Chapter 537 Jin Yu Visits
The Changxing Marquis's Residence.
Meng Jinyao sat by the crib, shaking a rattle drum to amuse her son who was lying on the bed. Listening to her son's innocent laughter, she felt her heart melt.
At this moment, Ningdong walked in with a visiting card and presented it to Meng Jinyao, saying, "Madam, this is a visiting card sent by the Second Miss."
"Meng Jinyu?"
Meng Jinyao froze, her hand still shaking the rattle, and her gaze fell on the visiting card.
Ning Dong nodded and replied, "It is indeed her."
Meng Jinyao reached out and took the visiting card, glancing at its contents. The card said that since returning to the capital, the sisters hadn't had a proper get-together, and they would be visiting her tomorrow with their husbands, asking if it would be convenient for her.
She smiled slightly. Tomorrow was a day off, and unless her husband had other important business to attend to, he would stay home with her and Wanwan. He was really timing his visit perfectly, and the timing was probably chosen by her second brother-in-law, Deng Yuanqing. It seemed that Deng Yuanqing had mentioned it to Meng Jinyu quite a few times, and Meng Jinyu couldn't refuse, so she reluctantly sent the visiting card.
Ningdong asked, "Madam, the Second Miss's maid is still waiting outside for your reply. I'll go and refuse her on your behalf now?"
Meng Jinyao gently shook her head: "Why would I refuse them?"
Ning Dong was taken aback: "Does Madam intend to entertain the couple tomorrow?"
Meng Jinyao smiled and said, "My sister, who married far away, has returned to the capital and has come with her husband to visit me, her elder sister. How can I not see her? Go and tell that maid that I will not be going out tomorrow and will have some free time. They can come to visit tomorrow."
Ningdong responded and immediately went to reply to the maid.
Gu Jingxi returned in the evening.
Meng Jinyao chatted with him for a while, then suddenly asked him, "Husband, do you have anything important to do tomorrow?"
Gu Jingxi answered without hesitation, "Yes."
Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback: "What important matter?"
"I'll stay with you and Wanwan." Gu Jingxi said, picking up the little one from the soft couch. Seeing her startled again, he smiled and asked, "Isn't this important? I think this is the most important thing."
Meng Jinyao glared at him: "Be serious and speak properly in front of the child, or you'll set a bad example for Wanwan."
Gu Jingxi said dismissively, "This kid doesn't understand what I'm saying anyway." He paused, then asked, "Ayao, why are you suddenly asking me this? Is something the matter?"
Meng Jinyao smiled and said, "My second sister and her husband will be visiting tomorrow. My second sister's husband has been urging me quite a bit, so she had no choice but to come and visit, hoping to put on a show of sisterly affection with me."
Gu Jingxi asked, "So, how does Ayao plan to accompany her in the opera?"
"If she's shameless, then I'll make her lose face." Meng Jinyao scoffed. She was annoyed that Meng Jinyu had forged her letters and acted like sisters in front of her in-laws. Anyone who didn't know better would really think that Meng Jinyu was her precious younger sister.
Gu Jingxi said with certainty, "Then she is destined to lose face in front of her second brother-in-law tomorrow."
Meng Jinyao chuckled: "That depends on whether she knows what's good for her."
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The next day.
Meng Jinyu originally planned to take advantage of her pregnancy and sleepiness to fall asleep and delay her trip to the Marquis of Changxing's residence, and then send someone to the Marquis of Changxing's residence to say that she was unwell and had been delayed, and that she would visit another day.
Unexpectedly, her gentle and considerate husband woke her up early in the morning.
She was quite angry, but she couldn't show it. Instead, she said in a coquettish tone, "Husband, I'm so sleepy. Can you let me sleep a little longer?"
Normally, Deng Yuanqing would indulge her on trivial matters, but not today. He said gently, "Ayu, we're going to visit your elder sister and brother-in-law today, so we need to get up early and go there as soon as possible. We've already sent them our visiting cards, so it wouldn't be good to keep them waiting. What do you think?"
Meng Jinyu pretended to be sleepy, yawned, and said, "It's alright. Big sister has been pregnant before, so she should understand that pregnant women are sleepy and won't blame us."
Deng Yuanqing said patiently, "Ayu, I'm not saying that our eldest sister will blame us for being late. I just thought that our eldest sister must miss you. On the day of your father's wedding, our eldest sister had to deal with those guests and probably didn't have much time to talk to you. Today is a good opportunity for you sisters to get together."
Meng Jinyu had no choice but to reluctantly get up and let the maid come in to serve her.
Deng Yuanqing had already ordered people to prepare gifts. He was very tactful, preparing only local specialties from Yangzhou and children's toys. The specialties were for the Gu family elders, and the toys were for Wanwan. These were all things that would be easily accepted. He didn't prepare any valuable items like jewelry. After all, he was visiting relatives, not bribing officials. Giving such things would definitely displease them. The Marquis of Changxing's family was a distinguished family; what good things hadn't they seen? They didn't need his little things.
With a heavy heart, Meng Jinyu boarded the carriage, her mind elsewhere the entire way. If she could, she wished she would never see Meng Jinyao again in this lifetime, and Meng Jinyao certainly didn't want to see her either. But she had no choice. Her husband had brought up visiting Meng Jinyao and her husband time and time again. If she refused again and again, it would inevitably arouse her husband's suspicion and expose that she and her elder sister were not actually close sisters.
Deng Yuanqing saw her frowning thoughtfully, and then asked, "Ayu, you'll see your older sister soon, aren't you happy?"
Hearing this, Meng Jinyu came back to her senses: "Husband, what did you just say?"
Deng Yuanqing asked again, "You'll see your older sister soon, aren't you happy? You look so gloomy."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyu immediately forced a smile: "I'm happy, of course I'm happy, but I'm thinking about my third brother. The Lingshan Academy's assessment is about to begin, but my third brother has fallen ill and can't participate in the assessment. All the preparations over the years have been in vain."
Deng Yuanqing said gently, "How could it be a waste of effort? Third Brother's hard work in his studies is not just to pass the academy's examination and enter the academy. He has learned knowledge and improved his scholarship through hard work, which will give him a better chance of success in the imperial examinations in the future. It is not only students of Lingshan Academy who can pass the imperial examinations. As long as you study hard, it doesn't matter whether you go to Lingshan Academy or not."
Meng Jinyu's smile was somewhat forced. She knew very well that her third brother's illness was caused by his own actions, and she was also disappointed in him. They all had the same father, so why could her second brother succeed while her third brother couldn't? He couldn't pass the Lingshan Academy's examination, and last year he couldn't even pass the county-level examination, while her second brother topped the list and stole the limelight.
Fortunately, her third brother will inherit the title in the future. Her younger brother will be the Earl of Yongchang, so her husband's family will not dare to bully her.
Not long after, the carriage stopped in front of the Changxing Marquis's residence.
Suppressing her chaotic thoughts, Meng Jinyu was gently helped down from the carriage by her husband. Then, she was led by a servant from the Marquis's residence to see Meng Jinyao and his wife. When she saw Meng Jinyao looking at her with a half-smile, her heart skipped a beat.
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