Chapter 598: Spring Thoughts, Concerns

Since the Meng family stopped receiving visitors due to mourning, Zhang Yue and Du Wan would always send Xiao Wu to run errands whenever they needed something done. As a result, over the past two years, Xiao Wu had visited Baisha Village countless times, and almost all the servants in the Meng family knew her. Although Baisha Village was close to Xiji Town and Tongzhou, it was not convenient to hire doctors. Having learned medicine from Feng Yuanming, she often volunteered to diagnose and prescribe remedies whenever someone in the village had a headache or fever, thus earning her great popularity over time.

As soon as Cui Mo followed her inside, she pulled her aside and whispered, “My brother-in-law asks me to tell you that the information you gave last time was very useful—they’ve already put it to use. But things outside are still unstable, so he asks you to go out as little as possible until everything settles down. He also says it’s most important to keep yourself safe and not rush things…”

Not knowing the full details, Xiao Wu paused, frowned at Cui Mo, and saw her biting her lip. She, who had wanted to ask more, stopped speaking. Du Wan often reminded her not to pry into others’ secrets when it wasn’t appropriate. But seeing Cui Mo upset, she felt guilty and cleared her throat.

“By the way, my brother-in-law also asked me to pass on a message to Meng Tao and Meng Fan. Where are they?”

Cui Mo had been thinking about the message Zhang Yue asked Xiao Wu to deliver. Hearing this, she grew uneasy but resolved that as long as she survived, she would one day see her revenge fulfilled, so she stopped worrying about it. Pretending that Hong Xiu had come to visit, she took Xiao Wu’s hand and led her inside, chatting casually along the way. When she joked that Xiao Wu was old enough to get married, she noticed the usually carefree girl blushing.

Xiao Wu hadn’t asked curiously about the message for Zhang Yue earlier, so she didn’t press further, only feeling puzzled. Xiao Wu wasn’t particularly beautiful, and her overly cheerful personality wasn’t something everyone could appreciate. Which man could be so lucky?

Hearing that Xiao Wu had come all the way just for her, Meng Min was naturally very happy. Hong Xiu also remembered the scene of making dumplings in Qingzhou back then and felt curious as she stood up. Yet when the door curtain was suddenly pushed open and she saw that bright and energetic girl rushing in again, she couldn’t describe the feeling that arose in her heart.

It had been four whole years, but time seemed to have stopped completely for Xiao Wu. She was now a married woman and a mother. Even without looking in the mirror, she could tell her youthful glow was gone. Even Meng Min and Cui Mo could see the traces left by those four years. But Xiao Wu remained exactly as innocent and carefree as before, even in her speech.

“Sister Meng, I’m here to see you again—plus, I’d like to pig out on some dumplings!”

Meng Tao and Meng Fan, having heard from Cui Mo that Zhang Yue had something to tell them, felt a bit uneasy. But when they saw Xiao Wu smiling as she stepped forward and took Meng Min’s hand, saying such things, the two brothers broke into sweat. After all, Xiao Wu had come many times over the past two years, always with food on her mind. If someone didn’t know, they might think the Du or Zhang families were treating her poorly.

Hearing this, Meng Min couldn’t help but laugh and cry at the same time. Thinking that it was spring now and there was plenty of leek greens from the fields, along with big fish caught from the Chao Bai River brought by the villagers, she said with a smile, “Wanting dumplings is simple! Today we’ll try something new—filling them with leek greens and fish, just to feed your little glutton! But there’s one rule: no entering the kitchen, or you’ll cause trouble and end up covered in flour, looking even more like a little kitten!”

“I even made mooncakes by myself last Mid-Autumn Festival. How could I get covered in flour?” Xiao Wu retorted indignantly, but remembering her terrible mooncakes, she felt a bit guilty. Then she recognized Hong Xiu and immediately forgot her slight frustration. She pulled Hong Xiu aside and asked various questions. When she found out Hong Xiu already had a son, she immediately insisted on finding an opportunity to visit. With her antics, the somewhat sad atmosphere in the room vanished instantly. Meng Min told Cui Mo to go to the kitchen and give the cooks instructions, and Hong Xiu followed her. Before Meng Tao and Meng Fan could speak, they saw Meng Min pull Xiao Wu straight into the inner room, and they swallowed the questions they had been about to ask.

It was one thing that Xiao Wu was always like this, but why did their fourth sister ignore matters at hand and focus on other things?

“Why be shy? Things have come this far. Don’t you already know whether you like him or not?”

