Chapter 134: Behaving Well
Shen Mingzhu didn't hear anything, which shows that the second wife doesn't need to enter the palace.
Whenever she thought of Emperor Jing'an and Concubine Ling's attitude towards Zhao Yi, she felt particularly upset.
In particular, they love Shen Qingtan and treat her very well.
The last time I went to the palace to see Concubine Ling, her words and actions clearly favored Shen Qingtan.
She was jealous and wanted to get Concubine Ling's attention, so she imitated Shen Qingtan's speech. However, she was not well-educated and offended him.
Emperor Jing'an was even more so. When his two nephews from the Duke's Mansion got married, he only summoned Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan, and gave them a stream of rewards.
Now, the sacrifice ceremony for Empress Yuanrong also excludes their second branch.
She felt very uncomfortable, as if as long as this couple was around, their second branch would never be able to make a breakthrough.
Fortunately, Zhao Yi did not live long.
Shen Mingzhu told herself in her heart that there was no need to fight with the dead.
The maid said respectfully, "Third Madam, the old lady invites you in."
Shen Mingzhu put her thoughts aside, walked into the house, and glanced at the box in Wei Mama's hand.
She bowed and said, "Greetings, Grandmother."
Mrs. Zhao noticed Shen Mingzhu's subtle look and guessed that she had heard what she had told Mother Wei.
Although she looked down on Shen Mingzhu's pettiness, she was now pregnant with the Zhao family's eldest great-grandson, and she had been much more well-behaved recently, so her attitude towards her was much more moderate.
"Your fetal position is not stable. If there is anything, just send a maid to pass on the message. There is no need to make this special trip."
Madam Zhao gestured for Shen Mingzhu to sit on the couch and said kindly, "Have you been feeling better lately? How's your appetite?"
"Grandma, I've been feeling much better lately, but my appetite isn't as good as before. It might be because of the hot and humid weather. I can't eat much after just a few bites." Shen Mingzhu stroked her belly. "I wanted to put some ice in the room, but I'm afraid the cold air will get into my body and I'll catch a cold."
She said this to please the old lady, hoping that she would be more sympathetic to her and take the initiative to put ice in her room.
How could Mrs. Zhao not see through Shen Mingzhu's thoughts?
After all, it’s just a matter of a basin of ice.
She herself was an experienced person, so she naturally knew that pregnant women were more afraid of heat than usual and had a poor appetite. If they also had morning sickness, they would suffer a lot.
Madam Zhao said sympathetically, "Tell the maid to get some ice from the ice cellar and put it in the outer room. You can rest in the inner room. It's cooler in the outer room when you eat, and you'll have a better appetite."
Shen Mingzhu smiled and said, "Grandma really loves me. I'll go back and ask the maid to get some ice."
Old Madam Zhao smiled slightly, waiting for Shen Mingzhu to mention the memorial ceremony for Empress Yuanrong.
Unexpectedly, Shen Mingzhu did not mention it, but talked about another matter instead.
"Grandma, a while ago, the embroiderer came to the mansion to take our measurements for summer clothes. Now that I'm pregnant, my aunt sent the embroiderer over again to let me choose the fabric and make four more loose-fitting summer clothes."
Shen Mingzhu said tentatively, "I picked up some fabric and planned to make clothes for the child."
Madam Zhao didn't care much and said, "It's just a few pieces of fabric."
She added, "It's time to choose. Make some inner clothes for the child, and let the embroiderer make outer clothes."
"My grandson's wife thinks the same." Shen Mingzhu couldn't grasp the old lady's attitude, so she said calmly, "I found a piece of material from the embroiderer. The color is very soft and bright, and the pattern is not only delicate but also very smooth, as if it were carved with a knife. I heard that you can touch it and rub it casually without scratching it. It can be kept for many years without spoiling."
Old Madam Zhao was the mistress of the Duke's Mansion and was knowledgeable. Just based on the characteristics of the material described by Shen Mingzhu, she knew she was talking about kesi.
"A newborn baby grows very quickly, so there's no need for them to wear such expensive fabrics." Old Madam Zhao didn't indulge her. "A baby's skin is very delicate, so it's best to wear soft, breathable fabrics."
