After the replacement marriage, I was forced to fight at home

"Is this the house you lived in before?" Zhou Yu followed Meng Wan, looking curiously at the room where Meng Wan lived with Chuan'er when he was a second-class official.

"Yes, I live here, and Chuan'er lives over there." Meng Wan sat on her old bed. "Later, I went to live with my mother, and this room became empty."

"It's so small." Zhou Yu clapped his hands in disdain. He wanted to sit on Chuan'er's bed, but after thinking about it, he sat next to Meng Wan.

"Is this still small? Didn't you see me when I first came to the East Mansion? I lived in a large bunk bed in the back room. It was only half the size of this room. There were eight of us sleeping on it. We had to lie sideways to get in and out."

Zhou Yu watched Meng Wan talk about her past without any self-pity on her face. He sighed in his heart and gently put his arm around her shoulders.

"Also, when we were in the West Residence, I lived with a girl called Shuiqin in a temporary wooden room separated from the kitchen. We didn't dare to turn over after lying down. The slightest movement would make the wooden board creak, and the whole room was filled with the smell of kitchen fumes."

"Shuiqin? I haven't heard you mention it. Is she still in the West Residence?"

Meng Wan was stunned, thinking about the poor little girl who foolishly lost her life, and Wanxiang, the instigator. Although only two or three years had passed, when he mentioned them now, those people and events seemed as distant as a lifetime ago.

"Let's go back to the main house. We have to go to Songhetang for dinner tonight." Meng Wan took Zhou Yu's hand and stood up. "How did you come up with this reason to make mother 'angry'?"

The two of them only planned to make Wang sick the day before the banquet at the prince's mansion, and Meng Wan would use this as an excuse to return to the marquis' mansion and catch Hu off guard.

However, Meng Wan had not yet come up with a good idea on how to make Wang "angry". Zhou Yu told her not to worry about it and that he would discuss it with Meng Wei.

"What's the big deal? In fact, my mother-in-law has long known that the prince has been supporting that young prostitute, but she was afraid that she had really broken her father-in-law's heart, so she never asked about it. Third brother discussed with my mother-in-law and decided to use this as an excuse to make a fuss. Then, my third brother made the arrangements."

"Ah? Was this all arranged by my third brother?" Meng Wan took Zhou Yu's arm.

Zhou Yu nodded, "Qing'er, Third Brother is better than we thought. He didn't show his potential in the past because, firstly, he was not given the opportunity, and secondly, he was not taken seriously in the Marquis' Mansion. Just wait and see. As long as he is away for three to five years, Third Brother will definitely protect my mother-in-law from the wind and rain."

Because Meng Wan was going to stay in Qin Garden for the whole month, the old women and maids who were originally staying in the yard were sent away early by Mother Guo. Only Bao Cheng's family was left with a maid to boil water in the back room. These people were the ones who served Meng Wan personally in the yard.

The two men walked out of the house, "I just didn't expect that eldest brother would become like this." Meng Wan originally felt very disappointed with Meng Shao, but now she felt that he was useless.

It was a coincidence that today, Jiang's sister who had married far away happened to return home. Early in the morning, Meng Shao and his wife brought their children back to Jiang's house.

In order to complete the whole process, when Meng Wan received the news that Wang was ill, Guo Mama also sent servants to the Jiang family to inform them. But up to now, neither Meng Shao nor Jiang, nor anyone from the Jiang family, had seen even a shadow.

"I think your eldest brother will be your next father. Don't have any expectations of him. As long as your third brother is successful, your mother-in-law's life will not be difficult. Even if your third brother can't take on the responsibility, I won't let your mother-in-law suffer."

Meng Wan felt warm at heart when she heard this and leaned her head on Zhou Yu's shoulder. The two of them looked at a wild cat lying lazily on the wall.

"I really hope that we can do this in the palace, and be intimate whenever we want."

Zhou Yu smiled at first, then sighed, "Hold on a little longer. I think Hu has been fooled by your behavior over the past month. But she is very scheming, so we have to let her completely relax her guard against you."

"I know, I'm just saying. Don't worry, you've always been suspicious about Mom's sudden death, haven't you? I have to find out something, so it's better to stay like this before that."

Zhou Yu was happy when he heard Meng Wan call Wang "Mother" and patted Meng Wan's hand which was in his arm.

"I was six years old when my mother passed away. My grandmother was still alive at that time. I only remember that my sister and I had dinner at my mother's house that morning. My sister went to practice the piano. At that time, Zhou Ming always took Zhou Zheng to play. I didn't like them. After writing two pieces of tracing, I fell asleep in the green gauze cabinet in my mother's east room."

Meng Wan listened quietly. This was the first time Zhou Yu talked to her about Wang.

"I was awakened by a loud noise. I sat up and there was no one beside me, not even my mother Fan who always followed me. I suddenly felt an inexplicable panic and shouted for her mother Fan, as if something scary had happened."

