My Sassy Little Princess
Chapter 3: “You are not welcome in the Xu family!”
Jiang Yingyue cocked her head to the side as she observed the handsome man in front of her.
Since they began their journey to the capital, this man had all sorts of expressions on his face. Knitted brows, scowls, exasperated rolling of the eyes. All those expressions, of course, worsened whenever his dark eyes landed upon Jiang Yingyue.
So, being the cheeky child she was, every now and then, when she knew her mother was not watching her, she would make funny faces at the stranger in the carriage. And of course, because she was quite “evil,” she enjoyed every single one of her “uncle’s” expressions.
As she leaned back into her seat, watching the trees roll past them, she wondered what other tricks she could play without her mother suspecting a single thing.
“What talents do you have, little girl?”
Her uncle’s drawling voice was irritating to say in the least. She didn’t know what type of plan he had, but, she made a mental note to not let this stranger “win” against her.
Her brows knit together, “Hmm… what do you mean by that?”
Her uncle glanced away from her, staring outside, “My son, Xiao Jun, is a master at wielding a sword. His dream is to lead a battalion himself, while my daughter, Pang-er, is known for her painting skills.”
Her mother’s back straightened, “I-Is it the twins?” her voice was soft. Back when she had left, she had known about the birth of the twins, but her brother and sister-in-law were still trying on deciding the names for the dragon and phoenix pair.
Xu Zihao turned as he nodded his head solemnly, “Xu Junzi is my son, and Xu Pangfua is my daughter.”
A few years ago, Xu Suyin made a pact with her elder brothers, Zihao and Zemin. Regardless of who they married, the three of them would forever be close and friendly with one another. They never wanted to become the kind of siblings who fought for inheritance rights. Rather, they wanted to create an environment where even their children could be close.
Had Xu Suyin remained in the capital, she would’ve ensured Jiang Yingyue was close to all her cousins by bringing her to the Xu house as often as she could.
Xu Suyin held onto her daughter tightly as her daughter stared up at her, “What are the twins like?” Though she would be meeting them shortly, Xu Suyin wanted to know everything she could about her family so she could make amends with them.
Jiang Yingyue turned to her uncle curiously. After living in the village for years, she learned about the “city” folk through the rumors that streamed through the snack shops. Those folks always had “spicier” and “exciting” lives compared to her. Filled with debauchery, scandals, and drama!
Those stories were so much more exciting compared to the novels her grandmother read because they were actually of real people.
If Xu Junzi or Xu Pangfua lead such interesting lives, Jiang Yingyue would’ve begged her mother to allow her to stay in the capital. Just so she could be entertained with the drama that was playing out, of course!
Xu Zihao’s eyes narrowed as he saw the excitement in Jiang Yingyue’s brown eyes. Though she was just a child, he felt very, very wary of her. Before coming to meet his sister, he did a small inquiry, collecting everything he could about Xu Suyin and her troublesome daughter… and well… she was a handful. A handful that he had no desire to handle.
“They are normal children,” he decided he would settle on those words as he had no understanding of what Jiang Yingyue would do if she knew anymore.
His friends warned him to ignore his sister and her daughter. Villagers, according to them, were lawless who didn’t know the rules of etiquette. His children and Xu Zemin’s children would be at loss if Jiang Yingyue acted up.
Jiang Yingyue’s brow raised with dissatisfaction as she heard those words.
“That’s it?” she asked as her nose crinkled.
Though she knew not everyone was like He Lifen, the unfavored concubine who rose the ranks and stole the emperor’s heart, she was hoping Xu Pangfua or Xu Junzi had drama in their lives.
Perhaps they fought with the royal children? Perhaps they have forbidden crushes? Perhaps they have hidden talents?
“Why do you sound so disappointed my children are normal?” Xu Zihao’s glare deepened.
Though he was often busy with his work, he deeply loved and cared for his children. His daughter was the apple of his eyes, and his son was the reason he could hold his head up high. Through all the misfortunes the family faced, Pang-er and Xiao Jun were the best gifts he could’ve ever received.
“Well, when mister asked me if I had any talents, I thought that your children were people that would bring this kingdom pride!” Jiang Yingyue had a smug smile as she crossed her arms, “Guess I’m just like your children, mister.” She ignored her mother’s fingernails digging deep into her hand. Leaning in closer, she whispered, “Average.”
Xu Zihao’s brow twitched, “At least my Pang-er paints and my Xiao Jun is a master at the sword. What is your talent?”
“Jiang Yingyue,” her mother whispered, slightly shaking her head.
