Chapter 32 FCADW? IRTBTMOTMM

 FlamingoBees 

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

Home    :    Novels

Favoring Concubines and Destroying Wives? I Refuse to be the Mistress of this Marquis' Mansion

Chapter 32:

Hooked

"Madam, Young Master Qing Ge'er has gone to the Old Madam to complain," informed Ping Ye, a servant, to Lin Yunwan.

Ping Ye observed, "She said he wants you to join for dinner, but it's clear she is blaming you!"

However, after the incident with Qing Ge'er changing his tutor, the servants in Yu Shou Tang didn't dare to openly accuse her. 

Tao Ye was puzzled, "The Old Madam spoils Young Master Qing too much. Madam, you are the mistress of the house. Why does she prioritize the adopted second son over you? The Old Madam is truly strange."

Ping Ye also sensed that something was amiss and couldn't understand, muttering, "Could it be that Young Master Qing has some special way to please the Old Madam?"

Lin Yunwan whispered, "Be patient. With time, everything will come to light."

After changing her clothes, she went to Yu Shou Tang. Although the Old Madam didn't openly blame her, she couldn't hold back her curiosity and asked why Lin Yunwan had punished Qing Ge'er. She hastily added, "I know you have discretion; I'm not blaming you."

Lin Yunwan, not willing to explain herself, simply called out, "Ping Ye."

"Understood," Ping Ye replied.

Ping Ye carefully repeated Qing Ge'er's words from the afternoon, avoiding any mention of him bullying Chang Gong.

The Old Madam was not one to stand up for Chang Gong's fairness, but she was undoubtedly afraid that Qing Ge'er might accidentally reveal too much. Indeed, after hearing Qing Ge'er claim, "He is the master of this house," her face turned pale.

"Old Madam, I wonder where Qing Ge'er, at such a young age, learned such words? Not to mention the heir and me still being here, even if Madam and you both enjoy good health and longevity, when would a seven-year-old child take charge of the Martial Duke's residence?" Lin Yunwan questioned, making the Old Madam uneasy.

"He's just a child, what does he know?" she said with a sinister expression. "I'll investigate and severely punish whoever taught him such things."

While she claimed to be looking into the servants, in her mind, Lin Yunwan saw the face of Gao Baor, and she couldn't help but think, 'Who else could it be?'

Lin Yunwan looked relieved and said, "Since the Old Madam is concerned, I won't delve any further into this matter."

The Old Madam nodded and said, "It's getting late; you can go back now."

Lin Yunwan just got up and went out when Lu Zhengliu came.

"Lord." 

He stood outside the threshold without moving, apparently standing for a while and probably heard the conversation between her and the old lady just now.

Lin Yunwan's expression remained cold as she prepared to pass by him.

Afraid of being misunderstood, Lu Zhengliu quickly said, "I'm not here to blame you."

In the room, Ge Bao'er had already stuck her head out.

Lin Yunwan withdrew her gaze, turned to Lu Zhengliu, and said, "I wonder if the lord would mind having a brief conversation?"

He had initially planned to pay respects to the old lady first, but since the old lady heard and allowed him to go, he said, "Alright."

The two of them turned and walked together.

Old Madam Lu felt pleased inside, but when she thought of Qing Ge'er's behavior, she slammed the table hard, saying, "I thought mother and son were in harmony, I thought Qing Ge'er only listened to Ge Bao'er's advice, but I didn't expect Ge Bao'er to teach him like this!"

Yan Mama tried to calm her down, saying, "Madam, please take care of yourself! Miss Bao'er is shallow-minded, what profound principles can she teach Qing Ge'er?"

Old Madame Lu snorted, "She thinks she can rely on her son's status, she's thinking too loftily!" She smiled and said, "I see that Zhengliu's attitude has softened, I'm not afraid that there won't be a legitimate son in the mansion in the future."

"Qing Ge'er is my beloved grandson, of course, I also love him, but if there is a legitimate son, he can only be placed behind Yunwan's child. Legitimate and illegitimate are different—rules set by our ancestors."

