"Qingqian, the other day the Fourth Young Master came to ask for some rice crackers as a snack. Have the kitchen make some and send them to him."
"Thank you, sister-in-law, thank you, sister-in-law," the second wife stood up and thanked her several times.
These words indicated that the speaker intended to let the brat go.
I'll go and beg the old lady tomorrow; the house arrest probably won't be necessary. The rumors will also be somewhat contained.
Overjoyed, she couldn't control herself and picked up a handkerchief, laughing and crying at the same time.
Qingmei looked up at her, inwardly cursing, yet also feeling a pang of sadness.
"Speaking of which, the second wife was unlucky to marry the second master."
The master of the house is carefree and doesn't care about anything. He only knows how to indulge in pleasure and has four concubines and seven maids in the courtyard.
She handled all the social interactions and arrangements, managing everything from top to bottom. She was quite a clever person.
But the second master always manages to cause trouble, and no matter how respectful, cautious, and tactful the madam is, she can't escape being scolded all year round.
Now there's another troublemaker, the fourth young master. If he's not disciplined, he's in for a rough time!
With that thought in mind, he respectfully saw the second madam out.
As soon as Zheng was discharged from the hospital, she stopped forcing a smile and started plotting how to deal with Gu Yan.
It has to be said that what Qingmei was thinking just now was also her own thought: she needed to keep a closer eye on her son! If he really got corrupted by that malicious person, she would have nowhere to turn for help!
As soon as I returned to the courtyard, I saw the head maid, Zijuan, approaching me with a bitter expression, as if she had something to report.
He took a sip of tea. "Speak, what is it?"
Zijuan stammered, "Madam, the master just came to deliver a message, saying that he wants to take another concubine."
"What?" Her hand holding the handkerchief trembled uncontrollably. Her son had been confined to the yard, ruining his reputation.
His own father actually had the mind to only think about going out and having a good time!
Zijuan added, "I heard she's Aunt Yang's niece. Yesterday, when Third Master's courtyard was sealed off, she hurriedly brought her niece over."
"How did I end up with such a filthy thing!" The second wife couldn't help but burst into tears.
Throughout the entire Marquis's mansion, neither the Marquis nor the Third Master had a single concubine. Only he was greedy for money and lustful, ruining the family's reputation.
If the old Marquis hadn't kept quiet, his whole family would have been kicked out long ago!
Why did my son provoke someone's anger? Wasn't it because he disrespected my sister's maid and violated ethical norms?
In the blink of an eye, this shameless bastard is brazenly trying to take his aunt's niece as his concubine! Is he even human?!
He wiped away his tears, looked up, and gave the order.
"Keep the news a secret for now. If Gu Xiao comes again, just say I have a headache and postpone the meeting."
"I've prepared writing brush, ink, paper, and inkstone; I'm going to send a letter to my father."
"I still have more than a dozen of the 'Hundred Blessings' pattern that I embroidered for the old lady a while ago to finish.
"Zijuan, go and ask your aunt to bring a few embroiderers. Also, those in the house who know needlework, don't sleep tonight; finish the work for me tomorrow."
This "Hundred Blessings" design was made by my aunt Zijuan. I originally planned to embroider it myself stitch by stitch, and then have it framed and made into a screen at Zhixian Workshop.
It was to be filled out as a birthday gift for the old lady's birthday banquet later, but now it's too late.
The room full of trusted maids busied themselves.
The next day, Madam Zheng got up very early, quickly washed up, and went to pay her respects to the old lady.
He presented the "Hundred Blessings" picture again, saying auspicious words to amuse the old lady.
She was once again doing the maid's job, kneeling on the ground to massage the old lady's legs.
After much effort, they managed to get a word out of the old lady that the fourth young master's confinement was lifted, but he was required to copy one hundred large characters every day.
The third young master is old and still doesn't know how to discipline his younger brother. He should face his own shortcomings and set a good example. The house arrest is only half the punishment.
Discipline? What's the point of talking about discipline? Yan Ge'er suffered this misfortune because he was the one who instigated it behind the scenes.