Xu Suyin spoiled the little girl from the time she was a baby. She pledged she would “double” her love for her daughter since Jiang Donghai wasn’t alive to shower her with his love. As such, there were moments were Jiang Yingyue ran into trouble.
“Let me speak mother,” she whispered. “Mister wants to know what my talent is,” with a dramatic sigh, she leaned into her mother’s chest and hugged her. “My talent is being spoiled and cute!”
“That’s not a talent,” her uncle’s voice dripped with mockery.
Biting her lower lip, Jiang Yingyue frowned, “Of course it’s a talent! Let me see you acting cute!” It was her absolute favorite argument to bring up whenever her grandmother complained she was being too willful.
Xu Zihao stared at the little girl.
It was almost unnerving for him to see such a girl that looked so much like Jiang Donghai and nothing like his sister. Had she had the stereotypical Xu dark eyes and dark hair, he could’ve persuaded his mother to let Jiang Yingyue stay. But, his mother certainly wouldn’t be able to handle a girl who looked so much like the man who took Xu Suyin away from them.
“I don’t need to act cute. Unlike you who has no talent,” Xu Suyin’s face fell as she glanced into her lap, “I can use my brain to solve anything.”
Jiang Yingyue slowly pulled away from her mother’s embrace as she jumped down from her seat. Climbing onto the spot next to her uncle, she sat down and looked at him with a playful grin, “Really mister? You can use your brain to solve anything?”
Xu Zihao snorted as he glanced away, “Of course. I lead the crime department in the capital. I wouldn’t have achieved all that success if it hadn’t been for my intelligence.”
Realizing the opportunity before her, Jiang Yingyue inched closer to her uncle, “Do you want to play a game, mister?” she cheerfully asked.
Whenever she was annoyed by her grandmother, she would play games with her as well. Initially, her grandmother always won. But, as she made more and more bets with the shrewd woman, she began to learn the importance of being sly and coy… and once she had those talents, she began to win their bets.
This man who was so full of himself, could not possibly expect her games.
“I have no interest–,”
“Yue-er,” her mother softly whispered as she motioned for her daughter to come back to her side. As much as she loved and respected her brother, she cared for her daughter even more.
“I promise to leave and go back to my village if I lose this game,” Jiang Yingyue’s small hand held onto her uncle’s smallest finger as she ignored her mother. She pushed the bangs that covered her eyes, “Otherwise the Sanxing gods will burn me to crisp!” she promised though she didn’t believe in the power of those dormant deities.
Xu Zihao thought about the types of “games” Jiang Yingyue would suggest. Though he wasn’t aware of the games villagers played, Pang-er taught him about many of the games young girls played. Occasionally, she would plead him to play along with her, so he developed decent proficiency with most child games.
Also, because they were still in a carriage, the number of games Jiang Yingyue could suggest were quite limited.
“Alright, I agree. What game are you suggesting?”
“A simple game,” she turned to her mother with a smile. Usually her mother would return her smile with an even more beautiful smile, but this time, her mother just seemed worried. Pointing to her mother, she turned to her uncle, “Whoever can make mother smile first wins.”
When Xu Zihao’s face turned sour, Jiang Yingyue raised her brow, almost as a challenge, “What? Didn’t mister just tell me he is smart? He doesn’t know how to make his own sister smile?”
“You’re her daughter,” he pointed out. The second he saw Pang-er or Xiao Jun, he would automatically get a vibrant smile on his face. Those children were so well-behaved and cultured–very much unlike Jiang Yingyue! “Of course, she would smile.”
“Well you’re her brother,” Jiang Yingyue pointed out. “Mister,” she poked his thigh, “I know it’s dumb for me to try and make you win, but you could just talk about your childhood with her.”
Xu Zihao stared at the little girl distastefully.
He did share a warm relationship with Xu Suyin. Him, Xu Suyin, and Xu Zemin always met up to have a warm cup of tea as they shared everything that happened during their day. And in their childhood, they were always up to naughty things, hiding things from their parents, and purposefully playing around in the mud just to be chided by their mother.
But, that was in the past.
After she left them and refused to contact them, all those sweet childhood memories turned bitter. Even if he cared and loved for her, it seemed as though she didn’t care or love him or the Xu family.
“There’s nothing in our childhood that was remotely peaceful or happy,” he turned away from her, choosing instead to look out the window. When he noticed the flinch the Xu Suyin had, he felt a little bit more at peace. It was good to know that Xu Suyin was slowly realizing her mistakes.
