Chapter 109 The Last Chapter Before the Real Wedding - Is This Trying to Die?

"How dare you? How dare you!" Grandmother Jia cried, pounding her chest and stamping her feet. Looking at Lady Wang in front of her, she wished she could bite her to death.

The young woman from the Prince's mansion, who had just been slapped by Jia Zheng, was covering her face and weeping. She argued, "Her Majesty told us to eat vegetarian food together to pray for the Empress Dowager's well-being. This is because Her Majesty has won the Empress Dowager's favor. Once the Empress Dowager recovers, we will surely receive our share of the benefits."

"Whether the Empress Dowager is ill or not is another matter." Grandmother Jia pointed at Lady Wang, trembling all over: "Tear her mouth apart!"

Madam Xing said sarcastically, "This is what happens to a foolish butler who dares to be so audacious."

Grandmother Jia glared angrily at Madam Xing: "What good is it to you if the Rongguo Mansion is bad!"

Madam Xing actually thought about it: "Even when the □□ government was doing well, I didn't benefit from it."

He waited until she finished speaking before gently kicking her: "You idiot, shut up."

"I may not be smart, but I am timid," Madam Xing muttered to herself, taking a step back.

Aside from slapping Lady Wang at the beginning, Jia Zheng sat dejectedly to one side, muttering to himself, "What a misfortune for our family."

"You should have embezzled this kind of silver!" Grandmother Jia trembled with anger. "You should have fooled the Empress! Quickly make up for it, and maybe you can escape this disaster!"

"Old Madam." Madam Wang felt that she had already been hit and scolded, so if she were to make up for the slap, what would that slap mean?

Is she considered durable?

"Her Majesty the Empress hasn't done anything to us, and besides, we're going to be eating vegetarian food for a month. Wouldn't it be better to leave some money? We used to have nearly two thousand servants, but now we only have a little over seven hundred left. The rest of them are all terrified and emaciated. Our household has always treated our servants well; when have we ever taken money from them?"

Madam Wang knelt and took a few steps forward: "Not to mention Zhu'er and Lian'er's wives, even Tan Chun and the other girls haven't had a good time. Before, when the younger sisters went out, they had more than a dozen maids with them, but now each of them has less than ten maids. Old Madam, how can you bear to do this?"

Grandmother Jia sat there sulking, not saying a word.

Lady Wang continued to move forward, hugging Grandmother Jia's leg again: "Besides, I brought over a few things earlier and showed them to Yuanyang. The table screen is a bit small, and the incense burner shouldn't be too big either. After all, she's a young lady, and she used to be weak and sickly. She doesn't have much good fortune, so I'm afraid she can't handle those good things."

"Yuanyang is despicable! It's all because these maids didn't pass on the message properly. Cut her monthly salary for half a year." Of course, Grandmother Jia would not admit that she knew about this, much less admit that she had any wishful thinking, so she just pushed the blame onto Yuanyang.

As for the penalty imposed on Yuanyang, although Yuanyang was a head maid who received one tael of silver per month, which sounded like a lot, she managed Grandmother Jia's private funds and received more than several dozen taels of silver in rewards every month, so she didn't care about this.

At this point, Grandmother Jia remembered another excuse. She sighed, "If it weren't for this, why would Yingchun have to go through such a miserable marriage? Alas, everything that was originally meant for her has been given to Yu'er."

Jia She and Madam Xing exchanged a glance but neither spoke.

Grandmother Jia frowned and said, "The palace maid who was checking things hasn't left yet. Take another 100,000 to 50,000 taels of silver notes and tell her that the things are still being prepared and there will be more in the next couple of days."

Madam Wang quickly responded.

In the afternoon, the palace maid returned to the palace and told the Empress that another 50,000 taels had been paid. The Empress sneered, "Now you know you're scared? Where were you before? Even if they make up the difference, I won't let them off the hook."

By July, everything was ready at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence. Each servant had two new outfits, red ribbons were tied to the trees, and all the necessary items for the banquet were prepared. They were just waiting to welcome the bride.

Huang Guihua beamed from ear to ear, while Mu Dazhuang pretended to be serious: "Why are you making us all these new clothes for your wedding?"

