misfortune
"Madam, why would the eldest daughter give Madam a piece of Chuanwu for no reason?"
After Tan Mozhu left and called away the other servants, Nanny Fang closed the door, walked to the bed, bent over and whispered to Fan Wenlan.
Even though Fan Wenlan was poisoned by eating puffer fish, and the piece of Chuanwu was not missing even a corner, out of caution, Nanny Fang still took it away and gave it to Fan Wenlan.
"For no reason?"
Hearing these four words, Fan Wenlan smiled, picked up the Chuanwu placed on the bedside table, and looked at it back and forth in the light coming in through the window.
The sunlight could not reach the bed, and Fan Wenlan's face was hidden in the shadows, making it impossible for Nanny Fang to see her expression at the moment, let alone understand her thoughts.
"Could it be...she knew about that?"
Nanny Fang lowered her voice, bent her waist even lower, and blended into the shadow beside the bed.
"But how old was she then..."
Noticing that Fan Wenlan's expression had changed, her subsequent words were as soft as mosquitoes and gradually disappeared into the dust floating in the air.
"Oh!"
Fan Wenlan put down the piece of Chuanwu, raised his head, and looked at Nanny Fang without a trace of guilt. "We did nothing wrong back then."
"Let alone our Yongnian Town, how many people died in the entire Fushun County, and even in Xuzhou Prefecture?"
"Who lives and who dies depends entirely on God's will."
"It is better to end the pain early than to linger on."
"Yes!" Nanny Fang nodded heavily.
Fan Wenlan raised his chin and pointed at the piece of Chuanwu. "It's very thoughtful of Ah Xiang to give Chuanwu to Yu'e, but it's just one piece. How can it be used? Go find Doctor Wen and buy some more. Send it to the West Courtyard and apologize to Yu'e."
"Yes! Madam." Nanny Fang nodded again.
When she came out of Fan Wenlan's bedroom holding the piece of Chuanwu, she found that her forehead was soaked with sweat, and the piece of Chuanwu in her hand seemed to be a little heavier than when she brought it.
…
"Madam, what is the purpose of the main courtyard sending so many Chuanwu? Are you warning us?"
The next day, Nanny Fang brought a bag of Chuanwu to the west courtyard, returned the piece she had taken earlier, and knelt down solemnly to apologize to Jiang Yu'e.
Jiang Yu'e naturally did not make things difficult for her. After sending the great god away, she went back to her room to rest on the pretext of doing so. At this time, Nanny Xiao expressed her worries and guesses.
A few days ago, Fan Wenlan was suddenly poisoned. She once thought that it was done by her master. Although it was later proved that the matter had nothing to do with Jiang Yu'e, when she saw her confronting Nanny Fang that day, it was like she had become a different person. It was hard not to make those who were interested feel suspicious and vigilant.
Even Nanny Xiao herself couldn't help but wonder whether she would stop forbearing and resist once.
"She never does things for just one purpose." Jiang Yu'e remained calm, but her eyes were no longer empty, and some subtle emotions were brewing in them.
She had indeed changed, but not obviously, like grass pressed by a stone, gradually breaking free from the oppression.
"Besides the warning, what else does she want to express?" asked Madam Xiao with a frown.
Hearing this, Jiang Yu'e curled her hands on her legs into fists, her eyes drooping as she squeezed out a few words from between her teeth, "She's not wrong!"
"Huh?"
During dinner, Zhao Mingyan suddenly discovered that the taste of the dishes had all changed, as if a new chef had been hired.
"A new group of people have been replaced in the east kitchen." Fan Wenlan suddenly said.
She was able to get out of bed and move around, and had no problem eating, but she was much weaker than before and spoke with a weak voice.
But her eyes were still bright, especially at this moment.
She then looked at Zhao Mingyan, who was holding her chopsticks without moving, and said with a smile, "If the food they cook is not to Yan'er's liking, we can just change people."
"Grandma, no need!"
Zhao Mingyan hurriedly shook her head and quickly put the food she had picked up into her mouth. After chewing and swallowing, she said, "It's not that it doesn't suit my appetite, I'm just not used to it yet."
Fan Wenlan smiled again and continued, "Yan'er has been busy with the weaving room and the business lately, and she has lost weight."
Zhao Mingyan was confused by her sudden words and felt vaguely uneasy.
