Free Web NovelChapter 358: Chapter 142: A Glorious Homecoming (Part 2)
But that was okay. She might not have a son to dote on, but she could still dote on her son-in-law.
Seeing Zhao Jing standing next to her daughter, looking even more mature now, Xu Suying found him more and more endearing with every glance.
"My dear son-in-law, you’re back? Oh my, you achieved the little triple crown! You’ve brought me such great honor. You must be exhausted. Go on, get inside and rest. I’ll go make you both something delicious."
This display of affection was so intense that even Chen Wanqing found it overwhelming.
Zhao Jing, on the other hand, acted as if Xu Suying’s words weren’t the least bit sappy. For every gushing remark she made, he surprisingly had a smooth comeback.
"I was afraid you’d be worried sick, so we rushed back as soon as we were done... My good exam results are also thanks to you. It’s all because you married Wanqing to me. She brings me good fortune, which is why I was able to succeed... I’m not too tired, really, but Wanqing is a bit more delicate and had a hard time on the road."
Chen Wanqing: "..." ’I concede defeat.’
De’an winced. "I wouldn’t be surprised if one day Mom kicks me out and adopts Zhao Jing as her real son."
"That won’t happen. A son-in-law is a son-in-law. If she adopted Zhao Jing as her son, what would become of me?"
"You have a point, Sis." freēwebnovel.com
With their return, the house burst into a flurry of excitement.
Xu Suying sent Chen Song out to fetch the meat she had already bought, then bustled out after him to order a full banquet spread. It was too late to start stewing meat and cooking other dishes, so she decided to just have a restaurant deliver a table full of food.
Chen Wanqing and the others were indeed starving. After the spread was delivered and they had washed up, they all took their seats at the table. Without standing on ceremony, they dug in.
As they ate, Xu Suying began asking about their time in the Prefecture. Before anyone else could speak, De’an started rattling off the whole story.
He recounted their encounter with the beggar Scholar on the road, their meeting with Mr. Sheng, the Magistrate, in a teahouse, and the whole affair involving the Wang and Cui families. He described the Cui father and son, the day of the trial, and how the entire city turned out to watch...
De’an was about to ask about his mother’s family background, but he opened his mouth and then shut it again.
’This isn’t something to discuss at the dinner table. At the very least, I can’t say it in front of Yao’an.’
Yao’an was still young. What if he let it slip?
He didn’t know who that steward who came looking for his mother really worked for. If the steward learned of his mother’s past, there was no telling if it would bring good fortune or disaster.
De’an was a real talker. The meal lasted an hour, and he talked for the entire hour. It made his mouth so dry that he ended up drinking two more bowls of soup than anyone else.
After the meal, Chen Wanqing had wanted to ask in detail about the incense-making business and matters in the Zhao Village. But it was already late afternoon, and it had been nearly three hours since they arrived back in Qingshui County.
The news of their return had likely already reached the Zhao Village. It wouldn’t do to delay their homecoming any longer and disappoint the family and clan members who were waiting.
"Overall, everything is fine. We were running low on spices, so I took some people to the neighboring counties to buy more. Now that you’ve brought back so much, it’s enough for the next two months of incense making. The Zhao Village is also fine; nothing unusual happened. It’s just that Mrs. Zhao hasn’t been resting well and can’t sleep through the night. I brought her here to the county to see a senior physician. She’s taken a few courses of medicine and is doing a bit better now."
Xu Suying urged her daughter and son-in-law, "Go home first. We can talk about everything else later. Everyone at home has been worried about you. Ever since the news arrived that Jing passed the Scholar exam, they’ve been waiting day after day for your return."
Now that they had reached the county, it would be inexcusable not to return home promptly.
Chen Song felt the same way.
By rights, with De’an having passed the Scholar exam, he should also go back to pay respects to his ancestors, but he had to report to the government office first. He had no idea when he would get out, so he decided to just go back tomorrow. That way, he could gather all the necessary offerings, perform the rites, and return on the same night. frёewebnoѵēl.com
Xu Suying commandeered Mrs. Ying’s carriage and gave her a share of the local specialty gifts Chen Wanqing had brought back from the Prefecture.
Mrs. Ying accepted the gifts but firmly refused to let the driver accept any Silver.
In her words, escorting the young master who achieved the little triple crown back home was a joyous occasion. "Maybe our family can bask in some of this good fortune, and it’ll knock some sense into my blockheaded son. Besides, we’ve been friends for so many years. If I took money from you every time you used the carriage, what kind of person would that make me?"
Xu Suying didn’t argue with Mrs. Ying and successfully commandeered her carriage.
By the time Zhao Jing and Chen Wanqing had packed their things, boarded the carriage, and started for home, it was already late in the afternoon.
But the days were long, so when they arrived at the Zhao Village, the sky was still bright. The fiery sun hung in the sky, its heat not diminishing in the slightest.
Under the large scholar tree at the entrance to the Zhao Village, quite a few people were sitting around. There were elderly folk sewing shoe soles and young mothers out playing with their children.
