Chapter 169 – Guessing
The old lady greeted Jiang Yishi to sit next to her, took her hand and praised Jiang Xun, saying that he was skilled in martial arts at such a young age, and that he had saved a nobleman with a single strike. She also told Jiang Yishi to be filial to the elders in her in-laws’ home and to serve her husband well. ……
Jiang Yishi patiently with Jiang family members to catch up on a few words, here to eat a meal, accompanied by a period of Jiang Xun, with Jiang Yirou said a few words in whispers, before and Meng Ruimo farewell back to the Meng House.
As soon as Jiang Yirou left, Sister Qin instructed Cai’er to take good care of the second master, she had urgent business to go to Huzhuang, and rushed back tomorrow.
In the morning, Mrs. Zheng’s mother and son came to visit Jiang Xun, and Mrs. Zheng went directly to Ruyi Hall to thank the elders. The old lady asked someone to call Sister Qin to Ruyi Hall to answer Jiang Xun’s current situation.
Mrs. Zheng was very concerned about Jiang Xun and asked about his condition, and her subordinates presented him with a gift list.
The old lady was very happy to see that Mrs. Zheng had a very good impression of both Jiang Xun’s siblings. She also talked about how her son had bravely saved Meng Shizi, and how her daughter-in-law Hu was beautiful and virtuous, but unfortunately died early.
The Hu surname is rare, Mrs. Zheng heard and laughed, “When I was young, I knew a sister with the Hu surname, I don’t know what is the name of the second Mrs. Jiang’s daughter-in-law.”
The old lady laughed and said, “The second daughter-in-law’s maiden name is Hu Mingya. Ouch, that’s a good kid, good looks, and virtuous and polite, I love her the most among several daughters-in-law. Shiyatou looks just like her mother and looks like …… her mother.”
Only Sister Qin, who stood behind the people and paid attention to Mrs. Zheng, noticed that her face stiffened for a split second.
Mrs. Zheng regretfully said, “Oh, it’s not the sister with the surname Hu that I know.”
She also asked about Jiang Yishi and Jiang Xun’s birthdays.
The old lady thought that Mrs. Zheng was going to give her second grandson a marriage proposal, and smiled again and said what year and month their siblings were born in.
Mrs. Zheng seemed relieved and laughed, “Jiang Er Gongzi is two months younger than my Jing’er.”
After a few more jokes, Mrs. Zheng got up to take her leave on the grounds that she was not feeling well.
Sister Qin’s heart chilled, feeling that Madam Zheng must have guessed that Second Lady Jiang was Hu Mingya, whom Zheng Ji adored. Although Jiang Yishi’s looks were slightly similar to Zheng Ji’s, her birth date got rid of the suspicion that she was Zheng Ji’s blood. Only, could it make Mrs. Zheng completely drop her suspicions?
Sister Qin was so apprehensive that she had to go to Huzhuang to ask for Wu Dabo’s ideas.
At night, Jiang Yixi took advantage of Meng Zhimo bathing in the purification room to hide in the bedroom and take out a small copper cylinder. Using a toothpick, she dipped it in the water from her tears, then stirred the toothpick in a cup of water, and so on three times.
After locking the small copper cylinder, he put the lid on the tea bowl containing fresh water and hid it in the drawer under the bed.
At the beginning of the next day’s Yin hour, when Meng Ruimo was still sleeping, she gently got up and took the tea bowl to the small kitchen.
Meng Ruimo was awakened, “So early, what are you doing?”
Jiang Yixi laughed softly, “I’m going to make Xun’er a medicinal meal that’s good for trauma, you drink some too. It’s still early, you can rest again.”
The night was in full swing, with the stars in the sky baking the half-round bright moon. The morning breeze at the end of summer had already gotten a little cooler, blowing very pleasantly on people.
Jiang Yishi and Grandma Wu went to the small kitchen in the backyard together, and the roughneck Grandma Mo had already fired up the stove. They made soup and steamed a pot of yam cakes.
When they were done, Jiang Yishi scooped up two bowls of soup and took six pieces of yam cakes to the upper room.
The maid had already gone to the kitchen to bring back the breakfast, and the plates and bowls were placed on half the bed table.
