s the first time she saw this older sister cry so genuinely. It wasn't like before when she would put on a show, dropping a few tears to appease their elders and getting away with it. In the end, it a...Zhang looked at her with a glance and said directly, "Third younger sister-in-law, your family's Xiuming, you and your third brother have to take care of him."

This tone carried a hint of gunpowder. Meng Jin Yao was surprised: “What did he do again”

Zhang went to sit aside, knowing that she and Gu Xiuming were not actually on good terms. This time, she spoke directly: "After all, Li was just a concubine who couldn't get on the table. He doted on her so much, treating her like an ancestor. I think he won't be able to marry a wife in the future. Which young lady would dare to marry him"

Meng Jin Yao heard this and couldn't help but feel puzzled. Gu Xiu Ming's love for Li Wan Er had been known for years, he even eloped with her despite the potential damage to his family's reputation. Now that they were finally together, it was only natural for him to shower her with affection. It would be strange if he didn't.

She smiled helplessly and said, "Sister-in-law, the matters in my son's room, I and the Marquis also don't want to interfere too much. A young man experiencing love for the first time, encountering a girl he finds appealing, it's normal for him to be clingy while the novelty wears off."

Zhang said with displeasure, "Third sister-in-law, this is not about whether they are close or not. Li shi was playing with Xiu Ming and walked without looking where she was going. She bumped into a maidservant who did rough work. The maidservant kept her balance and didn't fall, but she herself lost her footing and fell into the fish pond. Xiu Ming felt sorry for Li shi and scolded the maidservant without considering right from wrong. If I hadn't happened to pass by, that maidservant would have been taken to the head housekeeper to be punished."

Meng Jin Yao was stunned. She could also see that after Gu Xiu Ming failed the exam, he carried a sense of anger, but he controlled it well in front of people and still maintained his usual gentle and polite demeanor. Now, he exploded for Li Wan'er

"Zhang then continued, “Who cares if he has any sympathy for his concubine But to scold the maid without distinguishing right from wrong and wanting to punish her is too excessive. Although a maidservant is a servant, she cannot be punished at will. If this gets out, others will think that all of our families are unreasonable and barbaric, casually beating servants.”

Meng Jinyao was surprised: "Is that so"

Could it be that I could fabricate facts and deceive you It's about what just happened.

Zhang rubbed her temples and continued to curse, "That Li concubine not only looks frail and weak, but she's also a mute at critical moments. She doesn't even mention how she walks blindly, just crying without saying a word. You'd think she was pushed into the fish pond by a maid. Sure enough, a concubine is a concubine—mute when she should speak and cries and whines about her grievances when she shouldn't. All she does are these flirtatious acts."

Meng Jin Yao spoke softly, "Big sister-in-law, please calm down. I will tell the Marquis and properly discipline Xiu Ming. He was indeed in the wrong in this matter."

Zhang then said, "We must educate her well, otherwise another joke will be made, and our family will have to bear the brunt of being the laughingstock of the capital for a year. This joke will always involve the concubine who can't keep up appearances. People might even think that being a concubine in our family is more prestigious than being a legitimate wife."

Meng Jin Yao nodded in agreement. She actually understood that this time it wasn't Zhang Shi targeting Gu Xiu Ming. As sisters-in-law, they had spent so long together, understanding that Zhang Shi couldn't stand concubines the most. After all, Gu Jing Sheng had several young and beautiful concubines who competed for favor day in and day out. Therefore, Zhang Shi equally disliked anyone who was a concubine. Knowing that the maidservant wasn't intentional, she had to deal with it seriously and not encourage the concubines' arrogance, regardless of who they belonged to.

A moment later, she asked again, "By the way, is Auntie Li alright after falling into the water"

Zhang replied, "What could be wrong with her When she fell into the water, Xiuming jumped in right away to save her. She just got wet, and it's late autumn now. At most, she caught a chill." She pondered for a moment and continued, "They should have come back from outside. I saw Li shi's maid carrying several packages of medicine. Are they unwell"

Meng Jin Yao didn't care much and said, "I don't know about that. Perhaps they are a little unwell, but they look quite spirited, so I don't think it's anything serious."

Zhang nodded. "That's true."

Meng Jinyao had lost interest in that bastard's affairs and continued to bury her head in writing invitations.

That evening, Meng Jinyao told Gu Jingxi about Zhang's words. As for how to deal with her son, she didn't bother herself with it. She let his father handle such matters, otherwise, the son would think she was making a fuss over Li Wan'er and using it as an excuse.

Gu Jingxi, upon hearing this, also felt quite helpless. He calmly said, "They say that a father who doesn't discipline his son is to blame. But I haven't failed to educate him. From when he was young, I told him the teachings of sages and virtuous men, constantly reminding him to be an outstanding child. Now that he has become like this, it seems my words have gone in one ear and out the other. I'm afraid he even hates me now. It's not as simple as educating him a few more times to change his temperament. Let him run wild for a while; maybe this will allow his mother to see clearly what kind of person he is."

Meng Jin Yao didn't try to persuade him either. Anyway, she had brought up the matter. What he said was also right. In Gu Xiu Ming's current state, if his father tried to discipline him, he would only receive complaints from his son.

-

It is day.

Qing Qiu returned from outside.

Meng Jin Yao saw her return, dismissed the maidservants attending to her inside the room, then softly asked: "Qing Qiu, what happened"

Qing Qiu responded, "Madam, news has arrived from the old master's estate. It seems Mrs. Sun wanted to keep her 55th birthday simple, just a family dinner since it wasn't a major milestone. However, both Master and Mistress scolded her harshly, accusing her of being unfilial."

Upon hearing this, Meng Jin Yao chuckled mockingly and said, "It's difficult to go from extravagance to frugality. Even if the Duke's mansion didn't have my mother's dowry to support it, my father and grandmother would still put on a facade of grandeur and continue maintaining the 'glory' of the Duke's mansion. Otherwise, they always feel like they'll be laughed at."

Qing Qiu said, "Therefore, Sun's opposition is invalid. We can only proceed according to Master and Madam's wishes."

Qing Qiu lowered her voice, saying, "However, the reason why Sun shi advocated for simplicity this time isn't because she wants to save money and avoid extravagance. It's because she's mentally drained and doesn't have the energy to host a grand birthday celebration for Old Madam."

Meng Jin Yao, upon hearing this, showed no surprise. This was exactly what she had expected. She believed in Qiao's abilities, and a slight smile curved her lips: "Will my plan be able to be completed on the day of the Longevity Banquet"

Qing Qiu lightly nodded. "Given Sun's current state, your plan will definitely succeed. Right now, if she sees someone even slightly resembling her target during the day, she'll have hallucinations and occasionally can't help but imagine things. If it weren't for Qiao MaMa watching over her and stopping her from talking nonsense, she would have made a fool of herself time and time again."

Meng Jin Yao withdrew her smile, a gloomy air shrouding her brow and her voice solemn as she said: “That’s good then. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when the next one will come. You tell Qiao Mama to make sure everything goes smoothly.”

Qing Qiu nodded again: "Madam, please rest assured"nd then sent someone to deliver it.But seeing her weary face, Zhang shi didn't want to really ask her to help. This girl was her younger brother's favorite, so she softly said, "It's nothing major, Th...