Pampered Poisonous Royal Wife Chapter 514

Chapter 153: Cao Yunnian’s Stroke of Fortune

Mu Yunyao looked toward Su Qing. Seeing her mother give the faintest nod, the last thread of hesitation in her heart slipped away. She rose, took up the untouched cup of tea on the table, walked to Madam Jin, and knelt.

Holding the teacup high above her head, she said in a clear voice, “Yunyao pays respects to Adoptive Mother. Please accept this tea.”

Madam Jin quickly took the cup and drank a mouthful. The smile at the corners of her lips could no longer be restrained. “Good. Yao’er, quickly rise.”

As she spoke, she helped Mu Yunyao up with both hands. Then she slipped a pair of jade bangles from her own wrist, removed a gold hairpin from her hair, and carefully placed them on Mu Yunyao.

Mu Yunyao accepted them with a bright smile and did not offer any distant words of refusal. Now that this kinship had been acknowledged, there was no need to remain as reserved as before. “Thank you, Adoptive Mother.”

Madam Jin held her hand affectionately, the delight in her eyes soft and sincere. “Now I may be considered to have both a son and a daughter.”

Mu Yunyao glanced toward Madam Jin’s rounded belly, then deliberately put on a troubled expression. “Earlier, I even joked with Madam that when your child was born, I would ask you for a large red envelope. Now it seems I will not only fail to receive one, but must prepare one myself as a first-meeting gift for my younger brother.”

“Do not worry. That red envelope will still be yours. In the future, when your younger brother grows up, he can obey your instructions and run errands for you.”

Mu Yunyao’s eyes curved with delight. “That would be wonderful. In that case, I shall prepare an especially generous first-meeting gift.”

Su Qing, who was seated to one side, could not help smiling. “Since you are acknowledging each other as kin, Yao’er should also offer Lord Cao a cup of tea. Why not set a table at Buxian Tower tomorrow? We can treat it as a small celebration.”

Madam Jin quickly shook her head. “I intend to treat Yao’er as my own daughter. Naturally, we cannot settle the matter so casually. Today, I only came to discuss it with Younger Sister Su. Since Yao’er is willing to call me Adoptive Mother, I must make her status proper and secure. Once I return, I will have someone choose an auspicious date, then send invitations to all the notable families in Jingling City. Only after the rites are formally performed and a banquet is held can it be considered fitting.”

“This… would that not be too ostentatious?”

“How could it be ostentatious? I only fear the occasion will be too modest and wrong Yao’er. She is my adopted daughter. It is only right that she be treated with such regard.”

Hearing Madam Jin speak this way, warmth gathered quietly in Mu Yunyao’s heart. This time, she accepted this adoptive mother with true sincerity. “Then everything shall be arranged according to Adoptive Mother’s wishes.”

“Good. Rest assured, Adoptive Mother will not let you suffer any grievance.”

Mu Yunyao smiled, holding Madam Jin’s hand in one of hers and Su Qing’s in the other. “Then should I begin preparing my clothes now? When the day comes, I must dress beautifully.”

“Our Yao’er is so lovely that she looks beautiful in anything.”

Mu Yunyao lightly swayed their hands. “Both my mothers only know how to tease me. I shall stop speaking with you now. I am going to the kitchen to see what has been prepared, then personally cook a few dishes to show filial respect to my two mothers.”

“In that case, we shall be blessed with good food today.”

Mu Yunyao personally prepared a full table of dishes. The meal was lively and warm, with laughter lingering beneath the lamplight.

When Madam Jin was about to leave, Mu Yunyao had charcoal braziers and fox-fur robes placed in her carriage. She repeatedly reminded Yin Hong to take careful care of her, and only then did she watch the carriage depart.

In neighboring Jinxiu Garden, Steward Qin heard of the matter and could not help curling his lips. “That Cao Yunnian truly stumbled into great fortune.”

