Translator: Dj2203
Editor: Dj2203
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The day before Grandma Zhuo’s birthday, Ji Yan took leave and headed straight to the capital with Tang Tang and Ji Xiaozhuo.
The Zhuo family’s old house was located in the suburbs of the capital, a very large mansion with guards and patrols at the entrance every day.
This was the first time Tang Tang had seen such a magnificent and imposing mansion, and she gained a new understanding of the Zhuo family’s status.
Before, she could tell from Zhuo Ji’s demeanor that his family must be wealthy, but now she realized that it wasn’t just about money; Zhuo Ji’s family was not only wealthy, but also undoubtedly powerful.
Gu Chang’an and Ji Yue also seemed quite wealthy. How come all of my husband’s friends are so extraordinary? Is my husband extraordinary too?
Tang Tang suddenly remembered what Gu Yanran had told her last time— that the Ji family was a military family. Were they very powerful?
Sensing the probing gazes around her, Ji Yan turned to Tang Tang. “What’s wrong?”
Tang Tang pursed her lips, wanting to ask, but then shook her head. “Nothing.”
Ji Yan assumed she was uncomfortable in this place and patted her head like he would pat Ji Xiaozhuo. “Don’t be afraid, just be at home, don’t be reserved.”
Tang Tang’s mind was now blank, filled only with the image of him patting her head. It was the first time he had ever patted her head, how happy she was…
Then, Ji Xiaozhuo saw her mother inexplicably smiling foolishly at her father again, and couldn’t help but shake her head. Women are really hard to understand.
When Grandma Zhuo heard the gatekeeper announce that Ji Yan had arrived with a little child, she guessed it was Ji Xiaozhuo and was overjoyed. She immediately went to the gate to greet him. When she saw Ji Xiaozhuo’s chubby and adorable little figure, her heart melted. She quickly walked over and said, “Oh my, is this Xiao Zhuo? Great-Grandma hasn’t seen you in so long! You’ve grown so much!”
When Ji Xiaozhuo saw this beautiful old woman with gray hair, his clever little mind immediately recognized her as the great-grandmother who had given him the little golden monkey. He immediately let go of his parents’ hands and rushed towards the old woman. However, knowing that he couldn’t bump into her, he controlled his strength and gently floated into Grandma Zhuo’s arms, hugging her legs and calling out in a childish voice, “Great-Grandma~”
“Oh~ Great-Grandma’s little darling~” Grandma Zhuo smiled broadly as she hugged the sweet-smelling baby, her heart softening completely. She wished she could melt the little guy into her heart.
Following behind Grandma Zhuo in his wheelchair, Zhuo Ji was both amused and exasperated to see his grandmother completely forget everyone around her the moment she saw Ji Xiaozhuo. He had no choice but to step forward and greet Ji Yan and Tang Tang, saying, “Please forgive her, Grandma forgets everything when she sees a child. We’re practically invisible to her now.”
Tang Tang smiled secretly.
Ji Yan also smiled and helped push Zhuo Ji’s wheelchair, saying, “I understand. Grandma Zhuo has been hoping for you to get married and have children for over ten years without success, so it’s not surprising that she’s like this now.”
Zhuo Ji shook his head and chuckled bitterly, “Someone like me shouldn’t ruin other girls’ lives.”
Ji Yan’s eyes dimmed, and he patted Zhuo Ji’s shoulder, saying, “Don’t be like that, brother. Don’t let someone you like slip away. You deserve a good girl by your side.”
Zhuo Ji smiled without saying anything.
At this moment, Grandma Zhuo, having finished her intimacy with Ji Xiaozhuo, remembered the others. She smiled and patted Ji Yan’s arm before turning her gaze to Tang Tang, whom she had never seen before. Her eyes showed no surprise, only gentleness.
Ji Yan immediately introduced her, “Grandma, this is Tang Tang, Xiao Zhuo’s mother. She hasn’t visited you since we got married, so I brought her to meet you this time.”
Grandma Zhuo’s wise eyes swept over the two of them, instantly noticing the change in their relationship, but she didn’t ask or say anything, only smiling and taking Tang Tang’s hand, “Good child, come visit me more often with Ji Yan. Seeing you young people happy makes Grandma happy.”
