Chapter 772 - 774: A Happy Occasion
Chapter 772: Chapter 774: A Happy Occasion
Cen Gaosong hadn’t forgotten; rather, no one had brought it up for years, and he simply hadn’t thought about the few children he had back in his hometown for a very long time.
"Why are we suddenly talking about them?" Cen Gaosong rubbed his nose. "With you taking care of them, Madam, I am naturally at ease."
"Sigh, you haven’t gone back in previous years, My Lord, and the gifts prepared didn’t include shares for the children. Fortunately, they are all filial. They personally write a letter to you every year."
After such a long time, Zhang Guihong deliberately brought this up today. "It’s just a pity that they long for it day and night, yet they have never received a reply from you.
"I truly feel for the children, especially Ping’er. I watched him grow up. The boy is bright and clever. Despite his young age, he has already memorized the Four Books and Five Classics under his teacher’s tutelage.
"It’s a shame the journey here was so far, otherwise I really would have wanted to bring him along to raise him by my side."
Cen Gaosong replied, "As their legal mother, it’s only right for you to do so."
"You don’t think I’m trying to claim credit, do you, My Lord?" Zhang Guihong covered her mouth, saying with a laugh. "You’ve misunderstood.
"I truly treat Ping’er as my own son. I wrote a letter to ask my father for permission, and the old man agreed. Therefore, we have already registered Ping’er under my name."
Cen Gaosong stood up abruptly. "What did you say?
"I knew nothing about this! Why didn’t you discuss it with me? Do you even have any respect for me?"
Zhang Guihong’s smile grew exceptionally festive. "Look at what you’re saying, My Lord. Ping’er is your biological son too. To have such great fortune, going from a concubine’s son to a legal son—aren’t you happy for the boy?
"Besides, isn’t this what you’ve always advised me to do? A concubine’s son still calls me mother. By registering him under my name, he will be even more filial to me in the future.
"Ping’er has been filial since he was young, and we get along well. This was merely a matter of course.
"As for discussing it with you, My Lord?
"Sigh, you really can’t blame me for this. You are usually so busy. In the past, whenever I said I had something to discuss with you, you always told me to handle it as I saw fit.
"Since this was such a minor matter, I didn’t dare bother you, so I just took care of it myself."
"You..." Cen Gaosong clutched his chest. "Is this a minor matter? How could you act on your own authority?"
Cen Yueqin knew it was inappropriate for her to interject at this moment, nor did she dare interrupt the two arguing figures, so she slowly backed out of the room.
Cen Gaosong couldn’t be bothered with her. "How long ago did you send this letter? Have it intercepted and brought back immediately!"
"Oh my, by now his name has probably already been entered into the genealogy book. Shouldn’t you send some gifts back to Ping’er, My Lord? It is, after all, a token of your affection as a father."
Cen Gaosong was speechless.
"Since this is a major joyful event for our household, let’s double everyone’s monthly allowance for this month. We should also book a few tables at Tianfu Restaurant so everyone in the estate can celebrate and have a good time." Zhang Guihong was exceptionally eager to spend money this time, hoping that a certain someone would find such a wonderful feast too hard to swallow.
"I disagree!" Cen Gaosong said loudly. "I haven’t even seen that child. I don’t know his temperament, nor do I know if he has any talent for studying!
"What if he turns out to be a useless failure? Wouldn’t that ruin our Cen Family?"
"I really don’t like hearing you say that, My Lord. You’ve only met Ping’er a few times. Making such a conclusion is far too arbitrary.
"Furthermore, I’ve already written to my father. Ping’er will be his biological grandson from now on, so naturally, the old man will keep him by his side and teach him personally.
"Even if my father’s energy falls short, doesn’t he still have his uncles?
"With them around, how could they possibly fail to teach the boy well?
"After all, he will be my support in the future. Even if just for my sake, they will put their hearts into it. You can set your mind at ease, My Lord."
Cen Gaosong immediately calmed down upon hearing the mention of his father-in-law and his brothers-in-law. His father-in-law was his esteemed mentor, and his brothers-in-law were his fellow disciples. Now that everything was settled, he couldn’t possibly reject them and cause them to lose face.
"If you feel that you can’t justify this to Aunt Lan, then I will go and tell her.
"When a concubine throws a little temper tantrum, it can be seen as charming. After all, you men just love that sort of thing.
"However, they must recognize their proper place. As long as they serve you well, My Lord, that’s enough. Everything else is naturally up to us, the heads of the household, to handle.
"Sometimes, being too ambitious is not a good thing. If it ends up making a joke of us, the ones who lose face will be me and you, My Lord."
Cen Gaosong was silent for a moment. "...Why must you make things difficult for her at every turn?"
"You are truly wronging me, My Lord." Zhang Guihong had rehearsed today’s scene hundreds of times in her mind, so she was not surprised by Cen Gaosong’s reaction. "As the main wife and head of the household, why would I stoop to bicker with a lowly concubine?
"The country has its laws, and a family has its rules. My Lord, where do you think I have acted inappropriately? Bring it up, and I will change."
With national laws and family rules laid out, there was no telling how many lines Mu Xianglan had crossed. If it weren’t for Cen Gaosong protecting her, Zhang Guihong could have sold the woman far away in an instant. There would be no need to keep her around just to be an eyesore.
Cen Gaosong felt that if he stayed any longer, he wouldn’t be able to hold himself back.
"I hope that in the future, whether it’s a big or small matter in this family, it’s best if you discuss it with me—the head of the household—first, rather than acting on your own.
"As for hosting a banquet, that won’t be necessary. Later, I will have someone gather some things; you can send them back home."
What else could he do but compromise? To register a concubine’s son under the legal mother’s name, the approval of both the legal mother and her maternal family was required. He had originally planned to take things slowly and find a way to persuade Zhang Guihong once the child was older. He never expected her to pull a stunt like this, making it impossible to change anything now. In the past, he had always thought Zhang Guihong was somewhat foolish and easy to coax, but this time, she had truly made him see her in a new light.
Stepping out into the courtyard, Cen Gaosong suddenly remembered that he still hadn’t achieved his purpose for coming here today. However, it wouldn’t be appropriate for him to swallow his pride and go back inside now.
Looking ahead at Aunt Lan’s courtyard, Cen Gaosong paused his steps, then turned and walked toward the front yard instead.
"My Lord arrived, but then he left? What does that mean?" Mu Xianglan gritted her teeth, glaring at the older servant woman who had come to deliver the news. This had never happened before.
"He was seen coming from the direction of the main courtyard. I don’t know why, but just as he was about to reach our courtyard, he turned around and left."
"It must be that old woman speaking ill of me again!" Mu Xianglan spat. "My Lord used to trust me so much, but now? If she says too much, he’ll start to harbor doubts.
"Hurry and find someone to ask around! What exactly were they talking about over in the main courtyard?"
Just as the older servant woman was about to leave, the steward from the main courtyard arrived at the door. The woman gave a perfunctory greeting of "Aunt Lan" before continuing, "There is a joyous occasion in the estate today, so Madam specially sent me to pass on a message.
"Everyone’s monthly allowance will be doubled this month, and several banquet tables have been booked at Tianfu Restaurant. When the time comes, Aunt Lan is invited to bring everyone from this courtyard to gather and celebrate together."
"What joyful occasion is there in this estate?" Mu Xianglan asked.
Ever since Zhang Guihong arrived, her access to information within the estate had become exceptionally delayed. Even the servants she had originally purchased herself had all defected and turned to Zhang Guihong, simply because their indentures were now in that old woman’s hands.