The husband who forced her to marry her couldn't keep her warm, and she didn't want him to

In the west room, the servants placed the refreshments they brought on the small table beside the master.

Nuonuo and Tuanzi were held in someone's arms. They were very interested in the food they put into their mouths and stared at it with their big eyes.

He put his white and tender little hands into his mouth and ate with relish.

After Wang was divorced, Meng started taking the Ninth Young Master out more often.

Jiang Chengliang seemed to be more cheerful, but he still spoke very little.

Meng found a teacher for her eldest son, and at first they taught both children together. Jiang Yunchen could recite the Three Character Classic backwards, but Jiang Chengliang couldn't even remember what he had taught yesterday.

"...... Wait a few years, when Chengliang is willing to learn. It won't be too late then." Meng handed a fruit to Jiang Chengliang and said with a smile.

Madam Jiang nodded, her face full of love, "This child looked smart when he was first brought here. It won't be too late for him to enter the clan school once he matures a little bit."

It was nothing more than having food to eat and being raised in the backyard. It was a blessing for the child to meet an elder sister-in-law like Meng.

Gu Jinchu held Tuanzi in his arms and picked up a pear for him to play with.

Tuanzi held the fruit in his two chubby little hands, and put it to his mouth with great effort, then bit it hard.

Nuonuo, who was held in her grandmother's arms, babbled anxiously. She couldn't speak, so she could only express her dissatisfaction in this way.

Upon seeing this, Mrs. Jiang quickly gave her a fruit.

Jiang Chengliang got down from Meng's legs and walked towards the Luohan bed.

She looked up at Gu Jinchu, raised the apple she had gnawed into pieces, and whispered, "Eat."

Gu Jinchu still remembered that when the child first came, he would occasionally recognize her as his mother.

At that time, he was worried that being too close to the Ninth Young Master would make Wang dislike him even more, so he did not pay too much attention to him.

When I saw him again, the child had become dazed and stupid.

Gu Jinchu shook his head at the somewhat nervous Meng who came over, lowered his eyes to look at the child standing beside her legs and said with a smile: "Chengliang, do you want to give the fruit to your brother?"

Jiang Chengliang pursed his lips, said nothing, and just nodded.

Gu Jinchu said softly, "My brother is still young, and he hasn't grown any teeth yet. When he's older and can eat, Chengliang will give him some fruit, okay?"

Jiang Chengliang slowly took the fruit back from his hand, and when Meng held his hand, he followed her back obediently.

Gu Jinchu's smile remained unchanged, "Shuhui takes good care of the Ninth Young Master. She knows how to share things with her brothers and sisters."

Shuhui is Meng's maiden name. Although she is now the wife of the prince of Duke Dingguo's Mansion, those sitting in the west room are all her elders.

Mrs. Meng's face was gentle and soft, "The Ninth Young Master and Brother Chen are only two months apart, so your niece treats it as an extra child... After all, he and your husband have the same blood."

She touched the top of Jiang Chengliang's head and whispered, "What could be wrong with a child?"

"Speaking of children." Liu sat below Old Madam Jiang and said with a smile, "In a month or so, Fourth Brother's wife will also be due to give birth."

Madam Jiang looked at Zhang and asked, "Have you sent a letter home? Are all the things needed for the birth ready?"

Gu Jinchu's parents' home was in Shengjing City. When she was pregnant and giving birth, her parents sent a stream of gifts to the Duke Dingguo's Mansion.

Zhang's parents' home is far away in Ningyuan City, so it is inevitable that her parents' home is out of reach.

Although Old Madam Jiang did not interfere in her daughter-in-law's bedroom affairs, she would always show concern for important matters like childbirth.

Zhang said softly, "Everything else is ready. Fortunately, my daughter-in-law has taken care of Cheng Peng and Cheng Rui, and gave birth to Sister Xian... Now only Master Song and her apprentice are here."

The Mrs. Song she mentioned was the midwife who delivered Gu Jinchu.

Li placed her elbows on the chair, holding the peeled sunflower seeds in her hands, smiling, "Mrs. Song, it's a good omen for you to have a child... Not only are their skills trustworthy, but their names are also a good omen."

"Look at your sister's pointed belly, this baby is definitely going to be a boy!"

Zhang lowered her eyes and looked at her belly, with a calm expression, "Both boys and girls are fine. The fourth room already has the seventh and eighth young masters."

Liu smiled and said, "Third sister-in-law is right. Fifth sister-in-law and Madam Qin were both delivered by Master Song and his apprentice. This is a good omen."

After all, Mrs. Li said something pleasing to the ear, that the fourth brother's wife must have a legitimate son.

Gu Jinchu smiled, lowered his head to wipe Tuanzi's mouth, and did not participate in the conversation between the sisters-in-law.

Zhang had not been happy for several years after she got married. Her concubines gave birth to two boys before she gave birth to the third master's daughter.

At that time, Li used this method to mock Zhang openly and secretly.

Li also knew that she had done many things wrong in the past and had been trying to repair her relationship with her sisters-in-law.

Mr. Jiang held a high position, and Liu was a good speaker. During the period when she was confused, she focused most of her energy on Zhang, the fourth wife.

Zhang was a person as calm as a chrysanthemum. Although she never embarrassed her in front of others, she just got along with her in a lukewarm manner.

Li thought this was a good idea.

At least if Wang were here, the sisters-in-law wouldn't be so harmonious.

There would be no more good things said about Mrs. Chiang outside.

These are the changes that took place among the ladies in the Jiang family’s backyard after Gu Jinchu entered the family.

Gu Jinchu waited until a few sisters-in-law left before she told Old Madam Jiang about the Fifth Master's return.

Madam Jiang held her hand, with a look of concern on her face, "Jinchu saw Xiaowu? Did something happen, but Yongle's trip was not smooth?"

Thinking of Yongle going to the flood-stricken area, Mrs. Jiang was worried about the safety of her granddaughter.

Judging from the mother-in-law's reaction, it seemed that she didn't know that Master Jiang Wu took all the guards of Zhuli Pavilion with him when he went out.

Gu Jinchu smiled and comforted Madam Jiang, saying that it was just a group of villains dressed as Jurchens.

Old Madam Jiang was somewhat skeptical, but she also felt that it was unreasonable for her daughter-in-law to deceive her.

Only when she heard Gu Jinchu say that the Five Cities Military Department and the Embroidered Uniform Guard were involved did she feel relieved.

Gu Jinchu did not stay in Minghui Hall for dinner. Old Madam Jiang sympathized with her tiredness from going out today and did not try to keep her.

When I returned to Yuanyuan Hall, Master Jiang Wu had not yet returned home.

Gu Jinchu asked the wet nurse to put the two children on the kang, and she leaned on the edge of the bed and watched them.

After the two children learned to roll over, they became more and more dependent on someone, especially Tuanzi.

The wet nurse, Mrs. He, said that her eldest son was three years old this year and she wanted to bring him here to serve the young master and to be a playmate in the future.

Gu Jinchu thought and thought, and fell asleep unknowingly.

When she heard the sound and opened her eyes, it was dark outside.

In the dim candlelight, Uncle Jiang Wu picked her up from the kang while she was chewing a dumpling while holding the cloth tiger.

Seeing her sit up, Fifth Master Jiang said in a low and gentle voice, "It's good that you woke up. Mother Cheng said you fell asleep without having dinner."