Chapter 22: Radiant Without Taint (22)

Chapter 22: Radiant Without Taint (22)

Madam Third, surnamed Song and named Yue, was Lady Song's much-longed-for daughter. She was indeed doted on in her daily life. But if Lady Song were to sincerely reflect upon herself, she could confidently say without any guilt that she had not overly indulged her daughter.

There were far too many examples in the Capital City of noble ladies being spoiled by their indulgence, but Lady Song truly cherished her daughter and had been meticulous about her upbringing from a young age.

Yet, as she grew older, her temper worsened. Not that she was inherently wicked, but she had an insatiable appetite for competition and rivalry, never willing to yield in the slightest.

Madame Song had even worried that she might conflict with her mother-in-law after marriage due to her straightforward nature, but it turned out that Madam Zhao appreciated this aspect of her character instead.

The two of them soon became as close as real mother and daughter, getting along splendidly.

Upon learning that Zhe Wan had visited the Song family, Song Yueniang's first thought was to send her children to play in the courtyard, and her second was to vent her anger by smashing things once they were out of sight. After the outburst, she went to the Mountain Sea Courtyard to inform Lady Zhao, who then summoned Lai He Chun.

Lai He Chun was already annoyed with Zhe Wan. With a pile of affairs awaiting him in the court and his head spinning from the chaos, his mother's questioning about whether he knew his wife had gone to the Song family fueled his temper. "Mother hasn't given her any authority over household matters, nor allowed her to raise Brother Chuan. She has nothing to do, so what's wrong with her visiting the Song family for a chat?"

If it hadn't been for Mother's favoritism towards his younger sister, Ayan might still be alive, Zhe Wan wouldn't have taken on the responsibility of managing the Flower and Plant House, and she wouldn't have been involved in the business of purchasing a shop for those flower seedlings.

He couldn't understand why, despite embarrassing his wife so much, did his mother not consider his own reputation?

Rarely did he lose his temper, but upon seeing his mother's flushed and incredulous face, he realized he had gone too far. He stiffly apologized, "It was my fault for speaking out of turn. I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave."

Not an extra word of explanation was offered.

Madam Zhao was furious yet unable to chase after him to scold him, for she had to keep this incident hidden, fearing others would learn that her son had confronted her.

Only her devoted maid knew her secret, consoling her, "Has Master ever defied you in the past twenty years? Today is likely the first time! But today's incident doesn't really count as defiance; perhaps he was just upset about something outside."

Wiping away tears, Madam Zhao complained, "Doesn't he defy me now? He has truly forgotten his mother since marrying his wife!"

The maid had long wanted to advise her, "Back when Lady Dai was around, did he ever behave like this? We all know she often counselled Master. But this young Lady Dai is a quiet one; from our observations, she has upset Master several times in just over a month since their marriage, yet she continues with her cheerful life, seemingly oblivious to why he is angry."

"Such a person doesn't seem to understand these intricacies, so it's unlikely she instigated Master."

Madam Zhao frowned. "What are you implying? Could it be my fault?"

The maid, surnamed Zhao and having served her for decades, spoke more boldly, "In old servant's opinion, you were indeed at fault here. Don't you know your son's feelings? He's blaming you for neglecting him."

Madam Zhao was taken aback. "Neglect him? I'd give him my heart if I could! Disgraceful son, I haven't even dared to discipline a maid for his sake!"

Mother Zhao: "But Young Master doesn't know. He sees you favoring Third Missus, so he assumes you favor Third Young Master. As for the two young masters... don't you know their situation?"

Lady Zhao immediately became worried. "Ah, when He Chun was young, he often went to the palace and wasn't by my side. Naturally, I doted more on He Min and favored him... After He Chun returned, he's been sulking over this issue."

Third Young Master's name was Lai He Min.

Mother Zhao: "That's right. No matter how old a child is, wouldn't they still hope their mother shows them more affection? This old servant still remembers how upset you were when Old Lady gave a box of eastern pearls to your other sisters but not you."

Lady Zhao laughed at the reminiscence. "Yes, I was unhappy that Mother didn't treat me as well."

