Chapter 27: Exceptional Destiny

Page 1 of 3

Alas, she had to start working the moment she was born. As expected, even blessings could not be enjoyed for nothing.

Jiaoyue was carried away and given a fragrant bath. She drank half a bowl of goat’s milk from the silver bowl and with the silver spoon her grandfather had given her, then was dressed in a bright red little outfit embroidered with auspicious patterns. Finally, she was wrapped in another bright red swaddling cloth embroidered with a hundred blessings.

The third-day bathing ceremony was to take place at noon, but everyone in the family arrived after breakfast.

Once Grandmother and the six aunts-in-law came to the rear courtyard to see her mother, they did not remain long in the bedchamber, for Lin Yuntang was still in confinement. After exchanging a few words of greeting, they all went to the reception hall, where they took turns eagerly holding Jiaoyue and teasing her.

Jiaoyue knew who each of them was without waiting for her father to introduce them. The six aunts-in-law were afraid she might not recognize them, so whoever held her gave her a little self-introduction.

Their maids and old matrons, however, had remained in the front courtyard. They had not brought them along, fearing that too many people would disturb Lin Yuntang’s rest.

Jiaoyue only needed to glance at the six women’s fortunes and listen to their inner thoughts.

Their fortunes were all quite good and not far apart. The eldest aunt-in-law had the best fortune among them, though it was still inferior to her mother’s.

The six women’s thoughts were remarkably lively. Although each had her own little concerns, they were merely envious of her mother’s good fortune.

In their eyes, their beautiful sister-in-law had been doted on by her family before marriage, cherished by her husband afterward, and blessed with wealth and beauty. Now she even had the Meng family’s only daughter. She was practically the winner of life.

There was no ill will in them.

A person could conceal their emotions and carefully control their words, but inner thoughts could not be controlled. They surfaced of their own accord.

Besides, who could imagine that someone might be able to hear what they were thinking?

That was why the thoughts in a person’s heart were their truest thoughts—and their truest self.

Jiaoyue quietly gazed at them with her large eyes, occasionally giving them a smile in response.

For now, none of the six aunts-in-law seemed problematic. Having a few private thoughts of one’s own was perfectly normal.

After all, among the seven brothers, only the eldest could inherit the position of family head. Although they all lived together at present, once Grandfather was gone and the eldest inherited the family, the other six brothers would each be given their own branch household.

Everyone looked after themselves; Jiaoyue did not think it wrong for people to be a little selfish or to harbor private concerns.

So long as they could put the greater good first when it truly mattered, unite their hearts for the family’s interests, and work toward the same goal, that was enough.

Page 1 of 3

Page 2 of 3

It was not until the three generations of Meng men waiting in the front courtyard grew restless that her father finally carried her there.

Jiaoyue’s brothers had not yet seen what their little sister looked like. Because someone had tried to poison her, they had been warned not to visit Seventh Uncle’s courtyard for the time being, lest they be used by the culprit.

On the day Jiaoyue was born, only the Eighth, Ninth, Tenth, and Eleventh Brothers had come, apart from those already studying at Hanmo Academy. The four were all still young—the eldest among them was only six—and they had seen nothing more than her swaddling cloth, not her face.

So today, for the third-day bathing ceremony, every one of Jiaoyue’s brothers, young and old alike, had arrived.

The Eldest, Third, and Sixth Brothers belonged to the eldest uncle’s branch. They were twelve, nine, and seven years old respectively.

The Second and Fifth Brothers belonged to the second uncle’s branch. They were ten and eight.

The Fourth and Eighth Brothers belonged to the third uncle’s branch. They were nine and six.

The Seventh and Ninth Brothers belonged to the fourth uncle’s branch. They were eight and ten.

The Tenth Brother belonged to the fifth uncle’s branch. He was five, while the youngest, the Eleventh Brother, belonged to the sixth uncle’s branch and was only three. Though he was young, his manners were excellent.

Yet the moment they saw their Seventh Uncle carrying their little sister in, their composure vanished. As soon as he entered, they surrounded him, each scrambling to get a look at her.

