Chapter 703 - 665: Stifled Grievance (Second Update)

Chapter 703: Chapter 665: Stifled Grievance (Second Update)

Wen Wan felt extremely awkward and secretly glared at Jinbao. The little fellow looked aggrieved, "Didn’t mom say not to lie?"

"What’s happening?" The Old Madam looked at Mrs. Xiao Liu coldly.

Mrs. Xiao Liu twisted her handkerchief and lowered her head to answer truthfully, "As soon as we brought Sister Wan and the others in, Lv Yu from Feixue Courtyard came over. I don’t know what she said, but the young master told me there was something going on over there and hurriedly went."

The Old Madam’s face turned even uglier as she slammed the teacup heavily onto the camphorwood round table, "Go and get Aunt Wen!"

Immediately, a maid lifted the curtain and went out, soon bringing Aunt Wen in.

After entering, Aunt Wen cautiously saluted the person at the top seat, "Wishing the Old Madam and the Commandery Princess well."

With Wen Wan present, the Old Madam couldn’t reveal that Aunt Wen was Lu Yanbin’s biological mother, so she angrily said, "The Su Family has gone to Suzhou, and now you are the only master in the Princely Heir’s back courtyard. You should be managing the concubines, whether they’re obedient or not. What’s going on with the person from Feixue Courtyard? Not even during the New Year is there peace. Without a man there, she can’t be well, can she?"

Aunt Wen’s heart sank.

She didn’t know about Lv Yu from Feixue Courtyard intercepting Lu Yanbin midway but could guess that it was probably due to that person falling ill again. In a panic, the maids invited Lu Yanbin over regardless of the occasion.

Ever since Su Dai’s miscarriage, she had been left with an ailment that wouldn’t heal.

Lu Yanbin already felt sorry for her, constantly sending anything good and nutritious to Feixue Courtyard. If not for the Princely Heir and the Old Madam suppressing him, he would have wanted to move there himself.

Typically, it might have been different, but today was a big festival. The Old Madam’s long-lost precious granddaughter and her husband came, yet Lu Yanbin abandoned the guests to accompany an insignificant concubine. No wonder the Old Madam was furious.

Aunt Wen had nothing to say, whether it was Lu Yanbin being thoughtless or the obliviousness of Feixue Courtyard; it was all her fault for not managing properly. Kneeling slowly on the floor, Aunt Wen said, "It’s all my fault for not disciplining well. Please, Old Madam, punish me."

The Old Madam was too angry to contain herself, "What’s the point of punishment? You should quickly get him to the main hall to accompany the guests!"

"Yes." Aunt Wen stood up and headed towards Feixue Courtyard after leaving the Old Madam’s place.

Just as she reached the courtyard gate, she saw Lu Yanbin coming out.

Seeing her, Lu Yanbin opened his mouth in surprise, "Mother."

Aunt Wen frowned, "Weren’t you supposed to be receiving your cousin? Why did you come here?"

Lu Yanbin replied, "Lv Yu said Daidai had fainted from pain earlier, so I came to check on her."

Aunt Wen angrily replied, "If she’s unwell, the servants can take care of her. At worst, send for the household doctor. Do you really need to abandon important guests to come here? Can’t you tell what’s more important?"

"Why is mother speaking so harshly?" Lu Yanbin complained, "No matter how low Daidai’s position is, she’s still a life. You, being a mother, should understand the pain of losing a child. Ever since she lost that child, she’s been constantly gloomy, and her health hasn’t improved. She relies on medicine every day, and I came to see her for the sake of the Lu Family’s descendants. What’s wrong with that?"

Aunt Wen’s anger on her face not only did not diminish but increased, "The Old Madam is now furious. If you think you’re right, go explain it to her."

Lu Yanbin’s expression changed repeatedly, "I told you I was just stepping out for a bit. How did the Old Madam find out? It must be that wicked woman who complained!"

After speaking, without waiting for Aunt Wen’s response, he stormed towards the Old Madam’s courtyard.

The atmosphere had been too tense earlier, so Wen Wan, to ease it, had Nanny Zhou bring Qi Bao over. The little baby stretched his chubby arms, attempting to grab the step-shaking tassels on Wen Wan’s head, eliciting peals of laughter from the Old Madam.

Before long, Lu Yanbin entered with a grim look on his face.

When the Old Madam saw him, a hint of displeasure crossed her face, "Why do you look like this? Did someone provoke you?"

Lu Yanbin immediately changed his anger to a smile, saluting the Old Madam, "Earlier, there was something urgent, and I left quickly. I was worried about not entertaining the guests well, so I got mad at myself. Now, I’ve come specially to apologize to the Old Madam. I hope the Old Madam and dear sister can overlook it for the sake of the New Year and not hold it against me."