Yan Mama also added, "Don't say there's no legitimate son yet, the lord is still young, it's inevitable that he'll say some nonsense like 'Qing Ge'er is the only legitimate son'. How can a man not take concubines? In a few years, the lord should also add some illegitimate children to the mansion. The things in the mansion cannot be owned by Qing Ge'er alone."

Old Madame Lu remained noncommittal. However, before other children were born, Qing Ge'er was undoubtedly more important in her heart.

She smiled and instructed Yan Mama, "Go out and see how they are..."

Yan Mama also smiled ambiguously and turned to leave.

~

"With such nonsense, I don't think a little child could come up with it."

Lan Yunwan and Lu Zhengliu walked slowly towards the courtyard, where a maid happened to be holding a lamp. Under the warm light, their shadows stretched long on the ground. Judging from their backs, one had a slender waist, and the other was tall and straight, appearing very harmonious.

Lu Zhengliu followed her steps, frowned, and said, "That's for sure." He added, "You punished him right. If I heard such words, I would have punished him the same way."

Suddenly, Lan Yunwan stopped and stared at him intently.

Lu Zhengliu was suddenly stunned, unsure why he found himself captivated by her bright eyes and couldn't look away.

"Young Heir, there's one more thing I have to mention." 

"You can say it," he replied in a husky voice.

Lan Yunwan glanced toward the wing room and said, "Although Miss Bao'er is not young anymore, she's still unmarried. Despite the unpleasantness in the words from Qiao Da, there is some truth to them. It's only natural for the Young Master to be filial to Old Madame and avoid suspicion."

"What do you think, Young Master?"

Lu Zhengliu didn't get angry. Instead, he seemed somewhat... oddly pleased.

He raised an eyebrow and asked, "You don't like me meeting with Miss Bao'er?"

Lan Yunwan smiled faintly, "Young Master misunderstood. I was referring to your reputation of the and the Marquisate."

"I understand." Lu Zhengliu assured her, "I will be more mindful in the future."

Seeing this as an opportunity to talk to her, he remembered Old Madame's instructions and expressed concern about her family, "Is your mother's eyesight always like this?"

"Do you not remember anything at all, Young Master?" Lan Yunwan's voice carried a hint of coldness.

Lu Zhengliu furrowed his brows, trying to recall, but the memories were elusive. Lan Yunwan could sense that he couldn't remember and gently informed him, "Before I was engaged to you, the heir, my mother already had issues with her eyesight. After marrying into the Marquisate, she eventually lost her vision completely..."

Without stating it explicitly, Lu Zhengliu began to sense that Madam Lin's eye condition might be connected to the Lu family, perhaps even to him.

"Have you sought the advice of renowned doctors?" he inquired.

Lan Yunwan sighed and nodded, "It's an old ailment, beyond the reach of any cure."

Lu Zhengliu earnestly said, "Your mother is blind and still has to take care of the young nephew. Life must be difficult. As the head of the Lu family, you can have the estate help the Lin family acquire a larger residence and hire more capable and young servants. This would make things easier for mother-in-law."

Lan Yunwan furrowed her brows.

"What do you take me for?" she retorted.

"Lin family is Lin family, and Lu family is Lu family. I will never use Lu family's funds to subsidize the Lin family."

"I didn't mean that. Lu family has prospered under your hard work. I just thought..."

He sounded a bit anxious, but Lin Yunwan kept a stern expression.

"You've been away from home for several years, unfamiliar with the affairs of the inner residence. High places are cold. If I were to use public resources for personal reasons, it would be an improper act. With countless eyes watching every move in the estate, if I compromise my integrity, how can I manage the household effectively with the servants and relatives below?"

Lu Zhengliu pressed his lips together and admitted, "I misspoke."

Lin Yunwan gave her farewell with a slight bow.

Lu Zhengliu clenched his fist inwardly, feeling a bit remorseful for his inappropriate words.

As he turned around, Gao Bao'er was already standing under the lamp, her face pale. It seemed she had overheard something.

© translations belonging to  flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com. If you read this somewhere else instead of flamingobeestranslations.blogspot.com then the translations has been posted WITHOUT permission of translator.

•••

https://ko-fi.com/flamingobeestranslations

Prev  :  TOC  :   Next