Chapter 232: Accepting Fate for Now

meone indeed attempted to encroach upon my mother's dowry.When Sun and Meng listened, their hearts trembled. They hadn't expected the Zhou family to have kept a trump card.The couple looked at each ot...Zhang's face paled. Her mother-in-law had indeed been kind to them on this side, and who hadn't envied her and Chen Shi for marrying into Changxing Houfu without being subjected to strict rules set by their mothers-in-law

None of her close girlfriends had such a kind mother-in-law as hers. Most were under strict rules for a year or even half a year, and some were even subject to these rules for two years until they got pregnant. In contrast, she had it easy and didn't have to follow the strict morning and evening routines.

When facing her wronged daughter, Zhang could not say such things to avoid upsetting her. She could only say: "Xuan Yi, your grandmother enjoys tranquility, so she is exempt from these rules. Generally, a mother-in-law would set rules for the new bride, which is quite normal. Just bear with it for now, behave well, and if your mother-in-law is happy, perhaps the originally year-long rule will end in six months."

Could Gu Xuyan possibly listen to anything now

Having the examples of her mother and two aunts to compare with, things that her mother didn't have to do, she had to. A distinguished lady from a wealthy family, she hadn't done such things even while in the women's quarters. There was no reason for her to swallow her anger and do them after marriage.

She immediately felt resentment and said, "Mother, you don't have to be bound by grandmother's rules either. Why should I endure this You haven't suffered any hardship yourself, yet you advise me to accept it, letting your own daughter suffer. Am I really still your biological child"

Zhang heard this and felt distressed as well, helplessly saying, “What else do you want You're already married now, a daughter-in-law of another family. You have to abide by their rules. Your mother reminded you before, but you didn’t listen. If you had listened and not secretly met with him, there wouldn’t have been an incident of falling into the water and being rescued. Naturally, you wouldn't have ended up marrying into their family.”

Gu Xuyan knew she was in the wrong, and she didn't dare to argue anymore. But she felt deeply wronged, so she mumbled: "Mother, can't you just tell my mother-in-law Skip all these formalities I've never touched a drop of water from the washing basin since I was a child. How could I possibly serve someone"

Hearing her daughter say such foolish things, Zhang felt a surge of anger. She was exasperated with her daughter, who still hadn't learned from her setbacks. With a stern face, she scolded: "It is customary for new daughters-in-law to show respect to their mothers-in-law by greeting them in the morning and evening. This is an established custom and a way of expressing filial piety. As your mother, would I ask my in-laws to exempt my own daughter from being filial to her parents-in-law That's impossible! Besides, you are now part of another family. As long as your household matters are reasonable, your natal family has no right to interfere."

Gu Xuanyi helplessly asked, "What should I do"

What else can be done

Zhang sighed helplessly and said with a heavy heart, "You just need to serve your mother-in-law well. Be sweet to her, make her happy, and you'll have an easier time. Also, learn from her how to manage the household. In the future, when it comes to taking over, don't take charge now. You aren't capable enough to run a household yet."

Gu Xuanyi felt like the sky was falling, softly sobbing. Her married life now was vastly different from what she had imagined. She was the wife of a prince, yet she still had to do servant's work.

Zhang then asked, “Xuan Yi, besides these, are there any other questions”

Gu Xuanyi nodded, indignant: "And there's also my husband's younger sister, she prefers another girl to be her sister-in-law and speaks to me with veiled barbs."

Zhang's face darkened. She had listened to her mother-in-law's warning beforehand and guessed that Lady Wuan might have better options for a daughter-in-law. Her daughter was a second-best choice, only chosen because of the incident where she fell into the water, making her the only option left. The marriage was thus a foregone conclusion.

