Chapter 290 A day apart feels like three autumns
"Ha ha ha ha!"
Cao Defu laughed heartily.
As expected of Lady Sui, the things she brought out were things that even he, a man who had traveled all over the country, had never seen before.
This is enough to prove that Lady Sui values Yingying in her family very much.
Yingying will definitely not suffer any grievances after she marries him.
He smiled and asked, "Madam Sui, when is the wedding date for the two children?"
Cheng Wanwan chuckled.
The wedding date should be suggested by the groom; this Boss Cao is far too impatient.
The matchmaker, Zhao, spoke on his behalf: "The Zhao family specially opened the ancestral hall for divination. Our ancestor chose two auspicious days: the 18th of the twelfth lunar month and the 24th of the third lunar month of the following year. Both are excellent days for marriage..."
“The 18th of the twelfth lunar month is too rushed,” Cao Defu shook his head. “Yingying wants me to teach her how to do business. A month isn’t enough time. How about we get married next March?”
Setting a date is ultimately based on the woman's wishes.
Since Cao Defu said so, Cheng Wanwan naturally nodded: "Okay, then let's tentatively set the wedding date for March 24th next year."
It's unclear when the issue of refugees will be resolved this year. Getting married next year would be better, on March 24th, right after the spring planting season.
Qi's fingers were clenched tightly.
Cao Yingying, that little bitch, actually wants to learn how to do business. When did this happen, and why is she completely unaware of it?
After the incident last time, all the maids and servants around her were purged and replaced, leaving her completely unaware of the Cao family's movements. This infuriates her!
How many things is Cao Defu, that scoundrel, hiding from her?
Madam Qi took a deep breath and said with a fake smile, "Master, it's getting late. We should invite Madam Sui, the prospective son-in-law, and the matchmaker to take their seats for dinner."
Although the Cao family was a merchant household, they still maintained certain etiquettes. Men and women dined separately, with a screen separating them.
Only then was Cao Yingying, the woman about to be married, allowed to come out and accompany the guests.
As soon as she came out, she sat down next to Cheng Wanwan and shyly called her "Auntie".
Cheng Wanwan noticed that the little girl's eyes kept glancing towards the other side of the screen. Since the last talent competition, the two children hadn't seen each other for quite some time. Young couples, after all, a day apart feels like three autumns. She understood, she understood everything.
However, in all her years, she had never experienced such longing.
If we're talking about regrets, of course there are.
However, she wouldn't specifically seek it out...
"Where did your eyes go?" Madam Qi suddenly spoke coldly. "Remember, you are the eldest daughter of the Cao family, representing the Cao family. You must pay attention to your manners at all times. After living in the countryside for more than a month, how come you have forgotten even basic etiquette?"
When she said the first part, Cao Yingying listened attentively, because she hadn't been paying attention to her manners.
However, the latter part of her statement caused Aunt Zhao to suffer unjustly.
Cao Yingying raised her eyes and said coldly, "Choose your words carefully and do not speak ill of others... This is called a woman's speech. This morning, Third Sister scolded the servants in the courtyard for half an hour. This is not a woman's speech. Is this the etiquette that Mother talks about? I don't even bother to learn this kind of etiquette."
The third sister she mentioned was Qi's eldest daughter, who was extremely unruly and often scolded and beat the servants around her in the courtyard.
"How dare you tarnish your third sister's reputation!" Madam Qi's face darkened with anger, and she lowered her voice, "Disrespecting your mother and refusing to be disciplined, are you trying to invoke family law?"
Cao Yingying smiled and said, "Only the head of the family can invoke family discipline. May I ask, is Mother the head of the family?"
Qi choked abruptly.
If she admits it, then she's stepping on Cao Defu's head.
If she denies it, then she has no right to punish this little bitch.
In the past, when she asked for family discipline, this little bitch never resisted. But since she came back after living in the countryside for a while, she has become increasingly difficult to deal with.
Cheng Wanwan winked at Cao Yingying secretly. This is how you deal with shameless people.
