Chapter 54: Meeting old friends.

When the powerful uncle Chen Qingyin brought Hu Mianmian back to the door, he saw Hu Lan talking to a man with a red face.

She pursed her lips calmly, held her daughter in her arms, lowered her head and got into the carriage first.

After waiting for a while, Hu Lan reluctantly said goodbye to the man. Her face was still flushed after she got on the carriage.

The carriage had gone some distance away, but Hu Lan couldn't help but lift the curtain and look back.

Hu Lan couldn't help but smile shyly when she found that the young man was still riding on his tall horse and looking in her direction.

Chen Qingyin pretended to be surprised: "Is that my second sister's friend?"

Hu Lan came back to her senses and her smile faded.

"Of course not. I just met the third son of the Zhang family. His horse almost hit me, but I didn't expect him to be such a gentle and refined person. He kept apologizing to me. He is really a very elegant person."

"Young Master Zhang?" Chen Qingyin seemed to be thinking about something.

Linlang continued, "Ah! I see he is well dressed, he must be from the Zhang family of the Minister of Revenue. I never thought he is the third son of the Minister of Revenue, he is extremely favored!"

Hu Lan immediately became interested.

"Minister of the Ministry of Revenue? He must be a third-rank official, right?"

Chen Qingyin smiled faintly: "Although the Minister of Revenue is a third-rank official, he is very powerful and is a favorite of the Emperor. It is not an exaggeration to say that he is a second-rank official. The son of his family is indeed a member of a prestigious family."

Hu Lan was immediately delighted.

"Isn't that exactly what I signed for? Judging from his appearance, he is unmarried. Maybe he is my ideal husband?"

Hu Mianmian was speechless.

He took out the bottle and drank it up.

She didn't even want to talk about Hu Lan, who dreamed every day of turning a pheasant into a phoenix.

Being so vain, no wonder he fell into mother's trap.

Chen Qingyin said calmly, "Although he has a good family background, a young man with a family background like his usually has a chosen candidate for marriage."

Hu Lan's face turned cold.

"Sister-in-law, why do you have to attack me?"

"Second sister, you misunderstood. I was just telling the truth. If he really has someone engaged, he is not suitable for you."

Hu Lan became even angrier.

She knew that Chen Qingyin just didn't want her to marry well because Chen Qingyin would be jealous!

"What's wrong with being engaged? It's not like we're getting married. I don't believe that I'm good at everything, but I can't compare to others. You have to fight for a good husband yourself, otherwise, just wait for other women to enjoy the benefits!"

After saying that, Hu Lan looked at Chen Qingyin with contempt.

It was as if secretly mocking Chen Qingyin's failed marriage.

Hearing her insistence, Chen Qingyin slowly shook her head and smiled helplessly.

After returning home, Chen Qingyin asked Linlang to secretly keep an eye on Hu Lan.

Sure enough, a few days later, Linlang came to report.

"The Second Miss really went out to meet the Young Master of the Zhang Family in private. They also started exchanging letters and came back later and later. Madam, if the Second Miss found out that the Third Young Master of the Zhang Family was born out of wedlock, would she give up on him?"

Chen Qingyin was calm and composed, as if he was sitting high on a fishing platform, confident of victory.

"No," she held her chin up, looking at the continuous autumn rain in the courtyard, like an airtight net, and smiled, "Because both of them are greedy. Hu Lan thought that the other party liked unrestrained and passionate women, and the young master of the Zhang family knew that Hu Lan liked high-ranking nobles. One was greedy for money, and the other was lustful. They deceived each other, and it was not so easy for Hu Lan to discover his true face."

Linlang felt relieved after hearing that.

"The second young lady also mocked your marriage, Madam. She should suffer for it herself."

"It's not enough now. We have to give her a push."

Chen Qingyin thought for a moment and whispered to Linlang, "I remember that Mr. Zhang San has an engaged wife, the daughter of a third-rank secretary, and also a concubine. Their wedding date is next year. Spread the news and let Hu Lan decide for herself."

