Chapter 150: Staying Overnight
Noon.
Meng Qingshe gripped his silver spear, dancing it in a dazzling display.
On the training ground, it was as if silver frost had fallen, with leaves scattering everywhere.
He heard that his wife was looking for him.
He pretended to be very busy.
Recently, his wife’s mood had been a bit unstable, and he didn’t dare to cross her.
He could only exert himself on the training ground in the sweltering heat.
Sure enough, by the time Meng Qingshe finished practicing with his spear, washed up, changed his clothes, and returned, not only was his wife there, but his mother was also present.
He couldn’t even handle one woman, let alone two; it was terrifying.
Meng Qingshe almost wanted to kneel; he didn’t know what these two women were doing together.
It could only be to scold their husbands—either scolding him or scolding his father.
Perhaps because they had lived together for so long, the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law even looked somewhat alike.
Both had deeper nasolabial folds on the right side of their faces than on the left.
His wife was practically a younger version of his mother.
Fierce as could be.
Sigh, who introduced her in the first place, saying that the Zeng family’s daughter was quiet and gentle, the very best of gentle.
He had only taken one look and thought she was pretty and gentle.
Only after marrying her did he realize he had been deceived.
It was his own stupidity; his father-in-law’s entire family worked in criminal investigations, dealing with various criminals every day—how could she be virtuous and gentle?
She was, however, very skilled at beating him.
“With so many noble daughters in the capital, why on earth did you have to marry a Jiang Family girl?”
“Marry her if you must, but to stay at her home for three years—what a joke. Is my son unable to afford a house?”
“Exactly. Has the old man been blown silly by the northwest wind at the border, to actually write a marriage proposal himself?”
“My son, my poor son. Three years—he definitely won’t be used to it.”
Meng Qingshe wanted to reply, ‘You used to throw Shaoxia into the army for training, for far longer than three years. You spent your days happily shopping and didn’t pity your son then.’
But he couldn’t say such things; if he did, his wife would explode.
He could only chime in, “It’s true, Father decided it, and I couldn’t oppose it. Father has always been far-sighted; perhaps he sensed the atmosphere in the capital was wrong and let Shaoxia avoid it. If you don’t trust me, surely you trust Father?”
Successfully shifting the conflict, seeing his wife and mother complaining about his father together, Meng Qingshe wiped the cold sweat from his forehead. Forget it, better go back to practicing with the spear.
As he left, he heard his mother still muttering behind him, “That old fool, my precious grandson, when will I ever be able to hold a great-grandson!”
Meng Qingshe moved like a snake, slipping away rapidly.
At the same time, he felt a bit envious of his son, being able to leave home for three years. With such a fierce tigress at home, fleeing abroad to avoid disaster—how happy that must be.
Meng Shaoxia was currently looking at Heir Han’s face, silently evaluating whether, if he were to strike, Heir Han’s face would swell up like that.
After evaluating, he realized that if he were to strike, he might not be able to do it.
To swell up like that, the force was extraordinary, and one still had to control it to just hit the face without knocking the brains out—that level of control was also extraordinary.
Meng Shaoxia silently recalled whether he had done anything inappropriate in front of his mother-in-law.
Probably not.
He turned to look at Little Yu, who was eating snacks.
Little Yu gave him a sweet smile.
It smiled right into his heart.
Fortunately, Little Yu was nothing like her mother; she was gentle and obedient, and didn’t look very strong either.
However, this Heir Han was truly courting death.
He actually said he wanted to stay overnight because his face was swollen and he felt dizzy.
Meng Shaoxia thought to himself, he hadn’t even stayed overnight yet.
What are you, anyway?
Heir Han had just finished speaking.
Outside, thunder flashed and lightning rumbled, dark clouds gathered, and it grew dark.
It happened to start raining.
Guests are kept on rainy days.
Thus, Eunuch Duan and Meng Shaoxia were also able to stay overnight.
Meng Shaoxia was a bit flustered; he hadn’t brought a change of clothes, and he didn’t know what Little Yu looked like after washing up at night, or what clothes she wore.
Thinking about it made him blush.
Eunuch Duan, on the other hand, was shocked by the food at the Jiang Family.
He had been eating, drinking, and having fun along the way—the focus being on eating and drinking—and since it was a rare trip out, he was determined to taste all the delicacies along the way.
Eunuch Duan’s tongue was exceptionally sensitive; it was thanks to this sensitive tongue that he had gained a foothold in the palace. He often tasted food for the nobles, and could distinguish the raw ingredients after just one bite.
Once, he had even saved a noble lady’s life with this skill.
He had not expected that the most delicious food along the way would actually be at Commander Jiang’s house in Kaner Village.
There were so many foods he had never even seen before.
Let alone tasted.
It looked like a lump of something, but when doused with hot water, it would bloom, layer upon layer, and when tasted, the flavor was exceptionally rich, fresh, and sweet.
One bite and the aftertaste would last the whole day.
It was said that this was all the handiwork of The Eldest Miss of the Jiang Family.
