Mei Niang was stunned for a moment. She had never thought of asking about Zheng Meiyu's situation in the past two days. When she came to Qiuhuayuan to see Heng'er, Mother He only said that the lady had not woken up yet and there was no need to wait to pay her respects. She didn't see Madam Zheng and no one reminded her, so she forgot to do such a thing.
It was also because Zheng Meiyu was too hateful. Sending her away was like sending away the plague god. Out of sight, out of mind. He had so many things to worry about. How could he have the mood and time to care about such a disgusting and hateful woman
Xu Junying said, "Let mother know: the study room in the east courtyard of Tsinghua Courtyard is leaking. Mei Niang has been busy watching the maids moving all kinds of books and items in and out these past two days, and she also has to take care of the affairs of the mansion, so she can't take care of it for the time being. Let's go and pay respects to the old lady later, and then let someone do it!"
Madam Zheng nodded: "You must remember this and treat her well. She grew up in our house and is the closest to you..."
Xu Junying said calmly: "Among these cousins in the mansion, Cousin Yu is naturally different and should be treated differently!"
Mei Niang lowered her eyes and calmly sat aside, listening. Since she didn't have to speak, she was happy to be at ease.
Xu Junying and Mrs. Zheng chatted for a while and then got back to the point. They wanted to take Heng'er to pay his respects to the old lady. The old lady hadn't seen her great-grandson for a long time and was missing him.
Madam Zheng looked at Heng'er, who was playing rattles with Xia Lian on the edge of the couch, and lowered her eyes in silence for a moment, then said, "Heng'er wants to take a nap at noon. You can take him away and let the old lady take a look at him, and then send him back. He is only used to eating the food cooked in the small kitchen in this courtyard!"
Mei Niang's heart beat faster and her face became hot with excitement: usually, if she took one more step in the yard with her child in her arms, Mother He would stare at her closely. This Lord Hou was not in vain, he could carry the child out of Qiuhua Courtyard with just one word!
Take him out and never send him back? If Lord Hou is a little less filial, it should be possible!
She heard Xu Junying say to Madam Zheng: "Don't worry, mother, I will send Heng'er back to Qiuhuayuan before lunch!"
My mood dropped again. What did it mean? Did he just take Heng'er to the old lady to pay his respects and then send him back? Wasn't he taking him back to Tsinghua University
No matter what she was thinking, Xu Junying just said goodbye to Madam Zheng, asked Xia Lian and the wet nurse to hold Heng'er, and followed them out of Qiuhua Courtyard and to Jinhua Hall.
On the way, while a group of maids and servants were making Heng'er laugh, Xu Junying said to Mei Niang: "Don't worry, take your time, Heng'er will eventually return to Tsinghua Courtyard!"
Mei Niang looked back at Heng'er, then at Xu Junying: "Heng'er is a descendant of the Xu family. He looks a lot like you and is willing to be close to you. If you can keep him safe, I can keep him here!"
Xu Junying's breath was choked, and he stared at her: "How can you say such a thing? Heng'er and you... are mother and son! What mother in the world would have the heart to not want a child?"
Mei Niang looked at him with her clear and bright eyes and raised her chin: "If you don't give it to me, I don't want it! It's not like I can't have children in the future!"
After saying that, she raised her head and walked forward. Xu Junying's face darkened. He grabbed her arm and pulled her back. He turned around and said to Cuixi who was a few steps away: "Bring Heng'er here!"
Mei Niang felt pain from his grip and tried to break free: "Why are you using so much force? If I were stronger than you and I were holding you like this, would you agree?"
Cui Xi brought Heng'er over. Xu Junying let go of Mei Niang, reached out and took Heng'er, and put him in her arms: "Heng'er, look who this is?"
Heng'er looked at Mei Niang. Mei Niang deliberately frowned and turned her face away. Heng'er's rosy little face immediately followed with a bright smile. Without thinking twice, he let out a "ah-wool" and kissed Mei Niang on the face. The delicate, milky baby skin rubbed on his face, and the tingling and numb feeling made his heart soften instantly. Mei Niang was just pretending to be like that in front of Xu Junying, wanting to tell him that she didn't care about the child. But after Heng'er's disturbance, she couldn't bear it anymore. She hugged Heng'er, laughing and playing with him, but her heart was sour and she wanted to cry.
Xu Junying was obviously using the child to hold her back, but she actually followed suit and talked nonsense. This was totally wrong!
If he doesn't want Heng'er, who will be his real mother? Even if Xu Junying treats him as his own child, can his backyard accommodate Heng'er? Who will truly love him and accompany him to grow up
Xu Junying looked at the touching scene of mother and son loving each other, with a smile on his lips, but he was not at ease. Mei Niang's words reminded him: Cen Meimei was an unmarried woman who had never given birth to a child. She inherited Qin Mei Niang's body and just felt that she had the responsibility to love Heng'er on behalf of Qin Mei Niang, but she actually had no feeling of being connected to Heng'er by blood. Women naturally liked beautiful and cute children, even cats and dogs. She was pitying and loving Heng'er now, but if she was held too tightly, she might really run away without Heng'er...
Maybe, we should change the way? Give Heng'er to her now, put him beside her, remind her that he is her son, maybe it will stabilize her better. In this way, Heng'er can also play a role of restraint - with Heng'er living in Tsinghua Courtyard, she can't leave the house often or wander outside the house for a long time!
After letting the mother and son play for a while, Xu Junying stretched out his hand to Heng'er: "Come here, you are too heavy, your mother can't carry you!"
Heng'er obediently opened his arms and threw himself into his hands, climbed up, hugged his neck, turned around and grinned at Mei Niang.
Mei Niang patted Heng Er, pulled down the hem of his clothes for him, and said jokingly, "You are like a monkey!"
