Chapter 298 Reconciliation
The next day.
The Marquis of Changxing's residence hosted a banquet to entertain relatives and friends.
Meng Jinyao and her two sisters-in-law were busy again, and the men in the family were equally busy. The three Gu brothers greeted their peers, the four Gu brothers greeted guests of similar age, and even the old lady Gu had to entertain the elderly ladies who came to the banquet.
After lunch, everyone chatted for a while, and as it was almost dusk, the guests left, allowing everyone to finally rest.
After the guests left, Zhang's smile faltered, and she frowned as if something was on her mind. Without saying goodbye to her two sisters-in-law, she went straight back to her own courtyard.
Meng Jinyao noticed that something was wrong with Zhang Shi and asked Chen Shi, who had spent a lot of time with Zhang Shi that day, in a low voice, "Second sister-in-law, what's wrong with eldest sister-in-law? She seems to be in a bad mood."
Madam Chen replied, "Isn't it all because of Xuanyi? The people from the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion came today, and my sister-in-law accidentally saw the Marquis of Wu'an's wife quietly scolding Xuanyi in an inconspicuous corner. Xuanyi felt wronged but dared not utter a sound. In front of others, she put on a smiling face and dared not show the slightest bit of grievance."
After she finished speaking, she sighed softly. She and her sister-in-law Zhang had been fighting for more than ten years and couldn't stand each other. Now, seeing Zhang worrying about her child, she suddenly felt a little sympathy. Since Xuanyi got married, she seemed to have had less open and covert struggles with Zhang.
Meng Jinyao then asked, "Did my sister-in-law not go out and talk about the Marquis of Wu'an's wife back then?"
Madam Chen shook her head: "She did want to, but she held back. If she stood up and criticized Madam Wu'an, making Madam Wu'an unhappy, Xuan Yi would definitely get a beating when she got back. Later, she thought of giving Xuan Yi some pointers and teaching her how to deal with it, but the people from the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion went back early, so there was no chance to say anything. Fortunately, our Xuan Ling is an obedient and well-behaved child. Although she married down, she is happy. In another year or two, having a child will make things even better. Otherwise, my second master and I, as her parents, would have a headache."
Meng Jinyao remained silent after hearing this. The two daughters of the Gu family, one married the heir of an earl's mansion and the other married the son of a minor official. The former had almost no happy days, while the latter had a loving husband and kind in-laws. Sometimes, listening to parents and elders can prevent one from jumping into a fire pit. Most people who insist on going their own way do not have good results.
After a moment, Madam Chen asked curiously, "Third sister-in-law, what unpleasant thing has happened between your Xiuming and Aunt Li lately? I see that he has been looking depressed lately, as if something unpleasant is weighing on his mind."
Meng Jinyao downplayed the issue, saying, "What else could they possibly be arguing about? At this age, when kids argue with their sweethearts, it's nothing more than a love triangle. They're having a fight now, but they'll make up once they've had their fill."
Upon hearing this, Chen's lips twitched, thinking to herself: You're two months younger than Xiu Ming, yet you call him a child, so aren't you a child too?
Meng Jinyao added, "The children are all grown up now. They can handle their own affairs. Children and grandchildren have their own blessings. We elders should mind our own business and not worry too much. Worrying too much will make us age faster."
Madam Chen agreed: "That's true. I've noticed that my sister-in-law has become much more worried since Xuanyi got married, and her spirits don't seem as good as before."
Meng Jinyao changed the subject: "Second sister-in-law, I heard from the Marquis that Xiu Hong has a pretty good chance of passing the imperial examination this spring. After the examination, shouldn't Xiu Hong's marriage be settled?"
“I do have this idea. If he passes the imperial examination this year, I will find him a good wife.” Madam Chen sighed softly, looking quite troubled. “But if he fails the exam, he will not be willing to get engaged or marry. He has his own goals and must pass the exam to be considered for marriage.”
Meng Jinyao comforted her, "Second sister-in-law, there's no need to worry. With Xiu Hong working so hard, he'll definitely pass the imperial examination with flying colors this year."
Mrs. Chen actually had some confidence in her son, saying, "I hope so, that's what I hope for, otherwise I don't know when I'll be able to have a daughter-in-law."
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These past few days, everyone has been busy visiting relatives and friends to maintain relationships.
Before we knew it, the seventh day of the Lunar New Year had passed. The men in the family who held official positions in the court were off their annual leave and would return to their posts on the eighth day to begin their busy new year.
