Chapter 575 Arrogance
On the first day of the Lunar New Year, officials and noblewomen all had to enter the palace. Officials had to pay their respects to the Emperor, while noblewomen had to pay their respects to the Empress and the Empress Dowager. Among the Gu family, only Gu Jingxi and his wife, as well as Old Madam Gu, were qualified to enter the palace. Gu Jingsheng and Gu Jingsong did not have the required official rank, and Zhang and Chen were not granted titles.
Early in the morning, the three of them went out to pay their respects at the palace.
After paying my respects to the noble ladies in the palace, it was nearly noon when I left.
Madam Gu, who rarely went out, suddenly felt like having lunch at a restaurant, and Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao naturally gladly accompanied her.
Looking at the table full of delicious food, Madam Gu suddenly sighed, "The last time we ate at a restaurant was when your father was still alive. Your father was unusually considerate and booked a private room in advance, saying he wanted to take me to try a newly opened restaurant in the capital. I tasted it and thought it was delicious. I liked it very much. When I wanted to go with your father again, he was already bedridden and could not go."
Gu Jingxi paused in his act of picking up food, and said gently, "If Mother likes it, Ayao and I will accompany you out more often in the future."
Madam Gu gently shook her head: "I'm old and my energy is failing. I'm too lazy to go out. Today was just a spur-of-the-moment decision. You young people have plenty of energy, so go out more and enjoy the present moment. Don't wait until you're old to regret it."
Gu Jingxi responded, noticing his mother's slight sadness. He knew she was missing his father. His father was a dignified and upright gentleman, a good son to his grandmother, a good father to his brothers, a loyal minister of the court, and a mentor and friend to others. However, he was a derelict husband, neglecting the affairs of the household. His mother suffered a lot from his grandmother's torment. As he approached the end of his life, he seemed to realize that he had failed his mother and wanted to make amends, but he was powerless to do so.
His father may never have loved his mother, nor his two concubines. His two older brothers' mother was indifferent to everyone, but compared to the two concubines, his father showed his mother more respect than he would a wife.
He didn't know how to comfort her for a moment, and softly called her, "Mother."
Madam Gu suppressed her displeasure, knowing that dwelling on the past would only bring more sadness. She looked at her son and daughter-in-law with loving eyes and said gently, "Mother is fine. As long as you and Ayao are doing well, Mother is happy."
Gu Jingxi held the hand of his young wife beside him, their fingers intertwined, and replied with a smile, "Mother, don't worry."
Meng Jinyao blushed and tried to pull her hand away, but the man held it firmly, and she suddenly felt her face burning.
Seeing this, Madam Gu's mood instantly brightened as if the clouds had parted and the sun was shining. She said in a light tone, "Your grandmother used to say that I was inferior to her in every way, and she would find fault with me at every turn. Perhaps I am indeed inferior to her in other aspects, but there is one thing in which she is inferior to me."
Meng Jinyao asked curiously, "Mother, which one are you referring to?"
Madam Gu's gaze fell on the two hands that were tightly clasped together, and her tone was filled with pride: "The son-in-law she trained for my father is not as good as the son-in-law I trained for my future in-laws." As she spoke, she said to her daughter-in-law, "Ayao, you have to learn from me in this respect and train a good son-in-law for your future in-laws. Our Wanwan can't be like his grandfather, who was disliked by everyone."
Meng Jinyao was a little confused, but she nodded and agreed.
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The following day, the second day of the Lunar New Year, is the day when married daughters return to their parents' home with their husbands.
Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi returned to her parents' home with gifts. As for Wanwan, the child was still young and it was not advisable to take her out, so she was cared for by her wet nurse.
Knowing that her stepdaughter would be returning today, Madam Zhao started preparing a family feast early in the morning, instructing the cook to make whatever tea, snacks, and dishes they wanted, according to the couple's preferences.
Upon hearing the servants' report that the couple had arrived, they took their daughter, Qiao Yunying, to greet them, and Meng Dongyuan went along as well.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, the two parties went to the main hall together with Madam Zhao.
Meng Jinyao didn't see Meng Chengxing, so she casually asked, "Father, why haven't I seen Third Brother?"
Meng Dongyuan replied, "Your third brother did such a thing, so I have confined him to the courtyard to reflect on his actions."
Meng Jinyao gave Meng Dongyuan a meaningful look. She knew why her father had confined her third brother. It was probably because his presence would constantly remind her father to frame his own son. Her father felt guilty and therefore did not want to face his third brother.
She rarely spoke to Meng Chengxing, saying, "Father, I also miss my third brother. I am finally back today, so let him out. It's not like he'll miss a day of confinement and reflection."
Upon hearing this, Meng Dongyuan frowned, knowing that his eldest daughter was about to cause trouble again. What sibling relationship did she have with Chengxing? But in front of her son-in-law, he couldn't refuse her, so he sent someone to let Meng Chengxing out to greet the guests.
After a long while, Meng Chengxing reluctantly came over, led by his servant.
Meng Jinyao hadn't seen her third brother for quite some time, and when she finally saw him, she was stunned.
The boy was pale and haggard, with bloodshot eyes and dark circles under his eyes. He clearly hadn't rested well and exuded a listless aura, as if a demon had drained his energy.
Upon closer inspection, there were red marks on his neck, which looked extremely ambiguous. It became clear why he looked like this: he had been indulging in excessive sexual activity. However, he was confined to his quarters, so he must have done that with the maid in the courtyard and then failed to restrain himself.
His gaze swept over everyone in the hall, finally settling on Meng Dongyuan. A hint of malice appeared between his brows, and the hatred in his eyes was hard to conceal.
Meng Jinyao took in the change in his expression, her brows furrowing slightly. After a moment, she said in a gentle tone, "Third brother, you don't look well. Are you ill?"
Meng Chengxing ignored her and casually sat down in an empty seat, seemingly disregarding everyone present.
Seeing this, Meng Dongyuan was furious and pointed at him, cursing, "You bastard, your older sister is talking to you, who are you giving that attitude to?"
Meng Chengxing sneered, looking indifferent: "Whoever sees it, that's who it's for."
Meng Dongyuan felt as if he had punched cotton, and his anger intensified: "I see you still don't know how to repent. Go back to your own yard and reflect on your actions. You can only come out when your grandmother has recovered!"
As soon as he finished speaking, Meng Chengxing stood up, turned around and left. He no longer cared how long he had been confined. His reputation was gone, his position as heir apparent was gone, his grandmother was ill, and there was no one left to support him. He had become a rat that everyone despised. What else could he do?
His father was truly ruthless; he completely ruined him.
His second sister was his biological sister, and he wanted her to send someone to fetch him to Yangzhou. Once there, he could at least rely on his sister to live a good life, since his brother-in-law was a wealthy merchant and he wouldn't have to worry about food or clothing. He also asked his servants to send a letter, but he never received a reply, which made him extremely anxious.
Meng Dongyuan looked at his arrogant son with anger and resentment, and instructed the servants to keep a close eye on him.
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