Chapter Thirty-Six: Dispelling Doubts

  As a mother, she let the slave monitor her eldest son and daughter's actions, even if it was under the guise of concern, but it was hard not to suspect her ulterior motives.

  Moreover, Liu's attitude towards Jing Er and Lin family's illegitimate daughter was indeed overly concerned, especially the previous speculation was not like the usual trust shown to the two children, it's likely that there were ulterior motives.

  "Don't take your mother's words to heart, she was just making a wild guess, it can't be true. As your father, I wouldn't think that way either." Han Feng took a relatively fair and objective stance, comforting Han Jiang Xue while also giving Liu Shi a slightly dissatisfied glance, serving as a reminder.

  As for others, there's no need to say more. After all, family members still have to get along in the future. If it's not a big deal, I don't want to make a fuss about it either.

  Han Jiangxue couldn't see through her father's thoughts, but she had long understood that such things can't be rushed, and need to be done step by step, giving her father a process of psychological adaptation and acceptance. Today, her purpose has been achieved, so she doesn't want to confront Liu Shi anymore.

  "Father, I came to tell you that tomorrow is Grandfather's birthday. My brother and I plan to go visit him early in the morning to celebrate with him." Jiang Xue didn't mention anything about what happened earlier and instead said to Han Feng, "Uncle and Aunt can't come back, so Grandfather is all alone at home, feeling quite lonely. That's why my brother and I want to stay there for a few days to keep him company and show our filial piety. Please, Father, agree to this."

  Upon hearing this, Han Feng suddenly remembered that Tang Xiao's 67th birthday was indeed the reason, and hurriedly said: "So Snow came to find her father for this matter. Look at me, these days have been busy and I almost forgot your grandfather's birthday. In that case, tomorrow Father will take some time off to accompany you siblings to celebrate Grandfather's birthday, and then you siblings can stay with the old man for a few more days, which is only natural."

  "Dad has a lot on his plate, so there's no need to make a special trip. Grandpa said it early on, and it's not a big birthday anyway, so there's no need to make a fuss. Let's just have the two of us siblings go keep him company for a few days." Han Jiangxue knew that her grandfather wasn't too keen on seeing her father, so she hadn't planned on having her father join them in the first place.

  It had only been half a year since Mother passed away, and Father had already remarried to Liu Shi. Although it was said that the imperial nobleman's matchmaker was not good at declining, it was indeed too hasty for him to remarry so quickly. Grandfather had always been angry with Father about this matter, and over the years, he rarely wanted to see Father.

  Han Feng also understood this, so after hearing his daughter's words, he didn't insist on anything else. He just instructed someone to prepare a good birthday gift and let the two children understand that they should deliver it with sincerity.

  Having settled the matter with her father, Han Jiangxue left quickly. At the moment of departure, she didn't even give Liu a glance, not hiding her opinion about him at all.

  Han Feng did not show any dissatisfaction with his daughter's attitude, on the contrary, after Han Jiangxue left, seeing Liu Shi's helpless expression as if she wanted to explain, he frowned and said: "You can go back first, don't do anything that makes the servants monitor their masters in the future, they are my children, not prisoners!"

  "Old master, I really didn't have any ill intentions, it's just that..." Liu heard this and immediately became flustered, hastily speaking out to explain to Han Feng in order to eliminate some unfavorable influences.

  "Alright, you don't need to say any more. Xue'er is right, if you have the ability, it's better to take care of Jing'er and Duan'er first, teach them well before talking about others." Han Feng said, ignoring Liu Shi, picked up the book on the desk and flipped through it expressionlessly.

  Seeing this, Liu also didn't want to say anything more at this juncture, and had no choice but to follow his words and retreat first, waiting for Han Feng's anger to dissipate before thinking of a way to make amends.

  The next morning, Han Jiangxue and Han Jing brought Qingmu and Ziyue back to the Tan family to celebrate Old Man Tan's birthday.

  Seeing a pair of grandchildren coming, Tan Xiao was very happy. Even on such a day, there was no exception. He first greeted Han Jing and they exchanged pleasantries. Today, Han Jing was unusually tactful, not competing or arguing about winning or losing, just accompanying the old man to have a good time.

