Chapter 235: Chapter 220: Wanwan Asserts Her Claim (Part 1)
The son was taken away by her husband, so Wen Wan could only go to the kitchen to see if Mother-in-law needed any help.
Granny Song had already cooked several dishes and placed them on the stove, but hadn’t had time to bring them out. Seeing Wen Wan come in, she asked why she returned so late.
Wen Wan said she ran into a classmate who was taking leave on her way back. The classmate had asked her to chat, which caused the delay.
Granny Song didn’t say anything further and asked her to take the dishes to the hall for dinner preparation.
Wen Wan carried the dishes, thinking of Jinbao, and asked her mother-in-law, "Mother, did Jinbao get into any trouble today?"
Granny Song thought for a moment and said, "Before Third Son returned, your father-in-law was watching him the whole time and didn’t mention any trouble!"
Jinbao was always causing trouble. In the past few days, Wen Wan would hear of his daytime "exploits" every day when she returned home from school. But with such a small child, hitting or scolding him was useless; he barely understood and would at most cry for a while, then continue being mischievous.
Besides, with her in-laws and husband protecting him, it was not Wen Wan, who was disliked by her own son, who would have a say.
At the dinner table, Wen Wan asked her father-in-law again.
Old Song chuckled and said no.
Her father-in-law was an honest person, just like Father Wen, and wasn’t good at lying at all.
Wen Wan saw through the flaw immediately but didn’t expose it on the spot.
Song Wei timely shifted the topic, "Father, Mother, I’m planning to buy two servants. Then, these chores like washing clothes and cooking can be done by the servants, so you two can rest well."
Mentioning this, Granny Song felt a shadow over her heart, "Just last time, because of buying servants, we brought trouble into the house! Now you’re buying two, aren’t you afraid of bringing another disaster in?"
Wen Wan also looked at Song Wei.
At first, she didn’t mind buying a nimble little maid to help her mother-in-law with housekeeping, but the previous Yao Jie incident indeed disgusted Wen Wan. Like her mother-in-law, she felt uneasy, always thinking that young girls might have improper intentions towards her husband.
Song Wei probably guessed their concerns and smiled faintly, "It’s just two older women."
The Yao Jie incident stirred up a storm in the city. The Eldest Princess didn’t want anyone to replicate the trick in the future, so she arranged for two reliable older women, planning to send them to look after her daughter.
Firstly, using one’s people is reassuring.
Secondly, they can report to her about Wanwan’s daily situation at any time.
Zhao Xunyin herself was a princess, destined that the Prince Consort would never take concubines in this life.
Used to being solely spoiled by someone, she hoped Third Son could have only Wanwan as his woman for a lifetime.
Sending servants over was also a way to have them supervise her son-in-law.
When Song Wei was getting off work, the Eldest Princess specifically stopped him halfway to tell him about this matter.
Song Wei did not refuse and also thought this idea was quite good.
As someone new here and with little power, even though he had Wanwan, the "prophetic" little lucky star, it’s hard to guarantee that if he misjudged someone and brought a person with ill intentions, it would cause an irreparable consequence.
...
Seeing Song Wei looking calm, as if determined to add servants to the household, Wen Wan swallowed her words of persuasion.
For a family like theirs, buying servants was inevitable sooner or later. Keeping on guard like this wasn’t a solution either. They would wait until the people arrived, and if they were indeed unsuitable, they would think of ways to get them out.
——
After dinner, Wen Wan called Song Yuanbao to the room alone and asked if Jinbao caused any trouble today.
Song Yuanbao hesitated a bit, saying it was nothing. During the day, Grandpa took Jinbao to see the shrimps at Great Aunt’s next door. The little guy was curious and reached into the bucket to catch them. The shrimps, once out of the water, kept jumping, and after watching for a while, Jinbao stepped on one with his foot and crushed it.
Wen Wan: "...How many did he crush?"
Although Xie Zheng and Xie Tao brothers hadn’t split the family openly, since moving to Beijing, the silver coin belonged to each family separately. The fish and shrimp business belonged to Xie Tao’s family. If Jinbao really messed up their shrimp, they had to find a way to compensate quickly. Otherwise, with Xie Tao’s wife’s money-obsessed nature, she would definitely make a scene.
If the relationship between the two families became strained over a few pounds of shrimp, she, as the mother, would be the sinner.
"Not many, just one," Song Yuanbao said.
Wen Wan breathed a sigh of relief, "Scared me to death."
As she spoke, Song Wei came in holding the little guy.
Song Yuanbao smiled and greeted, "Dad."
Song Wei asked if he had finished today’s assignments.
