Chapter 321 Something's Wrong
The next day.
The second and third wives had both heard about the eldest daughter and son-in-law's affair. It was probably a case of the young couple having a fight, with the eldest daughter running back to her parents' home and the son-in-law chasing after her.
When Gu Xuanyi went to Shou'an Hall to pay her respects to Madam Gu, Gu Xuanyi and the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an also went.
When Madam Gu saw her eldest granddaughter and her husband, she knew that there must be something wrong with her granddaughter's sudden return to her parents' home, so she directly asked them why they had run back to her parents' home.
The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an was honest and briefly recounted the events to Madam Gu.
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu was not particularly surprised. She had long known that the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion was a pit of fire, but her eldest granddaughter was so infatuated that she insisted on jumping in, and the elders couldn't stop her. She said gently, "Xuanyi is spoiled. She acts impulsively and recklessly, and is easily provoked, which leads her to do foolish things. I hope that the son-in-law will be more tolerant of her in the future and remind her not to act impulsively."
Upon hearing this, the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an immediately understood that while Madam Gu was speaking ill of Xuan Yi, she was actually implying that her younger sister was causing trouble. He quickly assured her, "Grandmother, it was my sister who spoke rudely first. My mother later realized she had misunderstood Xuan Yi, and yesterday she reprimanded my sister and confined her to her quarters to reflect on her actions. When we return home, your son-in-law will work with my mother to properly educate my sister to ensure that such incidents do not happen again."
Fearing that her elders would make things difficult for her husband, Gu Xuanyi quickly said, "Grandmother, I was also at fault in this matter. I will not act so impulsively again. I have caused you all worry this time."
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Gu glanced at her eldest granddaughter, her eyes filled with a hint of disappointment. Her eldest granddaughter, who was usually so spoiled and domineering, was now completely under her husband's thumb and was even protecting him. She was truly pathetic.
Zhang could see it clearly; her mother-in-law was obviously helping Xuanyi to warn her son-in-law. Unfortunately, Xuanyi was too weak-willed and foolishly defended him. Seeing that her mother-in-law didn't respond, she continued, "Xuanyi, if there are any conflicts in the future, sit down and talk it out properly. Doing things like yesterday is not advisable. Remember to be careful with your words and actions. There are some things you can't do and some things you can't say."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xuanyi recalled her words about wanting a divorce yesterday and nodded hurriedly, "Mother, don't worry, I won't do that again."
As an observer, Meng Jinyao did not interrupt. Her gaze seemed to fall on the Marquis of Wu'an's heir and Xuan Yi. She could tell that Xuan Yi really liked the Marquis of Wu'an's heir. Her eyes never left him. He was truly devoted to the Marquis of Wu'an. The Marquis of Wu'an's heir was respectful to his elders and spoke in a way that protected Xuan Yi, but his gaze never fell on her. Meng Jinyao felt that something was not right.
After chatting with Madam Gu for half an hour, everyone left Shou'an Hall.
Gu Xuanyi and the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an also bid farewell to their elders and returned to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence.
Zhang felt both reluctant and worried. Although her son-in-law said he had already spoken to his in-laws and that they wouldn't make things difficult for Xuan Yi, she still couldn't help but worry. Her in-laws often made things difficult for Xuan Yi, let alone now that Xuan Yi had hit their own daughter. Even if they didn't make things difficult for Xuan Yi today, they would probably find a chance to get revenge later.
Seeing that she seemed a little uneasy, Meng Jinyao asked, "Sister-in-law, does the eldest son-in-law treat Xuanyi quite well?"
Hearing this, Madam Zhang snapped out of her reverie and replied, "He treats Xuanyi very well. She had only been at the Marquis's residence for a short time yesterday when he came right after her. It seems he cares about Xuanyi a lot."
Meng Jinyao asked again, "Is there anything wrong with him?"
Zhang looked bewildered and asked, "There's nothing wrong with it, why is Third Sister-in-law asking this?"
"It's nothing." Meng Jinyao shook her head gently. She thought that perhaps it was just her suspicious nature that made her overthink things. She was too influenced by her stepmother, Sun Shi, and was sensitive and suspicious.