Tang Tang nodded earnestly, “Yes, Grandma, I’ll bring Xiao Zhuo to visit you more often.”
A hint of relief flashed in Grandma Zhuo’s eyes. It seemed that Ji Yan’s hard work had finally paid off; one of these children was finally about to find happiness.
After everyone sat down in the living room, Ji Yan handed the gift box he had been holding to Tang Tang, saying softly, “Give this gift to Grandma.”
Tang Tang pointed to herself in surprise, silently asking, “Me?”
Ji Yan nodded.
Tang Tang didn’t understand why he didn’t give it directly to Grandma Zhuo but made her give it instead, but she believed he must have his reasons. So she obediently accepted the gift box, nervously clenched her fist, and under his gaze, carried the gift box forward to present it to Grandma Zhuo. “Grandma, this is a birthday gift we prepared for you. We wish you a long and happy life.”
Grandma Zhuo reached out and took it, giving Tang Tang and Ji Yan a reproachful look. “You children just love to spend money. Grandma only needs you to come, I don’t need any gifts. But you all have to rack your brains to prepare things for me, don’t you? Do you think Grandma is a greedy old woman in your eyes?”
Before Ji Yan and Tang Tang could speak, Zhuo Ji chuckled and pleaded, “Grandma, please don’t be angry with me. I promise I’ll prepare a cheaper birthday gift for you next time, okay?”
Ji Yan looked at Zhuo Ji, asking what was going on.
Zhuo Ji sighed and smiled wryly.
Seeing that he didn’t answer, Grandma Zhuo replied on his behalf, “Your eldest brother is truly remarkable! He gave me a Han Dynasty palace painting as a birthday gift. He bought it at auction for a hundred million! Does an old woman like me, nearing the end of her life, need such a grand celebration for her birthday?”
Upon hearing this, everyone except Ji Xiaozhuo, who didn’t have much of a concept of money, was stunned, especially Tang Tang, who was so shocked by the number that she almost forgot to breathe.
Good heavens, a hundred million! How much money is that? Compared to that, her gift seemed incredibly cheap.
Tang Tang suddenly felt that her gift was too inadequate and was hesitant to give it as a gift.
Ji Yan only paused for a second before laughing and said to Grandma Zhuo, “Grandma, this is my eldest brother’s heartfelt gift. He knows what he’s doing, so please don’t blame him.”
Grandma Zhuo pointed at Ji Yan with her finger, “You always speak up for your eldest brother. I haven’t even said anything to you yet, and you’ve already spent money!”
Although Grandma Zhuo was a complete queen in front of outsiders, she was no different from an ordinary nagging elder in front of them, the younger generation. She loved them when they deserved it, and she would never hesitate to criticize them when necessary. Ji Yan and the others had been disciplined by Grandma Zhuo quite a bit when they were young.
But this time Ji Yan smiled. “Grandma, you can’t blame me this time. I didn’t give such an expensive gift like my older brother. My gift didn’t cost any money; Tang Tang made it for you herself.”
This surprised and delighted Grandma Zhuo. “Tang Tang made it herself? What did she make? Let Grandma see.”
Tang Tang was feeling uneasy because the gift was so inexpensive, so she secretly glanced at Ji Yan and found him looking at her and nodding gently. This eased her anxiety, and she explained softly, “Grandma, I heard Ji Yan say that you like wearing padded jackets and skirts, so I made one for you. I hope you like it.”
Grandma Zhuo became interested and reached out to open the box herself. “Good, good, good! Grandma likes this gift. You’re so thoughtful.”
The moment the lid was opened, the clothes inside were revealed. Although she couldn’t see the whole thing, Grandma Zhuo was immediately amazed by the exquisite craftsmanship of the clothes. She picked up the top and skirt separately to examine them closely, and the more she looked, the more she liked them, her eyes filled with amazement.
When Grandma Zhuo saw a pair of exquisite embroidered shoes at the bottom of the box, she was overjoyed, having not gotten embroidered shoes in many years. She touched them again and again, unable to put them down.