Mother Zhao: "With Young Master's status and position in the court, if others found out about such petty jealousy, it would be quite a laughingstock."

Lady Zhao couldn't hold back her laughter. "How old are they now? Still vying for favor!"

Seeing her relax, Mother Zhao let out a sigh of relief. "Well, you'll have to bear with it. After all, they're your own flesh and blood. Could you really abandon them?"

Lady Zhao exclaimed, "Children truly are debts!"

But after some contemplation, the resentment in her heart lingered, and she suddenly sneered. "Everything was fine before. I don't believe you when you say Xia Zhezi didn't instigate He Chun."

She recalled Yueniang's words to her earlier that day.

"Zhe Wan is far too relaxed! Mother, we're both struggling, but she's living the easy life, spending her days arranging flowers and strolling about without a care."

"But Mother, isn't it because you're helping her take care of Chuan-ge while I manage the household affairs? She doesn't appreciate our efforts at all."

Madame Zhao found these words to be quite true. Pausing, she spoke to Nurse Zhao, "Let her come to the Mountain Sea Courtyard to keep an eye on Chuan-ge. I still have some sewing to do; ask her to make socks for him."

Nurse Zhao was taken aback, feeling bitter in her heart as she sincerely advised, "Young Master just lost his temper today. It would be best if you were more cautious. You don't want your good intentions to be misunderstood and for him to think you're bullying someone – have you forgotten about asking Lady Zhao to make you socks?"

She proposed a plan, "Madame, didn't Young Master complain about you not letting go of Chuan-ge? Why not let Chuan-ge stay in the Cangyun Pavilion for a few days, so that Lady Zhao can experience the hardships of raising a child?"

Madame Zhao's face turned white with anger. "I've truly given my all to He Chun, even accommodating his wife!"

Frustrated, she skipped dinner and cried herself to sleep, tossing and turning on her bed.

...

"Prepare a dish of chestnut-stir-fried chicken. Cut the chicken into pieces, fry it with two ounces of vegetable oil, then add a bowl of wine, a cup of autumn sauce, and a bowl of water. Simmer until it's seven parts cooked, then add the pre-cooked chestnuts and fresh bamboo shoots. Continue simmering for another three parts, and finally, toss in a handful of sugar before serving."

Chan Yue smiled and said, "Uncle Li, you'll have to work hard again."

She handed him a string of coins. "This is from Madam Junior Three."

Master Li accepted the money with a grin. "Don't worry, it's one of my specialties, so the taste will definitely be good."

Then, he paused and whispered, "When I went out to buy ingredients today, I saw Mother Ming leave the mansion. It seemed like Mother Song, who serves Madam Junior Three, had something to discuss with her. She followed Mother Ming for quite a distance."

Chan Yue understood his implication. After returning with the chestnut chicken, she said, "Perhaps Mother Song has some ulterior motives. Otherwise, why would she follow Mother Ming?"

Zhe Wan divided the chestnut chicken into several portions and gave them to the young maids. "It's nothing. At most, Madam Junior Three will curse me behind my back to vent her anger."

Having accomplished an important task that day, she was in high spirits. "Let's buy some beef tomorrow and make a beef hotpot."

Chan Yue chuckled. "I'm worried sick, but you're still thinking about food."

Nonetheless, she felt relieved. Although Lady Senior seemed gentle, for some reason, Chan Yue felt that she could anticipate everything, which made her less fearful.

However, Zhe Wan misjudged the situation. When Mother Zhao carried Little Chuan, followed by Mother Yu and several other servants carrying gifts, Zhe Wan froze on the spot, unable to recover from the shock for a long while.

Mother Zhao replied respectfully with a smile, "Madam said that you and Young Master Chuan have a deep mother-son bond, so it would be good for you to see each other more often."

Zhe Wan fell silent for a moment before nodding. "Are you going to stay here permanently?"

Mother Zhao responded, "…No, just for a few days at first. Madam is worried that Young Master Chuan might not get used to living here."

Zhe Wan personally walked her out and even gave her a basket of freshly made pastries. "They're made with flowers. Try them."

