Chapter 284: Chapter 159: Returning Home (Second Update) _2
He Family’s eyes flickered with an unmistakable hint of disappointment as she glanced in the direction of the carriage, “Jin Yu didn’t come over?”
A frown creased Yao Family’s brow.
Jin Yu, Jin Yu, Gu Jiao stood right in front of her, couldn’t she first greet Gu Jiao?
Gu Jiao remained composed; she didn’t greet the He Family either and simply strode past her, catching up with Mengmeng who was in front of her, admiring the Stone Lions.
Yao Yuan glared at the He Family.
The corners of He Family’s mouth turned down. She was just asking a question, what’s the big deal? He didn’t come, wasn’t it okay to ask?
The He Family then turned towards Gu Yan with a smile, “This is Yanyan, right?”
Not caring about his sister, he didn’t care about her either!
Without so much as a glance at the He Family, Gu Yan took long strides to join Gu Jiao and Mengmeng.
Yao Yuan and the He Family were awkwardly uncomfortable.
In his heart, Yao Yuan didn’t differentiate among his family members, but he hadn’t expected his wife to have such a reaction.
He cleared his throat awkwardly, and said to Yao Family, “Mother is inside, sister should quickly go and see her.”
Yao Family stepped into the Marquis Residence.
Walking beside her, He Family didn’t forget to ask with a smile, “Sister, why didn’t Jin Yu come?”
Yao Family paused in her step, “She has entered the palace!”
“Ah…” the He Family was taken aback, “Jin Yu is really impressive… to be able to enter the palace…”
Yao Family didn’t want to bother with her sister-in-law anymore.
But she wasn’t here today to visit her sister-in-law in the first place.
The group went to Old Madam Yao’s Courtyard.
Old Madam Yao sat on the kang of the East Wing which, contrary to what Yao Yuan had said, her complexion did look sickly pale but in no way did she seem like her life was near its end.
Yao Family’s brow furrowed once again, turning her head to look at Yao Yuan.
Yao Yuan lowered his head.
Old Madam Yao spoke in a grave voice, “Stop looking at him, it was me who asked him to call you over. If I hadn’t said so, would you have come back? When you married into the Marquis Residence, you cut ties with the Yao Family without a word; I tolerated it, but what about now? Is over a decade not enough for you to quell your resentment? I’m old, and I don’t know how much longer I have to live, what’s wrong with wanting to see my two precious grandchildren? You won’t let me see them?”
This was uncomfortable, but hearing that she wanted to see the twins diminished Yao Family’s anger.
Yao Family called the three children in.
The first to come in was Gu Yan.
Old Madam Yao’s eyes, clouded with age, brightened immediately upon seeing Gu Yan, and she reached out for him, “Yanyan? Is it Yanyan? Quickly! Come here to your grandmother and let me have a look!”
Gu Yan, hesitating since she seemed genuinely fond of him, walked over.
Old Madam Yao’s hands were trembling with excitement as she took Gu Yan’s hand and reached to touch his face, “Your grandmother has finally seen you… You look like your father!”
Gu Yan, who wasn’t favored by the elderly matriarch of the Marquis Residence, felt the affection from Old Madam Yao was especially warm by comparison.
“Call me ‘grandmother,’ let me hear it!” Old Madam Yao said.
Gu Yan muttered hesitantly, just about to call her grandmother, when Gu Jiao, holding Mengmeng’s hand, walked in.
Mengmeng tilted his head to look at the elderly woman on the arhat bed and asked adorably, “Is this Grandmother?”
Old Madam Yao was taken aback.
Yao Yuan bent down and explained in her ear, “The little Monk Mengmeng was adopted by Jiaojiao in the mountains; I mentioned him yesterday.”
Knowing the backgrounds of the two children and Gu Jiao’s situation from her son, Old Madam Yao figured that if this little one was Mengmeng, then the one holding him must be Gu Jiao.
After all, Gu Jiao was Yao Family’s own flesh and blood; Old Madam Yao didn’t dislike her, but she, like the He Family, also looked behind them and asked, “Where is Jin Yu? Why didn’t I see her come?”
“Jin Yu has entered the palace!” the He Family came in with a smile, beaming proudly.
Yao Family said, “She’ll come over after she pays her respects to the Noble Consort.”
Gu Jiao noticed the disappointment in Old Madam Yao’s eyes, but Old Madam Yao didn’t outright neglect Gu Jiao and Mengmeng on the spot, and she kindly glanced at them, “Both are good children, come over!”
Mengmeng led Jiaojiao over with a pitter-patter of footsteps!
Mengmeng called out to his grandmother and even extended his little head, allowing her to touch his smooth scalp.
Gu Jiao did not call out.
Yao Yuan whispered an explanation, “Jiaojiao has just acknowledged her sister and is relatively introverted.”
“It’s okay,” Old Madam Yao said, her smile warm and gentle.
Watching her mother treat everyone equally, Yao Family finally believed what her brother had told her yesterday.
Their mother truly had changed; she would no longer treat her son as a treasure while thinking of a daughter as something to sacrifice for the family’s sake whenever necessary.