Chapter 612 The Grand Finale 4
The birthday banquet ended, and the guests felt right at home.
Meng Jinyao had been busy entertaining guests all day. After seeing off the guests with her two sisters-in-law and two nieces-in-law, she was exhausted and wanted to go back to her own courtyard to rest as soon as possible.
"Madam, it seems that the Marquis and the Heir Apparent have had a quarrel."
Suddenly, Caiyue, the head maid beside her, spoke urgently. She was a newly promoted head maid three years ago, along with her younger sister Caiyun. Three years ago, Chunliu and Ningdong both got married on the same day. Chunliu married Fang Xuan, Fang Ce's twin brother, while Ningdong married Fang Ce.
I heard that Fang Ce and Ning Dong were two foodies who developed feelings for each other while sharing delicious food. Then, when they learned that Chun Liu and Fang Xuan were getting married, they tentatively asked each other if they wanted to have a double celebration. They immediately agreed and got married. As a result, the two foodies together ate their older brother and sister-in-law out of house and home. In the end, Chun Liu got pregnant, and raising a child required money, so she separated from them and let the couple live alone. After all, they really ate too much and it was too much to afford to raise them. Besides, they were not young anymore and it was time for them to be independent.
Upon hearing Caiyue's words, Meng Jinyao paused for a moment, then laughed and said, "Caiyue, what nonsense are you talking about? How could the Marquis and the Heir Apparent be arguing?"
Caiyue pointed to the father and son not far away and replied, "Look, the Marquis and the heir are acting strangely."
Meng Jinyao looked in the direction she pointed and saw that the father and son seemed to be arguing about something. She was stunned for a moment. Her first thought was not to deal with the problem, but how to avoid the father and son and let them solve it themselves. Otherwise, if she helped her son, her husband would be hard to coax in the evening. If she helped her husband, her son would be so angry that he would not eat and would be hard to coax either.
She looked away and said, "Let's go."
Caiyue was stunned. She turned her head and saw her mistress walking away hurriedly, as if afraid of being seen by the Marquis and the Heir Apparent. She quickly followed her mistress and asked, "Madam, are you sure you don't need to worry about it?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "This isn't the first time they've done this. Whoever gets involved will be in trouble. I'm not going to get myself into this mess."
However, Meng Jinyao was still discovered by the father and son. Gu Xiuheng's voice came from behind: "Mother, Father is bullying me!"
Meng Jinyao realized she had run too slowly, so she had no choice but to stop and wait for the father and son to come closer. Once they were nearer, she asked with concern, "What's wrong with you two?"
Gu Xiuheng said angrily, "Mother, Father bullied me. He called me Gu Wanwan in front of a bunch of strangers."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao didn't think it was a big deal, but seeing her son's angry expression, she still gave her husband a disapproving look: "Husband, really, how can you call our son by his nickname in front of outsiders?"
Gu Jingxi snorted: "If you knew what he said in front of outsiders, you would announce in front of the other guests that Wanwan is his childhood nickname."
Meng Jinyao paused for a moment, then asked, "Wanwan, what did you say in front of others?"
Gu Xiuheng immediately felt guilty and stammered, not daring to speak. He didn't understand the consequences when he spoke, but after his father told him, he understood.
He didn't say anything, and Meng Jinyao didn't bother to ask. She simply patiently taught him, "Wanwan, you can say whatever you want in front of me and your father, but you must think twice before you speak or do anything in front of outsiders. Do you understand?"
Gu Xiuheng stammered, "Mother, I understand."
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Within three days, Meng Jinyao learned what her son had said in front of outsiders at her mother-in-law's birthday banquet.
Nowadays, outsiders say she is the most shrewish woman in the capital. She appears gentle and kind, but is actually a jealous and fierce woman. Even Gu Jingxi, who holds a high position, is afraid of her and has not dared to take a concubine for many years because she is too fierce.
Gu Jingxi's fear of his wife became widely known. Even Emperor Jingwen couldn't help but tease him when he saw him, asking, "Minister Gu, would you like me to bestow two beautiful concubines upon you? No matter how jealous Madam Gu is, she wouldn't dare refuse if it's bestowed upon her by me."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi was reluctant, but he couldn't be ungrateful and refuse the emperor's kindness. So he simply put his fear of his wife to the extreme and knelt down with a thud: "Your Majesty, please spare me. I still want to go home for dinner tonight."
