Madam Di didn’t expect that Qin Huaiyong would get angry about her behavior that she broke all porcelains in her room.
Looking at those scattered pieces on the ground which there was no moved trace on and the antique shelf which still stood there in perfect condition, Qin Huaiyong knew everything. His eyes flashing, Qin Huaiyong turned around and went off in a huff without saying anything.
She knocked the antique shelf over accidentally? She must do it because she was jealous of Madam Shui who was pregnant.
General! General!
shouted Madam Di, being totally flustered. She suddenly stood up and rushed up to Qin Huaiyong.
Qin Huaiyong stopped, turned around, glared at Madam Di with his fierce eyes, and said,
I don’t care whether you are happy or not. If something bad happens to Ruolan’s unborn baby, you will be held solely responsible.
No… General…
Madam Di held the door frame and dare not walk in. She cried,
General, how, how could you say so? I do feel uncomfortable but I would never plot against Sister Shui. If I had been in good health when bringing Yuru into the world, I would have more children than now.
When giving birth to Qin Yuru, Madam Di experienced a difficult labor. As for Madam Di, it was quite difficult for her to bring Qin Yuru into the world and she also suffered from an incompletely cured illness from that time, which made her almost impossible to have a baby again. Qin Huaiyong knew that.
Madam, Madam. Don’t be sad. General doesn’t mean that. He doesn’t suspect you. Please don’t cry!
Nanny Zhou came and held Madam Di up. She stole a glance at Qin Huaiyong and continued to say,
You didn’t live a good life at that time in General’s Mansion and there was no good way to cure your illness. Otherwise, this thing would not happen! General is kind and grateful. He didn’t scold you in these years!
So she meant that it was because of Qin Huaiyong that Madam Di could not have a baby any more.
Saying nothing, Qin Huaiyong stared coldly at crying Madam Di for a while. He stood there a few minutes and finally left.
Madam Di felt hopeful when seeing Qin Huaiyong standing there before. But now when she saw him left, she collapsed in tears and cried,
Nanny, Nanny, how could he be so merciless! It is because of him that I have to suffer from the illness. He said he didn’t care about that before! But why, why does he treat me like this!
Madam, don’t be sad. He just forgot your romance but he does care about you, or he would not come here to see you so fast!
said Nanny Zhou. She held Madam Di tightly and tipped Meiya, the servant girl the wink.
Meiya knew what she meant and helped Nanny Zhou support Madam Di to walk in the inner room.
When they put Madam Di on her bed, Nanny Zhou lowered her voice and said,
Madam, don’t cry, please. It is so strange that why nobody cleaned your room after I left and why you had a quarrel with Second Steward. Don’t you know the Second Steward is general’s man?
Nanny Zhou doubted that somebody tried to stir up trouble because everything went well when she left. But now, things happened at this time.
I just want some good porcelains! Those brought here are so bad that nobody would want! If people see those bad porcelains, I would lose face!
cried Madam Di, wiping her tears.
Do you summon Second Steward?
asked Nanny Zhou, feeling speechless.
Only he could bring me good porcelains!
My dear Madam, how could you act rashly like this? If something happens to Madam Shui, the general would suspect you!
said Nanny Zhou.
No! We could not let the evil baby live!
said Madam Di, gnashing her teeth.
Madam, you must be more careful this time and you have to be friendly with Madam Shui. Now she is pregnant so if you hurt her, the general would not let you go easily,
Nanny Zhou reached out her finger, pointed outwards and said in a low voice,
Let’s wait for the banquet!
Fine, we would wait for the banquet!
said Madam Di. She goggled her eyes ferociously and thought that even though she would not attend the banquet, she could give Shui Ruolan a big
surprise
with her sister-in-law’s help!
She would have nothing to do with what would happen in the Marquises’ Mansion of Fengyang.
Madam, do we need their people?
asked Nanny Zhou. She thought that it would be better to prepare a plan B so she decided to remind Madam Di. She pointed in a direction.
Those people were coming to the capital city. With Nanny Zhou’s help, Madam Di had contacted them before. They hit it off at once.
Yes, we do. They just had exams and now they came to the capital city. They are living to be used! Shui Ruolan wants to be a madam in Qin’s Mansion safely and steadily? She needs to check herself first!
said Madam Di. She sneered and continued to say,
I don’t care about the money but we could not act rashly before Shui Ruolan could come back from the banquet of Marquises’ Mansion of Fengyang safe and sound!
Understanding Madam Di’s meaning, Nanny Zhou said,
Okay, I got it. I would ask somebody to do that tomorrow!
Qin Wanru went shopping with Shui Ruolan in the capital city early in the morning.
When she went Huaguang Temple with Shui Ruolan last time, they had no time to stop. It was a nice day so they both were in high spirits. They let the cart stop at the street corner and they walked in the crowd with their servants and looked around.
