Chapter 210 Keep Up the Good Work

Lotus Garden.

Lotus Garden was the private garden of a wealthy merchant. Hearing that the merchant's wife loved lotus flowers, and knowing that he was a poor young man when he was young, he told his wife that when he had money in the future, he would build a lotus garden for her.

However, by the time the wealthy businessman's business began to improve, his wife had already fallen seriously ill due to overwork.

Before he could afford to build the Lotus Garden, the wealthy merchant's wife passed away. After her death, he did not remarry and had no concubines. He devoted himself to raising the only son he had with his wife.

The Lotus Garden was started eight years after the wealthy merchant's wife passed away.

The lotus garden was completed, but the beautiful woman was long gone. It was then opened to the public, and visitors only need to pay an entrance fee to enjoy the lotus flowers.

This beautiful yet heartbreaking love story has left many people feeling regretful, and even literary figures who visited the garden to admire the lotus flowers have inscribed poems to express their sorrow.

As you enter the lotus garden, a summer breeze greets you, carrying a fresh and delicate lotus fragrance. Looking around, you see pale pink lotus flowers in full bloom, each one nestled tightly against the emerald green lotus leaves, bathed in sunlight, elegant and beautiful.

Meng Jinyao admired the lotus flowers in one of the pavilions. Looking at the clear pond, green leaves, and pink blossoms all around, she felt that the summer heat was suppressed by the surrounding greenery and pink blossoms, and her mood was extremely pleasant.

She leaned against the railing, gazing into the distance in the summer breeze, and said to the man beside her, "Lotus flowers look best in large swathes. We only have two large water tanks with lotus flowers in our Weirui Pavilion, but they are still not satisfactory. Even the lotus pond at home can't compare to the lotus flowers in this lotus garden."

After hearing this, Gu Jingxi asked, "If Madam likes it, shall we build a lotus garden as well?"

Meng Jinyao was taken aback at first, then smiled and shook her head: "There's no need for that, it's a waste of money. Isn't there a lotus garden here? Next time you want to admire lotuses, just come here."

"Gu Yaoling!"

Just then, a man's voice suddenly came from not far away. The voice was unfamiliar, and Meng Jinyao did not recognize it. She turned to Gu Jingxi and said, "Husband, someone is calling you."

Gu Jingxi hummed in response and looked in the direction of the sound. She saw several friends walking towards them, including Qi Yunwen.

Qi Yunwen saw the young girl beside him and gave her a meaningful smile.

Gu Jingxi frowned slightly, not understanding what he meant, and why he was smiling so strangely.

When the group arrived at the pavilion, they greeted Gu Jingxi, and when they looked at Meng Jinyao, they smiled and softly called out, "Sister-in-law."

Meng Jinyao didn't know them, only Qi Yunwen. As Gu Jingxi introduced them to her, she greeted them in a natural and generous manner.

Seeing her gentle smile and dignified demeanor, the others nodded in approval, feeling that Yaoling was a good wife. Gu Xiuming was blind; he gave up a good girl for an orphan and ruined his reputation. What decent girl would dare to marry him in the future?

The group simply came over to say hello, not intending to disturb the couple's time together, and left after exchanging a few pleasantries.

Before leaving, Qi Yunwen leaned close to Gu Jingxi's ear and whispered, "Gu Yaoling, you're something else. You even know how to take a young lady out for a walk. She seems to be in a good mood. Keep up the good work and make her happy." After saying that, he patted Gu Jingxi's shoulder encouragingly, winked at him, and then followed his other friends.

Gu Jingxi frowned almost imperceptibly, thinking to himself: "How could he say that I'm not as stupid as he thinks?"

Meng Jinyao didn't hear what he said, and asked curiously, "Husband, what did he say to you?"

Gu Jingxi said calmly, "He said I'm stupid."

"ah?"

Meng Jinyao was taken aback, wondering to herself, "My husband isn't stupid."

Gu Jingxi smiled and said, "So, he's talking nonsense. Let's ignore him, go for a stroll elsewhere, and leave when it's almost noon."

Meng Jinyao responded and, in high spirits, strolled around the lotus garden.

-

Meanwhile, after Qi Yunwen and the others had gone some distance, the group started talking about Gu Jingxi and his wife.

One of them said, "Mo Bai, you and Yao Ling are the closest, you should know what their situation is now, right?"

Qi Yunwen glanced at him, saw his gossipy look, and nodded, saying, "I know a little. What's wrong?"

The man chuckled twice and said, "It's nothing. I think Yaoling and his wife have a pretty good relationship. He even brings his wife out to admire the lotus flowers."

"It's more than just a good relationship."

Qi Yunwen raised an eyebrow, smiled meaningfully, and glanced at his friends. Seeing that they were staring at him curiously, waiting for him to continue, he finally said, "You all have wives. You should know about Jin Yu Ge. A few days ago, Yao Ling bought twelve hairpins for his wife at Jin Yu Ge, which cost more than a thousand taels of silver."

The men were stunned. They had never spent so much money at once when buying hairpins for their wives. They always bought them one by one, with each hairpin costing several dozen taels of silver. If it was a hairpin made of very fine jade or other rare materials, it would cost a little over a hundred taels of silver.

A thousand taels of silver is more than an average person could earn in a lifetime.

Yao Ling bought his young wife a hairpin worth over a thousand taels of silver. That goes beyond just having a good relationship; it's like treating a little princess.

The man sighed, "I thought his young wife was his son's ex-fiancée, whom he was forced to marry out of necessity, and that he was just keeping her as a decorative object. I never expected him to love her so much."

Qi Yunwen said dismissively, "His son made a mistake, not the young girl. Yaoling is a reasonable person, why would she take her anger out on the young girl?"

Another person said, "That's true. Yaoling's wife seems quite nice. My eldest daughter is the same age as her, and she's also a newlywed this year. We'll have things to talk about, and maybe we can even play together. It's just that we're from different generations."

Qi Yunwen smiled and said, "It's just a matter of seniority. People of similar age and with similar interests can get along well. My niece and his wife are best friends, they are the same age."

“My daughter is fifteen years old and not married yet, but she’s about the same age, so maybe we can get along well.”

"I also have a daughter, but she's only six years old."

Listening to their back-and-forth conversation, the man who had been silent said sourly, "You all have daughters, but mine are all brats. They're so annoying to look at."

"Haha, then you and your sister-in-law should try harder to have a daughter."

"No, I already have four sons, which proves that I am not destined to have a daughter. I give up."

Amidst laughter and conversation, the group spotted Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao, a married couple, walking along a different path. From a distance, they appeared to be walking side by side, chatting and laughing, a scene that seemed both peaceful and beautiful.