Chapter 47
In the following days, Yueming studied Dai and English with Yunkai in the mornings, and occasionally had the chance to go for a walk on the street in the afternoons. If it weren't for Yunkai's sarcasm while studying, life would have been quite comfortable.
That morning, just as Yun Kai was studying the numbers after 10, Feng Xiaosai handed Yun Kai two letters. Yun Kai opened them one by one, glanced at them, and said to Yue Ming, who was diligently memorizing, "The Madam is back. I guess she'll be back around the same time as the Master."
Yueming was very happy that Yin Tai came back. She had missed her so much in the past month. But when the master came back, Yueming remembered how she had offended the third wife.
She said worriedly, "If the master knew that you scared the Third Madam and beat her nephew, would he scold you?"
Yun Kai frowned. It seemed that he was responsible for everything, and she had nothing to do with it, right? He pouted and smiled, "How could that be? I'm your biological son, but it's hard to say for some people."
Yueming shuddered after hearing this. Yes, he couldn't bear to part with his own son, so he had to use her as a scapegoat. She flattered him, trying to make up for it, "Don't worry, I won't go anywhere these days. I'll just guard the door. When I see the mistress and the master, I'll cry about how wronged I am and how I can't eat enough. Let's be the first to complain."
Yun Kai glanced at her with disdain, thinking, "I need you to be clever." With your slow-witted IQ, you still have the nerve to look down on the Third Madam. If it weren't for him backing her up, the Third Madam would have been left with nothing to show for it.
He brought the book back to his eyes, turned a page, and said calmly, "Don't think about these gains or losses. Just memorize your book well. My third brother memorizes it better than you. Why don't you think about other things?"
Yueming bared her teeth at him silently, like a dog biting Lu Dongbin.
Yueming prayed to the gods for Yintai to return first, and to her surprise, she actually got what she wanted. She was so happy to have her wish come true. She was the happiest person among the group of people who greeted Yintai at the gate. She even smiled at Yuyan, whom she hadn't seen for a long time.
Yuyan felt a little embarrassed by the laughter. When the Third Madam learned that her nephew was beaten by Yunkai and Yunxiang was driven out, she was so angry that she smashed everything that could be smashed in the house and ordered Yuyan not to say a word to Yueming again, otherwise she would die.
Yuyan was also a little annoyed at Yunkai and Yueming's ruthlessness. No matter how bad Pujiang was, she still had to call her cousin. Even if she didn't consider the Third Madam's face, they shouldn't have used such harsh blows for her sake. So she didn't go to play with Yueming anymore.
As a result, Yueming smiled at her today as if nothing had happened, so she had no choice but to smile back.
As soon as Yin Tai got off the carriage and saw Yueming's smiling face, which was as bright as a holiday, he was delighted. He didn't even care about his own son and waved to Yueming, saying, "Good boy, come here and let me see you."
Yueming quickly stepped forward, took Yin Tai's arm and said, "Madam, you are finally back. Ever since the day the Second Young Master received the letter, I have been waiting at the gate every day, hoping to be the first to receive you."
Yun Kai felt a chill. This kid was using all his flattery skills on his own mother, and his own mother was falling for it.
Yin Tai looked at her and became even more amused: "Isn't this Lao Er's clothes? Why did you wear them? Lao Er is also a stingy person. Why would he let you wear his old clothes?"
Yueming said nonchalantly, "The Second Young Master said that these clothes are not second-hand clothes because he has never worn them. They are very comfortable for me to wear."
Yin Tai looked at her and Yun Kai, who was standing with his hands behind his back, meaningfully, and thought to himself, "Is it to make it easier for you two to beat people?"
Seeing Yun Kai shaking his hands behind his back, she scolded, "I didn't even bother to greet you when I came back. You're becoming even more rude."
Yun Kai said with a grin, "I thought Lan Yueming had so much of a love potion that you had forgotten that you had a biological son."
Mrs. Yin rolled her eyes at him in reproach. She glanced at the people who had come to greet her and saw that even the Eighth Madam had come out carrying the Third Young Master, but she didn't see the Third Madam. She asked, "Why isn't the Third Madam here?"
Yuyan said with an embarrassed look, "Madam, my mother is not feeling well and can't get out of bed. She asked me to apologize to you before I left. I'll go and pay my respects to you when she gets better."
The smile on Yin Tai's face faded. He raised his hand to adjust the flower vase on his temples and said lightly, "I've been praying to the Buddha day and night for the whole family. The third child is still in great trouble. I'm afraid even the Buddha can't save her. We have to go to Lahu Village and ask a wizard to take a look."
Yuyan's face paled when she heard they had to go to the Lahu village to ask for a shaman. She had hoped the lady would come back and explain the situation to her mother, but it turned out the lady knew everything.
Yin Tai ignored Yu Yan's expression and let Yue Ming help her into the mansion. Along the way, she asked Yue Ming if she was used to living in the mansion and whether she had been wronged.
