Chapter 40 "It wasn't her who seduced me, it was me who..."
The next day, Shanhe woke up and noticed a woman standing outside the curtain. She lifted the corner of the curtain and saw that the woman looked to be in her fifties, dressed rather decently, and was standing in front of the incense burner, slowly and methodically stirring the incense ash.
A moment later, Cai Xiang entered carrying a stack of clean clothes. Seeing Shan He's face half-hidden behind the bed curtains, she couldn't help but smile and say, "My lady is awake."
The woman also turned her head and, from a distance of about ten steps, slowly looked at Shanhe with a solemn and indifferent expression.
Shanhe frowned: "And who is this?"
Cai Xiang hurriedly said, "This is Granny Wei. The master invited her to take care of the young lady. Granny Wei has been with the master since he was a child; she was his wet nurse."
Shanhe narrowed her eyes, quietly scrutinizing Granny Wei's face. It was ostensibly care, but in reality, it was surveillance. She understood. However, Granny Wei's relationship with Liang Ye was so close that she must have considerable influence with him. Logically, Shanhe should have risen to greet her and say a few polite words of "Thank you for your trouble, Granny Wei." But that was something only someone close to Liang Ye should do. So Shanhe simply gave a faint "Oh," lay back down on the bed, and turned her face away: "I haven't even gotten up yet, haven't washed my face or combed my hair, and you bring in a stranger, deliberately trying to embarrass me."
Cai Xiang's smile froze, and she quickly said, "It was really my oversight. Does my wife want to get up now?"
Shanhe bit her lip: "The old man told me to take good care of myself."
The word "stranger" stung Granny Wei's eyes. Seeing Shanhe's arrogant attitude, she sneered inwardly. She already looked down on Shanhe's status, and now she felt even more that Shanhe was ungrateful. She immediately said to Caixiang, "Does Madam find this old woman an eyesore? I'll leave right away so as not to offend Madam's eyes."
Upon hearing this, Cai Xiang quickly added, "Granny, you've misunderstood. Madam would never have meant that—"
Before the words were finished, from inside the bed curtains, Shanhe said leisurely, "Aren't you leaving yet?"
Granny Wei immediately turned purple with anger, flicked her sleeves, and turned to leave. Cai Xiang sighed and stamped her foot, "My lady, why must you do this!" With that, she hurriedly chased after her.
Shanhe lay on the bed, turned her face, and whispered, "Go, go, go tell Liang Ye that I am in bad shape and that it is only right to kick me off the ship as soon as possible."
Granny Wei stormed out, her anger palpable, and stormed into Liang Ye's cabin. Liang Ye had just finished washing and was sitting at his desk, writing a letter, a teacup in hand. Cheng Min stood respectfully at his side, reporting on matters. Seeing Granny Wei, he put down his pen and smiled, "Granny Wei is here." He then rose and took Granny Wei's arms, leading her to a chair to sit down. "Granny, it's been a long time since you've seen me. Why aren't you smiling?"
Granny Wei was still angry and said, "You can't even laugh when someone has treated you so badly."
Sensing the sharp edge in her words, Liang Ye gave Cheng Min and Cai Xiang a look, signaling them to leave. Once only the two of them remained in the room, Liang Ye personally poured tea and handed it to the nanny, saying with a smile, "Who made you so angry, nanny?"
Granny Wei accepted the teacup with both hands and said solemnly, "This is the official slave girl that Ye-ge wrote to me to take care of."
It turns out that this Granny Wei had a past connection with the Liang family; she was one of the maids who accompanied Liang Ye's mother, Shi, during her dowry. After Liang Ye was born, she became his wet nurse, taking care of him wholeheartedly until Liang Ye was taken back to Mizhou by Old Master Liang. Only then did she take some compensation money and return home to be a wife and mother. Although she hadn't been by Liang Ye's side all these years, she never missed a single annual greeting or gift, so Liang Ye respected her greatly.
Upon hearing her mention Shanhe, Liang Ye sat down opposite Granny Wei and asked, "Oh, her. What happened to her? Is she awake now?"
Seeing the concern in his words, Granny Wei sighed, "Master, your future is bright and your career is at its peak. Don't let such a frivolous slave girl ruin your future!"
Liang Ye smiled and said, "She was never that kind of frivolous person."
