novelraw Chapter 383 - 375: Dispute
Chapter 383 - 375: Dispute
Jingfu knew Madam would act this way.
However, thinking about it, the young master is already fine now. Besides, it’s not a solution for the Marquis to keep avoiding things like this. If he sees the young master more often, perhaps feelings will develop between them.
Everything was tidied up here. Lin Youning and her group had just sat down with Mrs. Gu Sr. and barely exchanged a few words when Mrs. Dong came in with the child.
When Mrs. Gu Sr. saw Mrs. Dong, her expression was not very pleasant, but today was, after all, the Mid-Autumn Festival, and besides, Mrs. Dong was the legitimate Madam of the household.
"Brother Zong can recognize people now. Would the old madam like to hold him?" After entering, Mrs. Dong first paid her respects to the old madam, then to Gu Yifeng. She even called Lin Youning "Big Sister-in-law," which was rare, before speaking to Mrs. Gu Sr. "The other day, Brother Zong was scared; that’s my fault. I’ve been wanting to bring him here for a while now, thinking that the old madam would surely care about her grandson, so I’ve had Brother Zong recuperating. Now that the child has recovered, and since today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, and the old madam hasn’t seen him for some time, I brought him over."
As she spoke, Mrs. Dong had already taken the child from the nanny’s arms and walked over to Mrs. Gu Sr.’s side, "Old Madam, look at how much this child resembles the Marquis."
Mrs. Gu Sr. couldn’t help but soften when faced with her grandson. Moreover, as she had grown older, she had developed a fondness for little children. Seeing the slightly plump and fair-looking Brother Zong that Mrs. Dong brought over, even she found it quite adorable.
Mrs. Gu Sr. examined the child for a long while but couldn’t see any resemblance to her son. "The child is still too young to determine whom he resembles. Although he has recovered now, care should still be taken. Brother Zong is still young and must not be frightened again. You know what happened the last time. You should manage your temper better in the future."
After speaking a few words about the child, she moved on to criticize Mrs. Dong bluntly. Mrs. Dong, showing no anger, smiled and responded affirmatively before stepping aside while looking toward the direction of the Marquis. "The Marquis hasn’t seen Brother Zong for a long time either."
Her gaze shifted to Lin Youning, clearly thinking Lin Youning was quite ignorant for keeping the Marquis from returning to see his son.
Lin Youning did not get angry at this behavior, nor did Gu Yifeng pay it any mind. But sitting above, Mrs. Gu Sr. was indeed angered. She felt that Mrs. Dong was regressing in maturity, acting childishly jealous despite approaching the stature of a grandmother.
"Alright, Sister Ning is pregnant right now, and the elder son should be there to keep an eye on things. Anyway, you don’t have anything much to do, and Sister Hui manages the household affairs well. Brother Zong is still a child; even if his father doesn’t visit him, what would he understand?" Mrs. Gu Sr. abruptly interrupted her, not sparing another glance for her, and turned to Sister Ning. "I see you’ve gained some weight recently. I received some good bird’s nest; take it with you when you leave later. You’re pregnant now, so you must consider the child in your womb, even if it’s food you don’t typically like."
Mrs. Dong’s nose twisted in anger; having been scolded by the old madam, she immediately focused on caring for Lin Youning, clearly showing her disdain for Mrs. Dong, especially in front of so many servants.
Despite her displeasure, Mrs. Dong smiled and said, "Yes, you must eat more now that you are expecting. Back when I was pregnant with Brother Zong, the old madam worried I wasn’t eating well and constantly sent good things to my courtyard. Yet, look at me, I am truly unfortunate; despite all those good meals, Brother Zong was still born frail, which I deeply regret after all the old madam’s care."
Mrs. Gu Sr. was busy advising Sister Ning to eat well and offer her things, but Mrs. Dong’s words seemed a direct message to Sister Ning, indicating this wasn’t about favoritism from the old madam; she was once treated the same during her pregnancy.
"You’re quite talkative today." Mrs. Gu Sr. showed little interest in her provocations.
Disliking Mrs. Dong’s demeanor, she continued, "Why not leave Brother Zong here and go assist Sister Hui? After all, it’s the Mid-Autumn Festival and she might not fully understand some things. You, as the mother, should teach her."
Not caring whether Mrs. Dong was willing or not, she had Nanny Chi bring the child over.
Having spoken enough, Mrs. Dong understood that if she stayed longer, the old madam would certainly reprimand her more harshly, so she smiled, curtsied slightly, and withdrew.
Mrs. Dong reckoned that with Brother Zong here, even doing nothing would unsettle Lin Youning.
Once Mrs. Dong had left, Mrs. Gu Sr. shook her head helplessly, "She becomes increasingly immature. Don’t take her words to heart. Getting angry at someone like her only ends up upsetting yourself. It’s Mid-Autumn; did your maternal grandmother send anything over?"
Lin Youning smiled, "Initially, I wanted to send some things over, but my grandmother had already sent something, saying that since I’m pregnant, there’s nothing the Prime Minister’s Mansion lacks, so it doesn’t matter if I miss this time. She advised me to take care of myself first, so I sent the prepared things back together."
"You did the right thing. Even if your grandmother doesn’t care for these things, your aunt lives there too, and etiquette should not be neglected. Now you’re pregnant, but you have maids and a nanny by your side; just giving instructions will see it done. No need to exert yourself." Mrs. Gu Sr. nodded approvingly. With Mrs. Dong gone, her face already relaxed to a smile, "The child in your belly is almost three months old, right? Once stable, it’s getting colder by the day. Why not have the elder son take you to stay at the manor for a while? Return before the snow seals the mountain. Otherwise, as your belly grows, it might be difficult to venture out."
Surprised at heart, Lin Youning had expected her aunt to have her rest in the manor, but the suggestion to go outside made her wonder if there was something they wished for her to avoid.
Outwardly, Lin Youning adapted to the suggestion while mulling over the situation internally. Just then, a young maid announced the arrival of Sister Ran and Sister Jian, prompting Mrs. Gu Sr. to halt their conversation.
Ever since Sister Ran caused trouble outside, Mrs. Gu Sr. had not been fond of the sisters, feeling inherently they were difficult to teach, no matter how they were raised. This visit was their first since that incident.