Yueming pretended not to understand Yintai's implication and said with a heartless smile, "I'm so well taken care of in the mansion, how can I not get used to it! The Second Young Master even hired a chef from outside to change my taste. I'm learning Dai language from the Second Young Master every day. I can even count now. When you have time, I'll count for you."
Yun Kai, who was walking slowly behind, raised her eyebrows. She had made progress! He had thought she was really going to cry to Yin Tai with tears and snot!
The wife looked at her with a half-smile: "I really don't feel wronged at all."
Yueming lowered his head and was silent for a few breaths before saying, "I'm the only child in the family. My father is away from home all year round. When he has free time, he feels he owes me and spoils me even more. I'm still young and have been trying to figure out the ways of the world, but I haven't fully grasped them. It's possible that I've offended the Third Madam unintentionally."
After saying this, Yunkai was almost giving Yueming a thumbs-up. Seeing how he used retreat to advance, he must have inherited Lan Yingde's true teachings.
Yin Tai patted her hand that was supporting his arm and said with relief, "She's a kind and generous child."
Yun Kai secretly complained behind her: She has taken all the revenge she deserves, how can she not be at peace with herself?
For dinner, Mrs. Yin asked everyone to eat in the main house, and the Third Madam was no exception. The maid who delivered the message said to the Third Madam, "Madam said that if you really can't get up, then you can eat in your room."
The Third Madam's decision not to greet Mrs. Yin today wasn't out of disrespect. She was afraid she'd get back at her. If Mrs. Yin was determined to hold her accountable before the Master returned, no one would be able to save her. This was the foolish decision she'd made, feigning illness. This only infuriated Mrs. Yin even more, and she wasn't about to let her off.
Trembling with trepidation, she headed for the main house, only to find it peaceful and tranquil. Yin Tai gave the Eighth Madam and the Third Young Master the blessed plaque, instructing the Eighth Madam to be careful not to let the Third Young Master, out of curiosity, put it in his mouth. She then laughed at Yue Ming's Han-tinged Dai dialect. The atmosphere was pure joy. There was no trace of the storm she had anticipated.
She was feeling a bit worried when she came here, but now she suddenly felt a little bit lucky. Maybe Yintai really hadn't seen each other for a long time and everyone wanted to have a reunion dinner?
After the meal, the Third Madam wanted to leave with everyone else, but Yin Tai called her: "Third sister, you stay." Although her tone was gentle, her frown told the Third Madam that it was time to settle the accounts.
The third wife's heart suddenly skipped a beat.
While eating in the Yintai Room, a gentle breeze wafted in, bringing with it the fragrance of roses. She hadn't been bothered by the scorching sun during the day, but now, after dinner, she wanted to enjoy the gardens while it was still light and cool.
Summer was fast approaching, and the roses were blooming ever more beautifully. She sent Ai Ye, who had accompanied her, back to prepare her bath, and strolled through the garden, enjoying the blossoms and digesting her food. Amidst the blossoms, a pink, not yet fully blossomed, swayed in the breeze. The more Yue Ming looked at it, the more she loved it. Not caring about her lack of suitable tools, she carefully avoided the thorns with her fingers, preparing to pluck the flower and take it back to a vase.
"I thought you were going to fight for your life and not give up until you made the Third Madam lose face, but I didn't expect you to just let it go so calmly."
Yunkai's voice suddenly echoed behind her, startling Yueming so much that her hand trembled, and her finger scraped across the thorn, immediately oozing a small streak of blood. In her usual temper, Yueming would have smeared the blood on his face. But with Yin Tai's return, she felt both reassured and under a tight spell, so she didn't dare act rashly.
She put the bloodied finger in her mouth, rolled her eyes at him, and said, "You men always like to glare and pat your chest and say, 'One breath is enough to live.' Who wouldn't want to fight for that breath? But only the women in the harem understand that only by enduring that breath can there be harmony in the family and peace in the world."
His attention was completely drawn to the finger she was holding in her mouth. Yun Kai ignored the sarcasm in her words and stared at her finger with a frown and asked, "What's wrong? Did you get pricked?"
Yueming wanted to spit out the blood, but Yunkai was standing in front of her like a stake, staring at her. She was too embarrassed to spit in front of him, so she could only bite the bullet and swallow it quietly.
Seeing that she kept her mouth shut, Yun Kai thought the thorn was severe, so he walked forward and said, "Is it broken in the flesh? Let me take a look."
Yueming didn't want him to see it, so she put her hands behind her back and complained, "It was you who scared me by making a sudden noise."
Yun Kai frowned: "Why are you hiding? How can you not pick out the thorn stuck in your flesh?"
The more he wanted to see Yueming, the less he wanted to show her to him. He hid his hands behind his back and pointed at the pink flower and said to him, "I'm fine. If you have time, help me pick that flower."
What's the problem with that? Yun Kai walked past her, stretched out his fingers to pinch the flower stem, and gently folded the flower into his hand. He carefully broke off the thorns on the branch, turned around and handed it to Yue Ming: "Here!"
Yueming took it and put it on the tip of the pen and sniffed it. The fragrance of the flower permeated his heart and lungs. He had been ordering him around with confidence just now, but now he felt a little embarrassed to hold the flower in his hand.
