......
The closer they got to ho, the more ng Shaoxia's heart swelled with both anticipation and nervousness.
He wondered if his mother and grandmother were well.
They must have missed him terribly.
When they arrived at the ng family ho,
The main gates of the ng Mansion were wide open.
The last ti they had been opened like this was to welco Old General ng ho.
ng Shaoxia expected there would be tears, hugs, head-patting, and thorough inspections.
That had been the routine every ti he returned ho in the past.
Thinking about it now made him a bit embarrassed, considering he was a married man now.
But he was overthinking it.
When he arrived ho, his mother and grandmother were stunned for a mont, seeing how much weight he had gained - he hadn't suffered at all, it seed.
They hurriedly pushed past him to see their daughter-in-law (granddaughter-in-law) and their first and second grandsons.
He was relegated to the role of a re guide.
He watched, quite dramatically, as his mother and grandmother embraced Little Yu'er with tears in their eyes, sobbing.
"Oh, child, you must have suffered so much."
"Let look at you. Oh my, my heart aches for you. It aches so much."
"And these are our grandsons. Oh my, oh my, tsk tsk tsk, oh dear."
They held on tightly, refusing to let go.
ng Shaoxia felt acutely as if he were adopted, completely unrelated to the scene before him.
Watching his mother hold Little Yu'er so tightly, and seeing how naturally Little Yu'er nestled into his mother's embrace, he felt a twinge of loss, but mostly joy.
He knew his mother would love such a straightforward girl as Little Yu'er.
They would surely get along well.
Perhaps too well, as he seed to have been forgotten entirely.
ng Qingshe also eagerly eyed his two grandsons. They had been raised so well - plump and fair, with chubby, dimpled hands. He was delighted and satisfied.
Their looks were also remarkable. Though the eldest grandson had a square face, on a child it looked undeniably handso.
Moreover, the in-laws' family's good looks seed destined to improve the ng family's genetic pool.
He felt the entire ng Mansion looked more attractive because of it.
After much fussing and cooing, they tidied up and went to eat.
During the al, Madam ng and Old Madam ng found themselves increasingly pleased with Jiang Yu.
They had heard rumors comparing her beauty to Daji, and although their son had assured them that Little Yu'er wasn't like that, and that he didn't like such girls anyway, they couldn't help but worry until they saw her in person.
Now that they had t her, they were truly relieved.
She was beautiful yet dignified, with a round face that suggested simplicity. Her words were sweet, direct, and pleasant to hear.
They felt even more sympathetic towards the two children.
The whole household ca alive with activity.
How could Madam ng be ill now? She was the picture of health, full of energy, bustling about.
Having been away from ho for so long, ng Shaoxia felt sowhat out of place.
He found himself thinking that his in-laws' ho felt more comfortable.
The chairs here seed a bit hard.
The chopsticks didn't feel right in his hand.
The bowls were a bit too hot to hold.
There were no spare pajamas or slippers.
The food tasted a bit too greasy.
Before long, he had found fault with a whole list of things.
At first, Madam ng maintained a kind expression, but as she listened to her son's complaints, she felt the urge to skewer him with the family's halberd and toss him out.
How annoying he had beco.
He had clearly been spoiled by his in-laws, developing so many quirks.
He used to be so well-behaved, eating whatever was given to him, but now he had beco picky.
Seeing her mother-in-law scolding her husband, Jiang Yu tugged at her sleeve and said, "Mother, please don't scold him. He probably felt too polite to voice any complaints at my family's ho, so he's only letting it out now that he's back."
Hearing this, Madam ng thought to herself that before seeing her son, she had worried he might have suffered hardships. But now that he was here, he showed no signs of hardship at all. In fact, he seed to have been living quite comfortably, almost forgetting his roots.
"Don't spoil him. Let tell you, n can't be indulged. They need to be kept in check occasionally. Otherwise, they'll get too full of themselves."
Jiang Yu just smiled.
Because her aunt-in-law was tugging at her sleeve from behind.
Having given birth and recovered well, Jiang Yu's smile was radiant. Her white skin seed to glow, and her eyes curved into crescents, making her utterly charming.
Both Old Madam ng and Madam ng were very fond of her.
Moreover, looking at her mother-in-law, Mrs. Jiang, with her round face, she appeared kind and gentle - an excellent woman indeed.
Her father-in-law's looks were perhaps a bit too striking.
Fortunately, their daughter-in-law took after her mother, which was preferable. They were pleased no matter how they looked at her.
Glancing at their daughter-in-law's sister, who resembled her father, they found her beauty almost too much to look at directly. She was certainly more beautiful than that Fairy Liu, hardly seeming human.
Still, they preferred their own daughter-in-law.
The evening banquet was lively, and the food was comforting.