Shen Mingzhu felt a huge disappointment in her heart.
Mrs. Zhao added, "I have two pieces of cotton and silk here. You can take them back and make clothes for the child."
Shen Mingzhu felt that she had lost face and couldn't help feeling resentful. She deliberately tried to offend the eldest lady and Shen Qingtan.
"This is my grandson's daughter-in-law's first time being a mother, so she doesn't understand these things. I just saw that my second sister-in-law had a few pieces of this kind of material in her hands. The patterns and colors were very beautiful, and they were different from the material that the embroiderer chose for me, so I asked her a few more questions."
Shen Mingzhu's heart grew sadder as she spoke, and she forced a smile as she said, "I had originally planned to pick out a piece of cloth and make two dresses, one large and one small, so that the child could wear them together when he was one month old. I never thought that this material wouldn't suit the child."
Old Madam Zhao is a smart person, how could she not understand the meaning of Shen Mingzhu's words?
It simply means that the eldest lady took advantage of her power as housekeeper to embezzle public funds to buy kesi silk for Shen Qingtan.
"The eldest daughter-in-law is in charge of the expenses of the mansion. The account books are sent to me every month. Every account is clear and there has never been a mistake."
Madam Zhao stopped beating around the bush and said, "The material you're talking about is kesi silk. Even a skilled weaver can only weave one or two inches a day, and one inch of kesi silk costs one ounce of gold."
She said bluntly, "The few pieces of kesi silk in Tan'er's hand must have been bought by Yi'er with her own money. If you want them, ask Jue'er to buy them for you."
This sentence hit Shen Mingzhu's sore spot again. How could Zhao Jue have the money to buy her kesi?
"The mansion has its own rules, and everyone has a quota. If you choose this precious item today, and she chooses that precious item tomorrow, the public treasury will be spent like water, and there will be a deficit every month. How can we maintain the normal expenses of the mansion?"
Madam Zhao said sternly, "Without rules, there can be no order. Today, because you're pregnant, you've set a precedent. It will cause chaos in the future."
Shen Mingzhu was humiliated and her face turned pale and blue.
The pain in her lower abdomen became more and more obvious, and she forced herself to endure the discomfort: "Granddaughter-in-law understands. It's just that I didn't have much experience and didn't recognize that it was a kesi silk worth every inch of gold. That's why I made a fool of myself in front of you."
After saying this, Shen Mingzhu stood up and said goodbye.
She took two steps, stopped, turned to Mother Wei and said, "I'm pregnant and can't go to worship my aunt. When you give my second sister-in-law something later, ask her to burn some incense for my aunt."
Mother Wei was startled for a moment, but quickly recovered and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, I'll pass your message on to Second Madam later."
Shen Mingzhu said politely, "Thank you for your help."
Old Madam Zhao looked at Shen Mingzhu's leaving back and her expression turned cold.
Ever since Shen Mingzhu became pregnant, she has been comparing herself to Shen Qingtan in everything, and she always has a lower budget in terms of food, clothing and other expenses.
As a woman herself, she understood how difficult it was for Shen Mingzhu to be pregnant for ten months, and as long as it was not excessive, she would turn a blind eye.
Who would have thought that her desires were insatiable and she even thought about kesi silk, and even flattered the eldest lady and Shen Qingtan for this.
I thought she had learned her lesson by not mentioning Empress Yuanrong.
But Shen Mingzhu was just trying to be nice and arouse her sympathy.
"I now believe the saying that a fool is convinced that everyone is a fool except himself."
Madam Zhao frowned and said, "The first wife's descendants are dwindling, but the second wife's descendants are quite prosperous. Unfortunately, they are short-sighted and narrow-minded. I don't know if they can raise their children well. My husband and I are old, and I don't know how much longer we can hold on."
"Old Madam, you and the Master will surely live a long and healthy life." Mother Wei consoled her, "We still have the Second Master at home. You don't have to say such depressing things."
A complex emotion flashed in Madam Zhao's eyes, and she said with a twitch of her lips: "Yes, Yi'er is here."
As long as he is around, the Duke of Zhao's Mansion will surely prosper for decades more.
"It's just his illness..."
Old Madam Zhao sighed deeply.
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