Chapter 382 Different Thoughts
When they were still half a mile from their ancestor's tomb, the carriage stopped, and Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi got off.
There were quite a few relatives who came with them. The most successful person in their clan and his wife were here. If they could get any opportunity, they would be laughing in their dreams. So as long as they were in Huzhou and in good health, they came together, regardless of age. The youngest was only two or three years old and was being held in the arms of an adult.
Besides Meng Jinyao, there were other wives from the clan. According to the customs of Zhao, a wife who was formally married into the family was entitled to participate in the sacrificial ceremony, while concubines were not. Concubines were not even entitled to attend banquets, let alone participate in such a solemn and sacred event as the sacrificial ceremony.
Some of the wives saw Meng Jinyao and wanted to go up and chat with her, but how could they have time for casual conversation on such a solemn occasion as ancestor worship? They all remained solemn and followed the procedure to worship their ancestors.
Steward Liu took the preparations for the ancestral worship very seriously. He even set up the altar and invited monks from the temple to perform rituals and chant sutras to show his respect for the ancestors.
Gu Jingxi nodded slightly upon seeing the altar, indicating his approval of Steward Liu: "Hmm, not bad."
Upon hearing this, Steward Liu was pleased to have gained his master's approval, but he did not show it on the surface and hurriedly said, "My lord, this is all I should do."
The sacrificial ceremony begins.
Clan members gathered in front of the altar according to their seniority and performed the worship according to the procedure: burning incense, offering wine, presenting sacrificial offerings, bowing three times, kneeling to worship the ancestors, and then praying for blessings from the ancestors.
Finally, the high monk chanted sutras, and after he finished, the Gu family members knelt and worshipped their ancestors once again.
After the sacrificial ceremony, the group returned home.
A banquet was held tonight, and the relatives and their families who participated in the sacrificial ceremony attended the banquet at the Gu residence.
The Gu residence instantly became lively. The servants in the mansion were usually quite idle, so this was a rare opportunity for them to be so busy. They were excited about their busyness. In the past, when their master was not around, they would only do daily cleaning and maintenance of the house, and there was nothing else to do.
As the hostess, Meng Jinyao greeted the female members of the clan. Among these women were those of the same generation, as well as elders and juniors. When she was in the capital, she had learned from her two sisters-in-law when the family held banquets, and now she was quite adept at greeting guests.
Meng Jinyao rarely saw these relatives, and she didn't know any of them. She got to know them gradually through introductions. They were very different from the noble ladies in the capital, and she was much more easy to get along with.
Given her status, even elders wouldn't dare to act arrogantly. Furthermore, those people wanted to curry favor with her, so they would agree with her and only say nice things, refusing to utter a single unpleasant word. They all flattered and fawned over her, making her even easier to get along with.
Suddenly, someone brought up Gu Xiuming's biological father for some reason: "My cousin Jingze is an official in Tongxiang County, Jiaxing Prefecture, which is not far from Huzhou City. He didn't even come back to pay his respects on the anniversary of our ancestor's death. If he were to come back, he could have just returned a day earlier and only asked for two or three days off."
Someone whispered back, "Auntie, why did you suddenly bring him up? Gu Xiuming did something like this. Not only is Uncle Jingxi ashamed, but even he, as the biological father, is ashamed. He probably wouldn't be able to face Uncle Jingxi."
As soon as they finished speaking, an older woman said, "Today is the anniversary of our ancestor's death. Let's not mention Gu Xiuming, that scoundrel who has already been expelled from the clan, lest we bring bad luck to our ancestor."
Although they weren't speaking loudly, Meng Jinyao still heard them, but she pretended not to. She didn't want to mention that awful thing. Her gaze fell on a woman a few years older than her. The woman was holding a boy who looked to be about two or three years old. He was very handsome, with delicate features, and nestled obediently in the woman's arms. His clear, big eyes were looking at her curiously.
Meng Jinyao looked at the little boy and felt a surge of affection. Her husband was an exceptionally handsome man, and if she had a son who resembled him, he would surely be very good-looking. However, it is said that sons resemble their mothers and daughters resemble their fathers, so even if she had a daughter who looked like her husband, she would definitely be beautiful.
