Chapter 100: Happy
Before dawn, before Xu Junying went out, he went to the upper room to ask about Mei Niang's situation. Several maids were there, each busy with their own things. The curtains on the partition were still drawn, and Mei Niang had not yet gotten up.
After paying respects to Lord Hou, Cui Xi was about to go make some tea, but Xu Junying waved her hand and said, "I'm leaving now. Is your grandmother still okay? Ask Bao Ju to bring the imperial physician back to see her later."
Cui Xi said, "Replying to Lord Hou: Grandmother took the pills Lord Hou gave her last night and recovered after a good sleep. She got up in the middle of the night to eat some porridge and rice. She remembered that she had not finished reading the account books, so she continued to read them overnight and did not lie down to sleep until four o'clock in the morning."
Xu Junying looked at her and asked, "Which is more important, your health or the account book? Are you just going to let her be like this?"
Cui Xi lowered her head: "The servants can't persuade you."
"If something like this happens again, all of you, don't stay in the yard. When the eldest grandmother wakes up, she will not be able to greet her in the morning. Tell her what I mean: you must go to Jinhua Hall to serve the old lady dinner in the evening."
"I'll remember this!"
Xu Junying frowned, looked at the motionless curtain again, turned around and walked out.
He didn't believe that she didn't wake up, so he calculated the time and came. Several maids opened the cupboard doors, fumigated the clothes, and one had already walked to the curtain. She went out to see Heng'er at this time every day. Did she get up late this morning, or did he not calculate it correctly and go too early?
It is very likely that she would sit in the bed with her eyes open, not seeing him, and would not come out until he left.
Last night, he didn’t go to bed until four o’clock in the morning. In his dream, Cui Xi’s face was full of tears, and she knelt in front of him and cried loudly:
"Uncle, our great grandmother is gone!"
He broke out in a cold sweat and sat up suddenly. Half asleep and half awake, he vaguely remembered that it was a scene from the past, the night when Mei Niang died of illness, Cui Xi rushed open the door of his study and fell to the ground crying.
He was not surprised at all at that time. He took a sip of tea, waved his hand and asked Ruizhu and Ruibao to help Cuixi out. He told Baoju to do the job, and then he sat in the study until dawn. Only then did he go to take a look at the dead wife in name only.
The real death was not as good as the death in the dream which made him panic.
Perhaps, he should have moved her to another place on the day she woke up, using the excuse that her illness was serious and ignored her, so that things wouldn't have ended up like this, with the more he felt about her, the more complicated his feelings became.
She was always like this, changing so fast that he couldn't understand it, like a completely different person, dying and coming back to life; she blamed him for divorcing his wife and remarrying, but soon after that she readily and without complaint arranged for him to marry a new wife. She even didn't object to Zheng Meiyu, whom she hated the most, becoming his concubine, and she generously gave up the upper room in Qinghua Courtyard and the large patch of roses that she was said to have planted herself, preferring to live in a remote and cold Jingyuan.
She deliberately avoided him and didn't meet him. She hadn't seen her for a few days. What was she thinking? Was she deliberately keeping away from him? Or did she know what happened in the past and was too embarrassed to see him again?
Xu Junying was in a state of confusion. He rode out with Baoju on horseback. When they passed the middle gate, they met Baizhan who was hurrying over.
Bai Zhan rubbed his eyes, and Xu Junying looked at him: "If you still want to run external affairs, you don't have to follow."
Bai Zhan apologized: "Please let me come back. It's really boring to be with those people and just drink all day long!"
Baoju laughed, and Xu Junying said, "Go and get your horse and catch up... What did you do last night? It seems like you didn't get enough sleep."
Bai Zhan said happily, "Let's drink! Walk slowly, and when I get the horse, I will tell you interesting stories along the way."
The funny story that Bai Zhan told happened last night. The King of Qi brought his guards and made a big fuss at Xiankelai. However, the young owner of Xiankelai was not someone to be trifled with. He led a group of waiters, cooks, and even singing girls and dancers to confront them. The hall was in chaos and it was extremely lively.
Baoju was greatly surprised: "Who is the young master of Xiankelai? How dare he contradict the King of Qi?"
Bai Zhan laughed and said, "I didn't know who the young man was at first. I heard the shopkeeper shouting loudly and saw the waiters and cooks coming up, then I realized it was the young master of Xiankelai. The young master is quite skilled and her chain kicks are very beautiful, but she is not strong enough to hurt anyone. It seems that she can't hold on any longer. The King of Qi is just playing with her. If it's real, it won't be like that."
