When Qin Mei Niang was woken up, it was just daybreak and the lights were still on in the room. Mother Wang and Cui Xi and Cui Si had already been waiting around the bed for her to wake up. When she felt around, the little one she had cuddled to sleep with last night was gone. She was surprised and said,
"Where's my son?"
Mother Wang said, "The nurse has taken Heng away. Grandma, please get up!"
Qin Meiniang breathed a sigh of relief, twisted a few times in the quilt, stretched herself, and groaned in pain: "Good mother! It's still early, let me sleep a little longer..."
Is it easy to travel back to ancient times and be a grandmother? You don’t have to go to work, so you can always sleep in, right
"No, Grandma!" Mother Wang came up and drew back the curtains. "Master Hou asked you to get up early last night to pay your respects to the old lady. You have to go. Cuisi went to check just now and saw that Master Hou had already turned on the lights. I think he is going to the upper room too. Grandma, you have to hurry up and go with Master Hou!"
The fact that Lord Hou was willing to come to Grandma's room last night and explained everything in such detail shows that he cares a lot about how people around him view the resurrection of Grandma. Lord Hou has always valued his reputation. Even though his relationship with Grandma was so distant, he still considered the courtesy of husband and wife and insisted on visiting his sick wife every day, giving people the feeling that the couple was in harmony. Grandma died of illness. As a cold-blooded general who killed many people on the battlefield and was used to seeing casualties, he did not shed a tear or show any sadness. That was normal, and no one would gossip about it. Grandma was so well that she forgot everything in the past and was not afraid of Lord Hou at all. Lord Hou could do nothing with her. Mother Wang was not stupid, so how could she not think of the turnaround here
Since you don’t remember the past, just pretend that she never existed!
Mother Wang made up her mind: She must try her best to persuade the grandmother to be respectful and gentle to Master Hou, and to obey his orders. That way, Master Hou will have no reason to treat grandmother lightly, and her life in the Hou Mansion will at least not be as difficult as before!
Qin Meiniang opened her eyes: "Is Lord Hou up yet?"
"He should be up now. Lord Hou has been in the army for many years and has always been quick and efficient in his work. He has no patience to wait for anyone. Grandma, please get up quickly!"
Qin Meiniang took a breath. Heng'er's father, the handsome and cold man who didn't talk much, always gave her a kind of pressure, as if she owed him something, so she couldn't help but be a little wary of him. Aren't they husband and wife? They have been married for only more than a year, and she gave birth to a big fat boy as her first child. He should be very happy and love her very much. Why did he always give her a cold shoulder
Oh! Never mind him. I knew that men were superior to women in ancient times. The husband's and father's rules are deadly. I can't offend this husband now. I'm new here and this world is too unfamiliar. I have to grab him as a backer first. He was named Weiyuan Hou at a young age. He is not ordinary noble. With him, I have the status of a lady of imperial edict. I have a high social status. At least I don't have to worry about food and clothing. For Heng'er and for myself, I have to be obedient. I can see what happens in the future.
She counted to three in her heart, turned over and got up. She was not used to spitting mouthwash into the copper basin in front of the maids. She put on her outer robe and went to the inner room to wash.
Mother Wang urged Cui Xi to comb Mei Niang's hair as quickly as possible. Her hands were shaking a little. She combed it into a complicated bun, but Mei Niang didn't like it and wanted to take it down and comb another one. Cui Xi glanced at Mother Wang and said softly:
"Master Hou is afraid that he will get tired of waiting. Grandma used to wear her hair in this bun!"
Mei Niang refused: "Wouldn't it be boring to always wear the same hairstyle? Change it!"
Cui Lian made the bed and hurried over: "I'll comb your hair in a different way for grandma!"
She rubbed some osmanthus oil on her hands, and with swift hands and feet, she had combed her hair into a refreshing and beautiful flying fairy bun. Mei Niang was very satisfied, and selected some exquisite and luxurious jewelry to wear, and put on a slim-fitting mid-length jacket made of bright red satin embroidered with gold crabapple hibiscus, an apricot-colored Yao silk eight-panel skirt, and gold bracelets and jadeite bracelets on each wrist, and a gold necklace with eight treasures around her neck. She was covered in jewels and glittering colors, and her whole body exuded wealth and was gorgeous and pleasing to the eye.
Mother Wang asked Cui Si to check back and forth and calculated the time accurately. She then helped Mei Niang out of the door. Xu Junying happened to pass by and stopped. After she bowed and greeted them, he led the way out. Mother Wang and the maids peeked at his expression, secretly breathed a sigh of relief, and quickly helped Mei Niang follow behind.
