Chapter 513 Adding to the Troubles
The next morning.
Gu Xuanyi had breakfast at Old Madam Gu's place, and then ran to Meng Jinyao's place. The reason was nothing more than to avoid her mother, Zhang Shi. Originally, her mother had been quiet for a while, but then her cousin, who got married last year, became pregnant, and her mother remembered her marriage and said that a certain family's young master was good, and that the two families should find a time to meet.
She looked at her infant cousin, then at her gentle and kind aunt, and sighed softly, "Aunt, I wish you were my mother."
Meng Jinyao was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "I'm only a year older than you, but I can't give birth to a daughter as big as you, so I can't be your mother. Being your aunt is the same; we're both elders."
Gu Xuanyi sighed softly again.
Meng Jinyao asked softly, "Did you have a fight with your sister-in-law?"
Gu Xuanyi nodded and said softly, "Mother said that the young master of the Fang family is not bad. She said that if I am willing, she will arrange to go to the incense-burning ceremony with Madam Fang so that I can meet the young master. I am not willing, which displeased Mother. She has been talking to me about this for the past two days, trying to persuade me."
Meng Jinyao then asked, "Are you afraid of meeting someone like your ex-husband, or do you simply not want to get married?"
Gu Xuanyi replied, "Both."
Meng Jinyao said gently, "Then let's not rush. Let's wait a bit longer. Sister-in-law only makes a fuss for a while, then it will calm down after a while. If you really can't stand it, go to your grandmother's place. Sister-in-law can't chase you to Shou'an Hall."
Gu Xuanyi nodded gently and changed the subject: "Fourth brother is more well-behaved than Yunxin and doesn't cry much. Yunxin cries easily, and sometimes even the wet nurse can't take care of him. Only eldest brother and sister-in-law can stop him from crying."
Meng Jinyao said, "I guess Wanwan doesn't recognize anyone yet, so anyone can take care of him. But when he's as old as Yunxin, it probably won't be so easy to take care of him."
Gu Xuanyi replied, "That's not necessarily true. I think the fourth brother is more obedient and easier to take care of. Yunxin was difficult to take care of even before he was a month old."
At this moment, Chunliu came in and reported, "Madam, the First Madam has arrived."
Upon hearing this, Gu Xuanyi's face froze: "My mother managed to track me all the way here?"
Meng Jinyao comforted her, "Xuanyi, don't panic. If your sister-in-law says something unpleasant later, I'll help you persuade her. She won't say anything too outrageous for my sake."
Gu Xuanyi shook her head: "I'm not panicking, I'm just a little annoyed. I haven't had a moment of peace and quiet for long."
Soon, Zhang appeared in their sight. When she saw Gu Xuanyi, Zhang wanted to scold her. The mother and daughter often played a cat-and-mouse game, which was very annoying.
Gu Xuanyi had her own way of dealing with Zhang Shi. She immediately turned the prayer beads she carried with her and asked calmly, "Amitabha, why are you here too, benefactor? I won't disturb you any longer. I'll go back first. You two can chat at your leisure."
Zhang: "..."
Meng Jinyao: "..."
The next moment, they saw Gu Xuanyi leave at top speed.
Watching her daughter's retreating figure as if she were fleeing for her life, Zhang was furious: "Third sister-in-law, look at what kind of person she is! She's only recited a few scriptures with her grandmother, and she's been chanting 'Amitabha' all day long. Does she really think she's a nun? I didn't come here specifically to find her, so why is she running away?"
Meng Jinyao tried to cover for Gu Xuanyi: "Sister-in-law, Xuanyi just came to see Wanwan and was about to go back when you arrived."
Zhang asked with a hint of doubt, "Really?"
Meng Jinyao laughed and said, "Why would I lie to my sister-in-law about something like this?"
After hearing this, Zhang believed it and sat down next to Meng Jinyao.
Meng Jinyao asked, "What brings you here, sister-in-law?"
"I have something to discuss with you," Zhang said, glancing at Qingqiu and Ningdong who were serving her.
Meng Jinyao immediately understood, handed Wanwan over to Qingqiu, and asked them to leave.
Zhang took out a white porcelain box and handed it to Meng Jinyao, saying mysteriously, "Third sister-in-law, this is for you."
Meng Jinyao reached out and took it, puzzled: "Sister-in-law, what is this?"
Zhang replied, "This is a good thing, something that many women want. I've heard that even the ladies in the palace use it."
Meng Jinyao opened the lid, revealing a white ointment with a faint medicinal scent, seemingly a beauty product. She asked, "Sister-in-law, is this for applying to the face?"
"No, this is for..."
Zhang leaned close to her ear and whispered something. Seeing her blush, she confided in her, "Third sister-in-law, most women are not as good as before after giving birth. I was fine when I gave birth to Xiuyuan, but after I gave birth to Xiuwen and Xuanyi, the twins, I was not as good as before. By then, it was too late to make amends."
Meng Jinyao was stunned. She had not yet slept with her husband after giving birth, and she had never thought about such a question.
Madam Zhang continued, "Although my third brother won't take a concubine now, things might change once he loses interest in such matters. My sister-in-law should plan ahead. Take your eldest brother, for example. After I gave birth to Xiuwen and Xuanyi, he disliked me for two reasons: first, I wasn't young enough to be a fifteen or sixteen-year-old girl; second, he disliked me in that area. So he spent most of his time in the concubines' quarters. It's a pity I didn't understand back then, but I did later. If I had known this, I should have been more careful after I gave birth to Xiuyuan."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao felt heavy-hearted. She thought her husband wouldn't seek out other women, but if he didn't feel anything when he shared a room with her, and gradually lost interest in such matters, even if he didn't say anything, she would still feel uncomfortable and embarrassed.
Madam Zhang continued, “If it were anyone else, I wouldn’t care, but it’s different for you, my third brother’s wife. We get along very well, and I like you very much as your wife. I hope that you and my third brother will have a loving marriage.”
What she said wasn't untrue; it was indeed for Meng Jinyao's own good. The two sisters-in-law got along well, and she naturally hoped that Meng Jinyao and her brother-in-law would be harmonious. This way, if she ever needed anything in the future, Meng Jinyao would have influence with her brother-in-law and could put in a good word for her. Besides, she was now doing Meng Jinyao a favor, and although it wasn't a large one, Meng Jinyao would remember it.
After a moment of silence, Meng Jinyao suppressed her thoughts and pretended to be nonchalant, saying, "Thank you, sister-in-law. I accept your kindness."
Zhang said, "Why are we sisters-in-law being so polite? This stuff requires persistence. It won't work after one or two uses; it takes at least a month to see noticeable results."
Meng Jinyao nodded slightly and thanked her again, "Thank you, sister-in-law."
Zhang had other things to do, so he didn't linger. He chatted with her for a while and then took his leave.
After Zhang left, Meng Jinyao looked at the things Zhang had brought, and a sense of unease crept into her heart.
However, she wouldn't use this medicine indiscriminately. Although she understood that Zhang had no ill intentions, she would still go and read medical books to learn about this matter, or shamelessly ask her close friend Aning, who had been through it all, instead of just doing whatever Zhang said. After all, this was medicine, and she didn't even know what kind of medicinal materials it was made of. How could she use it indiscriminately? What if it wasn't suitable for her?
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