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Referring to the old Marquis as “Old Jiang” was considered a relatively pleasant nickname. Currently, old Marquis Jiang Ping had two nicknames in the aristocratic circle: one was “Crazy Jiang” and the other was “Old Jiang”. He was called “Crazy” due to his erratic behavior resembling that of a child, while “Old Jiang” stemmed from his alternating between moments of eccentricity and clarity, often engaging in incomprehensible actions.
Now that the old Marquis had fully recovered, whenever Princess Changting attended social events, he would sometimes tag along and engage in amusing antics. Once, in the palace, he secretly approached old Marquis Wang and suddenly yanked out a few of his white beard hairs, accusing his grandson of mistreating the Jiang family’s relatives. Enraged, old Marquis Wang was about to lose his temper but refrained from arguing with someone of lesser intellect. Eventually, the Emperor consoled old Marquis Wang, restoring some dignity to the situation…
Ordinarily, people didn’t dare to call him “Crazy Jiang” in front of Princess Changting but referred to him as “Old Jiang”. However, behind his back, more people called him “Crazy Jiang”.
Old Marquis Jiang retorted stubbornly, “What do you mean it doesn’t matter? This is the home of my granddaughter-in-law’s mother, which is also my and Changting’s home. Go on, go back home, we don’t need you.”
Old Duke Xie was infuriated and shouted, “How I am not welcome in the He family’s home? You have some nerve. Jiang Zhanwei’s wife is my great-grandson’s godmother, we have a connection. Visiting here is perfectly legitimate.”
Lu Man and Lady Yang quickly intervened, each pulling one man apart to restore peace.
The Princess didn’t bother with the bickering elders. In the past, the old Marquis always suffered when facing old Duke Xie, unable to beat him in arguments or physical confrontations, and had to avoid him. But now, the old Marquis was unreasonable and often had the upper hand in arguments. As long as he had the upper hand, regardless of right or wrong, the Princess pretended not to notice.
The Princess played with Kaipei. Kaipei was over eight months old, lively and adorable.
Shortly after, the old Marquis approached old Duke Xie once again, chuckling, “Old Xie, I’m done arguing with you. Let’s make peace. Looking at you now, you’re not good-looking, but you’re not ugly either.”
Old Duke Xie snorted in response, ignoring him.
In the next moment, the old Marquis’s hand suddenly reached for old Duke Xie’s gray beard.
As the old Marquis was about to tug on old Duke Xie’s beard, old Duke Xie grabbed his hand, disdainfully saying, “You think you can pull my beard? You, a pale-faced scholar who only knows how to read books, dare to lay hands on me.” With that, he pushed the old Marquis back and remarked, “You should have trained in martial arts like your ancestors if you knew this was coming.”
Failing to successfully pull off his prank, the old Marquis sulked on the side. However, he was soon drawn over by the joyful laughter of the children playing.
With the elders no longer arguing, Lu Man began to play with the charming and lovable Kaipei.
The weather was pleasant that day, and a mattress was laid under the eaves for Kaipei to sit on while others sat nearby, chatting and laughing.
The little one recognized Lu Man and was very attached to her. Whenever Lu Man made a funny face or noise, Kaipei burst into giggles, sometimes laughing so hard that he hiccuped.
Kaipei was old Duke Xie’s favorite, and seeing him laughing so heartily due to Lu Man’s antics, old Duke Xie remarked, “If Zhanwei’s wife has a daughter, she can be a wife for Kaipei.”
Although the old Marquis was playing with the children, he kept his ears perked to listen to old Duke Xie’s words. Upon hearing his comments, he chuckled and approached, saying, “Old Xie, that’s the most sensible thing you’ve ever said. I’ve also hoped for a granddaughter, but Changting wants a grandson. I don’t like when they have sons because I won’t like them and will be disappointed. If they have daughters, I will like them.”
Old Duke Xie laughed and remarked, “Old Jiang, sometimes you seem foolish, but you’re not. Sometimes you seem to understand, but you don’t. This is the first time in decades that we share a common goal, and it’s about this matter.”
Thinking he was being praised, old Marquis Kiang chuckled and said, “Of course, I’m not foolish.”
Lu Man was furious. This old fool who favored daughters over sons was exasperating.
She glared at him and said angrily, “Grandfather, we’ve already been separated from you, and even if we have a son, we won’t need you. Why do you show such disdain?”
Old Marquis Jiang retorted, “If you have a son, I won’t acknowledge him, and Changting can’t either. I won’t let him be like his father, taking away so much of our family’s money and still being disobedient, running off to earn military achievements at the border. A base son, the greater the merit, the bigger the heart. If a well-behaved daughter is born, I’ll pamper her every day,” pointing upwards with his finger, he added, “I’ll spoil her to the skies, give her plenty of silver, and make sure Changting gives her lots of silver too.”
Enraged, Lu Man shot him another fierce glare.
Old Duke Xie lifted Kaipei into his arms, laughing heartily, “Boy, did you hear that? If your godmother has a daughter, find a way to marry her home. You’ll not only marry a beauty but also endless wealth.”
Song Mo had been displeased for a while, but upon hearing those words, he burst into loud sobs, exclaiming, “My little sister is supposed to be my wife, how can she be someone else’s wife…”
His crying prompted even more laughter from the others.
Even Princess Changting couldn’t hold back her tears of laughter, teasing, “Oh, silly nephew, you’re actually her cousin.”
Jiang Zhanyan smirked and teased, “Oh, how shy! Wanting a wife at such a young age.”
With tears streaming down his face, Song Mo continued to cry, “I don’t want to be her cousin, I want to be her brother… sniff…”
Seeing his genuine distress, Lu Man pulled him close, wiping his tears and reassured him, “It was just a joke, you took it too seriously.”
Song Mo nestled in her arms, saying, “Sister-in-law, I’m really upset.”
Given the large gathering that day, Yuling Courtyard’s kitchen could only cater to the masters, so the servants’ meals were prepared at Donghui Courtyard and brought over. With a full house, many guards sat outside the courtyard, their meals served there as well.
The menu, chosen by Lu Man, featured dishes that were not overly elaborate but quite unique. Mama Wang personally cooked a couple of signature dishes, much to everyone’s satisfaction.
Old Duke Xie particularly enjoyed the beef teppanyaki and squid teppanyaki, praising their deliciousness. These were his favorite dishes at Donghui Courtyard, which was his main reason for visiting. On the other hand, the old Marquis and a few children preferred the golden shrimp balls and pearl sweet soup, finding them both visually appealing and delicious.
After the meal, Xin Yu Tang and Xiao Cai performed two short plays, entertaining the guests before they departed contentedly for home.