General Yang returned earlier today, just as Madam Yang had said. The family of three had supper together. Old Madam Yang chatted a lot with Madam Yang, the old woman seemed to always be in a good mood when her daughter in-law was around. Gu Anxi also had her ways to make the Old lady smile. As they ate it seemed as if only one part of the table was lively while the other side, where General Yang sat was quiet and gloomy. The contrast was comparable to night and day.
Old Madam Yang knew about this but she seemed too displeased to talk with her son. But Gu Anxi was too smart to let this opportunity pass her by.
"Husband should eat more." She said so and put more food into his bowl, with a gentle smile on her face. If it was to play the perfect wife, she could do so flawlessly, if she didn't know how to do just this, then she wouldn't have won the hearts of the people in the General's mansion.
Sure enough when Old Madam saw this a gratified smile appeared on her face. She felt she had gotten herself the best daughter in-law ever, she took care of her as well as the family business, since she came, there were less issues among the servants, she made everyone submit to her during the first few months she came. With her here she could live her days leisurely. But she didn't know why her son was so blind that he couldn't see all the things this girl had done for him, and would always treat her coldly.
General Yang looked at the food his wife had put on his plate, and looked up at her, he stared intently at her. He was already in a bad mood because of the argument of yesterday, now the Madam wanted to look for trouble with him by playing sweet. He didn't believe she wasn't up to something.
Actually Gu Anxi didn't really have anything in mind when she did this, she just thought after the argument of yesterday, both mother and son wouldn't be on good terms, just like she had observed, Old Madam only talked to her and didn't even say a word to him. She thought he was pitiful, and decided to show him some kindness.
Gu Anxi didn't know what her husband was thinking, and didn't care. She decided to engage him in a bit of discussion. "Husband has been really busy these days, I heard that the duty of training the new recruits was again assigned to Husband, it must be really tiring…" Her voice was gentle and soft as she spoke, hearing it could soothe the heart.
But the General wasn't happy at all hearing it. There was hint of annoyance on his face as he listened to her. "Thanking Madam for her concern, the work isn't at all tiring."
He was always like this, Gu Anxi didn't take it to heart. It would be abnormal if he had acted otherwise. She nodded, and said no more.
Old Madam felt the awkwardness in the air even when the two people sitting with her didn't and she tasked herself with lightening the mood. "Xi'er, why don't you tell Ning'er about the invitation from the Lu Family?"
"Ah, yes" She had planned to tell after supper, who would have thought that her mother in-law would talk about it right at that moment?
"What invitation?" General Yang seemed a bit interested.
Gu Anxi quickly responded, "It's an invitation to the Lu Family's Fifth Miss, she invited me to admire flowers."
General Yang had a weird expression on his face when he heard this, but he didn't say anything further.
Gu Anxi didn't know what his silence meant. Since he returned, Old Madam had told her to report to her husband whenever she needed to leave the mansion, there was no solid reason for this, after all, her husband didn't care, and he was also a busy man, since her mother in-law was here it would be enough to tell her. But she knew the old madam wanted to create opportunities for the couple to interact more with each other.
Apparently, this plan wasn't working, Yang Chenning didn't care even if she were to drop dead at that moment, how would he care where she went?
Since he didn't say anything, she took it as an approval. She feared if she asked further, she might irritate him, and make him say things no one wanted to hear.
But Old Madam Yang wasn't satisfied, how could she? She wanted to lighten the atmosphere just now, how come it created the opposite effect instead?
"Ning'er, your wife is going to such an important event, won't you say anything?"
Yang Chenning sighed inwardly, "Mother, there really isn't anything to say, she's free to go wherever she wants, she doesn't need to notify me about this."
Pa!
Old Madam Yang was fed up with her sons attitude, as she slapped the table in her anger and pointed at her only son, "Ning'er, as Xi'er's husband how could you say such a thing? Tell me, if someone heard you right at this moment, what do you expect them to think? That the General of the Yang family is such an irresponsible husband? As the only heir of the Yang family, how could you say such disgraceful words?!"
She finished speaking and inhaled deeply.
Silence. No one spoke.
Her son didn't give her an explanation, it made her even angrier. She calmed down. "After these years, you still can't forget that woman." Her voice was calm when she said this.
Yang Chenning frown deepened when he heard this. "I'm full, mother, I shall excuse myself."
He said this was just about leaving.
"Yang Chenning, you stand where you are!"
Gu Anxi inwardly groaned, Old Madam Yang was normally an easy person, it wasn't easy for her to get mad, but it seemed since it concerned her son's future she was more irritable.
She knew it was better not to speak in this situation, given Yang Chenning's character it would only make things worse if she spoke.
General Yang stopped in his tracks. He was tired of his mother forcing him. He always knew that his mother hadn't been satisfied with the wife he had chosen back then. That day, immediately she died, his mother forced him to marry the first miss of the Gu family.