Chapter 14 ROTNDOAHF

FlamingoBees

Translating Chinese Historical Dramas for your enjoyment... and mine! :)

Rebirth of the Noble Daughter of a High Family

Chapter 14:

Faking Illness Is Not Easy

At this moment, Ouyang Nuan was sitting on the veranda with Ouyang Jue, both of them watching the plum blossoms filling the courtyard. The gentle winter sunlight bathed them, and the unique fragrance of plum blossoms wafted in the air, creating a very comfortable atmosphere.

In her previous life, after she married into the Su family, there was also a grove of plum trees in the courtyard. In winter, when she opened the window and looked outside, she could see each plum blossom clearly, bringing her great joy and satisfaction. When she first moved there, she fantasized about having children in the future, placing a reclining chair on the veranda, basking in the sun with her child, gazing at the sea of flowers in front of her, and enjoying the fragrance of the flowers. But she never experienced those comforting and happy days. After marrying into the Su family, her life was filled with endless persecution and torment. The happiness she had dreamed of was destroyed by those people... Ouyang Nuan closed her eyes slightly.

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Ouyang Jue rested his head on her shoulder and said softly, "Sister, why aren't you talking? Are you asleep? Did you not sleep well last night?"

Ouyang Nuan replied gently, "Jue, look how beautiful this courtyard is. Sister feels so good like this."

Ouyang Jue scoffed, "I've been looking at it since I was little. When you see something too much, you stop noticing its beauty. Look at the plum blossoms blooming so brightly now, but in a few days, a strong wind will come and scatter them all over the ground, making a mess. Besides, there are still some annoying people in this house. No matter how beautiful the courtyard is, it's still uncomfortable to live here."

Ouyang Nuan looked into Ouyang Jue's eyes and said, "Jue, as long as I'm alive, I'll be with you."

"Yeah! Sister protects me, and I'll grow up quickly to protect you too!" Ouyang Jue said again, as if making a vow. Ouyang Nuan smiled gently.

Perhaps it was the warmth of the sun today, Ouyang Jue fell asleep while speaking. Hongyu immediately went to the room to get a blanket to cover him. Ouyang Nuan stroked his dark and shiny hair, whispering softly, "For you, even if I become a demon, it doesn't matter..."

In this life, her most precious treasure is Jue. If anyone dares to harm him, she will make those people suffer more than death!

"Miss, I heard that there has been illness on that side these past few days..." Fang Mama deliberately lowered her voice, fearing to wake up the young master.

"Oh?" Ouyang Nuan knew that Li Yue'e was not just a beautiful facade. Since she married into the family, Ouyang Zhi only paid attention to Madam Lin when necessary, preferring to spend most of his time with Madam Li. It seems that the matter of taking a concubine has been quite a blow to Madam Lin.

Early in the morning, as usual, Ouyang Nuan went to pay her respects to Old Madam Li. This time, Old Madam Li directly invited Ouyang Nuan to sit beside her on the heated kang, wanting her to feel warm and comfortable. Soon after, Ouyang Zhi arrived with the newly-arrived Madam Li, but Madam Lin and Ouyang Ke did not come, claiming to be ill.

Old Madam Li's expression changed slightly, gradually darkening. "Both mother and daughter fell ill together. Could it be a contagious disease?"

"I've already sent someone to fetch the doctor. Hopefully, it's nothing serious," Ouyang Zhi said with a worried tone.

Madam Li glanced coldly at her son and then suddenly remarked, "You should personally go and check on them later. Since the mother and daughter live close by, it's easy for them to catch the same illness. I wonder if Ke'er has also inherited her mother's delicate constitution." It was quite a spectacle for a son who had just taken a concubine to show such disrespect to his main wife.

Aunt Li was momentarily stunned, her face showing genuine concern for the main mistress's illness, but deep down she felt delighted. She quickly responded, "Old Madam is right. Since Madam and Second Miss are both ill this time, Master should indeed go and check on them."

Ouyang Nuan lowered her eyes, the long eyelashes concealing the hint of amusement in her gaze. Just a few days ago, she was still calling her sister-in-law, and now she was already addressing her as Madam. It seemed that Aunt Li had quickly adapted to her new identity. The transition of roles was indeed swift.

