Chapter 369 The child is not with the mother, but with the father.
Gibran was angry.
This wasn't just ordinary anger.
He had originally planned to take his granddaughter home with him, and he was so excited when he set off that he was disappointed when he arrived at the Wei family home and didn't see Qiuqiu.
Gibran vented his anger on the Wei family.
He stood at the entrance to the front hall, criticizing the hundreds of people who couldn't even keep an eye on a small child.
The Wei family all said they hadn't seen the child, and even if they had, they wouldn't have had time to pay attention. They stammered and couldn't give a clear answer.
They were all scolded by Ji Bolian with a stern face, and were accused of "inadequate guardianship".
Wei Tongyou, who was slightly closer to Ji Qingwu, stepped forward and said a few words of defense, but was rendered speechless by Ji Bolian's long and eloquent rebuttal, which quoted extensively from classical texts.
When Madam Wei of Yiyangzhai learned that Ji Bolian had left the Wei family, she immediately put down her Buddhist prayer beads and placed them on the incense table.
He confirmed, "Really gone?"
Granny Feng nodded: "They're gone. The guards watched them leave, and they took all of Madam's belongings with them."
Madam Wei sighed deeply.
Granny Feng asked, puzzled, "The Wei and Ji families have always been at odds. Master Ji is really rude to his sons and daughters. Why are you so upset...?"
Old Madam Wei continued, "Why didn't you go out and check? Why are you so afraid of trouble?"
The old lady got up, stood by the door, and looked at the clear sky outside.
"Don't be fooled by the fact that the eldest son of the Ji family is a third-rank salt commissioner. Throughout history, those who have been able to sit in this position are all virtuous officials who are highly valued by their superiors."
Granny Feng asked with even greater doubt, "But last time, when Prime Minister Su and the Song family's old women were at the door, you went out to keep order. Could Master Ji's official prestige be greater than that of the Prime Minister?"
Madam Wei turned to look at her and reminded her, "Have you forgotten what position Ji Bolian held before he was transferred to the south to serve as an official?"
Granny Feng suddenly remembered and exclaimed, "Your memory is truly excellent! Back then, it was really..."
Indeed, it was because of this Lord Ji, this renowned brother-in-law of the emperor, that quite a few "turmoil" were stirred up.
Madam Wei said, "When Ji Bolian served as the Supervising Secretary of the Six Ministries, he supervised the Six Ministries and impeached hundreds of officials. He even blocked one of the Emperor's decrees."
Granny Feng helped the old lady outside to bask in the sunlight.
Madam Wei walked slowly and said, "It's not that I'm really afraid of him. The Ji family wants to take Ji Qingwu back, which is exactly what I want. So I might as well go with the flow."
Granny Feng said anxiously, "But what if the eldest young master comes back and finds that the wife he just married is gone, and then he starts making a scene again?"
Wei Ting was having a big argument with the old lady at home at the time.
Madam Wei said, "I have tested Ji Wu for Ting'er. He has no feelings for him. It's better to end it now than to suffer for a long time. Besides, this is not my fault. It's his father-in-law who is not satisfied with him."
"You're so optimistic, but I feel sorry for the eldest son."
Madam Wei said, "It's not that I'm open-minded, it's that I have no other choice. The matter of Ting'er's mother... serves as a warning. In the end, we can't force her to stay; it would only harm both her and ourselves."
Granny Feng genuinely felt sorry for Wei Ting, saying, "That Ji Wu doesn't even look down on a man like our eldest young master. Her standards are too high. I wonder which family will dare to take her in the future."
Madam Wei said, "Let's wait and see."
*
Ji Bolian returned to the Ji family home with a stern face.
Madam Ji originally wanted to discuss it with him again, to persuade him not to act impulsively, and to let Qingwu return to the Wei family.
It turned out that Gibran had personally gone to the Wei family, not only returning the betrothal gifts but also bringing back the dowry, which gave him a headache.
Later, Gibran still entered the gate of Anju Garden, but once there, he began to show a bad attitude.
Qiao was lighting incense when she glanced at him and said, "Lord Ji, who are you trying to impress with your long face?"
Ji Bolian sat down, looked at the maid in the room, and ordered in a deep voice, "Go to Wutong Garden and find Xiao Wu."
As if she hadn't heard, Qiao opened the account book on the table and said indifferently, "If you want to go, go yourself. Why are you ordering me around?"
Gibran acted like the head of the household, but no one paid him any attention. The couple fell into silence, not saying a word to each other.
When the incense had burned down to about half its original length, Ji Bolian finally couldn't hold back any longer. He cleared his throat toward Chunhua, who, sensing his presence, lowered her head and left.
He moved closer to Madam Qiao, nudged her arm, and urged, "Go and ask Xiao Wu where she hid her granddaughter."
Qiao was even more well-informed than Old Madam Ji, and she already knew that he had gone to the Wei family and thrown a tantrum.
"How do you know it was Xiao Wu who hid the child, and not that the Wei family lost him?"
Gibran glared and said, "How could a mother lose her child? She must have hidden him."
Mr. Qiao paused as he flipped through the account book.
Gibran realized his mistake as soon as he finished speaking and tried to make amends, saying, "It was my fault; I misspoke in my haste."
The fact that their son, Xiao Wu, went missing as a child is a taboo subject for the couple. Even after Ji Qingwu returned home, they remained very sensitive about the topic.
Especially Mrs. Qiao, she would burst into tears whenever she mentioned it.
Ji Bo patted her shoulder and said, "Aren't you worried that your granddaughter isn't at the Wei family's house or with Xiao Wu?"
Mr. Qiao was not worried at all.
Ever since he learned that this little granddaughter was the current emperor's youngest daughter, he had been quite certain of the situation.
Where else could it be?
If not by my mother's side, then by my father's side.
But George did not dare tell Gibran this shocking news.
Seeing that Qiao was bowing her head and not answering, Ji Bolian also began to doubt his judgment and said suspiciously, "Should I go to the Jingzhao Yin to report to the authorities now? According to the Wei family's statement, the child has been missing for two days."
Qiao closed the ledger impatiently with a snap.
"Are you ever going to stop? I'm looking at the ledgers, and you keep buzzing in my ear without stopping."
Mrs. Qiao carefully put the account book away, placed it in a box, locked it, and then put it in the cabinet.
Ji Bolian was anxious and wanted to know where his granddaughter was. He said, "You always have a temper with me. Where is the upright and well-mannered daughter of the Grand Tutor from back then?"
After getting off the bed and putting on her shoes, Madam Qiao was about to leave when she said, "Is this the first time you've recognized me? It's been over twenty years. Don't you know what I look like?"
Gibran pressed her for an answer, asking, "You're leaving after only a few words and disagreements? Where are you going?"
Because of his urgency, his voice was inevitably a bit loud.
Qiao sneered, "You tricked me into marrying into the Ji family, and I've been left to deal with this mess every day. You've been gone for years, and you even yelled at me. From now on, I'll leave all the household affairs to you."
She shoved the housekeeper's key into Ji Bolian's hand and said without turning her head, "I'm going to stay at Xiao Wu's place for the night. I'm annoyed by your presence."
Gibran knew she was tough on the outside but soft on the inside, and called out from behind her, "I knew my wife was kind-hearted and knew the importance and urgency of things. Go quickly, and after you've asked, have someone pass on a message to me."
"I'll be waiting at Anjuyuan!"
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