After hearing Mei Niang being persuaded and taken away by Madam Wang and several maids, Madam Zheng came out of the inner room and asked Madam He:
"Where's Heng?"
Mother He said: "We are having a great time watching the birds in the backyard!"
"Hurry up and bring him back. It's windy outside. Be careful not to get cold air in your stomach!"
"Hey, call it back now!"
Xia Lian carried Heng Ge'er back to the upper room. Heng Ge'er held up a small bamboo stick in his hand for Madam Zheng to see. Madam Zheng smiled so much that all the wrinkles on her face were smoothed out:
"Good grandson, did you find a treasure? Give it to grandma, right? Good, grandma will play with you!"
She hugged Hengger, and Zheng Meiyu came out from behind and sat on the edge of the bed to tease Hengger. However, Hengger didn't like her and snatched the small bamboo stick from her hand.
Mrs. Zheng smiled and said, "My brother is really capable. He can even beat my cousin!"
Zheng Meiyu pinched Heng'er's chubby little hand and said, "Is Mei Niang really willing to let me take care of Heng'er?"
Madam Zheng smoothed Heng'er's collar, "She has to agree whether she wants to or not! She's the daughter-in-law and I'm the mother-in-law, how can she go against me? Before, when the child was young, I let her take care of him by herself. A while ago, for Jie'er, I wanted to die and didn't care about him. Now, seeing Heng'er grow up so big, he is the eldest great-grandson and will be the prince in the future... How can I let his foolish mother raise him anymore! Look at her, she let the child wear such bright red, it hurts my eyes, is Heng'er capable of wearing this?"
She looked around with sharp eyes and saw that the maids were not in the room. Mother He took the wet nurse to check the room and had not returned yet.
Zheng Meiyu said softly: "Could it be that Aunt still wants Heng'er to wear mourning clothes? This is..."
Madam Zheng looked at her coldly, "I have my own way. If my grandson doesn't wear mourning for my son, what kind of etiquette is that? Even Mother He doesn't understand what happened in the past, but you have nothing to do all day, running around to spy on other people's secrets. You know it in your heart. No one knows about this except you and me. Mei Niang is confused now, so it's better if she doesn't remember it. Even if she remembers it, she can't harm her son. If any news leaks out, it must be you - I hope you can't say it casually!"
Zheng Meiyu lowered her head: "Niece doesn't dare!"
Madam Zheng snorted, "You should just put away your feelings for Junying! The old lady took Zhuang Yulan here to replace Mei Niang. Now that Mei Niang is alive again, neither of you can take advantage of her. Do you still want to be Junying's concubine? You should wait until I have some free time and then slowly look for another marriage for you!"
Zheng Meiyu wept and said, "Aunt, what kind of family do you think I can find? My father is so sick and our family is in a state of decline. Which good family would be willing to marry a girl like me who has so little dowry?"
"Your grandfather was a third-rank official, and your father didn't have any fame because he was too weak. You are the daughter of an official family after all, so why is it difficult for you to marry someone of equal status? Last year, the wife of Ningyuan Hou mentioned that the Gao family wanted to transfer Gao Zhenbang from Zhengzhou to Beijing, but you refused!"
Zheng Meiyu blushed, "It's not like my aunt hasn't seen that guy before. He's thin and dark, with a pointed face and monkey cheeks. Does he look like a man? Or a second wife!"
"You are so picky! If Mei Niang was not good enough, wouldn't you have married Junying as a second wife? What's wrong with having a pointed face and monkey cheeks? He is at least a fifth-rank official in Beijing. He originally liked you, but you refused, so he turned to another family's daughter and now they are married. The new wife is five months pregnant - how can such a talent be transferred to a Beijing official? He is the cousin of Ningyuan Hou's wife! Ningyuan Hou and Junying have a very good relationship with the emperor. It's unfair that you lost this marriage!"
Zheng Meiyu lowered her head and said nothing. After a long while, she asked, "Aunt, have you heard what people in the mansion are saying?"
"What did you say?"
"It is said that the eldest grandmother is not dead, so the eldest wife brought my niece here. My niece stayed in Qinghua Courtyard day and night, serving my sick cousin's wife, and also went to the East Garden Study to serve my cousin Ying... Now, my niece and my cousin Ying are no longer related!"
