Seeing that it was already lunch time, Ning Rulan wanted to go back and have lunch with the Third Master. Mei Niang was thinking about Heng Er and wanted to visit Qiu Hua Courtyard, so they stood up, asked the maid to come in and tidy up the hall, said goodbye to each other, and left.
When they reached the gate of Qiuhua Courtyard, they saw Xu Junxuan coming out. When he saw Mei Niang, he bowed and said:
"Sister-in-law is here? I just greeted my mother, and Heng'er is having a great time on the couch!"
Mei Niang bowed slightly in return: "Sixth Master, please sit for a while. Are you going back to study now?"
Xu Junxuan smiled: "My father once taught me: Don't give up easily. Now that we have come to this point, we must go all out. I hope to win fame with my real talent and knowledge. If I can get into the top three, it will be a glory for our ancestors!"
Mei Niang looked around: "Sixth Master is very frank!"
Xu Junxuan smiled even more brightly: "I'm only saying this to my sister-in-law, who understands the thoughts of scholars. Yes, I said last time that I would write a note for my uncle, but it's not necessary. Such gatherings are just a time to have fun and have fun. It's all empty talk and there's nothing worth listening to. There will be another one in a few days. I heard that a young Hanlin lecturer has been invited this time. If my uncle can make it back in time, I will go with him to listen!"
Mei Niang hurriedly thanked him, "Thank you for the Sixth Master's support. He... my brother from my mother's family should be back soon!"
After saying a few more words, Xu Junxuan said goodbye and left. Mei Niang watched his thin but upright back and thought that this illegitimate son of the eldest house was a man of integrity and elegance. He was clearly given grace, but he refused to give up his efforts and tried to fight with his own abilities. Although it was a fight with guarantees, he at least went through the procedures that a scholar should go through, and he would have a clear conscience no matter what official he held in the future.
What is rare about Xu Junxuan is his enthusiasm and willingness to help others. Although he is weak and gentle, he is more responsible than his brother Xu Junying. Mei Niang has received his care several times and has a good impression of him.
When he walked into the upper room, he saw Madam Zheng teasing Heng'er. Heng'er was laughing so hard that his saliva dripped down, wetting Madam Zheng's outer robe. Madam Zheng did not despise him at all. She wiped his saliva with her handkerchief and said:
"Has my Heng'er grown a new tooth? He has so much saliva. Open your mouth and let grandma see if you have grown another one."
Heng'er opened his mouth, and suddenly saw Mei Niang coming in. He was overjoyed and jumped up and down. Madam Zheng could hardly hold him steady. She turned around and saw Mei Niang, and said with a smile:
"This silly boy, why are you so happy?"
Mei Niang bowed to Madam Zheng and stood aside politely, not in a hurry to go forward and hug Heng'er. She waited until Madam Zheng said to Heng'er:
"You want your mother to hug you, right? Well, let your grandmother take a break too!"
Just then she walked forward, but Heng'er had already bumped into her. Mei Niang hugged him and kissed him on the face, then asked him to kiss her on the face. However, Heng'er hugged her face and bit it fiercely. Mei Niang gently shouted:
"It hurts! Why did Heng'er bite his mother?"
Mrs. Zheng smiled until her eyes narrowed. "He has been biting people these past two days, including me. I heard that children love to bite people when their teeth grow big. Xia Lian wanted to cry because of his bite yesterday. This boy is like a little tiger, quite fierce."
As they were talking, lunch was served. Mei Niang helped Madam Zheng wash her hands and rinse her mouth, set the table, and fed Heng'er two sips of soup with a silver spoon. Madam Zheng said, "Let the nurse feed you, and you come up to eat too."