They were walking on a main road in the capital city so it was very crowded. Qin Wanru not only brought Yujie but also Nanny Dong. Nanny Dong had interests in a shop and Qin Wanru also wanted to look around so she brought Nanny Dong here.
They walked and looked around. They kept talking and laughing on the way so they didn’t feel how time flew.
Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanru didn’t wear their curtain hats because Qin Wanru was still a child and Shui Ruolan had no habit of wearing a curtain hat or veil. There were many young ladies of aristocratic families in the street and seldom wore a veil. Thus they were not conspicuous!
When passing by a tea house, Shui Ruolan covered her belly, seeming that she was really tired when she had been walking for so long.
Looking at the house number, Qin Wanru said to Shui Ruolan,
Mother, you’d better take a rest in the tea house. I still want to walk around and to see those shops Nanny Dong chose for me!
Let me go with you!
answered Shui Ruolan worriedly.
Qin Wanru smiled and refused,
Mother, I am fine! And there is Nanny Dong. You should take a rest here.
Shui Ruolan still worried about her and said,
Then if something happens, you must send people to tell me.
After her telling Qin Wanru what to do, she walked in the tea house with her servants finally.
Then Qin Wanru walked with Nanny Dong.
They saw a shop when they had not gone far. The shop was small and it was an embroidery shop. It seemed desolate and there were few customers in it. It looked quite different from the luxuriant shops they just passed by.
A thick layer of dust had accumulated on the board at the entrance, making the shop seem chaotic. It seemed that nobody had cleaned the room for a very long time. The first impression was not good.
Nanny Dong pointed at the shop and said,
Lady, that’s it. I have learned before that the shopkeeper would leave the capital city and give up this shop, saying that his family needs him.
Qin Wanru looked around. There were some shops here, even a three-story restaurant. People passing by here were either rich men or aristocrats. They all wore gorgeous clothes and strode but nobody stopped and looked at this shop. How could the shopkeeper run the business so badly in such a prosperous street? Did the shopkeeper really give up his shop here?
Qin Wanru said and walked in the shop,
Let’s go and see!
Walking into it, she found that there were many goods here. Many brocades were put disorderly on a board, making them look cheap and not good. Only a few women were selecting the brocades. Compared with those much expensive brocades in other shops, these ladies disdained the brocades here.
Looking around, they shook their heads and left.
Watching those girls walking here, Nanny Dong lowered her voice and said near Qin Wanru’s ear,
Lady, those are ordinary people. Even though these brocades are the best, these are ill-suited for them. Some people might buy some because they are cheap, but they would not buy too much.
Qin Wanru stopped glancing at those girls and nodded.
There were only three servers and they didn’t look young and bright. They didn’t know if it was because of the poor business that made them seem lazy.
Nanny Dong pointed upwards and said,
Second Lady, there are more upstairs.
Qin Wanru saw a small stair standing at an inconspicuous corner. She went toward it and walked on its wooden steps. It seemed gloomy because it was in the corner. When she walked to the second story, she could see the light. However, it was because the window was not big that the shop looked narrow and gloomy.
There were some accessories, including ordinary toggle-and-loop button and embroidery. However, everything looked not eye-catching because of the scarce light.
Some chairs near the windows seemed to let people sit down to select. A pile of embroidery seemed to be a dust heap. Their impression of the shop was not very good.
Nanny Dong said,
Second Lady, please wait for a while. Let me ask someone to come here.
Qin Wanru had decided to meet the shopkeeper of this house today before coming here. Nanny Dong also told the supervisor here when she came here yesterday.
Qin Wanru nodded in agreement and said,
Okay.
She picked up a piece of embroidery and looked at it in front of the window.
Actually it was beautiful. It was not only delicate but also good-quality. When the sun shone on the piece, it seemed to be painted gold and it was quite wonderful.
Suddenly, something just flashed in Qin Wanru’s mind but she didn’t remember it. She frowned, put this piece down and picked up another one.
Lady! They are so pretty!
said Yujie. She also picked one up and looked at it just like what Qin Wanru did. She used to live in Jingxin Monastery and she always saw the gray monk clothes. When she saw such beautiful and delicate goods, she liked them very much and could not stop praising them.
Lady, I think they are the most beautiful embroideries I have ever seen!
How many have you seen in the monastery?
asked Qin Wanru. She laughed and gave another piece to Yujie,
Which one is better?
Lady, you could not look down upon me! Although I have never worn them, I have seen them! There were many pilgrims in Jingxin Monastery and many ladies and madams wore gorgeously!
said Yujie, pouting her lips. She looked at the embroidery Qin Wanru just gave her, compared with the one she chose before and said,
Lady, it is much prettier!
Sir, it is her!
A voice suddenly came out near her ear. Qin Wanru raised her head and smiled. However, as soon as she saw the man standing in front her clear, the embroidery in her hand slid down. She even could hear her heartbeat. Lub-dub… lub-dub…
