Early morning, Meigetsuin.
Shen Mianmian was having breakfast when Liu Xiangning ran in with a mischievous grin, "Master! Master!"
Chen Mianmian swallowed the steamed bun, drank some tea to cleanse her mouth, and then asked with great interest, "So, did you find out?"
Xiang Ning's beautiful eyes crinkled into crescent moons with a smile. "I didn't see Madam, but Yin Xing said that the Marquis stayed in Madam's room yesterday. When I went there just now, Madam and the Marquis still hadn't gotten up. I think this matter is definitely settled. If it weren't for that last night, they wouldn't be up so late today."
"Even if it's... you know, shouldn't he at least get up? Is he supposed to stay up all night?"
“Master, you don’t know this. That method is like pulling up seedlings to help them grow. How can it be the same as normal? Have you forgotten that the day after I used Young Master Guanshui as an experiment, I came to you myself? Young Master Guanshui didn’t get out of bed until noon.”
"！！！！！！！"
Chen Mianmian stared in disbelief, "That serious?"
Xiang Ning winked. "Master, don't worry. It's not tiring, it's exhilarating. I heard from a senior at Yaotai Workshop that she asked men who had tried it, and they all said they couldn't forget it."
Suddenly, Xiang Ning paused, then slapped her thigh, "Oh dear! I knew it! Why did Young Master Guan Shui suddenly insist on taking responsibility for me? Turns out it was all for fun."
"..." Shen Mianmian's lips twitched. "Don't talk nonsense. Guan Shui is not a lustful person. If he were, he wouldn't still be single now."
Xiang Ning didn't dare to contradict her master. "Alright, let's not talk about Young Master Guan Shui anymore. Anyway, the Marquis definitely can't live without his wife."
Shen Mianmian became worried again, "Wait, there's one more thing. Will using this method harm my body?"
Xiang Ning nodded, "Draining the pond to catch all the fish, of course it will cause problems if used frequently, but the Marquis and his wife only see each other twice a month, so it's fine."
Shen Mianmian understood and continued eating breakfast, pondering as she ate—the reason she hadn't let Fengchu return before was because she was afraid that the lady's condition would distract her.
Now that Madam has recovered, should we tell Fengchu that he can come back?
But on second thought, she decided against it. Leaving aside the possibility of going back on her word and provoking Mr. Ouyang's disapproval, she and Fengchu met frequently, which inevitably deepened their feelings.
According to the original novel, with the Prince of Jin's rebellion drawing ever closer, it's crucial that the two don't develop feelings for each other at this critical juncture, or they'll have to endure a major separation.
Since it's destined to have no outcome, don't deepen the feelings.
The less we meet, the better.
Moreover, with Fengchu not returning, he can better prepare for the exam, and if he really gets the top three honors, he will have made a profit.
The second thing is, what should we do about Jiang Yinjin?
She didn't want Jiang Yinjin to come back, not because she wanted to usurp Jiang's place, but because she was afraid that Jiang would return and start another power struggle within the household. She just wanted to quietly stall for time and didn't want to deal with Jiang Yinjin's antics.
Yes! She needs to talk to the lady of the house tactfully.
...
Two days passed in the blink of an eye.
These past two days, Madam hasn't asked Shen Mianmian to come over, and she didn't even go to see the Marquis off when he left the Marquis's residence.
Only after the Marquis left did he inform Shen Mianmian to go to the main courtyard.
Main courtyard.
Inside the hall.
The lady deliberately wore a dark-colored dress to emphasize her solemnity and maturity, but everyone could see that she looked radiant and more than ten years younger.
Chen Mianmian looked at the Madam—the Madam and Fengchu looked almost identical, though not exactly like each other. They both had fair, baby-faced features and looked younger than their actual age.
Previously, the lady appeared somewhat aged, not because of old age, but because her eyes lacked luster. Even when she was organizing everyone to play mahjong, it was with a sense of living for the moment rather than having any hope for the future.
What truly gave the lady hope for life was when Fengchu became the top scholar in the county.
His dull eyes regained some light.
Later, after resolving his inner conflict, he decided to "serve" the Marquis well, and actively practiced martial arts, which helped him regain some of his strength and uprightness.
But this time, in just two short days, the changes have been even greater than before!
Today, the lady's complexion was radiant, fair with a rosy glow, and her bright eyes were as captivating as spring water.
If she were to change into a light-colored, trendy dress at this moment, no one would recognize her as the Lady of the Marquis of Anning's mansion; they would mistake her for a newlywed young woman.
As Chen Mianmian looked at the lady, the corners of her lips unconsciously curved into a wider and wider smile.
Liu Xiangning secretly nudged her—Master! Tone it down! Just now on the way here you were telling me not to make any lewd jokes, to be mindful of hierarchy and to give the lady face, how come you're staring at her like that now that you're here?
Reminded, Shen Mianmian quickly composed herself. "I haven't paid my respects for the past two days. I wonder how Madam is feeling?"
Li Mama, who was standing to the side, was also trying not to laugh, but was glared at reproachfully by the madam.
Liu Xiangning – After all that fuss, it turns out I was the only one who managed to calm myself down and hold it in?
Ding coughed twice to ease the awkwardness, "I've been feeling well these past two days, don't worry. Are you practicing martial arts tonight?"
Chen Mianmian replied, "We practice martial arts before sunrise and after sunset."
Madam Ding nodded, "Alright, when you go to the training ground tonight, send a maid to inform me that I'll be coming from this side, and we'll meet at the training ground."
Shen Mianmian was surprised, "You want to practice martial arts?"
"Hmm," Ding lowered her eyes, her thick eyelashes concealing the shyness in them, "I practiced a while ago and felt much better."
Actually, no, she was too embarrassed to say it—she wanted to give the Marquis a surprise.
She still remembered the amazed look in the Marquis's eyes when he saw Mianmian wielding a stick during martial arts practice last time, and she wanted it too!
The Marquis will be back in half a month, and she must master a set of staff techniques during this time.
"Yes, I remember."
"Eh? Right, why haven't I seen Guanshui lately?" Ding paused, then remembered that Guanshui had been taken in by Xiang Ning…
Chen Mianmian smiled wryly, "Yes, it's been a long time since I've seen Young Master Guanshui. I'll go see him in a bit."
Ding glanced at Xiang Ning without changing her expression. "Alright, if there are any problems, come back and discuss them with me."
Shen Mianmian nodded, "To be honest, Madam, I was thinking that we could give Guanshui a few days off so he can go out and relax. After all, he doesn't have to serve the young master now, so it would be nice for him to go back and spend time with his family."
There was another reason she didn't mention: Jiang Yinjin wasn't in the Marquis's residence and wasn't involved in any power struggles, so the Marquis's residence was safe for the time being and didn't need Guan Shui to guard it.
Mrs. Ding sighed, "Giving him a holiday to clear his head is fine, but as for spending time with his family... he has no home and no family."
Chen Mianmian was stunned, and Liu Xiangning was also stunned, looking up at the lady in surprise.
Ding sighed again, "Guanshui is a good child, but also a pitiful one. He's an orphan, sold to some organization when he was young. I can't tell you what kind of organization it is. I can only say that the organization originally trained him to be a suicide soldier. Suicide soldiers only want orphans. Do you understand why?"
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