The carriage stopped around noon.
"Young Madam, the young master is here to meet you at the city gate," Yan Qian reported from outside the carriage.
Upon hearing this, Ms. Hua, who was inside the carriage, lifted the curtain and looked out. Sure enough, she saw her husband walking towards her.
Ruan Niang got off the carriage first, and Wei Zizheng was about to get on when Hua Shi inside the carriage said, "Husband, there are still female guests in the carriage."
Upon hearing this, Wei Zizheng, who had already lifted his foot, quickly withdrew it and ordered Wu Fu to drive the carriage into the city. He himself did not get into the sedan chair but walked alongside the carriage.
The attendants who had come with him earlier had already run back to the mansion to report the news.
"Caiying, you must have had a hard journey." He hadn't seen his wife for a while and really wanted to get on the bus to see her properly, but he couldn't get on because there were female passengers on the bus.
I wonder who this female guest is, or if my wife knows her?
Wei Zizheng only knew that his wife had several close girlfriends in the capital, but after Tong'er's accident, those girlfriends often came to the mansion to talk to her, but she refused to see any of them. After a while, they stopped coming.
"It's alright, we didn't travel much. Isn't my husband busy right now?" Hua replied.
Hua's husband, Wei Zizheng, was a censor in the Censorate, a seventh-rank official. Although his position was not high, his responsibilities were significant, and he had extensive supervisory powers.
These were the things that Ruanniang told Hong Xiaoduo.
"No matter how busy I am, I will come to pick you up as soon as I hear you're coming back, especially since this is a great joy for our family." Wei Zizheng said, then suddenly realized something was wrong.
Shouldn't the wife be very excited to hear that Tong'er has been found? Why doesn't she sound excited?
Or was she afraid that this time it would be another disappointment, so she didn't dare to have any expectations in her heart?
After all, we've been through something like that a few times before.
There was no response from inside the carriage this time, and Wei Zizheng didn't want to question the guards right now. He just wanted to find out more after returning to his residence.
"Tong'er is waiting at the manor. Caiying, when you see her, don't get too excited." After thinking for a moment, Wei Zizheng still gave her some instructions.
Excited? When Hua heard this word, she looked at Kaiyang sitting next to Hong Xiaoduo. Compared to knowing that there was a child in the manor who was likely her Tong'er, it seemed that what could make her heart flutter was the child in front of her.
She hoped the child was Tong'er, but was even more worried that it wasn't. She didn't know if this was because of preconceived notions, since she had met Kaiyang first and her mind and heart were filled with Kaiyang, so she couldn't accept the child that appeared later.
Outside the carriage, Wei Zizheng, still not receiving a response from his wife, grew even more puzzled.
Soon, the carriage stopped outside the mansion gate, where Lady Qi, the wife of the Minister of Works, along with the steward, servants, and Physician Liu, were waiting.
“Mother, you can wait inside,” Wei Zizheng said hurriedly upon seeing this.
"Alright, stop talking, hurry up and help Caiying get off the carriage." Madam Qi urged, her eyes also looking expectantly at the carriage.
The gatekeeper quickly placed a step stool under the carriage before Wu Fu could get there, opened the carriage door, and Hua stepped down.
Wei Zizheng quickly reached out to help her up. From this distance, he could see his wife clearly. Although she looked a little tired, she seemed to be a bit plumper than before she left the mansion, and her complexion was not as pale as it had been.
His gaze was no longer dull and lifeless, nor was it ashen as before.
"Mother." Madam Hua got off the carriage and first bowed to her mother-in-law who was standing nearby.
I glanced around but didn't see the child, yet I didn't feel disappointed.
"It's good that you're back, it's good that you're back." Madam Qi truly felt sorry for her daughter-in-law.
She was well-educated and courteous, and had a loving relationship with her son.
However, her daughter-in-law was too calm and composed, Qi thought to herself as she looked at her son.
Just as Madam Qi was leading her daughter-in-law into the mansion, she saw someone else get off the carriage. It was a young woman with a sword and a whip at her waist.
"What is this?" Qi asked in confusion, but then saw the girl reach out and take another child off the carriage.
At first glance, this child looks somewhat like a man with a straight face, and also somewhat like a daughter-in-law.
Could it be that the daughter-in-law brought the child home because of his appearance and age?
“Young Lady Hong, this is my mother-in-law.”
"Mother, this is Miss Hong, who specially escorted my daughter-in-law back," Madam Hua introduced.
"Xiaoduo greets Madam. Kaiyang, call for someone." Hong Xiaoduo stepped forward to greet Madam Qi.
I saw Lady Qi, and like Lady Hua, she looked older than her age, probably because of Tong'er.
"Kaiyang greets Madam Qi." Little Kaiyang stepped forward confidently and respectfully bowed to Madam Qi.
"Xiaoduo, Kaiyang? Oh my, could you be the Miss Hong that my master often mentions?" Madam Qi suddenly remembered.
Hong Xiaoduo smiled and said, "Then it must be us."
"My goodness, what a coincidence that you two have met again! Oh, little Kaiyang!" Madam Qi exclaimed in surprise, bending down to touch Kaiyang's cheek, feeling an inexplicable sense of closeness.
"Young Lady Hong, this is my husband, Wei Zizheng," Madam Hua introduced her husband again.
Wei Zizheng had heard his father mention Hong Xiaoduo more than once, saying that although she was a woman, she had a remarkable personality, demeanor, and courage.
I thought my father was exaggerating, but when I met her in person, she was indeed a frank, open, and generous young lady.
And then there's this one, where the father regretfully said he wanted to bring back Kaiyang, the child he had adopted. At the time, I even said that my father was desperate for a grandson.
However, the moment the child stepped off the carriage, he felt his heart beat slower, and now he finally understood where his father's regret came from.
"Then, is he also Lord Wei?" Hong Xiaoduo asked with a fist and palm salute.
"Hahaha, that works too." Wei Zizheng couldn't help but laugh out loud after hearing this, and he understood why his father had such a deep impression of this young lady.
When her daughter-in-law returned, Madam Qi was overjoyed and hurriedly invited her to come inside and chat.
After entering the mansion, Madam Qi arranged for the stewardess to prepare guest rooms for Hong Xiaoduo and her companion to wash up, and then ordered the kitchen to start cooking.
Hong Xiaoduo knew that the Qi family had something to say, and it wouldn't be appropriate to have Kaiyang present any longer, so she went to the guest room to tidy up and wash.
Since we're already here, let's see what that imposter kid is up to; there's no rush.
"Caiying, why don't you go and rest first before seeing the child?" Qi asked, worried about her daughter-in-law's reaction.
Hua glanced at her husband beside her, then thought of Doctor Liu who had gone next door for tea, and said after a moment’s thought, “Let’s meet him first.”
At this moment, Qi Shi and Hua Shi were not as calm as they appeared on the surface.
Who are my father-in-law and husband? How could they be fooled? The previous times, weren't they quickly proven to be fake?
But this time, the person who delivered the message was so certain, which shows that the in-laws and husband have already confirmed it.
So, is that child really his Tong'er?
Madam Qi stared intently at her daughter-in-law, then at her son beside her. Seeing that he nodded as well, she finally instructed the maid at the door to bring the young master over...
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