Chapter 248: I Want to Get Ahead
The closer he got to home, the fuller Meng Shaoxia’s heart felt, yet he was also more anxious.
He wondered if Mother and Grandmother were doing well. They must have missed him dearly.
Upon arriving at the Meng Family home, the gates of the Meng Mansion were wide open.
The last time they had been opened like this was to welcome Old General Meng back home.
Meng Shaoxia had expected tears, hugs, head pats, and a thorough inspection from head to toe. That had been the standard treatment every time he returned home in the past.
Thinking back on it, he felt a bit embarrassed; after all, he was a married man now.
As it turned out, he had overthought it.
When he arrived home, Mother and Grandmother were taken aback for a moment—he had gained so much weight, not having suffered or thinned out at all.
They hurriedly pushed him aside to go see their daughter-in-law (granddaughter-in-law) and the two grandsons.
At best, he was just there to lead the way.
He watched in disbelief as Mother and Grandmother held Jiang Yu, eyes brimming with tears, sobbing.
“Child, you have suffered.”
“Let Mother look at you. Oh my, my heart aches, it aches so much.”
“And these two are our grandsons. Oh my, tsk tsk tsk, oh my.”
They held onto them over there, refusing to let go.
Meng Shaoxia felt deeply that he was like someone picked up off the street, as if he had absolutely nothing to do with them.
Watching Mother hold onto Jiang Yu without letting go, and seeing Jiang Yu naturally lean into Mother’s embrace, he felt a tiny bit of disappointment, but even more joy.
He just knew that Mother would like a straightforward girl like Jiang Yu. They would surely get along well.
It was just that they were getting along too well, and he was being forgotten. Meng Qingshe also looked greedily at his two grandsons; they were raised so well, fair and chubby, fleshy, with arms like lotus roots. He was happy and satisfied.
Their looks were also incredible. Although the eldest grandson also had a square face, it looked so good on a child’s face, no matter how one looked at it. Moreover, the looks of the in-laws’ family were simply there to save their family’s gene pool.
He felt the Meng Mansion even looked a bit better.
After much fussing and clinging, they were told to tidy up and go eat.
During the meal, Madam Meng and Old Madam Meng looked at Jiang Yu with increasing satisfaction.
They had actually heard the rumors about her being as beautiful as Daji. Although their son had assured them that Jiang Yu was not like that, and they felt their son would not like that kind of girl, they had not seen her for themselves yet.
Now that they saw her in person, they truly breathed a sigh of relief.
She was beautiful yet dignified, with a round face that made her look guileless. She was sweet-talked, and her way of speaking was direct yet pleasant. They felt even more heartache for the two children.
The whole house became lively. Madam Meng was no longer sick at all; she was incredibly healthy, full of energy, running up and down.
Having not been home for so long, Meng Shaoxia felt a bit like a stranger in his own house.
It did not feel as comfortable as his Father-in-law’s home.
The chairs were a bit hard. The chopsticks were not easy to use. The bowls were a bit hot to hold. There were no pajamas or slippers to change into at home. The food seemed a bit greasy. In no time, he had found a bunch of things to complain about.
At first, Madam Meng was kind and gentle, but hearing her son complain about this and that, she wished she could take the halberd in the house and fork her son out. Why was he so annoying?
He had been spoiled by the in-laws, that is why he had so many bad habits. He used to be very obedient, eating whatever was given to him, but now he was picky.
Seeing her Mother-in-law scolding her husband, Jiang Yu tugged at her Mother-in-law’s arm and said, “Mother, please don’t scold my husband. He probably felt embarrassed to lose his temper at my parents’ house, which is why he’s being so picky as soon as he got back.”
Hearing this, Madam Meng was truly speechless. Before meeting her son, she had been worried that he was being wronged, but after meeting him, he did not look like someone who had been wronged at all; his life was so comfortable he had forgotten his own home.
“Don’t spoil him. Let me tell you, men cannot be spoiled; they need to be kept in check occasionally. Otherwise, they will get too big for their boots.”
Jiang Yu just smiled, because Great-Aunt was tugging at her sleeve from behind.
Having recovered well after giving birth, Jiang Yu looked radiant when she smiled, her skin glowing, her eyes curved—she was so likable.
Old Madam Meng and Madam Meng liked her very much. Moreover, looking at the Mother-in-law, Madam Jiang, she also had a round face and looked kind and gentle—a truly excellent woman.
The Father-in-law’s appearance was a bit too striking. Fortunately, their daughter-in-law took after her Mother, which was good; they were satisfied no matter how they looked at her.
Looking at their daughter-in-law’s younger sister, she looked just like the Father-in-law. One dared not look too much at that appearance; regardless, she was much better looking than that Fairy Liu, not like a mortal. Their own daughter-in-law was still the best.
