Chapter 647 Always the Second Option

**Chapter 647: Always the Second Choice**

The Dowager Duchess of Xin and her entourage made a round through the main hall and found everything in order. The almsgiving platform, the altar for lonely souls, and the Yama platform were all properly arranged. Fresh flowers, incense burners, fruits, water vessels, food offerings, and everlasting lamps on the offering table were all ready—flawlessly prepared with nothing to fault. Satisfied, the Dowager Duchess gave a nod and confirmed that everything was set.

In the evening, the temple served vegetarian dishes. Though there was no meat, the food was delicately and deliciously prepared, and Madam Wei couldn’t stop praising it.

After dinner, it was still early at the temple. The Dowager Duchess of Xin and Madam Wei, both elderly, quickly grew tired and had no desire to go out walking. The two elders lazily reclined on the couch, chatting together.

Xingxing sat cross-legged on the other side of the couch, reading a storybook by candlelight.

Under the soft glow of the candle, the Dowager Duchess listened to Madam Wei’s amusing stories from the countryside, occasionally glancing at Xingxing, who was quietly engrossed in her book. She felt completely content.

Madam Wei was just recounting how someone had tried to frame Yu Yongliu for carrying forbidden notes during the provincial exam, only to be exposed by Xingxing. The Dowager Duchess was so absorbed in the tale that she didn’t notice when a knock at the door interrupted the storytelling mood.

It was one of the maids standing outside in the corridor, announcing that the heir’s wife and Miss Yu had arrived to pay their respects to the Dowager Duchess.

Madam Wei politely fell silent and stood up. “Since the young lady has arrived, we should take our leave…”

Before she could finish speaking, the Dowager Duchess reached out and took Madam Wei’s arm. “No need, no need. Madam Wei, don’t go yet—you must finish telling me how Xingxing helped her third brother uncover that scheme. Otherwise, I’ll be thinking about it all night and won’t sleep well.”

Madam Wei considered this briefly and nodded. “Very well then.”

Xingxing put down her book, slipped on her shoes, and sat properly at the edge of the couch.

The Dowager Duchess felt a surge of tenderness at the child’s dutifulness.

Nanny Qingluan, the Dowager Duchess’s personal attendant, went personally to open the door. Jiao Shi and Yu Mingzhu stood waiting outside. Seeing Nanny Qingluan, Jiao Shi greeted her respectfully, calling her “Nanny,” and asked, “Has Mother not gone to bed yet? I’ve brought Mingzhu to pay her respects.”

Smiling, Nanny Qingluan stepped aside. “The Dowager Duchess is still awake and chatting with Madam Wei.”

Jiao Shi paused briefly, then led Yu Mingzhu inside. There, seated on one side of the Dowager Duchess’s couch, were Madam Wei and Xingxing.

When they saw Jiao Shi enter, Madam Wei and Xingxing rose immediately and bowed politely. “Lady Heir.”

Jiao Shi smiled. “Madam Wei.”

Yu Mingzhu also curtsied gracefully. “Greetings, Madam Wei.”

Madam Wei let out a pleased hum as she looked Yu Mingzhu over and signaled to her maid to bring a sachet. “This is my first time meeting Miss Yu. I didn’t prepare anything grand, but please accept this small gift as a token of greeting.”

Yu Mingzhu accepted it with both hands, her manners impeccable. “Thank you, Madam Wei.”

Her conduct was so flawless that even the most fastidious palace etiquette instructor would find nothing to criticize.

Seeing Mingzhu accept Madam Wei’s gift with such solemnity, the Dowager Duchess softened her expression and gently inquired, “My daughter-in-law, what brings you and Mingzhu here so late?”

Jiao Shi smiled. “Mother, it’s about tomorrow’s Land and Water Ceremony. Mingzhu is also part of the Duke of Xin’s household, and she wishes to wear mourning clothes to pray for our ancestors.”

She watched the Dowager Duchess’s expression carefully.

This was her subtle way of asking whether Mingzhu’s period of seclusion at the temple could come to an end.

If not, she would naturally have to wear Daoist robes tomorrow.

But if the Dowager Duchess permitted Mingzhu to wear mourning clothes, that would mean she was allowing her to return to the capital with them after the ceremony.

The Dowager Duchess gazed calmly at Yu Mingzhu.

Miss Yu stood there meekly, her face free of makeup, clad in an oversized Taoist robe that swallowed her frame, making her look all the more fragile and alone.

The Dowager Duchess remembered how sincerely Yu Mingzhu had apologized to Mao Fuqu earlier that day—it certainly seemed heartfelt.

