Chapter 448 Li Wan is suspicious
At first, Li Wan didn't take it seriously, thinking Keqing hadn't been out of the house for a long time and was curious about the things in the streets and alleys. But after seeing her more often, she naturally noticed something.
Looking at Keqing's slightly flushed cheeks and then at the direction her gaze was looking, Li Wan's heart couldn't help but skip a beat.
"This Keqing...could it be?"
Li Wan secretly took a deep breath. Now that she thought about it, ever since the Cong brothers entered the East Palace, Sister Zhen and Keqing had both improved a lot in both spirit and complexion. Keqing, in particular, was completely different from her previous sickly state, while Sister Zhen had only recently shown some improvement.
Originally, she hadn't thought about it in other directions. After all, in Li Wan's opinion, Brother Cong was a very serious man, and besides, Brother Cong was not short of women around him.
Not to mention Baochai, Daiyu, and Xing Xiuyan, who were not yet married, Yuanyang and Zhen Muring, including the maids around them, and Qingwen and Xiangling who were around Jia Cong, which one of them was not good-looking? How could these widowed women catch Jia Cong's eye?
But now looking at Keqing's expression, she naturally didn't believe that there was nothing wrong between the two of them.
She is also an experienced person. She didn't think about it before, but now she thinks that Keqing's demeanor and grace have become that of a young woman.
Before, she and Youshi were both widows, and they often visited each other. Of course, she knew very well what her elder sister-in-law was like. But now, compared with herself, her elder sister-in-law had a rosy complexion and was three times more graceful than before. The two people were originally similar, but she had become a yellow-faced woman.
Li Wan's heart was in a mess. "Brother Cong...how can you do this! Keqing is my niece's wife, there's a generation difference between us. And there's my eldest sister-in-law, that's my sister-in-law..."
Thinking of this, Li Wan's cheeks suddenly turned red. After all, she was also the eldest sister-in-law...
Each of them was thinking about their own things and didn't talk all the way until they heard Jia Zhong's voice outside the Imperial College. Only then did Keqing and Li Wan come back to their senses.
"Grandma, we're here!"
An old woman who was accompanying them came forward, opened the door of the carriage and helped the two of them get off.
"Let's wait in the room up front. I've sent word that Lan'er and Qin Zhong will be here shortly." Since they were the women of the palace, they naturally couldn't wander around the Imperial College. However, Luo Yongyuan had already prepared a room near the gate for Li Wan and the others to stay.
Jia Cong led the way. Li Wan, who had just gotten off the carriage, was about to move forward when she felt her legs go weak and she leaned directly on Keqing.
"What's wrong with you, aunt? Are you feeling unwell?" Keqing asked anxiously.
Li Wan hurriedly shook her head. "Nothing's wrong. I just sat in the carriage for too long, and my legs and feet are a little numb. They're all better now!"
How could she dare to tell the truth? She had been thinking about it all the way in the carriage, it was really too embarrassing.
After entering the front room and everyone sat down, Jia Zhong stood guard outside the door.
Not long after, a series of hurried footsteps arrived. A moment later, the door opened, and Qin Zhong and Jia Lan entered the house one after another.
"Hello, sister!"
"Meet the mother!"
The two of them missed their families very much, and when they saw their sister/mother, they couldn't help but feel a little sad!
"Hmph, you've been in the Imperial College for only a few months, and you've already learned this skill of crying?" Seeing that tears were almost falling from the eyes of the two boys, Jia Cong snorted coldly.
"You two, why don't you quickly pay your respects to Third Uncle? If it weren't for Third Uncle, how could you have such good fortune to be able to study in the academy!" Keqing said hurriedly. Li Wan, who was standing beside her, also supported Jia Lan. "Hurry and pay your respects to your uncle!"
The two men bowed solemnly before Jia Cong and said respectfully, "Greetings to Third Uncle Cong/Lord Marquis!"
"Get up! As a man, you should have a man's bearing and heart. A real man standing between heaven and earth should have a righteous spirit! If you dare to show such a little girl's attitude again, you don't have to embarrass yourself in public, just go back home."
One is his nephew and the other is his honest brother-in-law. Jia Cong doesn't want them to become sissy.
The two of them kowtowed and said, "Thank you for your teachings, Third Uncle/Lord. I'll take note."
"Alright , stay with your mother and sister and talk to them. Don't let them worry! Sister-in-law, Keqing, you two stay here and chat. I'll go talk to the academician."
I could still teach Jia Lan and the other two a lesson, but if Li Wan and Ke Qing started crying, would I try to persuade them? It would be best to run away.
After Jia Cong left, Li Wan hugged Jia Lan in her arms and burst into tears. Keqing was still able to remain calm, but she also pulled Qin Zhong to ask him anxiously.
"How are you doing in the Imperial College? Are you getting enough to eat and live on? How are you getting along with your classmates?"
These two had changed quite a bit during their time at the Imperial College. Take Qin Zhong, for example. He was originally delicate and tender, fair and tender, even more so than a woman. It's no wonder he caught Baoyu's eye, even making a man-averse Baoyu treat him with such attentive care, eating and sleeping with him.
Now, not only has he grown taller, but his expression has also taken on a more resolute look. Although his handsome features remain unchanged, his demeanor and aura are vastly different from before.
"Don't worry, sister. I study hard all day at the Imperial College, and the professor teaches me everything he knows. When I have free time on weekdays, I write poems and essays with my classmates!"
"As for food, clothing, and expenses, there's no need to worry, sister. The Marquis sends us a hundred taels of silver every month, so how can we spend it all ? Besides, I usually study and don't go out to hang out, so I've saved quite a bit. The professors at the Imperial College have been very kind to me, saying that although my writing isn't truly top-notch, it's a small achievement."
"When I finish my work at the beginning of next year, I will definitely not let my sister and father down."
Seeing that her brother's words were more reasonable and not as shrewd as before, Keqing was extremely relieved. Although she was not her father's biological child, the father-daughter relationship was not weak at all. If her brother could achieve something, it would undoubtedly make her father happiest.
"That's good! Don't spend the money Third Uncle gave you carelessly, but don't be too stingy. If you get together with your classmates on a daily basis, don't be too stingy. These will all be your connections and networks in the future."
"Dad has always been very good at home. I asked Qin Lian and Baozhu to go and see him a few days ago. If you can make the list next year, I think Dad will be very happy."
"You now have the opportunity to study diligently in the Imperial College. This is an opportunity that many people would beg for. Therefore, you must not slack off, and you must also remember the kindness of your Third Uncle. If you dare to live recklessly here, I will ask my Third Uncle to teach you a lesson."
