Chapter 585 Maybe I was wrong
Qin was a quick-witted person. Within a few days, she had reached an agreement with the Hou family. The two families would first accept the betrothal gifts, and as for marrying the girl, they would naturally wait until the army returned.
Moreover, Hou Jing did have a title after all. Although he was not as good as Jia Cong, he also had regulations and rules. Therefore, the time for the six rituals was also not short.
The Hou family was quite satisfied with this marriage. After all, the Wang family was now quite powerful, and Wang Ziteng was still the Minister of War. Using a capable illegitimate son to marry into the family would naturally be beneficial to the family.
After the deal was settled, Wang Ziteng directly asked his colleagues in the court to help with the ceremony. So, by the time the old lady got the news, the betrothal ceremony between the two families had already been completed.
Inside Rongxi Hall, the old lady sat in silence for a long while. Actually, before the ceremony, Qin Shi had come again, explaining that Wang Ziteng had been engaged to the Hou family, but because their daughter was still young, they hadn't rushed through the ceremony. She only learned of this after returning home. Therefore, the idea of a closer marriage between the two families could only be politely declined...
Although the words were polite, how could the old lady not know that this was the other party's rejection? Coupled with such a hasty courtesy, wasn't the meaning obvious?
Could it be that her Baoyu was so shunned that even her own uncle looked down on him?
The old lady had some opinions about the Wang family's actions, but what could she do? She had the final say in the mansion, and if Wang Ziteng came, he would give her respect. However, she couldn't interfere in the Wang family's affairs. In fact, in this regard, her respectability was far inferior to that of her own grandson .
"Feng girl, do you think I am wrong?" Suddenly, the old lady seemed to have aged a lot, and even the tone of her voice became much more decadent.
Although it was a nonsensical remark, Wang Xifeng understood what the old lady meant.
She stepped forward and took the old lady's arm, then said, "Our eldest marquis told Feng'er that our old lady is the most insightful. They say that an old man in the family is like a treasure. Our family relies on the old lady to take charge. Otherwise, how could such a big family survive?"
"Oh!" When the old lady heard Feng Lazi's evasive words, how could she not know that she was comforting herself?
"Is the old lady missing our great marquis? They say she favors Feng'er, but Feng'er, who serves her right by her side, isn't as beloved as the great marquis!" Wang Xifeng said in a delicate voice. "But it's not the old lady's fault. Everyone knows that the great marquis respects and misses . During the New Year, he sent several cartloads of gifts to her, and officials from various mansions lined up to pay their respects to her. In the future, she can only look forward to enjoying the great marquis's blessings."
A smile finally appeared on the old lady's face.
That monkey was a capable person. Although he had looked down on him at first, he had shown him a lot of favors over the years. So, the monkey reciprocated his kindness and gave him great respect. Otherwise, a mere title of Duke would not be worth the fawning of the various governments.
It is true that Baoyu has been spoiled too much, but it is not too late now. If his father takes good care of him, he may be able to set up his own family in the future.
Thinking of this, the old lady hated Wang even more. That idiot had caused such a trouble back then. She was also from the Wang family, but didn't she know that the so-called auspicious signs were sometimes not blessings?
"Amber, go to the front and take a look. If the second master comes back, ask him to come over!" The old lady thought for a while and finally made a cruel decision.
Now, while she still has the final say, she must leave a way for her Baoyu. Otherwise, when she dies, her Baoyu will have no one to help him and no one to do anything for him. What will she do? She always had a glimmer of hope in the past, but now she realizes that even her own uncle doesn't like him, so who else can be interested in him?
Her own son was stubborn and rigid, and might not be able to provide much help to Baoyu in the future. Other old relatives and friends seemed to be no match for Wang Ziteng. What should she do if she continued to raise Baoyu like this? Suffering now was better than suffering for the rest of her life.
Not long after, Jia Zheng came quickly.
"Madam, why did you call me here?" Jia Zheng asked respectfully.
The old lady waved her hand and asked Jia Zheng to come closer. She looked him up and down for a moment and finally found that her youngest son now had some white hair on his temples. This youngest son was also spoiled by her when he was young, but now he has become so old.
"Zheng'er, you are so old now!" the old lady suddenly said in tears.
Jia Zheng's heart was shaken by his mother's words. He quickly supported the old lady and said, "Mother, my son Baoyu is now of marriageable age, so naturally, I am no longer the child I once was. I have troubled you with all your care over the years. When I was little, I was also naughty and ignorant, but fortunately, you taught me diligently. Although I may not be able to do much now, I will never forget your guidance."
The mother and son chatted like this for a long time, and the old lady finally said, "Before, I was wrong. You urged Baoyu to study all day long, and I tried to stop him. Instead, I delayed Baoyu's studies."
"Now, mother, I have also come to my senses. Although Baoyu was born with jade in his mouth and is naturally blessed with great fortune, he must also work hard. Otherwise, will this great fortune just fall from my hands? Now, Baoyu has a wife, and I'm afraid he will get married in the next two years. I can't keep him by my side all day."
"You want to encourage him to study, which is naturally good, and I agree today! However, you also know that Baoyu is weak, so you can't be too harsh in discipline, and don't hit him too hard, otherwise, I will not forgive you."
Jia Zheng stared at his mother in a daze. Was he dreaming? Or perhaps he wouldn't dare dream such a beautiful dream!
"Mother, are you telling the truth?"
"Ah!" The old lady sighed. "Perhaps I was wrong before! Cong'er has made a path through hardships and difficulties. Now he has established a family at home and is fighting for his country abroad. This shows the value of hard work. I don't ask for anything in Baoyu's future. As long as he can establish a family at home and can protect our family business, at least he can be rich and prosperous for a lifetime..."
Seeing that his mother had not been deceiving him, Jia Zheng's eyes immediately lit up and he kowtowed vigorously to her several times. "Don't worry, mother. I will teach Baoyu diligently and will not let him lose the face of our ancestors. I also take your words to heart and will never be harsh on you."
The mother and son talked for a few more words, and then Jia Zheng left the inner hall and headed towards the front yard.
