An ugly girl starts off, then becomes a beauty

The end of the month is Grandpa Nie's birthday. Although it is a casual birthday, for an old man of this age, even if it is held once a year, it cannot be considered extravagant, let alone in a family like the Nie family who are well-fed, extravagant and indulgent.

Everyone in the mansion had been preparing for this since the middle of the month. As it happened, the 22nd was also Sang Ling's birthday. The only people in the mansion who knew about this, besides Cheng Ai, Zong Xiang and Wei Chu who were by Sang Ling's side, was Fourth Aunt Zhang.

Even though Sang Ling didn't want to make a big fuss, Zhang came over to celebrate.

Someone came back early in the morning and said that the Marquis would be back later. This later was a very general time. Either dark or afternoon. If he happened to see Zhang celebrating Sang Ling's birthday, the scene would be embarrassing.

Especially the night before he left, the two seemed to be in a cold war. Although there was no specific reason, the two of them just had nothing to say to each other.

For this reason, Sang Ling really didn't want to hold this birthday party - even if it was just a small one in Wuyuan.

He declined the offer with Zhang two or three times, and finally ran to Jingyuan to join in the fun.

As luck would have it, the men were not at home at the moment, so the two of them took their servants and set up two tables in the east wing for dinner.

The dice is rolled and the game begins.

From time to time, two or three little maids came to watch and placed delicacies on the table on the side of the kang. The two masters played chess enthusiastically. After a while, a group of people gathered around the chess table, shouting "Sai, Sai." Sometimes they shouted "Five, Five."

Zhang was ready to fight. As soon as the dice fell, a five stood in front of her. The five could not move. After half an hour, success or failure depended on this one move. Sang Ling immediately grabbed the dice and said with a sly smile, "Fourth Aunt, thank you for letting me." Just as he was about to throw it out, he heard Cheng's voice from behind the crowd, "The Marquis is back."

She said "Oh" immediately. He was back, it wasn't like no one had greeted him. She blew on the dice in her palm again and was about to toss it.

Aunt Cheng added, "The eldest lady has sent a message, asking you to go to Yunyue Pavilion with the Marquis."

Sang Ling still didn't respond.

"Go ahead." Zhang bit her lower lip and cheered - if this time the second young master's wife could move her child, she would really win.

The person on the other side snorted and said with a hint of reluctance, "I'm done with this game."

Zhang's heart suddenly throbbed, and her eyes fixed on the dice. As the Second Young Master's wife raised her hand high and then gently put it down, she almost made eye contact. But she didn't see her put it down for a long time, so she looked up and saw that the little girl in front of her had stood up with a smile, and put the dice slightly on the table, and said softly, "Fourth Aunt, don't move the chessboard, we will play again tomorrow."

Zong Xiang and Wei Chu went back to Wuyuan first. Sang Ling was wearing a robe with gold edges today, which was wrapped around his legs, so he could not move quickly.

Cheng followed a few steps behind him, and sighed leisurely, "I still don't understand the Fourth Madam."

It is hard to understand. Zhang is not a simple-minded person. In big occasions, she is like a fish swimming among the crowd. The First Lady and the Second Lady are fighting openly and secretly, and the Third Lady is a landmine that may explode at any time. Only she does not offend anyone. Even though she knows that Shen Huajun is at the center of the struggle between the two houses, she never comments and keeps herself out of it.

If you really want to avoid offending anyone, you should have less contact with Sang Ling at this time. After all, if Shen Huajun really enters Wuyuan in the future, Sang Ling will represent the first wife's room, and Shen Huajun will naturally be behind the second wife. Which side will Zhang stand on at that time? ——When everyone greeted Shen Huajun in the hall of right and wrong, she mentioned that Shen Huajun had never been educated. Her seemingly casual reply was still biased towards the second wife.

Then all of Zhang's actions did not seem to be aimless, or it was really as Nie Ce said, that every tree and grass in Sangling was an enemy.

She could only put her hands in her pockets and look up at the sky above the mansion, staring at the sun hidden behind the clouds for a while. Even though she felt that Zhang was suspicious, she represented the fourth house after all - and the fourth house was not among the three suspects listed by Sang Ling.

Just as she was about to start walking again, she heard footsteps coming from behind her. Cheng Lao looked back faster than she did. When Sang Ling went to look, he could only see the backs of the two servants leaning forward as they walked into Jingyuan.

When she was about to turn around, she saw one of the slaves turned his head quietly. Seeing that she was still looking at him, he suddenly became at a loss. In panic, he buried his face in his collar, turned around and ran away.

"How strange." Aunt Cheng muttered.

Although Sang Ling was a little confused, she didn't care much about it. She lifted her skirt and walked back to Wuyuan.

……

Madam Zhaoyu called the young couple to Yunyue Pavilion and briefed them on what would happen at the birthday banquet at the end of the month.

The autumn shooting lasts for fifteen days, and by the time of the old man’s birthday, Nie Ce will have finished most of his work, and by then he, the adopted grandson, will have to come back and make good preparations.

"Stop running around. Take your wife to talk more in front of your grandfather. Also, learn from your second uncle and talk in social situations."

The lecture in private was very straightforward. Even a general like Nie Ce, who was usually so majestic and high-spirited in public, had to bow his head and accept the lecture in front of his mother.

Sang Ling lowered her brows and looked down. After a while, she saw Madam Zhaoyu waving her hand to leave. She was about to leave with Nie Ce, but Madam Zhaoyu called her back, "My wife, stay."

He couldn't help but look up at Nie Ce, but seeing that he was also confused, he looked away awkwardly.

I just heard Madam Zhaoyu scolding her son, and she said that she might be the next one to be scolded.

When Nie Ce disappeared from the door, Madam Zhao Yu sighed and asked, "Did you have a fight?"

No matter how powerful this man is, he can't have a pair of piercing eyes. How could mother-in-law see through Nie Ce's autumn archery practice? -- Sang Ling pondered for a moment, thinking about how she and Nie Ce had been together in the past. Since the successful marriage consummation, the two had become much closer: when they first got married, a big man could stand between them when they walked together, and even when they knelt at the same table, they tried not to touch each other.

But after the marriage consummation, not only did they not avoid daily touching each other, but they even smiled when they occasionally looked at each other.

It is normal to have a first taste of love and leave an endless aftertaste.

Looking back at today, the two haven't seen each other for more than ten days. Last time, they had a few arguments, and there was indeed some estrangement between them.

The way the two of them were interacting just now seemed like they had gone back to the time when they first got married, and they subconsciously avoided each other with every move.

Seeing that Sang Ling was still thinking, Madam Zhaoyu could only shake her head helplessly, "Can I ask what you two were arguing about?"

It was also strange that the mother-in-law who had always let things go could take the initiative to ask questions. Although Sang Ling was a little surprised, he chose to conceal it first. "It's not a big deal, mother. The Marquis and I just have a daily quarrel. I will talk to him properly when I go back."

He is her biological son, so does she have to tell her mother-in-law about her husband’s faults?

Besides, even if she told her family or Aunt Cheng about the Cyclamen incident, they probably wouldn't think there was anything wrong.

Fortunately, Madam Zhaoyu did not force her to ask any further questions and let her go back to Wuyuan.