My Dearest Sister-In-Law, I've Been Waiting For You To Get A Divorce For A Long Time - Chapter 15

Chapter 15

◎ ‘Sister-in-law, save me.’ ◎

“Ayao,” Mo Shuqing said in a serious tone, looking down at Gu Wenyao, who was sitting in front of her. She raised her hand and held the letters in front of her.

Gu Wenyao’s heart was practically in her ears, its beating a drum against her eardrums, as if it were about to jump out.

Her eyelashes fluttered, and her gaze moved from Mo Shuqing’s shoes to her hands. Even at this moment, she had no regrets. All she could think was how well she had written them, and that if she had to do it again, she would still write the same letters to Mo Shuqing.

Gu Wenyao’s eyes followed Mo Shuqing’s fingers to the letters she held.

The envelopes were well-preserved with no damage, but their color had slightly yellowed. They were clearly several years old, not like the recent letters.

Especially the clean, beautiful calligraphy on the envelope looked a little green and immature. It read:

“To Mo Shuqing.”

“…”

Gu Wenyao was slightly stunned. Her eyes were fixed on the envelope, and she understood what was happening. She looked past Mo Shuqing to Madam Zhou, who had entered a few steps behind her.

Madam Zhou stepped through the door and clearly noticed Gu Wenyao’s gaze. Their eyes met for a moment, then looked away, without saying anything. Yet it was as if they had reached a silent agreement.

Gu Wenyao let out a quiet sigh, a mix of relief and resignation. She put her kind and gentle mask back on, lifted her head to look at Mo Shuqing, and blinked twice. Holding her teacup, she said obediently, “Yes, sister-in-law?”

“My mother said that we came back in such a hurry that many of our belongings were left behind in Lingnan and couldn’t be brought with us. So she only found a hundred or so letters from six or seven years ago. As for the rest, it might take a while for them to be delivered,” Mo Shuqing said with a slight frown and a tone of regret. She gently touched the worn edges of the envelopes, her eyes filled with sorrow.

She had received them too late, otherwise, she would have preserved them with great care.

When Mo Shuqing sat back in her chair, she held the letters and glanced at Madam Zhou. She was clearly still angry with her, and her face showed her displeasure.

Madam Zhou found it ridiculous. They were just letters. Even if they were stacked together and well-preserved, a little friction was inevitable.

Besides, she hadn’t burned all of them and even brought them back to the capital, which was already more than enough. Did she expect her to build a special room and enshrine them?

“What letters?” Lord Mo leaned forward curiously, looking at his daughter and then at Madam Zhou.

Madam Zhou said vaguely, “They were letters that little Ayao sent a few years ago. But they had the wrong address and were all sent to the government office. The servants were careless, so it took until now for them to get to Shuqing.”

“That’s too careless! I told you it was impossible for two girls who were so close not to have any correspondence over the years,” Lord Mo said, slapping his thigh. He felt deep regret for the years the two children had missed.

He was about to ask who the careless servant was. Someone so clumsy couldn’t handle delicate work and should be sent to chop wood in the backyard.

Madam Zhou didn’t name anyone and quickly changed the subject.

The couple went back to talking to each other.

Because Mo Shuqing’s return to the capital was a detour under the pretense of visiting family, Madam Zhou hadn’t told anyone. She acted as if it had never happened, so Lord Mo didn’t even know about the misunderstanding between Mo Shuqing and Gu Wenyao.

Meanwhile, seeing Mo Shuqing handle the letters as if they were treasures, Gu Wenyao put down her teacup, turned, and said with a smile, “It’s nothing. They’re just letters. They’re not as good as seeing you in person.”

Seeing that the two of them were about to huddle and talk as if no one else was there, Madam Zhou quickly coughed twice and forced a smile. “Shouldn’t we eat now?”

