Chapter 148 Teaching Meng Chun a Lesson
Back at the government office, the courtyard was decorated with lanterns and colorful streamers, and the place was full of distinguished guests. Servants were serving wine and dishes on trays. When Vice General Wu saw Du Min, he shouted that he wanted to pour wine for the groom.
Du Min went over to say a few words, then went to the main hall to greet the Yin family members who had accompanied the bride.
Du Li escorted Meng Qing and Wang Zhou to Meng's parents and said, "You two take your seats and eat first. I'll go and toast the third son."
Meng Qing nodded, "Go ahead and get busy."
"Where did you two go?" Meng's mother asked calmly. "When did you leave? Didn't you tell your son-in-law?"
“Wang Zhou suddenly had a stomachache, so I went with him to the pharmacy. But halfway there, the pain stopped, so we turned back,” Meng Qing explained. “It was a small matter, and we didn’t want to make a fuss, so we quietly left.”
"After the ceremony, my son-in-law couldn't find you and Wangzhou. He panicked. He asked a few people and found out you two had gone out. He was anxious to go out and look for you. I tried to persuade him that you went out on your own, not that you were kidnapped, so nothing would happen to you, but he wouldn't listen," Meng's mother said. "Even your brother-in-law went out three times, and each time he came to ask if you and Wangzhou had returned. People who didn't know the situation would think that Heqing County was some kind of den of dragons and tigers."
“They were worried that I would be bumped into by passersby outside, and I really can’t afford to fall in my current condition,” Meng Qing explained. “I should have told Du Li before I went out; it was my mistake.”
Meng's mother pursed her lips, raised her hand to touch Wangzhou's belly, asked if he was still in pain, and said, "When you were pregnant with Wangzhou, you didn't go back to Dujiawan until you were almost due. Back then, no one seemed to care if you had bumped into something in the city. Now everyone is putting on an act."
"Hey!" Meng Qing was dissatisfied with her explanation. "Mother, what's with your attitude? Isn't it good that someone is worried about me and cares about me?"
"Good, of course, good." Mother Meng was happy for her daughter, but she disapproved of the Du brothers' behavior. Meng Qing was almost thirty, and Wangzhou was seven. The mother and son weren't stupid or foolish; what could possibly happen on a short trip? They were used to going out. They were both as anxious as ants on a hot pan, going in and out repeatedly, drawing questions from the guests. She worried that outsiders would speculate that Meng Qing harbored resentment towards Du Min and his wife, deliberately leaving to embarrass Du Min.
"I wonder what those two brothers are thinking," Meng's mother scoffed.
"Alright, eat your food." Meng Chun interrupted his mother. He could roughly understand why Du Li and Du Min were making a fuss. One felt guilty, and the other felt guilty. The two brothers, born of the same mother, had very different weddings. Ironically, this wedding was arranged by his sister. She left with her child at the wedding. The two brothers, who were unsure of themselves, were also worried that she would leave in anger.
Meng Chun glanced at Meng Qing and, seeing that she didn't seem upset, smiled and said, "They underestimate my sister."
Meng Qing felt somewhat exhausted. Her parents and brothers were ultimately affected by Du Min's class change, and even Wang Zhou was affected—this was a bad sign. She had always tried to make Du Min part of her family, but her family didn't see it that way. They subconsciously believed that she, Du Li, and Wang Zhou were part of the Meng family, and they subtly rejected Du Min.
She was trying to take Du Min away; the Meng family was trying to take her away.
Meng Qing finished her meal in silence. After the meal, she went into the main hall to apologize to the Yin family: "Uncles, aunts, and brothers and sisters-in-law, I am heavily ill and have difficulty walking. I have not been able to keep you company these past two days. I am truly sorry for not being able to entertain you properly."
