Duan Yao saw that she truly didn't want to argue and guessed she might be tired and didn't want to deal with these troublesome matters, so she decided to drop it.
"Alright, let your accountant verify. If anything is wrong, you're not allowed to hide it from me!"
Zhao Jiaqi blinked at her pitifully, "Understood, sister-in-law. Don't worry, if there are any mistakes, I'll definitely find you!"
Only then did Duan Yao smile happily.
"Sister-in-law, give me a straight answer!"
Zhao Jiaqi was embroidering a sachet when she suddenly heard her say this. She frowned subtly, "What's wrong, sister-in-law?"
Duan Yao didn't hide it from her. "My son, Jinli, likes your Yumeng. He's sworn he won't marry anyone else. He's been lingering here for a year. Tell me honestly, how do you plan to settle your daughter Yumeng!"
When Zhao Jiaqi heard that it was about the two children, she spread her hands. "Sister-in-law, I really can't help with this matter!"
"You know Yumeng, she has her own mind. If she doesn't like someone, she won't even glance at them."
She sighed, "So, this marriage is her decision. If she wants to get married, we'll welcome it with open arms. If she wants to take a husband into her household, we'll agree to that too!"
Therefore, how Yumeng was settled was entirely up to Yumeng herself, not them, the elders!
After hearing this, Duan Yao was completely discouraged. She slumped onto the table, dejected, and sighed, "Let me tell you, your Yumeng is really difficult to deal with. My son still hasn't won her over!"
"Let's not talk about anything else. Just about Yumeng's training, my son trained with her. During that time, he was occasionally singled out for special treatment by the chief. And then, you'd create some obstacles for him!"
"This is acceptable, we can consider it a test. After passing the chief's hurdle, your husband jumped out to obstruct and gave Jinli a bunch of difficult tasks. My son is also persistent. He passed them one by one and is now stuck at your daughter's hurdle!"
Speaking of this, Duan Yao sighed again. "We don't know what kind of person Yumeng likes, and we don't know what my son likes about Yumeng. How can he be so devoted, insisting on marrying only your daughter!"
Zhao Jiaqi raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong with my daughter? My daughter is full of virtues. It's just that you have eyes but cannot see. If you ask me, it's your son who has discerning taste and is better than you!"
Duan Yao gasped. She had only said one word about Yumeng, and this mother immediately retorted!
"Look at what you're saying. If we didn't like Yumeng so much, we wouldn't be lingering here in your princely manor during the New Year instead of going home. What else would we be here for!"
That was true, but they had been pursuing her for a year and still hadn't won her over. As parents, they were worried.
Duan Yao nudged Zhao Jiaqi, who was focused on her embroidery. "You're already so old. You should let others handle this embroidery work. Why are you still doing this at your age!"
"What do you know?" Zhao Jiaqi glanced at her. "This is called charm!"
Duan Yao didn't know what charm was. She just wanted to know what methods to use to get this daughter-in-law.
"You're a mother too. Don't you wish for your daughter to get married soon so you can have a granddaughter?"
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head. "Not in the least bit anxious. If my daughter were to get married, I'd tell her to wait until she's eighteen to have children!"
Her words left Duan Yao speechless.
She sat there dumbfounded, watching her embroider a goose. The clumsy embroidery was indeed a bit embarrassing!
"Sister-in-law, it's not that I'm criticizing you, but the feathers on your goose are so sparse. It really lacks any appetite. Why don't you embroider a mandarin duck, or a butterfly, or something similar? It would be much better!"
Goose?
This was clearly a wild goose, not a goose. How could she see it as a goose?
Now it was Zhao Jiaqi's turn to be depressed. Should she finish what she was working on, or should she just throw it away and start over!
Seeing that she hadn't picked up her needle for a long time and was staring at the sachet, Duan Yao belatedly realized she must have said something wrong. But once it was out, there was no way to take it back.
"Alright, it's New Year's Eve today. It's not suitable for working. Let's go to the kitchen and see what delicious food we have for dinner. I also want to make some special snacks from our Dingbei Liao for you two to try!"
Zhao Jiaqi shook her head. "I'm just a few stitches away from finishing. I'll go to the kitchen after I'm done!"
Giving up halfway was not her style. Whether it was a goose or a wild goose, at least it looked like an animal.
This was the second sachet she had embroidered for her husband, and the first since she had regained her memory.
Her heart was filled with sweetness. No matter how good or bad it looked, at least she had put her heart into it.
In half the time it takes for a cup of tea to steep, her sachet was finally finished. She carefully put it into her sleeve, waiting to give him a surprise tonight, and also as a small New Year's gift.
"Alright, I'm done. Let's go to the kitchen and see what's being made. Tonight, we'll have a reunion!"
"I almost fell asleep waiting for you to say that!"
The two of them excitedly left the room and headed for the kitchen. At that moment, Fan Zehao was being questioned by Helian Zhicheng.
"Brother, you're not actually thinking of letting Yumeng take a husband into her household, are you?"
Fan Zehao looked suspicious. "What do you mean by that? What's the use of asking me about taking a husband into her household? Go ask my daughter!"
"Are you stupid? I'm his future father-in-law. Can I ask that? " Helian Zhicheng said with a flushed face.
Fan Zehao was annoyed by his questioning and sighed to the heavens. "Brother, it's not like I'm getting married or having children. Asking me is useless. If my daughter doesn't agree, what can I do!"
"However, I will still advise my daughter not to marry far away, so that she doesn't have to run abroad just to get a glance at me. It's tiring!"
After saying that, he quickly left, not allowing Helian Zhicheng to catch him, otherwise, this topic would never end.
In the kitchen, the two women looked at the ingredients on the cutting board. There were chickens, ducks, fish, and meat. There were many varieties, and the combination of meat and vegetables was very rich.
Duan Yao rolled up her sleeves, ready to make two specialty dishes from Dingbei Liao, steamed bowls.
Before dinner was served, the sound of firecrackers came from the courtyard. Soon after, the entire inner city began to set them off.
Fireworks bloomed in the sky, very beautiful with their various colors.
After the princely manor's fireworks bloomed, those from other houses in the inner city followed suit. In a short while, the sky above the inner city was lit up by the blooming fireworks.
This was the first New Year that Duan Yao and Helian Zhicheng had spent in the inner city, and the first time they had seen such a brilliant spectacle.
The couple sighed, "This place is indeed good. The people are beautiful, the mountains are beautiful, the scenery is even more beautiful, and it's so prosperous that it makes one very envious!"
Fan Zehao glanced at him. "What's there to be envious of? In a few years, you'll be like my inner city."
Helian Zhicheng snorted. "How prosperous is it to me? In the end, it will still be managed by your daughter!"
These words made Zhao Jiaqi and Fan Zehao unhappy. "Don't expect my daughter to work for you! You still have a son."
What good is a son? He's now trailing after someone else's daughter, fawning over her. This shows that the future son will also be henpecked.
If the son manages, in the end, he'll still listen to his wife!