Granny Wei sneered, "There are some women in this world who are obedient and gentle in front of their husbands, but who knows what kind of faces they have behind their backs! Just now, Cai Xiang and I went to see her quietly, without disturbing her. She woke up on her own and then complained that we were in her way. As soon as Cai Xiang said a word, she said in a strange voice, 'Aren't you leaving?' It's fortunate that Cai Xiang is so gentle. If you keep someone like that in the house, won't the household be in turmoil when the mistress comes in?"
Liang Ye's thick eyebrows furrowed as he listened. After Wei Mama finished speaking, he pursed his lips and said, "She's been unhappy these past few days. I'll talk to her about it later. Since you don't like her, I won't let her fawn over you anymore. You should rest well these days. When we go to the capital and establish our own household, I'll need your help."
"Master is just too good-natured!" Seeing Liang Ye like this, Granny Wei became even angrier. "Did she give Master the cold shoulder?"
Liang Ye smiled gently: "She has indeed had a hard time these days."
Granny Wei leaned forward and said with concern, "Given her status, it's already a blessing that the master has allowed her to stay. If she's so ungrateful, it would be a waste of the master's good intentions."
Liang Ye silently sipped his tea, waiting for the fragrance to linger on his lips and teeth before setting down his cup. He slowly turned his face and looked into Granny Wei's eyes, which were aging but still sharp and capable. He said slowly, "Granny, there is something I did not tell you in the letter."
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through Granny Wei's mind: Was Madam Xue pregnant during the mourning period? Or did she have some leverage over Liang Ye? But no matter how hard she racked her brains, nothing could compare to the shocking revelation of Liang Ye's next words.
"Does the old woman still remember Ah Shao's wife, who was also surnamed Xue and was also born a government slave?"
Granny Wei was taken aback.
“She has now divorced Ah Shao, and she is the person that the old woman saw this morning.”
Granny Wei was taken aback again.
Liang Ye smiled gently: "So she's been in a bad mood these past two days, please bear with her, Granny."
Granny Wei was so shocked by the news that she couldn't speak, her already dry and wrinkled lips moving incessantly. After a long while, she finally managed to utter a few words: "Young master, she...you..."
Liang Ye gave a soft "hmm".
Granny Wei's nose stung with tears: "That Brother Shao..."
“He doesn’t know,” Liang Ye said gently.
"This...this..." Granny Wei paused, then pressed, "Did she seduce you?"
Liang Ye spoke frankly, "I forced her to stay by my side." Granny Wei was speechless with shock. Her eyes widened, she gripped the armrests, and took a deep breath. Her voice trembled as she said, "Ye-ge'er, that's your own brother's wife! How can I face your mother in heaven?!"
Liang Ye patted her hand reassuringly: "I have now become a disciple of Ouyang Shizhong. After the palace examination, I should be granted an official position. Once I have established myself in the capital, I will definitely find a suitable bride for A Shao, someone of equal social standing and a good match for him. I will also need to ask the matron to help me find a suitable bride for A Shao."
"And what about this Lady Xue?"
"Her status is awkward, and she can't be included in the family genealogy. It's alright to settle her in the backyard for now. We'll raise her rank after Ah Shao's matter is settled."
Granny Wei clutched her chest and pondered for a moment before tentatively asking, "Young master, is it because of her family's past relationship with the old master? If so, then why not give her a place to stay and settle her elsewhere, instead of keeping her in the inner quarters? Young master has always been a man who thinks ten steps ahead before taking a step, not to mention that his career is promising now and he will be getting married in two years. He shouldn't be making such a decision."
“It has nothing to do with my grandfather.” At this point, Liang Ye’s eyes were filled with affection. “It was I… who wanted to keep her here. There’s no need for you to persuade me, Granny. She’s just a woman from the inner quarters, not very bold, and pure-hearted. She’s just a bit stubborn, but she won’t get in the way of those important matters.”
Granny Wei sighed deeply. Although she and Liang Ye were mistress and servant, Liang Ye had been raised on her breast milk since childhood and was her master. Many times, she treated Liang Ye with more sincerity than her own children. Seeing Liang Ye speak like this now, she had no choice but to give up on trying to persuade him. Like all mothers who dote on their children, she no longer thought about how to guide him back to the right path, but rather how to help him make things seem more beautiful and reasonable.
