"Heh, the Meng family was beheaded and exiled, so what? Your Mei family still eagerly sent your daughter over."
"..."
"One wasn't enough, they had to send two." Madam Li knew that most of her son's wrongdoings were related to Madam Mei's family, so she didn't show them any respect.
"If it weren't for you and that prodigal brother of yours instigating him, would the eldest son have committed those mistakes?"
Seeing that Madam Mei was choked speechless, Madam Li grew even angrier, "I just can't figure it out. A commoner with nothing has come up with new tricks. He already has seven or eight concubines at home, and he's still not done, he's even set his sights on a young widow whose husband just died."
Speaking of this matter, Madam Li was even more enraged. She grabbed a clod of earth beside her and hurled it at Madam Mei. "If it wasn't for your slut of a brother attempting to force himself on someone and causing a death, forcing the eldest son to clean up his mess, would the Meng family have had a death? Beheading, exile, weren't all these caused by your Mei family?"
Madam Mei's brother's incident was the last straw that broke the camel's back for the Meng family. Madam Mei dared not retort, nor did she dare to dodge, because her mother-in-law was absolutely right.
She also regretted indulging her brother and regretted her own loose tongue. If she had been submissive just now and endured it, her mother-in-law wouldn't be so angry.
The other female members of the Meng family, after hearing Madam Li's words, were stunned for a moment, then surged forward. Regardless of how glorious Madam Mei, the former wife of the heir, had been, their current status was the same: exiled criminals.
Thinking of the hardship and suffering from hunger and thirst they had endured on the road of exile these past few days, these pampered ladies did not hold back when they attacked.
Especially Madam Liu of the second branch, who had long disliked Madam Mei.
Years ago, Madam Li had intended to betroth Madam Liu to her eldest son. Madam Mei, as Madam Liu's cousin, had used unscrupulous means to snatch the marriage.
With Madam Liu's grandmother pressuring her, Madam Liu could only swallow this bitter pill, even if she hated Madam Mei to the bone.
Fortunately, Madam Li genuinely liked Madam Liu, and since her second son was also of marriageable age, she settled for second best and betrothed Madam Liu to her second son.
Madam Liu was considered a sensible woman. After marrying, she and her husband lived in harmony, and they had two daughters and one son.
Now, Madam Liu was very grateful that she had given birth to children. The first two were daughters, otherwise, she would have cried to death if her husband and son were both beheaded.
She then thought that both her daughters' engagements had been broken off because of this upheaval, and she glared at Madam Mei as if she wanted to kill her.
Madam Mei tried to play the family card, "Cousin, I am your own cousin!"
If Madam Mei hadn't brought that up, it would have been better. With her old and new grievances, Madam Liu became even more frenzied, attacking Madam Mei with all her might.
Madam Mei, battered, scurried about, shouting, "Help! Help! Liu Lihua is killing me."
Madam Liu ignored her cries and, like a madwoman, chased after her, tearing at her indiscriminately.
Others, seeing the situation and fearing that someone might die, were hesitant to step forward.
Looking at the two women fighting, there was no trace of the elegance of noble ladies. Even street ruffians would have been more dignified.
The young man ignored the women's frenzy and pulled his sister in one direction.
"Brother, wait for me." The young boy carrying his younger brother chased after them, panting heavily.
Seeing his second brother, who was red-faced from exhaustion, the young man immediately reached out and took the younger child.
The couple behind them, who had been watching the four siblings, were puzzled when they saw the siblings looking back at them from time to time but not stopping.
The gaunt woman, worried, mustered all her strength and asked in a trembling voice, "Xiao Shan, where are you going?"
"Mother, you and Father don't need to worry. We're going ahead to find Second Uncle," the young man said, though he lacked confidence, he spoke smoothly to reassure his parents.
"Second Brother?" The man beside the woman, who looked like a dried-up husk, his lifeless eyes lit up when he heard his eldest son's words. "They're going to find Second Brother?"
The woman, however, remained silent for a long time, staring blankly at the children's retreating figures, lost in thought.
The man, however, knew that his children might have a chance of survival.
Meng Qingping was speaking in low tones with his three children when he heard the sound of dragging footsteps approaching them. When they looked up, they were somewhat surprised to see a few gaunt young boys and girls standing before them.
The young man in the lead felt a little intimidated when his Second Uncle looked at him.
They had never met their Second Uncle before, and they had no idea what his temperament was like.
However, looking down at his younger brother, whose eyes were glazed over from hunger, he handed the younger boy to his sister and stepped forward bravely to greet his Second Uncle.
"Qi Shan greets Second Uncle."
The younger boy following behind his brother, seeing his brother greet their Second Uncle, quickly followed suit and bowed, "Qi Tian greets Second Uncle."
The girl behind him, holding their younger brother, moved her lips and whispered, "Second Uncle."
Meng Qingping looked at the fidgeting young man before him and calmly asked, "Are you all the children of Meng Qinghuai?"
"Replying to Second Uncle, Meng Qinghuai is indeed my father's name." The young man's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled as his Second Uncle did not ignore them.
Meng Qingping's gaze fell on the young boy held by Meng Xiaohe.
"That's your younger brother, isn't it? Bring him over for me to see."
"Yes." Meng Qishan quickly took his younger brother from his sister's arms and carried him closer to his Second Uncle.
Seeing the child's chapped lips, Meng Qingping's brow furrowed. He swiftly took down the water skin he was carrying, pulled out the stopper, and gently brought it to the child's lips.
The drowsy child, feeling water being offered to his mouth, instinctively gulped it down.
Seeing his Second Uncle feeding water to his younger brother, and knowing his younger brother would survive, Meng Qishan, with reddened eyes, knelt and kowtowed to his Second Uncle. "Thank you, Second Uncle."
"Thank you, Second Uncle." The siblings behind him also knelt.
"Alright, all three of you get up. Come and have some water to moisten your throats."
Hearing the hoarse voices of the children, Meng Qingping felt a pang in his heart. What did the sins of certain people have to do with them?
With a single, brief sentence from their Second Uncle, the three siblings' eyes welled up with tears. At this moment, water was more precious than gold.
Although these siblings were born in a Duke's mansion, they had already tasted the warmth and coldness of human relationships at a young age.
The direct line of descent people completely looked down on them, and all they received were cold stares and disdain.
The collateral branches, unable to benefit from them, disdained to associate with them, and acted as if they didn't see them. Since childhood, within the Duke's mansion, they were less dignified than even the favored servants.