Reborn: Revenge of the Concubine's Daughter

Chapter 227 Pregnant women were vulnerable

Like a mermaid, He Danggui suddenly jumped out from under the surface of the water, squinted at Chan Yi in the water curtain and asked, “Who is Madam Ji? Haven’t Governor Lu’s parents already dead? And hasn’t he married another woman?” Where did the one who possessed the authority in Lu’s Mansion come from? Even Governor Lu had to obey her not to meet his pregnant wife.

Chan Yi explained, “I just heard it from Huai Hua today. Even though Governor Lu has no parents now, he still has a widowed aunt, Madam Ji, who has a 16-year-old daughter in hometown. Madam Ji is a dowager and has nothing to worry about. More than a month ago, Lu’s Mansion received a letter saying that Madam Ji heard that her nephew’s wife was pregnant and she was going to take care of the baby in Yangzhou City. But a few days later, Madam Ji and her daughter went to Lu’s Mansion as guests and seized the power of managing the family affairs of Sister Zhenzhu in an impolite way the next day.”

He Danggui, who was closing her eyes meditatively, opened her eyes and said, “What did Governor Lu think?”

“He doesn’t have any ideas. From Huai Hua’s words, it seems that Governor Lu is ignorant of family affairs. When he wasn’t married in his early years, he didn’t have a housekeeper or a cook, and he always crowded into the roadside stands in a purple official robe as he ate. People regarded him as a performer in a costume, but he just smiled and didn’t argued.” Chan Yi picked up the bath towel and wiped He Danggui’s back while saying, “After Sister Zhenzhu married him, Lu’s Mansion was run in an orderly way. He was comfortable, so he left everything to Sister Zhenzhu. Hardly had Madam Ji arrived here when she became the head of the family, for Sister Zhenzhu’s humble birth and ignorance of managing affairs. So, she had to take care of family affairs and set an example for Sister Zhenzhu.”

He Danggui also wiped her chest with a fish scale towel, and her shoulders trembled with laughter. She said, “So interesting. Madam Ji bothers too much. Now that she values the descendants of the Lu’s Family, how could she make her nephew’s wife unhappy who is pregnant? Although Sister Zhenzhu is an open-minded and tolerant person, women are weak after all. Especially, pregnant women are more vulnerable than before. If they are wronged, they will immediately keep it in mind, which is absolutely not conducive to the safe care of the fetus.” He Danggui was the most experienced person in this field. No matter how open-minded a person was, there would be times of getting depressed.

Chan Yi spread the green tea salt on He Danggui’s back evenly and then spread a layer of fruit honey on it. She massaged He Danggui gently and said in low spirits, “Miss, you are right. Huai Hua said that Sister Zhenzhu felt so depressed at that time that her lips turned white. But she thought that Madam Ji, having her own family, is her husband’s only elder. So, how long can she stay in Lu’s Mansion? She will leave after the Spring Festival at the latest. Whereupon, Sister Zhenzhu didn’t care and felt at ease in her room.”

“It’s very wise to avoid its sharpness first and then respond to changes with constancy,” He Danggui suddenly asked while slapping the water with her instep, “Who invited that troupe? What was the play?”

Chan Yi recalled, “The troupe was seemingly invited by Madam Ji. As for the play, Huai Hua didn’t mention. She rushed here for your help specifically and then hurried to leave. She said that Sister Zhenzhu has been in a trance all the time, but there is nothing wrong with her, and the child in her belly is also peaceful. But now the people who are most restless are Sorceress Ma outside the mansion and Madam Ji in the house!”

He Danggui was a little confused, “So weird. Master Tai Shan made trouble with Sister Zhenzhu’s ex-husband for nothing more than extorting money. Even if Madam Ji didn’t like Sister Zhenzhu’s family background, she had no reason to harm Sister Zhenzhu.”

After washing He Danggui’s back, Chan Yi pulled out He Danggui’s hairpin, scattered her chignon and combed her hair with a wide toothed comb.

As for Tai Shan, Chan Yi was infuriated, “Master cheated me out of more than 30 liang of silver. If she did a small business about tea, she would be able to make ends meet for the rest of her life, but she cheated people again. I guess she heard that Sister Zhenzhu has become the wife of governor, so she waited for an opportunity with the sister’s ex-husband to blackmail. But it is unclear about how they contacted. Because the lawsuit of Sister Zhenzhu was too blatant that year, everyone knew it in Zhenjiang City and Yangzhou City. Alas, it’s too late to talk about it now. Huai Hua’s point is that there is a misunderstanding between Governor Lu and Sister Zhenzhu. And Huai Hua is afraid that there will be something wrong with these 2 people and let outsiders have their ways.”

At this time, there was a knock on the outer door. He Danggui squatted into the water and motioned Chan Yi to answer the door. Chan Yi put down the curtain of the shower room and went out. When she opened the door, she muttered to the people outside. After a while, she came back and said, “Madam Luo sent someone to say that there will be a distinguished guest at home, who has already sent out an invitation card saying that he will come today or tomorrow. Madam Luo let you be ready to accompany when the banquet is held at home. I asked the messenger who the distinguished guest is, but she said she didn’t know. She just saw Madam Luo’s happy face, as if something great has happened.”

He Danggui didn’t want to think about it for the time being and just said, “I hope the guest will not come today, and I just want to sleep.” Suddenly, she thought of something and asked, “By the way, what about Shu Qin? Has Second Childe of Guan’s Family ever been at our Tao Yao Yard?”

