Chapter 477 Taking a Concubine
At noon, Meng Dongyuan and the other two left the study to have lunch in the hall.
After lunch, Meng Jinyao sat idly for a while, then made an excuse to go back with Gu Jingxi without lingering.
After the couple left, Madam Meng asked her son gently, "The three of you talked in the study for so long. Did you ask Chengxing's brother-in-law to pull some strings and get Chengxing into Lingshan Academy?"
Meng Dongyuan paused for a moment, then replied truthfully, "Mother, I haven't had a chance to bring this up yet."
Madam Meng frowned and asked in an unhappy tone, "How come you didn't have a chance to bring it up when you went to the study to talk? What did you talk about during that long time?"
Meng Dongyuan felt uncomfortable hearing his mother's questioning tone.
Madam Meng then asked her grandson, "Chengxing, what did your father and your brother-in-law talk about?"
Meng Chengxing was skilled in the art of conversation. While answering honestly, he secretly complained to his grandmother: "Father took out his calligraphy for my brother-in-law to admire. After seeing it, my brother-in-law praised Father. Then they were all talking about calligraphy and forgot about the matter. But you can't blame Father. It's just that my brother-in-law likes calligraphy, which is why he asked Father to share his thoughts."
Upon hearing this, Madam Meng felt dissatisfied with her son. Her eldest son was indeed not as clever as her younger son. He would get dizzy and forget about important matters after being praised a few times. No wonder the old man said that his eldest son was unreliable before he died. Now she finally knew how unreliable her eldest son was.
When Meng Dongyuan heard his youngest son's slightly aggrieved words, he found them grating and immediately launched into a tirade: "You still have the nerve to complain? If you weren't so useless, would your grandmother and I be so worried? Can't you learn from your second brother, study hard, and pass the exams through your own efforts? Even if you can't pass the exams, you could at least become a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations). I don't expect you to be the top scholar like your second brother."
As soon as she finished speaking, Old Madam Meng suddenly looked at her grandson. Seeing him with his head drooping, she felt a pang of heartache and immediately spoke up in his defense: "You always say how outstanding Chengzhang is, but do you even look at where he studies? If Chengxing were studying at Lingshan Academy, he wouldn't have failed the provincial examination last year. Today, with such a good opportunity, you only talk about your calligraphy and have even forgotten about your son's studies. What kind of father are you?"
Seeing his mother's anger, Meng Dongyuan quickly said, "Mother, please calm down. It's not that I forgot. It's just that when I brought up the matter of Lingshan Academy, he politely declined, so I didn't bring it up again to avoid embarrassing myself."
He was telling the truth, but to Old Madam Meng it sounded like sophistry. She held back and ultimately gave her son face, not scolding him for being useless in front of her grandson, but her dissatisfaction with him only increased.
Meng Dongyuan met his mother's gaze and clearly saw the displeasure in her eyes. He knew then that she didn't believe him and thought he was making excuses. He suddenly felt like he was swallowing a bitter pill, unable to express his suffering. So this is what it feels like when people don't believe you when you tell the truth.
Madam Dong remained silent and offered no opinion. After all, no matter how much they made a fuss, they were still mother and son. If she got involved, she might become the target of their venting.
After a moment of silence, Meng Dongyuan used his wife as an excuse to leave, and said to his elderly mother, "Mother, Huiyun has been busy all day and is tired. I'll go back with her to rest first."
Madam Meng didn't want to face the couple either. She didn't like her son and daughter-in-law at all. She waved her hand and said, "You can go back now. I'm tired too."
As Meng Chengxing watched his father and stepmother leave, his mind was filled with a multitude of thoughts.
Seeing this, Madam Meng gently comforted him, "Chengxing, don't be discouraged. You've been clever and quick-witted since you were little. As long as you study hard, you'll definitely pass the Lingshan Academy's assessment."
Upon hearing this, Meng Chengxing lowered his eyes, concealing the sense of retreat that surfaced within them. In truth, he didn't have much confidence. If he hadn't experienced the blow of failure, he would still be full of confidence, but not now.
This is probably what they mean by "one effort, then a decline, and finally exhaustion."
He failed the Lingshan Academy entrance exam two years ago, and he failed the academy exam last year. This year, Lingshan Academy is recruiting students again, but he doesn't want to participate anymore. If he fails again, he will definitely be ridiculed for being inferior to his second brother.
He said softly, "Grandmother, I don't want to go to Lingshan Academy. I just want to stay by your side. Studying at an academy in the capital is fine too."
Hearing this, Madam Meng felt very comforted. Among the younger generation of the Meng family, her grandson was the most filial to her. She used to think that Ayu was also a filial and sensible child, but later she found out that she wasn't. Ayu was no pushover, just not as troublesome as that brat Ayao.
She said earnestly, "Chengxing, I am very happy that you have such filial piety, but for the sake of your future, you still need to go to Lingshan Academy to study. You are the heir apparent and will inherit the title in the future. The burden on your shoulders is heavy."
Meng Chengxing agreed earnestly, but what he was thinking was that on the day of the assessment, he would find something to distract himself so that he wouldn't be able to participate. That way, he wouldn't be able to enter Lingshan Academy because he was delayed by something and couldn't participate in the assessment, rather than because he wasn't hardworking enough.
It was late afternoon, around 5 PM.
When Meng Dongyuan saw his youngest son idling in the yard, he was furious. His second son, unless he was unwell or had other things to do, would be studying now. But his youngest son was lazy and undisciplined. He had repeatedly told his youngest son to study hard, but his son ignored him. He wondered who his son had inherited his laziness from.
He scolded with a stern face, "Chengxing, there are only a few months left until the Lingshan Academy's assessment. Why aren't you in your study studying properly? What are you doing wandering around here?"
Meng Chengxing had just come out for some fresh air when he was scolded, leaving him feeling very aggrieved.
Seeing that he remained silent, Meng Dongyuan became even angrier: "Sun Shi really spoiled you. You can't even endure the hardship of studying. All you know is how to indulge in pleasure. If you weren't so disappointing, your father and grandmother wouldn't have to worry about your studies. You're only one year older than your second brother, how come the difference is so big? If you were half as worry-free as your second brother, your father wouldn't be so troubled."
A few months ago, Meng Chengxing would have argued back and talked back to his father in the face of such a rebuke. But now he understood that talking back to his father would only make his father dislike him even more, so he quickly said, "Father, please calm down. I will study hard in the study this time."
However, after returning to his courtyard, Meng Chengxing did not read. Feeling depressed, he drowned his sorrows in alcohol and got quite drunk. This allowed a maid with lofty ambitions to succeed in offering herself to him, becoming his first woman.
The next morning, Madam Dong learned from her trusted maid that her stepson, Meng Chengxing, had taken a concubine the night before.
She was quite surprised. Usually, when the sons of wealthy families reached the age of fourteen or fifteen, the mistress would arrange for a maidservant to teach them manners. Chengxing was fourteen this year, and she hadn't even had time to ask her mother-in-law for permission to arrange a maidservant for her stepson, yet Chengxing couldn't wait to take in a maidservant himself.
Chengzhang is now fifteen years old and still hasn't taken a maidservant. She asked him about it last year, but Chengzhang politely declined, saying that his studies were his priority and he had no other thoughts at the moment. She appreciated Chengzhang's decision and didn't arrange one for him.
The difference between the two brothers is quite striking.
Madam Dong instructed, "Send that maid a bowl of contraceptive soup. The young master's wife hasn't entered the household yet, so the maidservants cannot be pregnant."
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