Chapter 325 Initial Impressions
After the wedding ceremony, Meng Dongyuan left the bridal chamber to greet the guests.
The women who had gone to watch the bride had satisfied their curiosity and left the bridal chamber one after another.
Meng Jinyao and Meng Jinyu were the last to leave. A nanny introduced the sisters to Madam Dong. After the two sisters greeted her, they exchanged a few words before leaving.
After leaving the new house, Meng Jinyu stared intently at Meng Jinyao. Meng Jinyao's attitude towards Dong Shi had been so good just now, it was hard for her not to suspect that Meng Jinyao wanted to win over Dong Shi to deal with her.
Meng Jinyao felt uncomfortable under her gloomy gaze. She turned her head and met her cold eyes. She asked directly, "Second sister, your murderous gaze is quite frightening. What kind of wicked plan are you plotting?"
Meng Jinyu was speechless at her words. She looked away, then curled her lips into a mocking smile and said, "Elder sister, that 'Mother' you called out just now was truly from the bottom of your heart. My mother raised you for more than ten years, and you never called her that sincerely."
Meng Jinyao asked with a smile, "Then why don't you take a look at all the good things your wonderful mother has done?"
She has no grudge against Dong Shi. Dong Shi just married into the Meng family and hasn't done anything wrong. Even if she is a stepmother, she should still respectfully call her mother. They have no enmity and are both women, so why embarrass her? Besides, today is her big day. If she doesn't give her face, she will truly create enmity from the very first meeting. As for what will happen in the future, that can be dealt with later.
Meng Jinyu was speechless upon hearing her question.
Meng Jinyao said calmly, "Second sister, today is Father's joyous day. I can't bear the responsibility of being an unfilial daughter who ruins Father's wedding. Second sister, you should think carefully about this."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyu's expression tightened. Judging from her father's affection for her stepmother, if she did something wrong and lost her father's favor, he would probably be persuaded by her stepmother to find her a husband at will and marry her off once her mourning period was over.
Meng Jinyao ignored her and prepared to return to the banquet for dinner.
On the way, Meng Jinyao suddenly heard people discussing her father. She subconsciously slowed her pace and walked over. Unexpectedly, she actually overheard some useful information, which also involved her mother.
"It seems Lord Meng still prefers his first wife."
How do you know?
"Dong's temperament is very similar to that of the first wife, Zhou. She is both gentle and scholarly. The previous Sun was just gentle, but she didn't have a scholarly air."
"Really?"
"Why would I lie to you? I used to have a close relationship with Lord Meng's first wife, and I was quite familiar with her. Although many years have passed, I still remember what kind of temperament she had."
"This Lord Meng is truly a man of deep affection."
"There are too many people ahead, let's not talk about it now."
...
Hearing the two people's discussion, Meng Jinyao frowned. She had never met her mother, only seen her portrait. However, Meng Jinyu had snatched the portrait and torn it up. She was so angry that she got into a fight with Meng Jinyu. When Madam Sun found out, she adopted the demeanor of a loving mother and scolded Meng Jinyu for being naughty. She then found a painter to repaint her portrait, but it only captured the outline and not the spirit of the character.
Her new stepmother, Dong, does indeed resemble her mother in temperament, but to say that her father liked her mother that much is simply absurd. Her father only liked Sun back then, and it's probably just a coincidence that Dong's temperament is so similar to her mother's. Her father has probably forgotten what her mother's temperament was like.
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The banquet was in full swing, with toasts and drinks flowing freely. After several rounds of drinks and dishes, the dinner came to an end.
Before long, the banquet ended and the guests left one after another.
Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi had no interest in staying to talk to Meng Dongyuan. They were among the first guests to leave. Once outside the Yongchang Marquis's residence, they boarded their carriages and drove away without looking back.
Having had experience with his previous two weddings, Meng Dongyuan was careful this time and didn't get drunk, otherwise he might have missed his wedding night. When he saw his daughter and son-in-law leaving like this, his face stiffened for a moment, but he immediately put on a smile and went to talk to the other guests, exchanging compliments with them and watching them leave.
After all the guests had left, Meng Dongyuan suddenly asked the butler, "What congratulatory gift did the eldest young lady send this time?"
The steward replied respectfully, "The eldest young lady sent a screen."
Upon hearing this, Meng Dongyuan immediately frowned and said in an unhappy tone, "What a rebellious daughter! I raised her for so long and it was all for nothing. She's a complete ingrate. Last year, she gave me an outfit that was too old for my birthday, and now that I'm getting married, she sends me a broken screen as a congratulatory gift? Is she trying to make a fool of me and embarrass me? She might as well have come empty-handed."
Upon hearing this, the steward quickly added, "My lord, please calm down. The embroidery on this screen depicts two birds flying together on intertwined branches. The embroidery is exquisite and lifelike, comparable to the best embroiderers in the capital. Moreover, the screen frame is made of yellow pear wood, which looks quite valuable. The eldest daughter's wedding gift this time was also thoughtful and a sincere congratulation on your wedding."
Upon hearing this, Meng Dongyuan's expression softened: "It's fortunate that the rebellious daughter is sensible. Otherwise, if she had made another fool of herself and caused her family to lose face, would she think she wouldn't be laughed at herself?"
The butler glanced at his face discreetly and, seeing that his complexion had improved, immediately said, "My lord, a moment of bliss on the wedding night is worth a thousand pieces of gold. It's getting late, and the new madam has been waiting for a long time. Why don't you go back and see her first? I'll take care of the rest."
When Meng Dongyuan recalled the beautiful face of his new wife when he lifted the red veil, he was moved and a smile appeared on his face. He nodded and strode back to the bridal chamber.
At first, when he learned that Dong had been married before and was already in her twenties, he was disgusted. But after meeting Dong, he felt that marrying her was not impossible. No wonder some men like mature young women, even women in their prime. Now he liked her too.
-
Meanwhile, Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi returned to the Changxing Marquis's residence.
After getting off the carriage and entering the house, on the way back to Wei Rui Xuan, Gu Jingxi asked gently, "A Yao, nothing happened today, right?"
Meng Jinyao shook her head slightly and replied, "No, it's a joyous occasion, so no one dares to cause trouble. My sister is a bit sarcastic, but she can't cause any trouble. No matter how dissatisfied she is with me, she wouldn't dare to cause trouble today."
Gu Jingxi then asked, "After meeting Dong Shi, what did you think of her?"
Meng Jinyao objectively commented: "She is beautiful and gentle. My first impression of her is that she is a gentle woman. She is probably well-read and has a scholarly air about her. I had a brief conversation with her and she spoke elegantly and kindly. I just don't know if she is actually like that. After the example of Sun, I dare not judge people based on first impressions now."
"Time will tell, and we'll see how things go." Gu Jingxi said, then reached out and took her small hand.
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly: "That makes sense."
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