SGEIRS -Chapter 57 Sisters’ Quarrel

Changxing Marquisate

Not long after Meng Jinyao left, the steward of the Yongchang Marquis’s mansion arrived at the Changxing Marquisate. He had been waiting in the front hall for quite some time. Seeing no sign of Meng Jinyao, he grew anxious and began pacing back and forth to pass the time.

A young maid attending to the tea watched him and couldn’t help but wonder: “With the way the Yongchang Marquis’s household behaves, the mistress probably won’t even see him.”

The steward casually looked up and, upon seeing Meng Jinyao’s figure, immediately froze in place. Then he quickly walked up with a beaming, almost fawning smile, saying, “Young Madam, you’ve finally returned.”

Meng Jinyao nodded slightly, expressionless, and walked to the seat of honor. Her cold gaze swept over the steward. Seeing his smile falter and his nervous, hesitant expression, she didn’t wish to make things difficult for him and got straight to the point: “Today is the tenth day. Are the silver notes ready, as agreed, by my father and Madam Sun?”

The steward twitched at her mentioning money so directly and hurriedly replied, “Young Madam, they—everything is ready. Madam even pawned her dowry for this matter.”

Meng Jinyao smiled faintly in satisfaction. As for the steward’s additional words, she ignored them. What did it matter to her if Madam Sun pawned her dowry? It wasn’t her doing—it was her so-called good father and good grandmother. Clearly, the Yongchang Marquis’s mansion could have scraped together the money themselves, but her father and grandmother were too stingy and insisted on taking it from Madam Sun.

She wondered if Madam Sun now regretted it—giving her mother’s dowry, working so hard for her husband’s family, only to gain nothing in return. She ended up losing her dowry entirely and earned a reputation for misappropriating her stepdaughter’s inheritance.

Her tone softened slightly, calm and measured: “Good. Give it to me first; I’ll check if the amount matches.”

The steward nodded, pulled out a stack of silver notes from his pocket, and then also retrieved a few taels of small silver and some copper coins from his pouch, respectfully presenting them: “Young Madam, please see if anything is missing.”

Meng Jinyao paused for a moment, then took them and carefully counted.

Very well—they were truly afraid of prison and had returned every single coin without shortage. No wonder there were a few taels of small silver and thirty-something copper coins—these were just because the silver notes didn’t have such small denominations.

The steward asked nervously, “Young Madam, is the amount correct?”

He had actually counted the money on the way here and knew the sum was fine. If it had been slightly short, he could have covered the few taels himself. Completing this task today was crucial; otherwise, returning to the Yongchang Marquis’s mansion, he would certainly be questioned.

Meng Jinyao nodded: “The amount is correct. Thank you for your effort, steward.”

The steward exhaled in relief, waving his hand: “No trouble at all, it’s my duty.” Then, glancing at Meng Jinyao, he hesitated: “Young Madam, Madam and the Old Madam have both fallen ill.”

Meng Jinyao’s expression remained unchanged: “I’m not a doctor. What good is telling me? Do you think their illnesses will vanish if I hear about them?”

Seeing her remain unmoved, the steward realized she truly despised both Madam and the Old Madam and quickly said, “Yes, Young Madam. It is I who was foolish.”

Meng Jinyao added, “If there’s nothing else, you may leave. I suppose they’re at home waiting for your report.”

“Yes, of course.”

The steward nodded, bid her farewell, and left the Changxing Marquisate to report back to his master.

Meng Jinyao glanced at the small silver and thirty-some copper coins, then divided the small silver among Chunliu, Qingqiu, and Ningdong—the three senior maids. The copper coins were given to the young maid who had been serving tea.

The maids gratefully thanked her.

On the way back to Weiruo Pavilion, Ningdong curiously asked, “Mistress, do you think they’re really ill, or pretending?”

Meng Jinyao’s lips curled in a mocking smile: “When have they ever encountered trouble without falling ill? Probably their weak constitutions can’t withstand it, so even a little trouble makes them sick.”

Ningdong instantly understood. Pretending to be ill not only won sympathy but also justified staying home to avoid ridicule—a two-birds-one-stone strategy.

Passing through the Moon Gate and along the corridor, suddenly the voices of two young girls quarrelling reached them. Meng Jinyao halted and looked in their direction. She saw the eldest daughter of the main branch, Gu Xuanyi, and the younger daughter of the secondary branch, Gu Xuanling, arguing. It was unclear what had caused the dispute.

Both were fifteen. One was full of arrogance, the other timid and cautious. The difference between a legitimate and a concubine’s daughter was vast; their temperaments were worlds apart.

Chunliu whispered, “Mistress, the eldest and second young ladies have never gotten along. It’s probably the eldest bullying the second.”

Meng Jinyao nodded slightly and continued observing. Gu Xuanling’s eyes were red, brimming with tears as she accused, “Big sister, you did it on purpose!”

Gu Xuanyi stamped on the pastry that had already fallen to the ground, lifted her chin slightly, and looked at Gu Xuanling with a smug, contemptuous expression: “Of course I did. What can you do about it?”

“You—you’re too much!”

Gu Xuanling could only manage these words after a long while, her voice trembling with anger and her tears streaming down, feeling utterly wronged.

Gu Xuanyi sneered, laced with scorn: “A concubine’s daughter is always a concubine’s daughter, scheming all the time. What good is trying to please grandmother? She’s not your real grandmother. Besides, you’re born of a concubine. Do you really think she’ll ever care for you sincerely?”

“I already delivered the pastries made for grandmother. These are for my mother,” Gu Xuanling replied, ignoring her, squatting to gather the fallen pastries and placing them back in the container, including the broken dish.

“Mother?” Gu Xuanyi laughed as if hearing a joke, mercilessly mocking: “Don’t forget you’re a concubine’s daughter. Second Aunt isn’t your biological mother. Your unfortunate mother died long ago—long enough to have been reincarnated by now. If she has, she’s probably ten years younger than you.”

A cornered rabbit will bite, let alone a human.

Gu Xuanling had endured previous provocations, but hearing her cousin insult her deceased mother and speak so disrespectfully, she could no longer restrain herself. She suddenly stood, forcefully pushed Gu Xuanyi, and shouted, “Big sister, you’ve gone too far!”

Gu Xuanyi was caught off guard, falling to the ground with a startled cry of “Ah!” Her maid rushed to help her up, anxiously asking, “Big Miss, are you alright?”

Gu Xuanyi’s palm was scraped, her backside hurt from the fall. Standing up, she gasped in pain, gritting her teeth: “Gu Xuanling, you have a lot of nerve! Are you trying to get yourself killed?” Her anger mounting, she raised her hand to slap Gu Xuanling.

“Stop!”

At the critical moment, a commanding voice rang out. Gu Xuanyi froze mid-air, her hand suspended, and turned to look toward the source.