“Shu Qin? Oh, I forget to tell you,” Chan Yi said with a smile, “Last night, Second Childe Guan suddenly ran into our courtyard and looked around for something. When he saw Shu Qin, who was collecting fallen flowers in the grove, he hugged and kissed her. Several people standing next to me and I were shocked. And when we reacted, they had left hand in hand.”

He Danggui cocked an inquisitive eyebrow, “Shu Qin had left? She had nothing to say?”

Chan Yi nodded, “Since you said that Shu Qin is a special person in our yard. She didn’t need to do any work, and she was free to go and stay. So, I just watched them leave without asking. And I guess they will get married. So strange. When did they get together? Once upon a time, Second Childe Guan came to Tao Yao Yard for you.”

He Danggui sneered, “According to your description, they are the Cowherd and the Weaving Maid who have been in love for many years but can’t meet each other, and I’m probably the Queen of Fairyland who hinders them from being together. If I hadn’t become the ‘dead person’ in front of Guan Mo tonight, he would have kept his women and children in my yard. There are so many unusual things in the world.”

“There is still something more unusual,” Chan Yi continued, “Governor Lu took Sorceress Ma and some Taoist priests and nuns for practicing witchcraft in the room of Sister Zhenzhu. But Governor Lu was stopped by Madam Ji, so the rest of those people ran to dance in front of the sister’s bed. After they left, Sister Zhenzhu immediately opened her eyes and told Huai Hua with trembling body that among the Taoist priests and nuns were her former husband, younger brother-in-law and younger sister-in-law, and then she went to sleep again. Miss, what did they want to do? Why did they have to cross dress and run to the sister? When the sister’s ex-husband came to see her, would Governor Lu have any conflicts with her?”

He Danggui’s skin had been soaked into pink. She stepped on the steps after washing her long hair. Then she put on a nightdress and went to the inner room. As she sat down on the embroidery couch, she wiped the water from the top of her hair and questioned, “The case of suing her husband was tried by Governor Lu himself. Governor Lu knew exactly what happened to Sister Zhenzhu and her ex-husband. If he cared, he would not marry her. Why didn’t she trust him? Sister Zhenzhu and Huai Hua should tell Governor Lu immediately to detain those clowns.”

Chan Yi shook her head and said, “The problem is Madam Ji in the family now, and Sister Zhenzhu has to keep her mouth shut. At the beginning, Governor Lu was afraid that his aunt and other distant relatives dished the dirt, so he didn’t mention to them that Sister Zhenzhu had married. He only said that she was a merchant’s daughter in a wealthy family. And it’s only one side that Sister Zhenzhu kept the secret from Madam Ji. On the other side, Madam Ji has a 16-year-old daughter, Miss Yingtao, who is Governor Lu’s cousin. She also lives in Lu’s Mansion with her mother. Anyway, she may have dubious relationship with Governor Lu, which makes Sister Zhenzhu feel uncomfortable. In addition, Sister Zhenzhu has choked with resentment for the past month, so she gradually doesn’t talk about anything with Governor Lu. She only talks to Huai Hua, but Huai Hua can’t give her any good advice.”

Lying down on the embroidered couch, He Danggui half squinted. It was not suitable to lie down when her hair was still wet, but the posture could make her think better.

When she discovered that Governor Lu’s love for Sister Zhenzhu was almost as deep as Duan Xiaolou’s love for herself, she thought that a fool like Governor Lu would never change his mind. After she and Qing’er brought them together, the happy life of the 2 made her and Qing’er realize that there was real love in the world. The faithful love could break through the obstacles of the secular world and create a beautiful tree. But they did not expect that such a perfect pair of partners, such unswerving true love, also broke up in real life.

The experience of Sister Zhenzhu’s first marriage was almost the same as that of her mother in previous life. Her mother was framed by He Fu’s family in Qingzhou City. They were framed by their husbands in an attempt to despoil their valuable dowries. But the difference was that her mother was defeated, while Sister Zhenzhu was a wise woman. Although she didn’t get enough education, she could protest strongly when she was full of grievances. She took back what she deserved and exposed the ugly face of her ex-husband’s family in broad daylight.

He Danggui thought that in her previous life, she heard about Sister Zhenzhu’s experience of suing her husband in the Taoist temple, but it didn’t surprise her that much. However, a few years later, when her mother became so miserable for the same thing, she couldn’t help imagining Sister Zhenzhu as her mother and thinking how good it would be if her mother was like Sister Zhenzhu. If that, many misfortunes could be avoided. If her mother had a temperament of Sister Zhenzhu, she would grow up under the protection of her mother. That kind of strong loving mother’s love was what she yearned most in her life. That was why she appreciated Sister Zhenzhu and regarded her as a graven image and a bright light.

And Sister Zhenzhu’s strong character also won the appreciation and admiration of Governor Lu. At the beginning, she realized the identity gap between them, and perhaps also realized that if they were really together, there might be such a problem today, so she chose to escape. She evaded her pursuers, but Governor Lu’s love was not only not extinguished, but also became deeper and deeper. He didn’t marry a wife or have children in his late 30s just for looking for his beloved woman.

Perhaps his sincerity moved the immortal, so that they met and got married so hard. Was it because of human nature that after one got it, he or she would not cherish it? Even Governor Lu, who was stubborn and bad-tempered, couldn’t avoid being vulgar. He still wanted to fall in love with a 16-year-old cousin after having a happy family.

He Danggui sighed and slowly closed her eyes. If she remembered correctly, Sister Zhenzhu was 32 years old, who was twice as old as Miss Yingtao. Governor Lu missed Sister Zhenzhu’s best years.