Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 568 - 221 Trivial Matters

Nanny Hao and Nanny Deng, along with a few others, bustled about, arranging everything in its place. When Madam Tang arrived, she witnessed the flurry of activity in Begonia Garden.

Madam Tang knew Yueyao had moved many things here, but hadn’t paid much attention before. However, now seeing the items being taken out of the boxes, she couldn’t help but be surprised.

Yueyao had just lain down on the bed when she heard Xi Yu report that the Second Young Madam had arrived. This was Yueyao’s second encounter with Madam Tang.

In the past, Yueyao had regarded herself as above the dust of the world, looking down on merchant families, thinking of them as tainted by the stench of money. After experiencing so much, and having stayed at the Buddhist temple for ten years, where all sentient beings are considered equal, Yueyao was no longer blinded by prejudice.

Yueyao looked at Madam Tang, who wore a semi-new silver-red gauze dress embroidered with light blue chrysanthemums, her hair done up in a Fallen Cloud Hairbun, adorned with a pair of Gold-Inlaid Gemstone Plum Blossom Hairpins and a set of Gold Filigree Pearl Earrings. Her entire ensemble was rich and dazzling, yet Madam Tang wore it well.

Yueyao secretly admired in her heart that despite being from a merchant family, the Second Cousin-in-law’s bearing was not much inferior. Yueyao allowed Xi Yu to help her up, her face showing guilt as she said, "Second Cousin-in-law, Yueyao is unwell. Please don’t take offense at my rudeness."

As soon as Madam Tang came in and saw Yueyao lying in bed, she grew suspicious. Yueyao looked as if she had suffered a serious illness. For someone who was seriously ill to not be resting in the Lian Mansion but to have moved hurriedly into Ma’s Mansion suggested that the situation must be very serious.

Madam Tang suppressed her inner shock and suspicions, smiling as she said, "There’s no need for such formality among family." She was quite satisfied with Yueyao’s attitude.

Yueyao, unfamiliar with Madam Tang, exchanged a few words and deliberately showed signs of fatigue. Xi Yu hesitated, uncertain whether to speak up or not.

Madam Tang was not without tact and said with a smile, "Cousin, you rest well, and I’ll come to see you again in a few days." Seeing Yueyao in such a state, if she didn’t volunteer to leave, it would be embarrassing to have someone else suggest it.

When Madam Tang returned to her own courtyard, she had her maid inquire what was really going on. The folks of the mansion had previously been tight-lipped, but with Yueyao’s conspicuous arrival, she didn’t believe that no information could be gleaned.

Madam Tang’s maid, Su Zhen, sighed and said, "Young lady, Miss Yao is much better than the Eldest Miss." This was a comparison; compared to Ma Linlin’s recent arrogant and superior demeanor, Yueyao was infinitely better.

Madam Tang chuckled lightly, "If Miss Yao were like the Eldest Miss, do you think she could have secured the affection of the Old Master and the Eldest Young Master?" Such affection exceeded even that for a biological daughter, which showed that this was not a person to be underestimated.

Su Zhen nodded and asked, "Young lady, should we foster a good relationship with Miss Yao? I heard from others that the relationship between the Madam and Miss Yao is quite strained."

Madam Tang gave a wry smile. Of course, the relationship was not good. She had seen with her own eyes on the second day of her wedding how Yueyao had stood up to the mother-in-law to defend Madam Zhuang. This clearly showed that Yueyao was on Madam Zhuang’s side. As the mother-in-law and Madam Zhuang were at odds, Yueyao would certainly not be close to her.

Madam Tang’s other maid, Su Zhu, came in and reported, "Young lady, I’ve found out. Miss Yao was poisoned in the Lian Mansion, nearly to death. Old Master was furious, forcing the Lian family to agree to Miss Yao’s residence in Ma’s Mansion."

Madam Tang was astonished and asked, "Poisoned? Who poisoned her?"

Su Zhu replied with a strange expression, "They say it was a Maternal Auntie. But I’ve learned that this Maternal Auntie had neither children nor prominence in the Lian family."

Su Zhen said in shock, "How did Miss Yao come into conflict with a Maternal Auntie from the main branch? That’s unbelievable." Even a Maternal Auntie of one’s own father was someone a Legitimate Daughter would not have much to do with, let alone one from another branch.

Seeing no objection from Madam Tang, Su Zhu continued, "It’s said that this Maternal Aunt Bu was a scapegoat. There were rumors before that the Eldest Lady Lian wanted to seize Miss Yao’s inheritance." Su Zhu was more inclined to believe this reason.

Su Zhen took over the conversation, "I found it strange too. Even if Miss Yao were going to stay at Ma’s Mansion for an extended period, she shouldn’t have moved so many belongings. Now it seems obvious, she must have been left with no choice but to move all her things there."

Su Zhu nodded repeatedly, "Yes, I heard they even moved the Great Aunt’s dowry to Ma’s Mansion."

Su Zhen noticed Madam Tang’s expression was off and asked, "Young lady, what’s wrong?"

Madam Tang felt a hint of defeat. Such a significant incident was unknown to them until after it had settled. It was excusable for her, a bride newly married into the family, to be unaware. However, the fact that her mother-in-law and husband received no news either, showed they truly held no standing in the mansion.

Taking off the Plum Blossom Hairpin from her head, Madam Tang was lost in thought. If her husband were someone capable, valued by her father-in-law, he would not have had her as a daughter-in-law. Her mind drifted to her belly, feeling the need to give birth to a son soon to secure her footing in the mansion.

News of Yueyao’s significant move also reached the Li family. Lady Li found the situation very strange and sent people to investigate, but they could uncover nothing. All they knew was that Yueyao was going to live in Ma’s Mansion.