"Second sister-in-law, you're too kind. We all understand, no one is upset, please don't take it to heart. It's not a matter of poor hospitality. My nephew-in-law told us that you organized this wedding banquet all by yourself, we all have to thank you, even though you're six months pregnant, you still had to work hard for the young couple's wedding." Aunt Yin stood up and said, "Come, sit down, have some more food and drink, let's chat."
Meng Qing smiled apologetically, "I'm really sorry, I have to go back and rest. Come back next year and I'll have a good chat with you all."
"You must be tired, go and rest." Aunt Yin understood Meng Qing's purpose and said with a smile, "Thank you for your good fortune, we will come to the banquet again next year, and we can talk again then."
Meng Qing smiled and said goodbye, "I won't bother you any longer, I'll be going now."
Du Min stood up from the next table and said, "Second sister-in-law, my second brother drank too much while covering for me. I'll arrange for the yamen runners to take you home."
Meng Qing waved her hand, "I'm going back with my parents and Meng Chun. Nothing will happen. You go ahead with your work."
"Nephew-in-law, don't your second brother and sister-in-law live with you?" Uncle Yin asked as Meng Qing left.
“We’ve always lived together in the government office. It’s been too noisy there these days, so she and my nephew have moved back to her parents’ home. They’ll move back after the wedding,” Du Min explained first.
"It'll be more lively living together," Uncle Yin said without elaborating.
Du Min nodded. He caught a glimpse of Magistrate Sun waving at him from outside the door. He walked over and asked, "Is there something you need?"
"Prefect Zheng and Vice-Prefect Liu are about to leave," Magistrate Sun announced.
Du Min greeted the Yin family and hurriedly went out to see them off, just as he ran into Meng Qing and the Meng family who were also leaving.
"Let's go," Meng Qing called out.
Wang Zhou stepped forward and touched Du Min's wedding dress. "Third Uncle, I forgot to tell you, you look different today. You seem to have grown up."
"Get lost!" Du Min laughed angrily. "Watch out or I'll teach you a lesson."
Wang Zhou slapped him on the back, then turned and scurried away like a mouse.
The Meng family of four also went out.
After a stick of incense had burned, the five returned to the Meng family home. Four geese were honking in the yard, and the pony tied to the wall was pawing at the ground. Meng Chun escorted Meng Qing back to his bedroom, and he hurried off to feed the horse and geese.
Under her mother's care, Meng Qing took a bath and changed her clothes. She thought for a moment and said, "Mother, after Wangzhou falls asleep, let's sit in the courtyard and chat as a family."
"What are you going to talk about?" Mencius' mother asked warily. "What have we done that displeased you this time?"
Meng Qing chuckled, "Couldn't it be that I just want to connect with you guys and build some rapport?"
"I know you too well. You're just trying to criticize us." This was a common complaint from Meng Qing's mother after Meng Qing turned ten. Her daughter would lecture her parents, but they couldn't argue with her and had to listen to her.
Meng Qing did not deny it, "Go and inform my father and my younger brother."
Half an hour later, Wang Zhou was sleeping so soundly that he couldn't be woken up. Meng Chun carried a bamboo mat to the osmanthus tree, and Meng's father, mother, and Meng Qing each waved a large palm-leaf fan as they came out of the house.
Meng Chun went back into the house and brought out a quilt, which she piled on the bamboo mat. She said, "Sister, sit here and lean against the quilt for comfort."
Meng Qing listened to him, and after everyone was seated, she asked, "Little brother, what did you mean by what you said at the banquet?"
"Which sentence?" Meng Chun had spoken quite a bit at the banquet.
“You said they underestimated your sister,” Meng Qing reminded her. “Do you have any objections to Du Min’s wedding?”
Meng Chun remained silent.
Meng's parents didn't dare to say a word, and both of them stared at Meng Qing.
"Why don't you dare to say it?" Meng Qing kicked Meng Chun.
