kvmb Chapter 182 A Conversation Between Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law
Chapter 182 A Conversation Between Father-in-Law and Son-in-Law
The Prince of Zhenbei's face gradually darkened, and he had to face the fact that his daughter had married someone else.
Separated from their children for more than a decade, they missed not only her growth, but also the two most important moments in her life.
Coming-of-age ceremony and marriage.
“He came with me. He asked me to come see you first, and then he will come to visit you,” Shen Qingtan explained softly to Zhao Yi, staring at his furrowed brows, and asked again, “Do you want to see him?”
"Why wouldn't I see him?" How could the Prince of Zhenbei not hear Shen Qingtan's protection of Zhao Yi? He said in a low voice, "He is my son-in-law, so naturally I must see him."
Shen Qingtan was taken aback.
The Prince of Zhenbei instructed his servant: "Go and invite the second son of the Zhao family to the tea room."
Upon hearing the way the Prince of Zhenbei addressed Zhao Yi, the servant was filled with shock and dared not pry into his master's private affairs any further. He hurriedly went to invite the distinguished guest.
"Manman, let's go to the teahouse and wait for him." The tall figure of the Prince of Zhenbei blocked the entrance to the courtyard. He stepped aside to let her go first: "Let's go."
Shen Qingtan looked at the Prince of Zhenbei in surprise. His face was tanned dark, but his smile was bold and showed a set of very white teeth, like an ordinary father.
He was just a bit more lenient with his children than the average father, letting her, a younger generation, take the lead.
Gu Zongci said that the Prince of Zhenbei was unruly and did not follow the rules.
Shen Qingtan felt that the Prince of Zhenbei was a maverick who was unwilling to read the Book of Rites and would not follow the rules of etiquette, acting entirely on his whims.
She curtsied and said, "Please go first."
The Prince of Zhenbei remained silent and strode towards the tea room. He caught sight of Shen Qingtan hurrying after him, looking just like she had when she was a toddler learning to walk, and he involuntarily slowed his pace.
The father and daughter entered the tea room one after the other.
Gu Zongci, holding his teacup, looked at them and asked the Prince of Zhenbei, "How is it? Are the glutinous rice balls delicious?"
The Prince of Zhenbei glared at him: "Of course my daughter's glutinous rice balls are delicious. You're asking this because you've never tried them before?"
Gu Zongci felt as if he had been stabbed in the heart.
He only had one son, whose whereabouts are still unknown.
Hmph, who wants to eat these sour and smelly glutinous rice balls?
He glanced at the bowl in Shen Qingtan's hand, and his heart felt like a pickled cucumber soaking in a jar, sour and sour.
“You’ll get some too. I made twenty in total,” Shen Qingtan said with a light smile. “The cook said that you have to eat according to the appointed time. When the time comes, she’ll cook them and bring them to you.”
Gu Zongci was overjoyed upon hearing this: "I've never eaten my daughter's cooking before, but I'm so lucky to be able to eat my niece's cooking soon."
The Prince of Zhenbei could no longer maintain his composure. Gu Zongci put down his teacup with satisfaction, preparing to ask Shen Qingtan about recognizing her ancestors.
At this moment, the servant respectfully invited Zhao Yi in.
Zhao Yi stood before Shen Qingtan and bowed to the Prince of Zhenbei: "Your son-in-law greets your father-in-law."
The Prince of Zhenbei twitched his eyebrows and lifted his eyelids to look at him. He was a very ordinary, frail scholar, but he was quite handsome. However... he was very smooth and experienced in dealing with people.
Shen Qingtan was also taken aback and looked at Zhao Yi in surprise.
Zhao Yi then bowed to Gu Zong, saying, "This junior greets my uncle."
Gu Zongci nodded slightly and invited Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan to sit down.
The couple sat in the lower-level armchairs.
Shen Qingtan looked at the Prince of Zhenbei, then at Zhao Yi.
Zhao Yi, on the other hand, remained calm and composed, showing no signs of nervousness. Instead, she gave her a reassuring look.
Shen Qingtan: "..."
