, Xu Mingxuan also walked over and saluted Xu Mingying: "Xuan'er greets Second Sister." Xu Mingying knew that Xu Mingxuan was the only male in the Shangshu Mansion, so she didn't make things difficult for him. On the contrary, she couldn't stop praising him: "Father, Seventh Brother really looks like you, both are so intelligent and exceptional. One look and it's clear that he will have a bright future!"

  Xu Mingying's words can be said to have pleased Xu Mingxuan and also fawned on Xu Ruoyi. Xu Mingjin looked at Xu Ruoyi, who had heard Xu Mingying's words, and couldn't help but feel a deep sense of emotion: "The water in this Shangshu Mansion is not shallow at all."

  At this moment, the rest of the beauties also flattered Xu Mingxuan. But it's better to say that they were flattering Xu Ruoyi rather than Xu Mingxuan. Xu Mingjin looked up and saw that Xu Mingxuan remained calm in the face of their flattery.

  Mrs. Xü couldn't bear to see several people openly praising Xü Míng Xuān while secretly currying favor with Xü Ruò Yì, so she interrupted them and said to Xü Míng Jǐn: "Jǐn ér, your elder sister went to the Píng Xī Wang Fǔ today to accompany Wú Shuāng Jùn Zhuāng, and sent a message back saying that the young lady asked her to stay overnight. Therefore, she couldn't meet with you, don't blame her, wait until tomorrow, let her personally apologize to you."

  Xu Mingjin hastily said, "Mother, you're being too serious. What fault does my sister have? Since the princess has kept her, it has nothing to do with my sister. Tomorrow, I'll personally take my sister to pay respects." Although she said so, her heart was on high alert. The Ping Xi Wang Fu? She immediately thought of the time at the White Cloud Temple when Princess Ping Xi, under the pretext of searching for an escaped slave, ordered people to search her room in the middle of the night. That Princess Ping Xi was from the Ping Xi Wang Fu, wasn't she?

  Madam Xü nodded in satisfaction. She looked at Xu Mingjin with approval. Very good, he knows how to speak, much better than those few illegitimate children in the mansion.

  Mrs. Xu introduced the beautiful women standing next to Xu Mingying: "This is your third sister, Mingyu." Xu Mingjin bowed to Xu Mingyu and found that she was a beautiful woman with an oval face, comparable to Xu Mingying. However, Xu Mingyu's expression was enthusiastic, and after returning the courtesy, she went forward and warmly grasped Xu Mingjin's hand.

  Xu Mingjin remained expressionless. She knew that one couldn't judge people by their appearance, and perhaps this gentle and warm Xu Mingyu was more difficult to deal with than the fierce and aggressive Xu Mingying.

  "This is your fourth sister, Mingfang." Mrs. Xu continued to introduce.

  Xu Mingjin took advantage of the gap in the ceremony to take a sneak peek at Xu Mingfang, and found that she was younger than both Xu Mingying and Xu Mingyu. However, her expression was the most elusive. Of course, she was also a beauty. Xu Mingjin looked at the last remaining beauty, and just then, Mrs. Xu Ying began introducing her: "This is your fifth sister, Mingqian."

  Xu Mingjin couldn't help but sigh: Xu Ruoyi's daughters are all beautiful, of course, including her, Xu Mingjin.

  Xu Mingxuan also greeted the beauties one by one, and couldn't help but be praised. Xu Mingjin looked at Xu Mingxuan with a unchanged face, nodding in approval: Good kid, you've made progress.

  Mrs. Hsu finished introducing all the beauties and again suggested going back to discuss further. This time, no one opposed it anymore.

  Mrs. Xü pulled Xu Mingjin and Xu Mingxuan's hands, several sisters followed behind, a large group of people walked towards the Shangshu Mansion gate.

  Xu Ruoyi suddenly stopped and frowned: "Where's Fan Niang? Didn't you come back together?"

  Xu Mingjin sneered, finally remembering. She thought her father only brought her and her brother back because there were no male descendants in the mansion. If possible, he probably only wanted to bring Xu Mingxuan back? He had so many daughters, one more or one less wouldn't make a difference. She was basically just an extra, reluctantly brought back.

  Xu Mingjin sneered, it seemed she really wasn't important here. After hearing Xu Ruoyi's words, Xu Mingjin pretended to casually glance at Madame Ye, only to see her stiffen and then look at Xu Ruoyi with some unease. From this, Xu Mingjin finally confirmed that Madame Ye knew about the death of Concubine Fan. Zhou Mama had said she didn't send any messages back to the capital. So who did? This time, they left Zhou Mama and others at the other estate, and when they passed through the city gate, Zhang Mama didn't ask why Zhou Mama wasn't there. Now, Madame Ye also refused to mention Zhou Mama, as if she had never sent Zhou Mama to Liu City to pick them up. It seemed Madame Ye had sent someone to look for Zhou Mama.

  Xu Mingjin thought of these things in his heart, but on his face was an expression that seemed to be on the verge of tears. This expression shocked Xu Ruoyi, and the look on his face slowly changed.

  "What's wrong with your mother?"