Song Mingyue nodded, "That's natural. Zhenzhen, don't worry, I'll teach them well. It's just, it's just, Little Niu isn't as handsome as His Highness. What if the two boys take after him? Not only will the delicate young ladies not fancy them, but I won't either!"
"Mingyue, you're good-looking. They say sons take after their mothers. Looking at him now, he resembles you, so he'll definitely be a handsome young man in the future," Qi Zhenzhen comforted with a laugh. This one in her belly hadn't even been born yet, and it was uncertain if it would be a boy or a girl, yet Song Mingyue was already worrying about her son's appearance.
"Let's hope so!" Song Mingyue said wistfully.
As they chatted idly, Madam Yu bustled in. She gave Qi Zhenzhen a slight nod. Qi Zhenzhen understood; this meant she had spoken with Zhang Xiaoniu and received assurances.
"Mother, Xiaoniu is discussing matters with His Highness. Can't you wait until His Highness and Zhenzhen leave before saying whatever it is? It's also because His Highness is being amiable towards our family out of respect for Zhenzhen that he isn't being overly particular," Song Mingyue chided. Their family had a connection with Zhenzhen, and their interactions had always been as if they were still in the village. Zhenzhen liked it this way, but His Highness might not. They couldn't put Zhenzhen in a difficult position.
Madam Yu had also lost some composure due to her anxiety. After speaking with Zhang Xiaoniu, she realized her impropriety. She had observed Gu Sinian's expression at the time, and seeing his gentle demeanor, devoid of any impatience or dislike, she finally felt at ease.
"It's nothing major. I just thought that since we ate a lot of meat dishes at noon today, it was a bit greasy, so I sent some tea to help cleanse the palate for His Highness and Xiaoniu. His Highness even thanked me! Do you think your mother is like you, careless and lacking in delicate thoughts?" Madam Yu chided. On her way back, she had been contemplating that as her son-in-law worked with His Highness, his future prospects would only improve, and those who coveted him would only increase. If Mingyue remained so naive, how could she possibly handle it? Even she, who had eaten salt for decades, couldn't fathom the intentions of those people, let alone Mingyue... Da Feng Novel Network
Madam Yu was genuinely worried. She couldn't stay at the Zhang family's residence forever. What was to be done?
"Mother?" Song Mingyue asked, a little puzzled. Why had her mother suddenly spaced out mid-sentence?
Madam Yu snapped back to attention, "Mingyue, as Xiaoniu's future prospects continue to improve, your household should indeed add more staff. At the very least, you should have a capable嬷嬷 (māmā - a senior female servant or governess) to help manage affairs, so you can focus on raising the children."
Song Mingyue was unconcerned, "Don't I have you, Mother?"
"I am Xiaoniu's mother-in-law. How can a mother-in-law constantly reside in her son-in-law's household? It was because you were pregnant and Xiaoniu couldn't be by your side that your father and I came to stay. When you gave birth, we were at Taihe Temple. Your father had nothing else to do, so he returned to the village. Can I leave your father alone indefinitely? Besides, we still have your paternal grandparents at home," Madam Yu explained.
"Xiaoniu's parents aren't here. He wishes you would live with us permanently. If Mother misses Father, then invite him over! Even if Grandfather and Grandmother come along, that would be fine too. They can see their great-grandchild," Song Mingyue said with a smile.
It was proper for the paternal grandparents to visit their great-grandchild, but they certainly couldn't live there long-term. Both paternal grandparents were people who valued tradition. Parents were meant to live with their eldest son. They wouldn't even agree to live with their second son's family, let alone their granddaughter's husband! Furthermore, Madam Yu believed that Song Mingyue's constant naivety was precisely because her mother had been there to watch over her. Once she left, and Song Mingyue had to personally handle everything and experience more, she would naturally develop the ability to discern people's intentions.