Chapter 110 Chapter 110 Fang Ying never thought of being a virtuous person...
Deng Hehua was undecided.
"My mother says that as long as the man is honest, strong, and hardworking, he'll be fine," Deng Hehua said, lowering her voice. "But if that's the case, wouldn't it be better to just buy a cow?"
Fang Ying couldn't help but smile. Noticing Deng Hehua's somewhat shy and uneasy gaze, she immediately nodded in agreement, "You're right."
Deng Hehua's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Fang Ying smiled and said, "Of course, choosing a son-in-law is not that easy. He's the one you'll be spending your life with. Not only do I have to check his character, but he also has to be pleasing to you and not dislike you."
Deng Hehua thought for a moment and said, "I don't hate him, but he doesn't seem as honest as others say."
"oh?"
This young lady really knows what's going on. Fang Ying asked in detail, and after the mother and daughter left, she explained it to Ji Yanlang.
"People in the surrounding villages heard that they had a house and land and were looking for a son-in-law. Young men without marriages would walk by their house when they had nothing to do, and would rush to do any work they saw."
Aunt Deng took a fancy to a young man named Wang Shu. Uncle Wang Shu had three sons. He had finally married off the eldest and second sons, and had already spent all his money. So he wanted the third son to be Aunt Deng's son-in-law.
Ji Yanlang continued, "My aunt told me that the boy is two years younger than Wang Shu. He's so cunning, lazy, and cunning that he can't even lift a bundle of firewood."
Fang Ying asked with a smile, "Did Auntie say that Wang Shu was carrying half of the bundle of firewood and he snatched it away?"
Ji Yanlang shook his head, feeling puzzled: "Why is he trying to take this? To take the credit?"
"Yes, Sister Hehua said that the firewood was being carried from the yard into the kitchen, and Auntie was watching in the kitchen. This man wanted to show off in front of Auntie, but also wanted to be lazy, so he rushed to grab the firewood before Wang Shu got to the door. This way, Auntie only saw him working, and she saved some energy."
"If that's the case, why do you say Wang Shu is dishonest?"
Fang Ying smiled and said, "Because Sister Hehua saw it with her own eyes. He deliberately tied a bundle of long and thick firewood. It was a bit difficult for him to lift it, but when his cousin came towards him, he pretended to be relaxed."
Ji Yanlang understood: "His cousin came to grab it, and as soon as he let go..."
"It's just what Auntie saw." Fang Ying continued with a smile.
"But isn't this great? I was originally worried that he would be too honest and allow others to bully him, and that he wouldn't be able to set up his own household in the future, and would require Auntie to work hard for him."
Fang Ying agreed: "I say the same thing. If he doesn't even have this little bit of scheming, he will only be at the mercy of his uncle's family for the rest of his life."
"That's right. The village head and the neighbors all said that although Wang Shu was hardworking and capable, he was too honest and quiet, and his family was really poor. That's why they didn't think much of him before. When I heard that, I wanted to persuade Auntie to take a closer look, but I didn't expect he was so scheming and knew how to plan for himself."
"But I think we should wait and see, and not rush to make a decision." Fang Ying had other concerns about Wang Shu. "He's scheming, but he's kept it hidden for so many years, and no one has noticed. Maybe his character has become crooked and he's become too gloomy."
"You're right. I'll ask them to pay more attention." Ji Yanlang thought for a moment and then smiled, "I've noticed that you're always particularly concerned about your sisters' marriages."
"Ah, isn't this as it should be?" What's so strange about that? "A daughter's lifelong event is no different from being reborn, so naturally one must be extremely cautious."
Ji Yanlang said: "It should be so, but not every sister-in-law or sister can be as caring as you are."
"Because my sisters are all very nice. If it were a stubborn little girl, she would make things difficult for me for no reason. Do you think I would still care?"
Fang Ying had originally made up her mind not to get involved in the affairs of the Deng family's mother and daughter, but Deng Hehua was sensible and willing to listen to advice, calling her "sister-in-law" all the time, and she began to worry unconsciously.