The dinner party was lively, and the meal was warm and intimate. Jiang Changtian carefully observed Meng Qingshe. Sure enough, his son-in-law had good character, and his Father was also of good character—the son resembled the Father. He was very satisfied. This way, Jiang Yu should not be wronged.
However, a family that was too upright also had its problems; he worried they were too straightforward and easily bullied. He inexplicably felt more pressure; in the past, he only needed to take care of his own family, but now it felt like he had to look after the entire Meng Family as well.
Jiang Changtian had always been someone who rose to the occasion; pressure gave him motivation, and he became even more active.
Meng Qingshe ate with his in-law. He saw that he was handsome and slender, the typical look of a scholar.
It was said that he had been abused by Old Madam Jiang since he was a child, falsely accused of being unfilial and brotherly, and had struggled to survive. When Shaoxia first met them, they could not even get enough to eat.
Although their circumstances were better now, seeing the details of how his in-law ate—very carefully, not wasting a bit—and spoke in a gentle, slow manner, Meng Qingshe felt that if he spoke a bit too loudly, he would scare his in-law.
That such a good person was forced to become one of the Rebels, it made his heart ache just thinking about it.
Fortunately, he had accepted the amnesty. It was said he was an excellent official, concerned for the people. The tax revenue for the entire city of Jingzhou was among the top in the country this year. Even someone like Censor He could not find any fault and even gave him a good review.
But thinking about it, such a good person would surely be bullied in the capital. The slippery officials in the capital had countless ways to bully people. His in-law had no background, so in the future, he would have to stand tall and protect him.
Look at them; they had raised his son to be so chubby and had also raised two big, chubby grandsons. They were truly a family of honest, good people. He reckoned that the reason things had gone so smoothly these past few years was because his own son had contributed, at least a little bit, and was somewhat useful.
“The officialdom in the capital is complex. In the future, when you go out, just use my name. I am a military official and do not fear their tricks. Whenever anyone bullies you, you do not need to be afraid or timid; our family has connections too.”
Jiang Changtian looked at the straightforward Meng Father and nodded repeatedly. “Thank you, in-law. I was worried about being a newcomer with no support. With your words, I can rest easy. If anyone bullies me, I will definitely tell you.”
Meng Qingshe was excited while eating and drinking, repeatedly patting his in-law’s arm. But seeing how thin he was, he patted him lightly, controlling his strength.
Meng Shaoxia ate and drank in silence, not speaking. He had just said a few words in front of Mother and had been scolded mercilessly. If he spoke up here, he reckoned Father would resort to physical action. Forget it, he would just eat.
My Father-in-law’s family is genuinely fierce, what is wrong with your eyes?
After praising his in-law, Meng Qingshe praised Jiang Feng. Jiang Feng was truly a man of talent, handsome, and smiled with a bit of honest simplicity; he was exactly what a gentle gentleman should be.
The seeds of his old Meng Family just were not up to par; they were all rough men.
Hearing that Jiang Feng did not have a partner yet, Meng Qingshe could not help but want to introduce him to someone. No, he could not introduce anyone; he would let his wife do it, as she knew many young ladies.
Old Meng was very happy today. He had held his two big grandsons and seen his chubby son. He resolved to be a bit more enterprising in the future; after all, life had hope now, he had grandsons, and he would have to take better care of the in-laws’ family in the future.
Mianmian ate with the women. She met her sister’s Mother-in-law and grandmother. The Meng Family was four generations under one roof; even in modern times, this was a rare and blessed family.
Brother-in-law’s Mother and Grandmother were both very nice people. They spoke with dignity, were not sarcastic, and got along very well with Mother.
Originally, Qin Luoxia had been worried that people in the capital would look down on country folk, but after this meeting, she felt much more at ease.
Sure enough, Meng was a good match. She felt a little sorry for the in-laws, but now that they already had grandsons, there were no refunds.
After dinner, they rested at the Meng home. The guest rooms were well prepared.
Jiang Mianmian curiously asked Mother, “Mother, where will we live afterward?”
“Of course we will live in our own home. Your Father knows you love buying houses and land the most, so he had already asked someone to procure a house and land in the capital. Today we accompanied your sister to see her in-laws; now that we’ve met them, we are at ease. Tomorrow we will return to our own home.” Qin Luoxia said, her face flushed.
Mianmian was very expectant. Father was too awesome. He even bought a house in the capital.
Thinking about it, there were no purchase restrictions in the capital now; if you had money, you could really buy.
Before bed, Mianmian was in the guest room of her sister’s husband’s family. She opened her diary and solemnly made an entry.
“Year 289 of Chu Yuan, Winter, entered the capital. Visited the Meng Family, and both host and guest were happy. Received a bag of Eastern pearls and a bag of gemstones as a welcoming gift…”
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