n't move for now, at least until after Chengzhang enters official service and stabilizes things."She pondered for a moment before continuing, “In another ten or eight years, he will only be in his for...On the public stage

When the butler heard these four light words, his heart skipped a beat. He looked at her in disbelief.

A daughter suing her parents That's unheard of! This is an act of filial disobedience. Even if parents have a thousand faults, they shouldn't be treated this way. Is the eldest daughter truly willing to go this far and become such an unfilial daughter

For a moment, the steward whispered, "Miss, your father and mother are truly your parents after all."

Meng Jinyao's expression turned cold as she corrected, "Meng Dongyuan is my father, but the Sun family is not my biological mother. My mother's surname is Zhou, not Sun."

Stepmother is also a mother.

The housekeeper didn't dare to speak those words. As the eldest daughter, she received worse treatment at Yongchang Bo Fu than even the second son who was born out of wedlock. The second son could still receive some affection from his grandfather and grandmother, but the eldest daughter was disliked and mistreated by her elders. No wonder the eldest daughter would be so heartless.

"For now, there's nothing else to do. Let them carry everything to the Weiruixuan," Meng Jinyao said, then instructed Ningdong, "Ningdong, you lead them."

Ning Dong replied, "Yes, Madam."

Meng Jinyao's commotion naturally alarmed the first and second houses. Her extraordinary actions truly left both houses speechless, unsure whether to call her foolish or simply too young and impulsive.

This would be like openly telling your in-laws that you have no support from your own family, that you're helpless and they can treat you however they want. Even if your family members aren't perfect, they still have to put on a good face in front of your husband's family, otherwise people will look down on them.

Not only did the people in big houses and small houses hear the rumors, even Old Master Gu, who lived a secluded life, had heard of them.

Inside Shou'an Hall.

Old Madam Gu gently twirled the beads in her hand, letting out a soft sigh: "This child, Yao'er, has suffered so much. To have such a father and stepmother..."

Even Old Madam Feng sighed with regret: “Lady, by doing this, she has offended her family completely. A weak woman, unless it was absolutely necessary, wouldn't dare to block off all her escape routes.”

Hearing this, Madam Gu thought of her daughter-in-law's composure and boldness on her wedding day. A look of approval appeared on her face: "It is not uncommon for stepmother to seize the dowry of their stepdaughters, but a girl as brave as her is rare. With such a personality, she can shoulder the responsibilities of being the mistress of the family."

Feng Mama nodded in agreement and said, "Madam, I heard that the Marquis and his wife returned together yesterday. It's estimated that the Marquis also went to Yongchang Bo's mansion yesterday."

Elder Madam Gu was quite surprised, then she smiled with delight: "It seems my words have been heard."

Grandmother Feng smiled and said, "Master always listens to your words."

Old Madam Gu let out a huff of displeasure: "If he had listened to me, he wouldn't be getting married this late. It was still Xiu Ming running away from his wedding, and Yao indicated she wanted to marry him, only then did he snag the opportunity."

Grandma Feng gently soothed, “In the past, it was because our fates hadn't aligned. But now, this year, our fates have finally met.” She then picked up her teapot and thoughtfully refilled Elder Mrs. Gu’s cup with tea.

This sentence truly struck a chord with Madam Gu. As a devout Buddhist, she believed in fate and always emphasized the importance of "緣" (fate). If one encounters something, it's because of fate; if one loses something, it's simply that their paths weren't meant to cross. One shouldn't force things.

-

Evergreen Manor, Hall of Everlasting Blessing.

The steward returned to Duke Yongchang's mansion, and told his master about what happened at Lord Changxing's mansion. Tremblingly, he presented the list of missing items.

Meng Dongyuan took the order and glanced at it, his anger rising like a raging fire. He slammed his fist on the table, sending the order flying along with his rage. He roared in fury, "You little wretch!"

Not only him, but Sun and Lady Meng were also so angry that their faces kept changing between red and white.

Who could have imagined that Meng Jinyang would be so ruthless, at Changxing Houfu, in front of the Gu family servants, she would have them open the box and inspect it, stomping on the face of the Meng family with all her might

If the check finds no missing items, it's fine. But if there are missing items, this invisible slap will sting the faces of the Meng family elders.

Lady Meng was so enraged that her blood rushed to her head, her face turning red. She took several deep breaths before calming down, waving her hand to signal the steward and maidservant to retreat. Gritting her teeth, she hissed: "I knew this bane would bring calamity upon the entire Meng family. I shouldn't have let her grow up in the first place. For such a trifle, she would betray the whole family."

Sun's tears streamed down her face, her voice choked with sobs: "Mother, what should we do now"

She was truly scared now, an unprecedented panic threatening to engulf her.

From then on, wherever she went, people would point and stare. Even when she stayed home, the servants would look down on her in their hearts. After all, Cheng Xing was a man; if he studied hard and passed the civil service exams, he might still have a chance to improve his status.

... and her maid, Ah-Yu, was at a marriageable age. She would be influenced by her mistress's situation, and her marriage prospects would be hindered. She could only reluctantly marry into a lower status family; marrying into a higher status family was out of the question, let alone dreaming of it.

Mrs. Meng was already agitated, and her cries only made her more so. She scowled and scolded, "What are you crying for As an elder, how can you even be defeated by a little girl You've brought shame upon the entire family!"

Sun wiped her tears and said pitifully, "As a daughter-in-law, I didn't expect that she still had a dowry list from the Zhou family."

"Do you still have the face to play the victim" Old Madam Meng glared at her with displeasure, her rebuke even more severe. "Regardless of whether she has that dowry list in her hands, when you were doing the accounts, you should have prepared two sets, just in case."

Sun shi sobbed softly, not daring to retort. She said, "Mother, it's fine if she wants us to exchange the goods for silver, but to also demand an inventory of the profits from the house and shops... most of that money has already been spent. It would be incredibly difficult for our family to come up with such a large sum. My husband needs funds for socializing, and Yu er will be getting married in two years. We need to prepare her dowry properly so that we are not looked down upon by the groom's family."

Hearing this, Mrs. Meng's face turned ashen with fury. Such a large sum of money just handed over like that Who would be willing to accept it But that dead girl insisted on going to the government! It was already embarrassing enough, but going to the government office would make things even worse.

She glanced at Mrs. Sun, who was wiping her eyes with a low head, and instantly had an idea. She said, "Don't you have some dowry If you convert it to silver to make up for the shortfall, although it might not cover everything completely, we can contribute the rest from the family."

Mrs. Sun was astonished and raised her head: "My, my dowry"

Meng Dongyuan also thought this was a good idea, and agreed: "Madam, you know the situation at home. I need to socialize outside, and there are three children who are not yet married. Dowry and betrothal gifts are a big expense. You can use your dowry first, and when the children have made a name for themselves in the future, we will make up for it."

Upon hearing this, Sun shi felt thunderous shock. A dowry was a woman's private money, something her husband couldn't touch. Now her in-laws were demanding she liquidate her entire dowry to plug that financial hole

Back then, the generous dowry Zhou's family had left her was under her management. But the silver earned from those estates and shops wasn't solely spent on her. Her husband wanted to keep up appearances outside the home, so his expenses were high. And her mother-in-law was accustomed to using only the finest things, demanding everything be of the best quality.

Even some valuable vases and jade items, which her husband would take to give as gifts, ultimately ended up being her responsibility.h a vengeance. After taking a dose of medicine, his fever subsided, and he "woke up." He drank a bowl of light congee and went back to sleep. Who knew that by the afternoon, he started running a feve...