Chapter 52 (Chapter 52) Does the baby still recognize its second uncle...?
Zhao Xian thought for a moment but couldn't find anything strange about the second male lead.
However, the reason he treated the female lead so well seemed to be that he regarded her as a kindred spirit, which was also the key to his eventual elimination.
"How old is Young Master Qi?" The second male lead in the book is refined and gentle, but at this moment, apart from not having the same cold face as the male lead, he is not 'refined' at all, and I have not had much contact with him, so I cannot make a judgment on his 'gentleness'.
Qi Zhengheng showed no displeasure and said earnestly, "To be honest, Auntie, I am nineteen years old this year, and I will have my coming-of-age ceremony next spring."
She was a few months older than Jiang Wei.
Zhao Xian: "Are you married yet?"
Qi Zhengheng: Not yet, but my family has already arranged a marriage for me. I will get married after I come of age.
...
Zhao Xian, as if trying to get to the bottom of things, asked a lot of questions within the bounds of what is appropriate for an elder.
I did learn about the second male lead's situation from the public eye.
Having learned more about the situation, Zhao Xian said, "This is the first time Wei'er has brought a friend to stay at our home. The courtyard is arranged in Cuiwei Residence. I wonder if you, young master, will be able to settle in comfortably."
"Auntie, you've gone to so much trouble. As long as I have a place to stay, I'll be fine. I can sleep on a simple bed made of wooden planks."
Zhao Xian was a little puzzled; the second male lead in the book came from a well-off family.
After having a servant escort Qi Zhengheng to Cuiwei Residence, Jiang Wei asked as soon as the servant left, "Is there a problem with Qi Zhengheng?"
Just as Zhao Xian was about to drink her tea, she asked in confusion, "Why do you say that?"
“My mother was a bit too enthusiastic towards him, but all the questions she asked were about him and his family.”
In his memory, his mother was not the kind of person who liked to meddle in other people's business.
Zhao Xian raised her eyelids slightly and made up an excuse: "This isn't the first time you've brought a friend home, so as your mother, I should ask a few more questions to get to know them better."
As she spoke, Zhao Xian feigned nervousness and said, "Mother, I hope you didn't ask anything too outrageous that would upset Young Master Qi? Don't let it affect your relationship."
Jiang Wei shook his head: "No."
Zhao Xian: "The family dinner tonight will be changed to a welcome dinner to celebrate the arrival of the three of you."
It's still early, and your father hasn't finished his shift yet. Go back to Yunzhu Garden to change your clothes and rest for a while.
"While you were in Changzhou, Lianniang was quite worried and frightened. She even encountered a terrible thing. Lianniang was the victim, so please comfort her."
Even without being reminded, Jiang Heng knew to go see his wife and try to please her first, while Jiang Wei had to push him to do so.
No wonder one is a male lead in a sweet romance novel and the other is a male lead in a tragic romance novel; their levels of understanding are vastly different.
"Lianniang is checking the accounts in the accounting room."
Jiang Wei had already taken a few steps outside when he suddenly heard a warning from behind him.
"My son understands."
--
Danruo was bored and stood guard outside the accounting office. From a distance, she saw someone walking towards her and recognized the person after a while.
Huanxi lifted her skirt and entered the room, whispering in Li Lianniang's ear, "Young Madam, the eldest young master is coming towards the accounting office."
As soon as Jiang Wei entered the mansion, a servant sent a message to Li Lianniang. However, he couldn't leave the mansion, so he didn't show it on his face, but he was extremely anxious inside.
However, upon hearing Danruo's words, her tension suddenly vanished, and she calmed down instead.
"Go out and keep watch; I'm not finished here yet." He said, becoming even more serious.
Danruo scratched her head, unable to understand why she would have rushed out if it were her.
But then he thought that household affairs were also important, so he didn't suspect anything and went back outside to continue guarding.
Before Jiang Wei arrived, Li Lianniang and the household accountant had already spent the whole morning checking accounts. They hadn't even had lunch, just simple tea and snacks.
By the time all the ledgers had been checked, it was already past 1 PM.
Li Lianniang stood up.