Yu Yi had just finished a bowl of ginger tea. Its fragrance still lingered between his lips and teeth, and he was savoring the aftertaste when Steward Qin’s remark reached his ears. Curiosity immediately drew him over. “Steward Qin, what do you mean?”

“Cao Yunnian relied on Madam Jin to rise smoothly through the ranks. In the future, perhaps even Yue Wang will have to show him some respect. If that is not great fortune, what is?”

Yu Yi’s brow furrowed, the words circling around without settling. “Even if Cao Yunnian becomes powerful—even if he rises to the first rank—before Yue Wang, he is still an official. How could Yue Wang have to respect him?”

“Madam Jin has acknowledged Miss Mu as her adopted daughter. That means Cao Yunnian is Miss Mu’s adoptive father. Is that clear enough?”

“Adopted daughter, adoptive father, Miss Mu, Yue Wang…” The more Yu Yi tried to connect the words, the more tangled his expression became. “The more you explain, the less I understand.”

Steward Qin’s gaze sharpened. He picked up an account book and threw it at him. “Get out. Just looking at you vexes me.”

Yu Yi caught the account book in one hand and flipped it open at random. When he saw the figures recorded within, his eyes widened slightly despite himself. “Steward Qin, your hands are very full these days. When the New Year comes, should you not prepare a red envelope for me as well? This past half year, I have made no fewer trips between Beijiang and Jingling City.”

“If you say one more useless word, I will give you a slap instead.”

“You are already advanced in years. Why is your temper still so fierce? Can you not speak properly?”

As soon as the words left his mouth, Yu Yi slipped out of the room. Behind him, Steward Qin snorted coldly for quite some time.

Considering Madam Jin’s thorough way of handling matters, as well as the affection between her and Miss Mu, the ceremony to acknowledge Miss Mu as her adopted daughter would surely be held with great fanfare. The congratulatory gift would need to be chosen with care.

Madam Jin ultimately chose the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month, the Laba Festival. She also decided to take out her own savings to distribute porridge throughout Jingling City, as a way of accumulating blessings for Mu Yunyao.

When Mu Yunyao heard of this, she specially took out eight thousand taels of silver to buy rice and prepare porridge, so that on Laba day, she could join Madam Jin in giving alms throughout Jingling City.

With rice being purchased and people hired in advance, the news that Madam Jin intended to acknowledge Mu Yunyao as her adopted daughter quickly spread through Jingling City. Many people were not surprised. Madam Jin and Mu Yunyao had always been close; this acknowledgment of kinship merely made their relationship more secure.

After hearing the news, the ladies of the various residences sighed for a while, then turned their thoughts to what congratulatory gifts they ought to send.

Cao Yunnian had outstanding political achievements and was clearly on the verge of promotion. Madam Jin held a ninth-rank imperial title, and Mu Yunyao had received rewards from the Emperor. None of the three could be taken lightly. Before sending gifts, each household naturally had to inquire carefully from every side. If they could choose something suited to their tastes, that would be best.

On Laba day, the Cao residence was swept and arranged until everything looked newly refreshed. Madam Jin rose early to oversee the preparations. Cao Yunnian, who had not treated the matter with quite such gravity at first, gradually became affected by the atmosphere as well. He carefully trimmed his beard before the mirror, then brought over two new outfits for Madam Jin to help him choose from.

Only then did Madam Jin’s expression brighten. As she personally helped him change, she said softly, “This is my fault. These past two days, I only thought about arranging the banquet and actually forgot to instruct someone to prepare a few new sets of clothes for you, my lord.”

“Madam is carrying a child. Your body is heavy now. You and the child are what matter most. These two sets are newly made as well; there is nothing improper about them.”

Madam Jin smiled as she smoothed his robes, then replaced his pouch with one she had sewn herself. Only after that did her gaze ease. “Since my lord places such importance on Yao’er, this adopted daughter, once our child is born, he will surely enjoy endless blessings.”

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