Chapter 1125 - 1130: Return to Her Natal Home (6)
Cai Wei pointed to the people in the courtyard, laughed, and said, "Dad, take a look, which of these people look like they can’t keep their mouth shut? I’ll speak to them first. There’s no reason for Dad and Mom to kowtow to their daughter in their own home. If outside, Dad and Mom wish to pay respects to their daughter, I will not stop them, but in our own home, I absolutely won’t accept such a grand gesture from you two elders."
In the courtyard, Lady Zhao, wife of Zhao, Lady Wu Xiangyun, wife of Mo Zili, Lady Qiao, the wife of the Steward Han from Hanlin Academy, and Sixth Aunt Mu, along with the wives of various shopkeepers from our family’s shops, all laughed, "What the Empress Dowager says is very true, Lord Mu, just honor the Empress Dowager’s order then!"
Mu Zhongqing had no choice but to drop the idea of kowtowing to his daughter and invited Cai Wei into the main hall.
By this time, it was already evening, just around dinner time, and the home had already prepared a lavish banquet to welcome the Empress Dowager.
When it was time to take their seats at the table, Lady Du insisted that Cai Wei sit in the seat of honor, while she sat beside her, and Xiang Yun sat on the other side to accompany her.
Apart from these three, there were also Lady Qiao, wife of Han, Lady Zhao, Cai Fei, Sixth Aunt Mu, Eldest Lady Mo, and eight others at this table.
Being a male relative, Mu Zhongqing, by custom, could not dine with the Empress, so a separate dining area was set up in the outer room, where he ate with Wen’er and Wu’er, along with a few colleagues from the Hanlin Academy.
During the meal, Cai Wei was extremely kind and approachable, chatting happily with everyone. Eldest Lady Mo, who held a lower status than the other ladies and wasn’t related to Cai Wei like Sixth Aunt Mu, felt somewhat inferior and just smiled humbly with her head down, not daring to speak freely.
Seeing her like this, Cai Wei smiled and said, "Seeing Eldest Lady Mo looking so healthy, it seems that you’ve been living comfortably lately!"