The jacket and embroidered shoes that Tang Tang made for Grandma Zhuo were modified from the most beloved and beautiful jacket and embroidered shoes of the old matriarch of her family in her previous life. They were equally noble and gorgeous, but more suitable for Grandma Zhuo’s temperament. To achieve the best effect, she even secretly removed the original embroidery from the fabric and embroidered it herself, resulting in an even better effect.
The outfit made by Tang Tang was truly full of antique charm, with understated luxury in every detail. It was instantly recognizable as extremely precious and could never be confused with the costumes in period dramas. No wonder Grandma Zhuo loved it so much.
Grandma Zhuo patted Tang Tang’s hand, “Tang Tang, the clothes and shoes you made are so beautiful! Grandma never expected to see such skilfully made clothes and shoes at this time of year. Tang Tang, thank you so much!”
“Grandma, I’m glad you like them.” Tang Tang blushed at Grandma Zhuo’s praise and didn’t know what to say. Her first instinct was to look at Ji Yan. Ji Yan’s eyes were full of smiles, and Tang Tang saw the same praise in them, making her even more embarrassed.
Ji Xiaozhuo, his mother’s little fanboy, then stepped forward and said to Grandma Zhuo, “Great-Grandma, the clothes my mom makes look so good on me! Look at the clothes I’m wearing, they were made by my mom, and I look so handsome, right? Why don’t you try them on too? I think you’ll look even more beautiful in your new clothes, Great-Grandma!”
“Xiao Zhuo looks especially handsome today.” Grandma Zhuo was amused by the little guy’s words and nodded in agreement. “Good, good, then Great-Grandma will go try it on now. Great-Grandma needs to look even more beautiful.”
The maid helped Grandma Zhuo upstairs to change her clothes. Zhuo Ji smiled and thanked Tang Tang. “Thank you, Tang Tang. Grandma hasn’t been this happy in a long time. She really likes the clothes and shoes you made. Grandma always regrets that the craftsmanship of our ancestors has been lost, and she can no longer get the clothes she wants. I didn’t expect to make up for that regret today.”
Tang Tang waved her hand. “Brother Zhuo Ji, don’t thank me. Our gifts aren’t worth much money, they’re just a token of our appreciation. I’m glad Grandma likes them.”
Zhuo Ji could see Tang Tang’s sincerity and couldn’t help but smile and look at Ji Yan, patting his shoulder, silently conveying something.
Ji Yan smiled in response.
At this moment, Grandma Zhuo came downstairs after changing her clothes. She was dressed in an antique-style jacket and embroidered shoes, which looked very elegant. With her hair styled up, the already energetic old lady looked even more radiant and graceful.
Everyone was amazed by the effect; it looked good on them, and even better on her.
Ji Xiaozhuo was the first to run over, giving two chubby thumbs up and praising, “Great-Grandma, you’re so beautiful! Just like the empresses on TV!”
Ji Xiaozhuo had recently been enjoying watching palace dramas with Tang Tang, and he thought all the empresses were beautiful.
Grandma Zhuo was amused by his description and affectionately pinched his little chubby hand. “Really? Great-Grandma is just like an empress? That’s amazing!”
Ji Xiaozhuo nodded his little head seriously. “Yes, indeed.”
Even old women like to be praised for their beauty, and Grandma Zhuo was overjoyed by Ji Xiaozhuo’s flattery.
Zhuo Ji couldn’t help but tease Ji Yan, “Ji Yan, Xiao Zhuo is quite something! His skills in charming girls are remarkable, far surpassing the rest of us. You won’t have to worry about finding a daughter-in-law in the future.” Ji Yan chuckled, thinking to himself that if Ji Xiaozhuo dared to be promiscuous and use all his cleverness on girls, he would definitely break his legs.
“Ah! Grandma, you look so beautiful today!”
A female voice came from the doorway. Everyone turned to see Gu Chang’an arriving with Ji Yue, accompanied by Gu Yanran.
