Chapter 220 Aunt Zhang’s Thoughts
Several maids were busy in the hall of Yangxin Garden, preparing a welcoming banquet for the Third Master. A little maid walked in, carrying a silver tray with a teapot and teacups on it. She accidentally tripped over a stool beside her, staggered, and almost fell. The silver tray in her hand flew out, and the teapot and teacups broke into pieces on the floor.
"You blind little hooves, you're courting death..."
When Aunt Zhang saw this, she started cursing. The frightened little maid fell to her knees, kowtowed and begged for mercy. The others also stopped what they were doing and looked over.
After all, this is in the eldest wife's room, so we have to be more cautious. Seeing Aunt Zhang like this, Shuang'er was so scared that she hurried forward to support Aunt Zhang and advised:
"Madam, today is a great day to welcome the Third Master. After all, this is the upper room. Please calm down and don't argue with the little girl."
After hearing Shuang'er's words, Aunt Zhang remembered that they were in the eldest wife's room, so she stopped talking. Shuang'er saw that the eldest wife had stopped scolding, so she knew that she had heard it, and hurriedly turned to the maid kneeling on the ground and said:
"Hurry up and get ready, the Third Master will be here soon!"
The little maid hurriedly got up and began to clean up tremblingly. The maids were busy again. Shuang'er then helped Aunt Zhang sit on the chair on this side and said:
"I think you are tired , so sit here and have some tea and rest, and watch the servants do their work."
After Shuang'er finished speaking, she turned around and went to prepare tea for Aunt Zhang.
Aunt Zhang, who had calmed down, was also frightened by her recklessness just now. What happened to her? She had never felt so uneasy before. She wanted to find something to vent her strong anxiety.
In the two years since the Second Madam came into the mansion, she has been making all kinds of medicinal food, detoxifying the young girls, and even curing the old lady's shoulder pain of many years by rubbing her shoulders every day. The old lady brags about her to everyone she meets. Her amazing talent in medicine has convinced Aunt Zhang that the Second Madam is a hidden expert. It was this Second Madam who detoxified the Second Master two years ago.
From then on, the Second Mistress became a thorn in her heart. She would not be able to sleep or eat unless the Second Mistress died. However, the Second Mistress was calm and low-key in the Xiao Mansion. Even the First Mistress couldn't do anything to her, and she couldn't even reach the East Wing. Last year, her brother brought back a colorless and odorless poison, saying that it was prepared by a poison master in the south, and asked her to find an opportunity to use it on the Second Mistress.
Aunt Zhang spent nearly two months and finally bribed a little maid in Xiaoxiangyuan's kitchen to put poison into the soup used by the Second Mistress. But it was strange that the Second Mistress was either very lucky or immune to all poisons. The little maid clearly secretly watched the Second Mistress drink the whole bowl of soup, but she was fine.
Just as Aunt Zhang was frightened that the Second Mistress was not poisoned to death, the Second Mistress sent Zhiqiu to bring her a basin of red heart burnt apples and told her that this basin of red heart burnt apples was placed in Aunt Li's room when she was alive. Aunt Li was executed by the Old Madam for murdering Xiao's own flesh and blood. The Second Mistress thought that this red heart burnt apples were unlucky and remembered that she had given it to Aunt Li in the first place. Now it has returned to its original owner. If she likes it, she can keep it well and smell it when she is free. This red heart burnt apples can also live forever. If she also feels taboo about it, she might as well give it to the Old Madam, who will pass it to the Second Master. The Second Master likes strange fragrances by nature, so it is just right to kill it and use it as a spice.
Faced with the naked threat from the Second Mistress, Aunt Zhang was terrified. She also knew that the Second Mistress had completely grasped her weakness, so she dared not make a move rashly. She had to treat her like an ancestor, fearing that the Second Mistress would be unhappy one day and reveal the matter. For the past two years, they had lived in peace.
But it is not a pleasant feeling to have your life in the hands of others. Knowing that the Second Madam was an expert in poison, she became concerned about her background and secretly sent people to the Second Madam's family to inquire about her. She finally found out that the Second Madam was a concubine's daughter.
