Wanjin Lady

Chapter 187: Madam Mei Returns

The Wen family is going to hold a wedding, but it will be a low-key affair.

After all, the son-in-law of this family had just passed away, and Wen Weiming, as the father-in-law, remarried, so it was naturally not appropriate to hold a grand ceremony.

As the New Year approached, the Wen family welcomed Mei Qing in a festive mood. Cheng Yunzhang sent a servant to escort her, and she arrived at the Wen family in the evening, exhausted from the journey.

This made Mother Chen very happy. She was busy cooking and afraid that no one would miss the story. The spatula was dancing with sparks as she quickly prepared three dishes and a soup.

Wen Wan wanted to let Cheng Yunzhang's servant stay overnight, but the servant refused, saying that the New Year was approaching and he had to go back to Bozhou to reunite with his family. Wen Wan didn't want to keep him, so she just rewarded him with a small ingot of silver and asked Hongmei to arrange accommodation for him. Only then did she sit down to accompany Madam Mei.

As soon as Madam Mei saw Wen Wan, she threw herself into her arms, wishing she could kneel down and kowtow. She grabbed her hand as if she was full of grievances and wanted to say, "Thank you so much, Young Master, for saving my life... If it weren't for you... there would be no Mei Qing."

Wen Wan quickly helped her up and said with a smile, "Miss Mei, I didn't put much effort into this matter. It was mainly due to my adoptive father and senior brother."

The night was long and the wind and snow were still blowing. Several women stayed in a room with a charcoal fire burning brightly. There were three or two small dishes and a pot of sake on the table.

Wen Wan asked Chen Ma and Hong Mei to accompany her. When Wen Jing heard that Mei Qing had arrived, she hurried over.

Five women sat around a small table.

"Your adoptive father?"

"Well, my adoptive father, Yao Shizhen, was once a colleague of your father's. He was grateful for your honest conduct and, upon hearing that you were imprisoned, he became extremely anxious. My senior brother happened to be returning to Bozhou for the New Year, so he specifically asked him to make a detour to inquire about your situation. Unexpectedly, my senior brother acted so quickly. No sooner had he received the news about you than he said he had already sent someone to escort you back."

Mei Qing realized belatedly, "That Mr. Cheng... is the young master's senior brother?"

"Exactly."

"No wonder people have a stroke."

Mother Chen pushed the plate of braised beef in sauce towards Mei Qing. Looking at the skinny young lady who was now just skin and bones, Mother Chen cursed An Baonian a thousand times in her heart, her eyes filled with heartache. "Little Miss Mei, don't just talk. Eat while you talk."

Wen Jing grabbed Mei Qing's sleeve and said, "Aunt Mei, you've lost weight!" She pushed all the dishes in front of her toward Mei Qing and said, "Eat more!"

"Oh!" Madam Mei responded, and when she saw several pairs of eyes looking at her, she smiled even more shyly.

Only when we got there did we feel at ease.

It's strange to say, she only stayed in the Wen family for ten days, but she had an inexplicable sense of belonging to this place.

Just as she took a bite, Wen Jing tugged at the corner of her clothes. The little girl looked at her with sparkling eyes, "Aunt Mei...why didn't brother Chongrong come with you?"

Aunt Chen was also worried, "Yes, that kid... Is it because the An family won't let him go?"

Aunt Chen's words brought back Mei Qing's sorrow, and the emotions she had been holding back all the way finally erupted at this moment. The young lady's eyes were red. "Master Cheng said... if it were just me, it would be easier for me to leave the An family. But if I take Chongrong with me, I'm afraid neither mother nor son would be able to leave. Rather than both of us being trapped in the An family, why not save me first? Once I'm settled, we can find a way to get Chongrong out."

For a moment, everyone was silent.

Cheng Yunzhang was right. Mei Qing was divorced by the An family. It was neither moral nor logical for the An family to hold her back.

But Chongrong...his last name is An after all!
Hongmei asked in confusion, "But why did they let Chongrong leave before?" "Chongrong was clever. When he saw me leave the An family, he secretly climbed over the wall and followed me." A look of confusion appeared in Meiqing's eyes. She remembered what the young master Cheng had said to her before she left, and she also remembered the hardships that An Chongrong had suffered with her mother. She didn't know whether she should take her son with her.