The young men who were studying still had some free time. Since the academies hadn't started yet, and all the major academies wouldn't open until after the Lantern Festival, Gu Xiuyuan and his family invited other young masters to visit, where they would brew tea and compose poems together, making their home quite lively.
Gu Xiuhong, who was participating in this year's Spring Examination, did not participate in these activities. The Spring Examination was on the ninth day of the second lunar month. He had to prepare for the examination by locking himself in his room and focusing solely on studying the classics. He would only leave the courtyard to consult his third uncle when he encountered problems.
There is one thing worth mentioning, which concerns Qingyuxuan.
Originally, Gu Xiuming had a conflict with Aunt Li, and his maid Yuan'er served him every day. Yuan'er's status in Qingyuxuan rose, and even Yuan'er herself became arrogant.
But at this moment, Aunt Li suddenly coaxed Gu Xiuming back to normal, and Gu Xiuming made up with Aunt Li as before, no longer ignoring her. The one who was neglected became Yuan'er, which made Yuan'er very angry.
Ningdong had been following the gossip over there and immediately started gossiping with Meng Jinyao.
Meng Jinyao looked slightly surprised: "You mean they suddenly made up yesterday?"
Ning Dong nodded: "Yes, yesterday Aunt Li personally cooked the young master's favorite dishes and apologized to him. Seeing how sincerely she apologized, the young master didn't hold it against her anymore, and then they made up as before."
Meng Jinyao chuckled lightly: "So eager already? It seems the show is just around the corner."
Ning Dong was puzzled: "Madam, what's the rush? What good show is it?"
Meng Jinyao laughed and said, "It's too early to say. Let's wait and see. I estimate we'll be able to watch a good show in the near future."
Ningdong asked, "Is it related to the young master and Concubine Li?"
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly. Something was definitely amiss. Gu Xiuming was so angry about Aunt Li's pregnancy, how could he possibly reconcile over a table of food? Reconciliation was definitely a smokescreen, just to make Aunt Li feel sweet and make things easier to do.
If she wasn't mistaken, Gu Xiuming was already planning to cause Aunt Li's child to miscarry. Aunt Li had prepared a table full of dishes, which conveniently gave Gu Xiuming an excuse.
Her curiosity hadn't been fully satisfied, and Ning Dong felt restless, staring at Meng Jinyao expectantly, and asked, "Madam, do you know something?"
"I know a little more than you do." As Meng Jinyao spoke, she playfully gestured with her finger to indicate the "little more" she was referring to.
Ning Dong became even more curious: "What is it?"
Meng Jinyao said, "It's hard to say for now. I'll gossip with you properly later."
Upon hearing this, Ningdong was completely deflated. If her master was unwilling to speak, then it was definitely impossible for her to speak. Even if she knew there was going to be a good show, she couldn't tell anyone else that there would be a good show to watch. At most, she could only tell Qingqiu.
Seeing her head drooping, Meng Jinyao smiled and pushed the plate of snacks in front of her towards her, saying gently, "Here, this is your favorite. Eat more. What's more important than food than his affairs?"
Ningdong was immediately appeased and beamed with joy: "Madam is right, eating is more important."
Meng Jinyao chuckled helplessly and teased, "You're such a glutton, won't you be easily lured away by men with just a few delicious treats in the future?"
Upon hearing this, Ning Dong's cheeks flushed red, and she shook her head repeatedly: "This servant does not want to get married. This servant only likes to eat what the madam gives her. She doesn't care about the food that some stinky man gives her. With the madam, there will always be good food. But with a stinky man, it's not certain. He will give me good food when he is happy, but when he is no longer happy, won't I have nothing to eat?"
Seeing that she was shy, Meng Jinyao didn't let her off the hook and continued to tease her: "I'm just afraid that you'll be very fond of it. Didn't you used to say that you wanted to marry a chef? Chefs can cook a lot of delicious food."
Ningdong blushed even more, feeling extremely embarrassed: "I was young and ignorant back then. I only realized when I grew up that many cooks don't cook at home; it's the women who do the cooking. Not to mention cooks, even if you marry someone else, you still have to cook. I don't have to cook when I'm with you, Madam. If I marry someone else, I'll have to cook. This isn't getting married; it's going to suffer."
Meng Jinyao smiled gently, her lips curving upwards. She stopped teasing Ningdong. As of now, Qingqiu and Ningdong had no intention of getting married, but she didn't want to waste their lives. She would ask them again in a few years. If they were interested, she would find them good husbands. If they really weren't interested, they could stay by her side for life, and she wouldn't mistreat them.
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