With this skill, Eunuch Duan understood Young General Meng’s choice to some extent.
Marry this girl, and there would be no worries about food and drink in the future.
Heir Han had too much on his mind to appreciate the food.
Having been slapped in the face, his head ached, yet it gave him an excuse to stay.
Meng Shaoxia was currently looking at Heir Han’s face, thinking Heir Han was truly brave.
However, he soon had no mind to pay attention to Heir Han.
When he first arrived at the Jiang Family, he hadn’t found any place to stay.
There were only three thatched cottages in total.
Jiang Yu and her brother shared a room, separated by a curtain, and the room was plain to see at a glance.
Now, Jiang Yu had her own separate boudoir.
There was also a guest bedroom.
Heir Han, Eunuch Duan, and Meng Shaoxia each had a guest room.
They weren’t big, but the structure of the rooms was very good—a sleeping area with a small hall and a small room for using the toilet, with simple and cozy furnishings.
The bed was very clean, with a straw-woven mat that was just the right firmness, and a quilt with a cotton cover in a hemp-white color.
The sleeping area was just a bed, with a stone stool at the head of the bed; the surface of the stone stool was flat and held a water cup. Beside it was a small table and chair facing a wooden window, and on the table was actually a hand-copied book about local customs.
The small room for the toilet also had a small, high wooden window, and inside was a chamber pot. There was a cloth towel hanging on the wall, and a pipe led in; there was a latch on the pipe, and when flipped open, water actually flowed in.
One could wash up in the small toilet room.
Outside was the small hall.
The small hall had cushions, a table, and a daybed. The daybed could accommodate one person lying horizontally or several people sitting, and the small hall could accommodate several people sitting, talking, and eating.
This room for staying overnight was like a self-contained unit, very convenient.
Meng Shaoxia couldn’t help but go see where the guards were staying.
The guards’ room was larger, with many beds inside, stacked in two layers. There was no hall, but they shared a common toilet area, with separate areas for washing up.
There were many guards, so they could wash up and use the toilet separately.
On the walls of the room were many cotton and hemp bags; opening the bags revealed clean towels that could be used.
Eunuch Duan, a man without roots, found it less convenient than others when traveling, going to the toilet, bathing, and so on.
He hadn’t expected that while the Jiang Family looked rough, the inside was so meticulous.
He could complete his toilet, bathing, and washing all within the room, and there were snacks and fruits prepared on the small hall table, making it convenient to grab something when hungry.
The room as a whole was not big, but it was arranged in a cozy and comfortable way.
The mattress was quite firm, but it was very comfortable for his old back to lie flat.
Meng Shaoxia also felt it was very appropriate.
If he lived here later, there would be no need to build him a new house; this guest room was quite good. He didn’t have high requirements for these things anyway, and this already exceeded his expectations.
Yet it didn’t make him feel it was luxurious or wasteful; every bit of it was useful and good.
These details allowed Meng Shaoxia to see another side of the Jiang Family.
He had some vague thoughts in his heart, but they weren’t clear yet.
Heir Han had initially wanted to stay overnight to take the opportunity to cause trouble; his hobbies were a bit perversely dangerous, and he liked being in people’s homes, finding it thrilling and exciting.
However, after being sent to the room for a nap, he actually fell asleep. His face was smeared with medicine—not bear dung or cow dung, he suspected Jiang the Second was bluffing him—and he had naturally brought good wound medicine with him when traveling, so he fell asleep while applying it.
The guard on duty in the hall leaned on the soft couch. There were snacks and fruits on the table; they wouldn’t touch the snacks and fruits, but they could take a sip from the bamboo water cup.
This Jiang Family was so thoughtful, considering not only the comfort of the masters but also the servants.
After settling the guests for their nap.
Qin Luoxia and Commander Jiang, the couple, looked at the little girl in their arms who had cried and fallen asleep, and carried her back to their room.
Qin Luoxia also went to find the Ant, bringing the Ant back; fortunately, it wasn’t broken, and she put it back in the child’s pocket.
Jiang Mianmian felt the familiar environment, turned over, and slept soundly.
Qin Luoxia and Jiang Changtian looked at Mianmian, her eyes closed, long eyelashes, skin white as snow.
So small, yet when asleep, she had a natural sense of cold, high-class beauty.
It was as if she were a naturally noble person.
Qin Luoxia also found it strange—was this really born from her?
Jiang Changtian looked at the little girl; he knew his own appearance was good, but it certainly wasn’t as good as his daughter’s.
For a girl to grow up like this in these chaotic times, to live well and live willfully, he had to be sufficiently hardworking.
Just like how Heir Han could be so willful—wasn’t it because his uncle was the Emperor?
Otherwise, based on his actions, dying a hundred times wouldn’t be enough.
Noticing Mianmian’s hand was clenched in a fist, Jiang Changtian gently pried it open and found a piece of jade inside.
He couldn’t help but chuckle.
So good at guarding money.
Qin Luoxia also laughed: “There is still a part of her that is like me.”
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