Chapter 415 Father and Son Look Different
The mulberry orchard is newly established and is being managed by Kong Xiuniang and several female workers. Once the mulberry trees are lush in the summer, the number of silkworms raised here will increase by dozens or even hundreds of times, requiring a significant increase in manpower.
Cao Defu carefully offered his suggestions, speaking eloquently and logically. In the past, Qi would have definitely interrupted, but today she was clearly distracted and remained silent beside Cao Defu.
As we strolled around, it became afternoon.
Cheng Wanwan smiled and said, "It's getting late, why don't you and Mrs. Cao stay for a meal?"
Just as Madam Cao was about to refuse, Cao Defu readily agreed: "Alright, alright, I'll take it! I heard that when Jingcheng and Yingying got married, the banquet at my mother-in-law's house was especially lavish. Today I'll be able to enjoy a feast too, hahaha, thank you so much, mother-in-law."
"No trouble at all," Cheng Wanwan said with a faint smile. "Let's go back to the courtyard, have a couple of cups of tea, and then it'll be time for dinner."
Cao Defu followed Cheng Wanwan back home with great enthusiasm.
Madam Qi pursed her lips, suppressing her reluctance, and held her son's hand tightly as they followed.
Some flowers in the corner of Cheng Wanwan's yard have already bloomed, the vines are growing wildly and the flowers are in full bloom. Sitting at the stone table in the yard, drinking tea and feeling the breeze of late spring is quite a unique experience.
Cheng Yuanyuan and Wei Hongying busied themselves in the kitchen. Because guests were coming, they killed a chicken and a duck. As soon as the meat went into the pot, they smelled the aroma of meat. The two wolves and the dog in the yard were drooling as they walked back and forth at the kitchen door.
"I heard something interesting yesterday," Cheng Wanwan said, putting down her teacup. "A man raised his son, but when the son grew up, the biological father came looking for him, and the man realized that the son he had raised for eighteen years wasn't his own at all..."
"This man is too stupid," Cao Defu said disdainfully. "Whether a son is your own or not, you can tell at a glance. If he looks like you, then he's your son. If he doesn't look like you, tsk tsk, you'll just be raising someone else's son."
Cheng Wanwan glanced at Cao Hong and said, "Why do I feel that Hong'er doesn't look much like Boss Cao?"
That's already quite direct.
Qi, sitting to the side, changed her expression, gripped her teacup tightly, and opened her lips as if trying to change the subject.
Cao Defu didn't think anything of it at all. He said, "The Cao family all say that Hong'er's face shape is like mine, and his eyebrows are too. My dear in-law, you can't tell just by looking at him so casually. Hong'er, stop playing around and come over to your father. Let's have Lady Sui have a proper comparison!"
Madam Qi frowned: "The child was having a great time, why did you call him over?"
“Didn’t you used to hate it when Hong’er played with dirty things? He’s playing in the mud, and you’re not doing anything about it?” Cao Defu became interested. “I also liked playing in the mud when I was a kid. Hong’er, let Daddy play with you.”
He rolled up his sleeves and went over.
Cheng Wanwan's gaze fell on Qi Shi, her lips curving into a half-smile.
Qi's hand tightened again. For some reason, that look in her eyes made her feel a little uneasy.
"Madam Cao, you seem to be feeling unwell?" Cheng Wanwan asked with concern. "Would you like to come inside and lie down?"
Qi shook her head: "I'm fine, I'm just a little hungry."
She wanted to finish eating quickly and go back; she felt uneasy staying there.
Cheng Wanwan went into the kitchen and told Wei Hongying not to cook the remaining main dishes. She said that if things got chaotic later, no one would have an appetite, and it would be better to save the fresh ingredients for the family to eat tomorrow.
Six or seven home-style dishes were laid out on the round table, and the whole family sat down around it.