Old Madam Li glanced faintly at Li Yiniang[1], then lowered her head to sip her tea, never bringing up the topic again.

With a smile, Ouyang Nuan greeted Ouyang Zhi and exchanged some pleasantries with Li Yiniang, inquiring about her feelings after moving from the Old Madam's courtyard to the new one. Zhang Mama also added a few playful remarks. After a while of amiable conversation, the greetings concluded.

After Ouyang Zhi left with Li Yiniang, Old Madam Li continued to engage Ouyang Nuan in conversation. Everything seemed fine until she suddenly asked, "Nuan'er, do you think your mother and sister are truly sick?"

The question posed was quite difficult to answer.

Upon hearing this, Ouyang Nuan looked somewhat bewildered. "Grandmother, wasn't that what Father said?"

"Humph, you believe whatever he says! A grown man who can't even manage a woman properly." Old Madam Li snorted disdainfully, her eyes flashing with cold light.

Ouyang Nuan smiled gently, tucking a few stray strands of hair behind her ear. "Grandmother, please don't blame Mother. Father just married a new concubine, and Mother was momentarily confused and couldn't understand your intentions, which led to her negligence. Once she comes to her senses, everything will be fine. As for my sister, seeing her birth mother in distress naturally made her upset and resentful. She's just a child and doesn't fully understand. Please don't hold it against her, Grandmother."

With a few words, it indeed seemed like Ouyang Nuan was speaking up for Madam Lin and Ouyang Ke. However, upon careful consideration, Madam Li increasingly felt that Madam Lin was deliberately being difficult, leading Ouyang Ke to follow suit. Old Madam Li's expression grew even more displeased. She gently patted Ouyang Nuan's hand and remarked, "You are more sensible than all of them."

Ouyang Nuan lowered her eyes, displaying a demeanor of utmost humility. The greatest advantage of her long-standing closeness with Madam Lin was her deep understanding of her.

Madam Lin, once a concubine's daughter in the Marquis's mansion, had been accustomed to being cautious and circumspect. However, after a decade of being the mistress of the house, receiving the love and favor of her stepdaughter, having her own daughter by her side, being cherished by her husband, and controlling the entire Ouyang residence, she had gained widespread praise. People praised Madam Lin for her virtue, generosity, kindness, and gentleness, deeming her an exemplary woman. She was no longer the timid concubine's daughter who had just entered the Ouyang residence as a stepwife.

Because of this, she thought the days of being submissive and ingratiating were over. But unexpectedly, she was publicly embarrassed by the Old Madam, which immediately triggered her to show defiance.

However, she had run into a hornet's nest this time. Old Madam Li was a person of narrow-mindedness and would hold grudges. Her top priorities were her son and eldest grandson. Madam Lin's recent actions had not only tolerated the misconduct of evil servants, which hurt her beloved eldest grandson, but also obstructed her from taking concubines for her son to expand the Ouyang family.

It was evident that Madam Lin had violated the old Madam's greatest taboo. Even if she could control the entire Ouyang residence, she couldn't challenge the authority of the old Madam. No matter how diplomatic she was or how much praise she received, if she couldn't win the favor of her Mother-in-law, there would be no benefits for her.

As for Ouyang Zhi, he indeed highly valued Madam Lin as his wife, but he cherished even more his own family and social status. Just as the old Madam had recently taken a concubine for him, Madam Lin promptly had her daughter feign illness and skip paying respects, which was a blatant challenge to the Old Madam's authority. If word got out, it would tarnish his reputation with the label of being unfilial, seriously affecting his standing.

Moreover, the scales were tipped further by the addition of the coy Li Yiniang on Old Madam Li's side. So, it was not difficult to imagine what choice Ouyang Zhi would make.

Ouyang Nuan lowered her head, took a sip of tea, and thought about the lively scene that would unfold tomorrow.

•••

[1] Yiniang 姨娘 : is a Chinese term used to refer to a concubine or secondary wife in a polygamous household. It typically denotes a woman who holds a lower status than the primary wife (夫人 or 主母). In historical contexts, concubines were common in Chinese society, especially among the wealthy and noble families.

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Chapter 14 ROTNDOAHF

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