"We're still watching her to make sure nothing changes in an unfortunate direction. But--well, you would know just how many experimental talismans Wei Ying developed for containing the Yin Iron. The situation is nothing less than astonishing but I'm not especially suspicious." 

"Mmm." She wants to see Wei Ying, and ask her what the hell she was thinking, and hug her very tightly. But it doesn't sound like Wei Ying is hurt or in need of her, and so she will not break her rule.

"Can I be of any use?" Without coming face-to-face with Wei Ying, is implied.

"I'm sure Madam Meng would love to meet you at some point, but the situation is stable for the moment." 

She thanks Brother for bringing her the news and returns to her music.

(Wei Ying is, as it turns out, not exactly not in trouble with the Jiang sect? Her penalty is that she gets to explain what happened to Jiang Cheng while he rubs the stress headache out of his temples and says "Shijie" in varyingly pained tones of voice, and repeat arbitrary parts of the narrative until he's satisfied.) 

This is completely insane but not, like, in a way that is not incredibly A-Ying, and also it's definitely a good thing? Jiang Yanli hasn't really met Meng Yao in more than passing, but A-Ying likes him enough to have sworn herself his sister so she was obviously going to have to get to know him at some point, and even A-Cheng is impressed with him (Yanli has caught him plotting to defeat Meng Yao as Favorite Uncle, which, very A-Cheng). And suddenly being not dead and also in a war zone sounds very disorienting. Yanli sneaks around her mother sufficiently to produce a pot of soup and a bowl of peeled lotus seeds and heads over. 

(She isn't not aware that Meng Yao is her crush/ex-fiance's half-brother, or under what circumstances he was produced, but it just completely fails to strike her as relevant at any point.) 

Meng Yao is in conversation with a sentry outside his mother's new tent. He notices Jiang Yanli's approach and turns to bow to her, smiling. "Jiang-guniang! Can I help you?"

"Hello! I'm sorry we haven't had a chance to get to know each other better before now, but I heard about your mother, and I thought that being several years in the future in a war zone must be pretty strange, and there isn't much I can do directly, but sometimes soup helps." 

"Oh! Ah, Jiang-guniang is so thoughtful. She is inside; I will join you both momentarily."

"Mother!" he calls through the open tent flap. "Jiang-guniang has come to visit you, Wei Ying's shijie. May she come in?"

"Oh, yes of course!"

She enters and sets down the food. 

"--I don't know if you can eat or not; if you can't then I'm sorry, I just thought that it might be nice, if you could. My cultivation isn't very high but A-Ying will tell you my soup can be helpful if you're having a stressful time at all." 

"Oh, my Lady, that's too generous of you -- please, sit down if you would like." She rises to her knees and bows. "It is an honor to meet you, Jiang-guniang, and the soup smells quite lovely."

"Thank you. I had been meaning to try to get to know Meng Yao better anyway--my little sister is his little sister too, now, and that's the kind of situation a big sister's got to keep on top of, you know? But A-Ying and A-Cheng both speak so highly of him, it didn't seem urgent and I never quite got around to it until now." 

Meng Shi blinks. "I understand of course, Jiang-guniang, wanting to keep an eye on those your sister becomes close to. But... may I ask why you are taking time to talk to me and not my son? May I be of use to my lady in some way?"

"Meng Yao is busy, and can take care of himself. But..." she examines her folded hands. "I don't know what you've been told about how the war has been going. But A-Cheng and I--Sect Leader Jiang and I, now--we lost our father recently. Until Mother arrived at Meishan where I was visiting, I didn't know whether she or Father were alive or dead. Not knowing was painful, and knowing is painful. To lose your mother, when you've never had a father at all--A-Ying cares about your son greatly. I am very glad you're alright." 

She dips her head. "Thank you, Jiang-guniang. I am glad that your mother lives. I am glad that A-Yao has found people who care about him greatly."

It would be impolite to leave the soup any longer; she pulls the bowl towards herself. They did in fact run a test of her eating something, and nothing seemed to go wrong. She will still eat slowly and lightly, for now. She blows on the first spoonful. "I hope that this was not too much effort."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I love to cook." 

The soup is even more delicious than she was expecting from the smell of it. Meng Shi's eyes flutter shut and she sighs happily before hurrying to convey proper admiration. "You are very talented, my lady! Wei-guniang is surely lucky to have such a skilled and thoughtful shijie."

"Hehe, well, she says so often enough. I'm very lucky to have her in return." 

Meng Yao sweeps inside to join them, bowing again to Jiang Yanli and sitting beside his mother. "Mother, how are you feeling, does the soup agree with you?"

"Quite," says Meng Shi. "Jiang-guniang's soup is delicious and soothing. I still feel no ill effects from eating."

She pats A-Yao's shoulder and pushes her bowl towards him. "Try some, A-Yao."

...Meng Yao should possibly remind Mother that she no longer bears the responsibility for feeding him, that they both will be provided with plenty. He says nothing in front of Jiang-guniang.

Regardless, Mother might find comfort in the routine. Meng Yao agreeably takes a sip and then beams. "How delicious, Jiang-guniang! I see that A-Ying has not oversold the quality of your cooking."

"Ah, you think it's even as good as A-Ying says? I know I'm alright, but that's high praise." 

"I think for a soup of such high quality, some high praise is warranted! Is cooking how you like to keep busy on the front, Jiang-guniang? I am not yet sure how I will fill my days here."

"I'm not a very strong cultivator myself, so cooking and basic first aid are most of what I can do to be useful. Aside from making sure A-Ying and A-Cheng don't ignore an important injury and hurt themselves worse, when that comes up. And Lan Zhan has been shouldering most of that particular burden where A-Ying is concerned, lately."