Zhang was very concerned about her daughter's situation. Although her sister-in-law said there was nothing wrong, she couldn't help but ask, "Third sister-in-law, did you notice something amiss?"
Meng Jinyao truthfully replied, "It's nothing. I just felt that he didn't look at Xuanyi much, so I thought he didn't like Xuanyi."
Zhang was taken aback, but she could tell that her sister-in-law meant no harm, so she smiled and said, "Third sister-in-law is probably overthinking it. He cares a lot about Xuanyi. Yesterday, he looked so anxious that even I, as an elder, was moved."
Meng Jinyao nodded: "That's good. With her husband protecting her, Xuanyi will suffer less injustice in her husband's family."
"That's what I think too. I just hope she'll be more clever in the future and make a better life for herself." After saying that, Zhang changed the subject, "Third sister-in-law, it seems that third brother hasn't been home these past two days?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "Yes, when I'm busy with official duties, there have been times when I haven't been back for two or three days."
Zhang said with some envy, "My third brother holds an important position and has great responsibilities, so it's normal for him to be busy. Unlike our eldest uncle, who is so idle that he's practically moldy. He just goes to the government office to clock in every day and then does nothing else."
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On the carriage.
After Gu Xuanyi got into the carriage, she was filled with trepidation. She was instinctively afraid of her mother-in-law. No matter how arrogant she was to others, she would cower in front of her mother-in-law, afraid of being scolded by her.
When the Marquis of Wu'an saw her get into the carriage, the smile on his lips faded. He probably knew what she was worried about, so he immediately reassured her: "Xuanyi, don't be afraid. Before I came yesterday, I already spoke with my mother. She made it clear that my younger sister was in the wrong first, and you were just angry, so she won't make things difficult for you."
Gu Xuanyi asked with a hint of doubt, "Really?"
The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an held her hand and replied with a smile, "Of course it's true. When has your husband ever lied to you? Your mother is reasonable too. She's just a bit strict sometimes. Don't take it to heart."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xuanyi felt much relieved, though she was still somewhat uneasy.
"Xuanyi, what did you say to your father-in-law and mother-in-law when you returned to the Marquis's residence yesterday? They seemed quite angry to me." The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an stared at her intently, his words carrying a hint of probing.
Gu Xuanyi replied truthfully, "I told my mother about the conflict with your sister. I was angry at the time and mentioned divorce, which angered them."
"Divorce?"
The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an frowned slightly. Last night, when he heard her mention divorce, he thought she was just trying to scare him. He didn't expect that she had actually mentioned it to her father-in-law and mother-in-law.
Gu Xuanyi noticed his furrowed brows and chuckled, "Look how nervous you are. I was just angry and said things in anger."
The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an said solemnly, "I know, but you must not say such things lightly in the future, understand?"
Gu Xuanyi nodded with a smile.
The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an pulled her into his arms and said gently, "Xuanyi, there's something I want to discuss with you. From now on, if there are any conflicts between us as husband and wife, we should resolve them behind closed doors. Don't go back to your parents' home so easily, okay?"
Gu Xuanyi retorted, "If we have a fight, why can't I go back to my parents' home?"
The heir of the Marquis of Wu'an replied, "I don't want my father-in-law and mother-in-law to worry, nor do I want my mother to be angry. If my mother is angry, I'm afraid she will take her anger out on you and make things difficult for you. We are not children anymore; we should handle our own affairs and not bother our elders."
Gu Xuanyi thought about it and felt that what he said made sense, so she agreed.
Upon returning to the Marquis of Wu'an's residence, Gu Xuanyi was on tenterhooks, but her fears did not materialize. She had assumed that even if her mother-in-law did not reprimand her, she would not give her a kind look. However, to her surprise, her mother-in-law was all smiles and even spoke ill of her sister-in-law, asking for her forgiveness as the sister-in-law.
Gu Xuanyi was flattered. She had been married into the family for so long, and this was probably the first time she had ever seen her mother-in-law treat her so gently.
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