With her encouragement, the identity of the Second Grandma as a bastard was finally revealed. She had originally agreed with her brother that as soon as the Second Grandma left the Xiao family, Zhang Jie would organize experts outside the mansion to kill her, and put an end to it all.
But the flowers you planted intentionally didn't bloom, and the willows you planted unintentionally grew into shade. The Second Mistress didn't leave the house, but it gave Yun'er the opportunity to be the head of the family. Her heart, which had been tortured by the Second Mistress for the past two years, became active again. That night, she was so excited that she seemed to have returned to the past, and she showed the eldest master infinite tenderness, hoping to get a promise from him, but he said nothing.
The attitude of the eldest master made her feel disappointed, but she was not discouraged. She had hoped that the second master would wake up from his coma and stick to his vow not to be the head of the family. Unexpectedly, the first wife threatened to die, and in one afternoon, she forced the second master to change his mind and sent the second wife to Qingxin Temple.
She knew clearly about the arrangement of the first wife in Qingxin Temple. She had been struggling on the edge of "harming" and "saving" the second wife. With the death of the second wife, the matter of the red-hearted banana was buried with her. She could rest easy from now on, but Yun'er would not be able to live in the family. The rest of their lives were in the hands of the first wife and her son. She was unwilling to accept this!
If the Second Mistress didn't die, maybe the Second Master's love for her would rekindle, and it's hard to say whether the Second Master would give up the position of the head of the family for her again. As for the matter of the red heart banana, she believed in the Second Mistress's promise. As long as she behaved herself, the Second Mistress would let her live a good life. When Yun'er became the head of the family, there would still be a chance to make the Second Mistress shut up.
The boundless desire finally overcame the fear in her heart, and she finally decided that if she had the chance she must save the Second Grandma and let her live well so as to seduce the Second Master to give up the position of head of the family.
Just as she was thinking about how to tell the old lady about the first wife's blockade of Qingxin Temple, the first wife sent someone to summon her to the upper room, saying that a welcoming banquet was being held for the third master. As soon as she arrived at the upper room, the maid of Qingxin Temple came to report that the third master had broken into Qingxin Temple. The first wife heard this and just told Baozhu to wait at the door of Qingxin Temple and invite the third to come for dinner. She also hurriedly sent Qing'er to go with her, and hinted to Qing'er to find a way to delay Baozhu so that the third master could deliver a letter to the old lady.
However, as soon as the two maids left, the eldest wife began to hint to her in words and deeds, asking her to persuade the Third Master not to interfere in the Second Wife's affairs, and kindly reminded her that she was doing this for the Third Master's own good. It was against the rules for the Third Master to trespass into Qingxin Temple without permission, and he was going to see his divorced sister-in-law. It would be bad if the uncle and sister-in-law had a secret meeting in that kind of place.
The eldest wife said, if the third master is obedient, everything will be fine. But if he is disobedient and wants to meddle in other people’s business, I’m sorry, but I have to accuse you of adultery between your uncle and your sister-in-law.
After hearing what the eldest wife said, Aunt Zhang was so frightened that her soul flew away. All the people in Qingxin Temple were the eldest wife's people, so it would be easy for them to give false testimony. As for Mengxi, who had two maids with her, the eldest wife would probably not let them see the old lady alive. For the position of the head of the family, the death of two maids was nothing!
Thinking of this, Aunt Zhang's back was already sweating. She secretly regretted sending Qing'er over. It was too late to make amends now. Seeing that it was already past noon and there was no sign of Yun'er, she became more and more anxious, fearing that Yun'er had really gone to Shouxi Hall.
Just as she was waiting anxiously, the maid at the door came to announce that the Third Master had arrived. Aunt Zhang stood up suddenly, and Shuang'er held her back, shouting:
"concubine"
Aunt Zhang finally came to her senses, calmed herself down, said "please come in", and helped Shuang'er to the east wing.