Suppressing her anger, she cleverly coaxed the old lady into finishing her lunch.
He rushed back to the courtyard to check the message his father had sent; it should have arrived by now.
After reading the letter, he felt relieved. He then called a few maids and took some boards to the fourth young master's courtyard.
Zijuan stepped forward and said softly, "By order of the Second Madam, the young master has shown no respect for elders, acted arrogantly and willfully, and caused trouble. He shall be given ten strokes of the cane as a warning to others!"
"No, no, no, Sister Zijuan, I won't do it again, I won't do it again."
Now she wasn't dull and stupid anymore; she looked like a clever little devil. Zheng stood outside the courtyard listening, trying to force a smile, but her face was too stiff to move.
The force of the paddle used to beat the young master was different from that used to beat the servant, but ten strokes of the paddle were not easy to endure.
She only went in after the fighting was over and all the maids and servants had left.
When they first started beating him, the Fourth Young Master's howls echoed throughout the entire courtyard, but as the beating progressed, he couldn't even scream anymore.
He was humming softly now, and seeing him like this, Zheng couldn't help but feel her eyes redden.
"You wretched child, you're going to drive me crazy!"
"Mother, don't cry. I won't do it again, I won't do it again." Upon hearing this, the second wife choked up even more and couldn't stop sobbing.
A bellyful of words stuck in my throat, unable to form a coherent sentence.
The old lady was tired of him, but she knew her son was just a fool. Although going to find the maid was rude and unreasonable, she had no dirty thoughts whatsoever.
Give him ten lashes so he'll learn his lesson!
After wiping away her tears, she said, "Your maternal grandfather has sent a recommendation letter for Qingsong Academy. Pack your things, bandage yourself up, and set off this afternoon."
"What?"
Qingsong Academy is in another city, more than 100 miles away round trip. The teaching quality is good, but it is too remote and isolated. Moreover, you are only allowed to bring one page when you go there.
Life there will surely be hard. It's not as good as being at home. He was about to whine and coax his mother into staying at home.
But when she looked up, she saw her mother was heartbroken and looked like she was about to faint. She murmured something, but dared not speak.
Then his mother spoke again, "Your brother trains at the drill ground in the north of the city. He has a proper job and doesn't come back often, so he's not exposed to that corrupt environment. I'm relieved."
Although you are a bit slow-witted, you are willing to sit still and study. Although life at Qingsong Academy is tough, the students who come out of it are first-rate in their studies and have excellent character!
Wherever they go in the future, they will be respected!
"I'll only feel at ease when you're gone, my son. Don't blame me. You'll be gone for three years. When you want to come back, I'll send someone to fetch you!"
The second wife knelt in front of her son, sobbing uncontrollably.
The fourth young master raised his hand to wipe away her tears, his voice also trembling with sobs.
"Didn't I tell you? Don't cry, it's just studying, right? I'll go, and once I've finished my studies, I'll go to the examiner and ask for an imperial decree for you."
Zheng held her child, and the two of them cried together.
"You should study hard, but don't overwork yourself. Good health is the most important thing!"
Ultimately, she couldn't bear to part with her child, so she didn't tell him about the dirty things his father had done. She had originally intended to tell him so he would be more careful.
He picked up the invitation again and went to see the old lady.
When Madam Hou heard that she had come, she smiled and joked, saying to Kouqi beside her,
"Look, look, this shrewd little devil must have spent half the morning serving without getting anything good, and after thinking it over and over again, he came back to ask for a reward."
"Oh dear, I heard everything outside, ma'am. You're wronging me. I'm not here to ask for anything; I'm here to deliver good news."
If you accuse me again, I'll turn around and leave, kneel outside, and wait until the old lady gets curious before coming in to explain.
As Zheng walked inside, she replied loudly and cheerfully.
"Listen to that overjoyed sound, what good thing has happened to our Second Madam?"
She didn't sit on the stool the maid brought her; instead, she plopped down on the old lady's footstool, grabbed the old lady's legs with both hands, and showed her the admission notice for Qingsong Academy.
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