Li Wanming turned her head and sure enough saw the face of Mrs. He, plastered with a fake smile.
"Grandmother, Aunt Grandmother."
She stood still, forcing out a smile that looked worse than crying, and called out reluctantly.
After getting married, she rarely returned to the Li Mansion.
Even when her parents wanted to see her, they would come to Pingkangfang instead of the Li family's residence.
Counting like this, she hadn't seen Old Mrs. Li for more than half a year.
"I just thought the back view looked like our Third Miss. I thought, could it be? And when I came over to take a look, sure enough it was!"
A smile spread across Mrs. He's face. She walked over and warmly grabbed Li Wanming's hand.
"It's been a while since I last saw Third Miss. After getting married, you're really different. You've become even more elegant. Why didn't you come back to visit your grandmother? During this period when you haven't been back, your grandmother has been missing you every day!"
Mrs. He was still the same old Mrs. He. No matter how much time had passed or how many setbacks she had suffered, she was still as incorrigible as ever!
Whenever and wherever she opened her mouth, she always couldn't help but prick Li Wanming, either openly or secretly.
Take her words just now for example. There were no more than a hundred words in total, but they firmly painted Li Wanming as an unfilial daughter who had forgotten her natal family after getting married and didn't care about her elderly grandmother at all.
Sure enough, Old Mrs. Li had already been in a bad mood when she saw Li Wanming. Now, after hearing Mrs. He's words, her expression became even uglier.
"Humph! Why are you talking to her like this?"
"Now that she's married to a capable husband and has caused such a stir in the whole city, how could she still take this useless old bone of mine seriously?"
The matter of Li Wanming challenging the Imperial College had spread far and wide in the capital, and Old Mrs. Li had naturally heard something about it.
But in her heart, she didn't think that a woman could have caused such a stir.
In her eyes, a woman was, after all, a woman, and her husband was her heaven.
No matter how unruly and flamboyant a woman's personality was, after getting married, she could only serve her husband meekly and take her husband's words as the highest instruction.
So she naturally assumed that this matter had been instigated by Xiao Jingnan. And because of this, her dislike for Xiao Jingnan now had a bit more of a wary edge.
The reason was simple:
What was the Imperial College? It was the cradle of the nation's talents!
Who was Dean Chen? A third - rank official!
For Xiao Jingnan to go against the dean like this, wasn't he just asking for trouble?
If he was just in trouble himself, that would be fine. But what if he dragged the Li family down with him...
No, no, no. Li Wanming was like water that had been spilled after getting married. Now she had nothing to do with her.
Old Mrs. Li stood still and didn't come over. She just glanced at Li Wanming and her husband out of the corner of her eye, as if she was afraid that others would associate her with them.
Xiao Jingnan smiled slightly, bowed a little, and then stood aside, leaving the situation to Li Wanming to handle.
Li Wanming spoke up, "Grandmother, you're being too modest. Looking at how rosy - cheeked and full - voiced you are, how could you be an old bone? You should be a middle - aged bone at least, and you'll live a long life!"
She didn't really want to talk to Old Mrs. Li. After she finished speaking, she casually pointed at a stall beside them. "Hey, what's that stall over there selling? It looks so lively."
Xiao Jingnan understood her meaning. "Does my wife want to eat? Come on, let's go buy some..."
Just as the two were about to leave, Mrs. He blocked their way.
Mrs. He smiled, and the powder in the wrinkles on her face fluttered down. She said, "Third Miss is already grown up, but why are you still as greedy as when you were a child? Your grandmother is right here. Instead of coming over quickly to serve and show filial piety, why do you want to go buy something to eat after just a few words?"
Li Wanming squinted her eyes slightly.
Mrs. He must have something on her mind!
Although Mrs. He had always secretly pricked at her before, it was the first time for her to so openly block her way and not let her go.
After all, Li Wanming was not a gentle and virtuous person. Nine times out of ten, Mrs. He would not get the better of her in a confrontation, so she didn't dare to provoke her too much.
What was going on today?
Why was she provoking her so openly?