Upon hearing this, Emperor Jingwen couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Minister Gu, I never expected you to be so afraid of your wife. Well, although Madam Gu is a bit fierce, I've heard that she's kind-hearted and often gives alms, so she's clearly a very good woman."
Gu Jingxi nodded repeatedly in agreement.
In recent days, Meng Jinyao has been asked by various wives for advice on how to manage her husband. Although she said that she did not control her husband and that he was not afraid of her, and that it was all made up by the children, outsiders did not believe her at all, and she was at a loss.
That day, Meng Jinyao went to the academy to pick up her son after school. Thinking of her reputation as a shrew, she took her son to pick up her husband, waited for him to finish his shift, and then the three of them went home.
When it was time to leave duty, officials from the Ministry of Personnel gradually emerged from their offices.
When Gu Jingxi came out, he saw a maid holding a rake covered with candied hawthorns, while his son called out from the side: "Candied hawthorns for sale! Honest and fair, five coins a skewer, or your money back!"
Then, his subordinates lined up to patronize it.
His wife stood not far away, looking at her son with a look of utter despair. If he weren't her own son, her Ah Yao would definitely have run away and wouldn't care about this mischievous brat.
Gu Jingxi pretended not to see her son and hurried over to Meng Jinyao's side, asking, "Ayao, what is Gu Wanwan doing?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "After I picked up my son, I was thinking of coming with him to pick you up. But on the way, we ran into a vendor selling candied hawthorns. My son, being rich and powerful, bought all the candied hawthorns from that vendor and then set up a stall here to sell them. The vendor's candied hawthorns cost three coins a skewer, but he sold them for five coins, saying that he needed to pay for transporting the candied hawthorns here."
As she spoke, she pinched her brow, looking quite troubled, and continued, "I asked him why he chose to sell candied hawthorns in front of the Ministry of Personnel, and he said that only they would be willing to pay for them. Do you think he has the potential to be a shrewd businessman?"
The son of the Minister of Personnel was selling candied hawthorns. The child was so young, he was probably just playing around. But his subordinates would definitely spend money to buy them. It was only five coins, not much. They could play with their superior's son and at the same time curry favor with their superior.
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi's lips twitched, and he gritted his teeth, saying, "This brat, I wonder who he took after."
Meng Jinyao turned to look at him and said in a low voice, "I reckon he takes after you. You were a troublemaker when you were young, and you even skipped school to learn fortune telling from a fortune teller. I won't mention the other things, you know them in your heart. Like father, like son, so just bear with it."
Gu Jingxi paused, thinking of his past deeds, and fell silent instantly, feeling a sense of despair.
Before long, the candied hawthorns were sold out.
Holding the money bag, Gu Xiuheng ran happily to his parents' side, a naive smile on his face: "Father, Mother, your son has earned some money! We can go find that old man to make you a pair of clay figurines."
Gu Jingxi was taken aback for a moment, then said, "It's not like your mother and I haven't given you money to spend. You can afford a pair of clay figurines."
Gu Xiuheng smiled and shook his head: "It's different. Using the money you give me to buy you gifts is different from using the money I earn myself to buy you gifts."
Upon hearing this, the couple were stunned. Looking at their son's bright and slightly proud smile, a feeling of emotion welled up inside them. Their Wanwan had grown up. As for the matter of treating those officials as easy targets, they would patiently educate their son when they got home.
Gu Jingxi patted his son's head and said gently, "Wanwan is such a good boy. Which old man is he? Let's go find him to make clay figurines."
Gu Xiuheng held his father's hand with his left hand and his mother's hand with his right hand, and walked briskly to find the clay figurine vendor.
The old man was over fifty years old and had excellent craftsmanship. The clay figures he sculpted were incredibly lifelike. He made clay figures of Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao. Seeing that Gu Xiuheng was handsome and likable, he gave him one for free. The clay figures of the three of them were neatly arranged together. They were good-looking, and the clay figures were so lifelike that they were pleasing to the eye.
As the sun sets, its afterglow spills down, painting the world with a soft orange-red hue.
A family of three strolled down the street, their faces beaming with happiness, the setting sun casting long shadows of them...
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My darlings, this book is now complete. Thank you all for your support. My new book, "I Was Swapped for a Bride by a Scumbag, But I Ended Up with My Father's Nemesis," has been published and is currently applying for publication. I will start updating daily next month.
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