Greetings, Ninth Uncle

Chapter 63: Eldest Sister (III)

While talking, Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing entered the dining room. The servant girls quickly moved out the chairs for them and announced: “Ninth Master and Eldest Miss are here.”

Other Cheng family’s members seemed to be surprised seeing Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing arrived together. Because they were late, and other relatives had been seated, Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing naturally sat side by side on the two remaining seats.

The bride’s first visit to the natal family was a family event, and there was no need to separate the dining table according to gender. Since the Cheng family’s members were not so numerous, everyone was sitting at one table. Even Cheng Enbao was placed on a small high stool and looked after by his wet nurse and mother.

Qingfu Junzhu and Ruan-shi did not sit. They stood on the Old Madam’s side and was going to serve the Old Madam’s meal. After they held the chopsticks, Old Madam Cheng gestured and said: “Today is the second young lady and second young master-in-law’s happy event. You don’t have to be busy. Sit down and eat.”

Usually, daughters-in-law couldn’t sit at the dining table and had to serve their mother-in-law to eat. Only after the mother-in-law finished eating they could sit and eat. On the contrary, daughters and granddaughters could sit down and eat directly. That’s why it was said that daughters should be pampered in their natal family and shouldn’t be punished easily. Because sooner or later, they would have to serve their in-laws in their husband’s family and follow the rules all day long, until they gave birth to sons and daughters and finally gained a bit more standing.

Today was Cheng Yumo’s visit to her natal home. It was impossible for Old Madam Cheng to let Ruan-shi serve her on such a day. As for Qingfu Junzhu, the Old Madam couldn’t let this eldest daughter-in-law stood while Ruan-shi was seated either. After they made some superficial gestures, Old Madam Cheng let them sit at the table.

After pretending to decline a bit, Qingfu Junzhu and Ruan-shi sat one after another. Their seat had been prepared from the beginning. Two servant girls quickly pulled out the chair and waited for the two madams to take their seats.

Cheng Yumo watched her mother serving dishes for her grandmother. She obviously was used to seeing this scene for fifteen years, but today she found it a bit stifling. She used to feel strange about why she could sit down and eat, but her mother had to stand on the side. When she grew up, she began to understand, but now it was her turn to serve her mother-in-law.

Cheng Yumo thought of Huo Xue-shi and couldn’t help but felt a headache. But today was her first visit to her natal home. Cheng Yumo knew that everything was different after getting married. In the future, it would be difficult for her to return to her natal home frequently. Seeing her parents and family would be a rare occurrence. Cheng Yumo didn’t want to think about the future and just wanted to enjoy the present as much as possible.

Behind each family members, there was one servant girl serving their meal. The dishes that were close could be taken by themselves, but those that were far away, the servant girl would fetch it into the individual bowl, so the family member didn’t need to move. But servants weren’t roundworms in their master’s stomach¹. The servant girl might overlook the dishes the family member wanted to eat, or even took the wrong dishes altogether. In other words, it wasn’t as comfortable as doing it by themselves.

Cheng Yumo wanted to eat fish, but the servant girl serving her was dull and didn’t notice it for a long time. When she finally fetched Cheng Yumo the fish, she took a piece with thorns inside. Cheng Yumo was dissatisfied and couldn’t help recalling the scene of Huo Changyuan fetching dishes for Cheng Yujin in the previous life.

Jealousy suddenly surged inside Cheng Yumo. In the previous life, Huo Changyuan served Cheng Yujin when eating, taking dishes, and putting them on Cheng Yujin’s bowl. So why couldn’t he do it for Cheng Yumo now? Cheng Yumo’s little temper flared. She tugged Huo Changyuan’s sleeve. Huo Changyuan turned his head and saw Cheng Yumo pouting at him: “Marquis, I want to eat fish. But I am clumsy and cannot pick the thorn from the fish.”

The atmosphere on the dining table instantly stagnated. Old Madam Cheng sat silently, pretending to hear nothing. Meanwhile, Cheng Yuanhan looked around and was about to scold Cheng Yumo for being rude, but Ruan-shi stepped on his foot and forcefully stopped him.

Seeing Cheng Yuanhan was ignorant, Ruan-shi glared at him. The young couple wanted to play. Why did parents intervene?

Cheng Yuanhan was forced to shut up. Qingfu Junzhu, who always put on a dignified and domineering aura and whose relationship with her husband was mediocre, almost rolled her eyes on the spot. What a vixen. Ruan-shi, this bitch, really gave birth to a similar daughter.

Although other people at the table ate their own food silently, their eyes were focused on Huo Changyuan. Huo Changyuan was very embarrassed. Why did Cheng Yumo suddenly do this?

Huo Changyuan felt annoyed. He liked it when Cheng Yumo played coquettishly with him in private. But on the formal occasions, in front of so many people, she was very imprudent.

Cheng Yujin clicked her tongue silently and picked up a bean sprout with her chopsticks. Watching the show up close was especially exciting, and she didn’t dislike being an onlooker. Cheng Yujin was eating slowly while enjoying the show, but she didn’t pay attention and accidentally put a piece of ginger on her bowl. After Cheng Yujin took a bite, she choked severely. She hurriedly covered her mouth and coughed. Tears came out of her eyes.

Cheng Yuanjing noticed that Cheng Yujin picked up the wrong thing, but before he could remind her, she already put it into her mouth. Cheng Yuanjing sighed. He took Cheng Yujin’s teacup and patted her back soothingly: “Be careful. Drink this tea.”

Their movements weren’t small. People who had been watching Huo Changyuan were stunned for a moment before turned their heads towards Cheng Yujin and Cheng Yuanjing.

1. Roundworm in one’s stomach: Knowing exactly what someone is thinking.