Expelled from the Duke's mansion, the fake heiress is richer than a country.

Chapter 134 Xiao Xiang is also my child

Zhu Xiaozhen stroked her belly, her face radiating maternal glow.

“Xiao Xiang is like this, no good. But if the one in my belly is a boy, I will definitely make sure he studies hard! If he becomes successful in the future, Xiao Xiang will have her family to rely on.”

Ji Chunhua smiled and glared at her daughter-in-law: "You've finally figured it out! Give me a big, fat grandson soon, and we won't be so ashamed to hold our heads up like this back in Qingping Village."

Thinking back to how my cousin-in-law acted so seductively at my parents-in-law's funeral makes me furious. I wish I could go back and slap her in the face!

Zhu Xiaozhen's face turned pale. This matter of giving birth wasn't something she could control. But thankfully, a timely help had arrived. She'd been craving sour foods lately, and the tenant farmers' wives said it was definitely a boy.

Touching her belly, she couldn't help but feel overjoyed.

Now that life is better, she was really worried that her mother-in-law and husband might have other ideas because she didn't have children. Now she can finally relax a bit; this child is simply her savior!

Seeing the attitude of the two, Yu Wanran, who was standing next to them, felt a little heavy-hearted and worried about her little niece's future.

Even before the boy is born, Xiao Xiang is already being looked down upon by her family; once he is born, will Xiao Xiang still have a status and a sense of presence in this family?

However, Xiao Xiang's fate is the fate of all farm girls.

While raised in their parents' home, they worked tirelessly. When they grew a little older, they were married off with a meager dowry from their families and continued to be treated like slaves in their husbands' homes.

The fact that her parents didn't covet a few taels of silver and married their daughter off to a blind, lame, and wife-beating scoundrel shows they truly loved their daughter.

Even if a daughter is born into a wealthy family, isn't she still a tool for marriage alliances?

She remembered that there was a concubine's daughter named Xiao Xiyu in the Duke's mansion, who was raised to be sickly and practically invisible. She feared that Xiao Xiyu might end up worse off than a peasant girl and be given away by the Duke's mansion as a concubine.

After some thought, she patiently persuaded her mother and sister-in-law.

"If a girl marries well in the future, won't she also be a help to her brothers in the family?"

"Mother, sister-in-law, things are much better at home now, and Xiao Xiang doesn't need to do any chores. Why not let her learn needlework, literacy, and accounting? That way, when she gets married, her in-laws will look up to her!"

Zhu Xiaozhen was tempted by what she heard. Although she missed her son more, her daughter was also a piece of her own flesh and blood, and she naturally wanted the best for her. However, she didn't dare to speak up and looked at her mother-in-law expectantly.

Ji Chunhua was in a difficult position.

"Who says there's no work to be done at home? I'm disabled, and your sister-in-law is pregnant..."

We can't expect her or Zhu Xiaozhen to take on all the housework, can we? Xiaoxiang is hardworking, gets up early and goes to bed late, and can cook meals for the whole family while standing on a stool, which has been a great help.

"Listen to Third Sister!"

Yu Wenbin, carrying a hoe and with his sleeves and trousers still covered in mud, ran back to see Yu Wanran. He overheard their conversation at the door and, without a word, immediately declared that he was on his sister's side.

He had accompanied his third sister on two trips to the capital, and his perspective was no longer as narrow as before. Hearing his third sister so devoted to her daughter, and seeing his mother and wife so ungrateful and hesitant, was truly infuriating!

"If you can't do the chores at home, hire the tenant farmers' wives to do them!"

"Third Sister is right, Xiao Xiang is also my child! Why can't we raise her properly now that we have the means? Why do we have to treat her like other farm girls, just to be sent away at will?"

"Will we, as her parents, be happy if she suffers in the future?"

Zhu Xiaozhen lowered her head and dared not utter a sound.

Ji Chunhua lowered her head and pressed her eyes, and tears streamed down her face.

"Eldest son, are you blaming your mother now? We only have this much money at home, your younger brother isn't married yet, and your wife is pregnant... Don't I have to think about the future?"

"Mother, you don't need to worry about the money."

Yu Wanran helplessly held her hand to comfort her.