After leaving the courtyard, Mei Niang didn't want Cui Si to support her. She hurried a few steps to catch up with Xu Junying, but Xu Junying walked faster. His thick-soled rhinoceros leather boots made a rustling sound on the snow. Mei Niang, wearing a pair of small and exquisite sheepskin boots, walked slowly. When he was not paying attention, she liked to walk on the loose snow piles that no one had stepped on, quietly, and felt very fun. It rarely snowed in the city where she lived in her previous life, and she was really unwilling that she couldn't enjoy such thick snow.
Halfway through the walk, he suddenly remembered his son: "Oh, we didn't bring Heng'er with us!"
Xu Junying frowned and said, "How can Heng'er wake up so early? The nanny will bring him here later. We have to go to grandma's room first, wait for her to wake up, and have breakfast with her."
"Grandma isn't up yet?"
"Probably not."
"Then if we go so early, won't we just have to wait in vain?"
Xu Junying glanced at her and said, "So it should be! As the eldest grandson's wife, you should go in and help your grandmother wash and dress. Didn't you do that before?"
Mei Niang lowered her eyes, thinking that it would be great if she could remember a little bit about her past.
"You really don't remember anything?" Xu Junying raised the corners of his lips slightly, revealing a sarcastic smile, yet also very tempting.
Mei Niang blinked her long eyelashes: "I have come back from the dead, and I can't remember anything about the past! Mother Wang said that I have been ill for a month. I am really sorry for causing you to worry and suffer. I can't help myself during my illness. If I have been rude, I hope you will bear with me!"
Xu Junying turned his head slightly and looked coldly at Wang Mama and Cui Xi who were following behind him for more than ten steps. He snorted. Qin Meiniang's dowry was full of cunning people. They acted one way in front of people and another behind their backs. Every time they saw him, they were like mice meeting a cat. They thought he didn't know that they had something to hide. If Qin Meiniang really didn't remember anything, would they learn from her
He was determined to marry Qin Mei Niang because of his youthful nature. She was so beautiful, who wouldn't admire her and want to have her for himself? He thought it was a blessing, but it turned out to be his lifelong shame!
But how could he allow others to know about such a scandal? The title earned by his father, the honor he defended with his life, and the clean reputation of the Xu family for generations must not be ruined!
Qin Meiniang's sudden death from illness was actually the best ending, putting an end to everything cleanly and neatly.
Therefore, he was willing to give her the most grand and luxurious funeral, making all the women in the capital envy and hate her. However, she was not satisfied and came back to life.
But she forgot all the past and stood in front of him like a blank sheet of paper.
Xu Junying looked at Mei Niang again, his eyes were cold and indifferent: Everything can be forgotten, everything can be covered up, but how can the truth be erased? Time can't be turned back, and he is no longer the Xu Junying of the past. Qin Mei Niang can no longer hold him back!
His life trajectory will be different, and he will not lack anything that he should have and enjoy in life!
Ning Rulan had been waiting in the corridor of the old lady's bedroom. When she saw Xu Junying and Mei Niang coming, she hurriedly greeted them with a smile. Xu Junying gently thanked her for their hard work, then walked to the corridor on the left and stood with his hands behind his back, allowing Ning Rulan and Mei Niang to talk freely.
As expected, the concept of favoring boys over girls has been deeply rooted since ancient times. After greeting each other, Xu Junying could leave easily, but Qin Meiniang wanted to stay. Together with Ning Rulan, they stood beside the old lady obediently and served her breakfast slowly. The two of them could sit down to eat only after the old lady was full. If it weren't for Ning Rulan eating with relish, Meiniang would have felt very wronged. Although the table was full of rich food, it didn't look good. Wouldn't she be a beggar eating leftovers? From childhood to adulthood, she had never been treated like this. Which of her grandparents didn't love her? Who would be willing to let her eat last
The old lady of the Xu family was too much. The only ones who came to pay respects were Ning Rulan and her. The old lady was reluctant to let them eat together. One of the two wives was sick and the other had dizziness, so they naturally didn't need to come. The weather was too cold, and the girls were also notified not to come to pay respects in the upper room to avoid being cold. Come to think of it, she didn't have to come. Didn't she just "die" and come back to life? Her vitality hasn't recovered yet!
However, it’s always right to listen to Xu Junying and Mother Wang, she should still come!
Qin Meiniang was thinking about something while eating snacks one bite at a time. She didn't notice that everyone in the room, including the maids and old women, was staring at her intently. When she came to her senses, she found that she had eaten up a whole plate of twelve assorted dumplings.
She stood there with her chopsticks in her hands: it was the same old habit, I would eat as much as I could when I was concentrating on something. It was okay in my previous life and no one would laugh at me. But this was in ancient times, in the feudal society, it was too embarrassing for a wife who lived at home and ate like a man, in front of so many people!