The Dowager Duchess let out a nearly silent sigh. “Mingzhu is part of the Xinguo household too, so naturally she should wear mourning clothes.”

At this, Lady Jiao could hardly contain her smile, nodding eagerly. “Yes, yes, Mother is absolutely right.”

Yu Mingzhu had clearly matured; tears glistened in her eyes, but unlike Lady Jiao, she didn’t show open joy. Instead, she looked at the Dowager Duchess with tear-filled eyes and softly vowed, “Grandmother, I will never make such mistakes again.”

The Dowager Duchess gave a faint nod.

Yu Mingzhu then turned to Xingxing, who was sitting nearby, and said suddenly, “Your Highness.”

“Huh?” Xingxing looked up, puzzled.

Lady Jiao suddenly looked nervous.

She instinctively wanted to step between Yu Mingzhu and Xingxing but caught herself at the last moment.

—Her reaction showed she was afraid Xingxing might harm Yu Mingzhu.

But Xingxing wasn’t some monster; she was known for her gentle nature. Such wariness just made Xingxing want to laugh.

With sincere expression, Yu Mingzhu said, “Your Highness, I heard you’ve been looking after Grandpa and Grandma’s health these days. I really want to thank you.”

With that, she gave a proper curtsy to Xingxing.

“It’s nothing,” Xingxing said with a sigh. “You’re too kind, Miss Yu.”

Yu Mingzhu said no more, only offering Xingxing a friendly smile.

Lady Jiao looked thoroughly pleased.

Once they left, the Dowager Duchess—who had seemed somewhat distracted before—immediately perked up and grabbed Old Lady Wei’s hand excitedly. “Dear sister, tell me quickly—what happened after Xingxing helped her third brother deal with that plot?”

Old Lady Wei could only laugh in amusement.

Was the Dowager Duchess really this fond of their Xingxing?

It was clear enough—anything about Xingxing, and this noble duchess would hang on every word, ready to hear it eight times over.

Not that Old Lady Wei minded. She loved boasting about how amazing Xingxing was. Clearing her throat, she started telling the story with gusto.

Xingxing shook her head with a smile.

Back in the village, Old Lady Wei used to entertain the local women with tales like these—bragging about her granddaughter was practically a daily habit.

Since moving to the capital, Old Lady Wei hadn’t gotten to do much of this kind of storytelling about Xingxing. Now, she was loving every minute of it.

As it turned out, one loved to talk, and the other loved to listen—a perfect match.

When Old Lady Wei finally finished recounting everything, her throat was dry and night had fallen. The Dowager Duchess couldn’t help but pull Xingxing into a hug. “Oh, our Xingxing truly is a little lucky charm!”

Old Lady Wei beamed proudly. “That’s right! Ever since Xingxing came to our Yu family, it was as if our ancestors’ graves were practically smoking from all the good luck—everything kept getting better and better. Later, Xingxing’s grandfather and I even wondered if something had happened to the ancestral graves, so we went to check. You know what? They were exactly the same as before—not a single change! So it must be because Xingxing herself is our good luck charm, bringing blessings to our whole Yu family!”

The Dowager Duchess nodded in complete agreement.

In the past, when they still believed Yu Mingzhu was their real granddaughter, a renowned Taoist master had once examined her fake “birth chart” and declared it extremely noble and full of fortune.

But later, they found out that this birth chart actually belonged to their biological granddaughter, not Yu Mingzhu’s.

If you really think about it, wasn’t that Xingxing’s birth chart?

No wonder the Yu family’s luck had turned around so dramatically after Xingxing joined them!

At the time, the Dowager Duchess of Xin wasn’t at all envious of the Yu family’s good fortune. For one, the Duke of Xinguo’s household was already a top-tier aristocratic family. Secondly, if Wei Pozi hadn’t picked Xingxing up from the rocky shore back then, the little girl might have perished in the wilderness long ago.

Without the Yu family, there would be no Xingxing today!

Whether the Yu family’s prosperity was due to Xingxing’s blessings or not, it was well-deserved—they had earned it!

It was their rightful reward!

...

The Dowager Duchess of Xin and Wei Pozi had chatted almost all night long, nearly staying up until dawn. It wasn’t until Xingxing let out a little “huh?”—a small yawn escaping—that the two elderly women, who had been talking animatedly without feeling the least bit tired, finally stopped and dispersed so Xingxing could go rest.

Early the next morning was the big day of the Land and Water Ceremony at the Duke of Xinguo’s residence.

Xingxing and Wei Pozi knew better than to join the bustling crowd at the front of the temple.

Instead, the grandmother and granddaughter went to the back hills of Baiyun Temple and, for the first time in ages, dug for wild greens.

