Free Web NovelChapter 673: Chapter 673: Warrior’s Widow
Tianxiang Building is right by the main street, less than three minutes’ walk from Qin Yao’s house.
Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, the restaurant staff began to serve the dishes.
Everyone took their seats, the men outside, while the women sat inside the hall. As they ate and drank, they couldn’t stop praising the banquet hosted by Qin Yao’s family.
There were eight kinds of meat dishes, ordered from Tianxiang Building, and it was clear that it cost quite a bit of silver.
This was just a housewarming banquet, yet the host didn’t accept any gifts and still generously treated everyone to such a meal.
Plus, with the egg cakes and pastries from earlier in the day, this housewarming banquet left the neighbors with the impression that Qin Yao’s family was generous, hospitable, easy to get along with, and well-off.
During the banquet, Old Mrs. Qiu kept looking outside, but after a long time, she didn’t see any sign of the Qi Family. She whispered with Aunt Yu and Old Madam Wang, and they all shook their heads tsk-tsking.
What a display of authority! Even Old Mrs. Wang came with her grandson to attend the banquet, yet the Qi Family didn’t even send a steward to convey congratulations.
Qin Yao and Liu Ji, as the hosts, were busy entertaining the guests both inside and outside. Now that everyone was seated, the couple finally had a chance to meet briefly.
Qin Yao also noticed Old Mrs. Qiu and the others whispering and asked Liu Ji, "Did you not send an invitation to the neighbors?"
Liu Ji hurried to explain, "I did. Ah Wang personally delivered it yesterday afternoon."
Although he had said they wouldn’t invite the Qi Family the day before, it was just spoken in anger.
Qin Yao frowned slightly, "They didn’t send a single person? Not a word of congratulations?"
Liu Ji nodded, knowing full well who had or hadn’t shown up as he stood at the door all day, "Everyone in this market, except for the Qi Family, sent someone to congratulate us in some way."
"Darling, what’s the deal with this Qi Family? We didn’t offend them, did we?" Even Liu Ji, who was usually self-contained, couldn’t figure it out.
Among neighbors, no matter how big the grudge, since they see each other often, there’s no need to make things so stiff, right?
"Forget it, whether they come or not, just keep a distance from the Qi Family in the future." Qin Yao waved her hand, signaling Liu Ji to drop the subject. She was starving and hadn’t had a chance to taste the delicious dishes on the table.
Liu Ji chuckled, quickly putting the matter behind him, and placed a chopstick-full of drunken shrimp into Qin Yao’s bowl, "Darling, try this, it’s delicious."
As he spoke, he continued to pick what he thought she might like and piled it into her bowl until it formed a small mountain before stopping.
Anyway, at their table, it was all familiar faces like Mr. Ding and his wife, Liu Fei, and the stewards from Fulong Trading Company, so there was no fear of losing face.
Mrs. Xiao secretly glanced at Liu Ji a few times and then turned to Mr. Ding, reminding him irritably, "Look at that."
Mr. Ding looked up blankly, "Huh?"
"By the way, where are Xiang’er and Shi’er?" Mr. Ding asked curiously, not seeing his daughter and son.
Mrs. Xiao, feeling a bit embarrassed, pinched a piece of soft flesh at Mr. Ding’s waist under the table and nodded towards the children’s table, "Aren’t they sitting over there with the other kids?"
Mr. Ding almost couldn’t hold back a shout, but upon seeing his wife’s ferocious smile, he swallowed it down.
Mumbling, he said, "They are already engaged, why are they still sitting with the kids?"
While secretly inhaling sharply, his survival instincts kicked in, and he hurriedly served dishes to his wife, trying to coax her.
This scene, coincidentally, caught Liu Ji’s eye, and he almost burst out laughing.
Finally, it’s not just him who’s afraid of his wife!
"By the way, darling." Liu Ji poked Qin Yao’s arm with the end of his chopsticks, "I just heard you mentioning Wang Jin and Lord Wang in the inner hall, were you talking about the Wang Jin we know?"
Qin Yao glanced at him, "You have sharp ears, hearing that from so far away."
Liu Ji smugly replied, "Of course, my ears have to be sharp so I can come whenever you call."
"Stop being cheeky!" Qin Yao shuddered at his words before nodding, "You heard right, Wang Jin from Old Mrs. Wang’s family is the Wang Jin we know."
Liu Ji was surprised, instinctively pointing to the children’s table where Wang Chengyang sat nestled between Da Lang and Second Lang, "Is his son that big already?"
Qin Yao shook her head, "That’s his nephew, not his son, his older brother’s child. Several of Wang Jin’s engagements have fallen through because of this child, as he is registered under Wang Jin’s name, marrying him would make one the aunt of such a big child."
No, since the child is under Wang Jin’s name, one would be the mother.
"What happened? Are the boy’s parents gone?" Liu Ji’s gossiping soul was burning intensely.
As long as even one parent was alive, the child wouldn’t stay with the uncle.
Qin Yao: "His father died in battle, and his mother threw herself into a well after giving birth."
Liu Ji was even more shocked, "A posthumous child?"
Qin Yao reminded him to keep his voice down, and said softly, "Old Master Wang and Wang Da Lang both died in battle, in the morning hours before dawn."
Liu Ji hadn’t expected that Old Madam Wang and her grandson were the widows of warriors. He truly admired those brave enough to fight on the battlefield.
However!
Wang Jin was an exception!
Though later Wang Jin helped Qin Yao earn quite a bit of silver, Liu Ji bore a grudge.
He hadn’t forgotten how they were left to face thirty Death Warriors.
What a coincidence, enemies meet on a narrow road!
Qin Yao saw through his thoughts and warned, "Don’t cause trouble for me; life isn’t easy for the orphaned and widowed."
Liu Ji snorted, not intending to bully the widow and orphan.
Besides, he wasn’t that kind of person.
The real culprit behind the grudge, he’d only go after Wang Jin!
As the sky darkened, the guests gradually dispersed.
Old Madam Wang was pulled into a chat by Old Mrs. Qiu and a few others, not allowed to leave, saying they wanted to find a diligent girl for Wang Jin.
This touched Old Madam Wang’s heart, and she eagerly waited for their introductions, smiling.
As they talked, they became the last guests to leave.
Yin Le took a large piece of egg cake wrapped in oiled paper and handed it to Wang Chengyang, "Young master, take it home to eat."
She had just heard about this child’s background, which was quite pitiable.
And, in truth, her current good fortune was partly thanks to Lord Wang Jin.
If it hadn’t been for Lord Wang Jin coming to Kaiyang County to investigate a case, leading County Magistrate Song to execute Beauty Pan, a procurer who harmed innocent women, she wouldn’t have reunited with her master and had the good life she has now.
Wang Chengyang looked curiously at Yin Le, who offered him kindness, but didn’t immediately accept the cake she handed him.
Yin Le, seeing the child’s vigilant look, smiled warmly and said, "My name is Yin Le, Miss Qin is my master, and your uncle once did me a kindness. This is a small gift of gratitude. In the future, if there’s any heavy work at your house, feel free to come to me. Don’t let your grandmother get tired."
"I can chop wood and carry water just fine!"
Yin Le proudly raised her arm and flexed her biceps.
Only then did Wang Chengyang accept the oil paper wrapped package she gave him, politely bowing, "Thank you."
"Why are you wearing a mask?" Children are always full of curiosity.
