After the Sixth Master left, the uncles and brothers of the clan said goodbye and left one after another. When all the guests had left, Xu Junying entered the inner courtyard and said goodbye to Madam Qin. As the saying goes, a mother-in-law takes a liking to her son-in-law. Madam Qin liked Xu Junying as soon as she saw him and was reluctant to let him go. Mei Niang watched coldly how Xu Junying coaxed Madam Qin. He was handsome and of noble status, and he was also humble and polite, speaking gently and respectfully. Which mother-in-law would not love such a son-in-law
After waiting for the mother-in-law and son-in-law to talk enough, Mei Niang went in to say goodbye to Feng, asking her to take good care of the child and come to see her again in a few days. Feng smiled and nodded, and told her to spend more time with Heng'er after returning home. After all, she was going to be a mother, and Feng couldn't imagine what the situation would be like if her child was taken away by her mother-in-law to be raised and not allowed to see her.
Qin Boqing sent them out the door. The people brought by Xu Junying had not yet dispersed and were guarding outside the door. Xu Junying asked Cui Xi and Cui Si to help Mei Niang get on the car first. He stayed behind and talked with Qin Boqing for a while before riding on his horse and leaving with his men to protect the car.
After returning to the Xu Mansion, Mei Niang's carriage drove directly in from the side door and got off outside the Chuihua Gate. Where Xu Junying and his men went was none of her business, and she was too lazy to care.
As the lights in Tsinghua Courtyard began to light up, Mother Wang and Cui Lian came to greet them. Mei Niang asked Cui Xi and Cui Si to take out the snacks from Qin's house that Madam Qin had specially asked them to bring back and gave them to Mother Wang, who was used to eating. Mother Wang was overjoyed, and kept thanking the Madam for her concern. She called Cheng'er and Ping'er over, and together with Cui Lian, they all went to eat happily.
Mei Niang and Cui Si walked into the upper room and found some changes in the room. There were originally two large cabinets leaning against the wall adjacent to the right ear room, but now the cabinets have been moved and the empty wall was inexplicably covered with a whole curtain. Mei Niang felt something was wrong and walked over to lift the curtain. Sure enough, she saw what she had guessed: the wall was broken through and embedded with an exquisitely carved diamond-shaped walnut door frame. When she went in through the door, she saw that the ear room was newly decorated with bookshelves, desks, tables and chairs. Behind the rosewood embossed mountain forest sika deer screen, there was a simple bed. It was completely Xu Junying's style. He was going to move in tonight!
Mei Niang glanced at the new study and said to Cui Si angrily, "What is this? Shouldn't you have told me? Who did this while I was away? Cui Lian is at home, so who is in the East Courtyard?"
"Precious pony!"
Xu Junying's voice came from behind, startling her. She turned around and said, "Mr. Hou, you'd better change this bad habit. It's wrong not to inform others before entering the house! I was the one who was scared today, and I can bear it. If it was Madam Zhuang or Grandma Yu, they are very delicate and will scare people to death!"
Xu Junying smiled, "Okay, I'll remember that. Didn't I tell you last night? The East Courtyard is leaking, Wen Jinxuan can't live here, so I have to stay here for a while. Baoju won't be leaving the house today, so let him do this. Because we need to use the clean room in the upper house, it's very troublesome to go out and come in, so we might as well break through the wall... Usually, let down the curtain to cover the door, and you and I can do our own things without interfering with each other."
Mei Niang looked at Cui Si and said, "You go down first and ask them to prepare hot water. I want to take a bath!"
Xu Junying said to Cuisi, "Prepare a few more buckets of hot water. Grandma has already bathed, and I want to take a bath too. Baoju should have brought my spare clothes. See which cabinet they are in."
Cui Si responded, turned and walked out of the ear room and into the upper room.
Mei Niang sat on a chair and looked at Xu Junying: "Shall we talk?"
Xu Junying walked to the desk and sat down: "Grandma, please speak!"
"Please don't call me that! I'm not!"
Xu Junying narrowed his eyes slightly: "Then what should I call you? Cen Meimei?"
Mei Niang turned her face away, then turned back: "It's not impossible!"
"Do you think it's that easy?"
Xu Junying put on his previous cold and solemn face, which was very impressive. "That's me. Try telling others that you are not Qin Meiniang and see who will believe you. If you meet someone with bad intentions, they might even treat you as a demon. I'm not exaggerating. I went to the Imperial Observatory to investigate. There are indeed such things as reincarnation. Once discovered, there will be no good ending. Don't be so indifferent!"
"Just deal with it, I'm not afraid!"
Xu Junying was so angry that his face turned green: "You are too much! If it weren't for Madam Qin, your family and I would have lost face in front of the clan members at the Qin residence today!"
Mei Niang snorted, "I haven't said it yet - what right do you have to go to Qin's house? I ignored you before, and I asked you to escort Master Qin to Yuezhou and came back, and you almost killed three people! What's the point of your men guarding the door like wolves and tigers? Is it to show off or for something else? The Qin family suddenly appeared, and even the clan leader came to preside over the ceremony of returning home to worship your ancestors. My mother likes you, my brother looks at you differently, and the Sixth Master even set up many rules and regulations for me in order to curry favor with the Houye... "What are you doing? You made a three-month alliance with me, although it was just verbal and without any evidence, but I have always been good at judging people and I think you are an upright gentleman, so I trust you so much. But you lost your integrity and used tricks on me. You went to the Qin family to recognize your relationship, just to create a false image, let them think that you are actually very good to Mei Niang, and everything is me spreading rumors and making things up. They will never allow me to divorce or be divorced and go back to my parents' home! Then I can't go anywhere, I can only be locked up in your house for the rest of my life, to save your face and save your heart!"
