Chapter 253: Chapter 107: Shooting Oneself in the Foot 2

As they watched Chen Song and his family leave, the Zhao clan members were still chatting. "Chen Song and his wife are truly good people."

"De’an is a good lad, too. Most people would be busy trying to hide things and keep them for themselves. But he’s a true brother-in-law, always looking out for our Jing."

"This was a truly wonderful marriage."

The Zhao Family members didn’t leave; instead, they gathered once more in the Zhao home to chat.

The men and women gathered together, listening as Mr. Zhao asked Zhao Jing about the exam.

Zhao Jing, of course, told them everything—what clothes he wore into the examination hall, what food he brought, and all the associated customs. He added that his father-in-law, being experienced, had them bring along old ginger and a raincloth, both of which turned out to be incredibly useful.

The Zhao Family members listened intently, and not a single person interrupted.

As they listened, Mrs. Zhao and the second uncle’s wife couldn’t help but pat Mrs. Zhao’s hand. "His in-laws are truly putting their whole heart into looking after Jing."

"If Jing grows close to his in-laws, don’t you feel upset. Not only can they help support Jing, but De’an can also complement him in his studies. Jing is lonely without a brother of his own, so it’s a good thing for him to be on good terms with his two brothers-in-law."

Mrs. Zhao did, in fact, feel a pang of jealousy.

Her son had grown up, taken a wife, and now he’d stayed with the Yue Family for so long. She felt as if her in-laws had stolen him away.

Although what Xu Su Ying had said was harmless, the casual intimacy in her words made Mrs. Zhao unable to stop overthinking it.

And once she started overthinking, she’d get upset, and it would inevitably show on her face.

But her two sisters-in-law were right, and their reminder was timely. Mrs. Zhao realized she shouldn’t be thinking like that at all.

’She knew her own health all too well. She might only have a few years left. When she was gone, what would happen to her two children?’

’Although Jing is an adult and has his uncles, Mr. Zhao and Mr. Zhao, to look after him, they can only help him with major affairs, not with everything else.’

’Take silver coins, for example.’

’If Jing were to go to the Capital City for the examinations, the amount of silver coins needed would be no small sum. Who would be willing to part with that kind of money so easily?’

’His uncles, Mr. Zhao and Mr. Zhao, have their own children and grandchildren—even great-grandchildren. Their families would squabble endlessly over a few taels of Silver, and Jing would be caught in the middle, pleasing no one.’

’Only his in-laws would help Jing without a second thought.’

’Even though they are technically his father-in-law and mother-in-law, they are no different from his own parents.’

In that instant, Mrs. Zhao’s perspective shifted, and the unspoken bitterness in her heart vanished.

By evening, everyone had finally left.

Chen Wanqing prepared a simple dinner of porridge, scrambled eggs with green onions, and a purslane salad, and the family ate together.

After dinner, however, Zhao Jing couldn’t remain at home. He was called away by one of Mr. Zhao’s grandsons.

Apparently, an entry needed to be added to the clan registry. They had been too busy today and had forgotten, but now that they remembered, it needed to be taken care of right away.

Zhao Jing started for the door, but just as he reached the threshold, he turned back to look at Chen Wanqing. "Will you wait up for me tonight?"

Chen Wanqing knew exactly what he meant. Holding back a smile, she nodded.

’She would have liked to let Jing have his way, but as luck would have it, her period had started that afternoon.’

’But she wouldn’t tell him now. She’d wait until he got back tonight. That way, he’d have less time to be disappointed.’

Perhaps it was the thought of that particular prize dangling just out of reach, but Zhao Jing returned remarkably quickly.

Mrs. Zhao had just finished grinding a small basket of huangqi into powder when Zhao Jing returned. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

’Had it even been half an hour since he left?’

"Back so soon? Is everything taken care of?"

Zhao Jing glanced toward the east room. Understanding his meaning, Mrs. Zhao held back a smile and said, "Wanqing isn’t asleep; she’s in your room, reading. She told me to get some rest too, but I didn’t. I used to rest and recuperate every day, but the more I rested, the weaker I felt. These past few days, helping Qing’er make incense has been tiring, I’ll admit, but I’ve been sleeping so soundly at night. It just goes to show, people can’t be idle. Otherwise, even a healthy person will end up with all sorts of problems."

Zhao Jing listened quietly as his mother chattered on. When she finally paused, he asked, "Is Xiang’er asleep?"

Mrs. Zhao pointed to the west room. "She’s fast asleep. If you listen closely, you can even hear her snoring. She had such a wonderful time today, running all over the place without a moment’s rest. By dinnertime, she was yawning constantly. Right after you left, she washed up and went straight to bed."

"Then you should get to bed early too, Mother. If you want to work on it, you can do it during the day. Working late at night will only strain your eyes."

Mrs. Zhao glanced at the unsifted huangqi powder, but ultimately decided to listen to her son. "Alright, I’ll go rest then."