SGEIRS -Chapter 9 The Authority Over Household Management

Old Madam Gu grew serious upon hearing this and said, “She seems clever enough and capable of handling many matters on her own. But whether she needs it or not, your attitude can spare her a lot of distress. Back then, when I couldn’t conceive for a long time, your father’s two concubines each gave birth to a son. I was squeezed and suppressed by my mother-in-law, and those concubines mocked me openly and in secret. Your father only stood by and watched. I suffered quite a lot.”

Thinking of her younger years, Old Madam Gu felt a wave of bitterness rise in her heart. Fortunately, she gave birth to a son at twenty-five, and her situation gradually improved. She did not wish her daughter-in-law to endure the same hardships she once had.

Gu Jingxi was stunned for a moment, then nodded. “Mother, rest assured. I will never let her be bullied. She is the Marquis’s wife and represents the Gu family’s dignity. If others insult her, it would disgrace me as well.”

Old Madam Gu was not very satisfied with this answer. “Put dignity aside for now. At the very least, you must treat her as your wife. She used to be your son’s betrothed, but now that she’s married to you, she is truly your wife.”

Gu Jingxi nodded again and promised, “Don’t worry, Mother. I won’t mistreat her. It’s my fault for failing to teach my subordinates properly and letting her suffer grievances. Since she has married me, she will receive everything a Marquis’s wife deserves.”

Old Madam Gu: “……”

Forget it. This clueless child would probably understand one day. With more time together, perhaps feelings would grow, and harmony would follow.

After leaving Shou’an Hall, Madam Zhang and Madam Chen walked together, chatting.

Once the younger generation had all left, Madam Zhang suddenly said in a sarcastic tone,
“Meng Jinyao just married into the family. Second Sister-in-law, do you really need to rush so eagerly to curry favor with her?”

Madam Chen replied calmly, “Eldest Sister-in-law, what do you mean? I don’t quite understand.”

Madam Zhang snorted and mocked, “There’s no one else here. Why pretend to be stupid in front of me? We’ve been sisters-in-law for nearly twenty years, and I’ve never seen you discuss tea arts with me before.”

Madam Chen’s expression paused briefly, then she deftly deflected, “Didn’t Eldest Sister-in-law say those things were just pretentious hobbies? You’ve always disliked them the most.”

Her words immediately choked Madam Zhang, striking right at her sore spot.

She came from a poor background. It was only because her father worked hard and passed the imperial examination as the top scholar, and because she herself used her beauty to win her husband’s heart, that she managed to marry into the Gu family and become the main wife.

When her father became the top scholar, she was already eleven. It was too late for her to properly learn the refined skills expected of girls from official families. Before marriage, she could only hurriedly learn a few things to improve her prospects. Because she never mastered them, she made several embarrassing mistakes, which led her to resent such pursuits.

Seeing her discomfort, Madam Chen flashed a trace of contempt in her eyes and continued,
“Instead of looking for trouble with me here, Eldest Sister-in-law, you’d better think about how to keep control of the household accounts. Third Sister-in-law may be junior to us, but she is the Marquis’s wife and Old Madam’s legitimate daughter-in-law. Once she’s settled in, will there still be room for us?”

Hearing this, Madam Zhang felt a sense of crisis surge from all directions.

Previously, because Gu Jingxi had not yet married and she was the eldest daughter-in-law by seniority, it was only natural that she managed the household finances. Thus, her mother-in-law entrusted her with that authority.

However, her mother-in-law looked down on her humble origins and believed she lacked the ability to manage affairs well. Using the excuse that raising two sons and a daughter would leave her too busy, she arranged for Madam Chen—who came from a respectable family—to assist her. The two sisters-in-law jointly handled the household matters.

One had to admit: age brought wisdom. This move by her mother-in-law was indeed clever. It avoided favoritism, ensured mutual supervision, prevented chaos, and made it harder for either of them to secretly benefit themselves.

Madam Chen glanced at her lightly, covered her mouth and yawned softly. “Eldest Sister-in-law, I didn’t sleep well last night and feel terribly tired today. I’m going back to rest. Please do as you like.”

With that, she walked away leisurely, leaving Madam Zhang behind, her expression heavy with worry.