Chapter 463 Mother and Son
On that day, Meng Jinyao went to the Shen family to attend the full moon celebration of Song Xinning and Shen Shuxian's son.
Originally, Gu Jingxi would have accompanied her, but since Gu Jingxi was accompanying the emperor to the hunting grounds for the winter hunt, she didn't want to go alone and instead took her niece-in-law, Jiang, with her.
Madam Zhang was also happy for her to bring her daughter-in-law to the banquet. The Shen family was not of low social standing; Song Xinning's father-in-law was a third-rank official, serving as the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Works. Song Xinning was also the legitimate daughter of the Chancellor of the Imperial Academy. The families at the banquet would all be of good standing. Attending such banquets would allow her to make friends with ladies from good families, so that when Xiuyuan entered officialdom, she could become a better wife.
Jiang was gentle and kind, and Meng Jinyao felt comfortable around her, and they had a lot to talk about.
While Lord Shen lacked the funds to host a grand celebration for the eldest grandson of the Shen family, Madam Shen had the money and was determined not to mistreat her grandson, so she paid for a lavish affair.
The guests at the banquet were all of Lord Shen's colleagues and officials with whom he had good relations, as well as their families, people from Madam Shen's maternal family, Song Xinning's relatives and friends, and Shen Shuxian's colleagues and friends.
The full moon banquet went well, and Lord Shen was proud of himself, but he was also depressed. His wife was quite wealthy, but she hadn't given him a single copper coin. All he had done was take a concubine. What successful man would only stay with one woman?
Meanwhile, Meng Jinyao looked at the baby in the swaddling clothes. The baby's face was chubby, fair and rosy, and the eyes were dark and bright. She sighed and said, "The little guy changes every day. He's different from when I last saw him."
Princess Jingning chimed in, "Isn't that right? When we came to see him last time, we thought he was very cute. Now that he's a month old, he's gotten a little chubby and he's even cuter."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinning jokingly said, "Ayan, you're getting married next month, maybe you'll have such a cute child by the end of next year."
Princess Jingning blushed and glared at her, saying, "A-Ning, all you do is tease me. Why don't you tease A-Yao?"
Song Xinning covered her mouth and chuckled: "It's more interesting to tease unmarried girls. Wouldn't Ayao be shy if you teased her? Look at you blushing, so shy and timid, isn't that interesting?"
Meng Jinyao wondered, "...Do I have such a thick skin?"
Song Xinning turned to look at her and said to her casually, "Ayao is pregnant now, and she will have such a lovely child next year."
As soon as she finished speaking, Meng Jinyao touched her belly, smiled, and replied with certainty and confidence, "Both the Marquis and I are good-looking, so the child will definitely be cute."
Song Xinning smiled and said, "You see, that's the difference."
Meng Jinyao: "..."
Princess Jingning: "..."
Before long, the other ladies also gathered around, praising the child profusely. Each lady was extremely sociable, and their compliments were all unique. Even though Song Xinning knew they were just being polite, she was still pleased to hear them.
Madam Shen took her grandson from her daughter-in-law's arms, her joy overflowing. Since her old illness relapsed and she fell seriously ill last year due to her husband's anger, she had come to a realization and stopped taking men too seriously. She no longer needed to worry about whether men were in a good mood, whether they were well-fed and clothed, or whether they had any troubles at work. She felt much more relaxed.
When Qi Yunwen's wife saw Meng Jinyao, she immediately came over to talk to her. Meng Jinyao was a good friend of her niece, as well as the wife of her husband's friend and colleague. It would be good to make friends with her.
Madam Qi was a good talker, and Meng Jinyao was also willing to join in, so the two chatted happily.
Madam Qi suddenly said, "Madam Gu, everyone says you are lucky to have married Marquis Gu. But if you ask me, it is Marquis Gu who is lucky to have married such a beautiful, charming, gentle, and virtuous wife as you."
Meng Jinyao looked bewildered. She was quite gentle with her husband and considered herself to be virtuous, but she probably wasn't at the point where people would praise her for being gentle and virtuous as soon as she went out.
She humbly replied, "Madam Qi, you flatter me."
Madam Qi said, "Madam Gu is renowned for her virtue at the Dali Temple. Which official at the Dali Temple doesn't envy Lord Gu for having such a virtuous wife?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao was even more bewildered. She hadn't done anything, so how did she become famous?
Seeing that she still seemed oblivious, Madam Qi continued, "My husband often complains to me that I don't love him enough." Then, mimicking her husband's tone, she said, "Madam, is it because we've been married for so many years that you're tired of me? You made winter clothes for the children, but why didn't you make one for me? Yaoling's wife made him another set of winter clothes today, and I'm so envious."
After saying that, Madam Qi resumed her normal tone and continued with a smile, "Then I agreed to make him a set. But the next day, he came back and said that Madam Gu had made a cloak for Lord Gu, and he wanted a new cloak too."
Meng Jinyao was shocked: "!!!"
Does her husband have a side she doesn't know about? When she makes clothes and shoes for him, he always tells her to leave those things to the servants and not to tire herself out, but then he goes out and brags about it to others? Otherwise, how would others know she made them?
She asked nervously, "Mrs. Qi, have I caused trouble for others?"
Madam Qi shook her head repeatedly: "No, Madam Gu, don't think too much. If it weren't for Madam Gu, we would never have realized that men also need to be pampered. I am also on good terms with the wives of my husband's colleagues. They all say that because Madam Gu is virtuous and always makes sachets, pouches, clothes and other items for Marquis Gu, their husbands are envious and will ask them to make things for them. Therefore, their relationship with their husbands is as if they have returned to the time when they were newlyweds."
Meng Jinyao listened with a sense of disbelief and asked hesitantly, "Madam Qi, haven't you ever done these things for your husbands before?"
Madam Qi replied, "We have done it before, but it's different. We never knew that men would even wear a sachet and expect their wives to embroider a tender love poem on it."
Meng Jinyao was stunned: "?"
Is it that outrageous?
She never embroidered love poems, only patterns representing the love between men and women. When she wore this sachet, everyone knew it was embroidered by her and represented her feelings. How did it become a love poem in other people's mouths?
Madam Qi continued, "Our old lady also said that Madam Gu is a filial daughter-in-law. Whenever she has free time, she makes new clothes for her mother-in-law and shows her respect." She laughed as she spoke, "Of course, our old lady didn't say that I was unfilial, but she implied that she wanted new clothes made by her daughter-in-law, so I made her a set. They really are mother and daughter, both of them are like this. They want what others have."
Meng Jinyao nodded in agreement. Aren't they just mother and son? The son goes out to show off, and the mother goes out to show off too. She used to think that her husband and mother-in-law were not similar in personality, but now she suddenly felt that the mother and son were quite similar.
Afterwards, Madam Qi talked with her for a long time.
Meng Jinyao felt that the way others described her made her seem somewhat unfamiliar, thanks in large part to her husband and mother-in-law, who spoke highly of her.
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