https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-129-All-of-Jingcheng-Dotes-on-Meng-Xiaojiu/12582596/
Chapter 128: A Mother and Daughter's Heart-to-Heart
Chapter 128: A Mother and Daughter's Heart-to-Heart
Meng Qianqian wore a light blue and white dress with wide sleeves and a tied waist, resembling a clear sky after the rain with its blue skies and white clouds. It was a refreshing and pleasant sight.
As the gentle breeze blew, it lifted her dark, flowing hair, and she sat there quietly, exuding a tranquil aura. No matter how one looked at her, she resembled the pampered daughter of an esteemed family.
Yu's eyes widened in surprise as she recognized Meng Qianqian.
She had known that this daughter would not give up, but she never expected her to show up here.
"Miss Meng! Tell Tan'er to make way for me!" Zhou Nanyin pouted and said.
Meng Qianqian curved her lips slightly, "Tan'er."
Tan'er held out the butterfly she had caught and offered it to Zhou Nanyin, "Here, I'll give this one to you, Young Miss. Sister, do you want one too?"
Meng Qianqian smiled and said, "No, thank you."
Tan'er tightened the net bag around her waist and continued chasing after butterflies.
Yu followed her gaze and spotted the three young maids frolicking in the garden.
This was the residence of the Shangshu, and she couldn't let her maids behave so boisterously in someone else's home. Hadn't the Meng family taught her any manners?
"Madam," the nanny who accompanied her asked, "Why aren't we leaving?"
Yu maintained her composure and said, "I'm feeling a bit dizzy from the carriage ride. I'll rest for a while. You go and find Yu Li first."
"Has the young master already gone in?" The nanny was surprised.
They had agreed that the madam would bring him into the Shangshu residence, but he had gone in without her?
Yu glanced at Meng Qianqian in the pavilion, "He should be here. Go and find him, but be careful not to offend any of the esteemed guests in the residence."
She wasn't sure how Yu Li had entered the Shangshu residence, perhaps the prestige of the Anyuan Hou residence carried more weight than she had imagined.
The nanny went to look for Yu Li, while Yu hesitated for a moment before climbing the steps and entering the pavilion.
There was only a stone table and four stone stools in the pavilion, with several exquisite and delicious-looking pastries on the table. The tea in the teapot was of the finest quality Longjing, which she had sent as a gift before.
Meng Qianqian didn't look at her and continued to watch the three maids playing.
Yu sat down across from Meng Qianqian, inadvertently blocking her view.
Meng Qianqian frowned slightly.
Yu didn't beat around the bush, "Did you come here with Yu Li?"
Meng Qianqian, "En."
Her response confirmed Yu's guess that Yu Li had brought her here, and her reaction also indicated that she was aware of Yu's identity.
Yu said, "If you wanted to see me, we could have met elsewhere. You shouldn't have come here."
Meng Qianqian remained silent.
This was not what Yu had expected. She had assumed that upon seeing her, Meng Qianqian would cry, make a scene, or sharply question her.
Yu thought for a moment and felt that Meng Qianqian was probably sulking, so she said, "Your father had already passed away when I remarried. I didn't do anything wrong by him."
Meng Qianqian still said nothing.
Yu continued, "I don't know what the Meng family has told you, but I'm sure it wasn't anything good. It's understandable if you resent me, but I don't blame you. If you encounter any troubles in the capital in the future, you can come to me, but don't let the Hou residence know about our relationship. It's better this way for both of us."
Meng Qianqian said, "There's no need for that."
Yu thought she had misheard, "What did you say?"
Meng Qianqian looked at her, "I said, there's no need."
Yu's brows furrowed.
Meng Qianqian gave a cold smile, "Are you afraid that I'll create a scene here and embarrass you, so you're saying these things to appease me? You're overthinking it. I've never wanted to acknowledge our relationship, nor will I stick to you like a leech. Rest assured, I won't go looking for you at the Anyuan Hou residence, Madam Anyuan Hou."
After saying this, Meng Qianqian didn't even bother to drink her tea or eat the pastries. She stood up and walked away.
As Meng Qianqian brushed past her, a surge of indescribable emotion welled up within Yu, leaving her at a loss for words.
Yu stood up and watched her retreating figure, "Who are you trying to impress with this attitude?"