She changed the subject and said, "I also want to see Third Madam embarrassed, but this is not something I, an outsider, can take the lead in. You have already written to Madam about this matter, right? Since Madam knows the truth, why should I bother her with this matter?"
Look, as long as the matter has nothing to do with him, Lan Yueming acts sensible and understanding. But if he offends her, no matter how serious the offense is, she will cry and coax him, and will do whatever it takes to get revenge.
The more Yun Kai thought about it, the more uncomfortable he felt. He looked at the flower by her lips and pretended to be surprised, "You pulled this flower, aren't you thinking of eating it? Are you craving flower cakes? You've just finished your meal and you're hungry again? Why is your stomach like a bottomless pit?"
Yueming was stunned at first, but when she heard him spreading rumors, she stomped her feet in anger and said, "You are the bottomless pit. Your whole head is a bottomless pit." After saying that, she threw the flowers at him and left angrily.
Yunkai caught the flower, put it to his nose and sniffed it, thinking proudly, "This flower is quite fragrant."
The main room was mostly empty, with only the maids clearing the table. Yuyan had wanted to stay and plead with the Third Madam, but Yin Tai dismissed her with a few words. She glanced at the Third Madam worriedly, then left reluctantly.
Yin Tai had been traveling for several days and had gathered the whole family for a meal, so she was exhausted. To keep herself energized for the next task, she asked her maid to bring her a water pipe.
The maid worked very quietly, and the only sound in the room was the sound of Yin Tai smoking her water pipe. The third wife had been hoping for a lucky break, but seeing Yin Tai treating her like this, she knew that nothing good would happen next, and she couldn't help but tremble with fear.
Yin Tai finally relaxed and handed the pipe to the maid. He glanced at the Third Madam, who was standing obediently with her hands folded, and said coldly, "Kneel down."
There were servants cleaning the room. The Third Madam's face was burning with embarrassment. She gritted her teeth and finally knelt down.
"When I'm away, this family has to rely on you to support them. I wanted to say thank you for your hard work, but after seeing what you've done, I really can't open my mouth."
Although the tone was gentle, the reproach in his words was hard to ignore.
"Madam, you can't just listen to Miss Lan. Miss Lan is never satisfied with the food or drinks in the mansion. She doesn't follow any rules and asked the second young master to hire a cook from outside to serve her. I have tolerated all these, but she even beat my nephew. The child was carried out of Yunxiang City. How big a grudge does she have to beat him like this?" The third wife had an indignant look on her face, but she was frightened and panicked in her heart. She dared not mention that the adult was actually the second young master.
This again? Yin Tai twitched his lips sarcastically: "What is your nephew doing here in Yun Xiang? Is he missing you, his aunt, or is he here to repay the food he borrowed from Yun Xiang all these years?"
The third wife was speechless. She didn't dare to tell the emperor that Meng Dingfu wanted to borrow grain. If she told him, Yin Tai would definitely ask why they didn't borrow from Li Shengmeng?
She stammered, and Yin Tai was furious. He slammed the beads in his hand on the table and said, "You can't even tolerate a little girl. You've embarrassed yourself to the point of ninety-three circles, and you still feel wronged, don't you?"
Yin Tai's face was filled with anger, and the people in front of him didn't dare to breathe, and exchanged glances cautiously.
The Third Wife crawled on the ground and cried out, "It's unfair! Madam, it's because I can't tolerate this little girl. It's because this little girl doesn't take me seriously at all. She knows that I don't like her, but she still pulls Yuyan to ask for this and that all day long. She is so shameless."
Putting the Buddhist beads back on his hand and fingering them, Yin Tai sneered, "Anyway, it's all my fault that the master and I mentioned marrying Yuyan to Lan Yingde. It's good to be ambitious, but being too ambitious will only make you delusional and make you a laughing stock. From now on, I won't ask about Yuyan's affairs anymore. Even if you marry her back to your poor family, I won't care."
Yin Tai pointed out the Third Madam's concern with a sharp words. The Third Madam's heart trembled for a moment, and she said quickly: "How can you say that? How dare I blame you!"
Yin Tai waved his hands impatiently. "I don't want to lecture you, but Lan Yingde works hard for the Tusi Mansion and entrusted his only daughter to us. You've taken care of this spoiled young lady to the point where she has to run out to buy her own food. This is a disgrace to the Tusi Mansion. We can't just let this go. You should reflect on your mistakes in your courtyard. When you realize your mistake, you can come out again."
The Third Wife was anxious. What did it mean to come out after knowing her mistakes? What if Mrs. Yin found fault with her and said she didn't reflect deeply enough? How long would she be locked up?
She wanted to plead again, but Mrs. Yin picked up her tea without even looking at her. It was useless to plead in this rage. She could only wait for the master to come back and find a solution.
He stood up and saluted Yin Tai, preparing to go back. As he reached the door, Yin Tai said again: "Next time your nephew talks dirty and mentions the Second Young Master, don't even think about coming to borrow food."
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