"An Baonian is a man...seeking fame and reputation. He felt that my business abroad had brought shame upon the An family, so he went through great pains to kidnap me and imprison me in a cellar. The An family kept me alive with only one meal a day, but they couldn't think of a way to deal with me."

"Luckily, Master Cheng came. He found me and said he was sent by the young master to rescue me." At this point, Mei Qing cast a grateful glance at Wen Wan. "Later, I heard that a scholar had reported to the county school, and the county school teacher came to warn An Baonian. He also let it slip that this year's inspector intended to recruit a few scholars to serve as his advisors, and asked An Baonian to be cautious in his words and actions at such a critical moment. But An Baonian, obsessed with power and wealth, had no choice but to obey."

Mei Qing showed a hint of sarcasm on his face.

"Later, a matchmaker came to my house and said that there was an old widower in Ping County who wanted to marry a woman who had given birth to a son. An Baonian felt that having me as his wife would not be a disgrace to his An family, so he agreed to let me go."

"I forced him to sign a contract not to interfere with my life anymore. Before he left, he humiliated me severely and warned me to control my temper and serve my new husband well after I went to his house."

"But later I found out that all of this was the work of that Master Cheng. An Baonian kept my imprisonment very secret. Apart from the An family, few people in Guangji County knew about it. It was even less likely that the county school knew about it. I suspect Master Cheng must have been the one who mediated it."

Upon hearing this, Wen Wan was impressed by Cheng Yunzhang's method of using the opponent's force to defeat him.

Yuan Liulang was a idiot, but Cheng Yunzhang was definitely a sweet-faced, black-hearted sesame-filled glutinous rice dumpling. If her opponent in the winery battle was Cheng Yunzhang, what chances would she have of winning?

For a moment, everyone was silent.

Hongmei sighed and said, "So Chongrong still has to stay in the An family now?"

Mei Qing pursed her lips, and the corners of her eyes turned red.

Which mother would be willing to abandon her own child?
Wen Wan didn’t understand it before, but since she became a mother and felt the changes in the baby in her belly every day, she gradually understood why her mother never gave up on her no matter how bad the disease was.

She once saw a post online that asked what her mother would do if she turned into a cockroach.
There are many heartwarming comments below.

Mom said: I will get you a small box, find food for you every day, and raise you.

After listening to it, I felt that the corpse spots were much lighter.

Maybe even if she turned into a cockroach, her mother would still think she was a very cute little cockroach.

"If Chongrong follows a mother like me... he will only suffer hardships. If he stays in the An family, at least he can study and learn calligraphy. I... I can't hinder his future."

Seeing the struggle and pain in Mei Qing's eyes, Aunt Chen hurriedly said, "Miss Mei, they say it's better to follow a beggar mother than a government official father. Chongrong's father... may not be as good as yours."

"But he is his son after all. Even a tiger wouldn't eat its own cubs. He wouldn't harm his own son, would he?"

Hongmei also shook her head. "Didn't they say... that family has a powerful concubine? What's her name... something like Auntie!"

Wen Jing immediately interjected, "Auntie Lin! Brother Chongrong said she's a bad woman! Every time she asks Mr. An about his well-being in front of him, she turns around and pinches him until he bleeds! And Mr. An doesn't believe it!"

Happy New Year's Eve! Wishing everyone a happy new year, good health, and great wealth in the coming year!

Secondly, as "Wan Jin Niang Zi" has progressed this far, I've received a lot of encouragement from my lovely readers. I'd like to thank the following readers: Song Ni Qi Ji, Fanqie La Mian, Xia Ri Xing, Long Chi Po, Xie Liang Wu Qing, newgone, Cai Wei, Shen Dong Xia Yang, Yin He Shuo, Chun Feng Fu Kan, Qian Qian Dan Shui, Du Zi Tang, Grace, Ge Ge Xiao Wu, and many more. Many of your accounts are just strings of numbers, which I can't remember, but I've received all your kind words and encouragement. Thank you all for your understanding and support!
This book is a little over a million words long. I've tried my best, not abandoning it or adding filler, and making progress little by little... Thank you... Sending you love!
(End of this chapter)