SGEIRS -Chapter 18 The Unlucky Child

Madam Sun cursed inwardly when she saw this: That little wretch!

Gu Jingxi still didn’t give the couple any room to save face. With an expression of deep surprise, he said,

“So A-Yao is the child Lord Meng cherishes the most?”

He glanced at the three children standing behind them and added, “Then the three of them, who aren’t as favored, must be treated even worse, right? They’re his own flesh and blood. Isn’t Lord Meng afraid that treating his children like this will make them unfilial in the future?”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyao almost burst out laughing. She hadn’t expected that the usually serious Gu Jingxi also knew how to speak with such subtle sarcasm.

She glanced at her three younger siblings and saw their strange expressions. Her gaze finally fell on her second brother, Meng Chengzhang. Seeing that he was also looking at her, she curled her lips into a smile and gave him a slight nod.

Meng Dongyuan was extremely embarrassed. He forced an awkward smile and said, “My good son-in-law, children must be disciplined strictly, or they won’t amount to anything.”

As he spoke, he turned to the three children, quickly changing the subject.

“My good son-in-law, this is A-Yao’s second younger sister, A-Yu, her second brother Chengzhang, and her third brother Chengxing. Come, greet your brother-in-law.”

The three siblings responded and immediately stepped forward to pay their respects.

At last, the awkward moment passed.

Having lost face today, Meng Dongyuan and Madam Sun felt as though their faces were burning, yet they didn’t dare to vent their anger. With forced smiles, they ushered their daughter and son-in-law inside.

When they reached Rongfu Hall, Gu Jingxi and Meng Jinyao paid their respects to Old Madam Meng.

Old Madam Meng noticed that Gu Jingxi only addressed her as “Old Madam Meng” instead of following her eldest granddaughter and calling her “Grandmother.” Her heart skipped a beat.

She wondered whether it was because of what had happened on the wedding day or today’s events. Weighing things carefully, she didn’t dare to act overly familiar or call him by name. Instead, she said, “Marquis, A-Yao has a mischievous nature and doesn’t understand proper rules. If she does anything wrong, please punish her as you see fit. In the end, it’s my son who failed in raising her properly.”

Hearing this, Gu Jingxi frowned slightly. He hadn’t expected that her own family would belittle her like this.

With a cool tone, he replied, “Old Madam, what are you saying? A-Yao is gentle and virtuous, dignified and graceful, and knows how to conduct herself appropriately. My mother has even praised her, saying she has the bearing of her late mother.”

As soon as these words fell, Madam Sun’s smile nearly collapsed.

She knew very well that the “mother” Gu Jingxi referred to was not her, but her husband’s short-lived first wife.

Meng Jinyu and Meng Chengxing felt sorry for their mother’s grievance, and their resentment toward their eldest sister deepened.

Meanwhile, Meng Chengzhang was secretly delighted. His eldest sister finally had someone to protect her, someone she could rely on. From now on, she wouldn’t have to struggle so much.

Old Madam Meng hadn’t expected Gu Jingxi to speak like this either. With just one light remark, he had pushed her into an awkward position.

She thought bitterly that this jinx must have said something in front of him to stir things up. Although displeased, she could only reply stiffly, “That’s good, then. I was worried A-Yao might bring trouble to the Gu family.”

Gu Jingxi glanced at his young wife beside him. She sat quietly with lowered eyes, saying nothing throughout except when greeting elders.

It felt strange to him. She hadn’t been like this at the Gu household. Perhaps she had been bullied so much at the Meng family that she had become afraid to speak instinctively.

He couldn’t help but feel a little sorry for this unlucky child.

Her mother had died at birth. With a stepmother, her biological father had become no different from a stepfather. Perhaps because she was a girl, even her grandmother didn’t value her.

In a calm voice, he said,

“Old Madam Meng, you’re overthinking it. A-Yao is well-read and sensible. Having a daughter-in-law like her is a blessing for our Gu family.”