“What’s there to be afraid of saying? I’m just afraid of making you angry.” Meng Chun was not provoked. He retorted indignantly, “I have no objection, I just have resentment. Look at the pomp and circumstance of his wedding, and what kind of treatment you received when you married into the Du family? Just thinking about it makes me angry. I don’t want to smile and attend the ceremony at all. What’s most infuriating is that he got to where he is today because you helped him all the way. Sister, you’re not getting your due.”
"Do you have any solutions? How about I remarry as Du Min's elder sister after I give birth to the child? Let him choose a minor official as my husband and give me a grand wedding."
"What nonsense are you talking about?" Meng Chun frowned. "I didn't mean that."
"Then what do you want to do?" Meng Qing asked. "What do you want me to do?"
Meng Chun got angry. "What should I do? What should I do? I didn't ask you to do anything. Can't I be unhappy? I feel sorry for you."
“I thank you for your understanding, but I don’t need this kind of sympathy, nor do I feel it’s not worth it.” Meng Qing’s words were very cold. She calmly emphasized, “You need to understand that the different treatment I received from Yin Caiwei was not caused by Du Min.”
Meng Chun got up and left in anger.
"Sit down!" Meng Qing snapped.
Meng Chun didn't sit down, but he didn't dare leave either; he stood with his neck stiff and his back to her.
“What resentment do you hold against Du Min? He’s my brother-in-law, not my husband. He has no responsibility towards me. It’s his ability to marry Madam Yin in such a grand manner, and it’s Madam Yin’s good fortune to have such a grand wedding. She would have had a grand wedding even if she hadn’t married Du Min, perhaps even more so.” Meng Qing emphasized, “What is my status? I come from a merchant family. Have you forgotten? Why should I have a grand wedding? But I can now live in the government office, and my son can study there, even as classmates with the sons and grandsons of officials. This is my ability.”
"Meng Chun, what are you doing on my behalf? What are you trying to fight for me for? What exactly do you want? Do you want me to share your hatred for Du Min? Do you want me to turn against him, become estranged from him, and harbor resentment towards him?" Meng Qing asked.
Meng Chun couldn't explain what he wanted.
"Forget it, forget it. He just said something to you in private, he didn't do anything else," Meng's mother said, trying to smooth things over.
Meng Qing pretended not to hear. She sighed, "Little brother, you're not just feeling sorry for me, you harbor resentment and have grievances against Du Min. You see him rising step by step, marrying a noblewoman and changing his social standing, while you yourself can't find a way out and refuse to reconcile with your situation. You feel sorry for yourself, you chew on your resentment and jealousy day after day. As the person you envy, you maliciously interpret every action of his. Little brother, you're letting yourself become mean, jealous, and petty. You're almost not the same person as Meng Chun from Wu County anymore. This makes me regret bringing you out."
Meng Chun's breathing became heavy. He rubbed his face and said in a huff, "I'll try to come back less often and have less contact with him in the future."
“This is self-deception. You know it in your heart. No matter how far away you are, this thorn is still stuck in your heart, and you will unconsciously struggle with yourself,” Meng Qing said.
Meng Chun squatted down, covered his face, and said with difficulty, "Sister, I'm already trying to control myself, what else can I do?"
“I’ll teach you a trick. Don’t treat Du Min as your brother-in-law’s brother. Treat him as my son, as your nephew, just like Wang Zhou…”
"Nonsense!" Meng's mother couldn't stand it anymore and interrupted Meng Qing.
“I’m serious.” Meng Qing emphasized earnestly, “Father, Mother, you must remember one thing: Du Min’s well-being is my well-being, and Wang Zhou’s well-being is the benefit of all. I sincerely hope that Du Min can rise to prominence and become a high-ranking official. Let me put it this way: Du Min, me, Wang Zhou, and the Meng family are all one.”
“We know,” Meng’s father nodded.