Huang Guihua was annoyed by his spoilsport, so she slapped him on the back and said to Mu Chuan, "Your father shouldn't be called Da Zhuang, he should be called Da Niu. I've never seen anyone so stubborn. I've taught him so many times, but he just won't change."

"Actually, it's much better now." Mu Chuan always followed his mother's lead at home. He laughed and said, "The small things have been fixed, but the big things still have to go through this again."

Huang Guihua snorted: "We two haven't experienced these things before, so you should just tell us what to do. We won't embarrass you."

Mu Chuan laughed and said, "There's nothing to be ashamed of. Being powerless is shameful, while having power is called staying true to your roots."

Huang Guihua laughed several times, but Mu Chuan suddenly frowned and said, "There's just one thing..."

Daiyu was only seventeen. Firstly, it wasn't good to have children so early, and secondly, she wanted to enjoy a few more years of life as a couple.

Other things are easy to deal with, but as for the backyard and offspring, he has to appease his mother first. With his mother as the backbone, even if there are any rumors that try to spread about his Daiyu, his mother can slap them back with a big slap.

Moreover, in this kind of situation, ten words from him are not as effective as one word from the mother-in-law.

Huang Guihua and Mu Dazhuang quickly sat up straight. Mu Dazhuang even put down his pipe. The two of them said in unison, "Go on."

"I was in the army before, although... I was injured a few times. The doctor said it damaged my kidney essence, and I need to rest and recuperate properly, otherwise it will affect my ability to have children." Mu Chuan stammered, looking troubled.

Mu Dazhuang was so shocked that he stood up, but neither of them doubted him. Anyone who saw Mu Chuan's scars would not doubt what he said.

“It’s not that we can’t have sex.” Mu Chuan didn’t even look up, acting extremely seriously. “It’s just that if we have a child in the next two years, the mother might be born with a disease. Mother, you are knowledgeable and experienced, how about I take a few more concubines? It’s always good to have more children.”

"Are you stupid!" Huang Guihua said with exasperation. "You're already injured, and you still want to take in a few more? Even healthy people shouldn't ruin their health like this, let alone you? Don't you remember how Second Cripple died? He died on a woman's belly!"

“Listen to your mother, just stick with this one. I’ve heard a lot of gossip in the village. Take that cripple, for example, he’s been having affairs with several widows, and he hasn’t had a single child. What good things are being said about him?”

"Besides, it's not like she can't have children. She can take her medicine and rest well," Huang Guihua said solemnly.

Mu Chuan nodded: "I've already taken my medicine."

Huang Guihua pondered for a moment, then glared fiercely at Mu Dazhuang: "Don't tell anyone, and don't drink with anyone. I know you like to go to the ancestral hall and talk to Father's memorial tablet when you're free, but you're not allowed to say that!"

Mu Dazhuang waved his hand irritably: "How can I say that? What if the ancestors blame me for telling them that my eldest son is in poor health?"

Huang Guihua breathed a sigh of relief, then sighed again, "Such a nice girl, why—you should treat her better."

"This is the woman I wanted to marry."

Huang Guihua sighed again and advised, "Your brother has a son, and your second uncle has a son too. Don't worry, just take good care of him."

Mu Dazhuang also said, "Your mother and I lost our first two children. Having children too early is not good. It was only with you that we got such a strong body."

Mu Chuan pretended to be coy and came out somewhat dejected. Now his mother felt sorry for Daiyu, and the issues of the child and the concubine were resolved.

Even if things change in the future, he's not afraid. He can just have his men pretend to be spies and seduce him, and then he can live peacefully for a few more years.

On the tenth day of the seventh lunar month, the betrothal gifts given by Mu Chuan, along with Lin Daiyu's dowry, were delivered to the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence in cartloads. Although they were all transported by carts, the delivery took three days in total.

It wouldn't matter to others, as it's just a matter of getting things done, but Madam Wang felt incredibly stifled and was so anxious that she couldn't sit still.

She not only added another 50,000 taels of silver notes, but also gave each of the palace maids and nannies some nice things. However, although they accepted the gifts, they refused to say a word.

Lady Wang felt that the Empress should be a thing of the past. As the saying goes, "To know one's mistakes and correct them is the greatest virtue." There is also the saying that "a prime minister's belly can hold a boat." The Empress was even bigger than a prime minister, so she couldn't be petty, could she?

