SGEIRS -Chapter 527 She’s Shameless

The wedding banquet had ended, and the guests were gradually leaving.

Meng Jinyao walked toward the hanging flower gate and saw her second younger sister’s husband, Deng Yuanqing, talking with her own husband.

The two men paused their conversation upon seeing her approach and looked over. Naturally, her husband’s gaze was on her, while Deng Yuanqing slightly nodded at her before glancing behind her at Meng Jinyu and the Misses of the Deng family.

As Meng Jinyao drew closer, Deng Yuanqing greeted her proactively: “Eldest sister.”

Meng Jinyao nodded in response: “Second brother-in-law.”

After exchanging greetings and a few pleasantries, Deng Yuanqing and his companions prepared to leave. Meng Jinyu smiled and bid farewell: “Eldest sister, eldest brother-in-law, we’ll take our leave first.”

Meng Jinyao replied calmly: “Take care, all of you.”

Deng Yuanqing led his wife and sister away, walking beside Meng Jinyu and asking gently if she was tired. He even extended his hand to support her as they walked, displaying a gentle and considerate care. Watching their backs, one couldn’t help but feel envious of such a harmonious couple.

Deng Yuanqing asked softly, “Earlier you always said you missed your family, especially eldest sister. Now that you’ve seen her, do you feel a little better?”

Meng Jinyu smiled and nodded: “Today has finally eased my longing. When eldest sister hadn’t married yet, I saw her every day. Even after she got married, we were both in the capital, so I could meet her often and didn’t miss her much. But after following you to Yangzhou, the longing only grew stronger.”

Deng Yuanqing replied, “I still have some business to handle in the capital, so I’ll be staying there for a while. If you miss your family, you can go visit anytime. Of course, since you’re pregnant, if I’m busy, Jiao Jiao will accompany you. I wouldn’t feel at ease otherwise.”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyu paused. She dared return to the Yongchang Marquis residence—her grandmother and father treated her well, and with her husband providing money, she still had value. But she wouldn’t dare visit the Changxing Marquis residence. Meng Jinyao wouldn’t give her a good face, and bringing her younger sister there would only let her in-laws witness her humiliation.

Her mind raced, and she quickly said, “Alright. In a few days, I need to return to my family again. Today I only greeted my mother briefly. In a couple of days, I’ll go back to get a sense of her temperament. Otherwise, I can’t rest easy about second and third brothers.”

Deng Yuanqing nodded: “Then when you decide on a date, let me know. I’ll see if I can find the time to accompany you.”

Meng Jinyu was pleased by his thoughtfulness, her lips curving upward. Suddenly, she felt that marrying into a lower-status family wasn’t entirely bad. At the very least, her husband treated her with care, and with her husband’s family wealth, she had never again worried about not having enough money for jewelry since her marriage.

Deng Yuanqing added, “A-Yu, we didn’t attend eldest sister’s first son’s full moon banquet, so you didn’t get to see your little nephew. We should find a time to pay a visit.”

Meng Jinyu’s heart tensed. Just as she had steered the conversation toward her natal family, her husband shifted it to the Changxing Marquis residence. It was unlikely she’d actually go there, but she couldn’t outright refuse, so she had to stall. She replied: “Yes, but first I need to go to the Yongchang Marquis residence in a few days. Also, grandmother mentioned that third brother will soon take the Lingshan Academy assessment. As his older sister, I should encourage him before that.”

Deng Yuanqing agreed: “That’s only right.”

After that, Meng Jinyu didn’t hear him mention the Changxing Marquis residence again and could breathe a temporary sigh of relief.

Meanwhile, after they walked away, Ningdong murmured beside Meng Jinyao: “Madam, although the second young lady married down, the second young master treats her quite well.”

Meng Jinyao smiled faintly: “He isn’t treating Meng Jinyu well; he’s treating the legitimate second daughter of the Meng family—the only sister of the Changxing Marquis’s wife—well.”

Ningdong understood immediately. The Deng family was a merchant family; marrying Yongchang Marquis’s legitimate second daughter was quite a step up. Only because the second young lady’s reputation wasn’t great could the Deng family marry her. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have the chance.

The young master of the Deng family didn’t marry her for who she was, but for her status. Her status elevated his own, and with the connection to the Changxing Marquis family, the benefits were substantial. Outsiders wouldn’t know they didn’t get along; to them, he was simply the husband of the Changxing Marquis wife’s sister.

Meng Jinyao said: “Let’s go; we should head back as well.”

After leaving the Yongchang Marquis residence and boarding the carriage, Gu Jingxi finally asked: “A-Yao, after seeing Zhao, what do you think of her?”

Meng Jinyao replied: “How should I put it? At first glance, she seems gentle, but on closer look, she isn’t. I feel she’s not someone to be trifled with, and she’s quite shrewd.”

Gu Jingxi was somewhat surprised and asked: “Why do you say she isn’t easy to deal with?”

Meng Jinyao said: “I feel she isn’t someone who would submit quietly. Of course, this is just my first impression.”

Gu Jingxi nodded slightly and then said: “I heard from Deng Yuanqing that Meng Jinyu missed her family a lot while in Yangzhou, especially you. Luckily, your letters eased her longing.”

Upon hearing this, Meng Jinyao was stunned. Frowning, she said: “Shameless! When did I ever write her letters?”

Gu Jingxi chuckled lightly: “It’s obvious she forged them. Perhaps she isn’t treated well at her in-laws, or maybe she wanted face and used your name to bolster her image.”

Meng Jinyao frowned tightly: “Today she acted as if possessed by filth. Even when I spoke bluntly, she didn’t argue with me. Yet behind my back, she can perform even more. Deng Yuanqing said I wrote letters to Meng Jinyu—how did you respond?”

Gu Jingxi replied: “There were other guests, and my father-in-law was present. Considering family reputation, I couldn’t say you hadn’t written letters, so I had to tacitly acknowledge it.”

Meng Jinyao narrowed her eyes slightly and said deliberately: “Deng Yuanqing is indeed a businessman. Merchants pursue profit and value benefits above all. Even a small matter must be calculated to maximize gain. Mentioning such a thing in front of guests—wasn’t that to show everyone the deep bond between me and Meng Jinyu? That elevates his status as brother-in-law, and he gains some advantage from it.”

After saying this, Meng Jinyao asked: “Husband, what do you think their next move will be? Will they pay us a visit? Meng Jinyu and I are biological sisters. If they visit, it’s just a normal family visit—anyone would see it as ordinary. But from others’ perspective, their visit would emphasize the deep bond between me and Meng Jinyu. She’s back in the capital and associating with me, the eldest sister.”

Gu Jingxi said: “It’s not impossible. But Meng Jinyu probably wouldn’t dare visit uninvited. Unless Deng Yuanqing brings it up and she can’t avoid it, she would have to muster courage to pay the visit.”

Meng Jinyao frowned again and said coldly: “If she’s shameless, I won’t tolerate her. I’ll make sure she loses face directly.”