The eldest wife was leaning on the bed, her face pale. Xiao An's matter and the fact that the second master did not act as the head of the family had tortured her to exhaustion. If the maid from Qingxin Temple had not reported that the third master had broken into Qingxin Temple, she would not have been so kind as to hold a welcoming banquet for him.
I wonder if Baozhu can stop the Third Master and bring him here directly, the eldest wife thought worriedly. Seeing that it was already past noon and the Third Master had not come yet, she felt more and more uneasy. Finally, she made up her mind that for Jun'er's position as the head of the family, Mengxi must die. If the Third Master really wanted to wade into this muddy water, then don't blame her for being ruthless. Charge her with adultery and get rid of the Third Master as well. Let's see who else can compete with Jun'er for the position of head of the family. Thinking of this, she was about to ask Ziyue to go to Qingxin Temple to make arrangements, when Aunt Zhang came in with Shuang'er, stepped forward and saluted and said:
"Madam, the Third Master is here. I will take you out to eat."
Seeing the Third Master coming over, the First Madam secretly breathed a sigh of relief and nodded in response. Zi Yue had already stepped forward to help her up, and while helping the First Madam dress, Aunt Zhang said:
"The old lady has already said that if you are not in good health, you should not force yourself. The Third Master is our family. He has been away from home for such a long time, causing you and the eldest master to worry. He should be punished when he comes back this time. But you are still forcing yourself to hold a welcoming banquet for him, letting me, your maid..."
As Aunt Zhang spoke, her eyes turned red and her voice became choked with sobs. The first wife sighed and said:
"You don't have to feel too bad. They are all my sons. I feel pain when any of them are hurt. Jun'er is so troublesome that he makes the old lady and the master angry. I can only swallow the pain in my heart with tears when I can't sleep at night. Yun'er is still young and suffered a lot this time. It's good that he is back. Please help me persuade him and don't learn from Jun'er, who was bewitched by a vixen and did something unorthodox. Not to mention that I will be ashamed to face my ancestors, but I will have wasted my life."
After hearing what the eldest wife said, Aunt Zhang, who was tidying up her clothes, had a flash of resentment in her eyes. She calmed herself down and nodded in response:
"What the eldest lady said is true. I will try my best to persuade the Third Master."
As Aunt Zhang was speaking, she had already packed the clothes for the first wife and helped her out of the east wing and into the hall, where the Third Master was already waiting.
Seeing the eldest wife coming out, he hurried forward to greet her and said:
"Mother is fine. Mother is not in good health, but she is still forcing herself to worry about Yun'er. If something goes wrong, it would be Yun'er who is unfilial."
The first wife glanced at the third master and said:
"Don't just say nice things. You are not young anymore. It's time for you to do some serious work. This time when you come back, you can stay in the mansion peacefully and help the eldest master with some things. Don't cause any trouble. It means that my love for you is not in vain. If that's the case, it will be worth it even if I get sick a few more times. Yun'er is still young. Don't learn from your second brother and make the whole family restless. I don't know what sin I committed in my previous life."
As the eldest wife spoke, tears fell. Seeing this, the third master quickly said:
"Mother taught me that Yun'er was unfilial."
Ziyue and Aunt Zhang on the side also tried to persuade her. When the eldest wife saw Baozhu nodded at her, she stopped crying and said:
"Don't just stand there. Yun'er is back. It's a happy thing. Come on, Yun'er, come and sit down."
Seeing that the eldest wife had stopped crying, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Aunt Zhang then stepped forward to greet the Third Master. She and Zi Yue helped the eldest wife sit down. Seeing the Third Master sitting down, the eldest wife asked:
"I heard that the Third Master went to Qingxin Temple this morning?"
"Mother, my second brother has something to ask my second sister-in-law, and he was afraid that Hongzhu wouldn't be able to convey it clearly, so he asked Yun'er to bring Hongzhu over."
The eldest wife listened and pondered for a while, then said:
"Yun'er is getting more and more unreasonable. Qingxin Temple is not a place for men. Yun'er already has a concubine. Going to that kind of place to see my sister-in-law is not right. If it gets out, people will say that our family has no rules and it will hurt our dignity."
