Transmigration: The Evil Mother-In-Law Is Actually Innocent!
Chapter 917: Laugh today, you’ll cry in a few days

Chapter 917: Chapter 917: Laugh today, you’ll cry in a few days

In the afternoon, Zhou Shuren left the Ministry of Revenue and saw Wu Ming standing in front of the Ministry’s entrance. Zhou Shuren’s tone was full of joy, "You little rascal, coming to the capital without sending word ahead! I’ve been counting the days until your arrival, thinking these past few days you’d be here. And here you are, without even a peep, making me worry about you."

It had been quite a few years since Wu Ming had seen his godfather. His godfather had aged quite a bit, but he was still a spirited old man. Wu Ming stepped forward to support him, "I wanted to surprise you."

Zhou Shuren was indeed surprised. Wu Ming had changed a lot, the rawness had left his face, and through the years of hard work, Wu Ming had matured and become steady. Zhou Shuren patted Wu Ming’s shoulder, "Good lad, you haven’t let me down."

Receiving praise from his godfather made Wu Ming happier than when he received the imperial edict, "Godfather has also changed a lot."

Zhou Shuren touched his own face, "I’ve aged quite a bit, haven’t I?"

"In my heart, godfather has always been vigorous and strong. You haven’t aged a bit."

Zhou Shuren chuckled, "It’s been many years since we’ve seen each other, and your words have become sweeter."

The old Wu Ming would never say such things. It was clear the young man had learned to flatter his superiors well.

Wu Ming wasn’t embarrassed at all; instead, he winked, "That means your son has grown up."

From feeling embarrassed at bootlicking to doing it without blushing or batting an eye, even he found it astonishing at times.

Zhou Shuren’s feelings for Wu Ming were complex, but upon seeing Wu Ming, only joy remained. His heart was made of flesh after all, and affection was mutual. The boy held a place in his heart, "Come on, your godmother will be delighted to see you. Tonight, you and I will have a few extra drinks."

Wu Ming’s alcohol tolerance had improved over the years, and he was not afraid of drinking, "Great, I’ve brought back quite a few good bottles, they’re in the carriage right now!"

Zhou Shuren gave Wu Ming another pat on the shoulder, "You came prepared, you little rascal!"

Wu Ming was truly happy. He remembered the care his godparents had shown for his siblings and the help his godfather gave him. Without his godfather’s support, he couldn’t even think of coming to the capital, let alone holding onto his achievements. It was all thanks to his godfather’s presence that no one dared touch his merits back in the day.

Hu Xia stood at the doorway. It was the first time he witnessed such joy in Mr. Zhou. He said to Mr. Wong beside him, "That must be Mr. Wu!"

Wong Ju envied and was jealous of Zhou Shuren; Zhou Shuren’s son was good, but this godson was even better, "Hmm, that’s Mr. Zhou’s godson."

Thinking of his upcoming visit to Gu Zhuomin, Hu Xia realized how much Mr. Zhou cherished his godson. In order to have smoother dealings in the Ministry of Rites, he would need to foster a good relationship with Mr. Wu.

At the Zhou residence, Zhulan was truly overjoyed to see Wu Ming, "You scamp, you’ve become naughty. Fortunately, your godfather and I are strong enough to handle such a surprise. But don’t you dare do it again."

Wu Ming hurriedly apologized, "There definitely won’t be a next time. I’ll come over to mooch off you more often, godmother, just don’t get sick of me!"

Zhulan said with a smile, "I won’t mind, not one bit. You’re welcome to stay at our home."

Wu Ming knew his godmother meant every word, which made his heart swell with emotion. His parents had died early, yet he never felt short of parental love; his godparents had treated him no different from their own child, "I’d like that, but Wu Ting and Wu Yong have also come to the capital, and as the eldest brother who’s of marrying age, I can only live in my own place. Nevertheless, I’ll often come to keep godfather and godmother company."

