Chapter 352 Advising Her to Divorce
Cha Ran Ju.
When Meng Jinyao arrived at Cha Ran Ju, Du Sze was already waiting in the private room.
Qingqiu stepped forward and knocked on the door. A gentle male voice came from inside: "Cousin, please come in."
Immediately afterwards, Qingqiu pushed open the door to the private room. Meng Jinyao took two steps forward and stepped into the room. Looking up, she saw the young man inside.
The man was dressed in a light blue robe. He was about eighteen or nineteen years old, with a handsome appearance and an air of scholarly refinement. He looked like a gentle and scholarly person.
This person was her cousin, Du Sze.
The moment Du Sze saw her, he fixed his gaze on her and subconsciously looked her over, feeling that his cousin had changed a lot in the year since they last met.
My cousin used to seem cheerful, but there was a faint melancholy between her brows. When she sat quietly without speaking, it seemed as if she had a thousand worries weighing on her heart. In addition, the dark colors of her clothes made her look older than her peers and she didn't seem to have the vitality that a young girl should have.
My cousin's arrival was a stunning sight, instantly making the house feel more luxurious.
Du Sze was slightly stunned as he looked at the woman in front of him, who was wearing a gold hairpin and a pomegranate red dress embroidered with peonies in gold thread. The woman had a smile on her face, and she was bright, beautiful and elegant. Her complexion and temperament were completely different from before, and she looked somewhat unfamiliar.
Meng Jinyao had the maid close the door and nodded slightly to him: "Cousin, have you been waiting long?"
Du Sze shook his head: "I just arrived not long ago, cousin, please sit down and talk." As he spoke, he poured tea for her and explained, "I originally planned to pay a visit, but I didn't know if it was convenient at your home, so I didn't go. I just asked my cousin to come out and meet me."
Meng Jinyao said gently, "It's convenient. The Marquis said the day before yesterday that he would invite my cousin to his residence as a guest another day."
Du Szeze asked in surprise, "Lord Gu also knows?"
Meng Jinyao nodded: "The Marquis doesn't know that I have a cousin named Size, so I told him about it the day before yesterday."
Du Szeze listened, seemingly lost in thought.
Meng Jinyao asked with concern, "Cousin, it's been over a year since we last met. How have you been?"
“I’m fine. I went on a study tour with my teacher, which broadened my horizons and made me realize that traveling ten thousand miles is worse than reading ten thousand books.” Du Sze said, then looked at her, his eyes almost overflowing with heartache. “But my cousin has suffered. I’ve heard about what has happened in the past year or so these past two days.”
Meng Jinyao paused for a moment, then smiled and said, "Actually, I haven't suffered much. I've been doing quite well for the past year or so, so you don't need to worry about me, cousin."
Upon hearing this, Du Sze felt even more heartache. He stared at her for a long time before sighing softly, "My cousin is still the same as before."
As before, only good news is reported, not bad news.
As before, even when he suffered a great injustice, he would only downplay it by saying it was nothing.
The fact that her fiancé ran away on their wedding day affected her the most. If she hadn't been strong-willed, she probably would have resigned herself to the situation and married Gu Xiuming in place of the rooster, only to end up depressed and miserable.
And then there's my cousin's ex-stepmother, who is kind on the outside but cruel on the inside. The eldest son of the Meng family was harmed by Sun, and even my aunt was harmed by Sun. My cousin keeps all these things to herself and doesn't tell anyone else.
This year, he was almost framed by Gu Xiuming again, and his reputation was nearly ruined.
Each and every one of these events was a major one. If it were any other girl, how could she have endured it? It takes a lot of courage for my cousin to turn things around like this, and she also has to face enormous public pressure. My cousin has not had an easy time in the past year or so.
Meng Jinyao said, "Cousin, it's true that I was wronged, but it's also true that the Marquis treated me very well. Overall, I can say that I've turned misfortune into blessing."
Du Sze looked at Meng Jinyao and nodded slightly: "I can tell that you are doing much better in the Gu family than in the Meng family. I could tell the moment I saw you. I've heard that Lord Gu is a man of noble character, and he is so much older than you. To him, you are just a child, so he certainly won't make things difficult for you."
As he spoke, he suddenly changed the subject: "But cousin, do you really want to live like this for the rest of your life?"
Meng Jinyao's smile faltered, her delicate brows furrowed slightly, and she asked with great confusion, "I don't quite understand what you mean by that, cousin. Isn't this better now?"
Du Sze said earnestly, "Cousin, Marquis Gu is old enough to be your elder, and... moreover, Marquis Gu has health problems. Even if he doesn't make things difficult for you normally, you won't be happy if you stay with him."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao said dismissively, "I know you're saying this because you're worried about me, but I've been quite happy with the Marquis since we got married. I think whether a couple is happy or not has nothing to do with age difference or physical illness. Do you remember the noodle shop that we used to go to with Ayan? The old lady there was born blind, but the old man and she have been married for decades and now they have a house full of children and grandchildren."
Du Szeze advised, "Cousin, that old man is different. He was a child groom, a son-in-law who married into the family. But you are different. You're not a child bride. You can have better choices, you can..."
Before he could finish speaking, Meng Jinyao interrupted him, saying, "Cousin, I think the Marquis is the best."
She smiled and continued, "Speaking of the old man being a childhood sweetheart, the old woman's parents had already passed away, and the old man could have easily abandoned her, but he didn't. The fact that he could be her husband for decades proves that he had genuine feelings for her."
Du Szeze spoke earnestly again, "Cousin, at least Grandpa and Grandma have many children and grandchildren, but Marquis Gu cannot. You are young and immature now, thinking he has a thousand good qualities, but you will definitely regret it when you get to a certain age. What difference is there between your marriage to him and a palace maid and a eunuch sharing a meal? He is a dignified marquis, ranking among the Nine Ministers, yet for many years no one has married their daughter to him. Have you ever thought about why? It's because parents are unwilling to let their daughters marry such a person."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao frowned even more deeply, her tone revealing displeasure: "If my cousin invited me out today only to persuade me to divorce, then we have nothing to say to each other today, so I'll take my leave now."
After she finished speaking, she stood up and prepared to leave.
Seeing this, Du Sze quickly said, "Alright, alright, since my cousin thinks Lord Gu is the best, then I won't try to persuade you anymore. As long as you're happy with your life now, that's all that matters."
Meng Jinyao sat down again, her expression softening, and said solemnly, "I know that my cousin is saying these things because he cares about me, but I'm doing fine, and my cousin doesn't need to worry about me. It's just that I don't want to hear words like these again."
Du Sze nodded: "Okay."
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