Doesn't she like to snatch things? Then Chen Qingyin wants to see how she snatches things.

*

It is late autumn and the leaves are golden.

Hu Yunshen hasn't returned home for many days, and Liang Yunyan has gone out with Hu Lan many times, and it seems that she is having a great time hanging out with Hu Yunshen outside.

In the mansion, Old Madam Hu would quarrel with Concubine Gao every now and then, but Mr. Hu still protected Concubine Gao.

Rong'er was raised by Aunt Gao and has become completely loyal to her. Once he goes to Old Madam Hu, he will cry at the slightest provocation.

Chen Qingyin felt that the mansion was too chaotic, so she simply took her daughter to the famous Maple Leaf Village in the suburbs of Beijing to admire the red maples.

"Mom, it's so beautiful here!" The little guy's eyes were shining. He looked around and the scenery was breathtaking.

Chen Qingyin smiled and said, "If Mianmian likes it, we can stay here for two days."

Hu Mianmian clapped her hands: "Okay, okay!"

As I entered Maple Leaf Manor, a familiar feeling came over me.

Chen Qingyin was a little dazed.

Because this was her favorite place to come before she got married.

She was still a young girl at that time, and she loved running around in the maple forest, picking maple leaves she liked, taking them back to someone and putting them in his book.

In a flash, four years have passed.

The weather is bad, with continuous drizzling rain.

Linlang put away her umbrella and stood at the entrance of the villa.

The owner of Maple Leaf Manor had come out to greet them. She was an old lady who was nearly sixty years old. She was dressed formally but spoke with a slight stutter.

She was obviously very familiar with Chen Qingyin: "Chen, Miss Chen... is here? The little... little..."

The old woman was confused and seemed unable to remember the man's name.

A man quickly walked out behind her. It was her son, and he was full of apologies to Chen Qingyin.

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Hu. My mother is old and has a forgetful disease. In her heart, you are still the same young lady you were back then. I'm sorry if I offended you."

Chen Qingyin smiled and said, "It's okay. Aunt Han has always been very kind to me. This time I brought my daughter here to enjoy the scenery and relax. Please arrange a room for me that can see the maple forest."

Han Da nodded repeatedly: "Knowing that you are coming, I have already reserved a room. Please come this way."

Hu Mianmian originally followed her mother obediently.

When passing by the yard where chickens, ducks and geese were raised in the villa, the little guy suddenly stopped.

Her big round eyes shone like gold when she saw the fat hen walking around.

The chicken... is still alive! Such plump legs!

Hu Mianmian approached it on tiptoe, but the hen was very alert. It fluttered twice and then clucked away.

The little guy stamped his feet: "Hey! Don't run! Be a friend!"

She lifted her skirt and followed him on her small feet.

Chen Qingyin turned around and found that her daughter was actually running away chasing the chicken.

"Mianmian, come back quickly and don't run around!"

Hu Mianmian was not willing to listen to this. She just stared at the hen's plump thighs.

Unexpectedly, when passing by the viewing lake, she stepped on the slippery moss and almost fell into the lake next to it.

Just when the little girl was about to fall into the water, a figure came over, grabbed her collar, held her firmly in his arms, and landed lightly on the ground.

"Whose child is so naughty, huh?" The other party's voice was low and pleasant, as gentle as cold jade.

Hu Mianmian blinked her big eyes and looked up, and saw a handsome man with a clear and elegant face like a banished immortal.

Wow! What a handsome uncle!

"Mianmian, run slower, Mian..." Chen Qingyin followed with Linlang and Han Da.

But when he saw the face of the man holding Hu Mianmian, he froze in place.

"Qingyin?" The man, who was as cold as a banished immortal, had a hint of joy of reunion on his face.

Mianmian: Uncle

Ning Guanzhou: Be good and call me daddy

Mianmian: I don't

Ning Guanzhou: I'll catch you a chicken to eat

. Mianmian: Daddy, you're such a good daddy!

Chen Qingyin: How could you betray me so quickly?