Winter was approaching, so there weren’t many wild greens left, but since Xingxing and Wei Pozi hadn’t done this in ages, they were thrilled even though they didn’t gather much.

It felt like stepping back in time.

As they dug, Xingxing suddenly let out a little “huh?”

In a grassy patch, there was a snake den, and the entrance bore clear signs of scorch marks—someone must’ve been snake hunting here.

But snakes were getting ready to hibernate—why would anyone catch them now?

Xingxing was puzzled but still tossed some grass over the spot to cover it up.

“Xingxing, come here! Look, isn’t this dandelion greens? There’s a whole patch here!”

Wei Pozi called her from ahead.

Xingxing quickly put the matter out of her mind and bounded over. “Let me see! Oh, it really is—such a big patch!”

Grandmother and granddaughter went at it with their little shovels, happily digging away.

By the time Wei Pozi and Xingxing returned from Baiyun Temple’s back hills with half a basket of wild greens, the Land and Water Ceremony at the temple’s front hall was nearly finished.

Xingxing turned the basket over to the cooks and slipped them some silver to prepare an extra dish for lunch.

The maids waved their hands in refusal. “Milady, you’re too generous! It’s just an extra dish—no need for payment!”

“Still, I appreciate the trouble,” Xingxing insisted, pressing the silver into their hands.

The maids couldn’t stop grinning and treated them with even more enthusiasm.

Zhao Ying suddenly spoke up. “Your monastery fare is so delicious—I couldn’t help but eat two steamed buns last night. So why has Miss Cen from the Duke of Xinguo’s household, who hasn’t been here long, wasted away to nothing? Have you been mistreating her?”

At this question, the kitchen maids immediately cried out in protest.

The plump head cook protested loudly, “Oh miss, you’ve got it all wrong! We’d never dare mistreat her—we all know she’s a noble lady from the Duke of Xinguo’s household, not some postulant who’ll stay here forever. Her family will take her back sooner or later! We’ve been fixing her different dishes every day—maybe not as elaborate as last night’s feast, but the taste is just as good. How could we mistreat her? But ever since she arrived, she’s been down in the dumps—maybe that’s why she doesn’t eat much? But mistreatment? Absolutely not! Even the mother superior up front said she never makes Miss Cen do any grunt work.”

Zhao Ying nodded as if lost in thought.

Xingxing glanced at Zhao Ying and helplessly shook her head.

Although Old Madam Wei didn’t know what had happened between Yu Mingzhu and Xingxing the previous day, she noticed that Zhao Ying—who was usually so composed—had taken the initiative to inquire about Yu Mingzhu’s affairs. Once they left the kitchen courtyard and were alone, she couldn’t help but ask, “What’s wrong? You’re usually so proper. Why did you speak out of turn today?”

Zhao Ying replied, “Old Madam, it’s nothing really. I just noticed Miss Yu has become quite thin and thought perhaps Baiyun Temple wasn’t treating her well… You didn’t see how worried the eldest young lady was yesterday, as if afraid our Princess Fusui had done something to Miss Yu. I just felt a bit upset and said more than I should.”

Old Madam Wei shook her head. “That Miss Yu is, after all, the apple of the Xinguo Duke’s household.”

She didn’t say anything else.

Not for any particular reason.

The Yu family doted on Xingxing even more than the eldest young lady doted on Yu Mingzhu.

Who was one to talk?

As Xingxing and Old Madam Wei walked toward their resting courtyard, they saw Mao Fuqu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xinguo Duke’s household, wandering absentmindedly, lost in thought as she walked alone.

Noticing Mao Fuqu’s sallow complexion, Xingxing couldn’t help but call out, “Madam Mao?”

Mao Fuqu started, and upon seeing Xingxing and Old Madam Wei, managed a weak smile. “Old Madam Wei… Princess…”

Old Madam Wei, concerned, led Mao Fuqu to sit on a nearby stone bench. “My dear, what’s the matter? A healthy young woman like you—why do you look so unwell?”

Mao Fuqu shook her head with a bitter smile.

“It was nothing serious,” she murmured.

She had just encountered her husband, Yu Chongjie, who had been full of concern, asking if Yu Mingzhu was tired after kneeling all morning—his worry evident.

Yet she herself was feeling very unwell.

Mao Fuqu thought bitterly that even outsiders like Old Madam Wei and Princess Fusui could immediately tell she was unwell.

But Yu Chongjie, her own husband, was completely focused on Yu Mingzhu.

She admitted that Yu Chongjie treated her kindly—but only when Yu Mingzhu wasn’t around. Only then did he seem to notice her. But as long as Yu Mingzhu was near, she would always come second—forever the second choice.