Jiang Changtian carefully observed ng Qingshe. Indeed, as the son-in-law was of good character, so was his father. Like father, like son.
He was very satisfied.
This way, Yu'er should not suffer any mistreatnt.
However, too proper a family could also be problematic. He worried they might be too straightforward and easily taken advantage of.
He felt an inexplicable increase in pressure. Before, he only had to look after his own family.
Now he felt responsible for watching over the entire ng family as well.
Jiang Changtian had always been one to rise to challenges. Pressure motivated him, and he beca even more energetic.
ng Qingshe dined with his in-law.
Seeing his handso features and delicate build, typical of a scholar,
He had heard that from a young age, Jiang Changtian had been mistreated by Old Madam Jiang and falsely accused of being unfilial, struggling to survive.
The first ti Shaoxia t them, they couldn't even afford enough food.
Although their circumstances had improved, watching his in-law's eating habits, ng Qingshe noticed how carefully he ate, wasting nothing. His speech was soft and slow.
ng Qingshe felt that speaking too loudly might startle his in-law.
It pained him to think that such a good person had been forced to beco a rebel.
Fortunately, he had accepted the offer of amnesty. It was said that he was an excellent official, caring deeply for the people. This year, Jingzhou's tax revenue ranked among the top in the country. Even Inspector He, who ca looking for faults, couldn't find any and gave a positive evaluation.
But thinking about it, such a good person in the Capital City would likely be bullied.
Those sly officials in the capital had no shortage of ways to mistreat others.
His in-law had no background to speak of, so in the future, he would have to stand up for himself, with ng Qingshe's protection.
Look at how they had fattened up his son and raised two chubby grandsons. They were truly a family of honest, good people.
He suspected that things had gone so smoothly these past few years partly due to his son's efforts. He had been sowhat useful.
"The official circles in the Capital City are complex. In the future, when you go out, just ntion my na. I'm a military official, and I'm not afraid of their tricks. If anyone bullies you, don't be afraid, don't cower. Our family has connections too."
Jiang Changtian nodded repeatedly at his straightforward father-in-law.
"Thank you, father-in-law. I was worried about being a newcor without support. With your words, I feel at ease now. If anyone bullies , I'll certainly let you know."
ng Qingshe, excited by the food and drink, repeatedly patted his in-law's arm.
However, seeing how thin he was, he patted gently, controlling his strength.
ng Shaoxia ate silently, not joining the conversation. He had already been scolded harshly by his mother for saying a few words earlier. If he spoke again now, his father would likely intervene physically. Better to just eat.
My in-laws' family is truly formidable, what kind of eyes do you all have?
After praising his in-law, ng Qingshe went on to praise Jiang Feng.
Jiang Feng was truly talented and handso, with a smile that hinted at a bit of simplicity - the very picture of a gentle nobleman.
His old ng family's genes just couldn't compare; they were all rough folk.
Hearing that Jiang Feng was still single, ng Qingshe couldn't help but want to introduce him to potential matches. No, he couldn't do it himself - he'd have his wife do it. She knew more young ladies.
Old ng was very happy today. He had held his two grandsons and seen his chubby son. He resolved to be a bit more ambitious in the future. After all, life held promise now. With grandsons, he would need to take better care of his in-laws' family as well.
Mianmian dined with the won.
She t her Elder Sister's mother-in-law and grandmother-in-law. The ng family now had four generations under one roof, which would be rare even in modern tis - truly a blessed family.
Her brother-in-law's mother and grandmother were very nice people. They spoke generously, without any sarcasm, and got along well with her mother.
Qin Luoxia had been worried that the people from the Capital City might look down on country folk, but after eting them, she felt much more at ease.
Indeed, little ng was a good match. She felt a bit guilty towards the in-laws, but now that there were grandsons, there was no returning the goods.
After dinner,
They rested at the ng family ho.
The guest rooms were well-prepared.
Mianmian curiously asked her mother, "Mother, where will we live after this?"
"In our own ho, of course. Your father knows how much you love buying property, so he's already arranged for soone to purchase a house and land for us in the Capital City. Today we're staying with your Elder Sister to et her in-laws. Now that we've t them, we can rest easy. Tomorrow we'll go to our own ho," Qin Luoxia said, her cheeks flushed.
Mianmian was very excited.
Father was amazing.
He had even bought a house in the Capital City.
Co to think of it, there were no purchase restrictions in the Capital City now. With money, you really could buy anything.
Before bed,
In the guest room of her Elder Sister's in-laws' ho, Mianmian opened her diary and made an important entry.
In the 289th Year of Chu Era, during winter, they entered the Capital City. As guests at the ng Family residence, both hosts and visitors were in high spirits. They received welco gifts of a bag of eastern pearls and a bag of precious gems...
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