At noon, pots and pans clattered in the Guo Mansion kitchen, and the aroma of dishes wafted in the air as the cooks were busy preparing lunch.
The sun was shining brightly, everything was clean and tidy, and everything seemed normal.
However, although the servants did not whisper to each other, they were much quieter than usual, speaking and acting cautiously, and busying themselves with their work.
Last night, something big happened in the mansion. The servants were more or less aware of it. The second courtyard could not keep secrets.
The bodies of Jiang Yushan and her maid were wrapped in coffins overnight. At daybreak, Guo Honglei led a team of carriages and horses to leave Guangchang Lane. As soon as the city gate opened, they immediately left the city and quietly dealt with the aftermath, trying not to cause discussion among neighbors and to keep their family quiet and peaceful.
principal wife
The sudden deaths of two strangers in her own home naturally struck everyone as unlucky, and Wang Shi was particularly averse to this. She immediately ordered that the little grandson be brought back to the main room and temporarily placed in a green gauze cabinet, so that she, as a grandmother, could visit him at any time.
"Why hasn't Honglei come back yet?" Wang sat beside the couch, worried.
Jiang Yushu bent down and tucked in the corner of the quilt for the sleeping child, who had kicked off the thin blanket. She whispered, "They have a lot of things to do, so it will take some time. Don't worry, they will probably be back soon."
"Oh, disaster has come from nowhere, disaster has come from nowhere!" Wang was heartbroken. She looked at her grandson with heartache and said in a low voice, "My poor grandson, he was almost killed by a madman. He was almost scared to death. He slept restlessly all night, cried in his dreams, and cried when he woke up. His voice has become hoarse from crying."
To deal with the aftermath and care for the child, Jiang Yushu stayed up all night, her face haggard, her right palm bandaged. Her family had caused such a mess for her in-laws, and she felt not only ashamed but also deeply remorseful. She said solemnly, "It's my fault for not noticing Yushan's illness sooner. If I had, I would have stopped her!"
"Never mind, I can't really blame you."
"Yushan is usually dignified and quiet, who would have thought she would go crazy just like that? Alas, even I was wrong. Back then, your stepmother took her to several banquets at the Marquis' Mansion. I secretly observed her for a while and actually thought she was quite good, so I decided to marry her off to Honglei."
"Looking back now, it's a good thing it didn't work out! If I had really married her, not only would Honglei be in trouble, but my family would also have no peace." Wang couldn't help but feel relieved. She put on a sullen face and slowly stood up.
Jiang Yushu gave a look, and Cuimei and the wet nurse immediately stepped forward, guarding the baby closely. She stood up, supporting her mother-in-law with one hand. She had no time to reminisce about the past, but sighed, "I used to not really believe in 'divine will,' but gradually I've come to believe it. Sometimes it does exist."
"Yes, God's will!"
Wang walked out and said seriously, "Whether it's marriage or life span, everything is arranged by God. Cough, cough cough cough—"
Jiang Yushu was startled. "What's wrong? Come on, sit down and rest for a while."
Wang didn't have time to answer. She quickly covered her mouth with a handkerchief, fearing to wake the sleeping baby. She moved to the outer room and continued to cough. She leaned on the low couch for a long time and sighed. "It's okay. It's probably just anxiety and anger. Ask Fang Sheng to prescribe two doses of medicine to regulate the body and relieve the heat. It will be fine."
Her mother-in-law was old and frail, so Jiang Yushu didn't dare to be careless. She immediately ordered the maid, "Please ask Doctor Fang to come and take a look at the old lady."
"Yes." The maid retreated quickly.
Jiang Yushu held an official position and was often away on official business. The child was being cared for by her mother-in-law and others. She felt both grateful and guilty, and advised, "I'm taking a leave of absence today to focus on taking care of the child. You haven't had a good night's rest for Ye'er. You must have worked hard. Take a longer nap and take care of yourself. Otherwise, if your mother-in-law gets sick from overwork, I, as your daughter-in-law, will be ashamed."
"I'm not tired, I'm just anxious."
Wang leaned against the pillow, closed her eyes and rested, still feeling a lingering fear. She kept muttering, "You young people don't understand. Once people get older, the desire for eating, drinking, and having fun often fades. Only when their children succeed and they have a large family can they be truly comforted and happy. Right now, I only have two grandchildren. Last night, I watched Ye'er suffer. My heart, my heart... Oh, it hurts! I was so anxious that I almost couldn't breathe."
The Guo family's relatives and friends are far away in the capital. The mother-in-law and sister-in-law were once noble ladies, and they are used to living in the backyard. They rarely go out throughout the year. How lonely would they be if they didn't have lively and laughing children on weekdays?
Jiang Yushu comforted him, "As the saying goes, 'Those who survive a great disaster will surely have good fortune in the future.' And Ye'er is deeply loved by his grandmother, so I believe his good fortune is yet to come. Don't be sad."
"I hope so."
Wang continued to ramble, "I never expected Yushan to be such a rebellious and violent person. She's completely different from you. It's a good thing you didn't share the same mother!"