She had always liked Mother Zhao, but after all, Mother Zhao was from the Zhao family. No matter how kind-hearted she was, she would always prioritize the Zhao family's interests.

However, Zhe Wan had received some valuable advice from her during her anxious times in the past, which led her to develop a deeper sense of goodwill towards Mother Zhao.

Despite her kind appearance, Mother Zhao felt a bit awkward with Zhe Wan's extra warmth.

After Mother Zhao left, Su Shan approached and whispered, "She's Madam's person—was she up to something sinister?"

Zhe Wan patted her head. "No, it's not that easy to determine someone's true nature."

She then led Su Shan into the house, where Mother Yu and the others were still standing, awaiting her instructions.

Zhe Wan had been acquainted with Mother Yu for over a decade, and she used to despise her deeply. But after experiencing life and death, she now found Mother Yu to be just an ordinary person.

Why did she once compete with an old servant for Chuan Ge's respect?

Turning her head, Zhe Wan said to Mother Yu, "The eastern wing is for Chuan Ge to live in."

Mother Yu responded solemnly and was about to carry Chuan Ge out when a maid sent by Madam Zhao stopped her with a smile. "We still have to prepare Chuan Ge's room, so let's leave him with the Eldest Lady for now. It'll also give them a chance to bond."

Mother Yu didn't object and looked at Zhe Wan.

Zhe Wan nodded. "Leave one person to attend to him, while the rest can go about their duties."

She had other matters to attend to today, particularly regarding Mother Ming's daughter, and thus didn't plan on getting too involved.

In the end, it was still Mother Yu who stayed to look after Chuan Ge. There was no other reason; Chuan Ge was scared in this new environment and clung to her tightly.

Mother Yu glanced at Zhe Wan with a hint of pride, but found that she had already turned away and was whispering with Su Shan, not sparing her a single glance.

...

Ming Mama's daughter carried the surname Hua, and her name was simple to remember – San Ya. All of Ming Mama's children were girls, each named according to their birth order, making a total of four maidservants in the household.

With her fourth child, she refused to have any more, as it would affect her ability to fulfill her duties within the manor.

Pregnancy did slow her down in work, and with a smile, Ming Mama explained, "Please don't laugh, but while carrying this child, I was nurturing a Wind and Rain Orchid. This type of orchid has a wild nature, and so does she."

This made Zhe Wan recall how San Ya had given her the name Su Lan. Now she understood the reason behind it.

Taking San Ya's hand, she said, "Are you willing to work for me? Whatever the accounting office pays, I will pay you the same amount."

Hua San Ya was visibly excited. "Mother was worried yesterday that I might decline, but why would I? This is an immense kindness."

If the young mistress truly wanted her to serve, Zhe Wan would become her savior.

Zhe Wan laughed. "I also believed you would agree."

She pointed at Su Shan. "Her numerology skills are impressive too. You two can have many conversations."

The group gathered by the window for conversation, while Chan Yue stood guard at the entrance. Suddenly, she noticed a young maid leading Chuan Ge towards them.

Chan Yue asked softly, "Where's Mother Yu?"

The young maid replied, "She went to the privy."

Chan Yue continued, "Why did you bring Little Brother Chuan here?"

The maid hurriedly waved her hand to explain, "Little Brother Chuan wanted to come."

She was a junior maid under Mother Yu and had even delivered messages to the young madam before. Chan Yue suddenly recalled, "It was you who told me about the young madam's birth mother being ill last time, right?"

The young maid nodded eagerly, "Yes, it was me."

Then she added, "Little Brother Chuan played for a while and got familiar with the place. He's always curious about new things, so he wanted to come and have a look."

This time, Chan Yue hesitated. She didn't know if she should bring Little Brother Chuan in. She stood at the entrance, only revealing his curious and innocent face peering inside. Then, she turned to look at the young madam, who glanced indifferently at Little Brother Chuan before lowering her head to speak to Ming Mama's daughter.

Chan Yue knew what to do then. With a smile, she said, "Is Little Brother Chuan hungry? I'll take him to have some cakes, made from fresh flower juice – something new for him."