Lunch was quite lavish, and the flavors were well-balanced. But under Madam Zhou’s watchful eye, Gu Wenyao was very restrained while eating. Even when Mo Shuqing gave her some food with her chopsticks, she took it with a degree of reserve.

“Little Ayao is sixteen years old now, isn’t she?” Madam Zhou used her communal chopsticks to give Gu Wenyao some food and asked casually, “Has Madam Yu ever found a suitor for you?”

Gu Wenyao’s eating slowed down. “Not yet. Mother says my health is poor, so there’s no rush to get married. I can stay in the manor for a few more years.”

“Exactly, exactly. There’s no rush to get married. You and Shuqing have been reunited after so long, why rush to get you married off?” When Lord Mo heard that Gu Wenyao was in poor health, he immediately told a servant to get her a bowl of nourishing soup.

Madam Zhou glared at Lord Mo from the side. He gave her a bewildered look and could only laugh awkwardly as he put some food on her plate.

“Even so, it’s a good idea to start looking ahead of time, so you don’t miss the right age and can’t find a good husband,” Madam Zhou said. She was an elder to Gu Wenyao and had watched her grow up since she was a child. To outsiders, her words seemed completely normal and showed a senior’s concern for a junior.

Mo Shuqing didn’t say anything when she heard this. She just saw that Gu Wenyao was holding her chopsticks but not eating, so she put a few of her favorite childhood dishes on her plate.

After so many years, she still remembered.

Gu Wenyao looked at Mo Shuqing from the side, a sparkle in her eyes. Her lips curved into a smile, and she said softly, “Thank you, sister-in-law.”

She had thanked Mo Shuqing, so she naturally had to thank Madam Zhou as well, or it would be rude.

If this were in the Gu manor, Gu Wenyao would have thrown her chopsticks at the person who spoke! But Madam Zhou was Mo Shuqing’s mother and her elder, so her status was different from the Gu family members in Gu Wenyao’s eyes.

“Aunt Zhou is right. It’s just that, as you know, in my current situation, I’m afraid I won’t be able to find a suitable man,” Gu Wenyao said. She wasn’t one to show her displeasure, but she wasn’t a softie either. Her lips curved into a smile as she looked up at Madam Zhou. “So I can only choose quality over quantity and never settle.”

From what she was saying, it sounded like she wouldn’t marry anyone but Mo Shuqing!

The hand Madam Zhou used to hold her chopsticks tightened slightly. She forced a smile and said with a meaningful look, “But in this life, you can’t always have what you want. You have to consider your family and what others think. Look at Shuqing, didn’t she also marry into your Gu family and become your brother’s sister-in-law in both name and reality?”

“Only in name,” Gu Wenyao said, putting down her chopsticks. She gently corrected Madam Zhou. “My brother is still in bed. I’ve been with my sister-in-law the past few days.”

Lord Mo quickly interjected, “It’s good that you’ve been with her. I’m relieved that you’re with Shuqing.”

Relieved my ass!

Madam Zhou was speechless.

Madam Zhou felt like she wanted to put the rice on her husband’s face. She said with a huff, “Eat your food. Why are you butting in when we women are talking?”

After she spoke, she saw the children at the table looking at her. She awkwardly put down her chopsticks and used the communal chopsticks to put some food on Lord Mo’s plate, saving face for him. “Eat more, my husband. You’ve gotten thin. I’m just talking to the children. They’ll get nervous if you speak.”

The food kept getting put on Lord Mo’s plate, and he repeatedly said it was enough.

Madam Zhou finally put down her chopsticks and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. She smiled and said to Gu Wenyao, “I have a few talented young men who are my husband’s students. I can vouch for their character. If you have time, I can arrange for you to meet one?”

As she said this, she was about to start picking dates.

Gu Wenyao lowered her eyes. Under the cover of the table, she quietly extended her fingers, pinched the edge of Mo Shuqing’s robe, and gave it a gentle tug. Her watery eyes said:

‘Sister-in-law, save me.’