The accountants all said in unison, "Young Madam, you've worked hard."
"Everyone, you've all worked hard. I've personally paid for each of you to have an extra kiln-roasted chicken, a grilled fish, and a pot of wine to take back and enjoy at your leisure."
The accountants' sullen expressions from reconciling accounts instantly brightened, and they said in loud voices, "Thank you, Madam."
Initially, it would have taken her two days to check such ledgers, but now she can finish them in a little over half a day, which is already considered extremely cooperative and efficient.
As she came out of the accounting office, Li Lianniang saw Jiang Wei standing outside the window, which was both surprising and unsurprising.
It wasn't surprising that I knew he was coming, but it was surprising that he didn't leave.
At first she was scared because she had indeed been hugged by King Yu in public.
Mother said it's nothing, as long as it's not a matter of life and death, it's all trivial.
But she didn't know if Jiang Wei would care, and she didn't know how to talk to him, so she diverted her attention by talking about reconciling accounts.
"Husband," Li Lianniang handed over the hand warmer, "It's so cold outside, why don't you come inside?"
"Seeing how focused you are, Madam, it would be a disturbance to go in." Jiang Wei did not accept the hand warmer. "I'm not cold, Madam, please use it."
The servants brought in a sedan chair, and Jiang Wei helped Li Lianniang up first.
The sedan chair is neither too big nor too small; it feels spacious enough for one person, but too cramped for two.
"Is everything going well for my husband in Changzhou?"
"Your wife has been mistreated at home."
The two said almost in unison.
After hearing his mother's reminder, Jiang Wei sent Qingfan to inquire about it, and also talked with Danruo.
The maid was simple-minded and easy to get information out of, and he quickly learned what Li Lianniang had suffered at home.
Li Lianniang was surprised that he found out so quickly. "Is my husband angry with me?"
In fact, Li Lianniang often thought that if she had been more vigilant, she might have been ambushed, and those rumors would not have spread.
"How could that be? Those people all deserved what they got." They didn't even respect the young mistress. What use are these servants who eat the Jiang family's food but smash the Jiang family's pot?
Li Lianniang finally relaxed completely. Since her husband didn't mind, she no longer needed to worry.
Back at Yunzhu Garden, Jiang Wei had the maids stand guard outside. Once inside, he carried her to the soft couch and leaned down to kiss her.
"My husband, there is a family dinner tonight."
"It's still early."
-Haitang Residence-
Granny He was boiling pear water on a small stove. The weather had been cold lately, and Zhao Xian said her throat was getting a little dry from burning charcoal in the house. Chestnuts were also roasting around the stove.
After drinking the freshly brewed pear soup, Zhao Xian thought of the welcoming banquet that evening. She had asked about everything except one question, so she instructed, "Peony, go to Cuiwei Residence and ask that Young Master Qi if he has any dietary restrictions."
When guests come to your home, you need to know these things, just in case you eat something they can't eat and it causes them to have an upset.
Just as Peony left, the wet nurse arrived carrying Xiu'er, who had just woken up.
Ever since Zhao Xian taught her Go, she has come to play every day, and Zhao Xian is happy to have a child to play with.
The grandmother and grandson were having a great time.
"Mother, your son is back."
A sudden shout carried directly from the yard into the house, startling the birds outside into flight.
Without even needing a maid to announce their arrival, the owner of the voice entered the room the next moment.
His movements were so fast that a gust of cold wind rushed in, instantly dissipating some of the heat in the room.
"Your son greets his mother, wishing her eternal youth, beauty, elegance, and grace." After this lighthearted greeting, Jiang Heng shamelessly asked, "Mother, do you miss your precious son?"
Zhao Xian and Jiang Shuxiu both turned their heads to look at him, neither of them showing any expression.
Jiang Heng noticed the small figure. "Is this Xiu'er? She's grown so much! Do you still recognize your second uncle?"
Jiang Shuxiu: "..."
After looking him up and down a few times, Zhao Xian sneered: "Granny He, tell someone to call a few guards from the front courtyard to hold the second young master down and give him twenty lashes."
