Chapter 128: Sweetness and a Rude Awakening (Part Two)

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Wu Qingyu’s marriage to Lin Yanyao was something Madam Meng had never truly approved of.

It was only that she could not overpower her son, and with the old madam above her keeping watch, she knew that objecting would accomplish nothing. So she had not bothered wasting the effort.

When the newlywed bride served tea, Wu Tan paid special attention to Madam Meng’s expression. The woman wore a perfectly proper smile from beginning to end. She did not show much affection toward her new daughter-in-law, but neither did anything seem amiss.

Wu Qingqiong, on the other hand, looked sour from start to finish, her nose and face both twisted with displeasure.

Though Lin Yanyao’s wedding had been arranged in haste, Madam Li had been terrified that her daughter would lose face, so she had prepared everything that needed to be prepared, including gifts for every member of the Wu family and the red packets the bride was expected to distribute to the servants.

After Wu Qingyu brought Lin Yanyao to serve tea, the old madam and Madam Meng, as their elders, each presented return gifts. By the time Wu Qingyu took his wife to the side hall to greet the relatives of the clan, everyone else had dispersed.

Knowing how difficult Wu Qingqiong could be, Lin Yanyao had deliberately prepared two identical gifts for her and Wu Tan.

Wu Qingqiong was unable to find fault with them on the spot, nor did she find an opportunity to make trouble. Reluctantly, she left with Madam Meng.

The old madam was returning to the main courtyard, so Wu Tan had Cheng Cheng take her gift back first while she accompanied the old madam.

The old madam walked ahead, holding Wu Qingrui’s hand. When she turned around and saw that Wu Qinglin had also followed behind them without a word, she could not help asking in surprise, “What is wrong with you two siblings today? Qingyu has just married. Why aren’t you going over there to have fun? Why are you both staring at this old woman instead?”

On occasions like this, if the siblings were together, Wu Qinglin was usually the one who answered. This time, however, he said nothing and merely glanced at Wu Tan.

Wu Tan had genuinely been driven nearly mad by Xiao Yue lately, but there was nothing she could do about it. She could only answer vaguely, “Well… something happened yesterday, and I need to explain it to Grandmother.”

“Yesterday?” The old madam was even more surprised.

The family had been celebrating a wedding yesterday. She had heard no bad news and noticed no unusual disturbance.

But Wu Tan was one thing. Wu Qinglin would never invent trouble out of thin air and make her worry for nothing. Thus, she asked no further questions and hurriedly led them back to the main courtyard.

After they entered the warm chamber and sat down, she still looked first at Wu Qinglin.

He remained silent, his expression somewhat grave as he lifted his eyes toward Wu Tan.

He and the old madam sat on opposite sides of the kang table. Wu Tan found a chair near the doorway and sat down. After stealing a glance at Wu Qinglin, she simply lowered her head and avoided looking at anyone. Fidgeting with her fingers, she gave a concise account.

“Ah, it’s that Prince Sheng. He’s been pestering me lately, whether there’s a reason or not. And that Zhou Changyin from the Zhou family—I don’t know what came over her. She probably couldn’t stand watching it and tried to attack me from behind yesterday. The first time, Prince Sheng stopped her and punished her maid. I never expected that to make her even angrier. Later, when Second Brother returned from fetching the bride, she tried to attack me again at the main gate, and then… by some strange twist of fate, she crashed into the brazier and was burned. Her injuries were quite serious. The old madam of the Duke of Ning’s household was afraid the incident would bring bad luck to Second Brother’s wedding, so she hurriedly took her back for treatment.”

“What? That happened yesterday? Why are you only telling me now?” The old madam immediately became restless. “How are you? What did she do to you? Were you hurt anywhere?”

“I’m fine!” Wu Tan finally raised her head, her face troubled. “Yesterday was so busy, and I was afraid you would worry, Grandmother, so I didn’t say anything.” She paused, then reluctantly added, “Besides, Prince Sheng said he would deal with it…”

Lately, Xiao Yue had kept the old madam in a constant state of nervous tension. Whenever she heard his name, she felt as though a nerve in her head had begun throbbing.

She pressed a hand to her forehead, her face clouded with distress.