“What number… He’s not bad, but just ‘not bad’—it’s still too early for me to like him!”
“Just ‘not bad’? If he were really good, why would you blush? If you like him, you like him; if not, you don’t. You’ve always been straightforward—since when have you become so coy? Last time, you told me he had good character and a pleasant temperament, and most importantly, he didn’t have the arrogance of noble sons or the pretentiousness of scholars. How come you’ve changed your mind now?”
“Hmph! It’s because he acted without consulting me first! He actually… he actually already asked my father for my hand in marriage, and I just found out now! That damned guy hid it from me—I’m so angry!”
Meng Min was shocked by the words “acted without consulting me first,” but after understanding, she couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Seeing Xiao Wu sitting there, fuming, she managed to hold back her laughter and took her hand, whispering, “What’s there to be angry about? He asked your father for your hand, but neither he nor your father has brought it up to you yet. That shows both of them want you to agree willingly. It’s clear he cares about you and likes you—otherwise, he could just have the matchmaker propose it directly. Why go through such trouble?”
Xiao Wu had been racked with worry these past few days. She had originally planned to seek advice from Du Wan, but that wretch Wan Shi Jie was on very good terms with her brother-in-law Zhang Yue. If she mentioned it, the guy might find out. As for her mother, Lady Qiu, she would surely smile and say it was time for her to get married, possibly even bringing up matters related to dowry. So she had held back for a long time. Now, with Meng Min explaining things so carefully, she gradually saw some sense in it, but still refused to give in easily.
“But he didn’t even tell me, and it was last year! If it weren’t for accidentally hearing something from that guy Ming Di, I’d still be in the dark! He’s a Jinshi and already a sixth-rank official—his future looks bright. I have a bad temper, an unattractive appearance, and no decent family background… He might end up disliking me in the future… I don’t want to end up like… that—by then, it will be too late to regret it…”
Noticing that Xiao Wu was trembling and showing fear as she spoke, Meng Min quickly stepped forward, put her arms around her shoulders, and began to comfort her gently. Only after the person in her arms calmed down did she stop bringing up the topic and deliberately shift to other subjects. It wasn’t until Xiao Wu had dried her tears that she started to persuade her again, slowly and carefully.

“If he disdained you, he wouldn’t have gotten close to you in the first place, let alone said those things to you. It’s precisely because he sees your merits and truly likes you that he’s asking your father for your hand. Xiao Wu, don’t say such foolish things like never marrying. Your parents are such cautious and serious people—would they allow someone to enter your family casually if they weren’t sure? There aren’t many people in the world as sensible as your parents, and even fewer with such discernment as him!”
Hearing Meng Min praise her parents and also Wan Shijie, Xiao Wu couldn’t help but stop crying and smile. She wasn’t someone who would dwell on things endlessly. After tilting her head and thinking for a while, she pulled Meng Min aside and whispered to her before nodding firmly: “Thank you, Sister Meng. I’ve figured it out. I’ll go ask him tomorrow. If he truly intends to treat me well for life, then I’ll let him formally propose! Hmph, I won’t let him off easy—I’m not some weak woman. If he treats me badly, just wait and see how I deal with him!”
Even though she knew Xiao Wu’s straightforward nature meant that if she could persuade her properly, her mind would gradually change, Meng Min still felt dizzy upon hearing those last words. She had just been sulking, and now they were already talking about marriage? Thinking of someone’s expression when she heard this tomorrow, Meng Min couldn’t help but laugh. She then took out a handkerchief to wipe Xiao Wu’s face again, followed by her makeup box, allowing her to apply a little powder to her face before leading her out.
Meng Tao and Meng Fan had been staying in the outer room. Although they couldn’t hear clearly what was being said inside, they could faintly hear voices, sobs, and laughter. Neither of them understood what exactly had happened. But seeing their sister and Xiao Wu come out with smiles on their faces, it certainly didn’t seem like there had been an argument or unhappiness, so they didn’t bother to inquire further.
Seeing them waiting eagerly, Xiao Wu then repeated Zhang Yue’s words carefully: “My brother-in-law asked me to tell you that the vanguard of the imperial army is after all the young troops of the Crown Prince. What matters most there is to please the Crown Prince. The emperor leniently dealt with the Meng family’s affairs earlier because of the merits of the late Duke of Teng, but there’s still a difference between the Crown Prince and the Crown Prince Heir. Now that the British general is leading troops to the former lands of Danning, although it’s dangerous, it’s actually the place where real merits can be earned to protect the family.”

Seeing Meng Min’s change in expression at these words, Xiao Wu couldn’t help but stop speaking awkwardly. Soon after, he said in a low voice, “I was also shocked when I heard it, so I insisted on asking my brother-in-law in detail. He said that it was a matter from over two years ago, and the Crown Prince had been holding onto it. If he kept seeing the Meng family members in the front ranks of the army, it might only increase his resentment. On the contrary, the old city of Danning was a dangerous place, but the most dangerous spots were actually the safest, allowing people to see the Meng family’s determination. Even if they achieved merits, they wouldn’t fear having them dismissed. I don’t quite understand it all, but I know for sure that my brother-in-law definitely isn’t refusing to take care of you two because of past matters.”

Head bowed, pondering these words carefully, Meng Tao’s expression changed several times before he finally understood. Clenching his fists tightly, he raised his head and said, “Miss Xiao Wu, please go back and tell Brother Zhang that he is truly concerned about us and is giving these reminders out of kindness. We will always remember his good intentions. But this is after all a major matter, and our family still needs to discuss it. As for what happened earlier… even if Father were still alive, he wouldn’t blame him. As his children, we certainly won’t fail to distinguish right from wrong!”