Chapter Sixty-Nine: Heartless Man
Meng Jinyao was taken aback: "Why?"
“Aunt Shen’s old illness has flared up again, and the illness is progressing rapidly. I visited her yesterday and heard from the doctor that she is afraid… she may not have much time left.”
Song Xinning's voice choked as she spoke, her eyes filled with tears that instantly streamed down her cheeks. "God is so unfair. Aunt Shen is such a good person. Why is it that she is the one who is sick, and not the bad people?"
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao's expression changed drastically. She quickly took out a handkerchief and wiped away the tears while asking, "A-Ning, I saw Madam Shen a month ago, and she was perfectly fine. Why did she suddenly suffer from a relapse of her old illness?"
Song Xinning sniffed, her tone filled with resentment: "It's normal that you don't know. The Shen family has kept the news under wraps, and it only happened in the last few days. Uncle Shen's mistress is pregnant, and I heard she's carrying twins. Uncle Shen couldn't bear to let the children become children of a mistress who couldn't be seen in public, so he brought his mistress back and took her as a concubine. Aunt Shen and Uncle Shen had a big fight, and then she fell ill."
Meng Jinyao's eyes widened suddenly, utterly shocked.
Lord Shen and Madam Shen were a model couple that everyone envied. Lord Shen only had Madam Shen in his harem and no concubines. He was a good man who was one in a hundred. Suddenly, he secretly kept a mistress and even got her pregnant.
“Ayao, you’re shocked too, aren’t you?” Song Xinning’s tears fell even harder, feeling her understanding collapsing and being overturned. “They were such a happy couple, harmonious for nearly twenty years. The last time I went to the Shen family, they were still so loving. It turns out it was all fake, all an act by Uncle Shen, keeping a mistress while being nice to Aunt Shen.”
Meng Jinyao remained silent, feeling sorry for Madam Shen's deep affection, which had been misplaced and ended in such a tragic way.
And Lord Shen's so-called deep affection is truly ironic. He could still pretend to be affectionate when he was secretly keeping a mistress, so why couldn't he keep pretending? Was it because his mistress was pregnant with twins, and he chose the former over hurting his wife and making the children his mistress's children, which could not be seen in public?
Perhaps all men are this heartless.
The only truly affectionate man she had ever met in her life was her friend Aning's future father-in-law. Now, this affectionate man had made his wife sick and had even brought his mistress home.
Before long, Meng Jinyao's eyes welled up with tears. She reached out and hugged her tearful friend, gently comforting her, "A-Ning, don't cry. We can't interfere in the affairs of our elders. All you can do now is comfort Madam Shen and help her relax. This will help her recover."
Song Xinning choked up and said, "I don't know how to comfort Aunt Shen anymore. She is now regretting that she married Uncle Shen against her family's wishes. She hates herself for not being discerning enough to choose a husband and hates herself for helping Uncle Shen so much, only to end up benefiting someone else."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao recalled what A Ning had once told her: that Lord Shen was just a poor scholar back then, while Madam Shen was the daughter of a wealthy merchant. Madam Shen fell in love with Lord Shen at first sight and married him against her parents' wishes.
It was thanks to the support of Madam Shen's family that Lord Shen was able to continue his studies, pass the imperial examination with flying colors, and enter the court as an official.
It can be said that without Madam Shen, there would be no Lord Shen today.
The fact that Lord Shen secretly kept a mistress was probably related to his promotion last year. Before last year, he was a fifth-rank official in the Ministry of Works. Last year, he made a contribution to the construction of water conservancy projects, and there happened to be a vacancy for the position of Vice Minister of Works, so he was promoted to the third-rank position of Vice Minister of Works.
There is a world of difference between a fifth-rank official and a third-rank official, because most fifth-rank and fourth-rank officials find it difficult to cross the threshold to the third rank. When they are fifth-rank officials, they still need to rely on their wives' families to bribe officials. But when they become third-rank officials, they don't need to do that anymore; their wives' families have to curry favor with them.
Perhaps what everyone sees is an illusion. In reality, Lord Shen didn't love Madam Shen that much; he only loved the money from Madam Shen's family.
Thinking of this, Meng Jinyao suddenly felt a chill run down her spine. How deep must his scheming be to maintain this facade for so many years? A man who will stop at nothing to achieve his goals is more terrifying than a jackal or a tiger.
She swallowed hard and murmured softly, "Ah Ning, perhaps Madam Shen was truly misplaced in love from the very beginning."
Song Xinning was puzzled and asked hesitantly, "W-what do you mean?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "Perhaps, Lord Shen didn't actually like Madam Shen that much. He only pretended to be affectionate because there was something to gain from her. Now that he has a high-ranking official position and doesn't need Madam Shen's family's support anymore, his true nature will naturally be revealed."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinning gasped. This was even more terrifying than changing one's mind halfway through. Thinking of Uncle Shen's gentle and refined appearance, she suddenly felt a chill.
"Of course, I'm just guessing." Meng Jinyao paused, then added, "After being married for many years, they probably developed feelings for each other. They probably liked Madam Shen at some point, but as her beauty faded, her love waned, and she changed her mind."
Compared to the former, Song Xinning was more willing to believe the latter, and nodded blankly: "It should be that beauty fades and love wanes."
After a moment, Song Xinning frowned and asked worriedly, "Ayao, do you think it's possible that like father, like son? What if Brother Shen is just like his father? He likes me now, but when I get old and lose my looks, he'll secretly keep a mistress and then bring her back with a big belly to take as a concubine?"
Meng Jinyao was taken aback for a moment, then shook her head firmly and gently comforted her, "Silly girl, what are you thinking? Young Master Shen and Lord Shen are not the same. Think about it, you and Young Master Shen grew up together as childhood sweethearts. How has Young Master Shen treated you all these years? He has always indulged you and spoiled you. Even if you wanted the stars in the sky, he would probably try his best to pluck them down for you."
Song Xinning added, "But my father and mother were a harmonious couple, and my father still took a concubine."
Meng Jinyao knew that A Ning was greatly shocked and afraid of taking a concubine, but she felt that Young Master Shen should not be that kind of person. She said gently, "A Ning, give Young Master Shen more trust. Young Master Shen doesn't even have a maidservant now. Other men at the age of twenty-two already have maidservants."
Upon hearing this, Song Xinning's anxious heart was finally soothed and slowly calmed down. Their marriage was arranged two years ago. Originally, she was supposed to get married when she came of age, but her mother couldn't bear to part with her, so her brother Shen waited another year until she was sixteen before getting married. Now it seems that her brother Shen is devoted to her and will not be like her uncle Shen.
Meng Jinyao comforted her again to calm her down, but she had something on her mind, and after the dishes were served, she didn't eat much of the food.
Listening to the information she revealed, Meng Jinyao also vaguely felt that Madam Shen probably really didn't have much time left. If Madam Shen passed away, Young Master Shen would have to observe three years of mourning, and the wedding would also need to be postponed for three years. However, as long as two people in love have each other in their hearts, it doesn't matter if the wedding is postponed.
However, she still hoped that Madam Shen's condition would improve and she would regain her health, so that Aning's wedding could proceed as scheduled.
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