Meng Wenxuan patiently bent down while holding his daughter, making sure even the youngest of the eleven brothers could see her.

He then introduced all eleven brothers to her one by one. When Jiaoyue saw their fortunes, she could not help marveling. The Meng family’s luck was truly remarkable. No matter how blessed a family might be, it was impossible for every single member to possess such good fortune. There was something unusual about the Meng family’s destiny.

No wonder the emperor had set his sights on them.

When she heard their inner thoughts, the corner of her mouth twitched. Every one of these brothers looked impeccably well-behaved, yet their minds were astonishingly unruly. Some were even plotting how to steal her away to their own courtyards.

The youngest, Eleventh Brother, cautiously reached out and touched her cheek. Then he said curiously, “Sister’s cheek looks just like a boiled egg after I peel off the shell—so white and tender.”

His words immediately made everyone in the family laugh.

The head of the Meng family stroked his beard and said with a smile, “Rui described it perfectly.”

Meng Yunrui was the name of Jiaoyue’s youngest brother. Their generation all shared the same generational character, Yun. Except for Jiaoyue, whose name had been handed down from an ancestor, all the brothers had been given names using that character.

Beginning with the eldest, Meng Yunhe, their names were Jing, Chuan, Zhen, Huai, Zhe, Xu, Xuan, Rui, An, and Rui.

All the names had been chosen by the head of the Meng family.

Page 2 of 3

Page 3 of 3

Meng Yunrui immediately grew a little embarrassed, but when he saw his sister looking at him with her large eyes and smiling, he smiled happily as well.

Holding his daughter, Meng Wenxuan introduced the second through sixth uncles one after another. The eldest uncle had gone to the capital to invite a master jade carver and had not yet returned.

Their attendants, however, were all standing outside, so they could not be introduced for the moment.

Even so, Jiaoyue was kept extremely busy. She continuously released her spiritual power, observing fortunes and listening to inner thoughts without pause. Her mind soon became a chaotic din, as if she were standing in the middle of a crowded market street.

The main culprits were her brothers’ wildly varied thoughts. They really were a bunch of little rascals.

In less than half an hour, she had more or less recognized everyone. She had also been passed around once among Grandfather and all her uncles.

No matter who held her, her father watched them intently, afraid that this group of grown men would not know how to hold a baby and might make his daughter uncomfortable.

The brothers all desperately wanted to hold her, but even the eldest, Meng Yunhe, was only twelve. Though he was already a handsome young gentleman, he had never held a baby before.

For that reason, they were not permitted to hold her.

The dozen or so brothers were all rather dejected. They had such a beautiful and adorable little sister, yet they were not allowed to hold her. Several of the more spirited ones had already been thinking of stealing her away to their own homes, and now they were considering how to put the plan into action.

Worried that his daughter might be growing tired, Meng Wenxuan carried her back to the rear courtyard. He took the covered corridor rather than the open path. It was already the third month of spring, and the weather had warmed. Since the corridor was sheltered from the wind, he did not cover her.

As they walked, he introduced the attendants waiting beneath the corridor.

The attendants were flattered beyond belief. Seventh Master had changed completely after having a daughter. He had become so approachable.

They were all curious to see what Jiaoyue looked like as well, so those who had not been standing beneath the corridor came over to see her. Whenever Meng Wenxuan introduced them, they greeted Jiaoyue warmly.

This made it convenient for Jiaoyue to observe their fortunes and listen to their inner thoughts.

As soon as they left the corridor, Meng Wenxuan immediately covered his daughter with the swaddling cloth. When they returned to the rear courtyard and reached the corridor, he uncovered her again. Along the way, he also let her see several maids and old matrons waiting outside for the aunts-in-law.

Fortunately, Grandmother and the aunts-in-law were all preparing the items needed for the rites to be performed inside the bedchamber during the third-day bathing ceremony. Meng Wenxuan took Jiaoyue straight back to the bedchamber, placed her in the cradle, and coaxed her to sleep.

Page 3 of 3