...
What Li Wanming didn't know was that ever since Sun Miaoqing married into the Guo family, Mrs. He had started to act like the grandmother of the young mistress of the Guo family and gradually become arrogant!
Today, she had specially brought Old Mrs. Li to the City God Temple to pay respects. Moreover, she had made an agreement with the Taoist priest in the temple to be among the first to receive the porridge.
The porridge in the City God Temple was not just one pot. It would be continuously served until evening, until no more common people came to receive it.
However, only the first pot was the most auspicious!
It represented the blessing of the City God. In previous years, only the high - ranking officials and nobles could receive it.
In the past two years, relying on her relationship with Old Mrs. Li, Mrs. He had barely managed to get the last bowl of the first pot... But this year was different!
This year, she was the grandmother of the young mistress of the Assistant Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. She was also an official's wife!
Just now, a young Taoist priest had come and given her a queuing token. She was ranked fifth!
After waiting for so many years, she had finally managed to be on equal footing with Old Mrs. Li. And just by chance, Li Wanming was there, the most suitable audience. How could Mrs. He not take this opportunity to show off her power and vent her pent - up anger of many years?
Li Wanming didn't know the twists and turns in Mrs. He's mind. But just by taking a look, seeing Mrs. He's flushed face and eager expression, she knew that she was getting arrogant again.
What could make Mrs. He so arrogant?
There was no need to ask. It must be her granddaughter Sun Miaoqing, who had become an official's wife!
Judging from the situation, it seemed that Sun Miaoqing was doing well in the Guo family...?
According to Li Wanming's understanding, that was not the case.
Sun Miaoqing's situation in the Guo family was probably no different from that of a mascot. The entire Guo family didn't really treat her as a person.
But after all, that was a matter within the inner chambers of the Guo family, and Li Wanming didn't know very clearly.
She pondered for a moment and asked, "Cousin Miaoqing came back to her natal family recently?"
Hearing this, a big smile immediately blossomed on Mrs. He's face.
"Yes, she did! During the Dragon Boat Festival some time ago, Qing'er came back to see me and brought a lot of things. There were ginseng, bird's nest, and many supplements whose names I can't even pronounce!"
The more Mrs. He talked, the happier she became, as if she had found the most satisfied audience.
"Qing'er said that her husband treats her extremely well. He neither beats nor scolds her, and there are no other women in the house. It's almost been a year since they got married, and her husband hasn't even mentioned taking in a concubine. You tell me, isn't this the blessing of our ancestors? So early this morning, I brought your grandmother here to offer incense to the City God!"
After listening, Li Wanming raised one eyebrow and looked at Mrs. He with great interest.
Taking in a concubine...
Did Guo Ziyan have the guts?
He even had to marry his wife secretly. How dare he take in a concubine?
The Princess Dowager's tolerance of him having a proper wife did not mean that she would tolerate him having multiple wives and concubines!
Li Wanming observed Mrs. He's expression and found that she was truly happy, as if she didn't know at all what kind of life Sun Miaoqing was living in the Guo family.
Remembering the incident of Sun Miaoqing kneeling in the ancestral hall at the beginning of the year, Li Wanming asked, "Aunt Grandmother, I heard that Cousin Miaoqing was ill at the beginning of the year. What happened?"
The expression on Mrs. He's face froze for a moment, and then she immediately forced a smile. "Oh, that was just because she was inexperienced when she first got married. Her mother - in - law was teaching her the rules."
After saying that, she proudly showed off to Old Mrs. Li again. "Look at this dress of mine. It was made from the satin that Miaoqing brought back last time. Look at the embroidery and the color. How bright it is..."
Li Wanming stared at this annoying old woman, and a chill rose in her eyes.
Stupid!
She was about to die and still didn't realize it. She was extremely stupid!
All she could see was the wealth and honor that Sun Miaoqing had brought her, but she didn't care at all what this wealth and honor had cost.
What was more, Old Mrs. Li's eyes were full of eagerness, as if she was extremely envious that someone had a good granddaughter who had married well and still remembered her natal family!