“Pah—”
Mrs. Qu's foot fell off the pedal and hit the red-hot copper incense box.
Second Aunt Qu screamed and hurriedly bent down to hold Old Madam Qu's feet to her chest to check.
The old man's feet were the most disgusting to look at. They were dry and withered, with a thin layer of white skin hanging loosely on the flesh, and a string of blisters appeared on the soles of his feet.
Aunt Qu turned around and called out, "Hongjin! Go get some ointment for the burns—"
Before Second Aunt Qu could finish her words, Old Madam Qu grabbed her wrist.
When Second Aunt Qu raised her head, she saw that in Old Madam Qu's deeply sunken eye sockets, the pair of eyes were frighteningly bright, frighteningly large, and frighteningly focused.
"What did you say? Erlang? Jianfang?! Do you like He Xianjin?"
Aunt Qu opened her lips and tried to pull her wrist back reflexively, but she found that her wrist was as if clamped by an iron clamp and could not move at all.
"I, I, I am just guessing..." Aunt Qu was panicking, fearing that Madam Qu would rush to Yiyuan and kill He Xianjin. She could only try her best to weaken He Xianjin's existence, saying that it was too late to make up for the loss. "I didn't see the two of them start or end! Sister Jin kept Yiyuan under control. At night, the doors and windows were closed, and the maids didn't even make loud jokes..."
"Tell me now. How do you know that Erlang has feelings for He Xianjin since you didn't see them from beginning to end?" Old Madam Qu didn't want to hear this. She held onto Second Aunt Qu tightly with both hands. "Just tell me what you saw and heard! Tell me now!"
Mrs. Qu's face looked like an August banana leaf, beaten to pieces by a downpour as heavy as beans, but she was still stubbornly waiting for the last thunder to come.
Old and broken.
Aunt Qu couldn't bear it and lowered her eyes, "...I...I saw Erlang's umbrella in the Jixi workshop..."
Madam Qu let out a sigh of relief, and loosened her grip. "It's just an umbrella. In Jing County, Erlang went to the shop every day at noon to teach the clerks to read. Although I didn't agree with it, I just thought it was a small matter..."
The helplessness in the old man's words made Aunt Qu feel sad. Aunt Qu turned her head away and said, "Just now, Erlang left the Girdle Courtyard and walked quickly to the southeast. When he reached the gate of Yiyuan, if Mian Bei hadn't persuaded him, he would have broken into Yiyuan to find Jin Jie'er..."
Madam Qu's expression suddenly turned ugly.
She knew that her grandson was more restrained and tolerant than his father, and at the same time he was more in agreement with the sacrifices and gains that people should make in the clan's cause - this determined that her eldest grandson would become a self-disciplined, polite, humble and docile gentleman, a pioneer who could shoulder the heavy burden of the Chen family.
With such a personality, it is impossible for my grandson to break into someone's boudoir at night.
Unless, you panic.
Very panicked.
Old Madam Qu pursed her lips tightly. Coincidentally, just now, she mentioned her grandson's marriage.
Aunt Qu didn't wait for Old Lady Qu to speak, she could only chatter and persuade, "It's not even a matter of time yet, I think Erlang is also restrained, and Jin Jie'er has no such intention - you forgot that Jin Jie'er also promised you that she would not get married! Erlang and Jin Jie'er are both good children... You must not lose your composure, one is a girl with a reputation that is more important than the sky, and the other will take the imperial examination next year, both are at a critical juncture..."
It can be resolved in a gentle way.
For example, silently giving Erlangjun a letter to arrange a good marriage;
For example, after the Spring Examination, the Chen family could at most give some money to ask Chief Qiao to find an official position for Erlang far away from Nanzhili. After five or ten years, even if Erlang was deeply in love, there would be no way to renew the relationship.
For another example, if he was even more ruthless, he could just turn around and marry Jin Jie'er off. Qiao Shan happened to be alive, so he could find an ordinary scholar to marry her off as his wife, which would also put an end to Erlang's thoughts.
She was now very afraid that the old lady would go crazy.
It just so happens that when the old lady meets Mr. Erlang, she is most likely to go crazy!
Although Xianjin was included in the family tree and was registered as a female household, she was no longer a servant of the Chen family, nor was she a slave, and could not be disposed of at will. However, if the old lady went crazy and held on to Xianjin, it would be really embarrassing and tragic...
Second Aunt Qu pushed Old Madam Qu's arm, "...Aunt...it's just a thoughtless love affair between young men..."
"How dare she—"
The word "dare" seemed to be torn out from Madam Qu's lips and teeth.
"How dare she seduce Jiro!"
Madam Qu's face turned pale, and she stared ahead with burning but empty eyes. "Her mother seduced the third child into being disobedient! She controls the business and money of the Chen family! Isn't the Chen family good enough to her? Isn't it good enough!?"
Madam Qu's voice went from hoarse to furious.
Aunt Qu shrank her neck back and dared not say another word.
"Erlang is a rare talent among men. He will be promoted to a higher position. He is the smoke rising from the Chen family's ancestral grave! Who does she think she is? I will never allow anyone! Anyone! Anyone to hinder Erlang!"
Old Madam Qu paced back and forth, reciting nothing but the hardships her eldest son and grandson had endured in their studies, the contempt and torture the Chen family had suffered since leaving Jing County...all the same old things.
Several old plays that are often mentioned are now endowed with a newer emotion - the excitement of betrayal.
Yes.
While Erlang, who was angry about the family's expectations, was seduced, Mrs. Qu felt betrayed.
The old woman stepped on the ground barefoot, her gray hair hanging down, and she looked crazy, "She lied to me! She lied to me that I wouldn't get married! She lied to me that I could hand over the Chen family's business to her with peace of mind!"
"What does she take me for? A fool!?"
"I've been so good to her! I've never treated her badly in terms of food, clothing, shelter and transportation! Is this how she repays me? By seducing my naive grandson!?"
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