SGEIRS -Chapter 246 No Room for Mistakes

Madam Zhang gave her a sharp look and said bluntly, “Third sister-in-law, you need to rein in your Xueming.”

Her tone carried a trace of fire. Meng Jinyao was taken aback. “What did he do this time?”

Madam Zhang sat down nearby. Knowing that Meng Jinyao and Gu Xiuming didn’t exactly get along, she spoke frankly. “That concubine Li can never be a proper lady of the house. He dotes on her like she’s some kind of deity. At this rate, he won’t be marrying any proper wife—what young lady would dare marry him?”

Meng Jinyao looked baffled. Gu Xiuming had been doting on Li Wan’er for some time now. He had even defied the family to elope with her. Now that he was finally with Li Wan’er, his affection was only natural. If he didn’t dote on her, that would be the strange thing.

She smiled wryly. “Sister-in-law, what happens in the son’s room isn’t something the marquis or I should interfere with too much. A young man, newly in love, naturally gets a little clingy—there’s nothing wrong with that.”

Madam Zhang’s tone turned sharp. “Third sister-in-law, this isn’t about being clingy. That concubine Li was fooling around with Xiuming, not watching where she was going, and she collided with one of Xiuming’s maids doing chores. The maid managed to keep her balance, but concubine Li herself fell into the fish pond. Xiuming, worried for her, scolded the maid without checking the facts. If I hadn’t happened to pass by, that maid would have been dragged to the stewardess to be punished.”

Meng Jinyao was stunned. She could already sense that ever since Gu Xiuming failed the exams, there was a trace of irritability about him, though he usually controlled it well in public and maintained a refined appearance. Now, he had snapped for Li Wan’er?

Madam Zhang continued, “Who cares if he feels sorry for a concubine? But to scold a maid without cause is too much. Even though a maid is a servant, you can’t punish them at will. If word gets out, others will think the Gu family are unreasonable brutes, arbitrarily punishing our servants.”

Meng Jinyao was surprised. “Something like this actually happened?”

“Do you think I’d make it up? This just happened.”

Madam Zhang rubbed her temples and continued to scold. “And that concubine Li—she looks weak and delicate, but when it counts, she’s mute. She doesn’t mention that she wasn’t watching where she was going; she just cries. Anyone who didn’t know would think the maid pushed her into the pond. Sure enough, concubines are concubines—silent when they should speak, crying when they shouldn’t, always playing these coquette tricks.”

Meng Jinyao spoke gently. “Sister-in-law, please calm down. I’ll speak to the marquis and make sure Xiuming is properly educated. He did indeed make a mistake this time.”

Madam Zhang nodded. “He must be educated properly. Otherwise, he’ll make a fool of himself again, and the Gu family will bear the joke for a whole year in the capital. And each time, it’s connected to some inconsequential concubine. People would think being a concubine in the Gu household is more prestigious than being a proper wife.”

Meng Jinyao nodded in agreement. She understood that this wasn’t personal—Madam Zhang had lived with the family long enough to know that what she disliked most were concubines. Gu Jingsheng had several young, beautiful concubines who constantly vied for attention. So, when a maid was harmed due to a concubine’s carelessness, Madam Zhang insisted on strict punishment to prevent concubines from gaining undue power, regardless of whose concubine it was.

After a moment, Meng Jinyao asked, “By the way, that concubine Li fell into the water. Is she alright?”

Madam Zhang replied, “What harm could she have suffered? Xiuming immediately jumped in to save her. She just got a little wet. It’s late autumn, at worst she might catch a cold.” She paused, thinking, then added, “They probably came back from outside. I saw concubine Li’s maid carrying some medicine packages—are they feeling unwell?”

Meng Jinyao didn’t pay much attention. “I’m not sure. Maybe a bit under the weather, but they seem fine, so it’s probably nothing serious.”

Madam Zhang nodded. “That makes sense.”

Meng Jinyao lost interest in the wayward son and returned to writing invitations.

That evening, she mentioned the matter to Gu Jingxi. She didn’t bother disciplining the wayward son—these things should be handled by his father. Otherwise, the boy might think she was jealous of Li Wan’er and making a scene over nothing.

Gu Jingxi listened with some helplessness and said lightly, “They say if a child is not taught, it’s the father’s fault. But I have been educating him, teaching him moral principles since he was young, guiding him to be a good child. Now he’s turned out like this. Clearly, he didn’t listen to a word I said. By now, he probably even resents me. A few more words from me won’t change his temperament. Let him act out—it’s better for mother to see his true character.”

Meng Jinyao didn’t try to persuade him. She had delivered the message, and he was right. Gu Xiuming’s father should handle him, even if it brings complaints from the wayward son.

That Day, Qingqiu returned from outside.

Seeing her back, Meng Jinyao sent the maid in the room away before quietly asking, “Qingqiu, what’s the situation?”

Qingqiu replied, “Madam, news came from the Yongchang Marquis Mansion. The old madam’s fifty-fifth birthday—Madam Sun thought it wasn’t a major birthday, so she planned a simple family dinner. But she was severely reprimanded by the master and old madam, accused of being unfilial.”

Meng Jinyao sneered. “It’s hard to go from luxury to simplicity. Even without my mother’s dowry supporting the elder branch, my father and grandmother would put on a brave face and maintain the ‘splendor’ of the house. They always fear being laughed at.”

Qingqiu said, “So Madam Sun had no choice but to follow the elder master and old madam’s instructions.”

She lowered her voice and continued, “But Madam Sun insists on simplicity not to save money, but because she’s exhausted—she lacks the energy to organize a birthday banquet for the old madam.”

Meng Jinyao was not surprised. This was exactly what she expected. She believed in Nanny Qiao’s abilities and slightly curved her lips. “Then on the day of the birthday banquet, my plan should work, right?”

Qingqiu nodded softly. “With Madam Sun in her current state, your plan will succeed. During the day, even seeing someone slightly resembling someone else triggers illusions. She occasionally imagines things. Without Nanny Qiao watching her and stopping her from speaking nonsense, she would have embarrassed herself repeatedly by now.”

Meng Jinyao suppressed her smile, a dark and solemn aura settling over her. She said gravely, “Good. If we miss this opportunity, who knows when the next one will come. Tell Nanny Qiao—there must be no mistakes.”

Qingqiu nodded again. “You can rest assured, madam.”