Mei Niang blushed and stammered to Ning Rulan, "I'm sorry, Third Grandma, I ate all the buns and you didn't get to taste them!"
Ning Rulan took a sip of the warm soup and swallowed it, smiling: "Sister-in-law has been ill for so long and has not been able to eat. Now that she is better, her appetite has really opened up! Don't worry about me, I eat every day, sister-in-law, eat slowly, don't just eat one thing, this shrimp dumpling is also delicious, come and try it!"
She used the serving chopsticks to pick up a shrimp dumpling and put it on the plate in front of Mei Niang. Mei Niang tried hard not to burp and waved her hand, saying, "Thank you, Third Grandma, but I'm full. Please enjoy!"
She stood up and left the table. The old lady, who had been sitting on the warm couch and looking at her, smiled and said kindly:
"Mei Niang, being able to eat is a blessing. The weather is so cold, eat more to keep warm."
Mei Niang walked to the old lady and said with a smile: "Thank you for the snacks, grandma. I'm happy to eat!"
Old Madam Xu waved her hand: "Come here, let me see, your skin seems to be brighter and more rosy than before!"
Mei Niang walked over and asked Old Lady Xu to hold her hand and knead it.
"Well, the hand is warm and soft. I guess you are really feeling better!" said the old lady.
Mother Ji smiled and said, "Look at the complexion of Grandma and the momentum of her walk. You can tell that she is getting stronger!"
The old lady nodded: "You have to take care of it. You have to be thrifty and have a good appetite. But don't eat too much at once. Take your time!"
"Yes! The granddaughter-in-law follows the teachings of her grandmother."
Mei Niang blushed, not wanting to affect everyone with her occasional increase in appetite, and said to the old lady with a smile:
"Grandma, let me give you a shoulder massage and tell you a joke to help you digest your food, okay?"
Old Madam Xu said with a smile: "Look! Mei Niang can also tell jokes now. It's really rare!"
Mei Niang said, "A grandson's wife can tell a few jokes, but she didn't dare to tell them when everyone was around. Today, it's just me and Third Grandma in front of Grandma. If I tell a bad joke, Third Grandma won't look down on me, and Grandma will naturally be more tolerant of me, so I'm not afraid to give it a try."
The old lady smiled and said, "Just tell me what's going on. It doesn't matter if it's okay or not, but you should massage my shoulders. I didn't sleep well last night, and my neck is stiff and uncomfortable, and my back is a little uncomfortable too!"
Mei Niang responded and with the help of Ji's mother, she took off her boots, got on the couch, and knelt behind the old lady. She performed the acupoint massage technique she had learned in her previous life, pinching the old lady so hard that she kept humming. At the same time, she told the children's story of King Kong Calabash Brothers. The laughter was not necessarily funny, but the mythological story fascinated everyone in the room. There was no way to figure out whether she was telling a joke or something else.
Seeing the old lady like that, Mei Niang had already guessed that she had a mild stiff neck. Mei Niang knew what to do. In her previous life, her uncle was a massage expert in the hospital. Mei Niang's grandmother had a weak health and was bedridden all year round. She originally learned massage to serve her grandmother, but she ended up learning all of her uncle's specialties without realizing it.
It is said that one cannot do two things at once, but Mei Niang did it this time. While telling the story, she paid attention to the old lady's expression. When the time was right, she gently rubbed the old lady's neck and shoulders with her hands and suddenly held her head firmly. She twisted it and there was a slight clicking sound. Before anyone could react, the old lady cried out, turned her neck left and right, and laughed easily:
"Mei Niang, where did you learn this skill? I am completely healed now, feeling very comfortable!"
Mei Niang pursed her lips and smiled: "My granddaughter-in-law used to know how to do this at her mother's house. My granddaughter-in-law's grandmother was often unhappy in one way or another. My granddaughter-in-law would accompany her grandmother and massage her for her when she had nothing to do!"
The old lady felt better and became happy. She held her hand and said, "It's rare that you are so filial. You should rub my skin more often in front of me. I like your strength the most. Others can't do that. Either they are too strong or they are too soft. Only Mei Niang is good at it!"
Mei Niang smiled and secretly breathed a sigh of relief. With so many people, things and relationships in this big family, she couldn't manage them all in a short time. In the past, Qin Mei Niang was not good at socializing and only lived in her own little corner. She didn't have any connections, so she had to start from scratch. Last night, Mother Wang and Cui Xi talked for half the night, and she could only think of the simplest one: Xu Junying, the Marquis of Weiyuan, had a high title in this mansion, but the highest authority in the family was the old lady. If she wanted to gain a firm foothold, in addition to currying favor with Xu Junying, the most important thing was this old grandmother. As long as she was coaxed, everything else should be easier. (To be continued)