Chapter 443 Deliberately Avoiding Him
Zhang was speechless after being rebuked by Chen's words. She had forgotten about this incident and said with an awkward smile, "I... I just said it casually. I didn't mean anything by it. I just thought my second sister-in-law was kind and treated her daughters so well."
Chen snorted lightly: "Whether there's another meaning or not, sister-in-law knows it in her heart. Don't think I'm stupid enough not to understand the veiled insults." After saying that, she suddenly stood up, turned around and left.
Seeing this, Zhang was also annoyed. When she said those words, she really didn't mean to slander her husband and second brother. She couldn't help but complain to Meng Jinyao, "Third sister-in-law, look at her. Her temper is getting worse and worse. I didn't even say anything, and she got angry. Xuanling isn't her biological daughter. Does she have to get angry with me over a concubine's daughter?"
Meng Jinyao felt somewhat helpless, thinking that although her sister-in-law had her own agenda, she was sometimes a bit dim-witted. She reminded her, "Sister-in-law, you just slandered my second sister-in-law as well."
Zhang was taken aback and asked blankly, "When did I slander her?"
Meng Jinyao said, "Second sister-in-law was also born out of wedlock."
Upon hearing this, Zhang suddenly remembered this matter. It turned out that Chen was angry with her earlier not because she revealed Xuanling's identity and accidentally slandered her husband and second brother, but because Chen was also a concubine's daughter. Her disdain for concubine's daughters was equivalent to her disdain for Chen.
Zhang said, "Third sister-in-law, I didn't mean to say anything to her just now. She's just being overly sensitive and overthinking things."
Meng Jinyao replied, "Sister-in-law, regardless of whether Second Sister-in-law misunderstood your meaning, what you just said did offend Second Sister-in-law."
Zhang glanced in the direction Chen had left. Chen's figure had long since faded from sight. She pursed her lips. She couldn't bring herself to apologize to Chen. Seeing Meng Jinyao looking at her, she said awkwardly, "Never mind, I'll tell her I didn't mean it that way another day."
Meng Jinyao nodded, offering no comment.
A silence fell, and Zhang felt slightly embarrassed, so she quickly changed the subject: "Third sister-in-law, I remember that Miss Meng is getting married tomorrow?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "Yes, I'm getting married tomorrow."
Zhang continued gossiping: "It seems the future son-in-law is a businessman?"
At this time, Meng Jinyao would naturally not belittle her family, saying that her elders only cared about money. She simply said, "Yes, Father saw that Young Master Deng was handsome and had outstanding manners and speech, so he admired him and chose him as his son-in-law."
After hearing this, Madam Zhang disagreed: "Although he is a good person, he is still from a merchant family. In the social hierarchy of scholars, farmers, artisans, and merchants, merchants are the lowest class. Miss Meng is the second daughter of Lord Meng. How can she marry a mere merchant? There are many outstanding young men among the sons of officials. Why not choose from among them?"
Meng Jinyao disagreed, saying, "Sister-in-law, you are mistaken. As long as Young Master Deng is of good character and outstanding in all aspects, it is not impossible. Father values character, not status. The wife of Lord Ling, the Vice Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial, comes from a merchant family. I heard that she met her mother by chance when she accompanied her to offer incense, and their fate was sealed. Now they are a loving and harmonious couple."
Upon hearing this, Zhang was stunned and unable to refute it for a moment.
Meng Jinyao didn't want to talk about these upsetting things with her, so she said, "Sister-in-law, I suddenly remembered that I have something to do, so I'll go back first. We can talk another day."
After she finished speaking, she stood up, turned around and left, with her maid Qingqiu following closely behind.
Seeing that she had left, Zhang pursed her lips, feeling that there was no point in sitting there, so she also left to have a good talk with her daughter. Xuanling, as the younger sister, was already a mother, and Xuanyi, as the older sister, should at least be engaged, even if she wasn't a mother yet.
Meanwhile, Qingqiu noticed that her mistress had taken the wrong path and quickly reminded her, "Madam, this road leads to the old lady's side."
Meng Jinyao replied, "I'm going to the old lady's place. I overslept this morning and couldn't pay my respects, but it's the same if I go now."
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Madam Gu's gentleness and love made up for the maternal love that Meng Jinyao had lacked for many years, and she also made Madam Gu feel the joy of raising a daughter.
One is overflowing with maternal love, while the other severely lacks it. The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law complement each other, get along well, and have pleasant conversations.
When it was time to eat, Meng Jinyao couldn't bear to leave. She abandoned her husband and stayed to have dinner with Old Madam Gu.
When Gu Jingxi returned to his courtyard, he did not see his wife, but Xia Zhu told him, "My lord, the madam just sent someone back to say that she is having dinner at the old madam's place and will not be coming back. She said you don't need to wait for her to eat."
Gu Jingxi was dumbfounded: "???"
He suddenly felt like he had been abandoned by his mother and daughter-in-law. What was the point of eating alone?
Thinking this, he turned and left, heading towards his elderly mother as quickly as possible.
When he arrived at his elderly mother's place, he had just stepped into the house when he saw his mother and his young wife picking up their chopsticks, preparing to eat.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were both taken aback when they saw him arrive.
Madam Gu turned her head to look at her daughter-in-law and teased, "Look, we haven't been apart for long, and Yaoling has already caught up with us, as if he's afraid I'll steal his wife."
Before Meng Jinyao could reply, Gu Jingxi interjected, "Isn't it because I'm afraid you'll fight with our son for it?"
As Meng Jinyao listened to the conversation between the mother and son, her cheeks flushed red, and she lowered her head shyly.
Madam Gu smiled and said, "Since you're here, let's sit down and have a meal together. Your timing is perfect; we were just about to eat." As she spoke, she instructed the maidservant serving nearby, "Go and get another set of chopsticks and a bowl for the Marquis."
Gu Jingxi sat between his mother and daughter-in-law, able to take care of both his elderly mother and his young wife. He had just finished serving food to his mother when he immediately served food to his young wife.
The family of three enjoyed their meal. Madam Gu, who usually doesn't eat much, ate an extra half bowl of rice today because she was in a good mood.
After the meal, the couple didn't rush to leave. They chatted with Madam Gu for a while before Gu Jingxi asked his mother for leave and prepared to take his young wife back home.
However, Meng Jinyao said, "Husband, you should go back by yourself. I had a very pleasant conversation with my mother and I can't bear to leave her. I would like to stay with her tonight."
Gu Jingxi: "???"
What's going on? Has he been abandoned again?
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu was overjoyed and said, "Yaoling, you should go back first. I'll stay with Ayao tonight. Don't worry, I'll take good care of Ayao for you."
Gu Jingxi was originally unwilling, but after hearing his mother say this, he had no choice but to agree. He said, "Then I will trouble Mother to take care of her. I will go back first and come to pick up Ayao tomorrow morning, and then we will go to the Meng family for a banquet."
Meng Jinyao smiled and said, "Husband, please take care."
Gu Jingxi saw the smug smile on her face and belatedly realized her intentions. She was deliberately avoiding him, or perhaps punishing him for his reckless behavior last night.
He said, "Ayao, see me off, my husband."
Meng Jinyao agreed to his request: "Then I will see my husband out of the hospital."
The couple walked out of the house side by side. After Meng Jinyao saw him off at the courtyard gate, she heard him whisper in her ear, "You little rascal, you deliberately hid from your husband. Are you punishing your husband?"
Meng Jinyao pretended to be naive and said, "Goodbye, my husband. I won't see you off."
Gu Jingxi looked at her, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.
Avoid him.
You can dodge the first day of the month, but you can't dodge the fifteenth.
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