Transmigrated into the fat wife of the future prime minister

Chapter 26 Joy
Hearing the congratulations from those around her, Madam He couldn't stop smiling. Just then, the person who brought the good news arrived. Upon hearing that the mother of the top-scoring student in the imperial examination was there, the person quickly bowed to Madam He.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Gu!"

He was just an ordinary citizen; she had never seen an official bow to her before, so she quickly avoided him.

Seeing this, Xu Qingmeng smiled and said,

"My mother is so happy that she didn't react for a moment. Please don't mind her. Gentlemen, please come with us to the shop for a cup of tea."

After Xu Qingmeng finished speaking, Madam He slowly realized what was happening and quickly echoed her words.
"Yes, yes, thank you for your hard work, gentlemen. Please go back and have some hot tea to rest your feet."

So, officials brought good news, people asked for money to celebrate, people watched the excitement on the street, and neighbors from the surrounding area—a whole crowd of people followed the He couple back in a lively atmosphere.

The once bustling area in front of Old Lady Lin's house suddenly became quiet.

Old Lady Lin stood aside, watching the group's retreating figures with resentment, her eyes blazing with anger.

"Mother, let's go back."

"That's what Old Lady Lin's daughter-in-law said cautiously."

Old Lady Lin reached out and pinched her, glaring at her as she said,

"It's all your fault, you good-for-nothing."

The Lin family's daughter-in-law was also helpless. What did this have to do with her? She couldn't bear to scold her grandson, so she took her anger out on her. However, she knew Lin's mother's temperament well and didn't dare to say anything.

At this moment, Gu Family Restaurant was bustling with activity.

He was escorted home by the crowd. Xu Qing thought for a moment, then lagged behind and went to the street to buy some pastries to take home.

Upon arriving home, Madam He greeted the official and invited him to sit down, but then seemed a little awkward, unsure of what to say. Meanwhile, the onlookers chattered incessantly.

Mrs. He chatted with everyone casually, but the joy on her face was undeniable, though she didn't intend to hide it.

Hearing the commotion outside, Gu Yunyi quickly came out of his room. He was much more composed and steady than Madam He. At first, he had a slight smile on his face, but later he appeared normal, which made the officials who were secretly observing him sigh inwardly.

No wonder the top spot in the preliminary examination was taken by an unknown person; such composure is not something an ordinary person can possess.

Having made up her mind, she became even more friendly towards Gu Yunyi.

When Xu Qingmeng returned from buying pastries, she saw that Gu Yunyi was so composed, so she stopped worrying and went to the back kitchen to boil a pot of water, then added a large spoonful of white sugar.

The sugar water was prepared and delivered to the front hall. The onlookers hadn't left yet, but the front hall wasn't very big. Apart from a few officials sitting on stools, everyone else was standing. Even so, it didn't dampen their enthusiasm.

Xu Qingmeng asked Gu Yunyi to move the table over, then put the sweet soup on it, and placed the several kinds of pastries she had bought on the table, making it look presentable at least.

"The good news came too suddenly, and we were not prepared at home. We have only simple tea and water. We hope that you gentlemen will not find it offensive. If you would give us a heads-up next time, we will definitely treat you to good wine and food."

Even though he knew it was just polite talk, the official still found it quite pleasing to the ear.

"Madam Gu, you're too kind. I've heard that the steamed buns, set meals, and braised dishes at Gu's restaurant are absolutely delicious. It's a pity that we've all been too busy with official business to try them. I hope that you can do us a favor and save some for those of us who are on duty late."

Xu Qingmeng naturally agreed with a smile.

He then handed the main stage over to Gu Yunyi and returned to the backyard.

A short while later, Mrs. He also came in.

"Qingmeng, so many officials have come. How many red envelopes should we give them?" Madam He was so overjoyed that she suddenly lost her composure.

Xu Qingmeng thought for a moment, "Prepare twenty copper coins for each of those who come to announce the good news, and give half a tael of silver to each of the officials in red envelopes. Also prepare three hundred copper coins. I just bought some candy and peanuts, so I'll mix them in and scatter them outside so that the neighbors can share in the joy."

“Yes, yes, that’s good, that’s good.” Mrs. He nodded quickly.

Mrs. He hurriedly went to get the money. Her family ran a business, so they had plenty of everything except small change, including copper coins and silver coins.

Madam He had already taken the red envelope to the front. The officials were just going through the motions and wouldn't stay long. After eating some snacks and drinking some sweet soup, and having taken the red envelope, they naturally left.

Those who came specifically to ask for lucky money left happily after receiving it.

Only the surrounding neighbors remained, their gossipy nature still lingering, and they kept pestering Mrs. He with their chatter.

Ms. He was a little embarrassed by everyone's praise, but she couldn't stop smiling.

Xu Qingmeng also came out from the backyard at this time, carrying a mixture of candy, peanuts, and copper coins.

"Come on, everyone, let's share in the joy!"

Xu Qingmeng smiled and handed the plate in her hand to the crowd. Everyone smiled and reached out to grab it. Some of the quick-eyed and nimble-fingered ones grabbed several copper coins at once, and they were all very happy.

For a time, the entire Gu Family Restaurant was filled with laughter and joy, and it was incredibly lively.

Once the crowd had dispersed, Mrs. He finally breathed a sigh of relief, her whole body slumped. She was truly astonished by this sudden joyous occasion and was still somewhat dazed.

Although He Shi still had a smile on her face, her eyes were still a little sore as she looked at Gu Yunyi not far away.

Gu Yunyi seemed to have noticed something; he turned his head and saw that Madam He's eyes were red, so he quickly went over to her.

"mother?"

"It's alright, Mom is just happy."

Mrs. He sniffed, raised her hand and patted his shoulder.

"Good boy, you've made something of yourself. It's just that your father was unlucky and didn't live to see your current success."

Upon hearing this, Gu Yunyi felt a pang of sadness. He gripped He Shi's hand tightly and whispered,
"Mother, Father in heaven will surely be proud of me."

He couldn't hold back any longer, and tears streamed down her face.

Gu Yunyi, "..."

He subconsciously looked at Xu Qingmeng, as if to say that he couldn't handle it and was asking her for help.

Xu Qingmeng looked at Gu Yunyi, who was looking at her with pleading eyes. That's why they say a woman's heart is like a needle at the bottom of the sea. No matter how powerful she becomes in the future, or how insightful and deep her mind is, she is still clueless when facing her own mother.

Xu Qingmeng walked over and then put her arm around Madam He's.
“Mother, don’t cry. I think if Father knew this in the afterlife, he would definitely thank you. For so many years, no one in the Gu family has passed the imperial examination and entered officialdom. Now that you have raised a student who has achieved the highest score in the imperial examination, you have made a great contribution to the Gu family. If my husband can pass the imperial examination one day, he will definitely bring glory to our ancestors. Not to mention Father, I think even the ancestors of the Gu family will think highly of you.”

He felt a lump in her throat and patted Xu Qingmeng's hand, feeling that she had spoken to the heart.

Then she turned to Xu Qingmeng and said, "Qingmeng, I want to thank you. I made the right choice in marrying this daughter-in-law. If it weren't for you, Yunyi wouldn't be doing well, and I don't know if our family would have survived."

"Mother, we're all family." Xu Qingmeng smiled shyly, secretly glancing at Gu Yunyi.

(End of this chapter)