Wu Tan continued, “The old madam of the Duke of Ning’s household may come here afterward. I thought I should tell you, Grandmother, so things won’t be awkward when she arrives.”

If the Zhou family had not certainly been coming to call afterward, Wu Tan could have kept the matter from the old madam entirely and spared her the worry.

In any case, this was the only reason she had come today. Once she had finished explaining, she fell silent.

The old madam, meanwhile, was busy nursing her own headache.

Prince Sheng came calling every few days and had already exhausted her with his insinuations and double meanings. Now he had dragged the Zhou family into the matter as well…

What kind of wretched troubles were these?

Wu Qinglin stared at Wu Tan for a long while before finally asking, “Is that all?”

“Ah?” Wu Tan looked utterly bewildered.

“What exactly do you think of Prince Sheng?”

The old madam had not expected him to ask such a question. For a moment, she forgot her headache entirely and abruptly looked up at him.

Wu Tan reacted as though someone had stepped on her tail. She sprang to her feet.

“What are you talking about? He’s shameless and completely deranged. I… what do you mean, what do I think of him?”

She was flustered and furious, her words tumbling over one another as her face flushed bright red.

The old madam instinctively sensed that something was not quite right, but no matter how she thought about it, she could not identify what it was.

“Eldest Brother!” Wu Tan grew anxious. She also felt that her brother’s question seemed to reveal a questionable position, and she stared at him with open suspicion.

Wu Qinglin opened his mouth, but she was still so young. There were some things he truly could not discuss with her. In the end, he merely said, “It’s nothing. I was just asking casually. This has nothing to do with you. I still have something to discuss with Grandmother, so you may leave first.”

Wu Tan stared at him for another moment, then looked at the old madam. She felt that whatever he wanted to discuss with her was certainly related to herself. But she knew her elder brother’s temper: when he told her to leave, she had no choice but to go.

After hesitating briefly, she went out.

She had originally intended to crouch by the window and eavesdrop. But the moment she crossed the threshold, she looked up and saw Mu Song standing in the courtyard. With no choice, she abandoned the idea and went back to catch up on her sleep.

Wu Qinglin had indeed been guarding against her. Even after seeing her leave, he did not immediately speak. He waited until Mu Song poked his head through the doorway and reminded him, “Heir, Old Madam, Second Miss has gone back.”

“I know.” Wu Qinglin waved a hand.

Seeing how serious he was being, the old madam suddenly felt as though she were facing an enemy. She held her breath slightly and asked, “What are you about to tell me now?”

“It’s…” Wu Qinglin lowered his eyes to the table and carefully considered his wording. Only then did he take a deep breath, meet the old madam’s gaze, and say, “Yesterday, Prince Sheng laid everything out before me. He said he wants Tan’er. From the way he spoke, he was not joking. I wanted to inform Grandmother that the matter of finding Tan’er a match early, which I mentioned before, should be put on hold for now.”

The old madam truly could not remain seated this time. She rose directly to her feet.

“What are you saying? Surely you do not actually intend to hand your sister over to him just like that? Even if Tan’er were willing, there is still the palace…”

Before she could finish, Wu Qinglin interrupted her with a bitter laugh.

“He said that His Majesty has already been informed. The news has not spread outside, which must mean that His Majesty has his own concerns. So, Grandmother, this is no longer something we can control. Prince Sheng is no kind man, but from what I can see, he has no intention of forcing Tan’er for the time being. You must understand the situation. For now, we should watch and wait. Whatever happens, do not act rashly.”

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With Xiao Yue’s status, if he was determined to do something, no one could truly stop him.

The old madam collapsed back onto the kang. Only after a long while did she ask in a muffled voice, “Are you going to tell your father about this?”

Wu Qinglin shook his head without hesitation.

“I do not think that is necessary yet. At present, it is merely His Majesty and Prince Sheng struggling against each other in secret. If we tell Father, given his temper, I fear he may deliberately find someone and marry Tan’er off simply to spite them. That would upset the balance between His Majesty and Prince Sheng, which would only make matters worse for us.”

Wu Xun was indeed that sort of person.

