Chapter 122 The child must have the surname Meng
Chapter 122 The Child Must Take the Surname Meng
When the eldest princess saw Manman's face, she was stunned for a moment, a look of bewilderment flashing in her eyes.
Manman looks so much like Yan'er when she was little. For a moment, she felt as if she saw Yan'er when she was a child.
She glanced at the mother holding the child in the hall, her face beaming with joy, then looked at Shen Tang discreetly before lowering her head and remaining silent.
Shen knew of Manman's existence and presented her with a gift that she had prepared beforehand.
Seeing her mother so happy, and noticing that the eldest princess remained silent about Shen Tang and Manman's attitudes, Third Madam Cao noticed that her mother was overjoyed.
With a quick glance around, he took off the white jade pendant hanging from his waist and enthusiastically presented it to Manman.
Manman was a little bewildered by their enthusiastic attitude, but she remembered her mother's teachings to be polite, so she obediently thanked them.
Inside Rongshou Hall, apart from the eldest princess who remained silent with a cold face, everyone else was playing with the children, and the room was filled with laughter and joy, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
After lunch, Meng Huaiyan prepared to take Shen Tang and the child back to Qingyun Courtyard.
Although the old lady was a little reluctant, she thought that they must be exhausted from their long journey, so she did not stop them. She just told Shen Tang that she could bring the children to Rongshou Hall more often when she had nothing to do.
Shen Tang bowed his head and respectfully agreed.
The three headed towards Qingyun Courtyard. Manman was getting sleepy and kept yawning. Meng Huaiyan picked him up and gently patted his back to comfort him.
When they arrived at Qingyun Courtyard, Manman was already asleep. Meng Huaiyan gently placed Manman on the bed.
"Would you like to rest for a while?"
Shen Tang sat on the edge of the bed, looking at Manman with a gentle expression. When she heard Meng Huaiyan ask her a question, she replied, "No, I'm not very sleepy."
Meng Huaiyan sat down next to her and said, "I'm sorry."
Why the sudden apology?
"My mother has a bad attitude towards you and Manman..."
Shen Tang interrupted him: "It's not your fault, there's no need to apologize. My mother has disliked me for a long time."
"I don't really care how she treats me. If she suddenly becomes enthusiastic and greets me with a smile, I would find it strange."
Meng Huaiyan hugged her, rested his head on her shoulder, and said with relief, "It's good that you're not angry."
*
It has been almost three months since Meng Huaiyan took leave. Now that he has returned to the capital, it would be unreasonable for him not to work again.
When Shen Tang woke up the next day, Meng Huaiyan was no longer by her side.
Meng Huaiyan had been by their side during this time. When Manman woke up and didn't see Meng Huaiyan, she was a little unaccustomed to it and asked her where her father had gone.
Shen Tang explained to him that her father was on duty and would not be back until the evening.
After Shen Tang and Manman finished their breakfast, they were playing in the courtyard when A Yun came in to inform Fu Dong, who served the Princess.
Shen Tang's heart tightened suddenly. After hesitating for a moment, she asked A Yun to invite her in.
Fu Dong entered and respectfully bowed to her: "Princess Consort, the Eldest Princess instructed me to send some gifts to Miss."
As soon as Fu Dong finished speaking, the two maids following behind her stepped forward, opened the two boxes, and handed them over.
Shen Tang glanced at it briefly and saw that there were about a dozen different kinds of items inside, each of which was quite exquisite and obviously very valuable.
Suppressing her shock, Shen Tang instructed A Yun to take the things, and nodded to Fu Dong, saying, "Please thank Mother for me."
"You're too kind, Princess Consort. If there's nothing else, I'll take my leave now."
After Fu Dong left, Shen Tang stared at the two boxes of valuable gifts and fell into deep thought.
Yesterday, seeing the princess's cold demeanor, she thought that because of her, Manman had also fallen out of favor with her. She never expected that such a valuable gift would be sent today.
Shen Tang instructed A Yun, "Put it in the storeroom."
Ayun: "Yes."
After lunch, Shen Tang took Manman to the princess's residence.
The eldest princess seemed to have known they were coming. When Fu Dong saw them, she didn't announce their arrival but led the two of them directly into the hall.
Shen Tang bowed respectfully to her with Manman, but the princess remained expressionless and indifferent.
"Rise, there's no need for formalities."
"Thank you, Mother."
Shen Tang sat down on a chair next to them with Manman.
The eldest princess did not speak, and Shen Tang had nothing to say to her either, so the room suddenly fell silent.
Manman was a little scared of her and hid in her mother's arms without making a sound.
The eldest princess stared at her silently for a while, then suddenly asked, "What's the child's name?"
Shen Tang respectfully replied, "My full name is Shen Jianchu, and my nickname is Manman."
Upon hearing this, the eldest princess frowned immediately and said coldly.
"Since he is a child of the Meng family, he should naturally have the surname Meng. In a few days, I will have someone choose a name according to the clan's seniority and then put the child in the family genealogy."
Shen Tang had no objection to this. The Meng family valued rules and etiquette, and only those listed in the family genealogy were considered members of the Meng family.
As Meng Huaiyan's legitimate daughter, Manman naturally didn't want to lose her status as the legitimate daughter of the Meng family just for the sake of a surname.
Shen Tang replied respectfully, "I will leave everything to Mother's arrangements."
Seeing how sensible Shen Tang was, the princess's previously somber expression softened slightly.
She still doesn't like Shen Tang.
But he had seen Yan'er's obsessive and madness, making it virtually impossible for her to marry another woman, let alone have children with him.
Over the years, her relationship with Yan'er has reached a point of extreme tension.
But after all, she is a mother, how could she possibly turn a blind eye to her own son?
Five years have passed, and Shen Tang has suddenly "come back to life" and given birth to a daughter.
When she saw Yan'er yesterday, her expression had lost its previous numbness and despair, and she finally showed signs of life.
As she looked at him, a sense of relief suddenly welled up inside her, a relief that Shen Tang was still alive.
However, she could never bring herself to be kind and friendly to Shen Tang. As long as Shen Tang behaved herself, she could forgive her for what she had done.
The room fell silent again in an instant.
Manman couldn't sit still any longer and kept squirming in Shen Tang's arms, whispering, "Mother, I want to go back~"
Although Manman spoke softly, the room was so quiet that the Princess naturally heard her. She coughed lightly and said to Shen Tang.
"I am also tired. You may all leave."
Upon hearing this, Shen Tang stood up while holding Manman, curtsied, and said, "Daughter-in-law takes her leave."
Fu Dong led them toward the entrance, but just as they reached the hanging flower gate, Chen Tang's attention was drawn to a slender figure in the courtyard.
The woman wore a simple bun hairstyle, adorned only with two white jade hairpins. She wore a green double-breasted long gown and a plain pleated skirt, giving her a gentle and serene appearance.
Seemingly noticing her gaze, the woman turned around and, seeing Shen Tang's unfamiliar face, appeared somewhat puzzled, but still smiled and curtsied to her.
Looking at that familiar face, Shen Tang couldn't help but unconsciously clench her hands.
Suppressing his turbulent emotions and not wanting to lose his composure in front of her, Shen Tang curtsied in return, then took Manman's hand and left without looking back.
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A new character, guess who it is?
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