Chapter 335 Suffering Domestic Violence
Today is a day off, and the one-day palace examination also begins today.
According to the conventions of this dynasty, the results of the palace examination are usually announced three days after the examination ends, unless there are special circumstances that delay the announcement of the results.
Gu Xiuhong passed the provincial examination and is now participating in the palace examination. Everyone in the Gu family is tense and expectant as they wait to see his final ranking. Even the servants hope that their second young master will do well, so that his masters will be happy and they, as servants, will receive a reward for such a joyous occasion.
Since it was a day off anyway, and it was also the start of the palace examination, everyone tacitly went to pay their respects to Madam Gu. The family chatted casually and could talk about Xiu Hong's palace examination today. Although the examination was not yet over, it did not prevent them from talking. After all, those who entered the palace examination were all Jinshi graduates. It was just a matter of whether they would be ranked first, second, or third.
After having breakfast with Gu Jingxi, Meng Jinyao was about to head to Old Madam Gu's place when she suddenly heard a maid outside shouting, "Hey, which courtyard are you from, you crazy old woman? Don't you know any manners? Is this a place you can come to? Be careful that the Marquis and his wife don't sell you off!"
"Oh! It's you, young lady! What happened to you? Oh, young lady!"
Young lady?
The couple were both taken aback. The only person in the mansion who could be called "eldest daughter" by the maids was Gu Xuanyi, who was already married. But even if Gu Xuanyi went back to her parents' home, she would go to the eldest son's house to find her elder brother and sister-in-law, not to them. They must have misheard.
However, immediately afterward, they heard Gu Xuanyi's voice, trembling with tears: "Third Uncle! Third Aunt!"
Meng Jinyao exclaimed in surprise, "Husband, is it really Xuanyi? Why is she back so early in the morning?"
Gu Jingxi frowned as well. Just hearing that voice gave her a bad feeling. And since it was so early in the morning, something serious must have happened.
He said, "Let's go out and see what's going on."
Meng Jinyao nodded and took a step. Before she could even leave the house, she saw a disheveled young woman rush in through the door and then accurately throw herself into her arms.
The incident happened so suddenly that Meng Jinyao, being petite and a weak woman, was almost knocked to the ground. Fortunately, Gu Jingxi reached out and helped her regain her balance.
Even though Meng Jinyao was only one year older than her, Gu Xuanyi felt inexplicably at ease, as if she had grasped the only lifeline. She threw herself into Meng Jinyao's arms and broke down in tears.
Gu Jingxi was about to pull his niece away, but when he saw her burst into tears, he silently withdrew his outstretched hand.
Meng Jinyao was already stunned when Gu Xuanyi pounced on her like that, and now this hugging her and burying her face in her arms while crying was something she hadn't expected. She was stunned again and looked up at Gu Jingxi with a blank expression.
Gu Jingxi frowned and shook his head slightly. He didn't know what was wrong with his niece. Even if she was wronged at her husband's family, she should go to her older brother and sister-in-law. What did she mean by crying to A Yao? A Yao wasn't Xuan Yi's mother, and he had never seen them have a close relationship before.
Meng Jinyao lowered her head and saw that Xuanyi was bent over, her face buried in her arms, crying so hard that she could hardly breathe, and her hair was disheveled. She had lost all her usual dignity. She knew that something bad must have happened. She gently patted her back and comforted her in a gentle voice, "Xuanyi, don't cry. Tell your third aunt what happened."
Gu Xuanyi's crying was unstoppable; she sobbed at the top of her lungs, as if she wanted to cry out all the grievances she had accumulated.
Meng Jinyao couldn't do anything about her, so she could only let her cry and wait until she had cried enough before asking her questions. As for notifying the main branch of the family, she would not do it for the time being. She must have some unspeakable reasons for being able to bypass her biological parents and come directly to them.
