Gu Changwei felt that Dong Ningxin had done nothing to overstep the boundaries of a concubine, so when he heard the old madam’s words, his brows furrowed deeply.
“Mother, you cannot always look at A’xin with such prejudice. I know very well what kind of person she is. Moreover, A’xin has not had an easy time all these years. Now that she has entered our Duke’s Mansion, I must protect her. Besides, Ning Wan had instructed me to treat A’xin well. At that time, if I could have brought A’xin into the mansion, she wouldn’t have had to suffer so much!” Gu Changwei said with regret.
“Suffer? Suffer what? With the help of the Duke’s Mansion, she also found a satisfactory marriage. When she got married, the dowry you gave her was even more than what the Dong family provided. What suffering did she endure? She herself agreed to this marriage.” The old madam struck the ground heavily with her cane, emitting a dull sound, much like her current mood. This son of hers had been so infatuated with the eldest daughter of the Dong family that he had lost his senses, and now Dong Ningxin had appeared. What sin had she committed to attract these two sisters!
“You can know a person’s face but not their heart. That marriage looked good, but whether it was truly good, we outsiders do not know.” Gu Changwei tried his best to plead for Dong Ningxin, hoping to make the old madam accept her.
“Did Dong Ningxin complain to you?” The old madam was sharp and grasped the key point.
“The Shi family outwardly appeared to be upright and honorable, but in reality, they harbored filth. Otherwise, how could the Shi family’s son have died at such a young age? Outsiders don’t know the reason, but A’xin does. The Shi family’s son was dissolute. It was said he died of illness, but in reality, it was from excessive indulgence…” Gu Changwei said.
The old madam had a friendship with the old madam of the Shi family. They had known each other since they were young girls. When the Shi family’s son passed away, the old madam had specifically visited the Shi family. The old madam of the Shi family expressed her resentment towards the Dong family and Gu Changwei. Only after repeated questioning did she learn the inside story of the Shi family’s son’s death. Although she didn’t know everything, she knew a little, and it was undeniably related to Dong Ningxin.
The Shi family originally intended to sue the Dong family. However, the Dong family moved out of the Duke’s Mansion and used it as their backing. Furthermore, since the Shi family had lost their son, there were no capable individuals left in the family. In the end, they had no choice but to accept the Dong family’s proposal to have Dong Ningxin return home. The old madam never would have imagined that even after death, Dong Ningxin would slander someone in such a manner.
“So, you believe Dong Ningxin’s words?” The old madam stared at Gu Changwei and asked, word by word.
“Of course, I believe her. A’xin has always been kind!” Gu Changwei defended.
“Very well, very well, a truly kind person!” The old madam laughed sarcastically. “I will not argue with you. Since you wholeheartedly believe that Dong Ningxin, you will not believe anything this old woman says. Forget it, there’s no need to say more. It’s still the same statement: if she is determined to manage the household affairs, then abort the child. If she wants to keep the child, then hand over the token. She had already agreed to Tingxue before, and there is no reason to go back on her word.”
“But Qin shi didn’t manage household affairs much before either,” Gu Changwei pleaded for Dong Ningxin.
“But before, this good person, Dong Ningxin, was not in the mansion. Besides, Zhenzhen will be entering the household soon, and the household affairs will eventually be handed over to her,” the old madam said.
Gu Changwei naturally disliked this daughter-in-law. As a junior, she showed no respect to her elders. After only a few days of marriage, she was instigating to seize the power of management. If she were to succeed, wouldn’t A’xin be bullied to death?
“Mother, that is also your grandson!”
“In my heart, only A’nian is my grandson,” the old madam said, word by word.