Chapter 9 Sickness
Min Rong returned to Haitang Courtyard with mixed feelings.
As soon as she entered, Madam Wu rushed up to her anxiously, "What did the old lady say? Did she agree to help Xi'er break off the engagement?"
After exchanging only a few words, noticing Min Rong's unpleasant expression, Wu's heart skipped a beat, and she subconsciously asked, "Has she changed her mind? Does she no longer want to annul the engagement with Xi'er? Or does she not want to relinquish control of the household?"
"How could she do this? She said it all during the day, how could she go back on her word at night?"
"Hmph, I think she just can't bear to give up the power of the Marquis's mansion!"
"Hasn't it been enough for her to manage the Marquis's mansion for over thirty years? Why is she still reluctant to let go?"
"My lord, you can't ignore this matter..."
Min Rong was a thoughtful person by nature, and on the way back from Songhetang, he kept pondering what was going on with Min Qiaoshi's strange behavior today.
Seeing Wu's subconscious reaction at that moment, he suddenly understood.
It must have been something Wu said to Min Qiao during the day that she shouldn't have, which completely angered Min Qiao.
Otherwise, Madam Min wouldn't have shown him no respect whatsoever.
He stared at Wu with a dark look in his eyes, which frightened Wu into slowly shutting her mouth.
"Lord, why are you looking at me like that?"
That's really scary!
"The old lady has worked hard for the Marquis's mansion for half her life, and all she gets in return is this slander from you?"
Min Rong angrily reprimanded, "No matter how bad the old lady is, she's still my mother! Without her, I wouldn't exist! From now on, you'd better respect her! Otherwise, don't blame me for being rude to you!"
"You, you..." Madam Wu looked at Min Rong in bewilderment. "Am I not respectful enough to the old lady? Ask around the whole capital, whose daughter-in-law is like me, married into the family for more than ten years and still not getting any control over the household?"
"If we were from a humble family with no household to manage, or if I were just a young daughter-in-law who didn't need to manage the household, that would be one thing. But this is a Marquis's mansion! I am the rightful and proper Lady of the Marquis!"
"I've been the Lady of the Marquis for almost ten years now, and what's the result? All the servants in the manor still only recognize the Grand Madam, not me, the Lady of the Marquis!"
"You still say I don't respect her? Am I being wronged?"
As Wu spoke, she became more and more agitated and aggrieved, and she hated Min Qiaoshi with a vengeance.
Needless to say, it was definitely Min Qiao Shi who regretted handing over the power of housekeeping, which is why she said something to Min Rong.
"In the end, isn't it just that the old lady wants to take back the power to manage the household? I'll just give it back to her! Does she need to make such accusations against me?"
Finally, Wu couldn't hold back her tears and covered her face.
Min Rong frowned, knowing that Wu was not lying.
Since Wu did not disrespect the old lady, what is the reason for the old lady's unusual behavior today?
"Alright! The old lady has no intention of taking back her control of the household."
Min Rong said irritably, "The old lady hasn't gone back on her word about Xi'er breaking off the engagement. However, since she's not going to get involved, I can't get involved either..."
Wu was stunned for a moment, then wiped away her tears and looked at Min Rong with surprise: "Are you serious? The old lady didn't go back on her word?"
"No."
"Then what was your attitude just now..." Wu glared at Min Rong reproachfully.
Min Rong explained, "The old lady was acting very strangely today. I thought you had done something."
"The old lady is indeed acting a bit strange today."
Madam Wu nodded, recalling the strange feeling she had when facing Madam Min during the day. "Xi'er and I hardly had to beg her, and she agreed to annul the engagement. As for the matter of managing the household, she brought it up herself. I didn't say anything."
Min Rong scrutinized Wu Shi again, and seeing that what she said was true, his doubts deepened. "That's strange."
"It's really strange," Madam Wu agreed wholeheartedly. "It's like the old lady suddenly changed her personality. She used to hold onto power so tightly. But today, she suddenly relinquished it all. I'm completely baffled."
Min Rong was silent for a moment, then said, "Let's investigate this matter later. It's not a bad thing. What's important now is to quickly cancel the engagement between Xi'er and the Lu family."
“What you say is true, Lord Marquis,” Madam Wu agreed with a smile.
“I won’t get involved in this matter; you handle it,” Min Rong instructed. “Make sure you do it well and don’t let anyone gossip.”
Madam Wu smiled and replied, "I understand, Your Excellency, please rest assured."
"Alright, I'm going to Liu's place."
After saying that, he got up and went to Aunt Liu's place.
As she watched Min Rong leave, Madam Wu's face darkened, but then she remembered the matter of the steward Quan and her daughter breaking off their engagement, and her face brightened again.
***
Whether it was because she had been standing under the eaves during the day and caught a chill, by midnight, before Min Qiao could even feign illness, she had developed a high fever and was completely unconscious.
In a daze, one moment I saw scenes of being abandoned by everyone in my past life, the next I heard Granny Fang's anxious shouts, and there were also other people's voices.
When she regained consciousness, it was three days later.
When she saw that she had woken up, Granny Fang was so excited that tears streamed down her face.
"Madam, you're finally awake! That's wonderful!"
Granny Fang reached out to help her sit up. Seeing that she glanced at the table, she quickly understood and went over to pour her a glass of warm water.
After drinking water, the dryness in her throat was relieved, and then Madam Min asked, "Am I really sick?"
"Isn't it because you're sick?" Granny Fang wiped away her tears and said with a complicated expression, "Please don't joke around with your health anymore."
He said he was faking illness, but he actually did get sick. This shows that some things shouldn't be said carelessly.
Min Qiaoshi didn't respond, but changed the subject, saying, "I've been lying down for several days now."
"Three days."
"So long?" Min Qiao was startled herself.
"That's right. The imperial physicians have come several times in the past few days. The Marquis, the Second Master, and the Third Master have all taken leave and are staying at the manor, waiting for you to wake up."
"Ha, they're afraid that my mourning will ruin their future," said Madam Min, leaning against the headboard with a disdainful expression.
"Madam, what are you saying? How can you say such things so casually?"
Granny Fang glared reproachfully at Madam Min, "Your good days are yet to come, you must live to be a hundred!"
"Yes, I haven't even had a proper chance to listen to a few operas, taste various delicacies, or see the scenery of different places yet. How can I speak lightly of life and death?"
Madam Min smiled and comforted Granny Fang, adding in her mind that she hadn't yet seen what fate awaited these "filial sons and virtuous grandsons" who had told her to die in her previous life after she stopped "meddling." She really shouldn't have spoken of death so easily.
"That's more like it," said Granny Fang with a smile. "These past few days, the three gentlemen have been very worried about you. Now that you're awake, I need to send someone to inform you."
Without waiting for Min Qiao's response, Granny Fang hurriedly ordered people to spread the word, and also sent Lvwu to bring Min Qiao easily digestible rice porridge and chicken soup.
Before long, the three families received the news and rushed over.
The first to arrive was Min Hui, the third son, who lived closest to Songhetang.
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