Chapter 58 "Used by everyone, except..."
Meng Yuanxiao swallowed hard, frowning but remaining silent.
Cui Xintang curled her lips and said self-deprecatingly, "With a father and mother like that, how could I be any better than them? It's only natural that Yuanyuan dislikes me."
"..." Meng Yuanxiao's heart pounded, and after a long while she said, "Brother Tang, I only want to ask you, have you ever had the thought of taking Miss Lin as a concubine?"
Upon hearing this, Cui Xintang visibly froze for a moment.
Meng Yuanxiao's heart sank suddenly, and then he heard him say, "Back then, I was exhausted from dealing with the Eldest Princess, and I did briefly have the idea of simply doing as my mother wished and taking Miss Lin into the manor."
Meng Yuanxiao burst into tears.
Cui Xintang looked helpless. "Back then, Brother Tang didn't expect that he would marry Yuanyuan in the future. He wanted to take Miss Lin into the manor, but in order to avoid the Princess."
He paused briefly, then continued, "Also, we'll make Manager Lin a member of the Cui family, so he won't frequently visit the Cui residence and expose his scandalous affairs, thus tarnishing the Cui family's reputation."
"Is that all?" Meng Yuanxiao didn't believe it. She felt terribly suffocated, and large tears streamed down her face.
"Then why did you never answer me when I asked you several times before if you would take a concubine? Do you dare to say that you never had this thought after you married me?"
“No,” Cui Xintang said. His expression was somewhat complicated. “My mother… is stubborn.”
“When Cui Zhen left, it was a big blow to her, so much so that she fell seriously ill. After Cui Zhen left, she transferred her hatred for Cui Zhen to me. She hated me but wanted to control me and couldn’t tolerate me leaving her as far away as Cui Zhen did.”
"So, sensing my desire to leave the capital, my mother repeatedly used the Lin family to sow discord between you and me. I only thought that you, Yuanyuan, should ignore her, but I never expected..."
At this point, Cui Xintang frowned. "When Cui Zhen left, I was still there, so she had an outlet for her anger. If I leave again, my mother will be traumatized, and I don't know what she might do."
“I’m too lazy to deal with all that, and I don’t want to cause any more trouble. Mother and Steward Lin these past two years… probably weren’t all an act. I’ve considered having the Lin family move to the Cui residence when we leave the capital. With Steward Lin around, Mother might be able to see things more clearly…”
Meng Yuanxiao interrupted him with a cold laugh, "What do you mean by moving to the Cui residence? Isn't it just taking a concubine? Why make it sound so nice?"
She felt nauseous, and her tears fell even harder. "Take her into the household, and then what? Out of guilt, have another child with Miss Lin, and leave it to your mother-in-law, is that it?"
Cui Xintang frowned, and Meng Yuanxiao cried, "Don't say you hate the Lin family. When Su Shi first entered the family, my elder brother also said he hated her, but now Su Shi is all pregnant!"
Meng Yuanxiao was filled with regret for having been soft-hearted and letting him in tonight. She sobbed and kicked him, pointing at the door and saying, "Get out!"
Cui Xintang naturally wouldn't go out.
He pulled the person over, picked him up, and let Meng Yuanxiao kick and hit him, saying, "I said that back then because I didn't know how to treat you, so I thought I would distance myself from you a little."
After a slight pause, he said, "I did think about letting Erlang and Miss Nalin into the family, and I even mentioned it to Erlang. Erlang didn't say anything, but my aunt found out and gave me a good scolding that day."
"Later, Miss Lin also scolded me. Otherwise, Miss Lin wouldn't have been so angry that she stormed into the Cui residence and deliberately brought all this to your attention. If Yuanyuan doesn't believe me, she can go and ask her second aunt or Miss Lin."
Meng Yuanxiao was stunned, tears still clinging to her long eyelashes, staring blankly at him.
“Why do you think so badly of Brother Tang, Yuan Yuan?” Cui Xintang wiped away her tears. “Brother Tang may not be a good person, but he wouldn’t do something so disgusting to himself.”
"Even if I had taken Miss Lin into my household before marrying Yuanyuan, I would not have had any thoughts about her."
He paused for a moment and said in a deep voice, "Every time I see the Lin family, I can't help but think of the scene I witnessed in my mother's room."
After saying that, he pecked Meng Yuanxiao on the cheek and chuckled, "If Brother Tang doesn't want to disgust himself, he can only disgust others."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Her mind was a jumbled mess, and she felt incredibly distressed.
