Chapter 324 The New Stepmother
April 8th.
When Yongchang Earl Meng Dongyuan married his third wife, Meng's relatives and friends came to celebrate. Since there was no matriarch in charge of the household and the second daughter, Meng Jinyu, was not capable enough to take charge, the old lady of the Meng family had to personally manage the banquet.
Today, the Yongchang Marquis's residence is filled with joy, as if the gloom of last September had never occurred.
Meng Dongyuan, the groom, was very busy. Old Madam Meng was in high spirits, greeting the female relatives who had come to the wedding banquet. Meng Jinyu was also helping to greet the female relatives of the same age. Meng Chengzhang, Meng Chengxing, and the steward of the Earl's Mansion were greeting the male guests.
Her father was going to remarry and her mother was going to remarry. These were two major events that the children could not stop. Meng Jinyao was unmoved. When she and Gu Jingxi arrived at the Meng family to attend the wedding banquet, the Meng family had already had many guests and was very lively.
The couple first went to pay their respects to their elders.
When Madam Meng saw the couple, she secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Although her eldest granddaughter was an ingrate, she could still save face in crucial moments. The presence of the couple on this occasion gave the Meng family more prestige. Earlier, some ladies had asked if the couple had arrived, and when she didn't see them, she was very worried.
"Granddaughter greets her grandmother."
"The grandson-in-law greets his grandmother."
In front of all the guests, Meng Jinyao and his wife gave Old Madam Meng plenty of face, as if there had never been any conflict between the grandmother and granddaughter.
Madam Meng said kindly, "No need for formalities, please sit down and let's talk."
Upon learning that his elder sister and brother-in-law had arrived, Meng Chengzhang and Meng Chengxing went to see them.
After exchanging pleasantries, Gu Jingxi prepared to leave the backyard and go to the front yard to join the other male guests.
"Chengxing, you should take good care of your brother-in-law."
After speaking, Madam Meng gave her most beloved grandson a look. Given his status as her eldest granddaughter's husband, if her grandson could improve his relationship with him, he would be able to receive some support in the future.
Meng Chengxing understood his grandmother's meaning, but he felt pressured by his brother-in-law and dared not get close to him, so he kept his distance every time they met.
Meng Chengzhang handled the situation with ease, remaining neither arrogant nor humble, while Gu Jingxi's attitude towards Meng Chengzhang was noticeably more gentle.
There are many women in the backyard, but among the guests who came today, the highest-ranking are Meng Jinyao and her husband. In the past, when they visited the Meng family, they didn't pay much attention to Meng Jinyao and were always friendly to Meng Jinyu. But now they are talking to Meng Jinyao.
Since the incident last September, Meng Jinyu knew that she was no longer well-liked. Because of her mother, people looked at her with prejudice. Her younger brother, Meng Chengxing, was not affected as much as she was. For the first time, he hated that he was not born a man.
After Meng Jinyao had dismissed the guests surrounding her and finally had a moment of peace, Meng Jinyu walked slowly to her side and asked in a low voice, "Big sister seems quite pleased with herself?"
Hearing this out of the blue, Meng Jinyao looked up at her, wondering what kind of crazy thing she was going to do now, and said indifferently, "If Second Sister thinks so, then so be it."
Meng Jinyu scoffed and said disdainfully, "You are where you are today only because of men. What's there to be proud of? When you get old and lose your looks, your brother-in-law probably won't even give you a second glance. My father loved my mother very much back then, but after she got old and lost her beauty, his heart was stolen by his young and beautiful concubine."
Hearing this, Meng Jinyao smiled casually and said, "Second sister, life is short, so enjoy it while you can and live in the moment. No one can predict what the future holds. At least for now, I can still use this face to please your brother-in-law, can't I?"
Meng Jinyu mocked, "Using one's looks to please others is ultimately unsustainable."
Meng Jinyao was not annoyed and replied calmly, "Second sister has always been ambitious and capable. She can live a good life on her own. Just don't be like me, relying on your looks to please people."
Meng Jinyu's expression changed slightly: "You..."
Meng Jinyao ignored her and said to the maid beside her, "Qingqiu, Ningdong, I'm tired. Let's go to the pavilion over there and rest for a while."
Ning Dong frowned: "Madam, the Second Miss's words are too harsh. The Marquis doesn't just like your face."
Meng Jinyao said indifferently, "She's convinced that's the truth, so there's no point in talking to her about it. There's no need to argue with her; it's just a waste of breath. Besides, today is not the right time to have any conflict with her. We can't bear the accusation of being unfilial for ruining Father's wedding."
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As dusk fell, a lively sound came from outside, with gongs and drums beating loudly—the groom was returning with his bride.
The auspicious time is approaching, and we are about to begin the wedding ceremony. All guests are ready to witness the ceremony.
Before long, everyone saw Meng Dongyuan, with a beaming smile and a joyful expression, and the bride, each holding a red ribbon, slowly walk into the hall with unhurried steps.
With the matchmaker's announcement that "the auspicious time has arrived," the wedding banquet reached its climax.
"I bow to Heaven and Earth!"
"Bowing to the parents twice!"
"Husband and wife bow to each other!"
"The ceremony is complete; escort them to the bridal chamber!"
Amid cheers and congratulations, the newlyweds were escorted back to their bridal chamber. Male guests were not allowed to enter the backyard, but female guests were permitted to follow them into the bridal chamber. Everyone was curious about what the bride looked like and went to take a look. The Meng sisters, Jin Yao and Meng Jin Yao, also went.
The new house was crowded and lively.
This was Meng Dongyuan's third marriage, and he knew the process, but he still followed the instructions of the matchmaker and acted according to the rules step by step.
When it came time to lift the red veil, everyone held their breath and watched as Meng Dongyuan picked up the scale rod tied with a red ribbon from the tray and slowly lifted the bride's red veil, revealing a beautiful face.
Although Ms. Dong is twenty-five years old this year, she is quite good-looking, with an oval face, willow-leaf eyebrows, phoenix eyes, peach cheeks, cherry lips, and fair skin. She has lost the immaturity of a young girl and gained the mature charm of a young woman. Her temperament is also gentle and graceful, exuding a scholarly air.
As a woman remarrying, Dong Shi did not exhibit the shyness of a newlywed girl. Instead, she was poised and elegant. When she looked up at her new husband, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly, and her eyes and brows exuded the charm of a mature woman.
Meng Dongyuan stared in disbelief. Although his newly acquired concubine was young and beautiful, he always felt that something was missing. Now, looking at his new wife, he understood where the young concubine fell short.
Meng Jinyao wasn't too surprised to see Dong's beauty, as she had already expected Dong to be beautiful; otherwise, her father wouldn't have married Dong, who had been married before. Judging from her father's expression, he was very satisfied with Dong.
This was the first time Meng Jinyu had met her stepmother. Seeing her stepmother's appearance and then her father's reaction, her heart sank, and a sense of crisis arose within her. She subconsciously turned to look at Meng Jinyao standing next to her.
Her stepmother was able to win over her father's heart, and she even seemed to resemble Meng Jinyao's birth mother in temperament. Both were gentle beauties with a scholarly air. She had seen a portrait of Meng Jinyao's birth mother at Meng Jinyao's place. The portrait was very lifelike, and Meng Jinyao treasured it. However, it was ultimately ruined by her.
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