The Old Madam said nothing and just looked at Wen Wan.

Wen Wan truly felt it wasn’t a big deal. "If you had things to do, you should go ahead. Third Son is not narrow-minded; he can understand."

Since Wen Wan said so, the Old Madam naturally couldn’t blame him further.

Lu Yanbin expressed innumerable thanks and expressed his desire to leave. When he turned around, his expression suddenly turned cold, and his sharp gaze pierced through Mrs. Xiao Liu.

Mrs. Xiao Liu felt a slight dizziness but immediately calmed down, returning his gaze expressionlessly.

Lu Yanbin snorted coldly and strode out.

——

The Old Madam didn’t stay for long before she felt fatigued and asked Mrs. Xiao Liu to look after things. Mrs. Xiao Liu then pulled Wen Wan to her room for a chat.

Upon entering, Mrs. Xiao Liu first gave a big red envelope prepared the day before to Jinbao. Holding the red envelope, Jinbao didn’t even want to eat any delicious food, his little face brimming with joy.

Wen Wan had Linglong take him out to play and then sat down on the couch with Mrs. Xiao Liu.

Soon, maids came in, some serving tea, others adding coal, and the room quickly warmed up.

Mrs. Xiao Liu said, "The banquet will take some time to start. The kitchen has prepared many dishes you like to eat, so please be generous and enjoy more later."

Wen Wan laughed, "Did you really have them make it?"

"Of course," Mrs. Xiao Liu replied with a smile, "Why would I have asked around at the palace banquet otherwise?"

"Alright," Wen Wan nodded, "I’ll definitely have to taste your family’s chef’s skills later."

As they spoke, they heard a grumbling voice from outside, "No matter how significant a young lady she used to be, she’s fallen now, reduced to being a concubine. She should keep a low profile, wanting all sorts of things every day, even thinking about people on this side. Does she want to ascend to heaven?"

Followed by voices of maids trying to stop her.

"Mrs. Liu, how much have you drunk again? Go back and rest quickly. There are many guests today. If the Young Master knows, how could this end well for you?"

The woman addressed as "Mrs. Liu" uttered a few more curses, and her voice gradually faded away.

Wen Wan looked at Mrs. Xiao Liu in confusion, "Who was that just now?"

Mrs. Xiao Liu replied helplessly, "She’s a nanny from my courtyard. It seems she took advantage of the New Year to drink some horse urine and started talking nonsense. Don’t take it to heart."

While saying this, Mrs. Xiao Liu summoned the maids outside and instructed, "Don’t let that old crone run her mouth freely. Send her back, give her a beating, lock her up for a day, and let her out tomorrow."

Seeing the maid was about to leave, Mrs. Xiao Liu added, "Warn her, if she dares to spout nonsense again, it won’t just be deducting her monthly salary; I’ll have her sold off directly!"

This kind of punishment seemed fair and upright, but Wen Wan felt Mrs. Xiao Liu had some intentional thoughts.

She recalled the words of the nanny just now; it sounded like a concubine had bullied them.

Although it was her grandfather’s house, Wen Wan had not been acquainted with them for long and didn’t know much, having only occasionally heard that Lu Pingzhou favored his concubine greatly. In the earlier marriage of Brother Bin and Sister Qiao, Su Yi, the legitimate mother, hadn’t been able to intervene; it was all managed by Aunt Wen.

In Wen Wan’s mind, Lu Pingzhou was a very rational person.

In this kind of large family, the prevailing wind always suppresses the lesser one. If it were the other way around, not only would the family members not allow it, but rumors outside would be ugly.

Wen Wan felt something was amiss but couldn’t ask directly, so she turned and asked, "Do you have any troubles?"

Mrs. Xiao Liu smiled, "What troubles could I have? It’s just trivial matters of the inner courtyard."

Mrs. Xiao Liu didn’t want to speak, but her maid, Hong Xiang, couldn’t hold back and bitterly said, "The Commandery Princess wouldn’t know. Our young master has a concubine from the Su Family, loved and pampered since arrival. Because of her, our young master acts as if the Young Madam doesn’t exist, rarely visiting her courtyard even a few times a month, while the Old Madam keeps pressing them for heirs, thinking the issue lies with the Young Madam. They’ve even changed several doctors for her. What can our Young Madam say? She just silently endures everything. I feel suffocated just watching. Earlier, that Mrs. Liu was the Young Madam’s old nurse, learned some pharmacology at home, and understands women’s ailments. The Young Master, upon knowing this, insisted she serve that woman. Mrs. Liu was driven mad and started cursing outside drunk."