The servant woman came in and said, "Madam, Miss Yueyao has sent someone to pick up Young Master Tingzheng and take him over. The messenger said he will be brought back early tomorrow morning."

Lady Li said in a hurry, "Let the messenger come in; I have some questions to ask."

Everyone around Yueyao was busy and couldn’t spare anyone, so Yueyao had asked Zhuang Ruolan to send someone to the Li family to pick up Tingzheng.

Yueyao was preparing to tell Tingzheng these things for two reasons: first, to prevent Tingzheng from returning to the Lian family in the future, and second, to make Tingzheng more cautious. Yueyao truly did not wish for Tingzheng to face these dark matter, but the second branch of the family needed Tingzheng’s support, and he had to be informed of these sordid affairs. Otherwise, Tingzheng would undoubtedly suffer at the hands of the Lian family in the future.

After questioning the nanny who had arrived, Lady Li said, "What exactly happened to Yueyao?" The commotion of Yueyao moving into Ma’s Mansion was much talked about, and the Li family also kept an eye on the affairs of the Lian family, so Lady Li was promptly informed. However, neither Ma’s Mansion nor Yueyao had sent any messages, so she had no choice but to be patient for the time being.

The old nanny explained, "Miss Yao had a serious illness and was almost beyond help. Our Old Master was very angry, feeling that the Lian family did not take good care of Miss Yao, so he brought Miss Yao over to our mansion." Though rumors were one thing, the official explanation had to be respectable.

Naturally, Lady Li didn’t believe this explanation, "How is Yueyao now?"

The old nanny replied, "Miss Yao is out of danger now. Doctor Zhang said that as long as Miss Yao recuperates for some time, she will fully recover."

Lady Li was relieved; no matter what, it was good as long as the person was fine, "Tell the miss, I will visit her tomorrow."

The old nanny curtseyed and said, "Thank you, Madam."

Lady Li was very satisfied. With Madam Zhuang’s management, Ma’s Mansion had now regained the decorum befitting an official’s family, and they could engage more with the Ma family in the future.

Xiang Wei went out early in the morning and didn’t return until after the noon meal. Yueyao did not ask what Xiang Wei had been up to, and those below certainly wouldn’t inquire either.

When Xiang Wei entered the room and saw the greatly changed room, she said, "This finally looks like a young lady’s boudoir. Your previous room looked like it belonged to a pious nun with no worldly desires." Those unaware of the situation would have thought Yueyao’s old room belonged to a devout ascetic.

Yueyao smiled, "Actually, these are all external possessions; whether luxurious or plain, life goes on the same."

Xiang Wei pouted, "Calling you a nun really hits the mark."

Leaning against the headboard with a pillow, Yueyao asked, "Xiang Wei, what are your plans for the future?" While living in Lian Mansion, she had been constantly on edge and needed someone with martial skills for protection. Now that she was in Ma’s Mansion, Yueyao could finally relax, no longer worried about being plotted against for money or harmed, so she wanted to hear Xiang Wei’s intentions. If Xiang Wei wanted to leave, she wouldn’t hold her back.

Listening to Yueyao’s words, Xiang Wei, of course, understood the implied message – if the hint was so obvious and she couldn’t catch it, she would be a fool. Xiang Wei laughed and said, "Are you saying I’m useless now and trying to drive me away?" She knew that wasn’t Yueyao’s intention; she was just teasing her!

Yueyao could never dislike her, but she felt that keeping Xiang Wei by her side was a waste of her talents, "I don’t want to bury your potential. The previous situation was dangerous, and I needed your protection. Now in Ma’s Mansion, there won’t be any more danger. I’m afraid the inner court will restrain you." The inner court had many rules, and there were few chances to go out all year round, which was very stifling. For Xiang Wei, it was like a bird trapped in a cage.

Xiang Wei shook her head with a smile, "Don’t worry, I won’t leave. It’s more convenient to do things in Ma’s Mansion, and if I want to go out, no one will stop me. I won’t feel suffocated." Yueyao definitely wouldn’t have any problems in Ma’s Mansion, so she could rest assured when going out. freёwebnoѵel.com

Yueyao said with a smile, "I’ll just talk to my cousin-in-law then."

After listening, Xiang Wei seriously asked, "You asked about my future plans, but what are your own plans? You’re not planning to just stay in Ma’s Mansion until you reach marriageable age and then marry into the Shen family, right?" Xiang Wei always felt that Yueyao had plans for the future that she just hadn’t disclosed yet.

Yueyao looked despondent, "What else can I do if not that?"

Xiang Wei didn’t believe Yueyao’s words. If Yueyao had really intended that, she wouldn’t have had a falling out with the Lian family. Moving out like this was not only bad for the reputation of the Lian family but also for her own, "Miss, you should be aware that Lady Mu, Shen Qian’s wife, is not easy to deal with. If you truly marry into the Shen family, you’ll only be able to focus on serving your husband and raising your children. Forget about anything else." The underlying message was that if Yueyao really married into the Shen family, she wouldn’t be able to paint anymore and would just be an ordinary woman.

Yueyao looked at Xiang Wei, "What do you mean by that?" She felt like Xiang Wei was probing her.

Without beating around the bush, Xiang Wei said directly, "Miss, I want to hear your true thoughts. What exactly are your plans for the future? I hope you won’t hide anything from me." If Yueyao truly wanted to marry into the Shen family, she wouldn’t have been so indifferent towards Shen Conghao. Yueyao certainly had her own calculations in mind.

Updated from fr𝒆ewebnov𝒆l.(c)om