The scumbag ran away from marriage, I remarried on the spot

Chapter 604: Beaten

The imperial examination has ended, but the results have not yet been announced.

Because Zhang was too nervous, the brothers Gu Xiuyuan and Gu Xiuwen, who were not nervous at first, also became nervous. They locked themselves in the study to review their lessons and chose the time when Gu Jingxi came home to ask for advice. If they did well in the metropolitan examination, they would have to take part in the palace examination.

Therefore, Wanwan now particularly dislikes his two older brothers. Every time he sees these two brothers who are trying to snatch his father from him, he pouts and looks unhappy, buries himself in his mother's arms, whimpers and acts coquettishly, fearing that his mother will also be snatched away by his two brothers.

Seeing this, Gu Xiuwen scratched his head and asked awkwardly, "Aunt San, does Fourth Brother not welcome us?"

Meng Jinyao patted her son's head lovingly and said softly, "No, he was just acting like a spoiled child with me, begging me to play in the garden with him. You guys can talk to your third uncle slowly, I'll take your fourth brother out to play first."

Upon hearing this, Gu Xiuwen revealed an expression of understanding and said, "Then Third Aunt and Fourth Brother, take care."

Meng Jinyao put her son down and left holding his hand.

Wanwan was led away by his mother, walking with his short legs. After walking a few steps, he turned his head to look at his father. Seeing his father looking at him with a smile, and his two brothers also looking at him, he became unhappy again, pouted and hummed twice.

Meng Jinyao was afraid that her son would make a fuss, so she hurriedly said, "Wanwan, walk faster. Let's go to the garden to catch little butterflies. If we're late, the little butterflies will go home."

When Wanwan heard this, she immediately forgot about her father.

Seeing this, Gu Xiuyuan touched his nose awkwardly and said, "Third brother, fourth brother really doesn't welcome us very much. Look at his expression."

Gu Jingxi looked at his two nephews and lost his temper, but he couldn't ignore them, so he said: "Children are like this. Buy him some delicious food and fun things later, and he will be reconciled with you as before. Come with me to the study."

The two brothers responded and followed him.

During dinner, Wanwan didn't want the wet nurse to feed her. She sat on Gu Jingxi's lap and let him feed her, otherwise she would throw a tantrum and refuse to eat.

Only after feeding the child and handing him over to the wet nurse could Gu Jingxi eat.

Meng Jinyao glanced at him and smiled, "It's my fault too. I told him to take a nap and play with him when you came back, but you were with his two brothers instead, so he got upset. He was quite happy when I accompanied him to the garden and had forgotten about it. But when we came back and ran into his two brothers again, he remembered that you weren't with him, and pouted his lips in displeasure again."

Gu Jingxi shook his head gently: "It's okay, it will be fine after a few days. It's a good thing that they are studious. When they have a promising future, they can help our little one in the future."

Meng Jinyao nodded: "That's right."

-

Early that morning, Meng Chengzhang came to the Marquis of Changxing's Mansion.

When Meng Jinyao saw her second brother coming here early in the morning, she knew that something must have happened. Thinking of her unreliable father, her heart skipped a beat. She wondered if her bastard father had caused some trouble. The results of the imperial examination had not been announced yet. If her second brother was implicated, who knows what would happen.

She hurriedly asked: "Second brother, did something happen at home?"

Meng Chengzhang nodded slightly and replied, "Big sister, mother and father had an argument yesterday and even had a fight."

Meng Jinyao's face visibly darkened as these words came out. She cursed her father in her heart for being a worthless person who actually hit a woman. She asked, "After my mother married into the family, she has always been conscientious in her duties, keeping the household in order, respecting the elders and being kind to the younger ones. Why did he hit my mother?"

Meng Chengzhang quickly shook his head: "It wasn't my father who beat my mother, it was my mother who fought with my father because of my third sister's marriage."

When Meng Jinyao heard this, her mind flashed with the image of her stepsister obediently calling her "sister". Her heart instantly tightened, and she asked again, "Which family did he betroth my third sister to? Is there a better match?"

Meng Chengzhang replied, "My father wanted to marry my third sister off to Minister Jiang of the Ministry of Personnel as a concubine, but my mother found out. She was so angry that she started arguing with my father, and the argument even escalated into a physical fight."

Minister of Personnel?

Meng Jinyao's brows knitted together. She hadn't expected her father to give up on her. At his age, he was still thinking about securing a future for her. He had almost screwed over his second brother before, and now he hadn't given up and almost screwed over his third sister. She gritted her teeth and cursed, "What a shameless old man! He's betrothing a beautiful young girl to a man over forty as a concubine. How could he even think of that?"

Meng Chengzhang also spat, "Father is becoming more and more absurd now. Even if my third sister isn't his biological daughter, she's just his daughter in name only. Selling a daughter for fame is shameful if it gets out. And making her a concubine is even more shameful."

Meng Jinyao became worried again: "By the way, is mother injured?"

Meng Chengzhang shook his head slightly and replied, "Don't worry, big sister. Father didn't get any advantage, and Mother wasn't injured. However, Father did have a cut on his face, his forehead was smashed by something, and his body had bruises. He was beaten into submission, and although he cursed Mother as a shrew, he didn't dare mention the matter of letting Third Sister become a concubine. He also forbade the servants to gossip about it and spread it, lest it hurt his reputation. This morning, Mother went to the home of Su Shaoqing of the Honglu Temple, probably to discuss Third Sister's marriage."

Meng Jinyao was stunned when she heard this. She had known that her stepmother was fierce, but she didn't expect her to be so fierce that she beat her father like this. She was really an amazing person to be able to beat her father into submission.

"I'm glad mother isn't hurt." Meng Jinyao suppressed her anger and said, "Second brother, you're already seventeen this year, and it's time to get married. After the Spring Examination is over and the results of the Palace Examination are announced, I'll find you a marriage partner. Once you're married, it's time to prepare for Third Sister's wedding, so we don't have to worry about it any further."

Hearing this, Meng Chengzhang's cheeks flushed and he nodded uncomfortably: "It's all up to Big Sister."

Meng Jinyao glanced at him and said jokingly, "You're shy just by mentioning me. If you meet a girl, won't you be so nervous that you can't speak?"

After hearing this, Meng Chengzhang's face turned even redder.

Meng Jinyao opened her mouth slightly, but ultimately said nothing. She had actually already picked out a girl. If her second brother could work hard and get a good score in the exam, and become an official in the court, she would have the confidence to propose marriage to her second brother. Once her second brother got married, her third sister's marriage would also be on the agenda.

Meng Chengzhang was embarrassed and didn't want to be teased by his elder sister anymore, so he quickly changed the subject: "Big sister, where is Wanwan?"

Meng Jinyao replied, "At his grandmother's place. He slept there last night and hasn't come back this morning."

Meng Chengzhang nodded and said, "I came here today, but I haven't paid my respects to the elders yet. Now I'll go pay my respects to the old lady and then see Wanwan. I haven't seen that little girl for a while. I wonder if she still recognizes me."

Meng Jinyao nodded: "Okay, I'll go with you. Xiuwen hasn't been leaving the house lately, and I think he'll be home today too. After greeting the elders, you can also go talk to Xiuwen."