"Why are you saving my face and worry?"
"Didn't you say that there are no divorced wives in the Xu Mansion? Regardless of right or wrong, even if she is divorced, she is not allowed to leave the mansion and is kept in another courtyard until she dies of old age! For the sake of your hypocritical face and so-called reputation, you imprison her for her entire life. She can die in any way, but you just won't let her go free! Don't you think it's cruel and inhumane? You once wanted to treat Qin Meiniang like that. I think she had expected this result, so it was better for her to die early. As for being relieved, it's because I know that secret. I have guaranteed with my life that I will not reveal it. You are not willing to let it go!"
Xu Junying looked at her, blinked for a long while, then covered his forehead with his hand and rubbed it hard, his voice a little tired:
"I did this... and it made you think like that!"
"Besides these, what else can I think of? You are about to be abandoned, what reason do you have to make peace with the Qin family?"
Xu Junying's eyes flashed with pain, and he lowered his eyes: "You shouldn't talk to me in such a tone!"
Mei Niang was stunned for a moment, then she adjusted herself: "I'm sorry! I forgot that you are Lord Hou, I am just... an outsider!"
Xu Junying raised his eyes: "I went to the Qin residence today just to make some compensation and tell Qin Boqing some things. If you want a reason, just say it's for Heng'er. Heng'er's mother is from the Qin family. In the future, when the Qin family talks about him, they can also tell what his father is like... Is this reason okay?"
Mei Niang didn't know whether to laugh or cry: "I don't know! I hope Heng Er won't be involved in such a thing."
Xu Junying was a little angry and glared at her.
Mei Niang stood up and said, "I have worked hard for a long time in the Qin residence to persuade them to support me. You have shattered all my hopes with just this one trip. It doesn't matter. I can live in the Cen residence alone despite being unvirtuous and unfilial. It is better than associating with those people in the Qin family. I only care about Madam Qin and Qin Boqing. I can't care about anything else! Tell your subordinates who are full of disdain: it's not that the Qin family can't afford to live in a high-class mansion, but because the time for rising has not come yet! We have to wait for Qin Boqing to become successful. He is the eldest son and the elder brother. It will be better for him to fight for some honors! In the future, I will remind you from time to time: please remember our covenant. You are a different marquis. You are in a high position and have great power in the court. It is easy for you to play with a person and kill a life. But if you dare to touch me, you will definitely not have an easy life after I die!"
After Mei Niang finished speaking, she turned around and went upstairs, leaving Xu Junying sitting there with his brows furrowed like a mountain, not moving for a long time.
What nonsense is she talking about? Who dares to say that the Qin residence is poor and dilapidated? Not all of his subordinates are from wealthy families. Many of them grew up in poverty and have worked hard to get to where they are today. How can they not understand when they see the house in disrepair and dilapidated? Her kindness to Qin Boqing made him feel very uncomfortable, but he could do nothing about it, after all, they were brother and sister. What was ridiculous and hateful was that she was afraid of death, but she was unwilling to show weakness, and she actually threatened him in turn! In her eyes, he was a different marquis, holding a high position and power in the court, but as a powerful marquis, could it be that he had nothing to do every day and was only keen on destroying her, a little woman
If she died...
Xu Junying took a deep breath and sighed: Why do I always think that he wants to hurt her? Can't I think from another side, why does he treat her like this? Whoever dares to hurt her and want her to die, he will definitely make that person suffer and live a life worse than death!
Mei Niang returned to the upper room and was also shocked. If he could do that, why couldn't she threaten him? The timid would die of starvation, and the bold would die of gluttony. Maybe if she said these words, he would restrain himself? Knowing that she had the relationship with the queen, although it was far less than his relationship with the emperor, no matter what, he would not dare to get rid of her directly, so it should be okay to be arrogant occasionally to make her feel better.
She felt a little hungry, but there were too many people at Qin's house and she couldn't eat well. She asked Cheng'er and Ping'er to go to the kitchen to ask Cai Mama for some food. Cui Xi and Cui Lian then helped her into the inner room to wash her hair and take a bath. Cui Si was assigned to serve Xu Junying for a while, and she pouted and looked unhappy.
After taking a bath, I saw Xu Junying sitting at the table drinking tea, waiting for me. Cui Lian helped Mei Niang to comb her hair at the dressing table. Cui Xi tidied up the inner room and came out and said, "The hot water is ready, please wait for me to take a bath!"
Cui Si took a change of clothes and a handkerchief and followed him in. She came out soon and closed the door gently. She winked and smiled at Cui Xi and Cui Lian: "Master, you don't need me to undress. You said Rui Zhu and Rui Bao were only there to get clothes and prepare hot water. They never entered the inner room to serve."
Cui Xi was a little curious: "Who will rub his back then?"
Cui Lian glanced at her, and Mei Niang smiled: "That's a problem, I can't rub my back!"
Cui Lian said, "Who else is there besides those two? Baoju and Baizhan. Today Baoju brought some of Lord Hou's belongings here, and told me this and that. Why would a man like Baoju be so careful? How can we women survive?"
Mei Niang couldn't help laughing: "You can learn more from him tomorrow. Maybe he will know some embroidery needles, which you don't know!" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)