Chapter 193 Resentment Arises
Meng Jinyu was genuinely curious and cautiously asked, "Mother, what kind of vengeful ghost is it that is so powerful and haunts you every night?"
Sun was probably feeling guilty, as her heart would race every time she heard such words. Her eyes were filled with anger as she glared at her daughter and said in a stern voice, "Why is a young girl asking such questions? Mother will handle it herself."
Seeing her mother's displeasure and reluctance to speak, Meng Jinyu dared not press further. She had asked this question two or three times, but her mother always remained tight-lipped. Even when her father asked, her mother did not elaborate, only saying that it was a female ghost. She thought it was too eerie and terrifying for her mother to say more.
Madam Sun immediately changed the subject: "Ayu, is it really impossible for you and Princess Jingning to continue being friends?"
Mentioning this, Meng Jinyu felt extremely aggrieved: "Princess Jingning has now become friends with my eldest sister and doesn't even want to see me. My eldest sister is already the wife of a marquis, yet she's still trying to steal my friend."
Madam Sun frowned, her hatred for her stepdaughter deepening. She lowered her eyes, sighed regretfully, and instructed, "Since the princess doesn't want to see you, then don't go and annoy her. But you must speak well of Meng Jinyao outside and not say a single bad word about her."
Meng Jinyu frowned, looking bewildered: "Mother, she never even gives me a kind look, and I'm supposed to say nice things about her?"
Seeing her daughter's incompetence, even less composed than that little hussy Meng Jinyao, Madam Sun's headache worsened. She advised, "Ayu, you'll be of marriageable age next year, and your marriage is still undecided. If people outside perceive you and your sister as having a good relationship, your marriage will be easier to arrange."
Meng Jinyu suddenly realized, and then reluctantly nodded: "Mother, I understand."
Madam Sun then said earnestly, "Ayu, once you marry into a good family, you should support Chengxing. Chengxing is your younger brother. If he becomes successful, he can also support you in the future. When our Yongchang Marquis's Mansion returns to its former glory, what is that rebellious Meng Jinyao?"
As for Meng Chengzhang, the illegitimate son, she never thought that an illegitimate child could amount to much in the future. Even if he did achieve some success, he wouldn't be of any use to them. Meng Chengzhang and Meng Jinyao were cut from the same cloth.
However, it's not that she can't control him. As his legal mother, she has to arrange Meng Chengzhang's marriage. Her niece is the same age as Meng Chengzhang, also thirteen this year. If Meng Chengzhang is promising, she can let her niece marry him. If he is not promising, she can find him a daughter-in-law from a humble family. Such a daughter-in-law is easy to control.
Meng Jinyu was overjoyed, but after a while her expression darkened again, and she stammered, "Then she is also a Marquis's wife." She felt that she was not as lucky as Meng Jinyao, who married a Marquis or a prince and would become a Marquis's wife in the future.
Madam Sun disagreed, saying, "Lord Gu has a hidden illness and cannot consummate his marriage with her, so she cannot have children. A woman who cannot have her own children is like a hen that cannot lay eggs; she is a woman of little fortune. Our Ayu is blessed; she will surely enjoy wealth and honor and have many children and grandchildren in the future."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyu's gloom vanished. She knew her husband wouldn't be impotent, and when she had a child, she would have to show off in front of Meng Jinyao. Just thinking about Meng Jinyao's heartbroken look because she didn't have a child made her happy.
Madam Sun then said, "Alright, you go back now, so your mother can rest a bit later."
Meng Jinyu nodded: "Then Mother, please rest well."
After Meng Jinyu left, Madam Sun sighed softly and said wistfully, "Ayu is so simple-minded, and her cunning and shrewdness are not even half as good as Meng Jinyao's. I wonder if she will suffer after she gets married."
Granny Qiao comforted her, "Madam, the second young lady is actually quite clever. She just doesn't like the eldest young lady, which is why she didn't think much of it."
After thinking about it, Madam Sun agreed and didn't continue the topic. She instructed, "Granny Qiao, please prepare some more calming incense for me. The previous incense wasn't effective enough, and I still wake up in the middle of the night."
If she could, she would wish someone would knock her unconscious every night so she could sleep soundly until dawn, so she wouldn't be woken up by ghosts in the middle of the night.
Upon hearing this, Granny Qiao's eyes flickered, and she replied respectfully, "Then this servant will add some calming herbs. The old lady used it before and thought it was good."
Sun replied, "Yes."
Seeing the immense trust her mistress placed in her, Granny Qiao felt a pang of guilt. But she had already betrayed her mistress; the die was cast, and there was no turning back. From now on, she could only remain loyal to the eldest young lady, or the eldest young lady would not let her off the hook.
However, on the surface, she still had to appear loyal and worried about her mistress, and advised, "Madam, I think the second young lady is right. Why don't you find another master to come back? As long as that evil spirit is removed, you can rest easy from now on."
Madam Sun shook her head: "Aunt Du has been dead for so long, why would I be afraid of her ghost? I'm fine, I'll go to the temple in a few days to get a blessed talisman for exorcising evil spirits."
Granny Qiao remained silent. It is said that if you do nothing wrong, you will not be afraid of ghosts knocking at your door in the middle of the night. If Madam had not murdered the eldest son, why would she be afraid of Aunt Du's ghost?
Fortunately, she wasn't involved in this matter back then. It was another maid who was involved. Otherwise, even if she had completed her mission, the eldest young lady wouldn't have let her go. Because that maid was married, the madam felt that the information couldn't fall into the hands of someone who had left the mansion, so she indirectly took the maid's life. During childbirth, she and her unborn child died.
A short while later, Meng Dongyuan came in from outside.
Seeing her husband's grim expression, Mrs. Sun quickly sat down next to her, her face dark as if waiting for her to ask him something.
In the past, she would definitely have worried about her husband and would have asked him about it. But recently, she could clearly feel that her husband's heart had begun to change. Now, when he sees her looking listless, he doesn't care at all. In the past, he would have been very nervous if she sneezed. The huge difference made her resentful, so she didn't care as much as before and simply kept quiet.
Meng Dongyuan sat for a while, but when he didn't hear her showing concern for him, he felt something was wrong. However, he couldn't hold back and spoke first: "Madam, do you know what kind of birthday gift that rebellious daughter Ayao gave me? And how did Gu Jingxi treat me?"
Madam Sun cooperated by asking, "I didn't sleep well last night, and I've been busy all day. My head still hurts, so I didn't have time to look at the gift list. What did Ayao send over? Gu Jingxi is your son-in-law after all. How could he treat you in front of the guests?"
She first explained her current situation, then pressed for other things, hoping that her husband would show her some concern. As long as he could say a few words of concern, she could pretend that the argument she had made with him over the concubine she had sold off never happened.
After saying that, she turned her head and looked at her husband with expectant eyes.
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