Chapter 600 Living to a Hundred Years
Suddenly, Zhang saw a familiar figure walking towards them, so she turned her gaze away, looked at Meng Jinyao, and said with a smile, "Look, we were just talking about Third Brother, and he's back already."
Meng Jinyao looked up and saw the man in the scarlet official robe walking towards them. When Wanwan saw her father, she called out "Father" in her childish voice and stretched out her little hands as if she wanted a hug.
A moment later, Gu Jingxi walked up to them, called Zhang Shi "Sister-in-law", and then skillfully reached out and took the child from Meng Jinyao's arms who was asking him for a hug. He weighed the child in his hand and said, "This kid has gotten quite heavy. Don't spoil him next time. Let him walk by himself. If necessary, walk slowly and let him follow."
Meng Jinyao smiled and agreed. Seeing that he took the child and held him in his arms without putting him down, looking like he was saying one thing but doing another, she couldn't help but laugh out loud.
Gu Jingxi asked, "What is Ayao laughing at?"
Meng Jinyao shook her head: "It's nothing."
Not wanting to disturb the family of three, Zhang said, "Third brother, third sister-in-law, I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."
Meng Jinyao nodded: "Take care, sister-in-law."
After Zhang Shi had walked away, Gu Jingxi asked curiously, "A Yao, what were you whispering to your sister-in-law just now?"
Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback, then asked in return, "Why do you ask that, husband?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "I saw you and my sister-in-law together from afar, seemingly whispering something."
Meng Jinyao thought of what Zhang had told her, and her gaze toward Gu Jingxi became subtle. Sometimes she wished that her husband would start to decline after the age of thirty, just as her sister-in-law had said, so that she wouldn't be so sleepy the next morning that she didn't want to get out of bed.
Gu Jingxi looked at her with a puzzled expression. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
"It's nothing, just a few casual words." Meng Jinyao shook her head gently, then changed the subject, "Husband, why did my second brother and sister-in-law suddenly agree to Xiu Hong marrying that girl?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "I don't know. Perhaps Xiu Hong insisted, and they had no choice but to agree."
Meng Jinyao was curious about his attitude and asked, "What does my husband think of this marriage?"
Gu Jingxi offered a fair assessment: "When it comes to matters of the heart, only the person experiencing it knows whether it's hot or cold. What others might think is an incompatibility, the parties involved may not necessarily think so. I admire Xiu Hong's attitude towards relationships right now. If Xiu Hong hasn't misjudged her, she is indeed a good girl, and he himself has remained true to his original intentions. He won't regret not marrying a girl of equal social standing in the future, and it will be a good match."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao suddenly thought of Gu Xiuming. Gu Xiuming eloped with Li Wan'er after their arranged marriage. After being caught and brought back, he refused to marry again because Li Wan'er could not be his legal wife. However, he regretted it in the end. Would Xiu Hong regret it? Probably not. Xiu Hong is a responsible person, unlike Gu Xiuming.
Gu Jingxi noticed that her eyes were vacant and her brows were furrowed, as if she was thinking about something, so he asked, "What are you thinking about? You seem so engrossed."
Meng Jinyao replied, "I was thinking of Gu Xiuming."
Gu Jingxi frowned. "Why are you thinking about that wretched child?"
Meng Jinyao said, "Xiu Hong is different from him. Xiu Hong will fight with his elders to get their approval to let him marry the woman he loves. He will not do anything that would disgrace the family."
Gu Jingxi paused, inwardly relieved that the wicked man had revealed his true nature early on. Otherwise, if he had continued this charade until his death, and the Marquis's mansion had fallen into that man's hands, the century-old foundation might have been destroyed in an instant. Moreover, even if that wicked man hadn't run away from the marriage and had married A Yao, he wouldn't have treated her well after the wedding. It was only a matter of time before he took Li Wan'er into the mansion, and who knew how A Yao would be tormented. A Yao would have essentially jumped from the Meng family's fire pit into the Gu family's fire pit, ruining her life forever.
He freed one hand to take Meng Jinyao's hand and said gently, "Ayao, it's all in the past. Don't mention him; it's bad luck."
Meng Jinyao nodded, squeezed his hand back, intertwined her fingers with his, tilted her head and smiled at him: "Husband, let's go out for a walk tonight. You have a day off tomorrow, so you don't need to get up early. We can go home later and send the baby to Mother's place later."
Gu Jingxi responded to her every word, nodding in agreement. He picked up the child, led her to Old Madam Gu's courtyard, handed the child over to Old Madam Gu, returned to his own courtyard to change into casual clothes, and then the couple went out.
As dusk settles, the capital city is illuminated as brightly as day.
Looking at the bustling night market, Meng Jinyao relaxed completely, pulling him along as they weaved through the endless stream of people, looking here and there, having a great time.
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Meanwhile, Old Madam Gu, holding her grandson who had recently gained some weight, sighed to Granny Feng, "Fortunately, the couple had their child not too late. If it had been a few years later, my health would have failed me, and I probably wouldn't have been able to hold my grandson, let alone see him get married."
Granny Feng said, "Madam, please don't say that. You are in good health and will definitely live to be a hundred years old. Even if the Marquis and his wife have another son or daughter in a few years, you will be able to carry them. You will definitely see them get married and start their own families in the future."
Madam Gu gave her a reproachful look. "You're so good at making me happy. I know my own age. I'm open-minded about life and death. I'm already very satisfied to see Yaoling have a child in my lifetime. Even if I die now, I won't have any regrets."
Granny Feng hurriedly said, "Pah, pah, pah, you will live to be a hundred years old."
At this moment, Wanwan's soft, sweet little voice rang out: "Live a long and healthy life." He didn't understand what it meant, but when he saw his grandmother pause when she heard it, she repeated it several times, "Live a long and healthy life, live a long and healthy life, live a long and healthy life."
Looking at her innocent and bewildered grandson, Madam Gu suddenly teared up and her voice choked with emotion: "Good, good, good, Grandma will live to be a hundred years old and watch our Wanwan grow up, get married and have children."
Wanwan looked at her blankly, handed her the bun that he had nibbled on, leaving only a small crack in the skin, and said, "Eat your food."
Madam Gu didn't mind his drool at all, took the bun and started eating. While eating, she corrected him, "Wanwan, it's 'eating buns,' not 'eating rice.' This is a bun."
Wanwan blinked at her and replied, "Let's eat."
Madam Gu patiently corrected her: "It's 'eat buns'."
"Eat, eat," Wanwan replied stubbornly, repeating it twice.
Madam Gu couldn't help but chuckle helplessly: "This stubbornness is somewhat like your grandfather's. Once he's made up his mind, no one can change it. That won't do, or he'll suffer a great loss in the future."
Wanwan couldn't understand what she was saying. She blinked her bright eyes at her, giggling innocently.
Seeing this, Old Madam Gu felt her heart melt. She looked up at Granny Feng and smiled, "Look at this little fellow. Yao Ling wasn't this cute back then, was he?"
Granny Feng replied, "The Marquis was also adorable when he was young, just as adorable as the young master, but it's been so long that you've forgotten."
"Really?" Old Madam Gu said dismissively, "But I still think Wanwan is cuter."
Granny Feng smiled without saying a word. Everyone says that grandparents and grandchildren are closer, and that's absolutely true.
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