"...Well, actually, my two younger brothers are quite filial and sensible." Jiang Yushu thought helplessly: The face of her mother's family is her daughter's face, and she can't get rid of it.
Wang paused and said firmly, "Thank goodness my son takes after his father. If he looked just like his mother, my father-in-law would be terribly worried!"
Jiang Yushu was speechless. Just then, Fang Sheng arrived and said sternly, "Doctor Fang, the old lady suddenly coughed for a while just now. Please take a look and see what's the cause."
"Yes." While Fang Sheng was taking her pulse, Wang Qiaozhen came in and asked, "Madam, lunch is ready. Where is it? Hey? What's wrong with you?"
Jiang Yushu explained.
"Oh, she's probably just anxious and tired, worried and frightened. Last night was a mess. How could the old lady bear such a blow!" Wang Qiaozhen sighed, glanced at her from the side, gloating over the other woman's family's disgrace. Then she sat down and snuggled up to her mother-in-law affectionately. "Please relax, old lady, and get well soon."
Wang smiled and patted her eldest daughter-in-law's arm. "How can you be ill? I'll be fine after two days of rest."
Since last night, Jiang Yushu has been subjected to numerous complaints, pity, and ridicules from her sister-in-law, both overt and covert. Since her sister was the culprit, and after all, she was from her mother's family, she couldn't argue, nor did she want to. She pretended not to understand and said with a smile, "I'll ask the kitchen to make some porridge and side dishes for the old lady, and by the way, I'll check on Ye'er's soup and medicine."
"Well, go." Wang waved her hand.
soon
Jiang Yushu walked out of the kitchen. She was very sleepy and was going back to her room to wash her face and drink a cup of strong tea to refresh herself. But when she entered the room, she saw Nanny Pan kneeling on the ground, wiping her tears, with Xiao Tao standing beside her.
"Madam," Xiao Tao hurriedly reported, "Madam, for not taking good care of the young master last night, has taken the initiative to apologize and has been kneeling for quite a while. What do you think...?"
"Madam, I am guilty!" Nanny Pan knelt closer, feeling guilty and terrified. "What happened last night was all my fault for my carelessness. I shouldn't have left the young master alone in the room. If, if I had been there the whole time, the young master wouldn't have been hurt."
"Please punish me, Madam!"
Jiang Yushu was stunned for a moment, then supported her with her left hand and sighed, "Mammy, please get up quickly and talk to me. Xiaotao, please help me quickly."
"Ah." Xiao Tao tried her best, but Nanny Pan refused to get up. She cried, "I know I am guilty and I beg Madam to punish me. But after the punishment, I also beg Madam to be magnanimous and forgive me. Please don't drive me away."
"Who said we were going to kick you out? You and Nanny Qiu have always been conscientious and responsible, working together to raise Ye'er to be plump and healthy. I know everything, and I've already protected you in front of the old lady."
Nanny Pan was overjoyed and kowtowed, saying, "Thank you, Madam, for your tolerance!"
"No, you are not allowed to kowtow. Get up immediately. I haven't slept all night and I feel dizzy. If you kowtow, I will be even more upset."
"Yes, yes! Thank you, ma'am." Nanny Pan stood up hurriedly and helped her sit down.
Jiang Yushu leaned against the table, gently kneading her temples, and said slowly, "I know Mammy and the wet nurse very well. I've already investigated everything that happened last night. You left to prepare dinner for the child. Yushan's sudden attack of mental illness caught no one off guard. She deeply resented me and took her anger out on Ye'er. She carried a pair of scissors and attacked. It was impossible to prevent her. Even if Mammy was in the room, I'm afraid she couldn't stop her. She would only hurt one more person in vain."
Nanny Pan was filled with gratitude and thanked him profusely, wiping her tears frequently.
"Madam, you feel dizzy. Why don't you lie down and talk?" Xiao Tao reminded with concern.
Jiang Yushu shook her head. "No, I have to go upstairs and feed the child. Make a pot of strong tea."
"yes."
Jiang Yushu sighed, reflecting on herself for the umpteenth time. Frustrated and annoyed, she frowned and said, "As a mother, I can't escape the blame for the child's injury. Looking back at what happened last night, I was at fault for not noticing my sister's changing temperament sooner, leading to the child's suffering."
"Please don't blame yourself! Alas, I deserve to die. I have betrayed the trust of the young master and the lady. I should never have let the young master be alone. Even if he hadn't been unlucky enough to meet a madman, cough - I deserve to die." Nanny Pan stopped awkwardly and observed the other person's expression carefully.
Jiang Yushu smiled bitterly, "What are you afraid of? Keep talking. My family's reputation has been completely lost by Yushan."
"In short, whether Madam allows me to continue caring for the young master or not, I absolutely cannot leave him alone from now on. He can already roll over, and I'm afraid he'll fall out of bed and get hurt." After she finished speaking, Nanny Pan suddenly raised her hand and slapped herself in regret. With a drooping brow and blushing eyes, she choked out a sob and said, "I remind others of this three times a day, yet I'm so careless myself. I'm ashamed to face anyone."
Amid the sound of slaps, Jiang Yushu quickly put down her teacup and warned, "Alright, alright, just admit your mistake and correct it. Remember, this won't happen again!"
