Chapter 102 Xiu Ming Accepts Punishment
Gu Xiuming's face turned deathly pale. His father's words were deafening; he never expected his father to treat him like this.
His father punished him by making him copy the "Classic of Filial Piety," which was tantamount to convicting him of being unfilial. If word got out that a man was unfilial, his reputation would be further tarnished.
Gu Jingxi asked in a deep voice, "Xiu Ming, do you accept the punishment?"
Gu Xiuming was indignant, but dared not disobey. His good father was impartial and incorruptible. If he did not accept the punishment, there would definitely be even more severe punishment waiting for him. He nodded and replied, "Son accepts the punishment."
Gu Jingxi didn't want to say anything more to him, and said in a low voice, "Then go back to your courtyard. During your confinement, you are not allowed to step out of the courtyard gate."
Gu Xiuming responded, bowed to his elders, and then left Shou'an Hall dejectedly, like a stray dog. Li Wan'er followed closely behind him, wanting to say something but not daring to further spoil his mood at this moment.
Zhang and Gu Jingsheng were satisfied with the punishment, but they were worried that their third son might not like their family of three now that he had just punished their son.
Zhang glanced at her son, whose face was bruised and swollen, and cursed Gu Xiuming inwardly for his ruthlessness. However, she maintained a polite smile and said to her mother-in-law, "Mother, Xiuwen looks quite badly injured. Let's take him back to the doctor for a check-up first. Otherwise, if something happens, it will be bad if he is late for registering at the academy."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's gaze fell on her grandson's face. She saw that her grandson was in pain and his handsome face was covered in bruises, with his left cheek swollen. It was heartbreaking to see such a well-behaved child beaten like this.
She nodded and said gently, "Alright, take Xiuwen back first. Xiuwen did well today, so don't blame him for fighting. But you shouldn't fight with your brother in the future. If you can avoid it, then don't. Otherwise, it's not honorable if word gets out. And like today, you can't beat him, but you end up with a bruised and swollen face. It's not worth it."
Hearing her mother-in-law praise her son, Zhang was delighted. Her mother-in-law used to dote on Gu Xiuming the most, but that wouldn't be the case anymore. Maybe it would be their Xiuwen instead. She quickly smiled and replied, "Yes, I'll teach him a lesson when I get back, and tell him not to hit people so easily in the future."
Gu Xiuwen suddenly felt guilty. Actually, it wasn't that he couldn't beat them. In fact, when he and his second uncle were fighting his third brother, they had a little trick up their sleeves and deliberately attacked the places that could be covered by clothes. That's why it seemed that he and his second uncle were seriously injured. But he wouldn't be stupid enough to say such a thing out loud.
After the three members of the eldest son's family left, Old Madam Gu sighed softly. It was early in the morning, and the younger generation had started fighting, making the house a mess. She was also upset. When the children were younger, there were no disputes. Now that they are older, if the sisters quarrel, the brothers will fight next.
After a moment, she looked at Meng Chengzhang, who was also injured, and felt guilty. The other person's child had come to visit, but was beaten like this by a junior. She said apologetically, "Chengzhang, Xiuming is ignorant and has made you suffer."
Meng Chengzhang gently shook his head, glanced in his elder sister's direction, and said with heartache in his eyes, "Madam, I don't feel wronged, but I feel wronged for my elder sister."
Madam Gu's expression froze.
Meng Chengzhang took a deep breath and mustered his courage to continue, "My elder sister married my brother-in-law because Prince Gu ran away from the marriage. Now he is accusing my elder sister of being shameless. I really can't imagine that someone who has made a big mistake can still shamelessly accuse the victim. If my elder sister had really married him according to the Gu family's wishes, he would definitely have favored his concubine over his wife. Fortunately, the person my elder sister married in the end was not him."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao stared blankly at the boy. He was thin, yet stood ramrod straight. Although his fists were clenched with tension, he calmly stated her grievances. The little boy who used to follow her around had grown up without her even noticing, becoming a man capable of protecting her.
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu was taken aback again. She hadn't expected the young man to have such courage to say such things in front of them. Looking at the young man, she seemed to see A Yao on her wedding day. The siblings did have some similarities. She said gently, "Chengzhang, don't worry. A Yao is an elder. Xiu Ming can't bully her. If Xiu Ming disrespects her, then he will be punished according to family rules. You saw it today too. Your brother-in-law is not a biased person."
"That's good."
Meng Chengzhang nodded slightly in response. He originally thought that Gu Xiuming would feel guilty towards his older sister for doing such a thing, and would definitely not make things difficult for her. He did not expect that Gu Xiuming would lose face because his fiancée became his mother, and would directly blame his older sister in a fit of anger.
Afterwards, fearing that he might overthink things, Madam Gu gently comforted him a few more times before letting the siblings leave first, and then having the family physician examine them later. Because she had some questions for her son, she left him behind.
After leaving Shou'an Hall, Meng Chengzhang asked nervously, "Elder sister, have I caused you any trouble today?"
Meng Jinyao was taken aback at first, then gently shook her head: "Second brother, why would you think that? I'm so happy that the little guy who followed me behind has grown up and become my hero, and he can protect me now."
Upon hearing this, Meng Chengzhang paused, and seeing his elder sister's red eyes with tears welling up, he quickly said, "Elder sister, don't cry."
Meng Jinyao sniffed and smiled, "I didn't cry."
Meng Chengzhang looked up at the clear blue sky and promised, "Big sister, I will pass the imperial examinations, become an official in the court, and become an important minister, so that Gu Xiuming will not dare to bully you again."
Meng Jinyao turned her head to look at him, her smile widening: "I believe my second brother can do it."
Although these words sounded a bit naive, and becoming a high-ranking official in the court was difficult, she had inexplicable confidence in Chengzhang and felt that he would achieve it in the future.
Meng Chengzhang glanced at his elder sister and once again felt ashamed of his own incompetence. If he were capable, even if Gu Xiuming ran away from the marriage, his elder sister would have his backing even if she canceled the engagement and returned to the Meng family, and could find another good marriage.
After a while, he suddenly asked, "Big sister, does he often cause you trouble?"
Meng Jinyao knew he was referring to Gu Xiuming, and shook her head slightly: "When your brother-in-law was around, he was still very respectful. He just picked fights in private, but his tricks couldn't do anything to me. Don't worry, second brother, I'm doing quite well in the Gu family."
"That's good." Meng Chengzhang was slightly relieved, but then brought up another matter, "I saw his concubine today. She's a delicate parasitic flower that can't take care of herself. She's not even as good as my elder sister. He must be blind."
Meng Jinyao was stunned, then laughed and said, "Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I should thank him for abandoning me. Otherwise, if he had forced himself to marry me and then brought Concubine Li into the mansion, he would have spoiled his concubine and neglected his wife. My life would have been unbearable."
Meng Chengzhang's expression tightened: "Elder sister is right."
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