SGEIRS -Chapter 537 Jinyu Pays a Visit

Changxing Marquis Manor.

Meng Jinyao sat by the small bed, gently shaking a rattle to amuse the baby lying inside. Listening to her son’s innocent, carefree laughter, she felt as though her heart were melting.

At that moment, Ningdong entered holding a visiting card. She presented it to Meng Jinyao and said, “Madam, this is a visiting card sent by the Second Miss.”

“Meng Jinyu?”

Meng Jinyao froze for a moment. The hand shaking the rattle paused, her gaze dropping to the card.

Ningdong nodded. “Yes, it’s her.”

Meng Jinyao reached out to take the card and glanced at its contents. It said that since returning to the capital, the sisters had not had a proper chance to get together, and that tomorrow she would come with her husband to pay a visit, asking whether it would be convenient.

She curled her lips into a faint smile. Tomorrow was a rest day. As long as her husband had nothing urgent to attend to, he would usually stay home to keep her and Wanwan company. The timing of this visiting card was precise. The chosen visiting time was most likely Deng Yuanqing’s idea—clearly, he had brought it up to Meng Jinyu many times, leaving her unable to refuse and forcing her to steel herself and send the card.

Ningdong asked, “Madam, the Second Miss’s maid is still waiting outside for your reply. Shall I go and refuse them now?”

Meng Jinyao gently shook her head. “Why refuse them?”

Ningdong was startled. “Could it be that Madam plans to receive the couple tomorrow?”

With a smile, Meng Jinyao said, “A younger sister who married far away has returned to the capital and comes specially with her husband to visit me, her elder sister. How could I not see them? Go reply to the maid—tell her I’m not going out tomorrow and have free time. They may come and pay a visit.”

Ningdong responded and immediately went to deliver the reply.

That evening, Gu Jingxi returned home.

After chatting for a while, Meng Jinyao suddenly asked him, “Husband, do you have any important matters to attend to tomorrow?”

Gu Jingxi answered without hesitation, “Yes.”

Meng Jinyao was slightly taken aback. “What important matters?”

“Accompanying you and Wanwan.” As he spoke, he picked up the little one from the couch. Seeing her stunned expression, he laughed and asked, “Isn’t that important? Your husband thinks this is the most important thing of all.”

Meng Jinyao shot him a reproachful look. “Behave yourself in front of the child. Speak properly, or you’ll teach Wanwan bad habits.”

Gu Jingxi didn’t mind. “This little fellow doesn’t understand what I’m saying anyway.” He paused, then asked, “A-Yao, you suddenly asked me this—did something happen?”

Meng Jinyao smiled. “My second sister and her husband are coming to visit tomorrow. Our second brother-in-law has been urging her quite diligently—she had no choice but to come, wanting to put on a big show of sisterly affection with me.”

Gu Jingxi asked, “Then how does A-Yao plan to act along with her performance?”

“If she has no shame, I’ll make her lose all face.” Meng Jinyao snorted softly. Thinking of how Meng Jinyu had even forged her letters to act out sisterly closeness before her in-laws made her deeply annoyed. Anyone unaware of the truth might really think Meng Jinyu was her treasured little sister.

Gu Jingxi said with certainty, “Then she’s destined to lose face in front of her husband tomorrow.”

Meng Jinyao laughed lightly. “That depends on whether she knows when to stop.”

The next day.

Meng Jinyu had originally planned to rely on pregnancy-induced drowsiness and simply sleep through the morning, delaying the visit to Changxing Marquis Manor. Then she would send someone to say she was unwell and postpone the visit to another day.

Who would have thought that her gentle, considerate husband would wake her early in the morning.

She was furious but couldn’t vent it, so she spoke coquettishly. “Husband, I’m so sleepy. Could you let me sleep a little longer?”

Normally, for small, harmless matters, Deng Yuanqing would indulge her. But today he didn’t. Speaking gently, he said, “A-Yu, today we’re visiting Elder Sister and Elder Brother-in-law. We should get up earlier and go sooner. We were the ones who sent the visiting card—it wouldn’t be right to keep them waiting. Don’t you think so?”

Meng Jinyu pretended to be drowsy and yawned. “It’s fine. Elder Sister has been pregnant before—she should understand how sleepy pregnant women get. She won’t blame us.”

Deng Yuanqing patiently replied, “A-Yu, I’m not saying Elder Sister would blame us for being late. I just think she must really miss you. On the day Father-in-law got married, Elder Sister had to deal with so many guests and probably didn’t have much time to talk with you. Today is a good chance for you sisters to spend time together.”

Meng Jinyu had no choice. Reluctantly, she got up and had the maids come in to attend to her.

Deng Yuanqing had already ordered the gifts to be prepared. He was very tactful—bringing specialties from Yangzhou, as well as children’s toys. The specialties were for the Gu family elders, and the toys were for Wanwan. These were all easy to accept. He hadn’t prepared any jewelry or other expensive items; after all, he was visiting relatives, not bribing a court official. Sending such things would only displease the other party. The Changxing Marquis Manor was a prestigious family—what fine things hadn’t they seen? They certainly didn’t lack his offerings.

With a heart full of unease, Meng Jinyu boarded the carriage. Along the way, she was distracted and restless. If she could, she wished she would never see Meng Jinyao again in this lifetime—and Meng Jinyao surely didn’t want to see her either. But she had no choice. Her husband brought up visiting Meng Jinyao and her husband again and again. If she kept refusing, it would inevitably arouse his suspicion and expose the fact that she and her elder sister were not actually close.

Seeing her frowning in thought, Deng Yuanqing asked, “A-Yu, you’ll see Elder Sister in a bit. Are you unhappy?”

Hearing this, Meng Jinyu snapped back to attention. “Husband, what did you just say?”

He repeated himself. “You’ll be seeing Elder Sister shortly. Are you unhappy? You look worried.”

Meng Jinyu immediately forced a smile. “Happy—of course I’m happy. I was just thinking about Third Brother. The Lingshan Academy assessment is about to begin, but he fell ill and couldn’t attend. All that preparation over the years—it’s such a waste.”

Deng Yuanqing said gently, “How could it be a waste? Third Brother studies diligently not just to pass the academy assessment and enter the academy. Through his studies he’s gained knowledge and improved his learning. When he takes the imperial examinations in the future, he’ll have a better chance. It’s not only students from Lingshan Academy who make it onto the honor roll. As long as one studies hard, it doesn’t matter whether one attends Lingshan Academy or not.”

Meng Jinyu’s smile was somewhat strained. She knew very well that Third Brother’s illness was of his own making, and she both resented and felt disappointed in him. They had the same father—how could Second Brother manage, while Third Brother couldn’t? He failed the Lingshan Academy assessment, and even in last year’s prefectural exam he couldn’t earn a mere xiucai degree, while Second Brother took first place and stole all the glory.

Fortunately—fortunately Third Brother would inherit the title in the future. Her full-blooded younger brother would become the Yongchang Marquis, and then her husband’s family wouldn’t dare bully her.

Before long, the carriage stopped in front of Changxing Marquis Manor.

Meng Jinyu suppressed her tangled thoughts. With her husband’s considerate support, she stepped down from the carriage. Led by the manor servants, they went to meet Meng Jinyao and her husband. When she saw Meng Jinyao looking at her with a half-smile that wasn’t quite a smile, her heart skipped a beat.