Chapter 159.1
Since she already said that, Yao shi couldn’t force her any further.
The next day, Yao shi came to Bishui Alley early to meet Gu Jiao and Gu Yan.
Little Jing Kong also wanted to go.
He mainly wanted to be with JiaoJiao, and he also seldom had a day off from school.
Yao shi had long regarded Little Jing Kong as her own child, so she gladly took him with them.
The horses clattered their hooves as the family sat inside the Marquis Estate's carriage.
Little Jing Kong, who sat beside Gu Jiao, was bobbing his head about with excitement.
"Very happy?" Gu Jiao asked.
Little Jing Kong swayed his short legs and cocked his head aside, saying, "This is my first visit to relatives!"
At that, several people in the carriage were taken aback.
The little monk had been living in the temple without meeting any relatives in the past. Although he gained family members after going down the mountain with Gu Jiao, there were still few relatives whom he could walk around with.
Little Jing Kong was a very smart and methodical child, which led to Gu Jiao and others rarely treating him as an ordinary kid.
It was at this moment that it dawned on Gu Jiao how Little Jing Kong had been longing to blend into normal life, just like how he liked playing with the children back in the village.
Gu Jiao looked at the little guy's bright eyes full of expectation and patted his little bald head.
"But, I have no hair. Will grandmother dislike me?"
Little Jing Kong addressed Gu Jiao’s family generally based on how Gu Jiao would, and as long as Gu Jiao didn’t have any objection.
Even though Gu Jiao never called Yao shi mother, she was willing to get close to her deep down, and Little Jing Kong was able to feel it, so he was also very close to Yao shi.
When Yao shi asked Gu Jiao about visiting her grandmother, Little Jing Kong specially observed Gu Jiao's expression, and she didn’t seem to mind the other party being referred to as her grandmother, hence Little Jing Kong guessed that he could also call the other party that.
Yao shi said warmly, "That’s not true. Little Jing Kong is just as cute without hair."
Little Jing Kong suddenly looked proud, saying, "I think I'm cute, too!"
The corner of Gu Yan's mouth twitched. He picked up his tiger hat and covered his little head with it, "Put on your hat, lest your head freeze to death!"
Little Jing Kong exploded, "You‘re just jealous that I am younger and cuter than you!"
Gu Yan let out a ‘hehe’, saying, "You’re cute? A pity no one loves you."
Little Jing Kong stamped his feet and put both hands on his hips. "You’re wrong! I am cute and loved by people!"
As the two of them quarreled, they soon arrived at the Yao residence.
Gu Yan had grown this big but this was the first time he visited his maternal family. Although Yao shi had disagreements with her family, she never showed it to Gu Yan, so Gu Yan's impression of the Yao Family wasn’t bad.
He was vaguely looking forward to this visit even if it was at Little Jing Kong’s instigation.
Yao shi had sent a message to her parental family last night, so Yao Yuan and his wife, He shi, waited at the gates early in the morning.
It was freezing cold, and the two of them were shivering as they held a warmer bottle in their hands.
Finally, they saw the carriage coming and hurried forward without waiting for the carriage to stop.
Yao Yuan called excitedly, "Sister!"
After the carriage halted, Grannie Fang stepped down first and then helped Yao shi alight.
Yao shi greeted her older brother and sister-in-law, then looked at the carriage.
They first saw a small bean jump down from within the carriage, making Yao Yuan and He shi both stunned; then Gu Jiao and Gu Yan stepped down in turn.
Seeing Gu Jiao and Gu Yan, everyone present could guess that they were Yao shi's twins, but that little bean...
He wasn’t Yao shi's third child, was he?
Yao Yuan looked at her sister in a swish.
Yao shi called Little Jingkong, "Jing Kong, greet First Uncle, and First Aunt."
Little Jing Kong greeted with a clear and loud voice, "First Uncle! First Aunt!"
He shi looked a little bewildered. Was this really sister-in-law’s third child?
Yao Yuan had talked with Yao shi yesterday, and knew that this should be the child JiaoJiao had adopted from the temple in the mountain, named Jing Kong.
"Little Jing Kong is really cute." Yao Yuan praised Little Jing Kong.
Meanwhile, He shi was in great shock as soon as she got a closer look at Yao shi.
She was only three years older than Yao shi, and they were both once magnificent beauties. After more than ten years, Yao shi's charm remained the same, without much traces of time. On the other hand, her face was already covered with wrinkles.
It seemed as though time only ticked for others.
He shi had always felt inferior to Yao shi so it was only natural that she would pay most attention to her. But after observing Yao shi, she went to carefully look at Yao shi's children.
Little Jing Kong had run ahead to see the stone lion at the gate, so He shi’s eyes fell on Gu Yan and Gu Jiao.
Gu Yan inherited the good looks of Marquis Gu, which was as pure as jade. As for Gu Jiao…
He shi looked at the birthmark on her face, opened her mouth and asked, "Is this... Jinyu?"
Yao shi replied, "It's JiaoJiao."
Yao Yuan learned about the mixed-up of the two daughters when he visited the Marquis Estate yesterday. He also knew that Gu Jiao hadn’t returned to the estate yet, and she was still living in a small house outside the estate.
There was an imperceptible disappointment in He shi’s eyes. She looked in the direction of the carriage and asked again, "Jinyu didn't come?"
Yao shi's eyebrows creased up.
Jinyu, Jinyu, Jinyu. The one standing in front of her was JiaoJiao, couldn’t she greet JiaoJiao first?
Gu Jiao remained calm. Without greeting He shi, she directly passed her and caught up with Little Jing Kong, who was staring at the stone lion in front.
Yao Yuan glared at He shi.
He shi curled her lips. She was just asking, what was wrong with that? Was no one allowed to ask if the person didn't come?
He Shi looked at Gu Yan this time, smiling and saying, "Is this Yan'er?"
Gu Yan: Hehe. You ignore my sister, then see me ignore you!
Gu Yan didn't bother to spare He shi a glance and simply strode forward to reach Gu Jiao and Little Jing Kong.
Yao Yuan and He shi were extremely embarrassed.
Yao Yuan didn’t display any differential treatment, but he didn't expect his wife to behave as such.
Ashamed, he cleared his throat and said to Yao shi, "Mother is in the house. Sister should go in and meet her."
Yao shi stepped into the house.
He shi walked beside her with the same smiling face and continued asking her, "Sister-in-law, why didn't Jinyu come over?"
Yao shi's steps halted as she answered, "She's in the palace!"
"Ah..." He shi was momentarily dazed. "Jinyu is really powerful... she can actually enter the palace..."
Yao shi really didn’t want to converse with this eldest sister-in-law anymore.
However, she didn't come here today to see her sister-in-law.
A few people went to Old Madame Yao's courtyard.
Old Madame Yao was sitting on the kang bed in the east wing, and unlike what Yao Yuan said, though she did look pale, she didn’t look like someone who was going to die soon.