But Su Xiaoqi would always interrupt her before she could speak, leaving her with unspoken grievances and complaints.
Occasionally, when she managed to get a word in, it was ill-timed.
She had no choice but to give up, thinking she could have a good talk with them after they left.
Once she made up her mind, she sealed her lips tightly.
After enjoying the family reunion, Madam Du finally remembered Sun Jiaojiao, who was by her side.
She thought about how she had always treated her warmly before, but today she had been cold.
She felt a little apologetic.
However, she saw Sun Jiaojiao in a daze, her mind completely elsewhere.
She hadn't even heard when Madam Du invited her to eat the lotus root starch that Su Xiaoqi had prepared.
Madam Du became displeased.
In the past, when Du Yiyi visited, she would keep her at a distance because she disliked her.
But sometimes, if she suddenly spoke to her, she would still respond.
This Sun Jiaojiao, however, was zoning out in front of her, an elder. Did she truly respect her?
Su Xiaoqi, understanding the situation, interjected at the right moment, "I think Miss Sun doesn't like lotus root starch, she's just too shy to refuse Madam."
"Alright, if you don't like it, then forget it. Pingniang, please put this lotus root starch back into the box and lock it. Such precious things shouldn't be wasted."
With their exchange, Sun Jiaojiao finally snapped back to reality.
This time, she felt truly wronged.
The reason she had zoned out was actually because she was thinking about how to smooth things over after Du Yiyi and the other girl left.
Before she had figured it out, the Madam had already made a conclusion.
She truly didn't treat her as her own granddaughter; otherwise, why would she misunderstand her so much?
And that damned Su Xiaoqi, when had she said she didn't want to eat lotus root starch?
Who said she didn't want to eat it?
It was a precious item, like tribute. If she didn't try it today, she might never have the chance again.
But Su Xiaoqi hadn't even prepared it for her.
The one she had given her earlier, she had directly passed back to Madam.
What could she say now, to ask for it?
What would Madam think of her?
Besides, looking at Su Xiaoqi's unapproachable demeanor, she probably wouldn't give it to her anyway.
Su Xiaoqi looked at her inscrutable face, her lips curving slightly, her eyes full of smiles.
When people panic, they make mistakes, and once they make mistakes, it's over.
Sun Jiaojiao was full of resentment, but she had nowhere to express it and could only secretly fume to herself.
Seeing Sun Jiaojiao's state, Du Yiyi couldn't help but smile.
She had a pair of beautiful phoenix eyes that would narrow into crescent moons when she smiled.
Her long eyelashes fluttered, making her look incredibly cute.
But Sun Jiaojiao was not someone who gave up easily.
She indeed had some skills to have risen from being the daughter of an ordinary merchant to being by Madam Du's side.
After a moment of sulking, she quickly realized she had been outmaneuvered.
Once she came to her senses, her face lit up with an even brighter smile than before.
She turned to Madam Du, appearing exceptionally diligent and filial.
"Grandmother, it's rare for Sister Yiyi to visit you today. Why don't we stay for a meal?"
Madam Du was very pleased with Du Yiyi's demeanor today.
She was polite and didn't argue with her. After all, she was her own granddaughter. One had to consider the face of the Buddha as well as the incense.
Her father was an official, and she wanted to maintain good relations with their family no matter what.
She instructed Pingniang to prepare their meal.
Du Yiyi felt a little uneasy and looked at Su Xiaoqi with a hint of worry in her eyes.
But she saw Su Xiaoqi was also looking at her, her eyes full of encouragement.
She immediately gained confidence.
Yes, that's right. What was she afraid of? As long as she maintained her current demeanor, her grandmother wasn't as difficult to please as she had imagined.
She readily agreed.
Su Xiaoqi then pulled her up, and they bowed to Madam Du as a gesture of gratitude.
Seeing them so well-behaved and polite made Madam Du even happier.
She kept instructing Pingniang to bring out all the delicacies in the house and prepare them.
She insisted that her granddaughter should not be treated poorly.
"Madam, you treat Yiyi and me so well." Su Xiaoqi acted her part flawlessly, her eyes welling up with tears, which looked incredibly sincere.
Du Yiyi, not understanding the reason, was moved by Su Xiaoqi's emotions.
Much less Madam Du. Having been strong-willed in her youth, and now living a good life with her son, she had become soft-hearted and easily swayed. She couldn't bear a few words of persuasion and would be overcome with sympathy.
Seeing Su Xiaoqi shed tears, she genuinely felt sorry for her and reached out her hand.
Su Xiaoqi smoothly stepped forward, pushing Sun Jiaojiao aside, took Madam Du's hand, and nestled her head on her shoulder, acting spoiled for a while.
Du Yiyi watched her operations from the side, utterly surprised.
Su Xiaoqi subtly signaled to her to do the same.
Du Yiyi, being smart, understood immediately. Following her example, she awkwardly began to act spoiled towards Madam Du.
Du Yiyi was naturally sweet and innocent, her eyes pure and clear. Her spoiled demeanor was actually very endearing.
However, she had always habitually adorned herself with a layer of sharp thorns that didn't belong to her, like a hedgehog, thus piercing Madam Du's head and drawing blood.
Neither of them pleased the other.
This was a rare moment of family affection.
But this time was theirs, and had nothing to do with Sun Jiaojiao, who had already been pushed to the side.
Fine, fine, they were indeed the real family.
No matter how well she treated the old woman, there was always a barrier.
No, not just one layer, but several layers.
The wet nurse was right; this old woman was not worth her kindness.
The old woman had indulged her earlier only because her own granddaughter had not given her face and refused to pay attention to her.
Now, as soon as her granddaughter waved her hand slightly, she immediately abandoned her and embraced her precious granddaughter.
Even if that were the case, Du Yiyi was her biological granddaughter, and Madam Du's affection for her was something she could grudgingly understand.
But what about this new Su Xiaoqi?
She had stolen all of her attention.
Sun Jiaojiao's heart ached with anger.
She felt that if she didn't show them a little color, they might not know her power.
While Du Yiyi took Su Xiaoqi to change, Sun Jiaojiao seized the opportunity to offer Madam Du a cup of tea, very timely revealing her wrist, which had been reddened by Du Yiyi.
"Oh, Jiaojiao, what happened to you?" Madam Du was still very concerned about her.
Sun Jiaojiao was still angry inside, but outwardly she put on a sorrowful act.
She repackaged the events from the carriage with her own words.
Originally, she was the one being unreasonable and deliberately picking on Su Xiaoqi.
By the time she finished speaking, it had turned into a story of Du Yiyi and Su Xiaoqi ganging up to bully her.
Sun Jiaojiao was always a good actress in this regard, so the Madam believed her as soon as she spoke.
After all, Du Yiyi had slapped Sun Jiaojiao in front of her before.
It was perfectly normal for her to pinch her wrist behind her back.
"Oh, you little girl, I thought she had changed. Turns out, she really did, from openly to behind my back..." Madam Du was furious. She detested hypocritical people the most.