She looked up at the fake father and son, and suddenly covered her mouth with one hand, pointed at them with the other and laughed: "Hou Ye - Monkey!"
Cui Xi and the maids and servants behind her all turned their heads away and laughed secretly. Xu Junying looked embarrassed and whispered, "You are the wife of the marquis. How can you talk nonsense like this and disregard your image?"
Mei Niang finally stopped laughing and signaled Cui Xi to take the maids and servants not to get too close. She also said softly: "The Marquis is very good, and the Marquis's wife is of noble status and enjoys all the glory, but I don't want to be the Marquis's wife, not at all!"
Xu Junying was stunned for a moment, a look of hurt flashed across his eyes, and he pretended not to hear Mei Niang's words, and said to Heng'er with a smile: "I'll take you to pay respects to the old ancestor today, you have to be good... Let's go faster, the old ancestor should be up now!"
When they arrived at Jinhua Hall, the old lady had indeed gotten up and washed up. She was served by Second Madam Bai Jingyu and Fifth Madam Fang, and had already eaten breakfast. Zhuang Yulan was beside her, and the few of them were sitting and chatting.
After the mother-in-law gave the message, she opened the curtain, and Xu Junying walked in holding Heng'er, followed by Mei Niang.
Old Mrs. Xu was very happy to see her great-grandson. She smiled and waved, "Heng'er is here. Come quickly and let me see you! Oh, you lovely child. I haven't seen you for a few days. You must have missed me so much!"
Bai Jingyu, Fang and Zhuang Yulan all stood up and stood aside. Zhuang Yulan's beautiful eyes looked eagerly at Xu Junying, but Xu Junying only looked at Ruixue. Ruixue came over and hugged Heng'er. Xu Junying and Mei Niang stood side by side and bowed to the old lady. The old lady had already hugged Heng'er in her arms, kissed him, and smiled from ear to ear:
"Go find a seat and sit down by yourself. I have such a wonderful great-grandson now, I can't take care of you guys!"
After Xu Junying sat down, Mei Niang went to sit with Bai Jingyu and Fang. Seeing Heng'er smiling happily, Zhuang Yulan also smiled and walked over to sit next to the old lady, touching his face with her fingertips and teasing him a few times. Heng'er didn't like Zheng Meiyu, but had a good impression of Zhuang Yulan. He smiled at her. Zhuang Yulan was very happy and wanted to hug him, but Heng'er refused and shrank into the old lady's arms.
Xu Junying smiled and said, "Heng'er is a little heavy, and he is naughty and active. Even his mother can't hold him. Cousin Lan should not hold him!"
The old lady nodded and smiled, "Yes! My dear Heng'er is much stronger than Shen'er. Look: I just hold him like this and he keeps jumping on his feet... Ruixue, go hold him. My strength is only enough to hold him for a short while. Lan'er, you can't hold him. Listen to your cousin Ying. When Heng'er learns to walk in the future, you can slowly hold him and lead him!"
Zhuang Yulan blushed slightly, glanced quickly at her cousin, and lowered her head shyly.
The old lady looked at Mei Niang, her face not looking very good: "I just heard that the East Courtyard is leaking badly, and the entire Wenjinxuan can no longer accommodate people. What are you doing as the head daughter-in-law? You started to renovate the houses in the courtyard before the New Year when the weather was fine. You said you were so busy that you couldn't even eat. How come you have repaired everything but not the East Courtyard? Don't you even let someone check your own house? And your room doesn't leak!"
Mei Niang lowered her head and was too lazy to say anything. Xu Junying said to the old lady, "Don't blame her. Everything was fine after the Chinese New Year. It was just that the night before the rain, a few cats chased mice and jumped onto the roof tiles to fight. A lot of tiles on that row of houses were damaged. When the weather clears up, we can find someone to repair it and replace it with good tiles!"
Well, it turns out that the cat is chasing the mouse! Mei Niang snorted in her heart. She thought it was too strange that the East Courtyard study was leaking. She was still sitting there when it rained that night, and not a drop of rain fell. The next day, the study was soaked by rain. The old marquis had a room full of military books. If he could survive, it would be great. It would be strange if he didn't jump up and down and curse!
The old lady's shrewd eyes swept over the calm Xu Junying and the lowered Mei Niang, and nodded slightly: "Now it's good for you to move to the upper room, and you don't have to move anymore. You have to take care of the new house in the next few days... Is everything settled in the quiet courtyard that Mei Niang originally mentioned? I don't know how your cousin Yu is doing. I originally wanted her to accompany me in a sedan chair and enter the house together, but now it seems that she may not be able to make it in time!"
Xu Junying wanted to say something, but Mei Niang raised her head in time and took over the old lady's words: "It won't be too late to bring cousin Yu in after she recovers from her illness, but cousin Lan has already been decided! Jingyuan is ready, and my granddaughter-in-law is not feeling well, so she needs to rest for a year or so, and she can move in anytime. Qinghuayuan will be decorated as a new house first, and the Lord will live there. Just wait for someone from the palace to announce the decree, and then we can hold the wedding!"
The old lady hummed and smiled, "You are so thoughtful. Your mother-in-law has been having a hard time lately because of your cousin Yu's illness, and the second wife is taking care of her handsome son. You have to take care of this happy event. Let Jingyu help you, as well as the fourth and fifth wives... When Lan'er comes home, she will be like a real sister to you, and you can share all the chores in the mansion together, and you will be able to relax a little!"
As they were talking, Mother Ji hurried in from outside, walked around to the side and leaned over to whisper something in her ear. The old lady's face changed, but soon calmed down. She looked at Mother Ji and asked:
"Is this true?" (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets at qidian.com. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)