“Nothing?” Jiang Yingyue’s eyes widened as she turned to her mother. “This is why I always tell you that you are a boring person!”
Xu Suyin was always so principled with everything she did. She would always wear neat, tidy clothes. Would always make sure she was prim and proper. She even spoke with such grace that you couldn’t help but wonder if she was a secret, lost princess.
Her personality clashed with the loud and bold Jiang Yingyue.
Xu Zihao quickly turned to her, “Boring? If anything, your mother is a model and principled citizen of the empire. More people should be like her,” his lip curled in disgust, “Unlike you who knows no manners!”
“Xu Zihao,” her mother’s voice was stern.
Out of respect for everything that happened to her family because of her actions, Xu Suyin remained quiet as best she could. Even when she noticed Xu Zihao’s dislike for her daughter, she remained silent because she couldn’t force him to like her Jiang Yingyue. But, deep down, she still hoped her brother wouldn’t bully her daughter.
Xu Suyin stood and reached for Jiang Yingyue, quickly pulling the young child to her side, “You can show your anger on me in whatever way you wish, but I will not tolerate you to speak ill of my daughter,” she cupped her daughter’s face as her innocent, wide eyes looked up at her. Softening her stance slightly, she turned to her brother, “I won’t discredit any of the misfortunes that fell on the Xu family after I left, but that doesn’t mean my daughter and I lived easy lives either.”
“Regardless of how difficult your life was with that monster of a child,” Jiang Yingyue flinched slightly as the baritone of her uncle’s voice heightened, “you didn’t think to write to us even once?”
She was quite used to hearing those words, so it didn’t impact her greatly. But, her mother, who didn’t hear such words, became angered. Xu Suyin’s fists clenched as Jiang Yingyue pulled gently on her mother’s skirts to distract her.
“Using all those resources you had, you didn’t think to write to me? You didn’t think that if you could’ve saved my husband, our family would be in a much better place?”
Jiang Yingyue was shocked to see her mother raise her voice to such amplitude. Even in the few instances where her mother was angry with her, Xu Suyin would speak calmly with a level voice. It… terrified her. She buried her face into her mother’s legs and bit her lower lip as tightly as she could once she felt the growing lump in her throat.
“You really think your husband could have been saved after such a crime?” Xu Zihao’s face turned red with anger. “Why has it always been that man over your entire family? Where did we limit you? In what way did we prevent you from having the best of the best? Why couldn’t you have married the man father asked you to marry?”
Xu Zihao was quiet years ago when Jiang Yingyue asked to marry Jiang Donghai. Though he knew the young merchant’s boy had no social standing to marry such an influential girl, he stayed silent seeing the calm love in his sister’s eyes. But, perhaps if he had said something then history would have changed and his father would still be alive.
“Xu Zihao, you married the woman of your dreams, why couldn’t I marry the man of mine?”
It was the same argument she had years back when Xu Zemin asked her why she was so adamant about marrying Jiang Donghai despite their father’s distaste for the boy. After hearing those words, both brothers calmed down and said they would do their best to coax their father. Unfortunately, he was adamant about his desires just as Xu Suyin was adamant about her own.
“Because, the woman of my dreams didn’t cause the Xu family to break apart! Father and mother both loved my wife and were willing to bless us for marriage. But you! Despite everything everyone said, you continued to act accordingly to your selfish desires. Have you ever thought about apologizing even once!?!”
Xu Zihao was in absolute shock. For many years after his sister escaped, he always thought about the words he would say to her when they crossed paths again. As angry as he was, he always tried to see the good. He knew his sister was being forced to marry a man she didn’t love. He knew his sister was coping from losing the man of her dreams. He knew everything the Xu family owed her for not stepping up for her when she needed it most.
But, he also knew how his family had fallen out of favor. After his father’s death, the emperor did everything he could to somewhat preserve the Xu family name. But, other noblemen did their best to smear the fallen Xu family.
He had hoped silence would be enough to stop the rumors, but when he saw his daughter crying because she was excluded from a friend group or because she was treated poorly, bitterness grew and grew.
He always believed Xu Suyin was, above all, the young girl he grew up with. So, his heart couldn’t bear to blame his sister for all their problems. Instead, every time the Xu family faced any sort of misfortune, he blamed it on the man who caused it all.
Jiang Donghai.
But, the moment he laid eyes upon Jiang Yingyue, his anger swelled to extreme proportions. Right in front of him was the living and breathing representation of the man who caused his family harm.
Even though he knew it was wrong to blame a child, his conscience felt happy whenever he associated Jiang Yingyue to the devil or the monsters.