It was Ji Yue who spoke. She quickly ran to Grandma Zhuo’s side, hugged her tightly, and rubbed against her affectionately. “Grandma, you look so beautiful in this outfit! Where did you get this dress?”
Grandma Zhuo smiled and patted her head. “Tang Tang made it for me. Isn’t it beautiful? Grandma has decided to wear this outfit tomorrow.”
“Tang Tang made it?” Ji Yue turned around in surprise and immediately ran to Tang Tang’s side to hug her again. “Tang Tang, you’re so amazing! When will you make one for me too? I want to wear a dress like this. I want to have a photoshoot. The costumes in the photo studios are all too rough.”
Although she didn’t know what a photoshoot was, Tang Tang agreed unconditionally. “Okay, I’ll make one for you when we get back.”
“Ah, Tang Tang, you’re so kind!” Ji Yue hugged her even tighter, but as she hugged her, she felt something was different. She couldn’t help but look Tang Tang up and down and pinch her cheek. “Tang Tang, have you gained weight? I feel like you’re not as prickly as before.”
“You noticed?” Tang Tang was overjoyed and quickly shared her culinary achievements with Ji Yue. “I’ve been thinking about gaining weight every day, eating like crazy, and even sneaking snacks at night behind Xiao Zhuo’s back! I’ve gained almost eight pounds now! Hehe, I’m over eighty pounds now!”
Ji Yan, who had been listening nearby, turned to look at Tang Tang and realized that she had been secretly eating snacks every night without him noticing.
Ji Yue touched Tang Tang’s skin again. “Not only have you gained weight, but your skin has also improved, and your complexion isn’t as bad as before. It seems my skincare products are working.”
Tang Tang nodded repeatedly. “They’re working! They’re working! I use the skincare products you gave me every day, and my skin has improved a lot now. My hair isn’t as dry either. Ji Yue, thank you so much!”
Ji Yue was genuinely happy for her. “That’s wonderful! Keep up the good work, and I believe you’ll definitely become a great beauty.”
Tang Tang didn’t dare to have such high expectations. “I just want to not be ugly. I don’t dare to dream of becoming a great beauty.”
Ji Yue tapped her forehead. “Can’t you be a little more confident? Trust me, with all my years of experience seeing so many beautiful women and handsome men, once you’ve recovered and gained ten pounds, you’ll definitely be a stunning beauty. Just look at Ji Xiaozhuo; you know you won’t be ugly.”
Tang Tang immediately corrected, “Xiao Zhuo is good-looking because he looks like his father, not me. It has nothing to do with me.”
Ji Yue shook her head in denial, “That’s not true! Haven’t you noticed? Ji Xiaozhuo only resembles Ji Yan in appearance, but his actual features don’t look like Ji Yan’s. Since his features don’t resemble his father’s, they must have been inherited from you!”
Tang Tang didn’t believe this at all; she and the little one didn’t look alike at all.
“Oh, you have to trust my judgment. You’re so unhealthy you’re deformed. Ji Xiaozhuo’s features are blurred by the fat, that’s why you can’t see the resemblance. But you have to understand, if the son is handsome, how could the mother be ugly?”
Ji Yue said, turning to Ji Yan and asking, “Am I right, Ji Yan? Ji Xiaozhuo’s features don’t look like yours, do they?”
Ji Yan glanced at Ji Xiaozhuo, who was being held in Gu Chang’an’s arms and grinning foolishly, and nodded silently. Ji Xiaozhuo’s features indeed didn’t resemble his. The little guy’s features were much more delicate and refined than his. However, he didn’t know if this was inherited from Tang Tang, because when he met her, she wasn’t very pretty.
Tang Tang was a little surprised to see Ji Yan nod. She couldn’t help but look back and forth between Ji Yan and Ji Xiaozhuo. Perhaps influenced by Ji Yue’s words, she suddenly felt that if she disregarded the chubbiness on Ji Xiaozhuo’s face, the little guy’s features really didn’t resemble Ji Yan’s. Could it be that Ji Xiaozhuo really looked like her? Impossible.
Could it be that she was really quite beautiful when she was normal? The key question is, did she even have a normal time? Sigh, why weren’t there any old photos of her?
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