SGEIRS -Chapter 533 Falling Ill at Just the Right Time

Meng Dongyuan left Rongfu Hall with a stifled, aggrieved look on his face, regretting more and more that he hadn’t stood his ground back then. If he had insisted on punishing that unfilial wretch Chengxing, Madam Dong wouldn’t have divorced him, and he wouldn’t be forced now to marry this shrew, Madam Zhao. It would have been one thing if she simply wasn’t gentle or considerate—but she was two-faced as well, deceiving his mother and winning her trust.

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. With a grim expression, he quickened his pace toward his own courtyard.

Not far away, Meng Chengzhang had learned that his father and stepmother had gone to Rongfu Hall to pay their respects, so he’d been quietly observing. Just a short while ago, he’d seen his stepmother Madam Zhao pass by with a radiant smile. Now, seeing his father’s dark expression, he knew that not only had Madam Zhao not been bullied by their father—she had clearly gotten the better of him and left him thoroughly angered.

Suddenly, a familiar voice sounded behind him. “Second Brother, what are you looking at?”

Meng Chengzhang stiffened, then turned around to see Meng Chengxing studying him intently. He turned his head back again and said evenly, “I’m looking at Father. He doesn’t seem to be in a very good mood.”

Meng Chengxing followed his gaze and saw their father’s hurried retreating figure. Thoughtfully, he said, “Father’s dissatisfied with this marriage. How could he be in a good mood? But for us, that’s actually a good thing. Don’t you think so, Second Brother?”

Meng Chengzhang frowned. “What do you mean by that, Third Brother?”

Meng Chengxing gave a light snort. “Second Brother, don’t play dumb with me. Father and Madam Zhao aren’t on good terms, so she won’t dare mistreat us. Otherwise, if we complained, Madam Zhao would definitely suffer. This isn’t like Madam Dong—back then, she had Father’s favor, and Father sided with her in everything.”

Meng Chengzhang replied, “Third Brother, don’t speak nonsense. Aunt Dong never mistreated us.” As he spoke, he paused, then smoothly changed the subject. “In six days, the Lingshan Academy assessment begins. Third Brother has buried himself in his studies for half a year now—you must be well prepared. Let me congratulate you in advance.”

At these words, Meng Chengxing’s expression stiffened. Over the past six months, he hadn’t really studied much at all—because he knew it wouldn’t help. There was no way he could pass the assessment. But his brother’s words made him feel guilty. He forced an awkward smile.
“Second Brother, the exam hasn’t even started yet. I might not pass.”

Meng Chengzhang patted him on the shoulder and smiled encouragingly. “Third Brother, you should have confidence in yourself. Grandmother and Father have very high expectations of you. Grandmother even said earlier that every day after school, you stay in the study and work hard. With how diligent you are, passing the Lingshan Academy assessment should be easy.”

Hearing this, Meng Chengxing felt even more guilty. He did stay in the study—but he wasn’t alone. There was also the maid he’d previously taken in as a concubine.

Meng Chengzhang glanced at him, his smile growing more meaningful, and said calmly, “Third Brother, I still have matters to attend to. I’ll take my leave first.” With that, he turned and walked away.

Meng Chengxing’s face darkened. Father didn’t really care whether he passed the assessment or not—but Grandmother did. Her expectations were too high, and the pressure weighed heavily on him.

—

On the other side, Meng Dongyuan returned to his courtyard, already starving. When he saw a maid bring up a bowl of plain white porridge, he immediately exploded. “Who said I wanted white porridge?!”

Madam Zhao replied with a gentle smile, “Husband, Mother said to prepare something light for you. I thought white porridge would be suitable—light and good for cleansing the stomach. You drank so much wine yesterday and even fell down. It’s better to watch your diet for now.”

Meng Dongyuan’s face instantly darkened. “You did this on purpose?”

Madam Zhao looked innocent. “Husband, I don’t understand what you mean. I was simply following Mother’s instructions. You were there at the time as well—I asked Mother before deciding.”

The moment she mentioned his mother, Meng Dongyuan deflated. Looking at the bowl of porridge only made his hunger worse. With a black face, he sat down, picked up the bowl, and wolfed it down. After finishing one bowl, he wanted more—but when the maid brought another bowl of plain porridge, his expression turned even uglier. He set the bowl down heavily, snorted coldly, stood up, and stormed out to the study to cool off.

Madam Zhao didn’t stop him. Whether he ate or not was his problem—she wasn’t the one going hungry. In truth, there were other, better light dishes she could have prepared, but she deliberately chose the worst option. The reason was simple: that bastard didn’t deserve her careful attention. Preparing white porridge was already following her mother-in-law’s instruction for something light—no one could find fault with it.

The maids exchanged uneasy glances.

Madam Zhao said gently, “The Marquis has finished eating. You may clear the dishes.”

The maids hurried forward to clean up.

After that, Madam Zhao gathered all the maids in the courtyard. One of them, seeing that she wasn’t favored, arrived late. Madam Zhao immediately made an example of her to warn the others, asserting her authority and clearly laying down her rules.

The maids realized that even if she wasn’t favored by the marquis, she was not someone to provoke. She had been married in for only one day and had already gained the Old Madam’s approval and control of household affairs. She was the true mistress with real power. To offend her would require serious consideration.

—

Two days later.

Old Madam Meng had planned for Chengzhang to escort Chengxing to Lingshan Academy, so they could look after each other on the way—Chengzhang returning to school, Chengxing going to take the assessment.

Who would have thought that on the night before their departure, Meng Chengxing suddenly fell gravely ill, breaking out in a high fever.

When Old Madam Meng heard the maid’s report, all sleep vanished at once. Anxious and distressed, she got out of bed, dressed quickly, and hurried to her grandson’s courtyard. When she arrived, the household physician was checking Chengxing’s pulse. Her daughter-in-law and Chengzhang were both there, standing anxiously by the bed. Old Madam Meng felt secretly pleased—Chengzhang did care about his younger brother, and her daughter-in-law treated Chengxing well too.

But she didn’t see her son. She asked, “Qianyi, where is A-Yuan?”

Madam Zhao hesitated as she replied, “Husband… he’s at Concubine Zheng’s place. When I learned Chengxing was ill, I sent a maid to look for him, but Husband refused to see the maid. I wanted to go myself, but I was worried about Chengxing here, so I came over first.”

Old Madam Meng’s face sank immediately. She knew her son had deliberately refused to see the maid—because he disliked Madam Zhao, he wouldn’t even see the maids under her.

Madam Zhao lowered her eyes slightly, hiding the smile in them. In truth, the maid could have delivered the message directly—but Madam Zhao had deliberately instructed her to fetch him back. She had already calculated that her husband wouldn’t see the maid. Everything was under her control.

On their wedding night, her husband had fainted and had no choice but to sleep in the bridal chamber. From the second day onward, he no longer did—he went to his concubines instead. She didn’t mind at all. If the concubines liked such an old man, that was their business—she certainly didn’t. She held the authority over the inner household and had her mother-in-law’s approval; the maids had no choice but to respect her.

Still, she didn’t intend to let that bastard live too comfortably. When necessary, using a little trickery to create trouble for him was perfectly acceptable. And now, the opportunity had arrived. She believed that tomorrow, that bastard would receive a thorough scolding from his old mother.

Meng Chengzhang quietly observed his stepmother. He felt that she was sly—very sly—but in a way that was strangely likable. After these two days of interaction, he knew that his stepmother wasn’t actually bad at heart. If she treated Father this way, it was probably because she simply couldn’t stand him.