Chapter 299 Think of a Plan
Meng Jinyao had been closely following what was happening at Qingyuxuan. Ningdong would often go and inquire with people, then come back and gossip with her. Yu Chuan was also keeping an eye on Gu Xiuming, and Gu Jingxi would tell her whatever he found out.
Hearing the man beside her speak, Meng Jinyao smiled knowingly: "Things are getting more and more interesting."
Gu Jingxi hummed in agreement: "It is quite interesting."
Meng Jinyao sighed, "It only works if the kids are energetic. We're too tired to do anything, so we can only watch them make a fuss."
Seeing how young she looked, yet she was acting like an elder while making these remarks, Gu Jingxi couldn't help but chuckle and reminded her, "You're two months younger than Xiu Ming. I think if you really get into it, you'll be just as good as Xiu Ming."
Meng Jinyao glared at him and said, "Don't talk nonsense. I'm no match for your son."
Gu Jingxi smiled and said, "Okay, okay, I was just talking nonsense. Ayao is the most well-behaved."
Meng Jinyao glanced at him indifferently, saw his perfunctory attitude, snorted twice, and turned away, not wanting to talk to him anymore.
Gu Jingxi hugged her from behind, coaxing her to continue talking to him: "Ayao, I have some news, do you want to hear it?"
Without hesitation, Meng Jinyao replied, "I don't want to hear it."
"You really don't want to hear it?" Gu Jingxi said regretfully after a long pause, "I thought you would be interested, so I made a point of finding out more."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao's interest was piqued. She turned to look at him and reluctantly said, "Since you've gone to so much trouble to find out, it would seem a bit unreasonable not to let you tell me. So I'll give you a chance. Tell me, I'm listening."
Gu Jingxi said calmly, "My father-in-law sent someone to the Dong family to propose marriage. The earliest the wedding will be in April or May, and the latest in October. As for why it wasn't in November or December, I heard it's because when Miss Dong got married for the first time, it was in early December. The weather was cold, and her wedding dress was thick, so it looked bulky and unattractive. Second marriages should avoid these times."
Meng Jinyao was surprised: "Is that possible? The regrets of the first marriage can be made up for in the second marriage?"
When Gu Jingxi first heard this, he felt that the sentence was strange. What was this about regrets of the first marriage being made up for in the second marriage?
Soon, Gu Jingxi understood why it was strange, because he thought of his own marriage. The day he married A Yao was absurd and hasty, and it became the laughing stock of the entire capital. Even today, people still occasionally bring it up to mock him.
Such a wedding would be a great regret for anyone. If nothing unexpected happens, a person may only have one wedding in their lifetime. Who wouldn't want to have a good wedding and be grand and glorious?
Looking at his young wife, who was in the prime of her youth, Gu Jingxi fell silent. He thought that he had to live a long life so that another man could make up for her regrets. He would work hard in the future to earn her an imperial title and a respectable life.
Seeing his expression suddenly turn strange, Meng Jinyao asked in bewilderment, "Husband, why are you looking at me like that?"
Gu Jingxi shook his head: "It's nothing, I just feel sorry for you."
Hearing him say such things out of the blue, Meng Jinyao frowned slightly and stared at him with a probing look: "Have you been doing something shameful outside?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi's brow twitched, and she asked in return, "Is your husband that kind of person?"
Meng Jinyao shook her head: "It doesn't look like it."
Gu Jingxi said, "It never looked like it to begin with."
Meng Jinyao didn't dwell on the issue and got back to the point: "I feel that I, as her future stepmother, will probably be a little better than Madam Sun."
Gu Jingxi paused for a moment, then asked, "How do you know?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "Just from her love of beauty, I feel she's a bit better than Sun Shi, and she seems more innocent than Sun Shi. Of course, that's just my initial intuition; we'll have to see how she behaves after she marries into the family."
Seeing that she yawned right after she finished speaking, Gu Jingxi said gently, "Are you sleepy? Let's go to sleep first, and don't think about anything else for now."
Meng Jinyao responded, found a comfortable position in his arms, and closed her eyes to sleep.
-
On that day, Gu Xiuming went to Weirui Pavilion to pay his respects to his parents.
Gu Jingxi was a man of few words and had nothing to say to his son. In addition, he had already given up on this son, so he had even less to say.
Meng Jinyao, however, was still in the mood to tease him, and asked softly, "Xiuming, I heard that Aunt Li is experiencing morning sickness and has little appetite. Is the fetus still healthy?"