Since Song Yuanbao couldn’t temporarily attend the Imperial College, Song Wei didn’t let him idle. Every night before sleeping, he would assign tasks for the next day.
Previously, Song Yuanbao had completed them quite actively, but today he played a bit and only finished half by now. Unexpectedly caught by his father, his face turned a bit red, honestly admitted that there was still half left to do, and then darted off to the study.
Wen Wan saw him like that and couldn’t help but laugh.
Song Wei sat down, holding Jinbao who seemed a bit sleepy, his eyelids drooping.
Wen Wan, afraid that he might get tired from holding him for too long, reached out to take him, "Give him to me!"
Song Wei handed his son to her.
The little one was probably really sleepy, and didn’t fuss after being moved, resting his head in his mother’s arm, he fell asleep after a while.
Wen Wan waited until he was asleep, gently carried him to the small bed in the inner room, and then came back to sit beside her husband.
Song Wei took her hand and slowly said, "I’ve looked into it, Su Yaoqi is Su Xiang’s biological son."
Wen Wan didn’t expect him to suddenly say that, and didn’t react for a long time.
She wasn’t very familiar with the court’s affairs and didn’t understand what the term "Su Family" represented, she simply looked at him with a slight smile, "Are you jealous?"
Song Wei faintly smiled, "Let’s say I am jealous, please avoid him as much as you can."
Someone admiring Wanwan showed that she had attractive qualities. As a husband, he felt proud, but if the admirer had a special identity or questionable intentions, it was a different matter.
Wen Wan didn’t understand her husband’s concerns. She stood up, and out of habit, her stance was a little unstable.
As if worried she might fall, Song Wei quickly reached out to protect her.
The natural protection made her feel inexplicably secure.
As she leaned closer, Song Wei smiled with his eyes, "What are you doing?"
Wen Wan chuckled, murmured softly, "I want to take a good look at you being jealous."
When she said this, there was an undeniable smile in her eyes.
Song Wei could sense the dependence in her words and actions, "It’s only been a day and you’re already this clingy?"
"Don’t you like clingy people?" Wen Wan asked back.
Song Wei didn’t respond, but the look he gave her was filled with an overwhelming tenderness.
Wen Wan felt her face heat up and her heart race under his gaze, and took the chance to change the topic, "You walk to the Hanlin Academy every day, do you meet a lot of people on the way?"
Upon hearing this, Song Wei seemed to instantly realize the reason for her "unusual" behavior tonight, and smiled, "It seems someone is more jealous than I am."
Wen Wan lowered her eyelashes, unwilling to admit she was jealous of something that never existed.
Perhaps women are naturally sensitive in certain aspects.
The appearance of Su Yaoqi undeniably triggered Wen Wan’s previously unexpressed "possessiveness" and "jealousy."
She thought if she could have admirers, her husband, who was so handsome and showed himself at the Lower Court daily, would certainly be thought of by others.
"You haven’t answered my question yet!" Wen Wan steadily looked at him, with a clear intent to get an assurance of his loyalty.
The smile on Song Wei’s face didn’t fade, and he considered before saying, "Every day I encounter all kinds of people."
"Are there women among them?"
"...Perhaps there are."
"Then you’re not allowed to smile at them, at least not like you are now."
Her appearance was too harmless, making her declaration of sovereignty lack any intimidation.
Perhaps it was this contrast that touched the softest part of the man’s heart, making his eyes extraordinarily gentle.
He seemed to hum lightly, then switched the topic back to adding two maidservants at home, speaking softly, "Don’t worry about buying the servants, I have it under control."
Wen Wan didn’t respond, thinking that worrying wouldn’t help since it hadn’t happened yet; they had to wait and see the people first.
——
A few days later, the two maidservants personally selected by the Eldest Princess were sent over.
Song Wei naturally told the family that he had bought them from a broker and secretly instructed the two to be absolutely confidential, not to let others notice anything.
The two were already carefully instructed by the Eldest Princess beforehand and naturally knew what to do, repeatedly assuring him to rest assured.
Once the servants arrived, there was someone to wash clothes, tidy up the room, and cook meals. The cooking skills left nothing to be desired. Granny Song initially found it hard to adapt, feeling uneasy without tasks in her hands. But after a few days of leisure holding her little grandson, she got accustomed to having breakfast prepared and served in the hall first thing in the morning, and someone always asking if the food was cold or warm, she found it quite enjoyable. Privately, she told Song Wei that the servants bought this time were quite good, doing things meticulously and thoughtfully, and looking rather pleasant as well.
How could the people personally arranged by the Eldest Princess for her daughter not be good?
Song Wei smiled warmly, "As long as mother finds them handy."