Jiang Yishi and Meng Zhimo sat down in front of the table to eat their breakfast. Jiang Yishi drank a small bowl of soup and ate a piece of yam cake and an egg. Meng Zimo finished a big bowl of soup and ate all five yam cakes.
He laughed and said, “Shishi’s hands are skillful, the soup and snacks are much more delicious than the cook’s.”
Sending Meng Zhimo away, Jiang Yishi went back to bed to rest until the beginning of the hour, and had Shui Ling send the soup and dim sum to the second gate to Wu Yougui, who sent it to the Jiang Mansion for Jiang Xun.
He also left two bowls of soup and five pieces of snacks for Hua Hua to eat a piece, Jiang Yishi went to Fu An Hall with the maid who carried the food box.
The old couple had just started eating breakfast. They drank the soup and ate another piece of yam cake each, leaving two pieces for An Ge’er and Huang Xin.
The old lady laughed, “Resignation Mo’s daughter-in-law is skillful with her hands, the soup and snacks are much tastier than the cook’s.”
The old master smugly said, “Before I said you didn’t believe me, now you do?”
The old lady nodded and glanced at Jiang Yishi’s stomach.
Now she especially cherished her eldest grandson, who was twenty-two years old and still hadn’t become a father, and was anxious.
After asking for peace, Jiang Yishi returned to the Floating Life Residence soon after, the old master led Huang Xin to come. An Ge’er had been standing in front of the gate of his house to watch, and when he saw that his great-grandfather and his little cousin had gone to the Fusheng Residence, he also ran here.
The old master was tending to the flowers and plants in the brocade garden, while Jiang Yishi brought the two children to play with Hua Hua and Jojo under the veranda.
The fact that the Elder was so close to Meng Zhimo and Jiang Yishi made some people in the Meng Mansion very jealous. Not long after, Meng Hua, Meng Lan, and Meng Frost also came.
The three girls had accompanied the old master in tending to the flowers and plants for a little more than half a quarter of an hour, and then they were sunburned by the flaming red sun and ran to play on the porch.
At the beginning of lunchtime, after sending those people away, the outer courtyard gateman came to report that Wu Dabo from Huzhuang had sent tomatoes.
Jiang Yishi smiled and said, “Let him in.”
She also asked someone to take money to the big kitchen, so that they could fry a few more dishes for drinking, so that Wu Dabo and Wu Yougui could drink in the guest room of the outer courtyard, and return to their own home in the back street in the morning.
There are many small courtyards in the backstreet of the Duke of Chengdu’s residence, where the subordinates of the Duke’s residence live. There were also quite a few wealthy underlings in the Duke’s Mansion who wouldn’t live there, but instead disposed of their properties on their own in another place.
Jiang Yishi asked for a small courtyard for them in the back street, usually Wu You Gui lived there, Sister Wu occasionally went back to live there, and Great Uncle Wu would also stay there for a night when he returned to the capital.
A few of Meng Zhimo’s soldiers had followed their master to war, and because they had rewards and rewards, they had quite a bit of money to spare, and they had all bought mansions elsewhere. Meng Lianshan bought a small courtyard that was already packed and ready to welcome Shui Xiang into the family.
Shui Xiang is very useful and not very old, according to Jiang Yishi’s intention to stay for two more years. But Meng Lianshan is not young, already twenty-one years old. Jiang Yishi is not good to delay them, scheduled to marry next September.
Linxiang seventeen years old, also by Meng Ruimo, gave her and Meng Qingshan betrothed, scheduled to marry in August of the year after next.
Wu Dabo came in with two large baskets, one filled with half a basket of tomatoes, and one filled with young corn.
Jiang Yishi smiled and said, “Uncle Wu has worked hard.”
She invited him to sit down and asked the maid to pour some herbal tea.
Uncle Wu sat on the brocade stool and drank a cup of tea in one gulp, and after saying a few words about the manor, he looked around, wanting to speak.
Shui Xiang and Shui Ling both consciously retreated, only Sister Wu did not.
Wu Dabo said impatiently, ”You old bitch, you don’t have any eyesight at all. I’m going to report important matters to auntie, what are you poking around for?”
Sister Wu’s face reddened with anger. She felt that her relationship with her aunt was much closer than a man’s relationship with a girl, and he had to go behind her back. Angry as she was, she still retreated.