186 Falling ill
Xu Junying nodded: "Have you done what I told you to do before I left? How are the two concubines? By the way, you have passed the imperial examination, I should congratulate you! I will ask my sister-in-law to prepare a generous gift for you later!"
Meimei rolled her eyes secretly: He has picked up another big bargain. The gifts are ready-made. They are rewards that have just arrived from the palace. Just a few of them will do and she can put them in her own room. If I don't prepare any for him, I'll be showing off my stinginess in front of Old Six.
At that moment, he had no choice but to ask Cui Lian to do it with a smile, and then said to Xu Junxuan: "This one is from Master to Sixth Master. Last time, I asked Bao Ju to give Sixth Master a special gift. Does Sixth Master like it?"
Xu Junxuan quickly stood up, bowed and said, "Thank you, brother and sister-in-law, for your generous gift! That purple gold inkstone is so precious, I feel unworthy of it!"
Meimei said: "I got two, one for my brother and one for you. I wish you success in the palace examination and success in the exam!"
"Thank you, sister-in-law, for your kind words! My uncle-in-law is extremely talented and will definitely win the first prize. I am willing to follow him!"
Meimei felt happy when she thought that Qin Boqing might win the first place in the imperial examination. She smiled particularly brightly: "Sixth Master is as outstanding as my brother. I am optimistic about the two of you. Oh, by the way, I heard from the housekeeper that Sixth Master came a few times. I was not at home the whole time. I went to the palace to accompany the queen, so I didn't see Sixth Master. I don't know what Sixth Master wants to see you for. I hope you can forgive me!"
Just as Xu Junxuan was about to say something, Xu Junying interrupted him: "We are brothers, why are you being polite? When I was away, your sister-in-law took Heng'er to stay at the outer house. It would have been inconvenient for Sixth Brother to come at that time. From now on, you can come anytime!"
Xu Junxuan smiled and nodded: "Yes! I wanted to visit my sister-in-law and Heng'er a few days ago to see if there is anything I can help with... My sister-in-law and brother can just stay in the outer house for a few days and have fun. You should go back home in the next two days. Grandma is sick!"
Meimei and Xu Junying looked at each other at the same time. In Xu Junxuan's opinion, the two seemed to have some agreement, so he didn't want to sit there any longer and said goodbye and went home.
He came here on the orders of the Second Master. Last night, Xu Junying left so decisively that the old lady was shocked. Xu Junlang and his brothers could not catch up with him, and the Second Master could not even see his back. Everyone returned to Jinhua Hall. The old lady was so angry that her heart ached and she fainted. The brothers, uncles and nephews were in a panic and asked someone to invite a doctor. They also discussed whether to go to the Cen residence in East City to call back the eldest brother. The Second Master agreed, but the old lady woke up again, stamped her feet and beat her chest and cried, crying that she had worked hard to give birth to her eldest son, but he died young before he could take care of her for a few years, leaving the eldest grandson to inherit the title, but he lost his filial piety for a woman, and wanted to divide the family, and refused to take care of his grandmother anymore! She did not allow her son and grandsons to come to Xu Junying, saying that she would give him a chance to repent. If he did not return home after tomorrow morning, she would go to the palace to see the emperor and ask for his judgment!
The second master knew his mother's character very well. If she didn't want to do something, she wouldn't do it. But once she was told to do it, she would do it. When she was young, she would use all kinds of tricks to deceive his father. His honest and loyal father was no match for her at all. After his grandmother passed away, his father not only lost his concubines and maids, but also three or two illegitimate sons and daughters died one after another within a few years. They all said that they died of illness. Only Xu Xiping knew what happened.
Xu Xiping and his son did not want to split up the family. If they did, it would be their second branch that would suffer. But they also did not want the old lady to file a complaint with the emperor. What was the relationship between Xu Junying and the emperor? Was he so easily sued? Don't let yourself get into trouble when you can't eat mutton. If the emperor favors Xu Junying and allows him to split up the family, then the whole house will belong to the first branch, and the second branch will only be expelled from the house.
It would be better to persuade Xu Junying and his wife to go home, kowtow to the old lady and admit their mistakes. Once their family members are convinced, they can live happily together as a family with four generations living under one roof!
The second house cannot come forward for the time being. Xu Xiping, in the capacity of uncle, asks the brothers Xu Junting and Xu Junxuan of the first house to find Xu Junying. Aunt Lin and Aunt Zhou are suppressed by the first wife. They have been silent since the death of the old marquis, but they are not blind or deaf. Whatever is good for Xu Junying and the first house, they will support it! The old lady has always been partial to the second house. The first wife is in charge and tries her best to control the household expenses of the marquis's house, but she is not as powerful as the old lady. If the old lady says to give, dare not give? There are also people in the second house who receive court salaries, but the old lady said: "That money is not enough for socializing outside and entertaining guests for tea!" She refused to let them hand it over to the public. Only the eldest master is as honest as his father and handed over all the marquis' salary to the treasury to subsidize the family expenses. The eldest grandmother is young and energetic. She can't stand the suppression of the old lady and makes a fuss. She wants to divide the family, right? Then divide it. As long as the eldest master speaks, the others in the first house will agree!
The two concubines each took care of their own sons and did not allow Xu Junting and Xu Junxuan to go to see the eldest master. Xu Junting used the excuse that Hui Jieer had a fever and was unwell and did not leave the house. The sixth son, Xu Junxuan, thought again and again. After all, the grandmother was the elder in the house. If he made her sick due to anger, he would be impeached if the people in the Censorate found out. He felt that he should still tell his brother how to make the decision. As he was the eldest, he had more power to make the decision.
