The Prime Minister's Darling

Chapter 340: 183 pulling out the big guns_2

In the past, it was Lady Ling who performed these tasks, and the villagers thought she was the legitimate mistress of the Gu Family. When they suddenly met the Yao Family’s Matron, they were mistaken and asked if she was a concubine from the household, which quite agitated the housekeepers.

This must be the second trick of Lady Ling.

Using the unintentional remarks from villagers to irritate her.

Matron Yao wanted to laugh.

After all, Lady Ling has never been a mother. She does not understand that for a mother, being able to break the curse that her son would not live past fifteen and recognizing her biological child were all she wished in this life.

After visiting the villagers, it was getting late, and they should head back to the mansion.

They had just embarked on the journey back when it started to snow.

They had skipped lunch and were both hungry and cold, so Matron Yao had her maidservant send a box of pastries over to her three stepsons.

Gu Chenglin sneered, “I won’t eat anything she made!”

A complex look crossed Gu Changqing’s face.

“Big brother, it’s snowing outside. Come and sit in the carriage,” Gu Chengfeng said to Gu Changqing.

Gu Changqing simply said, “No need.”

As a soldier who had experienced the rigors of warfare, what was a little wind and snow to him?

“Madam, they wouldn’t eat it.” The young maid brought the pastries back.

“Then nevermind.” Matron Yao took the box of pastries back.

It wasn’t actually her who made them. She wouldn’t bother to make pastries for her stepsons. They were brought from the mansion.

She ate two pieces herself. She didn’t have much of an appetite recently, so she didn’t eat more and gave them to the housekeeper and the young maidservants.

The snow slowed down their journey. The wilderness didn’t have any decent restaurants, and Gu Chenglin was too picky to eat anything from a regular tea shed, so the three brothers endured hunger until they reached the city.

On the route back to the Marquis Residence, there was a Crispy Aromatic Duck vendor. Gu Chenglin loved their duck and he hadn’t eaten for so long, so he couldn’t resist and said to Gu Changqing, “Big brother, I’m so hungry I’m about to pass out! Let’s stop and get something to eat!”

Seeing his two younger brothers who looked famished, Gu Changqing nodded and rode his horse beside Matron Yao’s carriage, “Let’s eat something before going back to the residence, shall we?”

Matron Yao wasn’t hungry, but she was indeed exhausted after sitting in the carriage for a day.

They got off the carriage and booked two rooms on the second floor of a restaurant, one for the three brothers and one for Matron Yao.

Matron Yao didn’t eat much, but she ordered a full table of food for her housekeeper and the accompanying servants.

The room was stuffy, and she needed to use the restroom, so she went to the greeting room in the rear of the first floor.

As she was walking towards the grand hall, a man’s voice surprised her, “Yaoyao?”

She hadn’t heard this voice in many years yet she immediately recognized it.

Matron Yao’s face changed and she turned around in shock.

“Yaoyao, it’s really you!”

A man in a navy blue outfit strode towards her. He was probably in his thirties, with handsome looks and elegant demeanor. He was not as muscular as the Marquis, but he was tall and lean.

Matron Yao regained her senses, but when the man drew close, she maintained her courtesy and stepped back a few steps.

The man’s face darkened, and he quickly said, “I was rude. It’s been so long since I’ve seen you, and I was momentarily overexcited and forgot about manners. Please forgive me!”

As he spoke, he cupped his hands as a gesture of courtesy.

Matron Yao stepped aside, avoiding his courtesy, “You shouldn’t act like this.”

The man looked at Matron Yao with complicated eyes, “Yaoyao, how have you been these years? I heard you married into the Marquis Residence. Does the Marquis treat you well?”

Matron Yao lowered her gaze and said, “I am very well.”

The man sighed in relief and smiled, “I’m glad to hear that.”

Afterward, both fell into an awkward silence.

Matron Yao took a hold of her handkerchief, “I should get going.”

“Ah…” Disappointment flashed across the man’s eyes, “My mother often asks about you.”

Matron Yao’s steps faltered.

The man bitterly smiled and said, “Actually, I’ve been married too. I have my own wife and children now. I’m sorry.”