"With me here, how can the family go back to the precarious existence they once were? I'll pay for the people hired on the estate. You don't need to worry about Xiao Xiang hiring a female tutor; I have people around me to teach her."

"that is……"

She looked at Mr. and Mrs. Yu with some difficulty: "It would be best if Xiao Xiang stayed at my place. Like when my younger brother goes to school, she can come back to be with you during holidays."

Zhong Yeliu is too busy to come to the countryside to teach Xiaoxiang every day. Even if we hire another female teacher, it would be best if she stayed in the city.

Given her mother's and sister-in-law's attitude, she worried that even if a female tutor were hired to oversee the estate, Xiao Xiang's education would ultimately be disrupted and distorted beyond recognition by their interference.

That was not her original intention!

Zhu Xiaozhen was taken aback and immediately looked at her husband.

She couldn't bear to see her daughter leave her and move to the city. She was pregnant and desperately needed someone to talk to. Xiao Xiang was gentle and mild-mannered; no matter what she said, even if she was scolded or hit, she wouldn't argue back.

Would anyone else be as close as a daughter?

Yu Wenbin noticed his wife's expression and hesitated for a moment before saying, "Third sister, let me discuss this with your sister-in-law before making a decision."

Yu Wanran nodded.

She did everything she could for her niece. After all, she's someone else's child, and with her own parents around, there's not much she can do to make decisions for her.

After Yu Wenbin sat down, everyone tacitly started chatting about other topics.

Yu Wenrong found a private school in a nearby village, but it was a bit far away, so he had to stay at the school and come back during holidays. Yu Wenbin took his younger sister to visit the backyard, where Yu Wanran saw that the two acres of land were planted with seasonal vegetables.

The family manages to manage on this small plot of land. The remaining twenty mu of land are given to the former tenants to cultivate, and collecting rent from them is very convenient. As a result, the Yu family has gained quite a reputation in Mingshui Village.

Seeing that her family was doing well after moving, Yu Wanran felt much more at ease.

After spending a day at the manor, Yu Wenbin finally convinced Zhu Xiaozhen to send Yu Xiaoxiang to school in the city. However, she would only have half a month to study, and the other half would be spent farming at home.

Yu Wenbin knew very well that his younger sister would definitely give his daughter the best life. But his daughter was, after all, a farmer's daughter; what good would it do even if she became literate?

If you cultivate high aspirations, you'll end up being unable to find a suitable partner later in life. If you marry into an undesirable family, you'll be too ashamed to admit it and suffer instead.

He doesn't object to his daughter's abilities. But more importantly, he tells her not to covet what doesn't belong to her. For ordinary people, living a peaceful and law-abiding life is the foundation of their existence.

Yu Wanran felt that securing an educational opportunity for her little niece was quite good. She frequently traveled for business, and if Xiao Xiang lived in the city long-term, she wouldn't have much time to care for her.

Considering that Xiao Xiang was at an age where she needed a companion, on the third day after returning to the city, Yu Wanran took Xiao Xiang to the dental clinic and let her choose a little girl she liked, naming her Xiao Juan.

Xiao Juan is two years older than Xiao Xiang, so she can take care of Xiao Xiang in daily life and accompany her in her studies. The sleeping place is arranged in a partitioned room outside Xiao Xiang's bedroom.

Zhong Yeliu spent the morning running errands for the shop, and in the afternoon, during her free time, she taught Xiao Xiang how to read the ledgers. As for recognizing characters, Qiu Cui could easily do that for her.

After a few days of trial operation, Yu Wanran was satisfied with the progress of the two taking turns teaching Xiao Xiang. In particular, Zhong Yeliu did not delay the preparations for the opening of Chengya Inkstone Shop, and seemed to have inexhaustible energy.

Yu Wanran simply promoted Qiu Cui to second manager, raising her monthly salary to one tael. Zhong Yeliu was able to hand over some miscellaneous tasks, making her life much easier, and her monthly salary increased to five taels.

After about ten days, the appointed day with the Duke's Mansion arrived, and Yu Wanran packed her belongings and prepared to set off.

At this moment, Yanqing rushed back, looking travel-worn!