She couldn't fathom the thoughts of the Prince of Zhenbei, after all, even an outsider lamented Zhao Yi's frail health and impending death.
What about the Prince of Zhenbei, who deeply loved his daughter?
The Prince of Zhenbei stared at Zhao Yi's pale face, his brows furrowing more and more as he heard Zhao Yi cough occasionally. As a father, he naturally hoped that his son-in-law would possess exceptional courage, talent, and family background.
The most important thing is that he is physically strong, so that he can work hard for his career outside and take good care of his wife at home.
Zhao Yi looked sickly and weak, as if even breathing was difficult for him, and he certainly did not meet his standards for a son-in-law.
The Prince of Zhenbei was never autocratic or dictatorial in his treatment of his children; he cared a great deal about their feelings.
Before Zhao Yi arrived, Shen Qingtan had already protected him.
After Zhao Yi arrived, Shen Qingtan frequently looked at him, which showed that she cared about him a lot.
Although the Prince of Zhenbei was arrogant and unreasonable, he was not an ungrateful person.
Gu Zongci told him everything that had happened to Shen Qingtan in the capital.
He knew very well that without Zhao Yi's protection of Shen Qingtan, and without her family to rely on, she would have a very difficult time surrounded by wolves and tigers.
The tea room was quiet, with only the tea bubbling on the small stove.
Gu Zongci glanced at the Prince of Zhenbei several times, waiting for him to ask about his son-in-law.
As his uncle, he felt awkward about bringing it up.
The Prince of Zhenbei, however, sat there with a tense face and a straight back.
Seeing his serious expression, Zhao Yi unconsciously sat up straight, preparing to face his difficult questions.
The Prince of Zhenbei was becoming a father-in-law for the first time and didn't know how other fathers would interrogate their sons-in-law.
When he personally went to propose marriage, his father-in-law handed his daughter over to him without saying a word.
Now he can't even imitate them.
The Prince of Zhenbei placed his large hands on his knees and rubbed them back and forth.
I rubbed it, and a question popped up.
After rubbing it again, another problem arose.
He rubbed the rubbed hands several times until he had enough, and then went over the questions in his mind many times.
Prince Qingyi cleared his throat: "How old are you?"
Zhao Yi replied, "My son-in-law is twenty-two."
The Prince of Zhenbei then asked, "With your health, you probably can't work hard outside, so you're just resting at home, right?"
Zhao Yi understood the meaning behind the Prince of Zhenbei's words: he was inquiring whether his salary would be enough to support his daughter.
We are not yet in charge of our own affairs, and we live off the monthly allowance from the government. We cannot afford to live a comfortable life.
Zhao Yi said gently, "I have a sinecure in the Imperial Edicts Office of the Cabinet, and I do some small business when I have nothing to do. Now that we are married, Tan'er is worried that I will be too tired, so she is taking care of my business outside."
The Prince of Zhenbei understood the meaning behind Zhao Yi's words, and he handed over all his private property to Shen Qingtan for management.
He then asked, "You've been married for so long, what is your impression of my daughter?"
Zhao Yi responded cautiously: "Tan'er is a very good person. She is very filial to her elders, kind to her brothers, sisters-in-law, and devoted to me. My grandmother and mother told me that I am blessed to marry Tan'er, and I should cherish this blessing and not let her down."
The Prince of Zhenbei's eyes flickered slightly. Were Lady Zhao and Lady Zhao very satisfied with Manman?
When asked several questions, Zhao Yi answered them all fluently.
The Prince of Zhenbei fell silent.
Zhao Yi waited for the Prince of Zhenbei to continue his questioning, but after a long while, he still didn't speak. Instead, he saw the Prince place his hands on his knees and rub them back and forth, wrinkling the smooth fabric of his clothes.
Zhao Yi looked up at the Prince of Zhenbei, and their eyes met.
The father-in-law and son-in-law stared at each other, wide-eyed.
The Prince of Zhenbei racked his brains but couldn't think of any other problem.
He raised an eyebrow: "What, you've been thinking for so long, and you have nothing to ask me?"