"This salted duck egg is so delicious!" Cao Defu exclaimed, his mouth greasy with oil. "And this preserved egg tofu is absolutely amazing! Oh, and the bamboo shoots are quite good too. Mother-in-law, do you have any more bamboo shoots? May I shamelessly ask for some to take home..."
Cheng Wanwan was filled with shame. This Cao Defu was really thick-skinned. No wonder she had been deceived for so many years.
If she hadn't made that accidental discovery, all of the Cao family's assets would have been seized by outsiders.
She said, "Hong'er eats very politely, he's really not like Boss Cao at all."
After swallowing the food in his mouth, Cao Defu said, "My wife is quite strict with Hong'er, which is why Hong'er eats so politely..."
Cheng Wanwan scrutinized the two closely: "No... Boss Cao, your face shape and Hong'er's are not similar, your eyebrows are not similar, and your eyes, nose, and mouth are not similar at all..."
As soon as she said that, everyone at the table looked at the father and son.
Cao Yingying seemed to understand something, her eyes filled with disbelief, and she said slowly, "Hong'er and Father really don't seem like a family at all..."
"Madam Sui!" Madam Qi stood up abruptly, her eyes blazing with anger. "From the moment I entered this courtyard, Madam Sui has been implying that Hong'er and his father don't look alike. Madam Sui, just say what you want to say directly. There's no need for this endless sarcasm!"
“This is what Madam Cao told me to say directly.” Cheng Wanwan smiled. “I just met a man who claimed to be the Cao family’s former steward, I think his name was Cao Ping. He told me some things, so I couldn’t help but say these things.”
“Cao, Cao Ping…” Qi’s face turned pale and she slumped into a chair.
"You're a bad person! You bullied my mother!"
Cao Hong ran over and grabbed Cheng Wanwan's sleeve, ready to attack.
Cao Yingying reacted quickly, pulling Cao Hong away: "Hong'er, don't be rude! Hongyan, take Hong'er out!"
She already knew what she was going to say next; in her opinion, there was no need to drag an innocent child into the grudges between adults.
"No, I won't go out! My older sister is bad, she's a bad person too, everyone who bullies my mother is a bad person!"
Wei Hongying came over immediately. She was strong and dragged the struggling Cao Hong out of the house.
"What are you doing? Let go of my son!" Madam Qi suddenly became agitated. "Madam Sui, if you have a problem, come at me! Don't hurt the child!"
Cao Defu grabbed her and pressed her down, looking at Cheng Wanwan: "Mother-in-law, what did Cao Ping say to you?"
"Why don't we let Cao Ping confess himself?" Cheng Wanwan clapped her hands. "Bring him in."
Zhao Dashan and Zhao Sanniu, who had been guarding the back, immediately carried Cao Ping, who was bound hand and foot, into the restaurant upon hearing this, threw him on the ground, and bent down to pull the rag out of Cao Ping's mouth.
Cao Ping roared, "Qi Yao, you bitch! You actually tried to have me killed! How could you be so vicious!"
Qi was startled. She did want to kill Cao Ping, but she hadn't given the order. How could Cao Ping know?
She turned to look at Cheng Wanwan, and seeing Cheng Wanwan's calm and composed expression, she understood everything.
She steadied herself and said, "Steward Cao, what nonsense are you talking about? How could I possibly want to kill you... Even if you've done something wrong, you're still a member of the Cao family. Master and Yingying both care about you and are even thinking of finding you a job. Don't be misled by outsiders..."
As she spoke, she kept giving Cao Ping meaningful glances.
"Alright, Madam Cao, I heard it all with my own ears. You hired a few men to kill Cao Ping, and you even said you'd give them ten thousand taels of silver after it was done." Cheng Wanwan smiled slightly. "Oh, and Madam Cao also seemed to say that instead of filling Cao Ping's bottomless pit with that ten thousand taels of silver, it would be better to nip it in the bud and never be threatened again..."
Qi's pupils widened suddenly: "You're talking nonsense! You're spouting rubbish! I never said any of those things!"
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
