Chapter 670: Chapter 671: Spinoff – An Unexpected Visitor_1 Chapter 670: Chapter 671: Spinoff – An Unexpected Visitor_1 “Come inside quickly and see your little uncle Cen’er, who’s still crying,” Zhao Song spoke deliberately loud, obviously for Cen’er to hear.

Indeed, Cen’er, who had been crying inside the room, immediately stopped. Zhao Song chuckled and carried the children inside.

Xiaobai and Xiaohua immediately gathered around to play with Cen’er.

“Little Uncle, were you crying? My mom says adults never cry without a good reason. You don’t seem like an adult at all,” Xiaobai said with a giggle.

Cen’er wiped his face and said defiantly, “I wasn’t crying! I am an adult too!”

Mrs. Lin couldn’t help but laugh. This child claimed an older generation but was two years younger than Xiaobai and Xiaohua, which vexed him to no end.

“Xiaobai, Xiaohua, why don’t you go play with your little uncle? He must be feeling upset. Don’t you want to cheer him up?”

Cen’er puffed up and said, “I’m not upset at all! A true man never gets upset!”

Muniang pinched Cen’er’s little cheek, “Aiyo, how can my little brother be so cute?”

Xiaobai and Xiaohua immediately presented their own rosy little cheeks, “Am I not even cuter?” They seemed fearful of losing their favored status.

“Both of you are cute, now go off and play. I don’t have time to deal with you,” Muniang said as she shooed the children out, instructing several servant girls and old maids to follow and keep an eye on them, her head throbbing from their constant din.

Mrs. Lin chided, “Is that any way to manage children?”

Muniang playfully cooed, “Aren’t these children growing up strong and healthy? Just look at how well they are growing.”

Xiaobai and Xiaohua: “…”

“I don’t have the energy to argue with you! Oh, by the way, Jiangshui wrote a few days ago, saying he’s coming home to visit his family. Tianniu will have to come back with him too,” Mrs. Lin suddenly said.

“Really?” Muniang was thrilled.

Zhao Song also smiled, “Yes, he should have already started his journey. In about two or three months, he should be back. Then our family can finally have a proper reunion. Jianghe has been missing his brother these last few days too.”

“That truly is wonderful news. When they return, we must have a good gathering. It’s been years since I saw Tianniu. I wonder how she’s doing now,” Muniang said with a smile.

“Jiangshui is a good child, he’ll naturally take good care of her. Besides, Tianniu is smart. She must be doing well. It’s rare for her to come back, which is good,” Mrs. Lin said, her face full of relief.

Muniang huffed, “Poor Mei Garden, Tianniu abandoned me for her husband. I nurtured that girl for so many years, and in the end, she just left everything behind.”

Since Tianniu followed Zhao Jiangshui to the Capital, she naturally couldn’t take care of Mei Garden anymore, leaving Muniang feeling quite disappointed.

Mrs. Lin scowled, “Aren’t you staying in Qinghua City? Are you without hands and feet? Take care of the theater you opened yourself. Look at how Yu Ze has spoiled you with laziness.”

Muniang, looking pitiful, tugged at Mrs. Lin’s sleeve, “Mom, how can you say that about me?”

Mrs. Lin laughed and scolded, “You child, your child is already five years old, yet you still don’t act like an adult!”

Muniang playfully blinked, “But this is in front of mom.”

Outside the window, three little heads sneakily retracted and crouched in a corner, where Xiaobai immediately started lecturing, “See, I told you mom always likes using this trick.”

“Mom’s being shy!” Xiaohua chimed in gleefully.

Cen’er blinked, brothers and sisters—or rather, nephews and nieces, what are they talking about?

A group of maidservants and older women felt embarrassed, should they tell the Lady about this conversation?

“It’s fine, everyone knows you dote on Tianniu the most. A whole Embroidery House in Qinghua City—you just gave it to her as part of her dowry. I was shocked,” Mrs. Lin said with a smile.

“Which city in the Daqian Dynasty doesn’t have a Yuyang Embroidery House? There are forty in total. It’s just one Embroidery House in the capital, although the income there is indeed the best, but after all, it’s close by, convenient for Tianniu to manage.”

Muniang continued, “Besides, when I gave her that, I did have some thoughts. Jiangshui’s official rank in court is thriving, and it’s not that he needs money. But how can he lack financial resources in court? If the water is too clear, there are no fish. Inevitably, there are some places, some things that require a lot of money. It’s useful to have a highly profitable business in the family. Furthermore, with Tianniu’s capabilities, she can completely manage the Embroidery House well. Now, Mei Garden in the capital is the most profitable of all Mei Gardens, and that’s not just because of the capital’s geographical advantage. Tianniu’s business strategy is indeed commendable.”

“Also, and most importantly, I don’t want Tianniu to become a person dependent on men. Perhaps Zhao Jiangshui is willing to provide for her, but situations always change, and Zhao Jiangshui’s path is not a common one. If Tianniu becomes a woman who only knows how to manage the household and educate the children, she would not be of help to Zhao Jiangshui. Maybe one day, she will become superfluous.”

After all, the temptations of the capital are great. It is because Muniang cares about Tianniu that she has thought so much for her. Not to mention her care for Tianniu; even in her own relationship with Yu Ze, she didn’t rely solely on emotions. Marriage is about living life together; having necessary checks and balances is essential.

Mrs. Lin nodded, “Tianniu can certainly understand your hard work for her. The capital is not like our small place. Although Jiangshui is trustworthy, he can’t be too complacent. There must be many women in the capital who covet the chance to marry Jiangshui.”

Muniang sighed, “Isn’t that the truth? Zhao Jiangshui is not even twenty years old yet and already holds a third-rank official position. His future prospects are limitless, and there are plenty of people who want to ingratiate themselves with him. Tianniu even wrote to me complaining that daughters of noble families are willing to enter Zhao Mansion as concubines. Sometimes, I really worry for Tianniu.”

“Don’t worry, that child is clever. She knows how to protect what’s hers,” Mrs. Lin consoled. “When they come back this time, I’ll have your father speak with Jiangshui properly. No matter what, he must truly cherish Tianniu.”

“Yes.”

After chatting with Mrs. Lin for a while, Muniang got up to leave; she had just passed by to visit after picking up the kids from school and needed to go back to prepare dinner. Yu Ze would be coming home soon.

Little did Muniang know that, upon arriving at her mansion’s doorstep, she would encounter a person she never expected to see—Zhao Danggui.

“What are you doing here?” Muniang frowned, seeing this woman never improved her mood.

Zhao Danggui smiled sheepishly, “I just happened to be in Qinghua City, so I thought of visiting you. Hey, your child has grown up to be so adorable.” While speaking, she attempted to get cozy with Muniang and reach for the child.

Xiaobai and Xiaohua immediately dodged her, and Muniang signaled to the maidservants and older women, “Take the young master and miss inside.”