Chapter 9 If Madam Has Done Nothing Wrong, Then What…

Chapter 9: If the Lady Has Done No Wrong, Then What...

Bai Xiuming’s interruption did nothing to dampen A Chan’s anticipation for dinner. Though her pancakes were indeed rather unappetizing and slightly burnt, the smoked chicken was truly delicious.

As night fell, A Chan snuggled into her newly purchased soft, thick cotton quilt and drifted off to sleep, the taste of the smoked chicken still lingering in her mind.

Meanwhile, in the master bedroom of the Zhao residence.

After assisting Xiao Lin Shi with her ablutions, the maidservant respectfully withdrew. Zhao Ming, the master of the house, sat at the table, engrossed in a letter.

"Husband, what are you reading?" Xiao Lin Shi inquired, supporting her lower back as she approached Zhao Ming.

Zhao Ming casually placed the letter on the table and rose to steady Xiao Lin Shi, cautioning, "You are far along in your pregnancy; be careful."

"I know, I know, but you do go on about it all day," she grumbled, though an undeniable smile played on her lips.

In all of the capital, it would be difficult to find another man as thoughtful as her husband.

Zhao Ming gently guided Xiao Lin Shi to sit at the table. She glanced at the unfolded letter, on which the characters "Zhao Lang" were written, though she only recognized the character for "Zhao."

As a concubine’s daughter, her mother had enjoyed favor for several years. In her youth, her mother had pleaded with her father, and she was sent to study alongside her elder half-sister.

The tutor consistently praised her elder sister, often remarking that her own mind was not on her studies. After just two months, having learned only a few characters, she begged her mother to let her quit. The only reason she recognized the character "Zhao" was because it was her husband’s surname.

"Husband, you still haven’t told me whose letter this is," Xiao Lin Shi pressed.

"It’s from my parents back home, inquiring about your health," Zhao Ming replied, his gaze softening as he looked at the letter.

"Oh," Xiao Lin Shi responded indifferently, losing all interest in further inquiry.

She did not have a good relationship with her in-laws. Her husband was gentle and considerate in every way; though his appearance was ordinary, he was talented and truly cherished her.

Yet, what her mother-in-law had done years ago still fueled her resentment.

Back then, she had been soft-hearted and, at her husband’s urging, invited his parents to live with them in the capital after she gave birth.

Initially, things were fine. But after bearing two children, her health suffered, and when she did not conceive again for two years, her mother-in-law, secretly instigated by others, sought to bring a concubine for her husband.

To make matters worse, they brought the woman home without even informing her, the mistress of the house.

Xiao Lin Shi could not tolerate this. She immediately had a furious quarrel with her in-laws and expelled them, along with the so-called "cousin" they had chosen for her husband.

When Zhao Ming returned home, he quarreled with her, and Xiao Lin Shi, enraged, immediately returned to her maiden home.

Just a few days later, her husband came to fetch her, apologizing and explaining that he had been blinded by anger and had argued with her without understanding the full situation.

She later heard that he had arranged for his parents to be sent back to their hometown and had dismissed the woman they had brought in. Only then did the matter subside.

Afterward, Xiao Lin Shi encountered that woman twice in the capital. By then, the woman was pregnant. She recognized Xiao Lin Shi and attempted to greet her, but Xiao Lin Shi ignored her and walked away.

From then on, Xiao Lin Shi ceased to concern herself with her in-laws’ affairs. Holiday gifts sent back to the hometown were managed by the steward, and she rarely inquired about them.

Zhao Ming was accustomed to Xiao Lin Shi’s coldness towards his parents and said nothing, merely folding the letter neatly and carefully putting it away.

Xiao Lin Shi then began to complain about their daughter: "I don’t know what’s so special about that Xue Mingtang, but he’s completely bewitched our silly Wen Yue. Don’t you, as her father, have anything to say?"

Zhao Ming moved behind Xiao Lin Shi, gently massaging her shoulders, and said softly, "Mingtang is a very diligent man and is highly regarded by his superiors. In time, his future is boundless."

Xiao Lin Shi, however, was unimpressed. She scoffed, "‘In time’—when exactly? Should our daughter marry him and wait fifteen years for him to get promoted? Besides, he’s a widower. Just hearing it sounds unlucky."

Zhao Ming cleared his throat and added, "It won’t take that long. The Marquis of Jinyang also holds Mingtang in high esteem. If he can achieve merit in the Ministry of Justice, promotion will be assured."

Xiao Lin Shi shot him a disdainful look. "That Xue Mingtang is the Marquis of Jinyang’s brother-in-law, and you are his brother-in-law too. Yet, has he ever lifted a finger to help you? And still, you fawn over him."

Zhao Ming was left somewhat flustered by her words and could only offer a dry explanation: "I know, my dear, you only want what’s best for Wen Yue. But those matches you considered for her before—though their families were prominent, the men themselves had little ability. Some hadn’t even passed the imperial examinations, and most were dissolute idlers."

"Husband, didn’t you just tell me that 'it’s easy to succeed with powerful connections'? I chose favored legitimate sons. If they truly wished to serve in office, the imperial examinations aren’t the only path. Their youthful indiscretions would surely cease after marriage."

The couple remained at loggerheads over their daughter’s marriage prospects, neither able to persuade the other. It was nearly the end of the Hai hour (9–11 PM) before Xiao Lin Shi finally yawned and went to bed.

