Chapter 552 This Dog's Temper
The next day.
Emperor Jingwen summoned Gu Jingxi to the palace.
After leaving the palace, Gu Jingxi returned to the Marquis's residence and said to Meng Jinyao, "Ayao, I need to go out for a while. I estimate it will take ten days to half a month before I can return."
Meng Jinyao was taken aback: "Husband, why do you suddenly want to go out?"
Gu Jingxi didn't say much, only that "His Majesty has ordered me to go out on business."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao didn't ask any further questions, after all, there were some things she shouldn't know, and immediately went to prepare his luggage.
Gu Jingxi didn't linger. He hugged and kissed Meng Jinyao, spoke to her gently for a while, then went to his elderly mother's place to say goodbye. After that, he took his luggage and his attendants, including Yu Chuan, and left.
Meng Jinyao carried her son as she saw him off at the door.
Looking at his wife and young child, Gu Jingxi felt a pang of reluctance at the thought of being separated for ten days or half a month. However, official duties were paramount, and this was not the time for sentimentality. He said softly, "Ayao, I'm leaving. You should go back now."
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly, watching his figure disappear from sight. She had only been apart for a short while, but she already missed him. Holding the child, she returned to Weirui Pavilion with a dejected expression.
Seeing this, Ningdong comforted her, "Madam, ten days or half a month will pass quickly. If you feel bored while the Marquis is not by your side, you can attend some banquets to relieve your boredom. Today, two ladies sent people to deliver invitations."
Meng Jinyao nodded.
For the next few days, Meng Jinyao attended banquets. The wives of officials in the capital lived in the inner quarters and would hold banquets whenever they were bored, such as tea tasting banquets and flower appreciation banquets.
Watching her dress up beautifully every day to attend banquets, Zhang felt that she lived a carefree and unrestrained life, while she herself was tied up with household chores and couldn't leave. She couldn't help but feel a little envious and said to Chen, "Third sister-in-law is indeed carefree. Her mother-in-law takes care of the children, and she goes to banquets every day."
Chen replied calmly, "Since my third brother isn't home, I need to find something to do to distract myself."
Zhang said, "If she's bored, she can take charge of the household affairs. It'll be a good opportunity for us to rest."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhang was stunned. She belatedly realized that managing the household affairs didn't necessarily have to be a top priority. Being tied up with household chores every day was actually quite tiring. Thinking back to her past insistence on managing the household affairs, it seemed like she was just creating trouble for herself. Even if she were to manage the household affairs, the only mistress of the Marquis's mansion would be her third brother and sister-in-law.
Thinking this, Madam Zhang said again, "Let's return the household affairs to my third sister-in-law. She is the wife of the Marquis, and the household affairs should be managed by her."
Madam Chen shook her head with a smile: "Sister-in-law, your idea is a bit too naive."
Madam Zhang frowned slightly and asked, puzzled, "What do you mean by that, Second Sister-in-law?"
Chen replied, "My third sister-in-law won't take over. Even if you hand it back to her, she'll find an excuse to refuse. Before we divide the family property, let's just honestly manage the household affairs."
Having been sisters-in-law for so long, she understood her third sister-in-law's personality. Her eldest sister-in-law valued managing the household affairs, but her third sister-in-law didn't care at all. In her heart, she was more than happy to have someone do the work for her.
That's true. The mother-in-law doted on her third brother's wife like her own daughter, and the third brother also doted on her. Even though the third brother's wife didn't manage the household affairs, no one in the mansion dared to give her a hard time, and the wives of officials outside didn't gossip about her because she didn't manage the household affairs.
Madam Zhang frowned even more deeply: "So, my third sister-in-law never intended to manage the household affairs from the beginning, which is why she declined when Mother asked her to do so?"
Mrs. Chen nodded gently: "Yes, I used to think she was just pretending to decline, but later I found out that she really didn't care."
Zhang fell silent. She had cared so much back then, fearing that she would lose her power in managing the household and that her status in the family would not be as good as before. Yet her third sister-in-law had it so easily, but she didn't want it.
Madam Chen glanced at her and asked with a smile, "Didn't you care a lot before, sister-in-law? Why do you want to hand over the management of the household affairs now?"
Zhang replied, "It's nothing, I just suddenly realized something. Things I used to think were very important, I don't think so now."
Upon hearing this, Madam Chen glanced at her in surprise. This sister-in-law had changed a lot; it seemed that she had started to change slowly ever since she had argued with her brother.
Madam Chen said, "Sister-in-law, before the family is divided, my third sister-in-law will not want to manage the household affairs. Let's just keep managing them honestly. It's respectable to manage the household affairs. We have worked hard for this family for many years. Even if we have no merit, we have worked hard. When the family is divided, Mother may give us a larger share."
The division of family property is decided by the elders. When it comes time to divide the family property, the elders of the clan are invited to witness it. The father-in-law has passed away. The mother-in-law will arrange how the family property should be divided. After the mother-in-law passes away, the family property will be divided according to her wishes.
She didn't just say that offhand. Once, she overheard a conversation between her mother-in-law and her third brother and his wife. Her mother-in-law had this idea. At that time, her mother-in-law brought up the matter of letting her third brother's wife take charge of the household affairs again, but her third brother's wife declined on the grounds that her child was still young and needed to be raised properly.
The mother-in-law naturally favored her grandson and agreed with her third brother's wife's decision. Later, according to the mother-in-law, the estate, shops, and so on had already been divided up. She said that she and her eldest sister-in-law had worked hard for the family for many years and deserved some compensation for their hard work. The third brother and his wife had no objections and agreed with the mother-in-law's idea.
Her mother-in-law was indeed fair and just, and her rewards and punishments were clear. Even though the eldest and second sons were not her biological children, she did not let them suffer any losses. After overhearing those words by chance, she was more energetic in her work, probably because she was being paid and not working for free.
After a moment of contemplation, Zhang said, "Forget it. I've been managing things for so many years and I'm used to it. If I let go and have some free time, I'm afraid I won't be able to get used to it. You also said that being in charge of the household is respectable. While this respectability is still there, I have to make sure that Xuanyi and Xiuwen have a good marriage."
Upon hearing this, Madam Chen's lips twitched slightly, and she said helplessly, "Sister-in-law, is there nothing else you do besides finding marriage partners for your children?"
Zhang said matter-of-factly, "They are twins, a boy and a girl, and both are seventeen years old. They are of marriageable age. Xiuwen is a boy, so it's okay to wait two more years, but Xuanyi is different. She is a girl, and if it's delayed any longer, she will become an old maid, and it will be difficult to find a husband when she is too old."
Madam Chen said, "Sister-in-law, it's been so long, don't you understand Xuanyi's thoughts? She doesn't want to get married at all right now."
Zhang disagreed, saying, "How can a young lady not get married? I'm doing this for her own good. When she gets old and can't find a good husband, it will be too late for her to regret it."
There was no point in arguing, and Chen didn't want to persuade her any further. She simply said, "I have other things to do. Let's talk another day." With that, she stood up and left without looking back.
Zhang was stunned for a long time before she reacted. She muttered irritably, "What kind of temper is this? She's always like this. She leaves at the slightest disagreement. Only my second brother can put up with her."
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