Tan Linshuang on the side frowned and tightened his grip on the chopsticks.
"Yes! Now that the cook has changed, he has to lose weight even more." Tan Mozhu nodded in agreement.
Tan Linshuang's frown deepened, and then she heard Fan Wenlan say, "Your health is more important. Yan'er should just take care of the weaving room at Zhenjietang first. Let your uncle handle the business. He's idle all day anyway. It's better to keep him at the business than let him go out and have fun."
Zhao Mingyan was startled and almost let go of the chopsticks.
"Grandma, I..."
"cough!"
Tan Linshuang raised her foot and bumped her calf, interrupting her in time, then smiled and said to Fan Wenlan, "It's a good opportunity for her to stay home longer to accompany me to review my studies."
"Should I accompany you to review your lessons, or should I...hmmmm..."
Tan Mozhu put down his bowl and chopsticks, stretched out his two thumbs, looked at each other, and curved his eyes into two hooks, seducing the beauties in the yard to death.
"Uncle!" Tan Linshuang immediately glared at him.
"Oh...you are such a frivolous person." Fan Wenlan also glared at him.
The three generations of grandparents and grandchildren chatted and laughed, and the meal was more lively than usual.
Only Zhao Mingyan felt like chewing wax and tried hard to finish three bowls of rice to avoid being noticed by others.
"Hiccup!"
As soon as she walked out of the main courtyard, she couldn't help but burp loudly, and a strange smell came out.
Xiaozhu sniffed, rubbed her nose and said, "Miss, you ate your dinner so hastily that it felt like you swallowed it whole. You can still smell the original flavor of the food."
"Hmm...it's that plate of bamboo shoots and chicken breast."
"The bamboo shoots have a strong flavor, overpowering the meaty flavor of the chicken breast."
Zhao Mingyan raised her hand to fan away the aroma that drifted towards her nose, curling her lips and saying, "That crystal goose dish wasn't done well either. The broth wasn't thick enough, and it hadn't solidified into a crystal jelly to properly wrap the meat. The meat fell apart when I picked it up, not to mention the smooth texture."
"Only the roasted hoof is acceptable."
She waved her hand. She was more concerned about something else than her dissatisfaction with the new chef's cooking skills.
So when Tan Linshuang stepped out, she hurried over to him, took his arm, and asked impatiently, "Grandma, why did you leave me alone?"
Tan Linshuang remained calm and said calmly, "Nothing, just asked about my study progress."
"oh."
Zhao Mingyan suddenly thought that since it was already summer, the autumn exam was not far away.
After the restrictions on the imperial examination were lifted, many children from merchant families wanted to pass the exam and become officials to change their family's destiny.
"Husband..."
Seeing Tan Linshuang's expression, which seemed normal yet also seemed to be troubled, Zhao Mingyan immediately held him tighter and asked in a low voice, "Did I do something wrong that my grandmother wanted me to leave the company?"
"Grandmother not only replaced almost all the servants in the East Kitchen, but also rotated the shopkeepers and second-in-command of each business in advance."
Tan Linshuang did not give a direct answer. She walked side by side with her and slowly returned to the North Courtyard.
Xiaozhu and Ayun followed behind, stepping on the shadows of the two men.
Tonight, the backyard of the Tan Mansion is quieter than usual. I wonder if it is because some servants have been dismissed and there is no time to replace them.
Tan Linshuang's voice was also very soft, and only Zhao Mingyan could hear it clearly.
"However, my uncle has been asked to manage the main business. My grandmother has asked my third cousin to only be responsible for collecting rent and managing the shops on Zhulu Street."
"What? Isn't this a disguised way of excluding my third uncle?" Zhao Mingyan was stunned.
Tan Linshuang stared straight ahead, but without much focus. "My third uncle himself didn't think there was anything wrong. It's his family that's unhappy. But this is my uncle's concern, and it has nothing to do with me."
"Husband, is this my fault?"
Zhao Mingyan suddenly realized that Fan Wenlan's major reshuffle inside and outside the mansion was to guard against everyone, including her. As a result, all the efforts she and Tan Linshuang had made before were wasted, and it would be even more difficult for them to enter the business again.
We can see this just from the fact that Fan Wenlan let Tan Mozhu, who was used to being idle, take charge of the main business.
Right now, the only person she trusts is not her grandson, but her son.