She didn't really believe Cui Xintang's words. Whatever the reason, she felt disgusted that her brother had ever thought about taking a concubine.
Even with the reasons he gave, and the fact that he truly had no feelings for Miss Lin, she still felt disgusted.
After struggling and crying, Meng Yuanxiao was completely exhausted. She buried her face in Cui Xintang's shoulder and sobbed softly.
Cui Xintang sighed softly, "These things... I originally wanted to keep from you. I am not a gentleman. Even when I sent Lin Yu to Yunping County, it was because of the Princess that I sent Lin Yu there after learning that Grand Tutor Xu's hometown was in Yunping County."
"We didn't think about what use he would be in the future, but we still sent him there."
"Brother Tang uses everyone, even my mother, except when he marries Yuanyuan."
“Yuanyuan doesn’t like Brother Tang’s behavior. Brother Tang can change in the future. It’s just that he still can’t get away from his work at the Ministry of Revenue, and his mother is ill. He really can’t leave.”
"That day, my mother fainted. The imperial physician said that her illness was caused by a heart ailment, which was probably related to her knowing that I was leaving the capital."
“She is my mother after all, and I can’t just stand by and do nothing and let something really happen to her. Yuanyuan, wait for Brother Tang a little longer. In time, Mother will eventually accept it, and then Brother Tang will take you away from the capital.”
"Yuanyuan, don't you want to be a lady-in-waiting? I promise I won't stop you then."
...
Meng Yuanxiao cried himself to sleep that night.
She tried to shoo him away but couldn't. Cui Xintang pulled her into his arms and said, "Brother Tang hasn't had a proper rest these past few days. Yuanyuan, let Brother Tang hold you for a bit."
I finally fell asleep, but in my dream I saw Miss Lin's smiling face, which also held a hint of pity.
When I woke up, my pillow was still wet, but Cui Xintang had already left.
She had originally kept her refusal to return to the Cui residence a secret from the Meng family, but the Meng family found out very quickly.
On this day, Madam Feng suddenly came over. After not seeing her for several days, Madam Feng's originally well-maintained face looked somewhat haggard.
Upon seeing her daughter, Madam Feng's eyes suddenly reddened. She took a few steps forward and embraced her, saying with heartache, "Yuanyuan, you've been wronged, why didn't you mention it to your mother at all?"
Meng Yuanxiao originally thought her mother would blame her, but upon hearing this, she felt even more aggrieved. She hugged her mother and shed a few tears, then started to whine and act spoiled.
Madam Feng asked, "Did your mother-in-law upset you?"
Meng Yuanxiao clung to her mother's arms, feeling wronged and refusing to speak. Helpless, Madam Feng held her and gently comforted her, coaxing her softly.
"I've neglected you these past few days because of what happened with your older brother and his wife, Yuanyuan, please don't take it to heart. Words spoken in anger are not to be taken seriously, and I regret it myself. You're my only daughter, how could I not love you?"
Meng Yuanxiao pursed her lips and remained silent. Madam Feng sighed softly, took her hand, and couldn't help but shed tears.
"Your eldest brother and Li Shi have fallen out like this, and the Cui family has become a laughing stock in the capital. Your mother is really heartbroken. Your eldest brother is already like this, and your second brother is even more of a worry. Your mother only hopes that you, Yuanyuan, can live a comfortable life and not become a laughing stock."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
Hearing her mother's words, the words that were already on the tip of her tongue just wouldn't come out.
Madam Feng said, "I was worried that Yuanyuan would suffer after marriage, but Yuanyuan has to get married eventually. I have seen how your brother Tang treats you. He is no worse than your two brothers. So even though I was reluctant, I was afraid that he would be taken away by someone else. I knew you were too young, but I was still in a hurry to marry you off to him."
"You won't suffer any grievances if you marry into any family. Your brother Tang is on your side, and your mother-in-law only has your brother Tang as her son. Even if she is dissatisfied with you, she won't do anything about it. If Yuanyuan marries into another family, she will probably suffer even more grievances."
Madam Feng held Meng Yuanxiao's hand and tried to persuade her for a long time. Finally, she said, "If Yuanyuan doesn't want to go back to the Cui residence, then don't go back for now. Come home with your mother. Your mother should also ask Cui's son-in-law how he dared to make my daughter suffer like this."
Back at the Meng residence, in the afternoon, Meng Yuanxiao was squatting under the crabapple tree in the courtyard, poking ants with a small twig when Meng Zheng returned from his shift.
