Huangfu Yue helped Consort Zheng to the door and opened it, immediately seeing Aunt Fang and Ying'er waiting outside, along with another maid.
Aunt Fang and the others bowed respectfully upon seeing Consort Zheng and Huangfu Yue.
"I am tired. Take me back to my room to rest."
Consort Zheng, supported by Huangfu Yue as she stepped over the threshold, extended her hands to Aunt Fang and the maids attending her.
"Yes." Aunt Fang and the maids immediately reached out and took Consort Zheng from Huangfu Yue.
"Grandmother, go slowly," Huangfu Yue said.
Consort Zheng glanced at her, nodded, and smiled, "Go back to your room, no need to see me off."
Huangfu Yue hummed and, instead of returning to her room immediately, watched as Consort Zheng and the others walked away, disappearing around the corner of the corridor and heading towards another section, out of sight, before she returned to her room.
Ying'er, who was following behind Huangfu Yue, was about to close the door when she spotted two figures.
"Eldest Madam..." Ying'er blurted out.
Hearing this, Huangfu Yue's eyes flickered. Eldest Sister-in-law had arrived?
Huangfu Yue immediately turned towards the door and, the next second, saw her Eldest Sister-in-law, Zhu Jiayi, appearing at the doorway with a maid.
"Your servant greets the Eldest Madam!" Ying'er immediately bowed to Zhu Jiayi.
"Eldest Sister-in-law, please come in and sit down," Huangfu Yue smiled and invited her in.
She hadn't expected her place to suddenly become so popular; her third and fourth sisters-in-law had come, Grandmother had visited, and now Eldest Sister-in-law had arrived.
She wondered what Eldest Sister-in-law had come for.
Could it be that, like Zhong Liangshu and Yang Wanqian, she was here for the "Jeweled Golden Hairpin with Auspicious Immortals Celebrating Longevity" and wanted her to persuade Grandmother not to give it to Xu Yuqing?
After entering the room, Zhu Jiayi looked around and said with a smile, "Your room is much like mine; all the furnishings are the same, and even the arrangement of the tables and chairs is identical."
"The rooms in the inn should all be the same," she added, like hotel rooms.
"Please sit, Eldest Sister-in-law. Ying'er, serve tea to the Eldest Madam."
"Yes." After Zhu Jiayi and Huangfu Yue sat down, Ying'er immediately poured a cup of tea for Zhu Jiayi and another for Huangfu Yue.
Zhu Jiayi raised her teacup, used the lid to brush aside the floating tea leaves, gently blew on the tea, and then took a small sip.
"I always enjoy a cup of tea after a meal! Yue'er, thank you."
Seeing Zhu Jiayi looking at her and giving her a grateful smile, Huangfu Yue was slightly taken aback before gently curving her lips.
"You're too kind, Eldest Sister-in-law. It's just a cup of tea, no need to thank me, and besides, I didn't pour it myself."
"No, I'm not thanking you for the tea, but for saving our entire family, young and old, and everyone in the manor!
Thanks to you, we didn't have to suffer and have been able to eat well, live comfortably in the inn, and now sit here leisurely drinking tea," Zhu Jiayi said, shaking her head.
"Actually, Eldest Sister-in-law has wanted to thank you properly for a long time, but I haven't found a suitable opportunity."
Seeing her expression, Huangfu Yue knew that she was genuinely grateful and thanking her, and the curve of her lips deepened slightly.
"No need for thanks, Eldest Sister-in-law. We are family, and this is what I should do. No need to thank me." Huangfu Yue smiled.
"Yue'er, we are truly indebted to you this time. Otherwise, we would all be ruined and I don't know how miserable we would be now!" Zhu Jiayi's clear and beautiful face revealed fear and relief.
"Yue'er, the men of the Wangfu have suddenly all disappeared, leaving us, the old, weak, women, and children. If it weren't for you, I really don't know what we would do!" Zhu Jiayi sighed.
"Originally, as the eldest daughter-in-law of the Dai Wangfu, I should be the one to hold this family together and protect everyone at this time. But Eldest Sister-in-law, I am truly incompetent and have no ability. I can only rely on you to hold this family together and protect everyone...
In the future, my two children and I will have to rely on you. Your kindness, when Xuan'er and Jing'er grow up, I will definitely have them repay you properly."
Zhu Jiayi suddenly put down her teacup, reached out to hold Huangfu Yue's beautiful, fair, and delicate hand, her beautiful face filled with a "please" expression.
"You're too kind, Eldest Sister-in-law. You are my eldest sister-in-law, and Xuan'er and Jing'er are my nephews and nieces. Taking care of you all is my responsibility. It's too formal to talk about repaying." Huangfu Yue continued to smile gently.
She could see that her Eldest Sister-in-law was a grateful person, much better than the other three sisters-in-law. None of the other three had ever said a word of thanks to her, let alone talked about repaying kindness.
Moreover, Eldest Sister-in-law was clearer-sighted than the other three, understanding that they would need to rely on her in the future, and had specifically asked for her help.
Was this the purpose of Eldest Sister-in-law's visit?
But her intuition told her that Eldest Sister-in-law had come to see her for another reason.
"Yue'er, you are so good... just like your elder brother, exceptionally good..." Mentioning Huangfu Yue's elder brother, Zhu Jiayi couldn't help but become dejected, her eyes suddenly welling up with tears.
Seeing this, Huangfu Yue quickly took out a handkerchief and offered it to Zhu Jiayi.
"Thank you." Zhu Jiayi took the handkerchief, wiped the tears that had fallen from the corners of her eyes, and held back the tears that were about to fall.
"I'm sorry!" Zhu Jiayi suddenly apologized.
Huangfu Yue was a little stunned, a hint of confusion flashing in her eyes. What was she apologizing for?
"I shouldn't have lost control and cried, making you sad. You and Grandmother must be sadder than I am. I've only lost my husband, while you've lost more family members...
One has lost a son and all grandsons, and another has lost a father and all elder brothers... I know you are both enduring your grief and trying not to cry, not to show it, not wanting to make everyone cry again, tears flowing like a river... and I still cried... I'm sorry!"
Zhu Jiayi said with an apologetic expression, guilt evident in her eyes.
Looking at her, a flicker of heartache crossed Huangfu Yue's eyes.
Because she was not the original host, she couldn't feel the grief and sorrow of suddenly losing her father and all her brothers. However, she could feel the suppressed grief and sorrow from Zhu Jiayi.
She not only felt for Zhu Jiayi but also for Grandmother.
As Zhu Jiayi had said, Grandmother had lost her son and all her grandsons at once. One could imagine how she felt.
But since Huangfu Yue had transmigrated, Grandmother had never appeared particularly sad, as if she couldn't recall the tragedy of her son and all her grandsons being brutally killed.
It wasn't until she saw Zhu Jiayi at this moment and heard her words that she understood Grandmother had been trying hard to suppress it.
She wondered if Xu Yuqing, Zhong Liangshu, and Yang Wanqian, these three sisters-in-law, were also trying hard to suppress their grief.
Huangfu Yue shook her head inwardly. From what she could tell, none of them showed any signs of it.