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming replied gently, "I thank you for your concern on behalf of Wan'er. The baby is currently stable and there is nothing to worry about. The family physician has not yet returned from his hometown to pay respects to his ancestors. I noticed that she was suffering from morning sickness and was eating very little. She had lost a lot of weight, so I took her out for a walk a couple of days ago to clear her mind. We also saw a doctor there, who said that she would be fine in a while."
Meng Jinyao nodded gently and kept nagging, "It's good that everything is alright. The baby in Aunt Li's belly is my and your father's first grandson or granddaughter. We are hoping for the child to be born safely. The baby in her belly cannot have any mishaps. You must treat Aunt Li well and don't quarrel with her like before. I heard that a pregnant woman's bad mood can also affect the baby."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming's expression stiffened for a moment. "It was my fault for being so thoughtless and causing you all worry. She is pregnant, and I will never argue with her again. Please rest assured, Mother."
Meng Jinyao smiled with relief: "It's good that you think that way. Although she is a concubine, she is carrying the Gu family's child. Pregnant women may have a bit of a strange temper, so please be more accommodating for the sake of the child."
Gu Xiuming nodded: "I understand, son."
Meng Jinyao had been observing his expression subtly. Whenever the child was mentioned, his face would change slightly. Seeing that he was about to lose his composure, she said, "Alright, there's nothing else. You can go ahead and do your work. Mother is also busy and has some account books to review."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuming felt relieved, bowed to the couple, and left.
Gu Jingxi saw her sly smile and teasing gaze as she watched Xiu Ming's retreating figure, and chuckled helplessly, "Why are you teasing him?"
Meng Jinyao winked playfully and giggled, "Because he has something to hide, otherwise why would I tease him? It's only fun teasing someone with a guilty conscience."
Gu Jingxi had no choice but to sigh helplessly. This was probably how a fake loving mother and a fake filial son got along. The main thing was to find ways to hurt the other's feelings, while on the surface, they were all peaceful and loving.
After a moment, Gu Jingxi stood up, reached out and patted her head, and said gently, "I have things to do, you can play by yourself."
Meng Jinyao waved her hand: "Go on, go on, I still have some things to think about."
Gu Jingxi nodded and stepped out of the house.
Ningdong, who was serving her, noticed that her mistress had been smiling and maintaining the same posture for a long time, and that the smile was somewhat eerie. She couldn't help but ask, "Madam, what are you thinking about?"
Meng Jinyao looked up at her and said meaningfully, "Think of a plan."
Ning Dong asked curiously, "What plan?"
Meng Jinyao replied, "It's just a preliminary plan, but it's not time to implement it yet."
Ning Dong was completely confused, but it seemed that the madam wouldn't tell them. When it came time to implement it, the madam would tell them. However, she still said, "Madam, I am foolish and have not considered many things thoroughly. But the Marquis is meticulous. If you have anything to do, you must discuss it with the Marquis before acting."
Meng Jinyao nodded without hesitation: "Of course. If there is anything that requires taking the initiative, I will definitely discuss a foolproof plan with the Marquis."
Ning Dong seemed to be deep in thought, then lowered her voice and asked, "Madam, are you planning to deal with the young master?"
Meng Jinyao smiled meaningfully, without giving a direct answer.
Upon seeing this, Ning Dong's heart skipped a beat, then raced, and she couldn't calm down for a long time. She was both surprised and astonished, and her voice was tinged with excitement: "Madam, are you serious?"
Meng Jinyao smiled and asked in return, "Ningdong, do you think I'm a good person?"
Ningdong nodded without hesitation: "Madam is naturally a good person."
Meng Jinyao giggled and said, "I even think of myself as a bad person."
Ning Dong said with a serious face: "How could you be a bad person? Would a bad person give all of their monthly allowance to someone else for medical treatment? When you were still in your boudoir, you only had one or two taels of silver. You were just about to buy some rouge when you saw a grandmother and grandson who couldn't afford medical treatment. You gave them the silver without hesitation, didn't even buy the rouge, and went straight home. Besides that, you've done other good deeds too."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao pondered for a moment: "Then I can indeed be considered a good person. Good people also have good plans. Let me think about it some more. Don't bother me."
Ning Dong was speechless. What did she mean by "can be considered a good person"? She was a good person to begin with.
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