Madam Zheng was stunned for a moment, then angrily said, "Who dares to spread such a rumor? Find out and tear her mouth to pieces!"
She thought about it and stared at Zheng Meiyu: "Junying is not such a frivolous man. I know the boy I raised since he was a child! Could it be that you... Mei Niang is back, but I don't want you to be humble and stay a concubine. It's best to find another proper marriage. But if you really want to, I won't stop you. After all, being his concubine is better than marrying an ordinary fifth or sixth rank official. You are a little older, so I'll find a chance to talk to him... Alas!"
Zheng Meiyu still lowered her head, twisting the handkerchief in her hands, and said nothing.
In the warm room of Jinhua Hall, Old Madam Xu sat on the couch. Zhuang Yulan half-knelt behind her, gently pressing her shoulders with both hands. Old Madam Xu frowned and said:
"The force is too light! Ruixue's hand was too heavy just now. Sigh, it's not as good as Mei Niang's!"
Zhuang Yulan said in a frustrated tone, "My great aunt favors Mei Niang, so why did she ask her to come back and give you a massage?"
Old Madam Xu sighed, "I'm afraid she won't have much free time for me to massage her from now on! Mother Ji came to see her and handed all the keys and account books to Mei Niang. I've never seen Zheng be so straightforward before. It turns out she would do this: let Mei Niang take charge of the household expenses, and take Heng'er away to raise. Oh! Never mind, poor girl, she just lost Jie'er, it's good to take Heng'er to relieve her sorrow, but I'm afraid Mei Niang will be upset and feel depressed!"
Zhuang Yulan didn't care who would take care of Heng'er better. She just asked Old Lady Xu, "Cousin Ying didn't want Mei Niang to be in charge of the household, so why did my great aunt want her to be in charge?"
Old Mrs. Xu glanced at her and said, "I am doing this for you!"
"For me?" Zhuang Yulan looked at Ruixue and the other maids who all walked obediently to the door and stood there, so she boldly asked again, "She has become the eldest young lady in charge of the house, what does it have to do with me?"
Old Madam Xu narrowed her eyes slightly: "You also know why I brought you here. Who would have thought that Mei Niang would come back alive? How could I not understand your little thoughts about Ying'er? I originally wanted you to be a couple, but Ying'er was too young and willful... If I send you back like this now, those shallow-eyed and gossipy aunts will laugh at you. If you go to find a good family again, you are old and can’t delay, and it will be difficult to find someone as congenial as Ying’er. I can only sacrifice my old face and ask the Queen Mother for a favor to fulfill your marriage with Ying’er. Mei Niang entered the family early and was granted an imperial decree. She also gave birth to Heng’er first. The eldest son is naturally the prince. Your child will only rely on Heng’er to protect him in the future. After Mei Niang recovered from her illness, she seemed like a different person. She was smart, well-behaved, and smart. I allowed her to be the housekeeper, but in fact I let her learn slowly and gradually transfer the real power from Zheng. You also know that Zheng is not Ying’er’s biological daughter. She only gave birth to Jie’er and Juan’er. Juan’er got married and Jie’er died. Now she can only rely on Ying’er. If she doesn’t trust Ying’er, she may transfer some of the Xu family’s property to the Zheng family... I let Mei Niang follow her to manage the household, and she took the opportunity to take Ying'er's eldest son. That's right, the battle between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law is endless! As long as Mei Niang is willing to give up, Zheng will have Heng'er as her support, and she won't have any thoughts to make trouble. Mei Niang will take care of the household affairs wholeheartedly, and the food will fall into your eldest grandson's room. When you get married, I will allow you to manage the household with Mei Niang, and your children will not suffer in the future!"
Zhuang Yulan lowered her head and played with the handkerchief in her hand: "Grandma, please don't make a mistake. In a family like ours, we don't allow concubines, not even noble concubines!"
Old Madam Xu puffed up her eyelids and said, "The Queen Mother should not let you be a concubine! But it's not possible right now. Mei Niang just came back, and her amazing deeds are still spreading outside. I heard that even the Emperor and Empress were alarmed. It's not appropriate to let Ying'er marry again at this time, even taking her as a concubine is not allowed, unless Mei Niang brings someone into the room for Ying'er herself... Let's stop talking about this for a while!" (To be continued)