Chapter 39 ROTNDOAHRF

FlamingoBees

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

Rebirth of the Noble Daughter of a High Ranking Family

Chapter 39:

Stepmother's Schemes

Ouyang Ke looked at Madam Lin with suspicion, and Madam Lin slowly said, "This time, I made a mistake. I was determined to get rid of the child in Zhou Yiniang's belly, but I forgot how formidable the person from Shou'an Hall was. What Zhang Mama said today really strikes at the heart. She almost directly accused me of being a venomous woman! Hmph, what 'even giving birth to a son requires fate'—her implication is clear: I cannot bear a son, so I should not delude myself into thinking I can dominate the position of the mistress for a lifetime!"

Ouyang Ke thought for a moment and said, "Does Mother mean that this is all Grandmother's idea?"

Madam Lin snorted, "Zhang Mama has done everything Grandmother wouldn't dare to say or do. Grandmother cannot directly scold me due to her own dignity, so Zhang Mama is doing it all on her behalf! Just watch, this matter is far from over."

Ouyang Ke was greatly alarmed, "If that's the case, Mother, what will you do? Will Father no longer be close to you?"

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Madam Lin smiled gently, "Silly child, what is there to fear? When the enemy comes, we'll block; when the water comes, we'll dam it. Your mother has plenty of ways to win back your father's favor. If the child in Zhou Yiniang's belly is indeed your father's, it will naturally be a treasure to him. If your father starts to doubt her…"

Ouyang Ke stared at Lin with suspicion, "Mother, what are you..."

But Madam Lin shook her head gently, and in a soft tone, she said, "Ke'er, you should go back first. Mother still has things to discuss with Wang Mama."

Ouyang Ke left with a puzzled expression. Lin then summoned Wang Mama and asked, "I heard that Zhou Yiniang's distant cousin is also serving as a steward in this residence. Is this true?"

Wang Mama was taken aback for a moment, then immediately replied, "Yes, madam. You met him last year when all the stewards were summoned. He's tall and thin with a decent appearance. His name is Zhang Yashan. You even praised him for his well-organized accounts and rewarded him for it."

Madam Lin smirked coldly and said, "It's him indeed. Do you know how much income he has in our residence apart from his monthly salary? Are there any additional sources of income for him?"

Wang Mama smiled and said, "I've been managing things with madam for these years, so I'm well aware. He originally came to seek refuge with Zhou Yiniang, but unfortunately, that woman is just a concubine. What could she do to settle him? She had to beg the master to let him serve as a steward in our residence. Apart from a monthly salary of five taels, there's very limited extra income."

A faint smile appeared on Madam Lin's face as she responded, "What if the master decides not to use him and sends him away?"

Wang Mama chuckled, "In that case, he and his family would have no way out."

Madam Lin nodded and said, "I have a message for him. Go and tell him that if the master sends him away, I will allocate an additional thirty taels of silver to him each month and give him a house. Tell him not to worry."

Wang Mama smiled, "Madam, you must be joking. The master is fine. Why would he send him away?"

Madam Lin glanced at Wang Mama and said, "Mama, Zhou Yiniang is currently feeling quite pleased with herself. I simply cannot bear to hand everything over to these witches. As the saying goes, 'If you don't uproot the grass, it will grow back.' I've decided to take decisive action to cut off the path for those witches completely! In the Ouyang Residence, Grandmother is heartless and unreliable, and the master is untrustworthy. You are the only person I trust the most. So, I'll rely on you to handle this matter."

Wang Mama had followed Madam Lin for many years, so she naturally understands her cunning tactics. Hearing this, there's hardly any aspect she doesn't comprehend. She nodded repeatedly and said, "Madam, what a clever strategy! However... that steward Zhang is still her cousin. Will he really obediently listen to us?"

Madam Lin had fully restored her former ruthlessness and calmness. She said indifferently, "If he listens to me, even if he's driven out, he can still work where I arrange for him from then on. He can also receive an additional thirty taels of salary from me each month. I never go back on my word. Following Zhou Yiniang, even if she truly gives birth to a son, relying on such a lowly background, the master will never legitimate her! What benefits can Zhang Yashan gain? Let him think about it himself. If there's any hint of evasion or ambiguity, hmph, I have ways to deal with him!"

Wang Mama was efficient. The next morning, she found Zhang Yashan with a cheerful smile, saying, "Steward Zhang, I'm here to congratulate you."