Yu asked, "Are you a child of the Meng family? Even if I wanted to take you with me, I would need the Meng family's consent. Do you think they would give you to me? Would they allow me to marry you off to another family, bearing another's surname?"
Meng Qianqian's steps faltered, and she asked, "Then, have you ever asked the Meng family about me?"
Yu was taken aback, her eyelashes trembling as she replied, "Isn't that obvious? Which family would agree to..."
Without a moment's hesitation, Meng Qianqian turned and walked away.
At that moment, Yu's personal nanny climbed the steps and asked, "Madam, Young Master Yu is playing 'throwing arrows into the pot' with several young masters. Is something the matter, Madam?"
Yu turned and wiped away her tears, her expression returning to normal as she said, "Some sand got into my eye, it's nothing. Let's go take a look."
Zhou Nanyin, Tan'er, and Banxia were all sweating from their play.
While Tan'er was full of energy, Banxia was exhausted. Keeping up with Miss Zhou was far more tiring than accompanying her own mistress; it was hard work!
"Miss Meng!"
Upon seeing Meng Qianqian approaching, Zhou Nanyin quickly grabbed onto Meng Qianqian's arm and said, "I don't want to catch butterflies anymore, Miss Meng. Let's go fishing! There's a big pond over there with lots of fish!"
The Zhou family and the Xing family had been long-time friends. As Madam Xing had no daughters, she doted on Zhou Nanyin immensely. The servants in the Xing household didn't address her as 'Miss Zhou', but simply as 'Young Miss'.
Zhou Nanyin felt right at home when she visited the Xing family.
Meng Qianqian smiled and said, "Alright."
Zhou Nanyin linked arms with Meng Qianqian as they walked towards the pond. "Miss Meng, do you know the Lady of Anyuan Hou?"
She had seen the two of them talking in the pavilion earlier.
Meng Qianqian didn't answer directly but asked, "Do you know her?"
"She and Anyuan Hou visited my home some time ago. I caught a glimpse of her from a distance. Her son just achieved the title of 'third-ranked scholar' in the imperial examinations, and he's quite the talk of the town in the capital now."
Meng Qianqian responded impartially, "The 'third-ranked scholar' certainly has the qualifications."
"My father and mother said the same. The Anyuan Hou family used to be quite prestigious, but after the Anyuan Hou was stationed away from the capital for five years, things changed when he returned. Fortunately, his son is capable and has brought some respect back to the Anyuan Hou family."
As Zhou Nanyin spoke, she looked around and lowered her voice. "I also heard that the current Lady of Anyuan Hou is the master's second wife. But she's an excellent stepmother, treating the original wife's two children as her own. Even a birth mother couldn't have done a better job. Everyone speaks highly of her."
Meng Qianqian remained calm and replied, "I see."
Suddenly, Zhou Nanyin exclaimed, "Oh, Miss Meng, I remember you're from Youzhou. I think she's from Youzhou too. You two aren't really acquainted, are you?"
"Just fellow townsfolk, we chatted for a bit, but we're not close," Meng Qianqian replied.
On the grass field, Yu Li was having a great time playing with several young masters.
Initially, Yu Li had been nervous.
He had interacted with the sons of officials in Youzhou, but the experience hadn't been pleasant. Their words carried an air of superiority, and trying to befriend them would only result in being seen as a sycophant.
Perhaps not everyone was like that, but unfortunately, the few he had met were.
Yu Li had expected the sons of officials in the capital to be even more challenging to get along with, but surprisingly, they were all straightforward, humble, and didn't put on any airs.
Through them, Yu Li felt the depth and refinement that came with being born into a prestigious family.
However, there was indeed one unruly young man who had consistently given him cold looks. His name was... Han Lin.
"Come with me."
Zhou Ye pulled Han Lin to the side.
"What are you doing?" Han Lin asked, shaking off his arm.
Zhou Ye pointed to Yu Li and asked, "Do you know who his cousin is?"
Han Lin scoffed, "Who?"
"Meng Xiaojiu," Zhou Ye replied.
Han Lin: "......!!!"
As Yu Li wondered if he had done something wrong, Han Lin approached him.
Han Lin bowed to Yu Li, his expression solemn as he said, "Yu Li, please accept me as your younger brother!"
Yu Li: "......"
Meng Qianqian: I'm here to expand my network.
Everyone else: Are you sure you're not the network yourself?
(End of Chapter)
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