Chapter 102: You and I don’t have much friendship
After returning to the Marquis' Mansion, Butler Shi came to report to Jiang Lan that someone had come from the Shangshu Mansion and asked her to go back if she was free in the next two days.
Qi Wuhan happens to be free tomorrow and plans to accompany her back to her parents' home.
The next morning, the Marquis's carriage stopped at the gate of the Shangshu Mansion.
Jiang Lan got out of the carriage with Qing'er and Gui'er. This morning, Qi Wuhan was urgently summoned to the palace by the emperor. He left Ling Feng to Jiang Lan and left her with six black-armored guards, asking her not to go back alone and wait for him to pick her up.
After entering the mansion, Jiang Lan learned from the housekeeper that Jiang Yao had returned the day before yesterday, had quarreled with Pei Qian and was unwilling to go back.
Jiang Cheng didn't want to get involved in such a private matter as the couple's quarrel, so he asked someone to invite Jiang Lan back, hoping that she, as her sister, could persuade Jiang Yao. He went out to attend court early this morning.
Jiang Lan asked Jiang Shen again, "How is his health? Do you eat on time? What time do you go to bed every day? Do you go out for social events?"
The housekeeper answered all of them one by one, saying that they were in good health, ate three meals on time, rested around midnight, and had never gone out for social events...
As they were talking, they arrived at Jiang Yao's residence.
A little maid came into the room and announced something, and then Huaer, the head maid beside Jiang Yao, came out of the room and led Jiang Lan in.
As soon as she entered the room, Jiang Lan heard Jiang Yao's delicate crying, as if she had suffered a great injustice.
When Jiang Yao saw Jiang Lan coming over, she cried even harder.
Jiang Lan sat down on a stool beside her and didn't disturb her. She just watched her cry quietly. When she had cried enough, she could talk to her properly.
Seeing that she didn't even try to comfort herself, Jiang Yao felt that crying was becoming increasingly meaningless. After sniffling twice, she stopped crying intermittently and said in a nasal voice with a hint of tears, "My second sister has become more and more hard-hearted since she married into the Marquis' Mansion..."
"After my third sister married into the Duke's Mansion, she has become more and more tearful." Jiang Lan said with a smile.
As soon as he opened his mouth, he was at a disadvantage again.
Jiang Yao covered her handkerchief with her hands as if she was about to cry, and said in a delicate voice, "I'm already like this, and Second Sister still says these words to make me angry. If I get hurt by being angry, what good will it do to Second Sister..."
Hua'er apologized to Jiang Lan again, "Miss, you have suffered a lot these days. Please bear with me."
Is this one playing the good cop and the other the bad cop? Jiang Lanxin thought.
Jiang Lan glanced at Jiang Yao's bulging belly. She was already six or seven months pregnant, and she would give birth in two or three months. She softened her tone a little and asked, "What wronged Third Sister?"
Jiang Yao covered her handkerchief with her hand and was about to cry again. Hua'er quickly told her everything Pei Qian had done in the past few days.
During the days of recuperation, Pei Qian's temper became more and more irritable, and his attitude towards Jiang Yao became worse and worse. He said that she was a jinx and that it was all her fault that he became what he was today. He threatened to divorce her with a letter of divorce.
The Duke's wife naturally felt more sorry for her son Pei Qian, so she asked Jiang Yao to be more accommodating to him and avoid making him angry.
Although the words were spoken politely, the implication was "stay out of his sight if there's nothing to do."
Jiang Yao had no way to express the grievances in her heart and could only endure it silently.
When Pei Qian's hand was almost healed, he said he wanted to give Chun Xian a legitimate status, so he took her as his concubine. He stayed there every night and ignored her.
The Duke's wife told her to rest assured and take care of her pregnancy, and also told her to be more generous, saying that every wealthy family has three wives and four concubines, so she told her not to bother with just one concubine.
The day before yesterday, Chunxian complained about her to Pei Qian, and Pei Qian scolded her without any reason. She went back to her parents' home in anger.
"That little bitch is so heartless! If the young lady hadn't taken pity on her and let her stay in the mansion, she would have starved to death on the street. Now that she's become a concubine, she's so arrogant. She's really a mean person who has achieved success. Bah!" Hua'er pleaded with Jiang Lan again, "Second Miss, please stand up for the young lady, otherwise that little bitch will think that our Shangshu Mansion is easy to bully."
Jiang Yao also secretly looked at Jiang Lan's face to see her reaction.
"If you don't want to go back, third sister, then stay for a few more days and go back when you're no longer angry." Jiang Lan gave a very pertinent suggestion.
Jiang Yao felt that this suggestion was perfunctory. She felt that she didn't want to care about her business at all, but just wanted to see her being bullied. Her tone became sarcastic, "Second sister is now the wife of the Marquis, and she doesn't look down on me, her younger sister."
Jiang Lan knew that she couldn't pretend for long, and now her true colors were revealed.
"Third sister, have a good rest. I'll go see big brother."
When Jiang Lan stood up to leave, Jiang Yao suddenly asked, "Did the Marquis break his hand?" Jiang Lan asked back, "Who told you that?"
Hua'er helped Jiang Yao stand up. Jiang Yao, with her bulging belly and one hand on her waist, stood in front of Jiang Lan and said, "Second sister, don't even think about leaving if you don't explain clearly."