At this moment, a middle-aged woman saw her daughter-in-law staring longingly at her grandson, lost in thought. She then took the child from her daughter-in-law's arms and handed him to her, saying gently, "Niece-in-law, this is my second grandson, named Xiuyuan."
Meng Jinyao liked children, and this child was so beautiful and well-behaved that she liked her even more. So when the middle-aged woman handed the child over, she instinctively reached out and took the child and held her.
The little boy suddenly snuggled into Meng Jinyao's arms, looking a little lost, but he didn't make a fuss.
The middle-aged woman reminded him, "Xiuyuan, quickly call her aunt."
Upon hearing this, the little boy obediently called out to Meng Jinyao, "Auntie."
Hearing the child's sweet, innocent voice, Meng Jinyao felt her heart melt and gently replied, "Xiuyuan is such a good boy." She then patted the child's head.
Seeing this, the boy's mother glanced at her child, then at the gentle-smiling Meng Jinyao, her mind racing, and finally said meaningfully, "If my sister-in-law likes it, she can take him to play for a few days."
Upon hearing this, everyone had different thoughts. They all knew that Gu Jingxi had a hidden illness and could not have her own children, which was why she adopted Gu Xiuming ten years ago. Now that Gu Xiuming had been exiled to Yazhou and removed from the clan, the Marquis's mansion would definitely need to adopt another child since there was no heir.
The third young master of the Marquis's mansion, Gu Xiuwen, is a suitable candidate, but how old is Gu Xiuwen? A child that old can no longer be truly tamed. Even if Gu Xiuwen is not very old, his biological parents are always by his side, seeing him every day. How can they truly tame him? Even if such a child is adopted, he will still be biased towards his biological parents.
It would be better to adopt a young child whose parents are not around. This way, the child can be raised from a young age without the influence of the biological parents. When the child grows up, the child can be close to the adoptive parents.
Families with children of school age have considered this idea, but it's not easy to bring it up rashly. If they do, it's obvious to everyone that they're after wealth and status.
But the situation is different now. Meng Jinyao likes the child, and the child's mother brought it up in a subtle way. If Meng Jinyao understands the underlying meaning and goes along with the child's mother, then the adoption will be half successful. Then, after spending a few days together, Meng Jinyao will like the child even more, and the adoption will be a sure thing.
In an instant, everyone was filled with envy. Even though they were reluctant to give up their own flesh and blood, the parents were probably happy to see their child have a better future. A marquis's heir, if he had some ability, could secure a position in the court even without relying on the imperial examinations, simply through the marquis's connections, and eventually inherit the title. If he could enter the court through his own abilities, without connections, his future would be even brighter.
Meng Jinyao naturally understood the unspoken meaning behind her cousin-in-law's words. She looked down at the child in her arms. If it had been a few days ago, and she hadn't known that her husband's illness had been cured, she would have really considered it. After all, she had a very good first impression and feeling about the child. But now she didn't want to adopt him; she only wanted to have one of her own.
She sighed regretfully and said gently, "This child is so beautiful and adorable, and so well-behaved. I like him very much. However, my husband and I are going to Deqing County to visit my cousin's husband the day after tomorrow, and then we will return to the capital. This back and forth is not suitable for taking the child with us. If we stay in Huzhou City and don't go anywhere, we can play with the child for a few days."
She refused tactfully, but the child's mother was a smart woman and understood her meaning: she had no intention of adopting the child. Otherwise, if she truly intended to, why would she care about the short distance between Huzhou City and Deqing County? The journey from Huzhou to the capital is much longer.
The child's mother replied, "I see. It's really not suitable to take care of the child back and forth. When my cousin-in-law goes back to her hometown in the future, she can play with the child."
Meng Jinyao liked dealing with intelligent people and knew when to stop. She nodded slightly and said, "Next time we go back to our hometown, it will depend on the Marquis's schedule. The Marquis said that it has been more than ten years since the last time he went back. Maybe when we come back next time, the Marquis and I will be able to hold Xiuyuan's son."
Listening to their conversation, everyone secretly breathed a sigh of relief. If Xiu Yuan didn't have a chance, did that mean their own child would?
However, Xiu Yuan is a very good child in both appearance and personality. If Meng Jinyao didn't even like such a lovable child, would she really like her own child?
Oh well, these things can't be forced. What's meant to be will be, and what's not meant to be shouldn't be forced.
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