Chapter 478 Yu Chuan's Wedding
On the fourth day of the Lunar New Year, Madam Gu's elder brother, along with his wife and children, came to visit.
When the younger generation of the Gu family learned of their arrival, they all went to greet them.
Meng Jinyao was pregnant and could not move quickly. When she and her husband arrived, the people from the first and second wives' families were already there.
When Hang Ming and his wife saw the couple arrive, their gazes fell on Meng Jinyao, their eyes filled with curiosity as they sized her up.
Madam Hang smiled gently and asked, "Sister, is this Yaoling's wife?"
Madam Gu nodded and said, "That's right."
As she spoke, she introduced her family members to her daughter-in-law: "Ayao, this is your uncle and aunt, and those are your cousin Junlan and cousin Yi'an."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao quickly stepped forward to greet Hang Ming and Madam Hang, and then prepared to greet Hang Junlan and Hang Yi'an.
Hang Yi'an was fifteen years old this year, a handsome young man, but because he had been weak since childhood, his face was sickly pale. Before Meng Jinyao greeted him, he stood up, smiled and bowed: "Yi'an greets his cousin-in-law."
"Cousin." Meng Jinyao smiled and nodded, then called out to Hang Junlan, "Cousin."
After she entered the room, Hang Junlan's gaze was fixed on her, staring at her expectantly. When she saw that the girl was looking at her and talking to her, she grinned and called out, "Sister."
Upon hearing this, Madam Hang looked at her nephew's wife with an embarrassed expression. Her daughter was born mentally challenged and was forty-one years old this year, but her mind was still like that of a three or four-year-old child. As a result, she had made many jokes and was ridiculed by many people.
Having learned of the situation beforehand, Meng Jinyao was already mentally prepared. Without changing her expression, she took two steps forward, took her hand, and said softly, "Cousin, you call me Ayao, and I'll call you Cousin Junlan. Is that alright?"
Seeing that Meng Jinyao did not look at her daughter with strange eyes, Madam Hang's heart was finally at ease.
Hang Junlan looked at Meng Jinyao with a blank expression, but still followed her lead and called out, "Ayao."
Meng Jinyao also responded: "Cousin Junlan."
Zhang glanced at Hang Junlan without leaving a trace, feeling a deep sense of regret. Even though she was over forty, she looked only about thirty. She was a great beauty when she was young, but unfortunately, she was mentally challenged and had never married.
After exchanging greetings, everyone took their seats, chatted casually, and asked each other about their recent situations.
Thanks to Gu Jingxi's arrangements, Hang Ming was able to stay in the capital to take up his post. From now on, the Hang family will be based in the capital and will no longer have to leave their hometown. The two families sat together and talked about going on a spring outing together when the weather gets warmer.
After lunch, Hang Ming and his family of four stayed for another hour before heading home.
After seeing off the guests, Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi escorted Old Madam Gu back to Shou'an Hall.
Madam Gu said regretfully, "Yi'an has been intelligent and quick-witted since childhood, and can speak eloquently. He has a photographic memory and is no less capable than Yaoling. However, he is physically weak and has no hope of entering officialdom."
Meng Jinyao was stunned for a moment, but quickly understood. Normal scholars who took the imperial examinations would look haggard when they came out of the examination hall, some even needing to be helped, and some even fell ill from the cold. How could someone like her cousin Yi'an, who was born weak and frail, endure it? Even if he could survive the hardships of the examination hall, after entering officialdom, he would be busy with official duties and exhaust himself for them, and his body would not be able to withstand it.
Gu Jingxi replied, "Mother, a man doesn't necessarily have to become an official to achieve great things."
Meng Jinyao chimed in, "Yes, Mother. My cousin is very talented. He will become a teacher and teach students. He will have students all over the world. That will be a great career for him."
Madam Gu sighed softly. Her elder brother and sister-in-law were childhood sweethearts and cousins. After their marriage, they were a loving couple who had been together for decades. Their love was the envy of many. But fate was not on their side. Of their two children, one had exceptional intelligence but was physically weak, while the other had a healthy body and outstanding beauty but was mentally challenged.
-
Wei Rui Xuan.
When Ningdong saw Chan'er return from outside, she stepped closer, winked at her, and asked with a smile, "Chan'er, what did Yu Chuan say to you when he called you out?"
Yu Chuan was in love with Chan'er. Others might not know, but the several first-class maids in the courtyard all knew, and everyone was looking forward to drinking her and Yu Chuan's wedding wine.
Chan'er shook her head: "She didn't say anything."
Ning Dong was slightly taken aback and asked in confusion, "Then when Yu Chuan asked you to come outside to talk, you just stood there without saying a word?"
Chan'er took out a dark blue purse and said helplessly, "This is the silver he has saved recently, including the reward given to him by the Marquis. He also gave me the family property he had saved before."
Ning Dong was stunned again after hearing this: "He gave you all his possessions, so why hasn't he gone to the Marquis and his wife to ask for your hand in marriage yet?"
Chan'er shrugged: "I don't know what he's thinking."
Ning Dong seemed to be thinking about something, then asked, "Is it because he felt you didn't agree, so he didn't bring it up?"
Chan'er retorted, "I've accepted all his things, doesn't that mean I've agreed to marry him?"
Ningdong glanced at the purse in Chan'er's hand and nodded gently: "That's true."
Chan'er curled her lips into a smile, which carried a hint of danger: "I'll see how long he keeps this up. Anyway, I have the guts. If he ever makes me lose my temper, I'll show him whether my fists are stronger or his mouth is tougher."
Upon hearing this, Ning Dong subconsciously took a step back and glanced at Chan'er's fist. In fact, when Chan'er was not speaking and quietly stayed to the side, she was a gentle and delicate girl. No one would have thought that Chan'er could carry a bucket of water in each hand and two buckets of water on each shoulder, and still walk with ease and without any pressure.
As evening approached, Meng Jinyao called Chan'er to her side and asked her with a smile, "Chan'er, the Marquis and I have checked the almanac, and your wedding with Yu Chuan is scheduled for the fifth day of the sixth month this year. Yu Chuan has no objections, but we don't know what you think?"
The incident happened so suddenly that Chan'er was stunned and asked hesitantly, "Madam, was this marriage proposed by you and the Marquis, or by Yu Chuan?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "Of course it was Yu Chuan who brought it up. He said you asked him to come and bring it up with us today, so he came."
Chan'er was stunned: "?"
When did she say that?
Soon, she remembered that when she parted ways with Yu Chuan earlier that day, Yu Chuan had suddenly said, "Chan'er, I want to go and talk to the Marquis and his wife."
She didn't think much of it at the time, because Yu Chuan was too simple-minded. She felt a little itchy to punch him, but she didn't want to hit him on New Year's Day. She just wanted to get rid of him as soon as possible and avoid seeing him. So she replied, "Then hurry up and don't dawdle."
Then, Yu Chuan disappeared from her sight at top speed.
Could it be that Yu Chuan interpreted that conversation as him asking him to mention it to the Marquis and his wife?
Meng Jinyao said gently, "Chan'er, if you are not satisfied with this date, you can bring it up and we can choose another auspicious day."
Chan'er's cheeks flushed slightly, a rare shyness on her face. She lowered her head and replied softly, "This servant will leave everything to Madam's discretion."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com