“Why do you think I would apologize to you after you shamelessly taunted my daughter?”
The one mistake Xu Suyin made years prior was not being able to do everything she could to support Jiang Donghai. The second her husband had been arrested, she was prevented from leaving the Xu family house. But, had she escaped to beg the emperor for forgiveness, perhaps her daughter would know of a love a father could provide. It was why the second her daughter was born, Xu Suyin promised to protect her daughter at all costs.
“If you had just–,”
Jiang Yingyue let out soft cries, doing her best to distract her mother and uncle from tearing apart each other. The game she suggested was supposed to have diffused the tension between the two. Not make it worse! If she had known just how bad the argument would be, she never would have suggested such a game!
Xu Suyin immediately softened as she bent down to be eye level to her daughter, “Yue-er,” she softly whispered as she gently kissed her daughter’s cheek. “I’m sorry that I frightened you. I promise I won’t–,”
Xu Zihao’s eyes softened as well. Though he disliked the mere existence of Jiang Yingyue, he wasn’t that heartless of a man to still be strict and angry in front of a crying child. Though his arm reached out to the little girl, he stood there awkwardly, lost as to what to say in the situation.
“I’m not frightened,” Jiang Yingyue sobbed as her fist wiped away a few of her tears, “I’m just… hungry!”
Xu Zihao raised a brow as his mouth opened slightly.
Even Xu Suyin seemed slightly taken aback, “H-hungry?”
Jiang Yingyue nodded her head, “Granny Fang forgot to feed me this morning!” she silently whispered an apology to her grandmother in her heart. On the contrary, her grandmother made her a hearty meal and packed her quite a few snacks for the trip. But, she was hoping her mother would catch along and end the debate.
Luckily, her mother nodded her head, “My little Yue-er,” she whispered before quickly pulling the girl into a warm embrace. “I’m sorry, do you want any snacks right now?”
Jiang Yingyue shook her head as she muttered, “Food.”
Understanding what the little child wanted, Xu Zihao turned to the coachman and whispered directions as to take a detour. When he sat back in his seat, he noticed how his sister’s soft eyes were focused on the sleeping young girl.
In just a matter of seconds, despite the air in the carriage being charged with animosity, the Xu siblings decided to partake in a stalemate in their argument. Whatever words were left to be said would be told when there wasn’t a child present.
“You know, my mother said if you frown for that long, your nose will rot and fall off your head,” Jiang Yingyue leaned closer to the angry man in front of her. “I don’t know about you, mister, but you would look really bad without a nose,” she whispered with an emphasis.
They had managed to stop at an inn that had a restaurant.
After waking up the sleepy Jiang Yingyue, Xu Suyin left the uncle and niece pair with wary eyes. If it weren’t for Xu Zihao shouting that he could handle taking care of a child, Xu Suyin might have dragged Jiang Yingyue to the bathroom as well.
“You have no right to tell me what expression I can have or not have,” Xu Zihao grit his teeth as he glanced at the teacup on the table.
Jiang Yingyue sighed as she twisted a strand of hair along her finger, “Why are you so adamant about bringing us to the capital if you hate us?”
At first, she believed her uncle just had a few emotions he needed to let out in the world. Granny Fang had told her about the dangers of keeping certain emotions to yourself, so Jiang Yingyue did her best to be truthful with how she was feeling at the moment. When her uncle came just two days prior, she thought the pain behind his dark eyes was just… transitory.
But seeing the way he burst and her mother burst, she knew it was anything but short-lived. Those two had many misunderstandings… deep misunderstandings that needed to be solved sooner, otherwise they would spiral down a dark path.
“I only ever intended to bring your mother,” Xu Zihao gulped the entire tea in the cup, ignoring the burning sting the tea left at the back of his throat. “If you hadn’t slid your way into the carriage, this fight between me and your mother would’ve never happened.”
Jiang Yingyue’s brown eyes stared at Xu Zihao, hoping she could see the least bit of a hint that he was joking. She could handle hate from outsiders… but Xu Zihao, a man who is supposed to be her uncle… it was not something she was prepared for.
“You are not welcome in the Xu family!” he announced as he poured himself another cup of tea.
Tears welled in Jiang Yingyue’s eyes, “W-why?”
Xu Zihao stared at the young girl.
The sharp nose, big brown eyes, and never ending pout… it all reminded him of that person. Instead of just leaving the Xu family, that man left his own seed to taunt the Xu family some more.
“Ask your father that question.”
milkcakejamun writings 