Chapter 440 - 432: Responding
Mrs. Dong Sr. had been ill recently. When she saw her son come in, she didn’t have much energy and was supported by a maid to sit up against the headboard.
Before Mr. Dong Sr. spoke, he waved to dismiss the servants in the room, "This is a letter sent by Father. Mother, you should take a look too. Now, the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion is inquiring about Brother Zong’s matters. Mother might think that what she did went unnoticed, but perhaps after Mother threatened the younger sister last time, she did something after returning to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion that caught their attention."
Mrs. Dong Sr. furrowed her brows, "If the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion is paying attention, then so be it. Now that my Brother De is gone, I have no mind to care about other things. If it weren’t for you persuading me back then, I would have forced her to bring Sister Jian into our mansion. Now that the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion is suspicious, that’s her fate, not anyone else’s fault. Over the years, our Dong Mansion hasn’t wronged her. A married daughter is like spilt water; from the moment she refused to marry off, she caused such a mess. These years have been unstable for her, marrying into the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion didn’t bring any benefit to our mansion. Let’s not even mention the marriage proposal; she fancied Brother De at first, but in the end, what happened? We treated her as family, but she only thought of herself. From now on, I will pretend I don’t have this daughter. No need to bring her matters here. If the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion wants to investigate, let them. Whatever they find, it’s her destined misfortune."
After finishing her words, Mrs. Dong Sr. waved her hand, indicating she didn’t want to say more.
Seeing this, Mr. Dong Sr. knew he shouldn’t say more, so he got up and left, but this matter was not only about his younger sister, it also concerned the Dong Mansion’s reputation.
After much deliberation, Mr. Dong Sr. wrote a letter, ensuring it was personally delivered to his sister. Only then did he feel somewhat at ease.
However, when the person reached the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, they said they couldn’t see the mistress as she was ill and too weak to stand, so she couldn’t meet anyone.
Upon hearing this, Mr. Dong Sr. felt the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion had blocked the news, and now he didn’t know how his sister was. Mr. Dong Sr. didn’t dare to go to the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion in person, fearing it would attract more attention from them.
His son originally went there, and Mr. Dong Sr., already troubled, found the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion in trouble again. His daughter hadn’t married into the Eldest Prince’s Mansion yet. If anything came up from the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, she wouldn’t be able to marry.
Not expecting this issue, Mr. Dong Sr. couldn’t help but get anxious, and after a night’s worry, he developed sores in his mouth.
The Dong Mansion couldn’t stay calm, and this very reaction made Gu Yifeng feel something was amiss.
By just sending Li Si and Zhao Wu to investigate, the Dong Mansion took action, clearly guilty of something.
Recalling Mrs. Dong’s deeds and the sudden appearance of a son, Gu Yifeng grew more suspicious.
Lin Youning noticed her big brother troubled daily and thought he was uneasy about Mrs. Dong’s matters. After all, such matters are hard for a man to come to terms with.
But since Lin Youning had given all the advice she could, she wasn’t sure what else to say, often initiating lighthearted topics for discussion. Gu Yifeng noticed Sister Ning’s worries about him, and although he discussed this with Sister Ning, she didn’t believe it, so he dared not bring it up again.
Over at Mrs. Gu Sr.’s side, she had her own thoughts. One day, she called her son over, "These days I’ve noticed that Mrs. Dong has fallen ill. Thinking about the Dong Mansion’s matters makes me uneasy, and although we aren’t responsible, it all started because of our mansion. Even though we sent someone over to express our condolences, we are still in-laws with the Dong Mansion. Make time to visit personally."
While talking, Mrs. Gu Sr. studied her son, "This matter shouldn’t require me to ask you personally; it’s simply a matter of etiquette. Why do you seem distant from the Dong Mansion? Did something happen that I don’t know about?"
"You’re overthinking, Mother. There’s nothing going on. It’s just because of Sister Jian’s issues that I don’t want to go there. Besides, you mentioned this matter doesn’t directly concern us, yet it started due to our mansion. If I visit the Dong Mansion now during their sorrow, I’m afraid it may exacerbate their emotions, so I thought of going after some time."
Mrs. Gu Sr. nodded, "You weigh these matters in your mind. While I do favor Sister Ning, never forget that the Marquis Mansion is your home, and you are the Marquis here. In the East Mansion, you are merely the eldest son of the Gu Family. You have two roles; don’t forget."
Gu Yifeng nodded, and Mrs. Gu Sr., seeing her son’s perfunctory demeanor, knew there was little use in saying more, so she dismissed him.
After her son left, Mrs. Gu Sr. called over Suyi, "Find time to visit the East Mansion and see if anything unusual has happened lately. The Marquis has always valued decorum, and his sudden change in behavior must have a reason. The more he conceals from me, the more uneasy I feel. Who knows what the Dong Mansion or Mrs. Dong did to rile him so?"
Suyi complied.
Upon leaving the mansion, Gu Yifeng knew his mother wouldn’t believe him. Returning to the East Mansion, he shared the matter with Sister Ning, "Tell your people to be cautious, especially concerning Sister Hui’s request. People in the East Mansion know Sister Hui sought your help but aren’t aware of about what. If anyone inquires, make up an excuse to placate Mother."
Lin Youning nodded, "Rest assured, big brother. I would do the same even if you didn’t mention it."
After all, revealing Mrs. Dong’s actions would be disgraceful. Even if the Dong Mansion is behind them, she married into the Dingyuan Marquis Mansion, and this would reflect poorly on them. What would outsiders think if it suddenly surfaced after all these years?
Gu Yifeng held her hand, "I’ve always trusted you. Though your age matches Sister Hui’s, you handle things maturely. You’ve borne much burdens these days. I’m fine, just need to investigate some things quietly."
Lin Youning’s eyes flickered with doubt. These days, her big brother had been with her constantly. She wondered what exactly he was investigating.