Chapter 594 Taking You Home
Meng Jinyao first went to Rongfu Hall to pay her respects to Old Madam Meng, and then went to Zhao's courtyard.
Qiao Yunying was also there with Zhao Shi. Meng Jinyao exchanged a few pleasantries with her, then said to Zhao Shi, "Mother, I have something to tell you."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhao knew what she was going to say. She dismissed her daughter and the maidservants who were serving her, and only when the two of them were left in the room did she ask about the important matter: "Ayao, is it because your father is still insisting on arranging a marriage with the Huang family? Actually, the Huang family is not bad, but we don't know if Chengzhang will like it. If we hastily arrange a marriage for him, and he doesn't like it, they will be a resentful couple in the future. Moreover, this marriage is also for your father's own selfish purposes, which is why I asked you to come back."
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly and said, "Father does want to form a marriage alliance with the Huang family, but he doesn't dare to act unilaterally." She paused, looked up at Zhao Shi, and said with a hint of appreciation and gratitude in her eyes, "Mother, you did the right thing. I have to thank you for your caution. Otherwise, Father might have made a big mistake and brought disaster to the family."
Upon hearing this, Zhao was startled and hurriedly asked, "Why do you say that, Ayao? Is there something wrong with the Huang family? Yes, the Huang family is actually better than our Meng family. The Meng family has a noble title, but your father only has a sinecure, and Chengzhang has not yet entered the court. If they are so eager to get engaged, there must be something wrong with them."
Meng Jinyao shook her head and said gently, "There is a problem, but it's not that the Huang family has any problems. For now, their family is fine, but that may not be the case in the future."
Zhao asked blankly, "What do you mean?"
Meng Jinyao said calmly, "The Huang family and the Wen family, the Minister of Personnel, are very close relatives. The Wen family produced a consort for the Fourth Prince, and both the Wen and Huang families support the Fourth Prince. The Huang family wants to form a marriage alliance with the Meng family in order to win over the Gu family as well. The Fourth Prince is currently in the limelight and seems to have an advantage, but the struggle for the throne is uncertain until the very last moment. Choosing sides is a matter of life and death; one wrong step can lead to disaster. Neither the Meng family nor the Gu family can get involved."
Upon hearing this, Zhao broke out in a cold sweat. She had only thought that her husband was going too far by using his stepson's marriage for his own personal gain, which was why she sent a message to her stepdaughter, asking her to come back and handle the matter. She never expected that a marriage could involve so much. She didn't understand politics, but she knew that if an official chose the wrong side, his whole family would lose their heads.
Meng Jinyao instructed, "Mother, you must be more careful about the marriages of my second brother and third sister in the future. If you are unsure, you can ask me. My husband is in the court and sees things clearly. He knows which families are suitable for marriage and which are not."
Zhao nodded. She could make her own daughter's marriage decisions, but she couldn't make those decisions for her stepson. She would definitely have to ask her stepdaughter's opinion. Maybe her stepdaughter had already found someone, and then she would notify her to ask a matchmaker to propose marriage.
Afterwards, the mother and daughter chatted for a while longer. Seeing that it was getting late, Meng Jinyao prepared to return home.
Before she could leave, Zhao tried to persuade her to stay: "Ayao, why don't you stay for lunch?"
Meng Jinyao wanted to politely decline, but seeing how enthusiastic she was, she agreed.
Meng Dongyuan, who was still sulking, did not appear. He had lunch with Zhao Shi and Qiao Yunying.
Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback when she saw the table full of her favorite dishes.
She wasn't stupid; she could tell that the dishes on the table were prepared by Zhao Shi according to her preferences.
Before, she couldn't eat her favorite dishes at the Meng family's dining table. Later, her father divorced Sun and married Dong, so she could eat her favorite dishes when she returned to her parents' home. And now, with Zhao, she always prepares her favorite dishes whenever she comes back. Both of her stepmothers have made her feel a rare warmth in the Meng family.
Zhao warmly invited her to sit down and said gently, "We've recently hired a new chef. The previous chef's elderly mother fell ill, so he went home to take care of her. Try the new chef's cooking and see if it suits your taste."
Meng Jinyao tasted a piece of bamboo shoot and nodded gently: "It tastes very good. All the dishes on this table are my favorites. Thank you for your trouble, Mother."
Zhao smiled and said, "I only used my mouth, I didn't put in any effort." As she spoke, she picked up her chopsticks and put some food on her plate. "Since you like it, then eat more."
A warm current flowed through Meng Jinyao's heart, making her feel warm and cozy. Although it was just a matter of talking, not everyone would take the initiative to do such a thing. Sun Shi had never done it, nor had her own grandmother, and her father had never cared about her, letting Sun Shi and her grandmother torment her.
After lunch, Meng Jinyao felt a little tired, probably because she hadn't slept well last night and had gotten up too early today. She originally wanted to go back to the manor, but now she was yawning repeatedly and didn't want to go back so soon, so she stayed at her parents' house to take a nap.
She slept until sunset, and as she slowly opened her eyes and was about to get up, a familiar face came into view. She was slightly stunned, unable to distinguish between reality and a dream.
Gu Jingxi saw her staring blankly at him with sleepy eyes, looking incredibly cute. He reached out and patted her head, asking with a smile, "Why are you looking at me like that? Still half asleep?"
Meng Jinyao then came to her senses and asked, "Husband, why are you here?"
Gu Jingxi said gently, "I came to pick you up and take you home. You hadn't come home for so long, and I thought something had happened, so I rushed over. I didn't expect to see our little lazy pig sleeping so soundly."
Hearing the first part of the sentence, Meng Jinyao felt a warmth in her heart and smiled. But when she heard the rest, she glared at Gu Jingxi and said coquettishly, "You're the lazybones!"
“I am Little Lazy Pig’s husband, and my name is Big Lazy Pig.” Gu Jingxi said, then lowered his head and kissed his wife who was laughing at him. He then reached out and picked her up from the bed, and asked, “Are you hungry? Your mother-in-law has already had dinner prepared. We’ll start eating as soon as you wake up.”
Meng Jinyao touched her stomach and nodded honestly: "I'm a little hungry."
Gu Jingxi personally dressed and styled her hair, tidied her up, and then led her by the hand to the dining room.
Meng Dongyuan didn't want to see his daughter at noon, so he simply avoided her and didn't attend lunch. But now that his son-in-law has arrived, no matter how dissatisfied he is, he has to attend the meal and greet him with a smile.
Everyone except Meng Dongyuan was very satisfied with the dinner.
Looking at the smiles on everyone's faces, Meng Dongyuan suddenly had a profound understanding of the phrase "sacrifice yourself for the sake of everyone else".
He is clearly an elder, but he is not respected or loved by the younger generation. He has to be careful in front of them, especially his son-in-law Gu Jingxi, who is more difficult to deal with than a boss. He has to watch his son-in-law's expression when he says a word. Who can be as frustrated as him as he is?
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