Wen Zhong is now a retainer in the Ministry of Household Affairs and has long since developed the ability not to show his joy. But after hearing Huo’s words, he couldn’t help but clench his hand.
If Xu Qingyuan really came back alive, all the previous matters would be exposed, and everything they had now would go up in smoke.
“Zhong’er, what should we do?”
Huo was at a loss for words.
“Mother, first hold steady, don’t let anyone in the house see anything, leave the rest to me.”
After Huo left, Wen Zhong went back to the Household Department looking unharmed and continued with the business at hand. When it was nearly noon he spoke to his colleagues, came out of the Household Department, got on a carriage and went straight to the South City.
If it really was Xu Qingwan who had returned, the family would be gathering for dinner at this time.
At the same time, he secretly regretted that he shouldn’t have been so careless. Even if Song Si and Song Wan Yue were siblings, he should have gotten to the bottom of it and asked them what their mother’s surname was. At that time they were defenseless and would naturally tell the truth, but now ……
Wen Zhong closed his eyes, they had lost the first opportunity, now the only hope is that everything is speculation, Xu Qingyuan did not return.
The carriage arrived at the entrance of the Song family, as soon as he got off the carriage, Wen Zhong heard the sound of laughter coming from the courtyard, his heart sank, and without hesitation he lifted his foot to go in, “Song Si!”
The sound of laughter inside the house stopped and Song Si came out of the house. When he saw it was him, his eyes flashed with surprise.
“Uncle Wen, you wanted to see me for something?”
Wen Zhong had already collected his emotions and said with a smile, “I happen to be here in South City on business, seeing that it’s noon, I thought of coming to your home to rub a meal together, I wonder if it’s appropriate?”
“This ……”
Song Si was slightly embarrassed.
Wen Zhong collected his smile, “What, is it inconvenient?”
Song Si took a step forward, “Uncle Wen is here today by coincidence, Miss Xiao is coming over.”
Wen Zhong understood, “It’s really not a coincidence, I originally wanted to take this opportunity to meet your family, but I can only talk about it later.”
“I’m sorry, Uncle Wen.”
Wen Zhong waved his hand, “It’s nothing.”
After the words were said, he turned around and walked outside, and only when he reached the door of the house did he see the Xiao House carriage parked just outside the door. He had something on his mind just now and did not see it.
Song Si watched him get into the carriage and walk away before he turned around and went inside.
Wen Zhong lifted the curtain of the carriage and ordered the boy, “Find a hidden place to keep an eye on it and see if anyone comes out from inside.”
……
The old man over there asked Gu Yi’s ancestors very clearly, and what the family did for a living, and asked even more detailed questions.
Gu Yi answered them all without missing a beat.
The old gentleman then dismissed the idea of asking Song Wangyue to withdraw from the marriage, seeing that he didn’t look like a playboy rich kid and his family was well-off.
Gu Yi was also secretly relieved. The old gentleman’s displeasure with him at first was real, and his heart was always on edge, lest one wrong answer make the old gentleman look bad and decide to withdraw his marriage to Yue’er.
“Old sir, young master Gu, it’s time to eat.”
Sister Wu lifted the curtain and came in, even the wrinkles on her face were smiling, Miss Sun had asked Old Sir and Madam what they liked to eat on her way to buy vegetables, and had bought them and come back to make a big table full of them, she was playing at the side, and couldn’t help but gulp a lot of saliva in her greed.
Gu Yi was busy getting up to help the old gentleman, who did not refuse.
When he came to the dining room, Meng and Xu were waiting in the dining room, and when they saw him enter, Meng blessed herself, “Father.”
Although they lived in the same house, Meng had not left the small courtyard in all these years, and the two of them had not seen each other for more than ten years. Looking at Meng’s whitening hair, the old gentleman let out a long sigh, “Now that Wan’er has returned, let’s all be happy from now on.”
“My daughter-in-law knows.”
The old gentleman and Meng ate a very happy meal.
After they had eaten, Meng said to Xu, “Wan’er, I see that there are many empty rooms in your mansion, so have someone pack one out for your grandfather to rest in while I go back to the house.”
“Mother.”
Xu was very worried.
Meng grabbed her hand, “Don’t worry, mother will be fine, I just have to get back what I deserve.”
The old man knew what she was going back to do and didn’t stop her. It was so good that it might force Huo to reveal her foot and they would be able to find out the truth about what happened back then.
When Meng returned to the house, the first thing she did was to have the main courtyard, which she had not lived in for a long time, cleaned out.
When she heard the maid’s report, she was even more distraught. She wanted to go there, but remembered how Meng had treated her this morning, so she didn’t dare. After thinking about it, she asked someone to make tea, which she carried to the study.
The subordinates were making so much noise that Mr. and Mrs. Er, who were one wall away, heard the noise and sent someone to see, and were surprised to learn that it was Meng who had ordered the main courtyard to be cleaned.
Sister-in-law had not been out of the small courtyard for many years, so how could she suddenly ask someone to clean the main courtyard?
“You go and take a look.”
Second Sir said.
Although separated from this side only by a moon gate, the Second Gentleman and his wife rarely came from this side.
If they went to the old gentleman’s side, they would also go out through the gate on this side and enter through the courtyard gate on that side. The couple really disliked Mr. Big’s behaviour back then, when Wan Er was not seen alive and dead, but Mr. Big had the leisure to marry a flat wife.
The second wife went through the moon gate and went to meet Meng in the small courtyard, seeing her in full spirits instead of her sickly state of the previous days, smiling and calling out, “Sister-in-law.”
In the years before Xu Qingwan disappeared, they had been close sisters-in-law, and when Meng moved to the small courtyard, Second Lady often came over to keep her company, even if she didn’t talk, she would sit with her silently all morning or all afternoon, sometimes helping her make clothes, and Meng was grateful to her.
Letting her sit down, “Why did you come over?”
“I heard the commotion over here and saw that it was the underlings cleaning the main courtyard, has sister-in-law finally figured it out?”
Meng nodded, “I can’t keep muddling along like this, giving people the wrong impression that they have lost their measure and are bullying me.”
The Second Lady froze, then asked, “What’s wrong?”
Although there was a moon gate between the two courtyards, the two separate mansions, the subordinates on the second house’s side would not easily cross the moon gate, nor would the subordinates on this side, so the second lady and her wife did not know about what had happened in the morning.
Meng was a soft person, she would not use such a tone of voice unless she was bullied and desperate.
Meng told them about the morning’s events, “Over the years I have no intention of bothering with her, but instead she thinks she is the real mistress of this house, even when I leave the house she has to ask questions.”
The Second Lady was simply speechless, she had never dealt with Huo, but she knew that it was not a stupid person, otherwise she would not have allowed her elder brother to marry her with her family.
But, thinking about what Meng had just said, something suddenly flashed through Second Lady’s mind, “Sister-in-law, why do you suddenly want to leave the house?”