She has already changed, and they have already been punished once for this, so how can she be punished a second time?

Looking at the dowry carriage that the old lady had chosen for Lin Yatou, which consisted of twelve rooms and nearly two hundred people, Madam Wang instructed, "You will follow the dowry carriage. When you arrive at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence, do whatever they tell you to do. The rules there are different from ours, so you must be obedient at first. Once you have established yourself, you can offer your own ideas."

But these innocuous words did not improve Madam Wang's mood. She paced around the room several times in a daze and said to Wu Xing's wife, "Go and call all of Baoyu's maids, and also call an old woman who has been with us for many years."

Wu Xing's wife was stunned for a moment. An old woman who had been around for many years?

"Madam...would you like a medical examination?"

Madam Wang snorted coldly: "If Xiren is like that, I don't believe everyone in his household is good! They're all just taking advantage of my kindness to fool me. There's always something else to distract me, but today I'm going to make sure I know the truth!"

Wu Xing's family busied themselves looking for someone.

After Xiren was dismissed, Qiuwen filled the vacancy and served Jia Baoyu in the outer courtyard together with Sheyue.

Hearing Madam Wang call for help, Qiuwen was fine, but Mushe was so frightened that her face turned pale: "Second Master."

But Jia Baoyu was also afraid. He waved his hand and said sternly, "Since Madam is calling you, why don't you hurry up? Even if you're not wrong, it's still wrong if you're late, and Madam will definitely punish you."

Although the remaining women were vacated from the brothel, they were not assigned any other tasks and were allowed to live a good life.

So soon, everyone was standing in the front courtyard of Madam Wang's yard.

The nanny was already waiting in the side room. One by one, the dozen or so maids were called in, including Zijuan.

Upon investigation, Madam Wang indeed discovered two more.

"Musk Moon, your name is—Bihen?" Madam Wang sneered. "What a Musk Moon! I thought you were honest because you were clumsy and simple-minded, but who would have thought you were just like Xiren, kind on the outside but wicked on the inside!"

Physical examination is hardly a dignified affair; the maids outside were trembling with fear, let alone the two inside.

Musk Moon and Jade Trace knelt on the ground, wanting to defend themselves but not daring to. They couldn't help but secretly resent Xiren. If she hadn't started this, how could they have been dragged into this mess?

“The same way the master treated Xiren back then will be used to treat you now. The master didn’t know that Xiren was just one person who sold herself into the family. He said the whole family would be sold. You two are both born into the family, so the whole family will be sold. Wu Xing’s wife, you go and do it.”

Musk Moon kept kowtowing: "Please forgive me this time, Madam. It's all because of Xi Ren's bad deeds. I once caught her with the Second Master—she insisted on dragging me into it. Madam, it was just that one time. You can ask the Second Master if you don't believe me. I don't serve in the room, and I don't work the night shift."

Upon hearing the words "night watchman," Madam Wang narrowed her eyes: "night watchman?"

She read it several times, then suddenly a glint flashed in her eyes, as if she remembered something, and asked Wu Xing's wife, "I remember once it was said that Qingwen was the one who stayed at night the most in Baoyu's room?"

Wu Xing's wife hurriedly replied, "Madam has a good memory. She said she is a light sleeper and can wake up as soon as Second Master calls her."

Madam Wang felt this was an opportunity. She had suffered too much recently, especially from that sickly man!

"Qingwen? I remember she looks somewhat similar to you, Miss Lin?"

Wu Xing's wife had served Madam Wang for many years. Although she was not as favored as Zhou Rui's wife, she could still guess what Madam Wang was thinking.

That's courting death.

Wu Xing's wife hurriedly said, "They might have looked somewhat alike when they were young. Pretty girls all look like that. Now that they're all grown up, they're just like that."

Suddenly, Musk Moon burst forth with immense strength, and she cried out loudly, "Second Master loves Qingwen the most. Even when Miss Lin took Qingwen away, Second Master still went to see her quite often. Second Master even said that Qingwen's eyebrows and eyes are very similar to Miss Lin's, especially that raised eyebrow, they are like two peas in a pod."

Wu Xing's wife gasped, kicked Mushe, and hurriedly knelt down, saying, "Madam, we can't examine Qingwen. Miss Lin is getting married in three days!"