Opening a new city gate is a major project involving national etiquette, urban management, and military defense. It requires the coordinated operation of multiple departments, and the Ministry of Revenue is usually the first to receive the news because it needs to allocate funds for whatever needs to be done.
Meng Zhao was naturally not foolish enough to ask directly. Instead, she took a roundabout approach. She had artisans in workshops on the outskirts of Beijing work through the night to make several exquisite items. One of them was a square wooden box with holes of various shapes carved on the top, including square, round, triangular, and heart-shaped ones. She then ordered people to make wooden blocks that corresponded to these shapes. When these wooden blocks overlapped with the holes, they could be put into the box. The inspiration for the design came from the Montessori early childhood education sorting toys she had seen before.
Furthermore, inspired by tangrams, various polygonal wooden blocks were created, which can be used to assemble all sorts of different patterns.
That day, Wang Xian invited Song Wanyin to admire the plum blossoms outside the city. Because he was worried that Manman would not be able to adapt to the unfamiliar place, he invited his parents-in-law to come to the Wang residence to keep Manman company. Meng Zhao received the news and went to the Wang residence with the gifts he had made in a hurry.
The gatekeeper of the Wang residence was an old servant who had worked for Wang Xian for a long time and was very familiar with Meng Zhao. So even though neither Wang Xian nor Song Wanyin were home, he still informed Madam Song of her arrival. Before long, Madam Song's maidservant hurriedly came out to greet her, "Madam Meng, please come in quickly! Miss Manman was very happy to hear that you have arrived!"
When Meng Zhao entered, he saw Manman playing in the room, with Lord Song bending over and following closely behind to protect her, afraid that she might bump into something.
"Aunt Zhao Zhao!" Manman, with her sharp eyes, rushed over with open arms as soon as she saw Meng Zhao.
Meng Zhao quickly crouched down, caught the little girl who rushed towards him, and picked her up in his arms: "Oh, my darling Manman~ Did you have fun during the New Year?"
"So happy!" Manman hugged Meng Zhao's neck and counted in her childish voice, "I ate candied hawthorns, jujube cakes, and..." She counted on her chubby little fingers, recalling in a serious manner.
Meng Zhao was amused and turned to look at Lord Song and Madam Song beside him, "I'm really sorry, you two. Look at me, I've come at the worst possible time."
Madam Song smiled and waved her hand: "Don't mention it. We're overjoyed that you could come. Manman just had a good cry, so it's good that you're here. You can play with her for a while."
Lord Song and Madam Song have always cherished Song Wanyin as the apple of their eye. Since their daughter returned to the capital, the two elders have keenly noticed her melancholy. However, as elders, they could not interfere too much in the private affairs of their juniors and could only worry in secret.
When Wang Xian visited yesterday, he specifically mentioned that it was Meng Zhao's suggestion that the two elders help take care of Manman so that the couple could travel alone. In the past, Song Wanyin dressed much more simply after giving birth to avoid Manman grabbing her while she was holding her.
This morning, before my daughter left, although she was still worried about Xiao Manman, she changed into a brand new embroidered plum blossom jacket and skirt, and even had a swaying gold hairpin in her hair. It was obvious that she had dressed up deliberately, and I guess she was very much looking forward to this trip.
Thinking of this, Madam Song looked at Meng Zhao with even more affection. Even Lord Song, who was usually stern and unsmiling, softened his solemn expression as he stroked his beard and examined Meng Zhao.
After hearing this, Meng Zhao tapped Manman's little nose and said, "Isn't Manman usually the most cheerful person? Why has she turned into a little crybaby today?"
Manman pouted, looking aggrieved, "I miss my mother..."
Meng Zhao said gently, "Manman's mother and father have gone out on some errands, but they will be back when Manman sees that it is getting dark outside. Manman is a good girl. Today, you can play with your grandparents and Aunt Zhao Zhao, okay?"
Manman tilted her head and thought for a moment, then nodded vigorously: "Okay!"
Meng Zhao took out the small toys she had made and taught Manman how to play with them. One of them was a five-pointed star. Because each point was slightly different, she had to find a specific angle to throw it in. Manman tried several times but failed, and her little face gradually scrunched up. However, she quickly regained her fighting spirit and focused on playing with it. Only then did Meng Zhao have a moment to chat with Madam Song, who was standing nearby.
When asked what he's been up to lately, Meng Zhao said, "After the New Year, I plan to open another shop. A few days ago, I went to Zhuque Street in the west of the city to look at two places. The shops are spacious, but the locations are a bit remote, and there aren't many pedestrians."
Upon hearing this, Madam Song said, "Even the best wine needs to be advertised. If the location is not good, even the finest products will have difficulty attracting customers."
"That's right," Meng Zhao sighed softly. "It's only because Mingxianglou hasn't opened yet that I can still go and look around. Once the shop officially opens, I'm afraid I won't be able to find the time. Choosing a shop is really a painstaking task."
At this moment, Lord Song, who had been silent all along, glanced at Meng Zhao, pondered for a moment, and then said, "The feng shui of Zhuque Street is excellent. If you open a shop there, the business should not be too bad."
Some things don't need to be said too bluntly. Meng Zhao understood immediately and smiled knowingly, "I see. Feng shui is indeed very important when opening a shop. I'll have to take a closer look tomorrow."
Lord Song nodded slightly, and the topic was dropped. At this time, Manman had successfully put most of the wooden blocks into the box, but there were two complicated shapes that she couldn't fit in no matter what she did. The little girl was so anxious that she kept hitting the box. Although the edges of the wooden blocks had been ground down so they wouldn't scratch her, her hands would still hurt from hitting them so hard.
Seeing this, Meng Zhao quickly stepped forward and gently took Manman's little hand: "Let Auntie see, is it that this won't fit?"
"It's too big!" Manman pouted, feeling wronged.
Meng Zhao gently guided her little hand, slowly rotating the wooden block: "Manman, look, isn't there a sharp corner here?" She pointed to one of the edges of the block, "Doesn't it look a lot like this sharp hole on the box? Let's try matching them together."
Under Meng Zhao's guidance, Manman finally found the right angle. With a "thud," the wooden block went in. The little girl opened her eyes wide in surprise and immediately clapped and cheered. Lord Song and Madam Song also kept praising her from the side.
After playing with Manman for a while longer, Meng Zhao got up to leave. Manman tugged at her sleeve reluctantly, asking, "Auntie, will you come play with Manman again next time?"
"Of course," Meng Zhao squatted down and gently pinched her little cheek, "When Auntie comes next time, I'll bring you even more fun toys."
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