"Although I have secured the old lady's support, you should take the nanny with you to express your opinion. Do you understand?"
"I understand!" Nanny Pan understood and nodded rapidly.
"When the time comes, a minor punishment or a severe warning will most likely be unavoidable."
"It's what you should do. If you make a mistake, you should be punished!"
Jiang Yushu nodded, drank a cup of strong tea, washed her face, and was about to order food and medicine to be brought to the child when Guo Honglei strode into the room.
"Are you back?"
Jiang Yushu stepped forward and asked impatiently, "How is it going?"
"Okay." Guo Honglei took off his robe and tossed it aside, then went to wash up. The sound of water splashed as he briefly explained, "The maid was buried in the suburbs. As for Yushan's body, my mother-in-law insisted on taking it back to the capital. We had no choice but to comply. It's been a long journey, and everyone was worried that she'd be so sad and depressed that she'd fall ill."
Jiang Yushu poured him a glass of warm water and asked, "Where's my father?"
"After seeing his mother-in-law off, he rushed back to the government office to handle official business. How is the matter with the monks and Taoist priests going?"
Jiang Yushu replied softly, "I gave the order early this morning. I asked the housekeeper to take a few servants and quietly go to various temples and Taoist temples to inquire. They wanted to hire two groups of people, one to exorcise the evil spirits and the other to pray for the souls to be reborn. We want everyone to feel at ease as soon as possible."
"Hmm, not bad!"
Jiang Yushu asked again: "Where are Master Xia and the others?"
"Family disgrace shouldn't be aired publicly. We can only say that Yushan died suddenly of illness due to poor acclimatization. Brother Xia believed it and was very sad. He escorted his mother-in-law back to the capital, but it's hard to say whether the Dongqin Marquis' Mansion will believe it."
"We can't stop the gossip. We have nothing to fear from our own shadows. We'll just let them talk until they get tired of it."
Guo Honglei finished washing up and drank a glass of water, but he was still thirsty. He drank three glasses in a row before saying, "Oh, I just met Wei Xu's servant at the door. He was ordered to urge you to go to the government office. He said there was something important going on."
"What's the matter?" Jiang Yushu was shocked.
"He was hesitant at first, but when I asked him personally, he vaguely said it was about the 'three million kilograms of grain seeds' that had been loaned out, and Imperial Envoy Shen seemed a little dissatisfied. Wei Xu must have been unable to handle it, so he urgently sought you out for advice."
"I was the one who decided to lend out the grain seeds." Jiang Yushu suddenly felt uneasy. "Lord Shen is asking about this, so I have to go to the government office to explain the reason!"
"I'm taking a day off today. I've already told the old lady that I'll focus on taking care of the children. I didn't expect that—Alas." Jiang Yushu felt helpless.
"Now that you've received your salary, officials should prioritize their duties," Guo Honglei consoled him. "But no matter how urgent it is, it won't take too long. Let's go and have lunch first!"
"Um."
Afternoon heat
The county government office was spacious, and the county magistrate specially arranged two rooms for the Xipingcang officials to work in.
With the doors and windows wide open, Wei Xu was angry and worried. He skipped lunch, dismissed the servants, and stayed alone in the hall. A pile of books and official documents lay scattered on the table. As he was about to meet with his superiors for questioning, he frantically searched through the documents, nervously thinking about his response, and frequently glanced at the door, thinking to himself:
Didn't come.
Not here yet.
What did she mean? Had she really decided to be a coward? Had she really decided to force me to take the blame?
hateful!
You can judge a person by his appearance but not by his heart. I didn’t expect that she would be so selfish!
Wei Xu felt betrayed and gritted his teeth. He slammed the document shut and threw it aside. He spread out the paper, picked up the pen, dipped it in ink, and scribbled a few lines of countermeasures.
However, as he wrote, grew angry, and cursed, his pen suddenly stopped, and then, as if by some strange coincidence, it moved to a blank space. In a blink of an eye, he skillfully sketched the outline of a woman, muttering as he drew: "Traitor, you traitor."
"I've always praised you for being a 'woman as good as a man,' yet when something happens, you immediately cower! Traitor, how can you be worthy of me?"
"What does it matter how beautiful she is? If she's a traitor, I still look down on her even if she's as beautiful as a fairy."
The next moment, Jiang Yushu and her two servants rushed to the county government office.
Jiang Yushu instructed the servant, "Send the cakes and fruits and tell my father that I will go visit him as soon as I finish my work."
"Yes!" The servant held the food box and hurried to find Jiang Shisen.
When passing by the teahouse, Cuimei said, "I'll fetch a pot of boiling water for tea."
"go."
Clerks and yamen runners came and went. Jiang Yushu was familiar with the place and nodded in response to their greetings from time to time. She hurried into the hall and saw her colleagues writing furiously at their desks. She apologized hurriedly, "Sorry, I'm late."
Wei Xu suddenly looked up, horrified, as if he had seen a ghost. He was so frightened that he half jumped up, tripped over the table leg, and fell off the chair awkwardly, "thump~" falling to the ground.
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