She spoke up at the opportune moment: "Yingying is a daughter-in-law of our Zhao family, which means she is half a daughter of mine, Madam Sui. From now on, no matter who in the Cao family wants to invoke family discipline, they must obtain my consent. Madam Cao, don't you think that makes sense?"
Qi's fingers dug deeply into his palm!
She's just a lowly ninth-rank lady, yet she dares to shit on her head!
She's so angry!
Finally, the meal was served. The food was clearly prepared with care, and it tasted very good. Cheng Wanwan ate a bowl of rice.
Qi's contempt was even greater.
She really is a boorish country bumpkin; she eats so much, isn't she afraid of stuffing herself to death?
The men's table was very lively. Cao Defu had invited two of his cousins to join him, and the only heir of the Cao family was also at the table.
While they were eating, suddenly, a figure rushed in from the entrance of the flower hall.
"master!"
The figure pounced directly at Cao Defu's feet.
Zhao Ergou, who was sitting next to Cao Defu, was startled.
He looked closer and realized the woman looked familiar…it seemed to be the concubine he had met in Nanyang City…
That figure was indeed Aunt Meng.
Back in Nanyang City, she helped the madam stop the eldest daughter's letters and destroy evidence, but she made a grave mistake and was ultimately abandoned by the master to fend for herself on the estate.
She repeatedly begged the lady for help, but the lady never replied to her letters.
She couldn't eat or sleep well on the estate, and was bullied and ridiculed by the servants. She had had enough of this kind of life.
She has fallen into such a state entirely because of the lady!
Thinking of this, she cast a resentful glance at Madam Qi.
Qi's eyes darkened to the extreme. This damned concubine actually dared to come back!
If Aunt Meng hadn't given herself away, she wouldn't have been suspected by the master, and she wouldn't be in this situation where she doesn't even have a trusted confidante to command!
Her gaze grew even colder, like a knife striking Aunt Meng's forehead.
Cao Defu kicked away Aunt Meng, who was clinging to his leg, and shouted angrily, "Old Sun, get over here right now! Didn't I tell you? Meng is never allowed to set foot in the Cao family again in her entire life!"
"Master, you can't send me away!" Concubine Meng clutched her lower abdomen. "I'm more than three months pregnant!"
At her lowest point, she discovered she was pregnant. This was her last lifeline, and she was determined to regain her footing in the Cao family!
"How could that be?!" Madam Qi suddenly stood up, walked around the screen, and went over. "Master, don't believe this little slut's words. She's definitely carrying a bastard child of unknown origin!"
"My lord, I'm innocent!" Concubine Meng knelt on the ground and cried loudly. "I'm three months pregnant. Three months ago, my husband and I were inseparable day and night. Even when we went out to discuss business, I served you by your side. How could this child be of unknown origin? Please, my lord, investigate thoroughly!"
Qi gritted her teeth.
Ever since she gave birth to the Cao family's only heir, she has not allowed the Cao family's concubines to have any more children, and has secretly done a lot of dirty work.
Unexpectedly, Meng managed to get pregnant through a loophole.
She said in a deep voice, "You think three months is all it takes? This isn't something you can decide on your own. We need to call a doctor to take a look."
The doctor in the manor was a distant relative of her Qi family and had received many favors from her; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to miscarry so many unborn children so easily... If the doctor had told her that she was pregnant for only one month, Aunt Meng would have been in serious trouble, even if she didn't die!
“Isn’t this a coincidence?” Cao Yingying also came around the screen. “I just bought two old women, and one of them happens to be able to take pulses.”
As soon as she finished speaking, the old woman who was guarding under the eaves stepped in and placed her hand on Aunt Meng's pulse: "Reporting to the master, madam, and young lady, Aunt Meng is indeed pregnant, more than three months along."
Qi glared angrily. How dare this little bitch ruin her plans!
Cao Yingying was not afraid at all and said with a smile, "I have several younger sisters, but only one younger brother. If Aunt Meng could give my father another son, that would be great. With more brothers to help, our Cao family will prosper."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
