Chapter 010 Mother and Son Reconciliation

Xie organized the engagement banquet in perfect order. After the opera, she also invited various performers to perform various kinds of entertainment. What Yao Niang was most interested in was the sand riddle performance. The performers held white sand in their hands and threw it on the ground to write words, couplets or poems, and sang as they did so. It was very interesting.

Even the souvenirs were very tasteful. Because it was an engagement, not a wedding, there was no need to give out wedding candies. She did not give out walnut cakes like others did, but lotus cakes made by her own kitchen, honey in a pink porcelain bottle, and replaced the tea leaves with wine she brewed herself. She also put two scented leaves, fragrant beans, and orange slices on a white silk handkerchief and tied a knot with gold thread.

Especially the gift boxes, all of them are made of bamboo and wood from the largest northern and southern grocery store in Jinling. They are made of special paper with ancient paintings on them, which is simply elegant and luxurious.

These greatly enhanced the reputation of the Xie family and also made the Zhen family a warning bell.

After Yan Jingzhao's engagement banquet, the third old lady was going to leave for Henan immediately. Before leaving, she gave many instructions but was very worried about Yan Jingzhao. She also disliked Xie in every way. Once, she even scolded Xie in front of Yan Jingzhao, and Xie burst into tears on the spot.

Seeing Xie like this, the third old lady was secretly upset that she had lost control today. It was also Xie's own fault. She was very close to Old Madam Yu from the first house. Yesterday, she spoke carelessly about Old Madam Yu, and Xie even spoke for Old Madam Yu, which made her so uncomfortable. Just now, she saw that Xie and Jingzhao's mother and son had a closer relationship. She felt that something was out of control and became more and more anxious.

When the three of them were frozen there, the housekeeper outside had already started to urge them. Of course, the Third Old Lady, who was so arrogant, would not lower herself to apologize to Jie. She even left angrily.

Only then did Yan Jingzhao realize that it was not his mother who was weak, but his grandmother who was unreasonable. His mother actually managed the household very well and was very tactful towards Zhou Lingguang. Many people in the clan even praised her for her generous and decent behavior.

So, after his grandmother left, Yan Jingzhao came specially to comfort Xie. Xie was a gentle person by nature, and she had never been scheming towards her son before, she was just caring.

Now, except for Yao Niang who supports her unconditionally, everyone else has to be scheming.

"Mom, are you okay?"

"I know your grandmother's temper. It's always been like this. I can only comfort myself and feel a little better. Otherwise, it will be like the past few years, with depression and anger with myself." Xie said self-deprecatingly.

Yan Jingzhao lowered his eyes and said, "Mother, I will definitely strive to be a good person in the future."

Xie looked at him and said, "I know you are a man with great ambitions. You are just borrowing my womb to be reborn. You don't need to plan anything for me. Just go ahead and do what you want to do. Sometimes, the things between your grandmother and I are between her and me. Now your grandmother has not given your father another child, and you are still the only heir to our third branch."

"Actually, it's nothing for my son to have a brother. Don't mind it, mother." Yan Jingzhao is now fifteen years old and is also studying. He knows that there are many children in the family and they can support each other in officialdom.

Xie smiled and said, "If we are all harmonious, it would be great, but if we each go our own way, what good is that? Just like if your father hadn't come to the third house this time, how would you have known Zhou Lingguang? It was because Zhou Lingguang lived in our house that the first lady said a lot to our old lady, and that's why the old lady was so eager to give birth again. I won't nag you about these, just keep it in mind. I won't blame you. As a mother, I will protect you as much as I can before you get married, and that's my best intention."

After that, Xie took out another robe and handed it to Yan Jingzhao: "When your grandmother was alive, I didn't dare to give you anything. Every time I gave you cakes and clothes, they were thrown away. Now that she is gone, you can try the robe that mother made for you first. If it doesn't fit, I will alter it."

Yan Jingzhao took off his outer shirt and took the initiative to try on clothes at Xie's place. Unexpectedly, they fit him well.

Yao Niang happened to come in at this time. She looked at Yan Jingzhao in his long gown and said to Xie: "Mother, you are finally willing to take it out? You made it every day under the oil lamp and hid it well in a bundle, and didn't let me and my brother tell them. Now you finally take it out."

After hearing what his sister said, Yan Jingzhao was also deeply touched. Although he still respected and loved the Third Old Master and the Third Old Lady in his heart, how could he not be moved when his mother treated him so carefully in places he didn't know about?

Xie did not mention her hard work, but just smiled and said to Yao Niang: "What do you think of your brother?"

"I won't say such common sayings as 'Jade Tree Lining the Wind' is handsome and unrestrained', so I will say the first two sentences of 'Jade Tree Lining the Wind', 'His brows are distinguished, like the lonely reflection of the morning glow; his eyes are bright, like the bright moon in one's arms. ' Yao Niang raised her thumb to praise her brother.

It has to be said that even Yan Jingzhao, who usually acts like a brother in front of Yao Niang, couldn't help but feel very happy after hearing these words.

Soon, Yan Jingzhao also stayed with Xie for the whole morning to talk, and at noon, the mother and the two of them had lunch together. Xie was gentle and quiet, but Yao Niang was a witty little girl, and her words were also very interesting.

However, Yan Jingzhao began to get close to his biological mother, but some of his wet nurses and maids were not necessarily happy about it, which led to a disturbance later on. But that is another story.

However, Xie had just finished her lunch and was doing housework, so she taught Yao Niang how to look at the account books and other things. Before the mother and daughter talked for long, they saw the second wife of Ming coming over from outside.

Xie looked at her and vaguely guessed her intention. After sending everyone away, Mrs. Ming spoke: "Sister-in-law Qi, let me congratulate you first. Now the mother and son are reunited, and Brother Qi is back by your side again. Unlike our family, who has neither achieved success nor fame, our Bei'er doesn't know what to do."

Ming's second wife, Mrs. Dong, was a businessman's wife. She knew from a young age that one must seize the initiative in doing business. The same applies to finding a son-in-law. It is better to strike first than to gain the upper hand.

Bei'er's grandfather was also the prefect of Ningzhou, and her great-uncle and Yan Yingqi were also high-ranking officials. She was the only daughter in her family, and her dowry was more than that of any other daughter in the Yan family.

Xie looked at her and said, "I think Bei'er is polite and sensible, much more sensible than my third daughter."

Mrs. Ming waved her hand and said, "It's just that he's a little too stupid. Oh, by the way, I heard from Yao Niang last time that a young man named Zhou came to your family from Beijing. Is he the young man I saw on the stage that day?"

Xie thought that this man had obviously found out the truth long ago, but he still used his own daughter as an excuse. He still claimed to be smart, but she didn't show any sign on her face. She just smiled and said, "Yes, it's him, the youngest son of Zhou Jijiu."

"I see that he is not very old. Is he married?" Mrs. Ming Er went straight to the point.

Xie evaded the question: "I don't know about that. Who is asking this?"

Mrs. Ming Er smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, can you help me ask? In our family, there is only Ru Bei who is a little older. If sister-in-law is willing to help me, I have a shop on Qipan Street, and I will give it to your third daughter to buy makeup in the future."

"This is too generous and totally unnecessary." Xie knew very well that one cannot receive a reward without merit. When her father-in-law did her father a favor, she was forced to marry him.

Seeing that she was not fooled, Mrs. Ming Er had no choice but to use a trick to provoke her, so she scolded: "If my sister-in-law doesn't help me, will you leave the person to your Yao Niang?"