Song Ci was wearing a suit of ’sport casual wear’ in moon-white color, stretching her old arms and legs in the courtyard like usual.
If it weren’t for her being really old, with stiff bones and a frail body, she would have directly practiced yoga instead of just doing Tai Chi .
No choice, old bones; she had to take it easy. If she overdid it, the crisp snap of bones breaking and lying bedridden would be worse than death.
"Madam, the third lady and the children have come to pay their respects," Nanny said softly, standing with her hands down.
Song Ci’s movement of stirring the yin and yang eight trigram wheel paused slightly. Without turning her head, she said, "Didn’t I tell them to rest and not to come for greetings?"
Nanny said, "You’re considerate, but as a daughter-in-law, she wouldn’t dare to take it seriously."
Song Ci sighed helplessly, "What can I say, when you speak the truth, no one believes it. When you lie, they take it as gospel."
"So, should madam see them or not?"
"Let them come over."
Nanny looked at the little maid, who retreated, and not long after, Madam Lu came with the two children.
However, upon seeing the scene before her, she was a bit dazed.
What was Song Ci wearing? It wasn’t much different from underwear, yet she was moving around the courtyard, and what on earth were those movements?
Oh, right, they heard that after Song Ci fell ill and woke up, she frequently exercised. Is this what her workout looks like?
Madam Lu watched Song Ci slowly using leverage with little weight and didn’t dare to speculate, just curtsied, "Daughter-in-law pays respects to mother."
"Grandchildren pay respects to the ancestor."
Song Ci finally stopped, took the warm towel Hong Zao handed over to wipe the slight sweat on her forehead, and said, "I told you you’re just back; get familiar with the residence first, no rush to pay respects, why still came?"
"Serving mother is the duty of a daughter-in-law..."
"Enough, when I need you to serve me, I’ll let someone inform you. You just take care of the children. I said there’s no need to come for respects, it’s not to fool you or dig a pit for you. The children are still young and have had a long journey. Getting up this early, how can their bodies handle it?" Song Ci looked at the little chubby boy who kept yawning, feeling sleepy just for him, and said, "Let them go back and take a nap. Paying respects is just formal."
Her words made Madam Lu’s face heat up, and she mumbled, "Daughter-in-law is flustered."
Seeing her uneasy look, Song Ci suddenly felt lucky she was the eldest and didn’t have a mother-in-law to weigh on her. Otherwise, even casual remarks would be a challenge.
Was she really that scary?
Song Ci beckoned to the round little chubby boy, "Little chubby, come over here."
Song Lingzhou ran over and looked up.
Song Ci pinched the small knot of hair on his head and coaxed him with a smile, "You don’t have to get up so early to pay respects to Grandma. Children who don’t get enough sleep won’t grow tall. You promised Grandma to be the tall and handsome guy like a bamboo, right? So you can’t be short."
Song Lingzhou replied in his childish voice, "But Grandma, filial piety is the foremost of all virtues. Paying respects to Grandma morning and evening is filial, it’s a matter of course."
"Filial piety is not on the surface, it’s in the actions. Would just greeting Grandma really make her live a long life? Of course not." Song Ci touched his forehead and said, "Filial piety must come from genuine respect and gratitude, it’s about understanding and tolerating them, not blaming or criticizing them, starting from actual actions. That is true filial piety."