After Xu Junxuan left, Meimei said to Xu Junying, "You should go back. You are the eldest son and grandson. You have an old grandmother and a sick mother at home. It is really inappropriate for you to live outside!"
Xu Junying just looked at her without saying anything. Meimei said, "You don't have to look at me like that. The emperor personally allowed me to live in the private residence. He said, 'Since you don't get along with the elders of the Xu family, you can live in the private residence!'"
"Meimei, you didn't finish what the emperor said. The emperor added another sentence: 'Wait until Junying comes back, and then we can talk about it!'" Xu Junying straightened the hem of his outer robe and said casually.
"The Emperor did not say that!"
"That's another thing, this is what I mean! Even if he is the emperor, he has no right to arrange my wife. Before, I asked him to take care of you for me. Now that I'm back, you have to listen to me - well, if there is anything, let's discuss it together!"
Meimei looked at Xu Junying. He had sharp and elegant eyebrows, majestic eyes, and thin lips pursed under his nose. He had a typical handsome martial artist face, and he didn't look like a dog-skin plaster at all!
She looked around. There was no one in the room. Cui Lian and the others had all gone out and were standing outside.
"Oh! Where's Heng'er? It's raining, I have to go see him!"
Meimei was talking but didn't stand up. Seeing Xu Junying didn't move, she had to persuade him again: "Master Hou, please go back home! I am already unvirtuous and unfilial, and I don't want to bear other sins. Being too famous is not a good thing! I don't want to drag you down either. You have always been a filial person. Go back and continue to be your filial son and grandson, okay?"
Xu Junying raised the corners of his lips: "Okay, take Heng'er with you, and we'll go back together!"
Meimei shook her head: "You can ask Baoju and Baizhan how I got out. They tried to stop me, and I asked the maid to slap them twice each. Then I walked out of the gate of the Xu Mansion in front of so many servants. Do you think I will go back?"
"The gate of the Xu Mansion was originally opened and closed for you. You walked out of the gate with a swagger, and you can also walk back through the gate with a swagger. The servants can only greet you. What else can they say?"
"No one can make me go through that door again unless I want to!"
Meimei stared at him with her bright eyes: "Xu Junying, Xu Hou! I warn you: if you dare to do something inexplicable to me again - such as touching my body without asking me, like what happened in the yard just now, I will definitely treat you as a pervert and fight back desperately! Don't underestimate me, I am not as strong as you, but I have a killer move, if I don't use it, it's fine, but if I use it, you're done for!"
Xu Junying wanted to laugh, but he finally held it back and said seriously in a gentle and soft voice: "I know!"
Meimei was a little at a loss. This was unlike Xu Junying. It was weird for him to become like this.
Xu Junying said, "Meimei, don't think too much. We are married! I am willing to share the joys and sorrows with you. If others scold you, they are scolding me, Xu Junying, and I will bear it! You don't get along with the old lady. The old lady has always been close to the second wife. When we split up, the Hou Mansion will be divided into two. The old lady is already very old, and she will go with the second wife. You don't have to meet her every day. If she doesn't want you to pay your respects to her, you don't have to go! The first wife is ill, we will take good care of her and support her. You are in charge of the family. You are the mistress of the family and don't need to listen to anyone. Is this okay?"
Meimei stared at Xu Junying in a daze: "No wonder the old lady fell ill. The whole family lived together, four generations under one roof, in harmony and happiness. Now that you propose to separate the family, you will definitely be branded as unkind and unfilial!"
Xu Junying said calmly: "The family is large, and it is natural for the children to grow up and get married. It is permitted by the law. Who can judge me based on this? He is just bored. Let him say whatever he wants!"
"You, you really plan to do this? Why? Don't say it's for me. I won't bear such a ridiculous accusation - I can't abandon you. I even want to divide our property and live separately!"
Meimei finished speaking and was glared at by Xu Junying: "I don't agree. Where can I divide it? You have some property now, why don't you remember that you used my name to embezzle the public treasury money as capital? You can put all the property in your name, or transfer it to someone else's name, it's all fine, but where you and Heng'er are, there I am. You are my family and cannot be separated. Just take care of my food and accommodation!"
Meimei looked at him and said, "Okay, then I'll transfer the restaurant and this private house that I earned with that money to your name. I don't want anything. I'll leave with nothing and just take Heng'er with me. Okay?"
"not good!"
Xu Junying showed a painful expression: "Meimei, I don't want to talk about this topic anymore! We... must be together, everything, together!"
Meimei fluttered her long black eyelashes and sighed in distress: "Xu Junying, what can I say? My feelings are always right. We have very different personalities. You and I may be good friends, but I don't think we can be husband and wife! Why do you insist on hanging on a tree? I just like this look. You should get to know more about other beauties. There must be some with similar personalities to you!"
Xu Junying pursed his lips and said, "Why do we have to have similar personalities? Your personality is good! If you can be different, I will like you just as well!"
Meimei snorted, "In a few days, she will become Zheng Meiyu or Zhuang Yulan, just like you!"
After saying that, he stood up and went out to find Heng'er. Xu Junying gritted his teeth and looked at her back, a smile gradually appeared on the corners of his lips. (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets on Qidian. Your support is my greatest motivation.) (To be continued)