Chapter Twenty-Three: Huh~ A Beard

At night, Old Man Meng returned home, and not long after, Meng Lang and Meng Xuan came back as well. Seeing his daughter and holding his granddaughter, Old Man Meng was overjoyed. The table was filled with delicious dishes—though, as for good wine… well, he swallowed the rest of his sentence under the sharp gaze of his wife.

Little Fubao nestled in her mother’s arms was staring at the gourmet spread on the table, her mouth watering uncontrollably. Lady Meng kept piling food into her daughter’s bowl, which made Meng Yun feel a bit embarrassed. “Mother, that’s enough—don’t just serve me. You all eat too.” She then picked up a piece of chicken breast and placed it into her mother’s bowl.

“I want to eat, I want to eat!” Little Fubao fixed her eyes on her mother’s chopsticks, watching intently as her small mouth smacked together—she wanted to eat so badly that her drool was flowing without restraint.

The little ginseng sprite in her jade pendant grumbled, “Can’t you control yourself a bit? You’re drooling all over the jade pendant! I’ll have to give it a good wipe later!”

With a laugh, Meng Xuan, who had just taken a sip of soup, noticed his niece and couldn’t help but burst out laughing. “Yun, why not let the little one have a taste? She’s drooling with craving!” This little girl was simply too amusing!

In an instant, everyone turned their gaze toward Fubao.

Little Fubao felt a bit shy—what should she do? She quickly buried her face in Meng Yun’s embrace. “Bad people!” she thought.

Everyone laughed. “She’s embarrassed! How funny, she’s so young and already knows to be shy.”

“Come, let Grandpa hold you,” Old Man Meng gestured for a servant girl to bring Fubao over. “My, this little one is getting heavier,” he said, hefting her in his arms.

Little Fubao stared at Old Man Meng’s face, as if she had discovered something interesting.

“It’s good for children to put on weight, that’s how they grow strong,” Lady Meng said, straightening Fubao’s clothes and tapping her little nose.

“Lang’s wife will be due in a few months—soon, we’ll have two grandchildren in the house,” Lady Meng said with a smile. Her daughter had returned, and her daughter-in-law was expecting; she couldn’t be happier.

“Really? How wonderful! Sister-in-law, how far along are you?” Meng Yun asked with delight.

“Almost four months,” Meng Lang replied from the side, while Zhang Shi smiled demurely.

“Four months, that’s great! Big brother must be thrilled,” Meng Yun teased.

“Haha, you’re as mischievous as ever,” Meng Lang shook his head, laughing.

Meng Yun grinned at Zhang Shi. “Now you can relax, Sister-in-law!”

Zhang Shi nodded, gently patting her belly.

“By the way, I heard Father went to Uncle Gu’s house today. How are Uncle Gu and Auntie Gu?” Meng Yun asked, recalling her mother mentioning that her father had visited the Gu family at noon.

At that moment, Old Man Meng’s face twisted as he tried to rescue his poor, sparse beard from his granddaughter’s grasp.

“Not the same as the dog’s fur… hmm, a bit less,” thought Little Fubao as she clung tightly to his beard, determined to study it closely.

“Fubao, let go of Grandpa’s beard, it hurts him!” Meng Yun turned to see her daughter clutching her father’s beard, and seeing his twisted face, she winced in sympathy.

“No, I want to look at it—oh, it came off!” When Fubao returned to her mother’s arms, she still held a few strands of beard in her chubby little fist. Old Man Meng, seeking comfort from Lady Meng, sighed inwardly—his granddaughter’s grip was no joke! That beard had taken ages to grow, and now it was gone!

“Father, are you alright? Does it still hurt?” Meng Yun felt her father was a bit pitiful, seeing those few strands of beard in her daughter’s hand.

“It’s nothing! I grew it just for Fubao to pluck—she can have a few more if she likes!” Before Old Man Meng could respond, Meng Xuan, munching on a juicy drumstick, spoke up with his mouth still full.

Old Man Meng glared. “You little rascal.”

Lady Meng snapped, “Stop with your jokes. Later, go to the herb shop and get some ointment for your father.”

“Alright, I’ll go right away and make sure you get your handsome husband back!” Meng Xuan quipped cheekily.

Lady Meng just shook her head in exasperation.

Old Man Meng thought, “Having sons is good for something after all!”

Meng Lang and Zhang Shi couldn’t help but snicker.

Meng Yun shook her head and glanced down at her daughter, half amused, half exasperated—Fubao’s attention had already wandered back to the table, fixated on the drumstick in her uncle’s hand. It must be delicious! She wanted to eat it so much!

Meng Yun felt her daughter might just grow up to be a real foodie.

After dinner, Meng Yun carried her sleeping daughter back to their room.

Lying in bed, she recalled Old Man Meng’s words about the Gu family. Brother Gu was gone; even his wife had passed away, leaving only a four-year-old child who was gravely ill. Fortunately, the divine medicine from Master Wuneng had saved him; otherwise, how would Uncle and Aunt Gu have managed?

Thinking of Brother Gu brought a pang to her heart. Meng Lang and Meng Xuan had been close friends with Brother Gu since childhood, and she herself had been friends with Miss Gu, Gu Xiaoxiao. Remembering the joyful days of their childhood together, her heart ached all the more.

She decided that tomorrow she would join her parents in attending the Gu family’s celebration and pay a visit to the young master of the Gu family.