Madam Wang warmly invited Gu Yaoniang to stay for a meal at the Wang family home, and ordered the kitchen to prepare a sumptuous feast.
She wanted to cook herself, but her son solemnly stopped her.
The youngest son of the Wang family was a delicate little boy with a fair and rosy face. He stood there like a little fairy, but what he said was quite infuriating: "Mother, if you cook for yourself, Sister Gu might think you can make pills!"
Madam Wang was furious, but she still accepted reality and did not insist on cooking herself.
When Lord Wang Chengxian returned home from his duty, he saw a sumptuous meal on the table, along with five sets of bowls and plates. He exclaimed, "Oh!" and asked, "Second brother is back?"
Lord Wang's household had only one woman, Madam Wang, who had three children. The eldest was Wang Zhilan, and she had two younger brothers.
Unlike other families, the Wang family did not separate sons and daughters in terms of birth order. Therefore, Wang Zhilan was the eldest, and her two sons were the second and third sons, respectively.
Madam Wang gave him a reproachful look: "Master, you're confused! The second son is at the academy today and hasn't come back!"
Lord Wang was puzzled, so he looked at the bowls and plates on the table again and confirmed that there were indeed five sets.
I'm sure I do have a brain after all.
"That's the manor, what kind of guest has arrived?"
Lord Wang asked while washing his hands.
Otherwise, it wouldn't make sense. The lady is simply not good at cooking; counting is still no problem for her. Even if she didn't figure it out, the servants wouldn't make a mistake.
Madam Wang chuckled: "That girl from the Gu family is here!"
Her smile was kind and loving; it was clear that she genuinely liked Gu Yaoniang.
A slight stirring occurred to Lord Wang's heart; a hidden corner of his mind was gently disturbed, stirring up ripples in his heart.
He also knew that the wealthy merchant Gu family had a daughter from the eldest branch of the Gu family who was now the owner of Jinyulou Restaurant and often sent her some of the newest foods to his home.
In fact, he had long wanted to find an opportunity to meet this young girl and was quite curious about her.
He had invited Gu Yaoniang to the Wang family last time because she had saved his daughter, so he should accompany her.
However, when his wife came to deliver gifts and an invitation, he was busy with official business; on the day Gu Yaoniang arrived at the Wang family, he had already taken leave and was waiting at home.
Unexpectedly, the top scholar and the third-ranked scholar came to visit him together. He could only receive the two in his study and did not get to see Gu Yaoniang.
After that, he never had a suitable opportunity to meet this elder woman.
Going there rashly would be inappropriate, and coupled with being busy with official business, I have not been able to meet with them.
The youngest son, standing nearby, clapped and cheered, "Sister Gu! Sister Gu!"
Wang Zhilan was leading Gu Yaoniang to the hall entrance when she heard this and couldn't help but ask, "What's wrong with Sister Gu?"
The two women walked over hand in hand, their faces beaming with smiles, showing no trace of the unpleasantness that had just occurred.
Gu Yaoniang greeted Lord Wang and his wife in turn, while secretly observing Lord Wang.
This was the first time she had met Lord Wang.
The last time she visited the Wang family, Lord Wang only prepared gifts for her, but because there were other visitors, the two of them did not get to meet.
At this moment, she secretly glanced at Lord Wang. The middle-aged man had a beautiful beard and thick eyebrows, and unlike many other men his age, he was not overweight but still handsome and upright. He also possessed a refined elegance that came with the passage of time.
But she noticed that Lord Wang seemed to be looking at her as well, and her cheeks flushed slightly. She quickly lowered her head.
Wang's youngest son had only met Gu Yaoniang once before, but he became very close to her.
He was shouting "Sister, hug me!" Wang Zhilan reached out to take the chubby little boy who was walking towards her, but unexpectedly, the youngest son of the Wang family went straight to Gu Yaoniang and continued to call out in his childish voice at her leg, "Sister, hug me!"
Wang Zhilan was angered by her brother's actions. She pretended to be angry and tried to pull him over, shouting, "You brat! Look carefully who your sister is!"
Wang's youngest son hid behind Gu Yaoniang and made a face at Wang Zhilan.
The others in the hall burst into laughter at the scene, and Madam Wang was the happiest: "I knew it! Yao Niang should be my daughter!"
Gu Yaoniang smiled and squatted down to hug the adorable little boy from the Wang family, then took his hand and walked towards the dining table.
Lady Wang, wanting to get her son to talk more, asked him, "Why do you like Sister Yaoniang so much?"
The youngest son of the Wang family replied in a childish voice, "Because Sister Yaoniang's eyes are the same size and as pretty as Big Sister's!"
In short, he pleased both of his older sisters.
Wang Zhilan was still a little annoyed by her younger brother's actions, but this made her burst out laughing.
Gu Yaoniang couldn't help but chuckle.
Following her youngest son's words, Madam Wang glanced at Gu Yaoniang and exclaimed, "Eh!" "If the third son hadn't mentioned it, I wouldn't have noticed! Yaoniang and our Ah Han do look quite alike upon closer inspection! Especially those eyes! Look, sir!"
Wang Zhilan looks like her mother, except for her eyes, which are very similar to her father's.
Gu Yaoniang's eyes resemble Wang Zhilan's, and therefore also resemble Lord Wang's.
Lady Wang enthusiastically showed it to Lord Wang, but she didn't hear a reply from him. She couldn't help but look at Lord Wang reproachfully, only to find that her husband was lost in thought, seemingly preoccupied with something else.
She gently nudged Lord Wang's arm.
Lord Wang suddenly snapped out of his daze, somewhat confused: "Huh? What?"
Madam Wang glared at him, ignoring him, and turned back to continue chatting and laughing with Yao Niang and Wang Zhilan.
Seeing that they were chatting happily, Lord Wang remained lost in thought and did not reply.
After Gu Yaoniang left, Madam Wang returned to her room and angrily pinched her husband's arm, causing him to wince in pain.
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