In a foul mood, she refused to let Zhao Ming sleep in the bed, banishing him to the outer chamber.

Zhao Ming, long accustomed to his wife’s whims, took his blankets and slept on the daybed in the outer room.

After the candles were extinguished, Xiao Lin Shi drifted into a deep sleep. In the middle of the night, she faintly felt an uncomfortable twitching in her belly, thinking it might be the baby kicking. Too drowsy, she paid it no mind.

But in her hazy state, she seemed to hear the wailing of a baby—a piercing, shrill sound that jolted her upright in bed.

When she opened her eyes, the room was silent. She wondered if she had been dreaming—until the crying started again.

This time, she heard it more clearly, as if it came from outside the window. The longer she listened, the more the sound seemed eerie and shrill, utterly unlike a newborn’s cry.

Terrified, she remembered her husband was in the outer chamber. She fumbled for her embroidered slippers and stepped out of bed, calling out as she shuffled toward the outer room, "Husband? Husband?"

The outer chamber was eerily silent, as if no one were there.

Just as she reached the door, before she could step out, the window suddenly banged open. The baby’s cries grew louder and clearer.

Xiao Lin Shi felt her scalp prickle with fear. The shock sent a sharp pain through her belly. Clutching her stomach with one hand and the doorframe with the other, she slowly slid to the floor.

At that moment, a candle’s glow flickered to life in the outer chamber.

Zhao Ming, his hair loose and dressed in his inner robe, hurried over with a candleholder.

Seeing his wife on the floor, he immediately called for the night-watch maid to fetch a physician while he himself moved to help Xiao Lin Shi.

As her husband helped her back to bed, seemingly oblivious to the baby’s cries, Xiao Lin Shi gripped his wrist tightly. "Husband, didn’t you hear it?"

"Hear what?" Zhao Ming asked, puzzled.

"A baby crying—right outside the window." She pointed at the open window. "It was right there. The window just flew open on its own."

After settling her back in bed, Zhao Ming went to the window and even leaned out to look. Seeing nothing, he closed it and returned to her side. "There’s nothing outside. The window must not have been latched properly, and the wind blew it open."

"But I can still hear the baby crying. What on earth is happening?" Since her husband had appeared, the baby’s cries seemed to have grown much fainter.

Zhao Ming looked at the distraught Xiao Lin Shi and said, "We scholars say, ‘If you’ve done no wrong in life, you need not fear ghosts knocking at midnight.’ If you, my lady, have done nothing wrong, what is there to fear?"

Xiao Lin Shi swatted his hand. "And how do you know that ghost has heard that saying?"

As they spoke, the crying ceased. Looking at her calm husband in the candlelight, she couldn’t help but wonder if she had imagined it all.

That night, due to the lady’s fright and the premature onset of labor pains, the household staff were kept busy all night.

It wasn’t until dawn, when Zhao Ming had to leave for court, that Xiao Lin Shi finally drifted off to sleep.

A Chan knew nothing of the events at the Zhao residence that night. Remembering her appointment from the previous day, she set off for the Zhao household with the sachet when the time seemed right.

The gatekeeper did not dare let her in without permission, merely relaying her message.

Soon, Sun Ma hurried over. Usually impeccably dressed, she now appeared somewhat disheveled, her hair not even properly pinned up.

Seeing A Chan, Sun Ma’s worried expression eased slightly: "I apologize, Miss Chan, for making you come all this way today. It’s truly inconvenient. Last night, Madam had complications with the baby and is still recuperating—she truly cannot receive visitors."

"Aunt had complications with the baby? What happened? Didn’t the physician say yesterday that she just needed proper rest?" A Chan asked, confused.

She didn’t think this was an excuse for Xiao Lin Shi to avoid seeing her; knowing her aunt’s temperament, she wouldn’t bother with excuses if she didn’t want to meet.

Sun Ma sighed: "Indeed. Last night, Madam said she heard a baby crying, but both the master and the night-watch maid claimed they heard nothing. No one knows what truly happened. Now the master has gone to his duties, and Madam is still unconscious. This old servant is at her wits’ end."

A Chan pondered for a moment before replying: "If it was merely the sound of a baby crying, perhaps it wasn’t actually an infant. I have read some tales of the supernatural; the books say that certain insects or spirits with sentience can mimic the cries of an infant. If Aunt wishes to investigate, she might consider looking into this possibility."

Sun Ma’s eyes lit up, and she nodded repeatedly: "You are truly well-informed, Miss. This old servant will have someone look into it."

A Chan then handed the sachet in her hand to Sun Ma: "The incense inside this sachet was freshly prepared yesterday—it repels mosquitoes. It doesn’t contain any rare ingredients, so I’d like to give it to you, Sun Ma. But please remember not to place it near Aunt—prolonged exposure to incense isn’t healthy for her."

"Rest assured, young lady, I’ll keep that in mind. Please return home and wait at ease. In a few days, when Madam has fully recovered, this old servant will come to fetch you."

"Very well. Please take good care of Aunt, Sun Ma."

Though she hadn’t met Xiao Lin Shi, A Chan had still achieved her purpose for coming today.

After bidding farewell to Sun Ma, she walked along the wall of the Zhao residence toward the back street.

Not far from the rear gate of the Zhao residence, she unexpectedly encountered that cousin of the Zhao family again. He was holding a fish basket, inside which something seemed to be moving—likely live fish.

However, the fishy smell was quite strong; one could detect it from over ten meters away.