Chapter 320 Returning Home
When the mother and daughter met, they burst into tears before they could even speak.
Meng Lingge didn't want to cry, but after not seeing her mother for several months, she noticed how thin her mother had become, and how much of her black hair had turned white at less than forty years old. She knew that Du Shiyin had been worrying about her a lot these days.
"Mother, don't cry. I've taken good care of myself, but it's because of you that you've suffered these past few days. But now we've overcome our hardships, so you don't need to worry anymore. From now on, every day will be a good day for our family." Meng Lingge wiped away Du Shiyin's tears while comforting her in a low voice.
Meng Xiyao chimed in, "Yes, eldest sister will soon be the empress of a country, father has been reinstated, I have regained my freedom, and Qingyu has returned safely. All of this is good news, and mother should be happy."
"I'm so happy, I'm crying tears of joy." Du Shiyin looked at her two daughters, touching one's little face and squeezing the other's little hands, and it took her a long time to stop crying.
Left standing to the side, Meng Qingyu walked forward in shame, bowing her head apologetically, and said, "Mother, I was wrong. My elder sister and brother-in-law both criticized me. I shouldn't have left home without permission. I shouldn't have worried you and put myself in danger."
Seeing Du Shiyin turn her head away and ignore him, Meng Qingyu said anxiously, "Mother, my trip wasn't entirely fruitless. Father praised me for being responsible and a real man. I also met a remarkable mute brother. He can't speak and his face is disfigured, but he has a kind heart and risked his own safety to save me. He has nowhere to go and has been wandering around. I want to ask you, Mother, if you would allow me to have this mute brother keep me company, okay?"
The mute brother Meng Qingyu mentioned was naturally Guan Yi'an.
After Wen Zhiming had the military doctor treat Guan Yi'an's injuries, he brought him pen and ink and asked him to write down his name and address. However, Guan Yi'an was cunning by nature and was afraid that people would see through his handwriting, so he waved his hand and shook his head, pretending that he could not read.
Wen Zhiming sent people to investigate, but they couldn't find out anything about this person.
Furthermore, the strategist confirmed that the man's face had indeed been completely cut off and that he had numerous new and old wounds on his body, so he temporarily allowed him to stay in a guest room at the Prince of Anshun's residence and treated him as a guest.
Meng Qingyu was grateful to him for saving her life, and she would visit him from time to time. He also acted very close to Meng Qingyu.
Before Du Shiyin could answer Meng Qingyu's request, Meng Lingge said, "Qingyu, this person's identity is unknown, and you are young. It's best to keep your distance from him. He saved you, so we should give him some money so he can live a comfortable life. That would be the best way to repay him."
"Big sister, he can't speak and he's disfigured. Even if he takes money, he'll still be bullied. He's very dependent on me, please let him stay with me. I beg you..."
Du Shiyin initially ignored Meng Qingyu, having only pretended to be angry. But upon hearing his pitiful plea for help, she softened and looked at Meng Lingge, saying, "It's just a small matter of supporting one more person. Just agree to it. He sounds like a pitiful person. Our Meng family is blessed by heaven, and our fortunes have turned around. Perhaps it's the result of good deeds we did in the past. Now that things are better, we should do even more good deeds."
Meng Lingge could no longer refuse, so she said, "Then give him a job. This person is several years older than Qingyu and is illiterate, so he won't be of much help to Qingyu's growth. Just arrange a job for him in the outer courtyard."
Meng Qingyu was delighted to hear this. Guan Yi'an was always afraid and nervous in front of others, but he relied on and trusted Meng Qingyu completely in front of him. He liked this feeling of being different and needed.
Du Shiyin looked at her two children standing safely in front of her, and thinking back to the days when she didn't know where they were, she felt like she was dreaming. She was so happy that she didn't know what to do.
Looking up and seeing Meng Xiyao beside her, worried that she might be neglecting her, she took Meng Lingge's hand and said, "Xiyao has suffered a lot. After being brought into the palace, she suffered from urticaria and was confined to the cold palace. I don't know if she is still alive... Now that she is free, you should pay more attention to her marriage."
Meng Xiyao understood Du Shiyin's implication and knew that she was worried about whether the emperor had violated her. So she said to them, "Mother, don't worry, I am still a virgin. That dog emperor did have some intentions, but I didn't let him succeed."
"That's good." Du Shiyin nodded, but still worried, "Even so, you were once the emperor's concubine. Although the emperor is dead, everyone knows about this relationship, and men in the world might still mind. If you want to marry a suitable husband again, you may need to change your identity or live in seclusion, or marry a man from an ordinary family who doesn't mind your past."
After Du Shiyin finished speaking, she felt somewhat wronged by Meng Xiyao.
But she was telling the truth. Noble families would not choose a woman who had already been married, let alone Meng Xiyao, who was the former emperor's woman.
To maintain their status, they mostly have to find families who don't care about reputation and whose own reputation is not good.
Meng Xiyao showed no sign of disappointment, raising her eyebrows and smiling, "Mother, when the Meng family was in decline, I didn't change my name or sever ties with the Meng family. Now that my eldest sister is about to become empress, our Meng family is at its zenith in the capital. Mother can't abandon me. As for marriage, what's the rush? With my eldest sister and brother-in-law around, how can I remain an old maid forever?"
She went to great lengths to prevent that old man from succeeding. She believed herself to be upright and honest, with a superior family background and appearance. If anyone looked down on her because of her previous marriage, it was their loss.
The Meng family is now the best maternal family in the entire capital, and she has no intention of giving up her current status for a man.
She, Meng Xiyao, comes from a prominent family and is virtuous and upright; she deserves the best man in the world.
Meng Lingge has gentle features.
“Mother, there’s really no need to worry too much. Xi Yao is a good person, how could she possibly be worried about her husband? You can put your mind at ease, maybe we’ll have good news soon.”
She had privately asked Xi Yao, and the girl was indeed quite fond of Gu Yan. After learning what Gu Yan had done for her, she secretly fell in love with him. Although Gu Yan had not explicitly expressed his feelings, the way he looked at Meng Xi Yao showed that he treated her differently from others.
This perfect couple is very pleasing to the eye, and they have feelings for each other, so Meng Lingge is very satisfied. The biggest obstacle now is Gu Yan's grandmother.
I've heard she's an old lady who values rules and has very strict family traditions, so it might take some effort for her to accept Meng Xiyao.
Du Shiyin became interested upon hearing this, "Could it be that you've already found a suitable partner? When did this happen? How come I didn't know?"
Meng Xiyao said coquettishly, "No, no, Mother, don't listen to my eldest sister's coaxing. If there were a suitable person, how could I not tell you?"
The man hasn't even made a move yet, so she can't be too proactive or seem impatient.
The mother and daughters chatted and laughed. Seeing that Meng Lingge was too embarrassed to talk about it, Du Shiyin gave up asking and instead became concerned about Meng Lingge's health.
At four or five months pregnant, her pregnancy was quite stable, but Du Shiyin still gave many instructions and words of concern.
Meng Lingge spent half a day with her mother at the Meng residence before leaving in the afternoon. However, she did not return to the Prince of Anshun's residence but went to Princess Qiongxiao's residence instead.
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