Xu Junying asked: "Who offended whom? How did it end?"
Bai Zhan replied: "It was the King of Qi who asked the guards to start a fight. Afterwards, no one knew what happened. The young master cursed, 'Zhao Bao, you men are bullying women.' The King of Qi revealed his identity, and the guards drove all the guests out."
Bai Zhan looked at Xu Junying hesitantly, and Xu Junying said, "If you have something to say, just say it!"
Bai Zhan then rode his horse closer and said, "Young Master Xiankelai, that's the girl who beat up Fourth Young Master Zhang that day!"
Xu Junying was stunned for a moment: "Did you see it clearly?"
"She was wearing men's clothes. I was at a nearby table and saw that her face looked the same as ours. Her voice was the same as ours... they were so similar!"
Xu Junying raised his eyebrows: "So everyone knows that the King of Qi bullies girls?"
Bai Zhan shook his head. "That young master dressed up as a man and even went on stage to play the drums at the beginning. Her skills were so superb that it dazzled the eyes. She didn't speak a word and looked no different from those pale-faced young men dancing with swords and weapons. Many people, including the brothers drinking at the same table with me, thought she was a boy. They all said that Xiankelai might have to close down now!"
Xu Junying nodded thoughtfully: "No wonder she dared to go out on the street alone. It's good for girls to learn some self-defense skills... She called the King of Qi by his name, which means they have known each other for a long time. The King of Qi was just joking with her. Xiankelai will be fine."
As they were talking, a horse-drawn carriage passed by them. Baoju pointed at the seal engraved on the carriage board and said, "That! Xiankelai's horse-drawn carriage delivers snacks to people who order snacks every day!"
Bai Zhan scratched his head and said, "It's really nothing. What was the point of the King of Qi making such a fuss last night? He ruined our whole table of delicious food and wine for nothing!"
Baoju pointed at him and laughed: "Don't you want to drink?"
"That was my money! I was supposed to treat you last night, but this happened. How unlucky!"
Mei Niang jumped out of bed after Xu Junying left, and hurriedly urged: "Hurry up! Comb my hair, it's too late! I'll go see Heng'er first, and then go to Jinhua Hall to help the old lady wash and eat breakfast. Whether to go to Jinhua Hall in the evening, the Lord Hou has nothing to say. Let the third grandmother take over Ziyun Hall for a while, I will go there after I coax the old lady... Cui Xi will make arrangements with Yu Mama and the others, and go out after lunch!"
Cui Lian combed her hair while begging, "My dear grandmother, please come back earlier. If the Lord Hou comes again tonight, Cheng'er and Ping'er will be dead!"
Mei Niang patted her soothingly: "Good girl, you are all so smart, just make up a story, it will be enough to confuse him for a while, it's okay!"
Cui Lian stamped her feet: "Grandma!"
Mei Niang chuckled: "Okay, okay, let's try to come back as soon as possible, at least before the Lord Hou has finished his meal at Jinhua Courtyard and returns to our courtyard, how about that?"
Cui Lian pouted: "That's more like it."
Mei Niang then told Cui Si: "On the Madam's side, Miss Cousin is very sinister. You must remember to tell Xia Lian to take good care of Heng Ge'er. That wet nurse is weak and unreliable."
Cui Si nodded: "I told Xia Lian a few days ago. I will go to see her when we get to Qiuhuayuan later."
Mei Niang sighed: "I just feel sorry for Heng Ge'er. He still doesn't like living in Qiuhua Courtyard!"
Cui Si said, "The other day, cousin Yu advised the first wife that Heng always cried when he went to bed because the first grandmother went to see him. She asked the first wife not to let grandmother see Heng, saying that after three to five months, Heng would forget about grandmother and he would be fine."
Mei Niang gritted her teeth and cursed: "What a rotten cousin, I really want to throw her into the pond at the door to feed the fish!"
Cui Lian put a pearl-bearing golden sparrow on Mei Niang's head and said casually, "The skin is so thick that the fish can't eat it. I think it's better to throw it in the backyard to feed the guard dogs!"
Several people looked at Cui Lian together. Cui Lian touched her face and said, "Why are you looking at me?"
Cui Si laughed and said, "I can't tell. Normally, if I pinch someone, you would say I'm cruel, but now you dare to feed someone to the dog!"
Cui Lian disagreed: "That depends on who she is. If she has a bad heart, she is not a human being!"
Mei Niang said admiringly: "We must be ruthless when dealing with bad people. Are we going to let her harm us?"
As they were talking, everything was done. Cui Xi said, "Let's go out, otherwise we will be late for Jinhua Hall."
First they went to Qiuhua Courtyard, then to Jinhua Hall, and then to Ziyun Hall, proceeding step by step according to the schedule. Cui Xi made all the arrangements very well. In the morning, Mother Wang had brought the maids to patrol the garden on behalf of the grandmother and check the status of the guards at each gate. All that was left was to listen to the managers' responses, send and receive cards, and submit the notes for paying out money. When Mei Niang arrived at Ziyun Hall, Rulan had already finished the previous tasks, so it was just her turn to sign the notes for withdrawing silver.
Ning Rulan smiled and said to Mei Niang, "You can get your spring clothes now. This time, the clothing factory is very quick!"
Mei Niang said, "Bai Jingyu is a smart person. Maybe she has nothing to do right now and doesn't need the embroiderers... By the way, how is the child born by Xiangrui? I went to see him in the heavy snow that night and was thinking about him."
Rulan said, "She's fine. I went to see her. She's grown plump and chubby, and Xiangrui has gained weight too. The Second Madam is so protective of her that even the Second Madam won't even come close to take a look at her. I think she doesn't bother to take a look either."
Mei Niang sighed: "You said Bai Jingyu is such a smart person, but if he makes one mistake, everything will go wrong. The concubines that the Second Master took in are all hers. It is too unfair for her to suffer this loss."
"It was the Second Madam who forced me to do this. People's hearts are hard to predict. The maid who has been with me since I was a child is spoiled, but she refuses to say a single good word for me... The Second Master loves children, and he must spend some time with Wei'er every day, and also with Xiangxue who is pregnant. The two concubines live in the same courtyard, and the Second Master lives there almost all the time. He only goes to Huifang Garden of Bai Jingyu occasionally, and they always quarrel."
Mei Niang shook her head: "She is unwilling! Since this is the case, the Second Master's heart is no longer with her, it is better to..."
She stopped talking in time and didn't say anything more. Fortunately, Ning Rulan didn't pay attention to what she said. She just smiled and gently stroked her abdomen. When she met Mei Niang's suspicious eyes, she smiled even sweeter:
"Mei Niang, I...my period hasn't come for more than ten days...I feel like I'm pregnant!"
Mei Niang was surprised and delighted: "Then what are we waiting for? Ask the doctor to check my pulse!"
Ning Rulan nodded heavily: "I will report to the Second Madam in a moment and ask her to make the decision!"
He grabbed Mei Niang's hand again and said, "If it weren't for you, I would be like Jing Yu. I'm not as good as her. She has an older sister, but I have nothing!"
Mei Niang smiled and said, "Everyone has their own destiny. It's hard to compare. I'm sorry for making you work so hard these days. From tomorrow on, you can just take a rest. Don't worry about it. I can do it myself!"
She waved her hand, and Cui Xi brought a brocade box over. Mei Niang took it and handed it to Ru Lan: "I bought this on the way to the flower banquet last time. I didn't have time to give it to you. This time, I'll just give it to you as a gift!"
Rulan opened the brocade box and was surprised: "A complete set of headdresses like this must cost at least three to five thousand taels of silver, and you..."
Mei Niang smiled and said, "I'm giving it to you!"
"Where did you get so much money?"
"You look down on me, don't you? After all, I am the wife of the Marquis of Weiyuan. When I go out to a banquet, I ask the Marquis for some money to spend. How can he not give it to me?"
Ning Rulan smiled and pushed the brocade box back: "But this is too expensive, you keep it!"
Mei Niang was unhappy: "I bought this headdress because it is exquisite and beautiful, and suitable for a woman of your temperament. But you don't want it, isn't it a waste of my kindness!"
Ning Rulan stroked the brocade box, thought for a moment, and then nodded: "Okay, I'll take it!"
Mei Niang smiled: "This is more refreshing!"
Ning Rulan said: "I don't know if it's true or not. Even if it is, I can still help you with some things. I heard my mother teach my sister: pregnant women should not be lazy, otherwise it will be difficult to have children in the future."
Mei Niang smiled and said, "My dear madam, you are right. When you have free time in the future, come to Ziyun Hall to have fun and keep me company."
When talking happily, it is easy to forget the time. When Wang Mama and her maid came in with the food box, Mei Niang knew it was time for lunch. No wonder she was a little hungry. She only had half a bowl of porridge in Qiuhua Courtyard in the morning. Heng'er had grown up a little and was getting more and more naughty. He didn't eat well when she fed him. When Mei Niang picked up the bowl, he would grab it. When Mei Niang drank, he would also drink. He would grab the food with chopsticks before it reached the bowl. It was very messy. But she still thought it was very fun and didn't let the maids take him away. The poor child had too little time to spend with his mother. Let him make a fuss. What if his clothes were stained by the juice of vegetables and soup? As long as the mother and son were happy, it was fine.
After sending Ning Rulan away, she had to go to the Second Wife for lunch and then report her physical condition. The Second Wife would ask a doctor to take her pulse. If it was really a happy pulse, the Second Wife would be overjoyed.
At the beginning of the new year, there were continuous births. It seemed that the good feng shui of the Hou Mansion was taken by the second wife. There was no one from the first wife. Xu Junying was not good enough, Xu Junxuan was not married, and what was the fourth son Xu Junting doing? Why didn't he give birth to a child? Really!
Mei Niang was complaining in her heart while eating her lunch. Cui Xi reminded her softly, "Mother Lin just said that everything is settled. Grandma can go to the west courtyard after she finishes eating."
Mei Niang said, "I want to take a shower and change my clothes. Heng'er made me really dirty this morning."
Cuixi said happily, "Cui Si brought the clothes she changed in the car with her. She can just wash them in the rest room when she gets to the store!"
"Let's not go to the store. There's not enough time. Let's go directly to Cen's house. The man is waiting in Suochunyuan. With his temper, if he doesn't arrive on time, he will go and smash the cyclamen again!"
Cui Xi looked at the door, leaned over and said, "Mom is coming in!"
Mei Niang pretended to greet Cui Xi: "You eat it while it's hot, I'm full!"
Mother Wang came closer and advised, "That's all you've eaten. Eat more, or you won't even have the strength to walk!"
As he spoke, he picked up his chopsticks and put two chicken legs, a piece of braised pork elbow and a piece of fish into Mei Niang's bowl: "Only after eating these will I feel full!"
Mei Niang picked up the bowl obediently: "Okay, listen to mom, I'll eat! Mom and Cui Xi will eat too. Is Cui Si outside? Ask her to come in and eat together, otherwise the food will get cold and make her stomach upset."
After lunch, Mei Niang said she was tired and wanted to go back to Qinghua Courtyard for a nap. She found an errand and asked Wang Mama and her maid to do it. She took Cui Xi and Cui Si with her and slipped out of Xu's house.
Lin Amao walked the road to Cen Mansion several times, and would choose to go through the small alleys with few people and few carriages. It didn't take long before they arrived. The carriage went directly through the side door and let Mei Niang and the others get off at the Chuihua Gate. Lin Runan came out to greet them. She was wearing a pink and purple spring gown, with her hair in a flowing cloud bun, a pearl flower in her hairpin, and a gold hairpin with a step-shaking ornament. What a refreshing, beautiful and elegant woman. Mei Niang smiled and said:
"Are you willing to put on women's clothes again? You'll attract a lot of attention if you go out like this!"
Lin Runan laughed and said, "I was really scared. It turned out to be him! I heard of his name when I first came to the capital. He was young but a tyrant. I didn't expect you to run into him. It's really bad luck!"
Mei Niang wanted to take a bath, so Lin Runan took her to her room. The maid brought hot water and Cui Xi served her. Lin Runan said to Cui Xi:
"Let me do it, you go down."
Mei Niang said, "No need for that. I'll wash it myself and Cui Xi will comb my hair later."
Lin Runan said: "I'll be waiting for you outside the screen. I have something to tell you."
Mei Niang knew what she was going to say, and she had no choice but to say: "Okay, just say it if you have something to say!"
Cui Xi put down the bag of clothes, closed the door and went out. Lin Runan moved an embroidered stool to sit next to the screen, but she poked her head out to look at Mei Niang. Mei Niang was soaking in the bathtub, so she sprinkled a handful of water over and said with a smile, "How dare you peek!"
Lin Runan dodged and said with a smile: "Who wants to see you? Don't I have any? I just want to ask you: how did you suddenly learn those punches and kicks? When you used them last night, I was stunned. Those were very advanced leg and kick skills. Where did you learn them? Did Xu Junying teach you?"
"Go!" Mei Niang sprinkled a handful of water drops at her again, "Xu Junying may not know how to do this!"
"Who taught you that? The King of Qi?"
"The King of Qi and I only met once, and I didn't have time to hide from him afterwards, so what is there to teach?"
"That is..."
"Don't make blind guesses. This is a long story. Rulan, oh no, Runan, from now on I will say that you taught me, okay?"
"No!" Lin Runan refused: "I can't even use that move, how can I teach you? Explain it clearly."
Anyone can be deceived, and you can not explain to the maids, but it seems that this cannot be done to Lin Runan. She knows Qin Meiniang's background. She is Qin Meiniang's friend, not a family member. It is too torturous to let a friend always have a question in his heart. Not being honest means lack of trust and it damages the friendship.
Mei Niang sighed in distress: "Runan, I told you, you have to believe me!"
Lin Runan's eyes sparkled: "Of course I believe you!"
Mei Niang thought for a moment and said slowly, "Actually, I don't really know - that serious illness took my life, and then I woke up and learned a few things that I couldn't do before. In addition to these martial arts, I can also teach people to sing, do business, and make clothes. Runan, I can knit a sweater for you!"
Lin Runan was a little disappointed and a little surprised: "Is it that simple? After recovering from a serious illness, you know everything now, but you have forgotten everything in the past?"
"Yes!" Mei Niang nodded, then shook her head: "Not everything. Don't talk nonsense and don't tell anyone. This is absolutely true. After that illness, I changed and became bolder. I always wanted to leave the Xu Mansion. That place is really not one I can stay in."
Mei Niang was about to get up and put on her clothes. Lin Runan sat with her back against the screen and sighed, "You must have met a god, Mei Niang. Even though you are unlucky, you are still lucky!"
Mei Niang came out while tying her clothes, very satisfied with Lin Runan's statement: "Maybe, I accumulated virtue in my previous life, was blessed by the gods, and survived a disaster. I dare not be blessed. I will be satisfied if I live a peaceful life!"
Lin Runan nodded: "You will be blessed, and live a peaceful and happy life - do you really not like Xu Junying?"
"That's not the problem, Xu Junying. He wants to marry my cousin as his second wife and another cousin as his concubine. I don't want to compete with others for a man, so I have no choice but to leave."
Lin Runan angrily cursed: "Another heartless person! My father is one, Xu Junying is another... I am so angry!"
Mei Niang let her knock on the table and walked to the dressing table, sat down, combed her hair, and sighed:
"Alas! I have seen many heartless men, and I don't think there is anything to be angry about. It would be great if I could leave Xu Junying and live my own refreshing life!"
Lin Runan agreed and said, "Get a divorce. It's useless to compete with a bunch of women for a man. There's no point in living in a house like that. A lady of imperial title cannot be divorced, but a lady of imperial title can ask for permission to leave!"
"Is it okay?" Mei Niang looked at Lin Runan in the mirror.
"Can!"
"I'm not divorcing my husband. I want to divorce him! If I'm divorcing my husband, I can't get married. I don't want to be single for the rest of my life!"
Lin Runan chuckled: "Who do you want to marry? I was thinking that I could stay with you after you got married, but now that you've married like this, I don't want to get married anymore!"
Cui Xi shouted outside the door: "Two ladies, may I come in now?"
Mei Niang pushed Lin Runan and said, "Go open the door. The time is almost up. The Overlord is coming!"
Lin Runan said to the outside of the door: "Push the door and come in!"
Cui Xi and Cui Si came in hurriedly. Cui Si helped Mei Niang put on a snow-cherry embroidered robe. Cui Xi combed her hair into a double spiral bun and simply decorated it with a few pearl flowers and jade ornaments. She then braided a bunch of black hair and hung it down on each ear, wrapped it with a necklace, and then put on a mask. Then she was ready to go out.
Lin Runan looked at him and said, "Isn't this outfit too plain? You look very cool."
Mei Niang said, "That's it. Do I have to dress up to please him? I am forced to teach him how to play the drums. If he gets upset, who knows what will happen. I don't want Xiankelai to be ruined in my hands."
Lin Runan smiled and said, "It's really hard for you. You are so unlucky. Why did you have to run into him?"
"Just call me Cen Meimei in front of him, don't call me Mei Niang."
Mei Niang told Lin Runan, and Lin Runan said, "I see, Cen Meimei, you picked a good name, and you even took your grandmother's surname!"
Mei Niang looked at Cui Xi and Cui Si who walked out the door first, then she approached Lin Runan and asked softly, "Is my grandmother's last name Cen?"
Lin Runan reached out and tapped her forehead: "You told me that yourself a long time ago!"
Mei Niang touched her forehead and smiled foolishly: "I forgot!"
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