Chapter 249: Is She Coming Back?
Datou was instantly stunned by Wen Yao’s question.
In truth, now that a year had passed, Datou’s impression of Lady Liu had already become very blurry. His memory was filled with Wen Xiuyi’s figure—carrying him on his back, teaching him how to write, cooking for him, washing his clothes, and holding his hand as they walked along the road.
Case after case, item after item, everything was deeply engraved in Datou’s mind. The memories Lady Liu left in his brain, however, only lingered on her sitting by the bedside every day in deep melancholy, looking at him with an expression that held something inexplicable. Only now did Datou understand what that look meant.
Contained within it were guilt, disdain, and helplessness.
So, was his mother coming back?
After a brief daze, Datou quickly calmed down and asked, “Is she coming back?”
Wen Yao let out an en. “But she’s not returning to our home. She’s coming back with her current husband. Um, coming back to sweep the graves for your maternal grandfather’s side.” In reality, it was to take you away.
Datou fell into silence, and Wen Xiuyi’s heart leaped into his throat along with it. However, he still did not wish to force the child. He could only try his best to make his voice sound calm and just like their usual conversations, saying, “Tou’er, Dad won’t force you, okay? That is your mother after all. If you have any thoughts, you must tell us. Our family will discuss it properly together, alright?”
Datou looked toward Wen Xiuyi, and only after a moment did he ask, “Dad, do you want me to go with my mother?”
Wen Xiuyi could no longer hold it together. The eyes of this grown man turned entirely red, and he choked out, “Of course I don’t want to! But that is your mother after all.”
Who would have thought that while he was feeling incredibly grieved here, Datou directly leaped down from the stool. “Since you don’t want to, then isn’t that enough? And here I thought something major happened to call me over. I need to hurry back and practice martial arts with Master; I can’t let Jin Xiuyi and Xie Anyi surpass me. I’m leaving, Dad, Big Brother, Sister!”
After speaking, Datou ran outside.
Looking at his figure that disappeared in a flash, Wen Xiuyi murmured to his daughter and eldest son, “What—what does he mean by this?”
Wen Yao even felt a bit like laughing. They had been worried to death here, yet who knew that Datou, the person directly involved, didn’t take this matter seriously at all?
“He said he’s not going with that mother of ours. Dad, you can finally set your heart at rest now.”
Wen Xiuyi still found it somewhat hard to believe. “Really?”
“Really, really. Just put a hundred hearts at ease. Soldiers will be blocked by generals, and water will be covered by earth. Can she possibly snatch him away by force? That also depends on whether she can successfully snatch him away. During this period, Big Brother, it will be hard on you to drop off and pick up Datou every day. Together with Big Brother Xun Feng, everything should be fine,” Wen Yao said.
Even if Lady Liu and Meng De truly wanted to get a son back, they wouldn’t go so far as to openly kidnap him, right?
However, just in case, it was still better to make more preparations. Wen Yao made up her mind; she must definitely cook a few more delicious meals for Big Brother Xun Feng.
Sigh, it was a pity their family only had Xun Feng alone who knew martial arts. How wonderful it would be if they had a few more.
Thinking up to this point, Wen Yao looked at Wen Xiuyi and suddenly asked, “Dad, now that you’ve become an official, does that mean our family can also look for guards or something?” They couldn’t always trouble Xun Feng; he was a guest after all, and he would still have to return to the capital to Li Yi’s side in the future.
Wen Xiuyi was currently a person with an official status after all. It was just that he didn’t have a fixed office space, nor did he need to go to work and clock in. It was so comfortable and cozy that they had almost forgotten this person was an official now.
Wen Xiuyi didn’t understand the system for ancient officials either. “I don’t know either. How about you ask Nanny Du and Xun Feng?”
Wen Yao: “Fine, I’ll go ask.”
Since the problem regarding Datou that had plagued the three of them was already resolved, there was no need for them to borrow trouble. In any case, this boy Datou was incredibly clever and certainly had his own calculations in mind.
Who would have thought that when Wen Yao asked Xun Feng, she would be laughed at by Xun Feng for quite a while?
“Miss Yao’er, these guards can be employed even if Official Wen isn’t an official! It’s just that since Official Wen holds an official status, he can look for people just like me, who can openly carry weapons.” Xun Feng even patted the long sword at his waist with an air of pride.
“Then where do we look?” Wen Yao pressed.
Xun Feng tilted his chin toward the pigeon cage under the corridor. “Look for my family’s Heir of Prince Fu! Let him get it sorted out for you.”
Wen Yao stroked her chin. “This… wouldn’t be very good, right?” You really don’t spare your master any worry at all.
Xun Feng, however, continued unbothered, “What’s bad about it? Official Wen was recommended by my family’s Prince. Having the Prince ask for two more people to protect Official Wen isn’t any difficult matter either. Just mention it, and my family’s Heir of Prince Fu will definitely be able to solve it for you.”
Wen Yao: “…” I really thank you on behalf of your Heir of Prince Fu.
However, Wen Yao ultimately still wrote a letter to Li Yi. Only after checking repeatedly to ensure her tone was extremely polite, extremely well-mannered, and possessed exactly the kind of attitude for begging someone to do a favor did she release the carrier pigeon.
It was just unknown whether Li Yi would feel they were pushing their luck too much upon receiving this letter.
Ah, whatever. If it really didn’t work out, she would just make more delicious food for Xun Feng to deliver over.
Having looked on the bright side, Wen Yao went to rest in high spirits.
And Wen Xiuyi, who had also looked on the bright side, threw himself back into his work. Now he didn’t even need Magistrate Chen to send people to call him; he arranged his work all by himself. Today he would wander off to this village, and tomorrow he would wander off to that village, sometimes not even returning for the entire day.
When Lady Liu’s horse carriage ground to a halt at the entrance of Gutong Village, it happened to be the time when the villagers were returning from rising early to weed and loosen the soil in the fields.
Regarding a horse carriage stopping at the village entrance, everyone had long since ceased to find it strange. They merely cast two strange glances before going about their own business. They had even met a Prince; this horse carriage looked just so-so, so who knew whose family it belonged to? Could any family be grander than a Prince?
The people on the carriage had also not anticipated that these villagers would have such a reaction. Logically speaking, since they came from the capital, shouldn’t the people of such a small place feel curious, worshipful, and envious upon seeing their carriage?
Accompanying Lady Liu were a nanny and a maidservant. When that nanny witnessed this, she noted that these villagers didn’t look like they had never seen the world as the Madam had claimed either.
Lady Liu had also not expected it. A woman in her thirties was precisely in the prime of her years. Originally at the Wen residence, Old Madam Luo had never mistreated her either; the coarse and heavy work at home was all done by the other two daughters-in-law, while she stayed in her room all day reading and embroidering, so she was naturally well-nourished.
Coupled with the fact that she had followed Meng De to the capital for so long, she had also been nurtured to look even younger, possessing quite a bit of charm.
Her brows furrowed slightly as she said, “Go straight to the Wen residence.”
The nanny responded with a yes, letting the coachman follow the path Lady Liu described to head toward the Wen residence.
Yet when they arrived at the entrance of the old residence, they only saw the main doors wide open, with a sign hanging on the door: The Wen Family Great Soybean Paste Workshop.
The nanny blanked out for a moment. “Madam, this?” Was this truly the Madam’s original husband’s family? How was it a workshop? Hadn’t the Madam said it was a family of farmers?
