SGEIRS -Chapter 46 See You in Court

This was simply ridiculous!

No matter where this matter was taken, it was clear that Meng Dongyuan and Madam Sun were in the wrong—and shameless at that.

What kind of person secretly uses his deceased wife’s dowry to subsidize the children he had with his second wife, yet gives nothing to his own daughter by that wife?

Mocked by his eldest daughter, Meng Dongyuan’s face alternated between green and pale. However, as an elder who valued his dignity, how could he possibly admit his fault and shamelessness in front of a junior?

He stiffened his neck and spoke boldly despite being in the wrong. “I am your elder—your father! Can’t I decide this for you? That’s enough. We’ll settle it this way. If this really happened, your mother will apologize to you. When your younger siblings marry in the future and have decent prospects, they’ll be grateful to you too. Don’t keep pressing the issue when you’re already in the right.”

“When you’re unreasonable, you still insist on arguing. When I’m in the right, why should I give in?” Meng Jinyao replied coldly, not backing down in the slightest. “Father, have you forgotten? Our dynasty’s laws clearly state that after a woman’s death, her dowry is inherited by her biological children. If she has none, it is returned to her natal family. The husband’s family has no right to dispose of it.”

Meng Dongyuan froze, unable to refute her. Indeed, such a law existed.

Meng Jinyao glanced at him and continued, “My mother has me, her legitimate daughter, so I naturally inherit it. It is my property. It’s not for Father to give away as he pleases. As for Madam Sun, as a stepmother, she has even less right to suppress my mother’s dowry.”

As she spoke, her lips curved slightly. She looked at Madam Sun with an undisguised mocking smile.

Madam Sun’s face turned pale, resentment and humiliation intertwining in her heart.

Meng Dongyuan’s head ached. For the sake of the family’s reputation, this matter had to be suppressed. Taking a deep breath, he tried to pressure her with filial piety.

“A-Yao, if your mother really did this, do you truly want to make such a fuss? When you were still an infant, she took meticulous care of you. Can you bear to let her become the laughingstock of the entire capital?”

He paused briefly, gathered his thoughts, and continued, “Besides, if there was a problem with the dowry, why didn’t you say so before your wedding? Why bring it up now? Clearly, you’re making things difficult for your mother. You’re already married—are we supposed to carry your dowry over again afterward? How improper would that be? Even if it’s kept, it’ll be passed to your siblings, not outsiders.”

Meng Jinyao laughed in anger. “I only received the dowry list on my wedding day. Before that, I was never shown it. Was I supposed to check the list on the very day I married before leaving the house? Wouldn’t that have been a joke?”

“…”

Meng Dongyuan was left speechless. He hadn’t considered that.

With sharp words, Meng Jinyao questioned him with a smile, “From what Father just said, are you suggesting that since Madam Sun already embezzled my mother’s dowry, you won’t return it for the sake of face—and will then occupy it ‘legitimately’? All men regard using their wives’ dowries as shameful. Competing with one’s children over a deceased wife’s dowry is utterly disgraceful. Does Father want to be such a shameless person?”

What a “good” father she had!

He wanted to push all the blame onto Madam Sun, clear himself of responsibility, then excuse her actions as ‘forced by circumstances,’ and in the end blame her—saying she was unreasonable and shouldn’t reclaim her dowry lest her maternal family lose face.

Hearing this, Meng Dongyuan felt as if his tail had been stepped on. His face flushed red as he argued, “What nonsense are you talking about? How could I be such a shameless person? I just don’t want you and your mother to push things to that extreme!”

Meng Jinyao replied, “Since Father isn’t such a person, please return my mother’s dowry. Since my grandfather has prepared sufficient evidence, he clearly doesn’t wish for my mother’s property to fall into others’ hands.”

When she brought up Old Master Zhou, Meng Dongyuan had no way to refute her. He could only shoot his wife a look and say helplessly, “Madam, A-Yao insists that you didn’t include her mother’s dowry in her list. I’ll ask you once more—did this really happen?”

Seeing that her husband was out of options, Madam Sun, though humiliated, still lowered her head to her stepdaughter in front of the children. Even if her husband and mother-in-law knew about it, there was no evidence implicating them. All the proof pointed to her. She had no choice but to admit it.

Looking at Meng Jinyao with regret, she said apologetically, “A-Yao, it’s Mother’s fault. Don’t blame your father—he didn’t know. Blame me for not daring to admit my mistake earlier. I only thought that since you married into the Marquis of Changxing’s household, you’d enjoy endless wealth and honor…”

Halfway through, her eyes reddened. She wiped her tears with a handkerchief and continued in a choked voice, “And our Meng family suffered great losses years ago because of your useless second uncle. We haven’t recovered since. In the future, your siblings won’t have decent betrothal gifts or dowries, so I was tempted by wrong thoughts.”

Meng Dongyuan feigned shock. “Madam, you… you really did such a thing?”

When Meng Yujade and Meng Chengxing saw their mother confess, they were both shocked and panicked. If this spread, the Meng family would become a laughingstock—especially them. As her biological children, people would surely say, “Like mother, like children.”

“Husband, with our family’s situation and the children nearing marriage age, I had no choice,” Madam Sun said through tears. “A-Yao, don’t worry. Your father and I will compensate you in other ways. Please forgive me this once—for the sake of your three siblings.”

After watching them act for so long, Meng Jinyao finally lost her patience. From their words, it was clear they had no intention of returning anything.

She said firmly, “Enough with all this nonsense. You haven’t said a single word about returning the dowry. So you intend to occupy my mother’s property and refuse to give it back? In that case, there’s no point talking further. We’ll see each other in court in three days. I believe justice will be done there.”

With that, she stood up and prepared to leave.

Hearing this, Meng Dongyuan panicked and shouted angrily, “Unfilial daughter! Stop right there!”

Meng Jinyao turned her head. “Does Father have anything else?”

Red-faced with rage, he demanded, “Do you really intend to take your own elders to court?”

“Father, that’s not right,” Meng Jinyao said with a faint smile. “You’re the ones refusing to return it. I’m simply using legal means to reclaim what belongs to me. How does that become my fault?”

Clenching his teeth, he said, “That is your mother! If we send the dowry back now, how will others view the Yongchang Marquis’s Estate? Your sister is of marriageable age—if your mother becomes a laughingstock, how will A-Yu find a match?”

Meng Jinyao corrected calmly, “My mother’s surname is Zhou, not Sun.”

She paused, then looked at Madam Sun. “A mother who conducts herself improperly clearly doesn’t consider her children. So why should I consider hers?”