Jiang Lan glanced at her belly and sat back on the stool. Huaer helped Jiang Yao sit down again.
"What do you want to know?"
Jiang Yao asked three questions in a row, "Why did the Marquis break his hand? Is it related to you? What did you do with him?"
When Jiang Lan heard the last question, she just found it funny. Her third sister still thought that there was an affair between the two of them. She looked down on her too much.
"Let me be frank with you. I hate him to the core. He deserves to have his hand broken. If he has any shame, he should never appear before me and the Marquis again."
The more Jiang Yao listened, the uglier her expression became. Just as she was about to speak, Jiang Lan gave her a look and she closed her mouth again.
"Since your last name is Jiang and you call me Second Sister, the child in your belly will also call me Auntie and my family Uncle. Since you came to me for support this time, I will help you once."
Jiang Yao was just about to smile when Jiang Lan changed the subject, "But even if we're blood relatives, if we owe too many favors, our friendship will eventually run out. Besides, you and I don't have much friendship to begin with, isn't that right, Third Sister?"
When Jiang Yao saw Jiang Lan's eyes, her scalp tingled and she lowered her head guiltily.
Only after Jiang Lan took Qing'er and Gui'er away did Jiang Yao dare to raise her head. She blamed Hua'er for coming up with a bad idea that caused her to be humiliated for no reason.
"Since the Second Miss has promised to support you, then the son-in-law will have to come and take you back in person." Hua'er advised, "When the son-in-law comes, you should give him a way out. Let's go back first, otherwise Chunxian will think we are afraid of her and dare not go back."
Jiang Yao sneered and said, "After I give birth to the child, I will have plenty of ways to deal with her."
"Young lady, you're right to think so. The most important thing for you now is to give birth to the child safely. The eldest young master only has a daughter," Hua'er lowered her voice and said, "The eldest young master's wife suffered a chronic illness during childbirth. She's damaged her body and can no longer bear children. The master and the mistress are counting on you to continue the Duke's family line. When you give birth to the eldest grandson, you can do whatever you want with that little hoof."
"What if I'm pregnant with a girl..." Jiang Yao looked down at her belly, feeling a little worried.
"The young lady is still young, she will definitely have both a son and a daughter." Hua'er comforted her.
Jiang Yao felt relieved and waited for Pei Qian to come and beg her to go back.
…..
"The way the Third Miss treated you before, you shouldn't have helped her."
"Miss is not helping the Third Miss, but for the sake of the baby in her belly."
After hearing what Qing'er said, Gui'er was not so angry anymore. She was angry at Jiang Yao and Hua'er who echoed the same sentiment.
"The child is innocent." Jiang Lan smiled faintly, as if laughing at herself for being too soft-hearted, but she just had this problem and couldn't bear to see children suffer.
Perhaps because I didn't receive the protection I deserved when I was young, now that I'm able to protect others, I hope to make up for the loss I experienced in my childhood...
When she has her own child in the future, she will definitely not let her child suffer any hardship or grievance...
When Jiang Lan came over, Jiang Shen was standing at the door, as if looking at the sky.
She thought her elder brother would be reading in the house.
"Brother, have you also learned the night stargazing from cousin Yun?" Jiang Lan asked with a smile.
"Cousin Yun also knows how to observe the stars?" Jiang Shen also had a slightly subtle smile on his face, and his tone was much more relaxed than when he was in the academy. "I'll have to ask him for advice next time we meet."
As they were talking, the two of them entered the house and sat inside to talk for a while before the housekeeper came over to report, "The master is back, and the marquis is here too."
When Jiang Lan heard that Qi Wuhan was coming, she became a little restless.
"Go quickly." Jiang Shen said in a gentle tone, as if he had already accepted Qi Wuhan as his brother-in-law in his heart.
"Brother, come with us." Jiang Lan felt that their relationship could be more harmonious, and they would become familiar with each other if they met more often.
After meeting, the way they greeted each other was a bit... strange.
Jiang Shen seemed a little reserved.
Qi Wuhan seemed a little nervous.
Jiang Lan looked at the two people and felt that they seemed a little unfamiliar with each other. She turned her head and pursed the corners of her lips.
On the way back in the carriage, she talked about Jiang Yao and told him frankly what she was thinking.
She was not supporting Jiang Yao, but supporting the child in her belly.
"Am I too soft-hearted?"
Qi Wuhan pulled her into his arms and said with a smile, "I'll talk to Duke Pei about this tomorrow when we go to court." He mentioned Pei Yu again, as if to distract her from the guilt of "causing him trouble." He actually hoped she would trouble him more. That was what it meant to be a couple.
"His eldest son is quite good. He passed the imperial examination before. I don't know why he didn't take part in the spring examination the following year and didn't become an official. I wonder if he will take the exam this time?"
Jiang Lan was also a little curious about the reason, "Is he sick?"
Qi Wuhan shook his head.
Jiang Lan became more curious.
Qi Wuhan lowered his head and whispered in her ear:
"Your waist is softer~"
Jiang Lan's face flushed and she pretended not to hear these inappropriate words.
......
Two days later, Pei Yu accompanied Pei Qian to pick Jiang Yao up.
Two days later, Jiang Rui came to the Marquis' Mansion and wanted to know how his business was going.
Qi Wuhan said that he would arrange for him to work in the palace when spring comes, and Jiang Rui went back satisfied.
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