Chapter 42 The Visitors Are Not Well-Intentioned
The next day.
After having breakfast, Meng Jinyao took out the dowry list about her mother that her maternal grandfather had given her and compared it with the dowry list that Sun had given her.
She wanted to see how audacious Sun was. Apart from the dowry given to her by the Yongchang Earl's Mansion, how much of what her mother left her had Sun added to her dowry, and how much of it had embezzled to line her own pocket?
After comparing the two dowry lists, Meng Jinyao's face darkened, and she scoffed, "You've really got some nerve, swallowing so much, aren't you afraid of being stuffed to death?"
Upon hearing this, Qingqiu and Ningdong both came over and asked, "Madam, what's wrong?"
“Look at this.”
Since they were all her trusted maids, Meng Jinyao didn't guard against them and directly showed them the two dowry lists.
The two maids were furious after reading it. Although the Yongchang Marquis's mansion had declined, it was still not so bad that the eldest daughter of the main wife would be given such a meager dowry.
The things that the Yongchang Earl's Mansion prepared for their masters were mostly things that could be put into boxes to take up space and make a show, but were actually useless. These things were not easy to keep, so they could only be sold to get some money back.
In addition, the only money mentioned in the dowry was eight hundred taels of silver, which came from the Zhonggong and belonged to the Yongchang Earl's Mansion to give to the master. It was pitifully little. The Marquis gave his wife thirty thousand taels of pocket money yesterday. Was this eight hundred taels meant to be given to a beggar?
The valuable jewelry, jade, calligraphy and paintings left by the late madam were not included in the list. Instead, they were replaced with other less valuable items. Shops that made a fortune were replaced with loss-making shops or those in poor locations. Top-quality farmland was replaced with inferior land. It was a complete substitution.
In this way, as Sun had said, the estates and shops left by the late Madam were not doing well, so the master should be frugal and not wasteful, and all the money earned should be left to the master as dowry.
Now, comparing this dowry list again, isn't this exactly what Sun meant by "poor harvest"? How could a village or shop in a bad location possibly have a good harvest?
Ning Dong gritted her teeth in anger: "Madam, Madam Sun has gone too far!"
Meng Jinyao narrowed her eyes, her gaze fixed on the two dowry lists, and chuckled, "I had already expected her to line her own pockets, but I didn't expect her to swallow so much. But, the fact that she dared to do this, wasn't it at the behest of my good father and good grandmother, whether intentionally or unintentionally?"
Upon hearing this, Ningdong and Qingqiu looked at their master with heartache. Apart from the second young master, everyone else in the Yongchang Marquis's mansion was in cahoots. After the old master passed away, no one protected their master. If it weren't for the marriage agreement with the Changxing Marquis's mansion, which gave their master some value, their lives would probably be even more difficult than those of the maids in the mansion.
Meng Jinyao took a deep breath and said to Ningdong, "Ningdong, tell someone to prepare a carriage. I'm going to the Yongchang Marquis's residence today."
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The Yongchang Earl's Mansion.
When the gatekeeper saw the eldest daughter return, he dared not stop her at the door this time. He didn't need to inform the Earl and his wife first and get permission from the two masters before letting her in. Instead, the moment he saw the eldest daughter, he immediately and warmly welcomed her into the mansion.
The Earl gave instructions a few days ago that if the eldest daughter were to return to her parents' home, no one should be stopped at the door. Anyone who neglects the eldest daughter will be severely punished.
As soon as Meng Jinyao entered the manor, she saw the steward. Before she could even speak, the steward came forward and said respectfully, "Young Miss, you're back?"
She nodded slightly and asked, "Are my father and mother at home?"
The butler replied respectfully, "Young lady, you've come at just the right time. The Lord and Madam are both home today, as are the young master, the second young master, and the second young lady."
Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao nodded in satisfaction: "Very good, I thought I was going to make a wasted trip today."
