Neither Father Meng, Mother Meng, nor Meng Zifang were easy people to deal with. In her past life, before Meng Mingchi was recognized and taken back by the Duke of Rongguo’s estate, Lin Yulan had lived with them and suffered no shortage of mistreatment. Her mother-in-law was picky, and her sister-in-law Meng Zifang was delicate, greedy, and petty. At the slightest dissatisfaction, Meng Zifang would run to her mother-in-law to exaggerate and file complaints.
Fortunately, neither the mother-in-law nor the sister-in-law were particularly smart. They were hateful, but not vicious. She would rather suffer a little loss, do more chores, speak nicely to coax and accommodate them, and frequently use her dowry to buy them inexpensive little gifts to satisfy their petty greed, making life just barely manageable.
However, the mental exhaustion was very real.
Later on, after Meng Mingchi was brought back by the Duke of Rongguo’s estate, the Meng family frequently came knocking to take advantage of them.
How could the Duchess of Rongguo possibly deign to entertain them? They didn’t dare act presumptuously in front of a proper Duchess, nor did they dare act out in front of the steward of the Duke’s estate, but they threw their weight around and bared their claws in front of her.
The Duchess of Rongguo made her responsible for dealing with them, warning her not to let them cause trouble that would tarnish the estate’s reputation, or else she would make her pay.
Heaven knows how much thought she had put into using both soft and hard tactics, wielding a stick while offering a sweet date, before she finally managed to barely rein them in.
Later on, she had even felt compelled to engineer a marriage match for Meng Zifang, having her married off to Jinan, while using her silver-tongued persuasion to convince Father Meng and Mother Meng to also move to Jinan to settle down. Every year, she sent people twice with silver and goods to appease Meng Zifang’s husband’s family, as well as to keep Meng Zifang and her parents in check, only then ensuring that life could go on smoothly.
What else could she do? Regardless of everything else, they were the ones who had raised Meng Mingchi!
The Duke of Rongguo’s estate could never allow people to point fingers at their spines and curse them for being ungrateful, cold-blooded, and lacking in affection.
As for now, she wondered just how far Lin Yuwei would be able to manage this.
Lin Yulan was actually somewhat looking forward to it.
Naturally, in this lifetime, Lin Yulan couldn’t possibly have known Meng Zifang at this moment. Hearing her voice, she asked with a puzzled expression, “This young lady is…”
At this question, everyone in the Lin family felt somewhat awkward, and Meng Mingchi looked a bit awkward as well.
Lin Yuwei bit her lip in shame and anger, just about to speak, when Meng Zifang had already chimed in with a smile toward Lin Yulan, “Elder Sister Lin, I am Meng Zifang from the Meng family. Today, I specifically followed my sister-in-law to pay a formal visit and get acquainted. Elder Sister Lin can just call me Zifang!”
A sister-in-law tagging along for a home visit with the newlywed wife—this was truly the kind of thing the Meng mother and daughter were capable of doing.
If it weren’t completely inappropriate, Mother Meng would probably have wanted to come herself.
However, this no longer had anything to do with her.
Lin Yulan nodded at her and gave a polite greeting, “Little Sister Zifang!”
Madam Gu truly felt that the Meng family lacked proper breeding. After all, Lin Yuwei was her biological daughter, and what overnight grudges could there be between them? Unwilling to see her daughter lose face in front of Lin Yulan, she smiled faintly and said, “Father, let’s go inside first.”
“Right, right, let’s go. Hurry inside!”
Lin Daohui’s face was full of smiles.
Lin Yuwei and Meng Mingchi had arrived first and had already paid their respects to the parents. Since Shao Xun hadn’t come, Lin Yulan had to kneel alone as a married daughter to kowtow and offer tea to her parents, receive her gifts, and listen to a few words of instruction.
Lin Daohui and his son invited Meng Mingchi to talk in a separate flower parlor, while Madam Gu exchanged a glance and led Lin Yulan and Lin Yuwei away.
Seeing that Meng Zifang actually wanted to follow along as well, Fangshi twitched the corners of her mouth in speechlessness, hurriedly called out to her with a smile, and invited her to tour the garden together.
Meng Zifang also realized how out of place she was. Her face flushed red with embarrassment, and she quickly followed Fangshi away.
She glared fiercely at Lin Yuwei’s retreating back, blaming her in her heart for not reminding her and causing her to lose face in front of others. Once she got home, she would definitely tell her mother and see how her mother punished her…
Madam Gu had Lin Yulan wait outside the door while she brought her biological daughter into the room.
Nanny Zhang couldn’t help reminding and persuading, “Mistress, Eldest Young Miss is now, after all, the Marchioness of Wuwei. Leaving her standing outside the door like this… might it not be very appropriate?”
Lin Yuwei snapped back irritably, “What? Does Nanny Zhang want to suck up to her? You’re already this impatient to speak on her behalf?”
“This old servant wouldn’t dare! This old servant simply feels that since the Eldest Young Miss is already married off anyway, there’s really no need for this…”
Feeling even more bitter, Lin Yuwei gave a cold laugh. “Even if she becomes a Marchioness, in front of my mother she is still just a concubine-born daughter! If my mother tells her to kneel, she still has to kneel! Don’t tell me that just because she’s a Marchioness, she doesn’t even recognize her parents anymore? If she has the guts, let her try! Besides, that Shao family isn’t even run by her; she merely holds the empty title of a Marchioness. Her husband doesn’t like her, and her elders don’t dote on her. Her life is probably more bitter than coptis root. When returning to her maiden home, what airs is she trying to put on? Who is she showing off to? It’s just superficial glory.”
Nanny Zhang couldn’t say a single word more, nor did she dare to speak again.
Feeling annoyed, Madam Gu waved her hand to dismiss Nanny Zhang, then frowned and glared at Lin Yuwei. “Nanny Zhang has been with me for over twenty years; even if she hasn’t made major contributions, she has worked hard. Why are you shouting at her like that? Or are you saying you regret it now? Hmph, even if you regret it, it’s too late!”
Thinking of Lin Yulan’s entire attire and makeup today, Madam Gu felt even more annoyed.
All those things should have originally belonged to her daughter!
If the one returning for her home visit in such glorious fashion today were her daughter, she didn’t know how happy she would be.
Lin Yuwei’s eyes turned red. “I don’t regret it at all! We’ve barely even started! Eldest Brother-in-law will definitely be better than that prodigal Marquis in the future, and Lin Yulan will only be fit to cower and grovel, trying to suck up to me! Why won’t Mother believe me?”
“You!”
Seeing her so obstinate and incorrigible, Madam Gu’s anger surged straight up. She poked her finger hard against Lin Yuwei’s forehead, gritting her teeth in hatred as she hissed, “If you don’t regret it, why are you crying? Go ahead and keep up that stubborn front!”
Lin Yuwei could no longer hold back her sobs as tears streamed down her face. She choked out her accusations against Mother Meng and Meng Zifang.
Eldest Brother-in-law treated her very well, and he even comforted her. But as a son, he couldn’t control his mother! And Meng Zifang was shielded by their mother. Fortunately, Eldest Brother-in-law was good to her; otherwise, she truly wouldn’t have known what to do!
Madam Gu was so angry that her chest hurt. “…And the son-in-law? What did he say?”
Lin Yuwei wept, “Eldest Brother-in-law is good; he even comforted me. But as a son, he can’t lecture his own mother! And Meng Zifang is protected by their mother. It’s fortunate that Eldest Brother-in-law is good to me, or else I really wouldn’t have known what to do!”
Madam Gu was dumbfounded: “…”
Had her daughter’s brain broken? How could she still call such a son-in-law good?