Mei Niang agreed and sat on the couch, but she did not hand Heng'er to the wet nurse. She held him in her arms and fed him herself. Heng'er ate and played at the same time. He quickly grabbed the chicken leg on the table and started to bite it. When he couldn't bite it, he handed it to Mei Niang. Mei Niang took a bite from her hand. He found it interesting and took it to pieces again. Before he knew it, he had bitten most of it. After the meal, Heng'er's face looked like a little cat, which made Xia Lian, Chun Yue and other maids laugh uncontrollably. Mei Niang's new clothes were also soiled by him, but she didn't care. It was a rare opportunity for her to be close to her son. As long as she had the chance to hold him, she would not let go and let others take him away. She fed him food, gave him water, and did everything herself, not afraid of the dirt, fatigue, and trouble.
After Heng'er had his fill, he washed his hands and face with hot water, changed his clothes, yawned several times, and then lay lazily in Mei Niang's arms. After just a few pats, he closed his eyes and fell asleep quietly.
Madam Zheng said, "Give him to the nurse and put him on my bed. I want to sleep for a while and keep him company."
Mei Niang reluctantly handed Heng'er to the wet nurse's arms, then bowed to Madam Zheng. Madam Zheng waved her hand and asked Chunyue to send her out of the upper room.
As soon as she walked out of the courtyard gate, she saw Xu Junying coming in wearing court robes, followed by Baoju, holding a rectangular scented wooden box in his hand. Mei Niang bowed to Xu Junying and said:
"Mr. Hou, are you here to greet mother? Unfortunately, mother wants to take a nap and has already gone to bed. Please come back in the evening!"
Xu Junying stopped and looked at Baoju: "Since Madam has already lain down, I will not go in. You can give the things to the maid in the corridor."
Baoju responded and walked into the yard. When he passed Mei Niang, he didn't dare to look up. He just bowed and hurried away.
Mei Niang wondered what good thing could be made so mysterious
Xu Junying said, "It is silk, a gift from our old comrades. There are only three pieces, which we divided among the old lady, the first lady and the second lady."
Mei Niang thought that he was giving her some kind of explanation, so she didn't say much, just smiled and nodded as a reply.
After a while, Baoju came out. Xu Junying looked at Mei Niang and said, "Since there is nothing else to do, go back to the courtyard and rest. I'm going to talk to the second master. We'll have dinner at the old lady's. You don't have to come over!"
Mei Niang was startled for a moment, then she remembered that the maid in the old lady's room did not rush to invite her today, so it seemed that it was all right, so she responded:
"Mr. Hou is there to talk to the old lady, so I'll just hide away and not go over!"
After saying this, he led Cui Xi and Cui Lian to pay their respects to him, then turned around and went back to Tsinghua Courtyard.
After walking a few steps, Mei Niang suddenly raised her sleeves to cover her face and snorted twice in succession. Cui Xi hurried over to help her:
"Are you cold, grandma? Put on your cloak!"
Mei Niang sniffed, feeling a little stuffy in the nose, and said:
"Hurry back, it's too cold. Make some ginger soup or you'll catch a cold!"
Suddenly, Xu Junying called her: "Wait, I forgot I have something to tell you!"
Mei Niang turned around and looked at him with red eyes: "What's the matter, Lord Hou?"
Xu Junying watched Cui Xi tiptoe to put a cloak on Mei Niang, and signaled her and Cui Lian to move away. Bao Ju had already hidden somewhere.
Xu Junying asked Mei Niang: "What is your agreement with the wife of the Marquis of Changle?"
"Mrs. Changle Hou's wife? Who is she? I don't know her!"
Mei Niang rubbed her eyes, her nose was itchy and she was a little impatient. In just a short while, she caught a cold and the symptoms of a cold were so obvious.
Xu Junying said: "That day you brought a group of people to roast meat on Meilin, and she was there too!"
Mei Niang laughed: "Burning the plum forest? It's not that serious, it only hurts a few branches of the purple-leaf trees. They will sprout again next spring."
Xu Junying said calmly, "That's what the old lady said - Madam Changle Hou invited you to the flower shed in her house to enjoy the flowers. She sent her housekeeper to deliver the invitation today. The flowers will bloom tomorrow. I received the invitation and thanked Madam Changle Hou on your behalf. I just said that you were not feeling well and could not accept the invitation!"