As soon as Meng Zheng arrived, he said, "Oh, let me see who this is. Isn't this the eldest young mistress of the Cui family?"
Meng Yuanxiao was feeling rather depressed, and upon hearing this, he didn't even raise his head, only calling out "Second Brother".
Meng Zheng clicked his tongue, strode over, leaned against the crabapple tree, and looked at her, asking, "What's wrong? Who dares to mess with our Yuanyuan?"
Meng Yuanxiao hummed a few times without saying anything, and Meng Zheng continued to tease her, "Second brother heard that Yuanyuan has become quite successful, and a new guard has been added to the manor. Every night, he stands guard in front of your manor like a demon?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
She remained silent, so Meng Xu flicked her finger on the head and said, "Tell your second brother why you locked that Cui guy out and wouldn't let him in?"
After saying that, he added, "It can't be that the guy surnamed Cui likes it himself, can it? Tsk, the guy surnamed Cui looked down on me before, but now he's following in my footsteps and becoming a guard? He should have said so earlier. If he had, your second brother has connections and could have gotten him into the Imperial City Guard. Wouldn't that be better than him guarding the gate for you?"
Meng Yuanxiao got annoyed and glared at him, "Second Brother!"
He was initially a little angry, but when he looked up and saw Meng Zheng's face, he froze. "Second Brother, you got beaten up?"
Meng Zheng's face was covered in bruises, which were much uglier than the wound on Cui Xintang's forehead.
Meng Zheng looked a little awkward, and touched his nose. "It's nothing, I just got into a fight that day."
Meng Yuanxiao thought to himself, "This isn't fighting with someone; it's being pinned to the ground and beaten up."
Meng Zheng said, "Did Mother go to see you today? Second Brother finished his shift early today and wanted to go see you, but when he got there, your people said that Mother had gone over today."
Meng Yuanxiao gave a perfunctory reply, and Meng Zheng asked again, "What did Mother say?"
"He didn't say anything," Meng Yuanxiao said in a muffled voice.
Meng Zheng, completely lacking in decorum, casually plucked a crabapple leaf and put it in his mouth, then cheekily stretched out his foot and kicked Meng Yuanxiao's foot.
"You don't want to be with that guy surnamed Cui anymore?"
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
"Speak up!" Meng Zheng said anxiously. "I've said before that the man surnamed Cui is no good. If Yuanyuan wants to divorce him, don't worry about what Mother says. Your second brother supports you."
Meng Yuanxiao was stunned for a moment, and her eyes couldn't help but redden.
Feeling depressed, she turned her back to her second brother, not wanting to talk to him anymore.
Meng Zheng was amused by her, "You're just sitting here sulking, and when your second brother tries to agree with you, you don't like it."
After saying that, he said irritably, "The skills you used in front of Second Brother, you're using on this guy surnamed Cui."
Meng Yuanxiao ignored him. Meng Zheng chewed on a crabapple leaf, pondered for a moment, glanced at her, and said, "It's fine if you don't want a divorce. Your second brother will take you out of the capital to relax and let that Cui guy get anxious."
Meng Yuanxiao immediately stood up, his eyes brightening. "Going to Fengzhou?"
Meng Zheng found it amusing, "You've got a big face, aren't you afraid the Li family will beat you up if you go to Fengzhou now?"
"..." Meng Yuanxiao was embarrassed and remained silent.
Meng Zheng spat out the crabapple leaf and said, "Second brother is planning to resign from his post in the Imperial City Guard. Wherever Yuanyuan wants to go, second brother will take you."
Meng Yuanxiao was surprised, "Second Brother, are you going to resign from your post in the Imperial City Guard?"
“If you’re not happy with your job, just quit,” Meng Zheng said nonchalantly. “Don’t worry, your second brother is capable enough to support you.”
After saying that, he sneered, "Besides, even if your second brother wanted to keep shirking his duties, that scoundrel Meng Xu wouldn't stand for it and would always find me a job."
Meng Yuanxiao: "..."
"Are you going or not?" Meng Zheng asked.
Meng Yuanxiao hesitated.
Meng Zheng laughed in exasperation, "Can't you be a little more ambitious? Staying in the capital all day is so boring. Go out with your second brother and maybe you'll meet someone ten or a hundred times better than Cui Xintang. You can come back when you've had your fun."
Meng Yuanxiao's eyes flickered. "Go."
Meng Zheng was satisfied. "No one with the same surname as Cui is allowed to say that, understand?"
"……oh."
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