Chu Lian seemed to have her mind elsewhere while He Changdi pulled her along.
Her mother-in-law, Countess Jing’an, had requested for sour candied hawthorns, while the pregnant Miaozhen just happened to be craving sour foods. Was this really just a coincidence?
As her mind was preoccupied, Chu Lian didn’t notice the dark clouds gathering on He Sanlang’s handsome face.
The couple continued walking in silence for a good distance. When they arrived at the garden outside of Songtao Court, He Sanlang suddenly stopped short and led Chu Lian over to an octagonal pavilion nearby.
He stood with his back against the wind and used his tall figure to shield Chu Lian from the chilly breeze, “Lian’er, you don’t have to make the candied hawthorns anymore.”
Chu Lian was still lost in her thoughts. Upon hearing this statement from her husband, she let out a confused ‘huh?’ and looked up at He Changdi.
It was only then that she finally noticed the peculiar expression on his face.
When met with Chu Lian’s clear and innocent eyes, despite having already lived one lifetime, He Changdi didn’t know what to say.
He pursed his lips and extended his arm to take Chu Lian’s small and soft figure into his embrace.
The feeling of his wife lying peacefully in his arms made him sigh contentedly.
With a possessive tone, he proclaimed, “You are MY wife, you don’t need to cook for anybody else.”
Despite how baffling and awkward his words were and how controlling they seemed, Chu Lian still felt warm and fuzzy inside.
Chu Lian snuggled into his chest for a bit, before she raised her head and stared at him, “It’s your mother we’re talking about, she’s not just anybody.”
He Changdi didn’t reply this time. He tightened his arms around her and turned his gaze out towards the frozen lake which had yet to melt, with a profound look in his eyes that probably no one would understand.
In his previous life, Miaozhen had miscarried, and the culprit had been ‘Chu Lian’…
Was the mastermind in the shadows trying to pull something again?
At Qingxi Hall.
The brazier in the parlour was burning brightly and the walls were heated, so the room was as warm as spring. Senior Servant Liu was feeling hot in her cotton jacket, but the matriarch who sat on the heated bed felt that it was still chilly.
Senior Servant Liu took a porcelain bowl with the sign of longevity painted on it from another servant and carried it over to Matriarch He, “Matriarch, perhaps this servant should ask Great Doctor Miao to check on you. Your health is a far cry from before.”
Matriarch He waved her hand to reject that notion, “Unnecessary. Putting aside the fact that Great Doctor Miao just gave me a checkup two days ago, this illness of mine can only be cured by a deity. You don’t have to trouble Great Doctor Miao.”
Senior Servant Liu let out a soft sigh. Matriarch He had too many worries on her mind and she was getting old, which was why her health had declined so much. To have a healthy body, one had to have a clear mind, so it was indeed pointless to rely on Great Doctor Miao to cure the matriarch.
No matter how great a doctor is, they couldn’t possibly restore vigour that had been sapped away by time.
“Nevertheless, you should still drink this bowl of medicinal soup, Matriarch!”
Matriarch He didn’t reject her this time. She accepted the bowl and drank two mouthfuls of it. Finding it tasteless, she put it to one side.
She dismissed the other servants waiting upon her in the room before taking Senior Servant Liu’s hand into her own. She asked seriously, “Xiangyun, what do you think about Sanlang’s wife?”
Senior Servant Liu was stunned by this sudden question, but she immediately realised what was on Matriarch He’s mind.
Senior Servant Liu smiled and said, “Matriarch, you must be thinking about letting Third Young Madam manage the household, right?”
Matriarch He looked at her with surprise, “You old fox, I can’t hide anything from you.”
Senior Servant Liu started massaging Matriarch He’s shoulders as she spoke, “This servant may be overstepping her bounds but I believe that Third Young Madam is the best choice for managing the household in our estate. It’s obvious just from looking at Songtao Court and Guilin Restaurant. Hasn’t Third Young Madam done well beyond expectations for both of them? Third Young Master also seemed very pleased with Third Young Madam. The couple looked like they were joined at the hip when they came for their morning greetings earlier, how enviable.”
After Senior Servant Liu gave her opinion, Matriarch He fell into deep contemplation.
Noticing the silence of the matriarch, Senior Servant Liu didn’t disrupt her from her thoughts and just continued massaging her gently instead.
A long while later, Matriarch He sighed deeply, “How could I possibly be unaware of how well Sanlang’s wife has done? However, she’s still so young… When all’s said and done, she’s just a mere sixteen years of age. She’s only a little older than Nianzhen.”
Hearing this statement from Matriarch He, Senior Servant Liu realised that the matriarch had already come to her own conclusion in her heart. She stayed silent now, knowing that the matriarch didn’t fully trust Third Young Madam.
If the matriarch did not truly believe in someone, even if she tried persuading otherwise, the matriarch wouldn’t waver at all. She might even damage the friendly relationship that they had cultivated over the years.
While the master and servant shared a private conversation in the room, a maidservant outside the room announced that ‘Leader Mo’ was requesting an audience.
When Matriarch He shot Senior Servant Liu a look, Senior Servant Liu bobbed in acknowledgement and headed out to bring Leader Mo in.
Mo Chenggui scanned the parlour the very moment he entered. He relaxed when he noticed that there were no outsiders around.
He greeted Matriarch He with a bow.
The matriarch had him take a seat and ordered Senior Servant Liu to bring tea for him.
Once he had settled down, the matriarch asked, “Leader Mo, is something the matter?”
The guards of House Jing’an worked in shifts under a schedule specially planned by Heir Jing’an, He Changqi. Except in the cases of emergencies or matters concerning the inner court, the guards normally wouldn’t request to meet the matriarch.
However, looking at Mo Chenggui, he seemed to have a special reason for coming to visit her.
Leader Mo mulled over the question for a moment and finally nodded.
“Matriarch, there’s a matter that I have been brooding over for some time… Since the Count isn’t around, I’ve decided to report this matter to you.”
Fifteen minutes later, Leader Mo departed from Qingxi Hall, leaving behind an alarmed Matriarch He and Senior Servant Liu.
There was a complicated look in Matriarch He’s eyes. She had never expected Sanlang’s wife to have been abducted while at the northern border!
Furthermore, she had spent the night out…
Although the Great Wu Dynasty was starting to become more open-minded, that was only when compared to the previous dynasty. Even though women in this dynasty had more freedom than before, the reputation of noble ladies were still regarded with utmost importance.