Matron Yao closed her eyes, “It was the Yao Family who called off the engagement first. I should be the one apologizing, not you. You don’t need to blame yourself.”

The man said with sorrow, “My mother suffered a stroke a few years ago, and she hasn’t been in great health since. Recently, she has been constantly moaning your name in her stupor.”

The two families had long been acquainted, and the Yao Family’s marriage agreement with the young man had been settled early on. The young man’s mother was highly satisfied with Yao Family and looked forward to the day when her future daughter-in-law could come to their house, promising to treat her as her own child.

Unfortunately, the engagement ultimately fell through.

Rather than attributing it to the Marquis Gu’s oppression, it would be more accurate to say that it was Yao Family’s deliberate currying favour.

There had been anger, resentment, and regret, but now all had returned to calm.

“You …” The young man scratched his head awkwardly, “Perhaps it’s a bit abrupt to say this, as I wasn’t expecting to run into you here, but since we’ve met, I still want to ask … Can you visit my mother one last time?”

His mother was dying; the doctor said it was a matter of days.

But his mother continuously refused to close her eyes.@@novelbin@@

His mother was in pain, and so was he.

He looked at Yao Family, hesitated for a moment, and then said, “As her son, I haven’t given her a day of luxury and wealth, I don’t want to fail at satisfying even her last wish in the end.”

Yao Family had, after all, been engaged to him once, so it would be proper to keep her distance now.

However, his mother had indeed treated Yao Family like her own. She was a very gentle woman – even now, thinking of her brought a sense of warmth to Yao Family’s heart.

Perhaps if she had married him back then, her life would have been very different.

“Where do you live?” Yao Family asked.

The young man’s eyes lit up: “You agreed?”

Yao Family paused: “I will think about it. I might not go.”

“Ah, it’s okay, it’s okay if you can’t make it! I live in Qingyue district, on Qingfeng Avenue…” The young man reported his address.

Yao Family was surprised that he lived in such a poor area.

“I should go now.” Yao Family told him.

“Hey! Safe journey!” The young man excitedly saw Yao Family off.

Yao Family entered the Grand Hall and went upstairs.

On the other side, after the three Gu brothers had finished eating, they returned to the Marquis Residence in a carriage.

Yao family first went to Old Lady Gu to report her safe return, and was relieved to hear that there had been no mishaps along the way.

Marquis Gu sent Huang Zhong back to relay a message to Yao Family – there had been a minor dispute between the Ministry of Works and the Ministry of War, and Marquis Gu was dealing with urgent matters at the Ministry of Works. He might not return for the night, and told Yao Family to rest without waiting for him.

Yao Family was restless in her room.

As soon as she closed her eyes, she thought of the Zhen Family, her previous future mother-in-law.

“Nanny Fang.”

“Madam, is something the matter?” Nanny Fang entered upon lifting the curtain.

Yao Family put on a cloak: “Prepare the carriage, I need to make a trip out.”

“It’s quite late, where is Madam going? The young lady and young master should also be resting now.” Nanny Fang assumed Yao Family wanted to go to Bishui Alley.

Yao Family said: “Don’t ask so many questions, find a discreet coachman.”

Nanny Fang opened her mouth: “… Okay.”

Yao Family traveled by carriage to Zhen Family.

She knocked at the peeling gate of the courtyard.

“Who is it–”

It was a woman’s voice.

Yao Family kept silent.

The courtyard door creaked open, and a plainly-dressed, prematurely-aged woman stepped out. The woman was about the same age as Yao Family, but she looked at least ten years older.

Guessing at her identity, Yao Family opened her mouth to introduce herself, but before she could speak, the woman turned her head and called into the house, “Man of the house, we have visitors!”

Zhen Ping came out quickly.

Seeing Yao Family, he looked surprised at first, but then walked forward happily, “It’s cold outside, come in quickly to warm up!” Then he told his wife, “This is the Marquis’ wife.”

The woman bowed to Yao Family.

Yao Family acknowledged it with a slight nod.

Obviously, the woman had heard of Yao Family before. She wisely took the half-washed clothes from the front yard to the backyard and did not appear again in front of Yao Family.