Mei Niang was stunned for a moment: "I, I'm fine!"
Xu Junying looked at her and said, "You have caught a cold, stay at home and take care of yourself!"
Mei Niang was a little anxious. She was busy taking over the management of household chores a few days ago and had no time to spare. She didn't even dare to go home to visit her mother. She only asked Mother Wang to go back every now and then. Things have finally stabilized in the past two days, and Rulan can take care of it. Wouldn't it be stupid not to run out and see the world when she has a chance
She pushed off the cloak on her head and said, "It was just a little bit of wind. I'll be fine tomorrow morning after a good sleep. Lord Hou, please let me go. I, I don't even recognize all those people. I want to meet them and make friends. There's no harm in that, right?"
Xu Junying looked at her with cold eyes: "The weather is so cold, the wind is blowing in the mansion, how can you bear it outside? A few days ago, the wife of Duke Dingguo and several wives of the marquis invited you to get together, and I declined them one by one on your behalf! You have always been in poor health, so stay in the mansion and don't go anywhere. I tell you all this today just to remind you that if someone comes to visit me when I am not at home, you just avoid them. These ladies are of noble status and were all noble ladies before they got married. You are too far behind them. If you associate with them, people will laugh at you for no reason. It is better to have some self-knowledge!"
Mei Niang stared at Xu Junying in a daze, a little bit unable to believe her ears: "What did the Marquis say? Those ladies are of noble status, and they are noble ladies from famous families. I am not worthy of associating with them? Am I not your Weiyuan Marquis's wife? The imperial decree bestowed me with the title? If the Marquis had not asked about my background, which is also a pure family of poetry, etiquette and literature, would he have decided to marry me? Now you look down on me for my humble background!"
Xu Junying turned his head away and didn't look at her: "The past is the past, and the present is the present. If they ask you about it in the future, you can't say that I didn't bring it up, and it was you who was in poor health and couldn't go out!"
After saying that, he turned and walked away, waving his hand. Baoju appeared out of nowhere and hurriedly followed him.
Cui Xi and Cui Lian also showed their heads and walked over carefully to support her: "Grandma, the wind is strong, let's go back!"
Mei Niang stared at Xu Junying's receding back and felt like her lungs were a blown-up balloon that could explode at any time.
After returning to Tsinghua University, he took a hot ginger bath, drank two bowls of ginger soup, and fell asleep without even looking at the account books.
After a comfortable nap, I felt relaxed and refreshed, and the blockage in my heart was no longer there - it was Qin Meiniang, the new one, not the same one from the past. Was there any need for her to be angry with Xu Junying
What’s important is how to manage your business and live your own life well!
But then again, that guy was quite ruthless. He didn't let Qin Mei Niang have any contact with the outside world. His thoughts were easy to understand: he didn't want Qin Mei Niang to be too active. He was afraid that she would be too popular and it would be difficult to marry another wife. Didn't he and the old lady want Zhuang Yulan to come in and suppress Mei Niang and gradually replace her? Why would they want her to have too much contact with those noble ladies? If she also gained the support of the noble ladies, it would be even worse.
Xu Junying neglected his wife and son, and Wang's mother said that they had been apart for too long and had become estranged. Is this a reason? At the beginning, he said that he loved Mei Niang and forced her to marry him, regardless of their social status. They also had a child. Isn't it great to have a beautiful wife and a lovely son? Why doesn't he love her anymore
This pervert's behavior is so illogical that it's hard to figure it out.
It's not that she wants to replace Qin Meiniang and Xu Junying as husband and wife. If Xu Junying loves her, she might be at a loss and back off. Now she has her own intentions, and she wants to care about him and remind him of his responsibilities as a husband and father, and take better care of his wife and children. But he refuses to understand, let alone cooperate. He is even reluctant to pretend to be a loving couple. What a pity! There is nothing we can do about him. (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)