The butler was slightly taken aback and looked at her intently. He saw that she had a smile on her lips, but the smile did not reach her eyes. He wondered if he was overthinking it, but the young lady seemed to have come with ill intentions today.
Before long, Meng Jinyao was invited to wait in the living room. A maid immediately served her fine tea, and fresh fruits and snacks were also brought out for her to eat to relieve her boredom. Another maid went to inform the other masters in the mansion.
This treatment, which was that of an honored guest, was worlds apart from the treatment given on the third day after the wedding.
Ningdong and Qingqiu watched all this calmly, but inwardly they despised the actions of the Yongchang Marquis's family. The Marquis had seen that on the day of the three-day homecoming, the Marquis accompanied his master back to his home, and he knew that his master was favored by the Marquis. He saw that his master was still of value to him and wanted to keep his master in check. Unfortunately, their wishes were destined to be in vain.
Meanwhile, Meng Dongyuan and Madam Sun were both taken aback when they learned that Meng Jinyao had returned. She had just returned home a few days ago after the third day of mourning, so why was she suddenly back today? Moreover, she hadn't sent anyone to inform them of her return beforehand.
Sun looked thoughtful and asked her husband with a nervous expression, "Husband, do you think that girl Ayao did something wrong at our house, which is why she rushed back in a panic to ask us to help her clean up the mess?"
Meng Dongyuan immediately frowned and said with displeasure, "That rebellious daughter was unruly when she was still in her boudoir. Even after getting married, she still causes trouble. If she does something to anger Marquis Changxing and is divorced by him, let her cut off her hair and become a nun. Our Yongchang Marquis's Mansion does not welcome such a disgraceful daughter."
Madam Sun's eyes darted around, and she said softly, "Husband, perhaps we're overthinking it. Actually, A-Yao is quite well-behaved sometimes. She probably came back today because she's not used to being married and misses her family. Why don't we invite the children to go and see their eldest sister and let them get together?"
“She really is a jinx, she’s never had a moment of peace.” Meng Dongyuan said, glaring at his wife with displeasure. “A doting mother spoils her son. All you do is indulge her. Not being strict with her is just harming her. Oh well, she’s married now, and we can’t control her. If she causes any trouble, let her fend for herself. I’ll just pretend I never gave birth to this wretched child.”
Madam Sun smiled and then instructed her maid to inform the younger generation.
Not long after, Meng Jinyu, Meng Chengzhang, and Meng Chengxing, the three siblings, arrived and went with their parents to the living room to see their eldest sister.
When the family of five entered the living room, they saw Meng Jinyao leisurely drinking tea, not at all like someone who had caused trouble at her husband's home and needed to return to her parents' home to ask for help in making amends.
Meng Dongyuan and Madam Sun secretly breathed a sigh of relief, exchanged a glance, and immediately put on kind smiles.
Sun asked gently, "Why didn't you send someone to let us know you were coming back? That way, your mother could have had the kitchen prepare some of your favorite dishes."
Meng Jinyao looked up at her, her gaze indifferent, and said nonchalantly, "It doesn't matter whether I'm prepared or not, anyway, Mother doesn't know what I like to eat."
Sun was speechless, her smile faltering, and she looked awkwardly at her husband.
Meng Dongyuan reprimanded in a deep voice, "You scoundrel, how dare you speak to your mother like that? You brothers and sisters all have different preferences, it's normal for your mother to sometimes make mistakes."
Meng Jinyao wasn't annoyed at all. Her expression remained unchanged, and her smile was still the same. She slowly replied, "That's true. Mother has always been forgetful. For example, this time, she forgot to return some things to me. I didn't want Mother to make the trip, so I came here myself."
As she spoke, she took out a sheet from her sleeve and handed it to Madam Sun. This sheet was a copy she had made based on her birth mother's dowry list. To prevent them from destroying evidence, she was giving Madam Sun a copy to help her recall the details.
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