"What's the use of just knowing? You should follow along. Du Min is the Meng family's backer. I don't expect you to fawn over him, but you should at least be warm towards him. Don't try to sow discord between me and him. What good will it do you if my relationship with him deteriorates?" Meng Qing became a little emotional. "From now on, you can't treat Du Min as my in-laws. You have to treat him as my son, Wang Zhou's older brother. Stop thinking about such nonsense."
Mencius's father and mother remained silent.
"Did you hear that? Especially Meng Chun, if you keep acting all coy and petty, you'll be in for a beating," Meng Qing warned.
Meng Chun remained silent.
"Did you hear me?" Meng Qing raised her voice.
"I heard you," Meng Chun said reluctantly.
"What did you hear?" Meng Qing asked.
Meng Chun let out a long breath and gritted his teeth, saying, "Treat Du Min as my own nephew. I can only hope he does well and not be jealous of him."
Meng Qing looked at her parents. Her father couldn't accept this strange relationship and waved his hand, saying, "I understand. Give me some time to adjust."
"There's just one last thing... never mind." Meng Qing wanted to tell them not to gossip in front of Wang Zhou, but then she remembered that Wang Zhou was a child with her own opinions and wouldn't change her attitude because of what others said. She wasn't worried that Wang Zhou would be influenced by her family.
The geese in the front yard started honking, and Meng Chun couldn't wait to escape. He ran to the front yard to see what was going on. After a while, he helped the reeking drunken Du Lao Er in, saying with disdain, "You're all drunk, what are you doing here?"
"I'm not drunk, the wine was watered down," Du Li explained. He went to the backyard and saw the three people sitting on a bamboo mat. He asked in surprise, "Father, Mother, Qingniang, you're still up?"
"Why didn't you rest at the government office?" Meng Qing asked.
"I was taking Magistrate Sun back when I passed by Xingjiaofang and thought I'd check if you were asleep," Du Li replied. "I'll go wash up first; the smell of alcohol on me is awful."
Meng Qing propped herself up and said, "You're going to sleep with Wang Zhou tonight. I don't like the smell of you."
“Okay, go to sleep early and get up early tomorrow morning. The third brother told us to go to the government office early tomorrow morning. He’s going to bring his wife to serve you tea,” Du Li said.
*
Early the next morning.
After having breakfast, Meng Qing and Du Li brought Wang Zhou to the government office. When the three of them arrived, they ran into Du Min and Yin Caiwei, who were both beaming with health.
"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, you just got up?" Wang Zhou looked up at the sky; the sun was already high in the sky.
Du Min coughed lightly and interrupted, saying, "Quickly ask your third aunt for the money she'll give you for changing her address to someone else."
Yin Caiwei glanced at the maid, who brought over a set of writing implements. She took it and handed it to Wangzhou, saying, "This is a gift from Third Aunt to Wangzhou."
"Thank you, Third Aunt," Wangzhou said happily. "I also prepared a gift for you. Did you see it? There's a red lantern on the table."
"I see it, I see it." Du Min blocked Wang Zhou's peek and called out, "Second sister-in-law and second brother, come to the hall, Caiwei and I will serve you tea."
Meng Qing called Wang Zhou back, and the family of three entered the hall first.
Caiwei's dowry maid brought over tea. Du Min took a cup and handed it to Meng Qing, saying, "My eldest sister-in-law is like a mother, and my second sister-in-law is like half a mother. I owe my success today to my second sister-in-law who paved the way for me. Today, Du Min has married a new wife and started a family. The first cup of tea should be offered to my second sister-in-law."
Meng Qing was secretly delighted; she liked hearing those words. She took the tea, took a sip, and handed him a small wooden box, saying, "Treat your wife well."
"Second sister-in-law, please have some tea." Yin Caiwei picked up a cup of tea and handed it to her.
Meng Qing drank it and handed her a wooden box, saying, "If your third brother bullies you, come and tell me, and I'll teach him a lesson."
Du Li glanced at her and thought, "She really looks like a mother-in-law!"
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Author's Note: There will be another update at 12 o'clock.
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