Zhou Yu walked forward a few steps. The cat was licking its paws. It looked at Zhou Yu approaching without fear. It slowly arched its body, turned its head and jumped onto an old tree outside the yard.

"Just as I jumped out of bed and tried to put on my shoes, my sister ran in with her hair disheveled and her cheeks swollen. I was terrified and wanted to ask something but it seemed like my throat was choked. My sister came over and hugged me tightly, telling me that mom was gone."

Meng Wan tightened her grip and looked at Zhou Yu with heartache.

"Gone. What did she mean by gone? My sister just shook her head. At this time, I heard my grandmother and father arguing outside. I couldn't hear clearly, but the buzzing in my head hurt. Later, Mother Fan came in, hugged me, and said that mother had suddenly passed away due to a serious illness."

Meng Wan had been married to the palace for a month and had never heard any information about the Wang family. Cai'er had visited almost every courtyard in the palace, but she only heard some words from the elderly that the late princess was a good person. As for other useful information, she did not find out anything.

What does this indicate? It indicates that someone is deliberately suppressing the matter of Wang. Maybe it is the old princess, maybe it is Hu, or of course it could be Zhou Yiheng.

According to her mother, Wang, she had just become pregnant with Meng Qi at that time, and Wang brought Zhou Yu to see her, and was happy for her, and then arranged for their children to be in-laws. Less than ten days after she returned, she received the news that Wang had passed away.

"I knew nothing. I stood there in mourning clothes, and listened to Mother Fan's instructions. I knelt when she told me to, and bowed when she told me to. I only remember that my sister slapped Mrs. Hu hard when she came to cry and kneel. But my sister was not very old and did not have much strength, so my father pulled her away and she hit the corner of the table, and she bled."

Zhou Yu smiled self-deprecatingly. "Later, less than a hundred days after my mother passed away, my father made Mrs. Hu his legal wife in Rexiaoli. Because my mother was an only child, my grandfather was implicated by my aunt and grandmother and was no longer with us. The Wang family's side branches were also suppressed and left to wander outside. So, my grandmother and father had one less thing to worry about."

Meng Wan nodded. In ancient times, if one wanted to remarry, the original wife's family had to agree. Wang was alone now, so naturally there wouldn't be that many troubles.

"Later, my elder sister was sent back to her hometown by my father, saying that she was in mourning for my mother. She didn't come back until I was ten years old and it was time for her to get married."

Meng Wan rubbed his forehead. Zhou Yiheng was such a jerk. He helped his concubine to the throne, and even made his eldest daughter go to mourn? Which family would let their daughter mourn for so many years when they already had a son?

"My sister's marriage was arranged by my grandfather. My grandfather and my brother-in-law's grandfather were good friends. He passed away the year after my sister's marriage was arranged. When my sister came back to discuss the marriage, some news had already reached the Yong'an Earl's Mansion."

"What did you say?" Meng Wan guessed that it must have been sent by Hu.

"It was said that my sister had a tough fate. When she was engaged, her grandfather died. Later, her mother died. Now, when she was about to get married, her grandmother died again. Then it was rumored that Lady Yong'an, my brother-in-law's mother, wanted to reject the marriage."

Zhou Yu looked up at the sky and said calmly, "It was then that everyone knew that when my brother-in-law was arranged to marry, Lady Yong'an did not agree. At that time, Lady Yong'an liked her niece and wanted to make the marriage closer. But it was her father-in-law who arranged the marriage, and my brother-in-law was also satisfied with it, so she could do nothing even if she was not happy.

"After my grandfather, mother, and grandmother passed away one after another, after Hu was promoted to the position of the legitimate wife, she had a close relationship with the wife of the Yong'an Earl. It wasn't long before word spread that the Yong'an Earl's Mansion wanted to cancel the engagement."

Meng Wan also knew what happened later. When Xu Cheng heard that his mother wanted to cancel the engagement, he refused to agree. He knelt in the ancestral hall at home for many days without eating or drinking. Finally, Mrs. Xu had no choice but to agree.

In the first year after she entered the family, Zhou Yingrong did not have a happy life. Mrs. Xu always found fault with her. Fortunately, Xu Cheng protected her and the couple had a good relationship. This was also due to the frequent visits between the two families after the engagement.

It was not until Zhou Yingrong gave birth to her first son that Mrs. Xu gradually let go of her grudges when she saw that her son and grandson were healthy. Once, when Mrs. Xu was seriously ill, Zhou Yingrong served her without taking off her clothes, and even tasted medicine and took urine, which completely moved Mrs. Xu. Later, Zhou Yingrong gave birth to her second son, and Mrs. Xu handed over all the big and small matters in the mansion to Zhou Yingrong, and she enjoyed playing with her grandson.

Now, Mrs. Xu treats Zhou Yingrong better than her own daughter, which is why Zhou Yingrong dares to challenge Zhou Yiheng.