Therefore, in the morning, Granny Wei stayed in Liang Ye's room for the time it takes to burn several incense sticks, drinking cup after cup of tea. When Liang Ye refilled her fourth cup of tea, she covered the rim of the cup with her palm, raised her eyes, and said in an old voice, "Enough, enough... Don't let Brother Shao know, that child is pitiful too."
Liang Ye pursed his lips: "I know. I will protect him."
So Granny Wei stood up shakily, dusted off her clothes, said "I won't disturb the tea any longer," and turned to leave.
Liang Ye suddenly called out to her, "Granny, she's stubborn, but she's not a bad person at heart. If you have time, please help me curb her temper to prevent trouble."
Granny Wei nodded slightly before leaving.
At that moment, Shanhe was taking a nap on the bamboo couch. She had been confined to the room all morning, with Huaisong guarding the door like a gatekeeper, not allowing her to go out. With nothing to do, she opened the window, took out her two bundles, placed them on the couch, and quietly took out the book "Newly Compiled Illustrated Palace of Eternal Life".
The book was thin and delicate. Shanhe stroked the title page, her fingertips lingering on the three characters "He Shanxue," her heart clenching again. She flipped through the book several times, finally letting out a long sigh, and threw it out the window, into the turbulent waves of the Fei River.
She will probably never be He Shanxue again.
It was already afternoon when Granny Wei returned. Shanhe had finished her lunch and was preparing to rest. When Granny Wei entered the room, Shanhe glanced at her briefly, but ignored her. Granny Wei then sat down in the armchair next to her, her cold eyes like knives, scrutinizing Shanhe's entire body.
Feeling uncomfortable under her gaze, Shanhe simply turned over and lay down facing the bed curtains. When she woke up, she felt hot all over, and a thin layer of sweat had formed on her forehead. Shanhe tried to get up, but saw that Granny Wei was still sitting there. After hearing her movement, Granny Wei looked up alertly, her gaze as cold as ever.
Shanhe got angry: "Get out!"
Granny Wei sneered, "This is the boat my wet nurse rented. He didn't tell me to leave, so who gives you the right to boss me around?"
Shanhe was furious, clutching her chest: "If you won't leave, then I will!"
Granny Wei deliberately raised her voice and said to Huaisong at the door, "Huaisong, Madam Xue says she wants to go out."
Huaisong quickly stepped forward, bowing very low: "I'll go and call Caixiang and Caiping over right away. Please, Granny, look after Madam here for now."
"No need!" Shanhe clutched her chest and lay back down, gritting her teeth in anger.
On this ship, she had no freedom at all; anyone could manipulate her!
Thinking of this, Shanhe sadly clutched her face, curled up, and her thoughts sank into the abyss once more.
After an unknown amount of time, Shanhe felt a chill on the back of her neck, and she shuddered.
"I heard you want to go out?"
Liang Ye's cool fingertips touched the skin on the back of her neck, gently caressing that small, white, smooth area.
Shanhe didn't answer, but scooted further into the bed, her skin escaping his grasp.
Liang Ye sat down on the edge of the bed and looked down to see her curled up with her face covered. He frowned and said, "You didn't come this morning. I wanted to tell you to rest more and take good care of yourself. Why did I hear from the nanny that you were very angry?"
Shanhe said coldly, "I'm happy to be angry."
Liang Ye chuckled softly, turned her hand away from her face, and placed his cool palm on her sweaty forehead, his voice gentle: "Are you getting so worked up? You're so angry that your forehead is covered in sweat, don't let it get worse."
Shanhe replied, "I'm happy to spoil it."
His hand, which had been pressed against her forehead, slowly moved downwards, tracing the light sweat from her temples and gliding over her burning cheeks. Her eyelashes, eye sockets, nose tip, and pink lips all seemed to tickle his palm. Liang Ye deliberately slowed his movements, savoring the delicate features he held in his hand, their contours rising and falling, before continuing downwards, finally stopping at her slender neck. His fingertips gently pressed against her slightly throbbing pulse, then he opened his hand and, as if handling a delicate-necked vase, firmly grasped Shanhe's neck.
“Willing…” he leaned closer, “Willing to spoil things, or willing to annoy me?”
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Author's note: Next, I'll pair this with some braised pork belly~ [glasses][glasses][glasses]
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