Zhang Yashan was in his room calculating this year's income when he suddenly heard Wang Mama's voice. He greeted her with a smile and said, "Wang Mama knows how to make people happy. With my limited salary, I'm really tight on money. What good news could there be?"

Wang Mama smiled and then invited Zhang Yashan into the room, closing the doors and windows behind them. She carefully relayed Lin's plan to him exactly as it was. Wang Mama watched Zhang Yashan's shocked expression and said with a smile, "Steward Zhang, let me give you a piece of advice. If you want to reap benefits, then go ahead and do it. But if you don't want any benefits, then just pretend you never heard anything."

Zhang Yashan thought for a moment, hesitating, and said, "One must have a conscience. When I arrived in the capital with nothing, it was my cousin who extended a helping hand to save me from hell and lift me up to heaven. I owe her a debt of gratitude that I can never repay. If you ask me to repay her kindness with betrayal, to ruin her, I simply can't..."

Wang Mama couldn't help but show her anger, her face darkening with rage. She forced a cold smile and said, "What a person who knows how to repay kindness! Fine then, I'll go and inform our madam. But you know madam's temperament. Since you refuse to agree, you'll have to bear the consequences. Don't regret it later!" With that, she angrily turned to leave.

Zhang Yashan suddenly remembered Madam Lin's ruthlessness in dealing with people and felt a chill in his heart. He grabbed Wang Mama, his heart filled with resolve, and said firmly, "I won't hide it from you, Mama. I'm scared of poverty. I barely have enough to eat each day, and I don't even know where the money for the next day's meal will come from. It's rare for Madam to give me an opportunity, and I will definitely do as Madam says!"

Wang Mama finally smiled and arranged a date with Zhang Yashan before leaving to inform Madam Lin of the situation.

On that day, Ouyang Zhi returned to the residence from outside. His first stop was to visit Zhou Yiniang, who was pregnant. As he approached the door, he suddenly saw someone rushing out in a panic, heading frantically towards the bamboo grove nearby.

Startled, Ouyang Zhi shouted, "Who goes there?" But the person didn't even look back and ran off as if fleeing for their life.

Ouyang Zhi pushed aside the curtain and entered, asking Zhou Yiniang with a cold sneer, "Who was just in your room?"

Zhou Yiniang looked at him in confusion. She had been sitting in her room the whole time and hadn't seen anyone else. Naturally, she truthfully replied that she had been alone. Ouyang Zhi's suspicion grew, but he kept it to himself, suppressing his emotions.

Ouyang Zhi reasoned that perhaps he was just being overly suspicious. Just because he saw a man leaving Zhou Yiniang's room didn't necessarily mean Zhou Yiniang was behaving improperly. As he thought, he tried to comfort Zhou Yiniang and absentmindedly placed the teacup on the small table by the bed. Suddenly, there was a loud sound as it hit something. Ouyang Zhi picked up the object, which turned out to be a folded-up scroll.

Knowing that Zhou Yiniang wasn't fond of literature or calligraphy, he asked, "What's this?" He gently unfolded the scroll and, under the candlelight, discovered it was a small portrait. And to his shock, it wasn't just anyone—it was her cousin, Zhang Yashan, whom he had seen before.

At that moment, Ouyang Zhi couldn't contain his anger. Without thinking, he began to slap Zhou Yiniang's face several times, causing half of her face to swell and redden. He cursed, "Shameless wretch! Shameless wretch!"

•••

Sooooooo..... this man doesn't use his brain... like ever! You all the sudden, FINALLY, have another heir and you only even find out because your wife has been stripped of power.. and then the mother of said baby just happens to be "caught" with another man; as soon as you find out? You deserve all the hardships your evil wife brings you! *Face-Palm*

*Sidenote: I am not the greatest at generating ai art, but I really enjoy the touch the pictures give to the story... Don't ask me how I made a realistic person! I don't know; I like using the anime preset. But here is this beauty, I couldn't not use her!

**A Note From the Author!**

A reader asked me if the stepmother couldn't turn the tables anymore, and I said she could. It's because Lin Wanru is not someone to be trifled with. Every time she shows her fangs, the female lead just pulls them all out with pliers, haha~ （*^__^*）

I recommend Han Yi's "Abandoned Woman Reverses Fate"; the struggles are quite thrilling!