Chapter Fifty-Two: The Heart is Touched
The next day was the fifteenth, and according to custom, we had to go to Shou'an Hall to pay our respects to Madam Gu.
Therefore, Meng Jinyao and Gu Jingxi got up earlier than usual, since they needed to have breakfast in their own courtyard earlier before going over to pay their respects.
While other elderly ladies enjoy being surrounded by their children and grandchildren in a lively atmosphere, Old Madam Gu is known for her quiet demeanor and dislikes crowds. She even skips breakfast with her younger relatives, finding it too noisy, unless it's a major holiday.
Gu Jingxi waited for her to get ready in the outer room so they could have a meal together. When he saw her come out of the inner room, he was stunned for a moment, a hint of amazement flashing in his eyes.
He had always known that his young wife was a very beautiful young girl, but she dressed maturely every day, suppressing the girl's charm and brightness and making her appear dignified and composed, thus aging her several years. This was largely thanks to Madam Meng and Madam Sun, who had ulterior motives in preparing such clothes for the young girl.
Today, for some unknown reason, she changed her usual style of dress.
The young girl was beautiful, and when she dressed up carefully, she was even more stunning. Her hair was styled in a cloud-like bun with arched eyebrows and her face was as fair as a peach blossom. A gold begonia pearl hairpin was tucked into her hair, which complemented the begonia flower ornament between her eyebrows. A red begonia dress embroidered with gold forsythia branches made her even more radiant and dazzling.
Not only Gu Jingxi, but even Chunliu and Xiazhu, who were serving outside, were amazed by her.
Seeing their reaction, Ningdong and Qingqiu felt a great sense of accomplishment. They had wanted to dress up their mistress properly before, but due to limited resources, Madam Sun was afraid that their mistress would steal the spotlight from the second young lady, so she wouldn't give her nice clothes and jewelry. Yesterday afternoon, their mistress went out to buy clothes and jewelry that suited her, so she could finally dress up properly.
Meng Jinyao was confident in her looks, but seeing that Gu Jingxi, who was not interested in women, had looked at her several times, she was suddenly aroused and couldn't help but tease him, "Husband, why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Jingxi withdrew his gaze and said calmly, "Madam usually dresses in an old-fashioned way, which is really not suitable for a young girl of only sixteen or eighteen. Now she looks like a young girl should."
“I think so too.” Meng Jinyao nodded in agreement. That’s why she bought something that suited her when she had the money. Then she asked with a smile, “Does it look good?”
Gu Jingxi nodded and answered honestly, "It looks good."
Meng Jinyao smiled with satisfaction and held up two fingers: "Two thousand taels."
"What two thousand taels?" Gu Jingxi asked, puzzled.
"I spent two thousand taels yesterday afternoon, all of it was my husband's money." Meng Jinyao said as she walked to the seat opposite him, sat down, and then turned to instruct the maid to prepare the meal.
Gu Jingxi was taken aback, then looked her up and down again, and immediately understood that the two thousand taels she mentioned must have been spent on clothes and jewelry, and that she had probably bought a whole new set of clothes and accessories.
In just one afternoon, she spent two thousand taels of silver. She was like a money-devouring beast. Compared to her, Xiu Ming, who usually had no concept of money, was far behind. It seems that raising a daughter is really not easy. No wonder his colleagues were worried and said that daughters are not easy to raise. Everything requires meticulous attention and is very expensive.
However, the little girl looked quite pretty dressed up, so the money was well spent. Looking at the little girl's charming and bright appearance, he felt a strange sense of accomplishment and experienced the joy of raising a daughter.
He smiled and said, "As long as the money is well spent, what does it matter if it's twenty thousand taels?"
Seeing that he had no objections, Meng Jinyao was relieved and accepted his kindness with a clear conscience. However, she was still quite touched. She stared at him blankly for a couple of moments before lowering her eyes.
Apart from her maternal grandfather and paternal grandfather, no one had ever been so willing to spend money on her; Gu Jingxi was the first.
It's really laughable. Even her father, who raised her for many years, has spent less than two thousand taels of silver on her over the years, while her husband, with whom she has no feelings, gave her thirty thousand taels of silver to do with as she pleased.
If it weren't for her identity, she would be more than willing to change her father and become Gu Jingxi's daughter.
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Shou'an Hall.
The members of both the first and second branches of the family had arrived and were talking with Old Madam Gu.
Although Madam Gu was the legal mother, she couldn't treat the eldest and second wives as well as she treated her own sons, but she never mistreated them. She was also quite kind to her grandchildren who were not related to her by blood.
At this moment, a maid stepped forward and reported: "Madam, the Marquis and his wife have arrived."
Upon hearing this, people from both the eldest and second branches of the family looked towards the door. Yesterday's events had caused a sensation throughout the entire Changxing Marquis's mansion, and even people outside had heard the news and were discussing it. Now that the person involved had arrived, their gossipy nature was aroused.
When everyone saw Meng Jinyao smiling as she walked alongside Gu Jingxi, they were all taken aback for two reasons.
Firstly, Meng Jinyao, the person being discussed, seemed to be in a very good mood.
Secondly, Meng Jinyao changed her usual mature and steady style of dress. Today she dressed up as a charming and bright girl. Her beautiful appearance made her stand out as soon as she entered, giving people a feeling of brilliance.
They used to think that Meng Jinyao was thirteen years younger than Gu Jingxi, and that she deliberately dressed a few years older in order to match Gu Jingxi. But today, they were truly dumbfounded.
Ignoring their gazes, Meng Jinyao walked up to Old Madam Gu as if nothing had happened and respectfully performed the junior's greeting: "Daughter-in-law greets Mother. May Mother be well."
Madam Gu smiled broadly, looking at her with affection, and teased, "Oh dear, your mother is getting old. I didn't see clearly from a distance just now. I thought a fairy had descended. Only when I got closer did I realize it was A-Yao."
Meng Jinyao replied with a smile, "Mother, please don't praise me like that, or I'll become arrogant."
Looking at the young girl, Madam Gu was very satisfied. She said, "You usually dress too maturely and plainly. This is just right. You are a good young lady. Don't dress yourself up to look old just for the sake of the third son. He is older than you, so he should give way to you and dress younger to match you."
"Mother."
Meng Jinyao called out, then lowered her head shyly. It wasn't that she was deliberately dressing maturely, but rather that the clothes her stepmother had prepared for her were like this, and she hadn't had the money to buy new ones, so she had to make do with what she had.
Considering her young age and shyness, Madam Gu didn't continue, and said gently, "Alright, alright, Mother won't say anymore. Let's sit down and talk."
Madam Zhang scrutinized her closely. She had already dressed up carefully, and her shy and timid appearance was even more alluring. Madam Zhang couldn't help but wonder: "She's married and still dressed up so extravagantly. Could it be that she married a useless husband and, after a few days of living like a widow, can't stand the loneliness and wants to have an affair?"
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