Chapter 698 We cannot let Shen Wantang give birth to the eldest grandson.

Shen Wantang's eyes widened: "How can that be? Qianhan and I have nothing to be close about. I still want to share your and sister-in-law's burdens! There are so many miscellaneous things to do in this mansion, how can sister-in-law manage alone..."

"Alright!"

Madam Gu quickly interrupted her, "I know you're considerate, but you don't need to argue about this anymore, it's settled! I'm tired too, you can go back now!"

Shen Wantang sighed softly, "Alas, yes, your daughter-in-law will listen to her mother. Your daughter-in-law will take her leave now."

After she finished speaking, she turned and walked away with a dejected look on her face.

Madam Gu breathed a sigh of relief after she left.

Just as he was about to speak, the curtain was lifted and a figure walked in.

She thought it was Shen Wantang returning, so she immediately tensed up. She only relaxed when she saw that it was Gu Qianning who came in.

Gu Qianning yawned, rubbed her eyes, and sat down next to Madam Gu: "Mother, my second sister-in-law seemed unhappy when she left just now. You didn't bully her, did you? You can't do that. Your daughter-in-law has just entered the family and you're already acting like a mean mother-in-law, making things difficult for her. Be careful not to become a laughing stock."

Madam Gu glared at her: "What nonsense are you talking about? How could I be a wicked mother-in-law! Your second sister-in-law is very cunning. Would I make things difficult for her? I'd be grateful if she didn't make things difficult for me!"

"Pshaw, I've never heard of a daughter-in-law being difficult to her mother-in-law!"

Gu Qianning pursed her lips: "I know my second sister-in-law. She is definitely not the kind of person who would start trouble. Of course, she is not the kind of person who would suffer in silence. You should think twice before you make things difficult for her next time."

Meng Yunlan quickly spoke up for Madam Gu: "A Ning, I can testify that Mother really did not make things difficult for my sister-in-law. It's just that my sister-in-law wanted to take over managing the household for me, but Mother did not agree, so she was a little unhappy."

Gu Qianning was stunned: "A-Tang wants to take over managing the household in place of my sister-in-law? This...this can't be right, can it? Are you sure you're not mistaken? How could A-Tang possibly make such a request?"

Madam Gu snorted coldly: "How could there be a mistake? She's incredibly ambitious! I underestimated her!"

"Impossible! I don't believe it!"

With a friendship spanning two lifetimes, Gu Qianning's trust in Shen Wantang could not be shaken by a few words from Madam Gu and Meng Yunlan.

She suddenly stood up and strode out, saying, "There must be some misunderstanding here. I'm going to find Ah Tang and ask her!"

"What are you asking?! Hey, come back here!"

Fearing that the truth would be revealed, Madam Gu immediately called out to Gu Qianning, but Gu Qianning ignored her and disappeared in a short while.

Madam Gu's face was rather unpleasant. She glanced at her eldest daughter-in-law and said with a hint of annoyance, "Yunlan, look at the mess you've made of this. One minute you want to give the management of the household to Tang'er, and the next minute you don't want to. How am I, as the mother-in-law, supposed to save face?"

Meng Yunlan looked guilty: "Mother, it's all my fault. I didn't think things through."

Madam Gu was still very unhappy: "Yunlan, now that you have married into the Duke's mansion, you should consider the Duke's mansion more. You can't always run back to your parents' home for help over trivial matters."

"You've been married into this family for five years and haven't gotten pregnant, and I've never blamed you, have I? I've always told you to relax and not to worry, but what did you do? You actually went back to your parents' home and brought your mother here to pressure me?! Forcing me to hand over the management of the household to the second wife!"

"I refuse to hand over the management of the household to the second wife. Others may not know the reasons, but don't you know them yourself?! I'm on your side!"

Meng Yunlan hurriedly waved her hands: "No, no, I absolutely did not mean for my mother to put pressure on you! I just... I'm just so anxious because I haven't been able to conceive. I've seen so many doctors, and they all said I need to rest and recuperate for a while, so that's why I thought..."

"well!"

Madam Gu sighed deeply: "Alright, let's just let this matter go. I know you've been anxious the most because you haven't conceived yet, and you'll probably be even more anxious after Tang'er comes into the family."

As for why Meng Yunlan became so anxious and lost his composure as soon as Shen Wantang entered the door, Madam Gu knew perfectly well.

Because she and Meng Yunlan shared the same idea: they couldn't let Shen Wantang give birth to the child before Meng Yunlan.

The eldest grandson of the Gu family should have been born from Meng Yunlan's womb. If Shen Wantang were to give birth to him first, her and Gu Qianhan's status would rise significantly, and they might even surpass the eldest branch of the family.

"Yunlan, don't rush things about having a child. Perhaps it's just that the time isn't right yet, which is why the child hasn't arrived. You and Qianling are still young, and you will have a child."

Madam Gu's comforting words made Meng Yunlan feel even more guilty. Her eyes reddened as she said, "Thank you for your understanding, Mother. It is a blessing from my past life that I have a mother-in-law like you."

Madam Gu shook her head. What could she do if she couldn't be understanding? Should she give her son a few concubines? Force him to take one?

She can't do that.

Firstly, she herself had suffered from this before. After she became pregnant, her mother-in-law insisted on giving her husband several beautiful concubines, which caused her husband, who was originally very close to her, to gradually develop a rift, argue constantly, and sometimes not speak to her for a month or two.

Secondly, the eldest son himself is also a man of his own mind. He did not want to take a concubine and even came to her specifically to tell her that he only needed Meng Yunlan in his life. Only when the couple is close and of one mind can they last a long time.

The third point is that Madam Gu was unwilling to let her concubines give birth to the Gu family's eldest grandson, especially the eldest grandson of her eldest son.

In respectable families, the first child is always born to the legal wife.

Only families with no rules would allow a concubine to be born before the principal wife.

"Mother, what about the housekeeper..."

“Ah Ning and I will help you with the housekeeping. You only need to take care of a small part yourself, so you won’t get too tired.”

"What about your sister-in-law..."

"You don't need to worry about her. I'll keep her in check. As long as I'm alive, no one can get past you!"

Meng Yunlan lowered her head: "Daughter-in-law, that's not what I meant."

Madam Gu glanced at her, and the displeasure in her heart surged up again: "I know what you mean. Your mother also came here specifically to say that she hopes you will give birth to the eldest grandson of the Duke's mansion. That's why she insists that I give the power of managing the household to Tang'er so that Tang'er will be too busy to have a baby before you."

Meng Yunlan looked embarrassed. She had only intended to mention it subtly, but her mother-in-law had bluntly brought it up.

Madam Gu's tone was stern: "Have you considered this? This is a family matter of our Duke's Mansion. Is it appropriate for you to ask your mother to interfere in family affairs? Have you considered my feelings?"

"She's meddling in everything! It's one thing for her to interfere in your and Qianling's having a child, but she even wants to know when Qianhan and his wife will have a child!"

"You won't find another mother-in-law like her anywhere else in the entire capital!"