Zhulan’s thoughts revolved entirely around Wu Ming, not even noticing Zhou Shuren changing his official robe. Smiling, she said, "Speaking of marriage, let me tell you about Miss Song from the Song family. She is beautiful, with a gentle nature. You’ll definitely like her once you meet her."

Wu Ming had always been decisive and wouldn’t fancy a girl with a strong personality. He would surely like Miss Song.

Wu Ming, who usually had quite a thick skin, still felt somewhat embarrassed when it came to his own marriage matter, "I trust my godmother’s judgment, Miss Song must be a good match."

Zhou Shuren came out and said, "Now that you’re in the capital, you should hurry up and settle this marriage."

Zhulan took over the conversation, "The Wu family doesn’t even have a mistress yet, I think instead of setting an engagement, we should just pick a date for the wedding. Look at my memory, Wu Yong is set to marry after spring plowing, so you, as the older brother, should marry even sooner."

Zhou Shuren was stunned, the pace seemed a bit fast, and Wu Ming was also a bit taken aback.

Wu Ming coughed, "Isn’t that a bit too fast?"

But the more Zhulan talked about it, the more feasible it seemed, "It’s not too fast, your betrothal gifts are already prepared, and Miss Song’s dowry has also been ready for a long time, there’s nothing troublesome about picking a wedding date."

Zhou Shuren came back to his senses and said with a smile, "These past few years, there have been many happy events in the family, and you won’t need to worry too much about the wedding. Your godmother will have everything prepared, and you only need to be the groom."

Wu Ming was moved inside; he indeed wanted to marry soon. His family couldn’t be without a mistress. Standing up, he bowed and said, "I’ll leave all the trouble to my godmother."

Zhulan was so confident because she had the backing; she had a good relationship with Lady Bai and had become friends with Miss Song’s mother. The more they talked, the more she knew. The Song family also hoped to marry off their daughter soon.

After a while, Chang Lian came back, riding in the well-seated carriage. Seeing Wu Ming, Chang Lian was delighted beyond words.

To Mingyun and the others, Wu Ming was a curiosity, as he was the Top Scorer.

Chang Zhong was already sitting in Wu Ming’s lap, looking pleased as punch, and said to his father, "The Top Scorer held me."

Zhou Shuren felt a pang of jealousy in his heart; he was the second-place scholar, yet when he held the little stinker, the child had never been so excited.

Wu Ming had passed the usual marrying age long ago. The result of marrying late was that he liked children even more, especially healthy and lively ones. "I’ve heard that you also want to bring home a Top Scorer some day. If there’s anything you don’t understand, just ask your brother."

Zhou Shuren’s heart stirred at these words. When it came to educating his son, Wu Ming was indeed a better fit, but he was aware of himself, he was too indulgent with his son. As for Chang Lian and Chang Zhi, the other two brothers weren’t much better than him, and more importantly, Chang Zhong wasn’t afraid of them.

Seeing Zhou Shuren’s reaction, Zhulan knew what her husband was thinking and took over the conversation, "If you can teach the kid, his father and I can also rest easy."

Wu Ming was a bit dumbfounded; he had never considered instructing Chang Zhong. He thought Chang Zhong would be personally taught by his godfather. He looked at his godfather, "This?"

Zhou Shuren smiled, "I think it’s a good idea, I’ll leave the boy to you from now on."

In terms of scholarship, Wu Ming would instruct, he only needed to broaden his son’s horizons and provide the right guidance.

Chang Zhong too looked longingly at the Top Scorer brother. His thinking was simple: his father wasn’t a Top Scorer, neither was his third brother, nor his future brother-in-law. Now that he had a Top Scorer to teach him, he was sure he could become one too someday. As for his fourth brother, he was out of the picture.

Naturally, Wu Ming was happy to agree. This was not only to repay the Zhou family, but also because he liked the clever Chang Zhong, "I will definitely teach Chang Zhong well."

Zhulan watched her son, who was smiling like a little fool, and felt a silent sympathy, knowing that to live up to Zhou Shuren’s expectations, Wu Ming would only be stricter. There may be laughter today, but tears were sure to follow in the days to come!