This is really heartbreaking for Tan Linshuang.
"You are like a stone dropped into the water, seemingly calm but actually surging beneath the surface. You create splashes, stir up ripples, and push the undercurrent to the surface."
Tan Linshuang turned to look at her, and his scattered focus gradually focused on her face, like a torch or a sharp beam.
Zhao Mingyan bit her lower lip, and her eyes trembled slightly as she looked at him.
"Can...can it be salvaged?" she asked timidly.
A man who is good at business is not good at family disputes.
"I'm going to read a book. You go to sleep first."
Tan Linshuang took down her hand that was on his arm and walked straight to the study with Ayun.
"Young Master, are you really planning to change your career path to a government one?"
After arriving at the study and lighting the candles, Ayun saw Tan Linshuang sitting down behind the desk and casually opening a volume of "The Complete Interpretation of the Book of Changes".
Tan Linshuang stared at the page, her brows slightly furrowed. "The path of officialdom is more difficult and bloody than the path of commerce."
"So...are you angry with the young lady?" Ayun asked cautiously.
"Miss, did your uncle give you the cold shoulder just now?"
In the bedroom, Xiaozhu helped Zhao Mingyan wash up while complaining in a low voice.
"The old lady was poisoned and became a frightened bird, wary of everyone. I understand that, but it's not your fault. To put it bluntly, it's just bad luck."
"If she's unlucky, we'll have to have a feast tonight," Zhao Mingyan said seriously.
"cough!"
Xiaozhu almost laughed out loud. She picked up the comb and combed Zhao Mingyan's hair carefully. "Miss, you haven't been the same since you got married. Not only are you more cautious in doing things, but you're also a bit sentimental."
"Sentimental?"
Zhao Mingyan looked up at herself in the bronze mirror. "No way. I'm just...getting older. I'm not as innocent as I used to be."
"Miss, getting married is really bad. I don't want to get married in the future." Xiaozhu said with a pout.
"If you don't get married, will you serve your master like Nanny Fang, Nanny Qiu, and Nanny Li?" Zhao Mingyan asked with a smile.
"Why not? I think Nanny Li and Madam get along well." Xiaozhu said.
Zhao Mingyan peered at her through the bronze mirror and said sinisterly, "Madame Li used to be my father's concubine. When my mother was unwell, she would take care of her bedside."
Xiaozhu's hand holding the comb trembled, and she quickly shook her head and said, "I don't want to be my brother-in-law's concubine. I always hear you crying because of him in the middle of the night. It's scary."
Zhao Mingyan laughed dumbly, and then murmured softly: "Fools have their own luck. You are doing well this way."
Xiaozhu didn't hear and continued, "Although this matter is not the young lady's fault, it is better for the couple to be harmonious than to face each other coldly. Besides, you are not yet in the arms of the sun and the moon. It is better to cry more miserably tonight so that the son-in-law will soften his heart and stop being angry with you."
Zhao Mingyan was both amused and annoyed.
However, after Tan Linshuang returned to her room, she suddenly felt that Xiaozhu's words made a lot of sense. The purpose of their marriage was to have more children so that the Zhao and Tan families would have continuous descendants. Other things could be put aside; having children was the most important thing.
"Husband..."
So as soon as Tan Linshuang lay down, Zhao Mingyan leaned over and took the initiative to ask for a kiss.
"My lady, I am tired of reading."
Unexpectedly, the moment she kissed him, Tan Linshuang turned away and closed her eyes to refuse.
Seeing him return to his original state of "lying in bed and becoming a Buddha", Zhao Mingyan felt disappointed. She turned over with her back to him in displeasure and pulled the quilt closer to herself.
Immediately, Tan Linshuang's right side was exposed a little, and he simply turned over and lay on his side with his back to Zhao Mingyan.
There was a gap between the two of them.
Based on the principle that if you don’t give me a good face, I will just give you a bad face, Zhao Mingyan and Tan Linshuang started a cold war.
During the day, they looked at each other in silence; at night, they slept back to back.
Even Xiaozhu was affected by this. She rolled her eyes when she saw Ayun, which made the latter look confused.
"Does this girl have some strange eye disease?"
Until, Nanny Li suddenly visited, and when she saw Zhao Mingyan, she burst into tears, "Miss, something big happened at home, please come back with me!"
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