They secretly followed the city guards, and only dared to send a message back when they were almost there.
While he was in Changzhou, he was still working elsewhere and couldn't afford to embarrass his child.
Now that we're home, things are different; it's time to settle both the old and new scores.
Jiang Heng said with a praising expression, "Mother, isn't this matter over yet? Your son just got back and he got beaten. Doesn't Mother feel sorry for her son?"
Suddenly, he held up a small, tan-colored dog in one hand, presenting it like a treasure, and said with a flattering and ingratiating expression, "Mother, you see, your son is away from home from the city guard camp very often, so how about letting this dog keep you company? It will ease your longing for your son."
Zhao Xian looked at the small, yellowish-brown ball of fur. "You mean, you want me to raise it like my son? So if you act up in the future, will the dog take the punishment for you?"
Jiang Heng's eyes lit up, seemingly not expecting this method.
Zhao Xian couldn't hold back any longer and grabbed the book, pulling it away.
Jiang Heng easily dodged and laughed, "Mother, I was just joking, why did you have to hit me?"
Zhao Xian waved her hand: "Go away, don't let me see you, I really want to hit someone here."
Jiang Heng, on the contrary, pressed closer: "Mother, your son has something to ask of you."
"Go ask your dog brother."
“This dog was taken from the Lu family. While I was away, Yingying gained some kind of cousin, and he even used the excuse that he found a dog but didn’t have time to take care of it, so he asked Yingying to help him. Listen to what he’s saying! He’s trying to take advantage of me.” Jiang Heng said, putting the dog on the ground and kneeling down beside Zhao Xian to massage her legs. “Mother, shall we go to the Lu family to propose marriage soon? I want to marry Yingying as soon as possible.”
Zhao Xian looked at him and then at the dog, shaking her head and saying, "No, Third Sister hasn't come of age yet. When she was engaged to Madam Lu, we agreed that we would discuss the marriage after Third Sister came of age. There's no use in you being in a hurry."
Judging from Madam Lu's doting nature, she must want to keep Lu Zhaoying for a couple more years so that her body can fully develop before she gets married.
"mother……"
"This really won't work."
"You didn't even talk to my mother-in-law, how did you know this wouldn't work? Someone already has their eyes on Yingying."
Zhao Xian swayed as he pulled her, "Let go."
Jiang Heng immediately let go, but still looked at Zhao Xian pitifully: "Mother—"
Annoyed to no end, Zhao Xian sighed and said, "I'll arrange to meet with Mrs. Lu another day to have a chat."
"Mother is the best. I know that mother is the best mother in the world."
Stop flattering me.
"Hey." Jiang Heng smiled triumphantly, then suddenly remembered something and said, "By the way, Mom, where's Qi Zhengheng? Has he settled in with us? I've been trying to invite him all the way here."
Zhao Xian glanced at Jiang Heng, "You invited him?"
With a few clicks, Jiang Shuxiu scrambled the crystal chess pieces on the chessboard.
Zhao Xian: "Xiu-jie, it's wrong to cheat."
Jiang Heng glanced at the chessboard in front of the two of them, then at Jiang Shuxiu, who was not even a year old, and then turned to look at his mother.
His mother was playing chess with a child who was less than a year old, and she even told the child not to cheat.
Is there something wrong with his ears?
Jiang Shuxiu, however, gripped the soft railing and stood up shakily, pointing outside, "Crickets, crickets..."
Jiang Heng: "Crickets? Xiu-jie wants to play with them? We can't catch any in this cold winter."
After spending time with Jiang Shuxiu, one could guess what she wanted to do from her words and actions: "She wants to go out."
Jiang Heng stretched out his hand: "Come on, your second uncle will take you out to play."
Zhao Xian picked up the book and hit Jiang Heng's arm, saying, "It's so cold outside, what will happen to the child if he gets cold?"
Jiang Shuxiu had already reached out to hug him, but her second uncle's hand was slapped and pulled back. She pointed outside again, pointing with both hands at the same time, her expression anxious.
Qi Zhengheng, Uncle Qi, how could Uncle Qi be at the Jiang family!
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