Ji Yanlang joked, "So it's because of my sisters. I was so self-indulgent that I thought it was all for me."
Fang Ying glanced at him sideways: "If it weren't for you, how could I have so many sisters?"
Ji Yanlang laughed heartily, hugged her and said, "Thank you, my dear wife."
After hearing this, Fang Ying suddenly remembered that when she and Ji Yanlang went to meet Aunt Deng and her daughter for the first time, she still wanted to be a mediator between him and his mother-in-law in order to consolidate her position in Li's heart.
Unexpectedly, more than a year later, not only did her mother-in-law still treat her as her own daughter, but she could also get the title of a good wife from him.
Fang Yingke never thought of being a good wife.
"Even if your career isn't going as planned, being a virtuous official will still leave a lasting legacy in history. So what good is being a virtuous wife?" Fang Ying said as they walked, holding Zhou Congshan's hand. "Will you mention a few words in your epitaph after you die?"
Zhou Congshan couldn't help laughing: "Some of it is also written in mourning poems."
Fang Ying smiled and said, "The one in our family can't write."
"Don't talk nonsense." Zhou Congshan gently pinched his friend's fingers. "You're pregnant, and you don't know the taboos."
"Okay, I won't tell you."
This was the first time Fang Ying had left the house since she became pregnant. She and Zhou Congshan hadn't seen each other for months, and now they were finally together and talking. She was extremely happy. She brushed aside the previous conversation and continued, "It was because of this incident that I recalled the past and realized that I was actually worried back then."
Zhou Congshan listened quietly without interrupting.
"I don't have any expectations of him, so I'm afraid that my wife will become estranged from me or pick on me because of her son's return..."
Especially after what happened with Aunt Deng and her daughter, Ji Yanlang was wary of her like a thief and even lost his temper at her. Although he later apologized, it was enough to show that Fang Ying ranked behind them in his eyes.
"So when I realized that Aunt Deng had also caused a rift between them, I decided to do this," Fang Ying said, laughing. "Looking back now, it was pretty silly."
Zhou Congshan said: "I'm not stupid, I think this is a good idea."
It was already March, the weather was sunny and warm, and the crabapple blossoms in Xiangguo Temple were in full bloom. Fang Ying pulled her to a crabapple tree and shook her head, saying, "No, it's not easy to mediate between your mother-in-law and your husband. If you're not careful, you'll end up being a nobody. A truly wise person will only choose one side."
"But haven't you taken care of both sides?"
"That's not my fault, it's my wife's fault. She always stands by me, which is why I can live so comfortably now."
"You are indeed foresighted. Wasn't it because of your wife that you wanted to marry into his family?"
Fang Ying couldn't help but smile: "That's true."
Zhou Congshan said, "When Ji Liulang first came back, no one knew what would happen in the future. It's natural for you to be worried. From my perspective, you've been very calm."
"I thought I was quite calm at that time." Fang Ying laughed at herself.
Zhou Congshan held her arm, squeezed it, and asked softly, "But you suddenly realized that life was not easy back then?"
Fang Ying shook her head: "Not really, I just looked back suddenly and became alert."
In fact, when she heard Ji Yanlang call her a good wife, she couldn't help but feel complacent for a moment, but when she thought of Li, the joy disappeared instantly.
"Our wife is a model of a good wife, isn't she? Ever since she married into the Ji family, she has devoted herself to them. Now, she seems to have everything she wants, but do you know what the Duke said to her when he returned home this time?"
Fang Ying repeated what Ji Yanlang had said to her. Zhou Congshan frowned as he listened: "Did you say that in a moment of happiness?"
"He's probably being discreet about his status, trying to say the Duke spoke out of turn while drunk," Fang Ying explained. "But even so, I still feel sorry for our Madam."
Zhou Congshan sneered, "It's a common problem among men. In my opinion, it's not a slip of the tongue at all, but more like a show of merit."
Fang Ying sighed, "When I thought about it later, I felt the same way."