She pressed down on her anger, took her daughter's hand, and soothed her in a gentle voice: "She is a young lady and will marry someday. You shouldn't have the same understanding with her. After all, if you two clash, your mother-in-law will definitely defend her own daughter. Who she favors as her sister-in-law is her business. Your brother-in-law chose you, so you are the best. When you marry into the family, your brother-in-law should treat you well, right"

A flicker of sadness crossed Gu Xuanyi's eyes. There was something she couldn't bring herself to say, something she hadn't dared to reveal to anyone, not even her own mother. She feared that if her mother knew, things would escalate and her husband would blame her. Although she harbored resentment towards her in-laws, she still had feelings for her husband.

Not hearing her reply, Zhang felt uneasy and called out, "Xuan Yi"

Gu Xuanyi gently shook her head and replied, "My husband is quite good to me. Yesterday, his younger sister was giving me the cold shoulder, but he reprimanded his sister and then comforted me."

Zhang, upon hearing this, also let out a sigh of relief. As long as her son-in-law treated her daughter well and protected her, it wouldn't be too upsetting. As for the interpersonal relationships within the family, she hoped her daughter would learn to handle them cleverly.

Zhang said earnestly to Xuany, "Xuany, while your husband hasn't taken a concubine yet, you two are newlyweds with a strong bond. Make an effort and try to get pregnant as soon as possible. As long as you're pregnant, your mother-in-law will be less likely to make things difficult for you seeing that she'll have a grandson. She probably won't bother setting strict rules for you then."

Gu Xuanyi nodded absentmindedly.

"Alright, stop crying, or else when we have lunch later, everyone will see your red eyes and start gossiping."

When Zhang finished speaking, she saw that her daughter's makeup was smudged. She then instructed a maidservant to bring water in for her daughter to wash her face and ordered another maidservant to reapply her daughter's makeup.

Gu Xuyan also slowly stopped crying, still feeling wronged. There were bitter things she couldn't say, but she had to accept it for now.

The luncheon has begun.

The men and women were seated at separate tables. It was a family dinner today, all relatives, and the atmosphere was very harmonious. Gu Xiuyuan and his group acted as the elder brothers, and they treated Wu Anbo's son, their brother-in-law, quite well.

After the midday meal, Gu Xuyan and her husband stayed at Gu's residence for another hour before returning home.

Zhang watched her daughter and son-in-law's carriage gradually disappear, unable to help but redden her eyes. Her daughter hadn't had it easy after marriage, but as a mother, she was helpless. All she could do was hope that her daughter would grow up quickly. Otherwise, even if her son-in-law loved her dearly, there would be a day when he grew tired. At that time, she would have to rely on herself.

Just like her, her husband initially treated her like a precious jewel. Later, he took several beautiful concubines. Fortunately, she was strict and made sure each concubine drank abortion-inducing soup, preventing any illegitimate children from causing her trouble.

In the carriage.

Lord Wu An's son looked at his wife, who was sitting beside him with a distracted air. He reached out and pulled her into his arms, asking softly, "Xuan Yi, what did you say to your mother-in-law"

Gu Xuyan's face paled, then she quickly deflected the question, saying, "Nothing much. Mother just asked if I was getting used to life at Marquis Wu'an's residence. I told her truthfully that I wasn't, but fortunately, my husband treats me well. In a few days, I should be able to get used to it."

Duke Wuan's son nodded and asked, "Was there nothing else discussed"

Gu Xuyan smiled and asked, "What else could there be" Before he could reply, she changed the subject. "The Qiu Wei exam results will be released on the first day of next month, Your husband should be on the list."

Upon hearing this, the son of Duke Wuan laughed and shook his head: "That's not necessarily true. Let nature take its course."

Gu Xuyan, however, looked up at him with a smile on her face and said confidently: "I have a feeling that my husband will definitely be on the list."

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Wu'an felt a sense of relief and gained some confidence.y.Gu Xiuhong, who was taking the imperial examination this spring, did not participate in these activities. On the ninth day of the second month, when the Spring Festival Examination was held, he prep...