Chapter 180 The story continues
Meng Jinyao didn't hide anything and recounted her encounter with the middle-aged woman at Lingyun Temple the previous afternoon.
Finally, she chuckled softly, "It's truly a blessing from heaven. I suddenly had the urge to go to the Rebirth Hall of Lingyun Temple to offer incense to my mother, and that's when I ran into my mother's former maid. That old lady is already seriously ill and doesn't have much time left. If I hadn't gone to Lingyun Temple yesterday and met her, I probably would never have known that secret."
Gu Jingxi's face darkened. He was disgusted by his father-in-law's actions. Even if he had no romantic feelings for his mother-in-law due to the arranged marriage, it was one thing to hide the truth out of guilt, but to allow his mother and stepmother to mistreat his innocent daughter was another.
He looked at the girl, who was filled with resentment, and patted her hand reassuringly, saying meaningfully, "Madam, your mother-in-law's spirit in heaven will not let them off the hook."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao paused, met his intriguing gaze, understood his meaning, and gave a dangerous smile: "Yes, Mother's spirit in heaven has not yet found peace, she certainly will not let them off the hook."
Looking at her slightly upturned lips, Gu Jingxi felt that the girl at this moment was like a cat that had been provoked, waiting for an opportunity to retaliate, showing a rare ferocity.
Meng Jinyao glanced at the man beside her, suppressed the unfriendly smile on her lips, and said gently, "Husband, you didn't rest well last night. Take a rest first, and I'll call you for lunch later."
Gu Jingxi replied, "No rush, let's have lunch before we sleep. I'm going to Dali Temple this afternoon too."
After he finished speaking, he instructed the maid to prepare a bath for him to bathe and change his clothes. Last night at the temple, the conditions were limited, and he only washed up briefly without taking a bath, so he felt unwell.
Meng Jinyao thought about how she had developed a high fever last night and must have sweated a lot. When she returned by carriage this morning, Gu Jingxi held her to help her sleep better. He subconsciously lowered his head and sniffed himself, and she secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Thankfully, it didn't smell bad and didn't overpower anyone, otherwise I would have felt really embarrassed.
-
The next morning.
Gu Jingxi went to the Dali Temple to be on duty early in the morning.
Upon seeing him, Qi Yunwen quickly stepped forward and asked, "Yaoling, didn't you say the night before last that you were going back to Dali Temple yesterday morning? Why haven't I seen you all day yesterday?"
Gu Jingxi replied, "Ayao is sick."
"Is your sister-in-law sick?"
Qi Yunwen was taken aback upon hearing this, and then asked in confusion, "Your sister-in-law was perfectly fine the night before last, how did she suddenly become sick?"
Gu Jingxi said, "He was so frightened that he developed a high fever around midnight the night before last."
Upon hearing this, Qi Yunwen paused for a moment, then nodded knowingly: "That's true. My sister-in-law is a young lady raised in seclusion. How could she have encountered such a thing? She must have been terribly frightened. The constable who witnessed the whole thing told me the night before last that the process was dangerous and my sister-in-law almost lost her life."
He paused for a moment, then asked, "How is your sister-in-law now?"
Gu Jingxi said gently, "It's all over now."
"That's good."
Qi Yunwen nodded slightly, looking at his friend who had an indifferent expression. His friend always prioritized official duties and would work day and night for them. He hadn't even abandoned his duties to take care of his sick son before, but this time he was able to abandon his duties for his frightened wife. It seemed that his friend cared a lot about that girl.
It would be nice if he could see this old iron tree bloom in his lifetime.
Gu Jingxi got back to the main point: "How did your interrogation of Hua Lingxiao go?"
Qi Yunwen replied, "He confessed and admitted to the crime without reservation. He has already pleaded guilty and signed the confession. The case can be closed."
Gu Jingxi was a little surprised: "What method did you use to get him to confess so quickly?"
Qi Yunwen shrugged and laughed, "That's not my doing. A girl came to see him yesterday, and I don't know what she said, but he confessed."
Upon hearing this, Gu Jingxi frowned, sensing something unusual: "How did that girl know he was arrested?"
Qi Yunwen glanced at him strangely and asked, "It's great news that the infamous and heinous flower thief has been caught. It's already spread throughout the capital yesterday. Didn't you know? Well, it's normal that you can't think of anything else when your sister-in-law is sick."
Gu Jingxi revealed a knowing look.
Qi Yunwen added, "I think that girl was dressed like a江湖儿女 (jianghu children), and was also a江湖人士 (jianghu person). I guess she has some connection with him, but that's not very important. It's good that the case is closed now."
-
The Changxing Marquis's Residence.
Gu Xiuming came to pay his respects to Meng Jinyao, but he was a step too late. Gu Jingxi had just left when he arrived.
Since the end of her confinement period, whenever Meng Jinyao was at home, Gu Xiuming never missed a single day of paying his respects. Even if it was just for show, he did it with great care.
Madam Gu is now very satisfied with Gu Xiuming, believing that he has sincerely repented.
The first and second wives also felt that Gu Xiuming might have repented or become smarter, but whatever the reason, it didn't matter much to them, so they just watched and waited.
Gu Xiuming bowed and greeted his mother, saying, "Your son greets his mother."
These past two days have been quite busy. After not seeing her son for two days, Meng Jinyao felt as if she hadn't seen him for a long time. Now that she saw him respectfully greeting her, she subconsciously glanced at him a few more times and said in a calm voice, "My son, please sit down."
Gu Xiuming sat down as instructed and asked with concern, "I heard Mother was ill. Is she feeling any better? Should we ask the family physician to come and take her pulse again?"
"My son, you've been very kind. Everything is fine now." Meng Jinyao smiled faintly, then turned her concern to his studies, "My son, are you confident about taking the imperial examination this year?"
It would have been better if this matter hadn't been brought up, because as soon as it was mentioned, Gu Xiuming recalled what his father had said to him in the study a few days ago. A dark look flashed across his eyes, but he replied humbly, "I'm not very confident. I just want to gain experience, but I will do my best."
Meng Jinyao had sharp eyes and noticed that his hands were slightly clenched and then relaxed, which meant that he couldn't hide his emotions. She smiled slightly and said softly, "It's good that you think this way. You're only sixteen and still young. You don't need to put too much pressure on yourself. It's okay even if you don't pass the imperial examination."
Gu Xiuming nodded and said, "I understand, Mother, please rest assured."
This question-and-answer exchange perfectly portrayed the mother's love and the son's filial piety.
After Gu Xiuming left, Meng Jinyao sighed and said helplessly, "Doesn't he get tired? He's been playing the role of a dutiful son in front of me for so long, which has forced me to play the role of a loving mother. I would rather he act like an insolent and rebellious son; that would be easier to deal with."
Qingqiu comforted her, "Madam, it's all just an act, and it will eventually slip up. Now that the old lady is paying attention to him again, you must stay calm. If you turn against him first, the old lady will think you are an unkind mother."
Meng Jinyao sighed helplessly, "Well, let him keep acting. I want to see how long he can keep it up."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com