In the short time it took to climb a few steps, the elderly couple had already prepared several plans, all well thought out and ready.
"Welcome back, Old Marquis and Madam," the guards at the entrance bowed and greeted them respectfully.
"Good, good, good," Madam replied, her eyes immediately spotting the mother and son waiting in the courtyard.
"Grandmother!!" The little troublemaker, Jin Cheng, dashed over like a fish to water, throwing himself into her arms.
Madam's heart melted, and she quickly hugged him back, saying repeatedly, "Oh, my dear Jin Cheng, my precious grandson, I’ve missed you so much. Let me see if you’ve grown taller?"
Jin Cheng clung to her, his round little face looking up with a bright smile, "Yes, I’ve grown taller and stronger! Grandmother, I’ve missed you too. I even wrote you a letter a few days ago, but you didn’t reply. I was so sad for days."
"Oh, my dear, I just saw the letter and thought I’d be back soon, so I didn’t reply," Madam said, putting on a serious act. "Those carrier pigeons are truly unreliable. They got lost over such a short distance. I’ll have them replaced with some sharper-eyed ones soon."
"Mm!" Jin Cheng nodded vigorously.
So, Shunzi was right. It was the pigeons that got lost, not that Grandmother didn’t care about him.
Haha, how delightful!
"Jin Cheng, your grandfather is back too. Why aren’t you talking to me?" The Old Marquis began to settle scores.
Despite being the first to read the letter, he hadn’t been mentioned once, which left the Old Marquis feeling quite sour.
Seeing this, Jin Cheng quickly went to soothe him, "I’ve missed you too, Grandfather. It’s just that I haven’t been doing well in my studies recently, so I was too embarrassed to talk to you about it."
"Not doing well?" The Old Marquis was surprised. "I heard you took the ten-year-old exam and got a decent ranking. Isn’t that good enough?"
"Of course not! Grandfather, just wait until next month. I’ll take the Child Prodigy Class test and get into the class for geniuses!"
"Good, good, what ambition! You’re truly the treasure of our Yangyuan Marquis Manor," the Old Marquis said, thoroughly pleased, praising his precious grandson.
Meanwhile, Xu Wan, dressed elegantly in a green gown, stepped forward and curtsied, "Greetings, Father-in-law, Mother-in-law."
The more Madam looked at her, the more satisfied she became. She smiled and took Xu Wan’s arm, saying, "Dear Wan, these past few months, the entire household has relied on you. It must have been quite exhausting."
Xu Wan shook her head with a smile, "It wasn’t too tiring. Steward Liu and Mother Zhao handled most of the household affairs. Jin Cheng and Wenxiu have been quite well-behaved and cooperative with Master Baili and the other private tutors."
"Haha, that’s wonderful, truly wonderful," Madam said, knowing full well what a little rascal Jin Cheng could be. He was hardly the epitome of obedience.
But Xu Wan only spoke of the good, which naturally pleased Madam, though she also understood the effort Xu Wan had put in behind the scenes.
Madam sighed, "I knew it was the right decision to entrust you with managing the household."
Xu Wan smiled modestly.
In her heart, she thought, *Thank you for the generous salary. Even though I haven’t earned the billion-dollar bonus yet, the monthly salary of three hundred thousand is quite substantial.*
Her savings had already surpassed a thousand taels, firmly placing her among the wealthy.
The four of them chatted and laughed as they entered the main hall, exchanging stories about the household and the academy. Xu Wan and Jin Cheng shared amusing anecdotes, while the Old Marquis and Madam listened patiently, occasionally chiming in with insights about social connections in the capital.
As Xu Wan had suspected, the Yangyuan Marquis Manor had few relatives, connections, or influential ties. They maintained a neutral stance, offending no one but also keeping their distance. It was a quiet existence.
However, Xu Wan noticed that after Madam returned, the conversation always revolved around her and Jin Cheng. When Wenxiu and Auntie Hong were mentioned, Madam only smiled briefly, showing little interest.
At first, Xu Wan thought it might be her imagination, but as the pattern repeated, she realized it wasn’t. Madam only pressed for updates on Jin Cheng’s progress, while her interest in Wenxiu seemed superficial, as if he were merely an outsider.
Xu Wan knew that in the Great Chu Dynasty, there was a clear distinction between legitimate and illegitimate children, but it shouldn’t have been this stark. Did Madam harbor such strong dislike for the second wife’s status?
Still, with the elderly couple having just returned, Xu Wan didn’t feel it appropriate to bring this up in public. Instead, she instructed the maids to keep an eye out and bring Wenxiu to the main hall as soon as he returned.
"Wan, tell me more. How did you manage to get Jin Cheng to kneel in the ancestral hall?"
Xu Wan smiled warmly, "It was thanks to Wenxiu’s good example. He took the blame for the mistake, and Jin Cheng, feeling guilty, followed him to the hall."
Madam paused, then said with a smile, "Wenxiu is such a good child."
A flat compliment, the smile not reaching her eyes.
Xu Wan’s curiosity was piqued. The source of this content ɪs novelFɪre.net
But Madam quickly steered the conversation elsewhere. Five months was a long time, and they could talk about Jin Cheng’s growth until nightfall.
At that moment, the sound of rapid footsteps echoed from outside, unmistakably a child running.
Xu Wan stood up, "That must be Wenxiu returning."
Jin Cheng also stopped talking to the Old Marquis and dashed out to greet his brother.
The Old Marquis remarked, "Jin Cheng seems to get along well with Wenxiu now."
Xu Wan smiled, "After all, they’re cousins by blood. Naturally, their bond is closer than with others."
At her words, neither the Old Marquis nor Madam responded. They simply smiled and sipped their tea.
Sensing the awkward atmosphere, Xu Wan, who had been about to leave, sat back down.
"Mother-in-law, please try this seven-flavored cake. Jin Cheng quite likes it," Xu Wan tactfully changed the subject.
"Good, good," Madam said, taking a bite of the cake. It was a bit dry, so she reached for her tea again.
Outside, Jin Cheng’s excited voice rang out, "Grandmother, Grandmother, my brother is back! He’s amazing! He’s now a student in the Child Prodigy Class! He’s a genius!!"
Zong Wenxiu was dragged in by his younger brother, his face still glistening with sweat from rushing in. Overjoyed to see his grandparents after so long, his face radiated a bright, cheerful smile.
"Greetings, Grandfather, Grandmother," he called out with a smile.
The Old Marquis looked up and froze, as if turned to stone.
Madam gazed at the ten-year-old boy. The sunlight streaming in from behind illuminated his profile. The once shy and fearful child had transformed into a confident, vibrant young boy, his smile radiating pure joy. He looked so much like the carefree young man from her memories, the one who always surrounded her, saying, "I love you most, Mother."
*Crash—* The teacup fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. Tears streamed down Madam’s face.