Chapter Thirty-Five: Concern for Ah Yao

“What are you talking about What old man Your uncle is just in his prime, still young. Unlike your father, an old geezer nearing middle age.”Song Xining was taken aback by the remark, her smile freez...After shopping for a long time, Meng Jin Yao finally parted ways with Zhang.

After Zhang left, Qingqiu couldn't help but whisper, "Madam, the mistress might have ulterior motives. You must be careful."

Ning Dong hurriedly agreed: "Yes, Madam wasn't being sincere. Every word she said held a hidden meaning."

Meng Jinyao glanced at Zhang's disappearing back, narrowed her eyes slightly, and slowly said: "Well, even the well-known harmonious Gu family isn't so peaceful."

Zhang's approach was not difficult to guess. As long as she fought with Gu Xiaming, if she lost, her life would be miserable afterwards. If she won, the crown prince would have to be replaced.

The position of the heir apparent to the Longxing Houfu was vacant. Gu Jingxi had a hidden illness and it was impossible for him to have his own children. Zhang Shi's eldest son, Gu Xiuyuan, as the grandson of the Marquis, held the elder son title and was closest to the heir apparent position. It was certain that she wanted Gu Xiuyuan and Gu Ximing to fight each other, then sit back and reap the benefits.

The Zhang family is quite shrewd.

She doesn't get along with Gu Xiaming, but she wouldn't take the initiative to scheme against him. Unless Gu Xiaming makes a move first, then don't blame her for being impolite.

Ning Dong saw her staring at Zhang Shi's departing figure, and sighed with sympathy: "My lady, this is like escaping the tiger's den only to enter a wolf's lair. I thought that once you became the Marquis' wife, your hardships would be over, but I didn't expect there to be other worries. When will these troubles finally end"

Meng Jiny Yao retracted her gaze and smiled faintly: "The Gu family is not exactly peaceful, but it's not a den of wolves either. It's much better than the Meng family. In the Gu family, besides that disobedient son Gu Xiuming, who dares to disrespect me"

Qingqiu and Ningdong were stunned for a moment, then nodded in agreement. That was true indeed. They couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness for their master's previous careful and cautious life.

The Meng family was truly both frustrating and stifling. Sun, with her seemingly kind but cruel heart, constantly schemed. The mistress was just a young lady, destined to marry soon and wouldn't inherit the title anyway. Why would Sun be so against her It felt like there was some deep-seated grudge.

While Madam Meng was the mistress's grandmother, she not only disliked her granddaughter but even treated her harshly, claiming it was to educate her unruly granddaughter. Every time Mistress Sun pretended to come forward and defend her, it only deepened Old Madam's dislike for the mistress. Old Madam enjoyed a reputation for being a virtuous stepmother all by herself.

Although Lord Patriarch did not mistreat his descendants, he ignored them completely. The young master and the second young lady, relying on being descendants of the Sun family, were pampered and became arrogant and rude, showing no respect to their elder sister.

The entire Meng family, only the second son born out of wedlock was a good person. If the eldest son hadn't died young, he was probably also a good person, after all, he was a twin with the second son, and younger brothers are usually good people, so the older brother probably wouldn't be bad either.

-

The next day.

Meng Jinyao went out and headed to Chatei for an appointment.

On the other side, Song Xining had been waiting in the elegant room for a long time. She paced back and forth inside, thinking that when Ayao married Changxing Hou's son, she could escape from the Meng family and live a good life. Who would have thought that Gu Xiuming would elope with someone else, leaving Ayao heartbroken. In the end, Ayao ended up marrying her betrothed's father. These past few days, Song Xining had been so worried that she couldn't sleep.

The moment the door opened, Song Xining abruptly raised her head and looked. She saw Meng Jin Yao, with her hair in a loose bun, walking in with two maidservants.

Song Xining rushed forward a few steps, grasped Meng Jin Yao's hand, and fixed her gaze on her, scrutinizing her closely. Seeing that she had a good complexion, rosy cheeks, and a smile on her face, she didn't seem to be doing poorly. However, she was still uneasy and asked nervously, "Ayao, have you been alright these past few days"

Meng Jin Yao gently patted her back and answered softly, "An Ning, don't worry, I'm fine, and I haven't suffered any grievances."

“You still say you haven't been wronged” Song Xining glared at her, immediately reddening her eyes and voice choked with emotion, “Even like this, how can you fool me Gu Xiumin that bastard ran away on his wedding day, how could he not be wronged”

Meng Jinyao pulled her down and said softly, "Gu Xiuming eloped, but the Gu family isn't just him who is unmarried. After all, the wedding still went smoothly, didn't it"

Song Xining sniffed and held back her tears, replying: "The wedding went smoothly, but do you know how people outside have arranged you"

Although Meng Jin Yao didn't pay special attention, she could guess how those people arranged her, and with a smile said: "They say that the Meng family raised an shameless daughter, who wants to marry her father if she can't marry her son That's pretty good too. It's not just me who is arranged by others, there's also my good father and stepmother, even the Gu family can't escape, after all, the Gu family also raised an uncultured bastard."

Seeing that she could still smile, Song Xining became even more worried. She reached out and touched Meng Jinyao's forehead, then asked nervously, "A Yao, haven't you been overstimulated"

Meng Jin Yao shook her head gently, not very concerned as she said, "An Ning, I'm really fine. Those people can say whatever they want. I even dared to do something as shocking as changing husbands in the middle of the wedding ceremony, so why would I be afraid of a few rumors"

Upon hearing this, Song Xining stared at her in bewilderment and asked, "But you clearly had better options. You could have chosen the Second Master or the Fourth Master. Why would you risk marrying that old geezer, Duke Gu This is ruining yourself."

What the heck

When Meng Jingyao heard these four words, her face turned pale. Images of Gu Jingxi's handsome and refined face flashed through her mind. He didn't even have fine lines around his eyes, and he looked to be only twenty-three or four years old. Such a radiant and youthful man was truly incomparable to the term "old geezer."

Seeing the disgusted expression on her friend's face, she couldn't help but speak up for Gu Jingxi: "Actually, Gu Jingxi isn't that old. He's only twenty-nine years old, not even at the age of thirty. And his hair is black and thick, not a single white hair. He looks pretty young."

Song Xining disagreed with her words, feeling that she was blind. She glared at her and said, "Why doesn't it count He is Gu Xiuming's father, we all have to call him Uncle Gu when we see him. If you say he doesn't have white hair, your father is in his thirties, older than him, and there's no white hair on his head either."

Meng Jin Yao was slightly taken aback. She understood why her friend would dislike Gu Jing Xi, but she thought it was fine. She could accept a husband like Gu Jing Xi, pursed her lips and smiled, "Isn't that good He is Gu Xiu Ming's father, so I am Gu Xiu Ming's mother. Gu Xiu Ming has to be polite and call me mother when he sees me."

Upon hearing this, Song Xining was stunned and her heart ached. She choked back tears and said, "Ayao, you still say you haven't been stimulated Marrying a man much older than you and with hidden ailments, all for revenge against your fiancé, making your fiancé call you mother Ayao, how could you be so foolish"

She finished her words, tears welling up in her eyes, her face dejected, filled with despair. Looking at that near-collapse expression, it seemed like her best friend had married a terrible old man, more upsetting than if she herself had married a bad one. happier than many other families' concubine daughters. Her stepmother has never mistreated her, and her marriage was carefully selected by her stepmother, considering everything for her. She chose a...