Since he was loyal to the emperor, he would certainly refuse to yield when Xiao Yue pressured and schemed against the Wu family. With his temperament, he would absolutely marry Wu Tan off at once in order to resist and counterbalance him.

The old madam felt her heart pound just thinking about it. She repeatedly patted her chest.

“What is happening lately? Have we offended some evil star? Why have so many dreadful things all piled up at once?”

Wu Qinglin was helpless as well.

He had experienced far more troubles than the old madam. He had not even told her about his own share of them.

For now, he could only take her hand and continue comforting her.

“Are all of them really dreadful things? Second Brother has married. That is a happy occasion.”

Though she knew he was only trying to console her, the old madam appreciated the sentiment. She cast him an annoyed glance, then finally broke into an amused smile.

Meanwhile, after Wu Qingyu finished introducing Lin Yanyao to the relatives, he took her straight back to Falling Cloud Pavilion.

He sent her into the bedchamber first, then turned and went into the study next door. After rummaging around for a while, he found a somewhat old sandalwood chest among the camphorwood trunks containing his belongings. He carried it back to the room.

He even very mysteriously bolted the door.

Lin Yanyao was standing beside the table, choosing a cup so she could pour him some water. When she turned and saw him entering with the little chest cradled like a treasure, she could not help asking, “What did you bring?”

“Something good.” Wu Qingyu kept her in suspense. Holding the chest in one hand and pulling her along with the other, he sat with her on the bed. Then he tipped the contents out with a clatter.

Lin Yanyao picked things up suspiciously and discovered that they were all property deeds and land deeds, along with a thick stack of silver notes, each worth fifty taels.

Wu Qingyu kicked off his shoes and sat cross-legged on the bed, sorting the items as he explained them to her.

“Our eldest sister married and moved to Yuanzhou City. It is too far away for us to reach her, while Third Sister is too unreliable. So the fields and shops Mother acquired over the past decade or more were all registered in my name. The house deeds and land deeds are here. Keep them safe.”

The fields and properties owned jointly by the household were registered under Wu Xun’s name. Although the annual rent collected from them was managed by Madam Meng, the land deeds were kept by the old madam. Those were to be passed on to the future mistress of the household.

As for Madam Meng’s holdings, they were her private property.

Lin Yanyao stared blankly at the bundle he had pressed into her hands.

Wu Qingyu then sorted out the silver notes as well.

“As for ready cash, it seems most of it went to Eldest Sister when she married two years ago. Mother manages the household finances, and the household expenses are considerable, so most of the silver she has is kept on hand for circulation. I do not have many notes myself, perhaps only a little over twenty thousand taels. They are all here too. Take them.”

With that, he generously slapped the entire pile down in front of her.

Lin Yanyao had never expected him to be so eager to hand over his private assets on the very second day of their marriage. Clutching a handful of land deeds, she felt both flattered and overwhelmed.

“But… your mother is still in charge of the household. Is it really appropriate for you to hand all this to me?”

What was he thinking?

She had already noticed during the tea ceremony that although Madam Meng had not publicly shown her displeasure, it could hardly be said that she liked her.

Lin Yanyao knew her own circumstances. Considering what had happened before, no mother would be happy to see her son marry a woman like that into the family. To say nothing of the grievances that already existed between their two households.

She was touched and comforted by Wu Qingyu’s trust and his lack of formality with her. But if Madam Meng found out, she might well think that her new daughter-in-law was too ambitious, scheming for the household’s money the moment she entered the family.

“It’s fine.” Wu Qingyu looked completely unconcerned. He waved a hand and began placing everything back into the chest one item at a time.

Lin Yanyao helped him.

As he worked, he said, “Since Mother gave these to me, they are all yours. Even if she finds out, she will not make an issue of it. But try not to let Wu Qingqiong hear about this. It will save us from her making a fuss.”

There had originally been some jewelry and ornaments in the chest as well. He tossed those back inside, locked the chest again, and handed the key to Lin Yanyao. He then shoved the chest beside the pillow nearby for the moment.

When he sat down again, he raised his brows at Lin Yanyao as though expecting praise.

Lin Yanyao held the key he had given her.

To be honest, her marriage to him had happened so hastily and so dramatically that she had not had time to think it through, much less consider what she expected from her future life. