Chapter 2, Part 2: The cast of angst-filled stories is complete.
The screams continued from morning until the early hours of the next day.
During this time, because the baby was breech, the female protagonist of the abusive novel was helped out of bed and forced to walk back and forth in pain to correct the baby's position.
Zhao Xian was both frightened and terrified.
As dawn broke, a baby was born with a cry.
The midwife, carrying the baby, lifted the curtain and came out from the inner room. "Congratulations, Madam, it's a little princess."
Zhao Xian spent the entire night at Yunzhu Garden, recalling the script and novel content. Coupled with the screams of the tragic heroine in the abusive novel, she spent the whole night in fear.
In the book's plot, the tragic heroine successfully gave birth to her child.
However, the book does not describe the production process in detail, nor does it mention how dangerous it was.
Zhao Xian took the baby from the midwife; the baby was wrapped tightly in swaddling clothes, so she wasn't flustered.
The baby was tiny, and because he was premature, he looked a little ugly. His eyes were half-open, and he stared at her without blinking.
With a waah, the child started crying after being held for a short while.
Zhao Xian can help take care of children who are a few years old, but she is helpless when it comes to newborns.
"Madam, let me help you. The young lady must be hungry." The wet nurse, who had been waiting, stepped forward, took the child, and went to a side room to feed her.
Zhao Xian looked towards the inner room and asked, "Is my eldest daughter-in-law alright?"
Seeing the concern in her eyes, the midwife said, "It's nothing serious. This is your first pregnancy, so it will be tough. Take good care of yourself, and the second delivery will be easier."
Zhao Xian frowned slightly. This one pregnancy was already so difficult, how could she have another one?
Seeing the midwife's nonchalant expression, Zhao Xian realized that she was in ancient times. She pursed her lips and said, "Thank you for your hard work. Here's a reward."
The midwife quickly expressed her gratitude, her mouth full of joyful words.
Granny He saw the imperial physician and the midwife out.
Zhao Xian went into the inner room to see the female protagonist of the torture novel. She had just given birth, and the room smelled strongly of blood. The bedding had been changed, even the curtains had been replaced, and new incense had been burned in the incense burner.
Zhao Xian remarked on how efficient the servants were.
After giving birth all night, the woman on the bed was so exhausted that she fell into a deep sleep.
Looking at the peaceful, sleeping face of the female protagonist in the angst-filled novel, Zhao Xian suppressed her disgust for her.
This wasn't her mood; she's always been tolerant of good-looking people.
It was probably influenced by the original owner of the body. The mother-in-law in the tragic story was a wicked mother-in-law who disliked the female protagonist and was one of the reasons that exacerbated her suffering.
Looking at Li Lianniang on the bed, Zhao Xian felt somewhat fortunate that she hadn't transmigrated into a tragic novel's heroine and hadn't had to endure the pain of childbirth.
But she was also extremely worried because she had inexplicably transmigrated and become the mother-in-law of the female lead in a tragic novel, and to make matters worse, she was a wicked mother-in-law.
He's aged ten years out of nowhere, his seniority has doubled, and he even has a granddaughter.
I want to die.
Zhao Xian did the same.
When Jiang Wei was summoned back by the servants, Granny He entered the room to report. She didn't see anyone on the soft couch or bed, but instead saw a pair of feet wearing embroidered shoes on the round table. She immediately cried out, "Madam—!"
With a loud thud, Granny He fainted and collapsed to the ground.
"..."
Zhao Xian, whose neck was not yet inside the rope tied with a long silk ribbon, was holding onto it with both hands.
Hearing the noise, Jiang Wei rushed into the house and immediately noticed his mother, who was about to hang herself. His expressionless face cracked little by little. "Mother, Mother, what are you doing? Someone, someone!"
Zhao Xian was forcibly pulled off the table by her feet, and she remained silent, her lips pursed, looking somewhat sullen.
Jiang Wei waved for his servants to leave.
When the servants left, they also carried away Granny He, who was lying on the ground.
With no one else around, Jiang Wei said with a straight face, "Mother, even if Li Shi didn't give birth to a son, you don't need to be so angry, do you? We are both still young, and we will have children in the future, and we will give birth to sons."
Zhao Xian, who had been hesitating because she was worried about whether hanging herself would cause incontinence and make her death too undignified, suddenly heard her eldest son open his mouth and slap a huge pot on her head.
Snap—
Zhao Xian stood up and slapped the man across the face.
After she finished, her hands trembled, and her palms felt numb and painful from the impact.
Even though he's the male lead, he's an arrogant and stupid male lead in a tragic romance novel.
At this moment, Zhao Xian couldn't distinguish whether it was personal emotion or an anti-PUA radar alarm; she pointed at Jiang Wei and scolded:
“You really are my good son. Your wife was so angry with you that she had a difficult childbirth. The baby was in labor for a whole day and night, and I waited outside but you were nowhere to be seen. After you had your fun, you came back but didn’t care about your wife and daughter. Instead, you come here to blame me for disliking my granddaughter? What a huge accusation! I can’t bear it.”
He met Jiang Wei's surprised and suspicious gaze.
Zhao Xian's heart skipped a beat; she seemed to have cursed too much.
With her neck stiffened and her voice lowered, her attitude remained firm: "I don't dislike my granddaughter, I dislike that I gave birth to an unfilial son. While my wife was having a difficult childbirth, you were outside accompanying another woman to burn incense and pray for blessings. If word gets out, I, as her mother, will have no face."
Faced with the sudden accusation, Jiang Wei's lips opened and closed repeatedly, as if he had something to say, but he couldn't utter a single word for a long time.
But the suspicion in his eyes deepened.
"Why aren't you going to see your daughter? Lianniang went through so much hardship carrying and giving birth to your child, but you made her give birth prematurely because of your anger. Instead of going to apologize yourself, do you expect me, her mother, to go in your place?"
Zhao Xian turned her back gracefully and stepped into the inner room.
She appeared tough and arrogant, but her expression changed drastically the moment she turned around. It seemed that her outburst had aroused the suspicion of the male protagonist in the angst novel.
Calm down, calm down. She is his mother now, his elder.
Don't be a random passerby who arbitrarily wields the power of life and death like the male protagonist in a tortured novel. Stay calm!
Once inside, Zhao Xian listened intently for a while through the gauze and beaded curtains until the footsteps faded away, at which point she finally breathed a sigh of relief.
--
Jiang Wei looked up towards the inner room, finally closing his lips tightly, his brows furrowed.
His expression revealed a confusion that he himself couldn't quite explain; he had never seen his mother so angry before.
After a moment of silence, he walked out with one hand behind his back.
Upon arriving outside, Granny He had already woken up and was turning back. Seeing him, she hurriedly bowed and asked, "Young Master, where is Madam?"
Upon closer inspection, one could see a hint of fear in her eyes.
“Mother is fine, Granny, there’s no need to worry.” Jiang Wei said, but instead of stepping aside, she raised her hand in a gesture of invitation.
Hearing that nothing was wrong, Granny He breathed a sigh of relief.
She was shrewd and knew that the eldest young master had something to ask her.
"Brother Wei." A woman's melodious voice called out to Jiang Wei.
Behind a tender green calyx branch, the woman peeked out slightly, her fingertips twirling a handkerchief, and looked at Jiang Wei with her eyelids half-raised: "Tingyue, go and pay your respects to your aunt first, and then go with Brother Wei to visit your sister-in-law and niece."
Thinking of his mother's unusual behavior today, coupled with those unpleasant words, Jiang Wei worried that Cui Tingyue would be mistreated if she went in, so he said, "Mother is busy right now, let's pay our respects another day."
"Come with me to Yunzhu Garden first." Jiang Wei said, then looked at Granny He and said, "Granny, Tingyue is not in good health. Please have someone bring Mother's sedan chair."
People can laugh when they're speechless, and Zhao Xian was now acutely aware of this.
His wife was so angry that she went into premature labor, and he still brought other women to upset her, even feeling sorry for her poor health and wanting to carry her there in a sedan chair.
He truly lives up to his reputation as a male protagonist in a tragic novel, paving the way for his demise with a single stroke.
Before Granny He could give any instructions, the head maid, Shaoyao, stepped forward with her hands folded in front of her chest. "Miss Cui, please wait. Madam requests your presence."
Cui Tingyue tightened her grip on the embroidered handkerchief and looked up at Jiang Wei.
Before Jiang Wei could speak, the maid Shaoyao continued, "Madam instructed the eldest young master to return to Yunzhu Garden as soon as possible. The eldest young mistress's premature birth this time was like a brush with death, and she suffered a lot. Yesterday, she even called for the eldest young master half the night. She is at her weakest now and cannot withstand any more stimulation."
Granny He immediately understood her mistress's meaning and chimed in, "Madam is very thoughtful. The eldest young mistress has just given birth, so it's not appropriate for too many people to visit her. Miss Cui can go in a couple of days."
Urged on and warned of the dangers they mentioned, Jiang Wei nodded and headed towards Yunzhu Garden.
Peony: "Miss Cui, please."
Cui Tingyue glanced at Jiang Wei's departing figure, her fingers twisting her handkerchief.
Her words revealed that she didn't want to face Madam Jiang alone. After all, the commotion inside the house was so loud just now, wouldn't she be walking right into a trap if she went in now?
She was just an orphan, and despite having the title of the daughter of the eldest young master's benefactor, she knew that Madam Jiang did not like her.
Like the eldest son's wife, she was of even lower status and had no father or brothers to help her.
Cui Tingyue entered the room with her head bowed and curtsied, saying, "Tingyue greets Madam and wishes her good health and longevity."
From the moment the other person came into view after going around the screen, Zhao Xian began to sized her up.
She was dressed entirely in white, and her cloak was also rather plain. Even with the cloak on, she looked very thin and frail, making her appear delicate and pitiful.
She wore few ornaments on her head, just a few simple silver hairpins and a plain white silk flower.
Yes, the daughter of this benefactor is still in mourning.
From the original owner's memories, Zhao Xian discovered that the original owner had actually planned to have her eldest son take this girl as a concubine.
Otherwise, what's the point of keeping her in the manor? She's a young lady after all; she'll get married sooner or later.
However, when the original owner brought up this matter, it was rejected.
They said the girl was still in mourning.
The original owner's eldest son also refused, and even scolded the original owner, saying that the girl's father and brothers had all died because of saving him, and he was taking his benefactor's daughter as a concubine. How was this any different from repaying kindness with enmity?
Zhao Xian scoffed inwardly.
Since you're afraid of being repaid with ingratitude, why are you always so affectionate, calling each other "brother" and "sister," and blaming your wives for everything?
Zhao Xian pursed her lips, feeling that they were exploiting some kind of strange bug.
"Tsk, pure torture."
Cui Tingyue slightly raised her eyes, "What did Madam say?"
Zhao Xian waved her hand, "It's nothing, it's nothing."
When Cui Tingyue looked up, Zhao Xian saw the other person's face clearly, and her breath caught in her throat for a moment.
What a beautiful, delicate, aloof, and fragile face, so pure and innocent.
With that face and that figure, she's perfect for playing the role of a beloved, unattainable love. Just standing there, she's a scene that evokes a beautiful sense of nostalgia.
It sounds so wonderful.
She was so excited that she wanted to sign the person and become their agent herself.
Suppressing this unrealistic and bizarre thought, Zhao Xian coughed lightly: "Sit down, standing is tiring."
She has never been able to resist beautiful women, especially naturally delicate beauties. She lowered her voice slightly and even raised it a little: "Are you getting used to living in the manor?"
Cui Tingyue was slightly taken aback, subtly observing Madam Jiang before her. Since she arrived at the Jiang family, Madam Jiang had been quite kind in public, but in private, although she had never been harsh to her, her attitude had always been cold and indifferent. Why was she like this today...?
On second thought, she wondered if they were going to kick her out. She immediately felt extremely uncomfortable. "Thank you for your concern, Madam. The Jiang family is doing very well."
"Wei'er said you're not in good health. What medicine are you taking?"
The original owner of this body had no recollection of this; it seemed that after she entered the manor, Jiang Wei handled these matters.
The daughter of the benefactor in the book was also always sickly.
However, in the later part of the drama, after the male and female leads divorce, the male lead in the tragic story finally realizes that he has been playing tricks on the daughter of his benefactor all along, repeatedly misunderstanding and blaming the female lead in the tragic story. He then sends the daughter away to torment her and turns to pursue his wife.
After kicking her out of the mansion, they even revealed that Cui Tingyue was not sick and had been faking it all along.
Zhao Xian carefully examined Cui Tingyue's face. Her sickly appearance didn't seem to be an act.
"Reporting to Madam, when we were at home, my father had the doctor prescribe the Mu Xiang Fen Qi Wan (木香分气丸). After we arrived at the Jiang residence, Physician Liu also prescribed this medicine for my daughter, and she has been taking it ever since."
Zhao Xian nodded, completely unaware of the purpose of the pill.
After asking her carefully, Zhao Xian felt that the little girl was a very nice person. She spoke softly and gently, and was both obedient and gentle.
How did she become that scheming, vicious female supporting character in the book, who gets involved with the male and female leads in a tragic romance?
After a casual chat.
Zhao Xian quite liked Cui Tingyue.
I drank half a bowl of tea.
Cui Tingyue rose and bowed in farewell, saying, "Madam, I will take my leave now."
"Go on, you must be tired from your journey. You should go back to the courtyard and rest more."
Smiling as she watched the person leave, Zhao Xian sighed, "What a good girl."
Cui Tingyue left Haitang Residence with a heavy heart. The lady was acting very strangely today; her smile was eerie and frightening.
A note from the author:
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