  They sat around the stone table and stools in the courtyard, chatting together. It was said that the two children could stay for two more days this time, and Tan Xiao was overjoyed. In the idle chat, it was learned that the two children were becoming more and more promising, and as a grandfather, he was beaming with joy and pride.

  Han Jiangxue took the opportunity to bring up the agreement between her brother and father, wanting to see if Grandfather also had deep-seated prejudices about family status like Father.

  Who would have thought that after hearing this, the old man not only didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but instead kept patting Han Jing's shoulder and praising him: "Good kid, great! This is truly having guts! Just because you dared to openly defy your father, I'll support you all the way! Although I don't have the ability to help you change Lin Jia's status as a concubine, when you really have the ability to do it, I'll make sure that foolish father of yours doesn't go back on his word!"

  "Thank you, Grandpa!" Han Jing also knew that such things were not easy to do, so his grandpa's attitude had already made him feel relieved. This thank you was not just for what his grandpa had just said, but also a kind of gratitude for his grandpa's recognition of Xiao Xiao.

  "Thanks, thanks, you're really a silly kid." Tan Xiao laughed and shook his head, but then asked with great interest: "By the way, didn't the Lin family reject the Wu family's proposal yesterday? You stinky kid, how did you do it? Quickly tell Grandpa, I don't believe that the Lin family suddenly went crazy and it has nothing to do with you."

  "Grandfather, this really wasn't me." Han Jing also started laughing and looked at Han Jiangxue beside him: "Ask your sister, it was all her idea."

  It turned out to be Han Jiangxue's behind-the-scenes move, and Tan Xiao was even more excited, clapping his hands in praise: "Well done, girl, you're getting smarter and smarter, hurry up and tell Grandpa how you did it?"

  Han Jiangxue explained simply, "Actually, I didn't do anything. I just wrote an anonymous letter to Lin Xiaoxiao's father and had someone secretly deliver it to him. The letter only mentioned two things: first, the Wu family's proposal was not their true intention, but rather instructed by someone else; second, it exposed the corrupt and hypocritical nature of the Wu family's elder. That's all I wrote. Lin Xiaoxiao's father is a man of high moral character, so he naturally refused the marriage proposal."

  This sounds simple, but Tan Xiao didn't get old and confused, he asked with a surprised expression: "Girl, how did you know that the old thing from Wu's family is not clean? And where did you find evidence to make Lord Lin believe?"

  Lin's family elder, Tan Xiao, had heard that although his rank was not high, he was a very honest and upright person. As for the head of the Wu family being corrupt and lawless, he wasn't quite sure if it was true or not, but as a person, he seemed to be somewhat unscrupulous. But how did Jiang Xue, this little girl, know all these things?

  Tan Xiao's confusion was also Han Jing's incomprehension, but since his sister didn't bring it up herself, he couldn't ask too much. He always felt that his current sister had completely changed from the past, and this change seemed to hide some huge secrets. He also tried to ask, but was skillfully dodged by his sister each time.

  After a long time, he no longer interfered too much. In short, it was clear in his mind that whatever his sister did, she had her own reasons and must be right. He had subconsciously become accustomed to following his sister's lead and arrangements, which was not just a matter of trust, but also because every event that occurred proved that his sister's ideas and decisions were the most correct.

  At this time, hearing his grandfather's inquiry, Han Jiangxue also took out the words he had prepared early: "Now in this official circle, how many people are really as clean and honest as Grandfather? Since the Wu family is willing to use their son's marriage to curry favor with some people in our Han family, it naturally shows that such a person's character is not good. So I spent more silver to find someone to investigate, and together with Lord Lin's personality of not being able to tolerate any sand in his eyes, I was lucky enough to mess up this matter first."

  "Uncle, the silver I got from Li Xingming last time has almost been spent. This silver is really good stuff, but it's just not durable at all!" Han Jiangxue said with a sigh, implying to her uncle Tan Xiao that she hoped to swindle some more silver from him to use freely.

  PS: Updated! Everyone has time to drop by and leave a message, the book review section is so cold in winter, it's easy to catch a cold, byebye~