"I can imagine the situation. The second wife has a son, and you're pregnant too. Your father-in-law happily talks about his delusion of having a bastard son, then adds that he has no such plans at all, knowing that both of you will have sons sooner or later. Even if your wife is unhappy after hearing this, what can she say?"
Fang Ying nodded: "So when I think of our wife, I don't want to be a good wife at all."
I’m afraid this Xian is not the kind of Xian who gets angry for no reason.
"I originally thought Ji Liulang's father was a decent man." Zhou Congshan sneered and didn't finish his words.
Fang Ying couldn't help but smile when she heard her even change her address to Ji Liulang's father, and then she said, "I used to respect the Duke very much. I felt that he and my wife were a couple of the same mind, and I respected her very much. But when I think about it, our wife was married to a princess, and there are so many concubines and illegitimate children in the mansion..."
She shook her head and stopped talking.
"So since Ji Liulang himself said he won't take a concubine, you should keep a close eye on him and don't give him any chance to cheat."
"That's what he's saying now." At this point, Fang Ying had something else to say, "He knew about my uncle's affair."
She recounted the entire incident from beginning to end, and concluded, "I was so angry at the time that I wasn't very respectful to my father, and I actually frightened him."
Zhou Congshan was surprised: "Why? Isn't he quite unconventional himself?"
"Yes, but he can do what I can't. When he gets angry, he dares to call his uncle by his name. If I just remind him that my uncle is not a good person, he will lecture me for several times, not to mention saying bad things about my father."
Fang Ying touched her belly and said, "It's only because I'm pregnant now that I can get this over with."
Zhou Congshan said, "Just don't tell him anymore. How's your grandfather doing? Has he replied?"
Fang Ying nodded. "A letter arrived a few days ago asking my second uncle and aunt to go back and tend to the sick. They're both extremely reluctant and are currently dithering about packing."
"Your father won't let them delay, will he?"
"Well, if he wants to, he has plenty of ways to deal with my uncle."
Since her son-in-law has already pointed out that it will affect his career, Fang Ying believes that her father will spare no effort to get her uncle back to his hometown.
"That's good." Zhou Congshan paused briefly, as if thinking of something interesting, and asked with a smile, "Have you heard? The King of Wei has a son."
Fang Ying was surprised: "I haven't heard of it. When did it happen?"
"The baby was born in the first month of the year. The mother and son were like thieves, afraid to tell anyone. They only revealed it after the baby was one month old."
"The first month of the year?" Fang Ying counted the days silently in her mind. "We returned to the capital at the end of February last year. It's only been twelve months now. The child is already a month old?"
Zhou Congshan covered his face and smiled, "That's what I mean. We rushed to get it done without any delay."
"Who is the child's biological mother?"
"Maid. They are desperate to have a grandson. I heard there are two concubines in the palace who are pregnant."
Fang Ying found it amusing: "So what if he's the emperor's eldest grandson?"
Prince Wei is older than Prince Qin, so why doesn't he still not get the throne?
"First, he's unwilling to give up. Second, he wants to use this as a needle to prick me and the one in the palace whenever he wants."
"You've only been married for half a year, isn't Concubine Hui too anxious?"
Zhou Congshan said indifferently: "I don't know whether she is anxious or not, but I am not anxious anyway."
Fang Ying agreed very much. If you can endure the pain of childbirth later, then endure it later. Why rush?
Besides, there's no point in being anxious. It's better to take good care of yourself while you have nothing to do. She told her thoughts and finally advised her friend: "Eat more at each meal, at least you can gain some weight. I think you are still too thin."
The two of them continued to talk and walk slowly forward. Fang Ying did not ask Zhou Congshan how he got along with the King of Qin or whether the King of Qin treated her well, just as she did not ask what the emperor's attitude was towards the fact that the King of Wei had a son.
Because they were all the same, Ji Guangting, Zhou Guojiu, the King of Qin, and even the emperor, no matter how heroic and admired they were outside, when they returned to their inner homes, they all wanted their wives to be virtuous, not jealous or resentful, and to raise their children and take care of their concubines.
In comparison, Ji Yanlang himself said that he would not take a concubine, which was actually quite good.
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