After a long while, Gu Xuanyi seemed to have cried enough. She slowly raised her head, looked at Meng Jinyao with teary eyes, and choked out, "Third Aunt, please save me. Only you and Third Uncle can save me. My father and mother will not agree to my decision. They definitely will not agree."
With her hair disheveled, she had rushed into her arms as soon as she came in, and Meng Jinyao hadn't even seen her face clearly. Now that she was closer, she noticed something was wrong.
Meng Jinyao suddenly opened her eyes wide, taken aback.
The corner of his eye was bruised, the corner of his mouth was cut, there was bruising around the wound, and the left side of his face was swollen, all caused by violence.
Xuan Yi is the wife of the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an's mansion. Who would dare to use such violence against her? The only possible person to hit Xuan Yi is her husband's family. However, her father-in-law and mother-in-law would certainly not lay a hand on her. Her sister-in-law and brother-in-law would not beat her like this even if they had a conflict with her. Only the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an, as her husband, would do such a thing.
When Gu Jingxi saw the injuries on his niece's face, his brows furrowed even more, and a surge of anger rose in his heart. Even if the Gu family's children had done something wrong, they shouldn't be beaten like this. This was not only hitting Xuanyi, but also slapping the Gu family in the face. If there was a problem, the two families should talk it over properly. If they could solve the problem, they should solve it; if they couldn't, they should get a divorce.
Although Meng Jinyao had disliked her arrogant and domineering niece before, she felt sorry for Xuanyi now that she saw her like this.
As a woman, she felt sorry for a woman who had suffered domestic violence. She reached out to touch Xuan Yi's face, but was afraid of hurting Xuan Yi, so she touched Xuan Yi's head instead, silently comforting her.
She asked softly, "Xuanyi, tell your third aunt, were these injuries on your face inflicted by your eldest son-in-law?"
Upon hearing someone mention her husband, Gu Xuanyi instinctively trembled, her eyes filled with panic.
Seeing this, there was no need to ask any further. Meng Jinyao was certain that it was indeed the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an who had hit Xuanyi. Last time, when Xuanyi ran back to her parents' home, the heir of the Marquis of Wu'an chased after her and even stayed overnight with Xuanyi at the Gu family's house. The next day, when she went to Shou'an Hall to pay her respects to her elders, she felt that this son-in-law didn't even look at Xuanyi when he spoke, which made her feel a little strange. She also mentioned this issue to her sister-in-law afterward, but her sister-in-law said that the son-in-law was very good and loved Xuanyi very much, so she just thought that she was being paranoid.
Unexpectedly, not long after all this time, this doting son-in-law actually laid a hand on Xuanyi.
Gu Xuanyi knelt down with a thud, pleading, "Third Uncle, Third Aunt, please save me! Can you help me get a divorce?"
Meng Jinyao hurriedly reached out to help her up, but she insisted on kneeling. Meng Jinyao didn't have the strength to lift her up, so she said, "Xuanyi, get up and talk first. Even if you want a divorce, it should be decided by your parents. How could your third uncle and I make that decision?"
Gu Xuanyi lowered her eyes and replied, "When I came back, I forbade the servants to inform my parents. They don't know about this yet. Moreover, I had previously tried to get a divorce, but they were all against it and wouldn't allow me to get a divorce, especially my father. He probably would rather I die in my husband's family than agree to a divorce, because he felt that divorce was a disgrace to him."
After she finished speaking, she suddenly thought of something, and said with deep emotion and firm tone, "Third Uncle, Third Aunt, please save me. I will become your daughter. I will never marry again. I will stay by your side, take care of you for the rest of my life, and see you off in your old age."
Meng Jinyao: "???"
They just got rid of a rebellious son, and now a disobedient daughter has come knocking on their door? Is this brat going to repay a debt of gratitude, or is she planning to repay kindness with enmity?
Gu Jingxi was also taken aback for a moment, then said in a deep voice, "Xuanyi, get up and talk things out first, discuss countermeasures with your elders. What kind of behavior is this?"
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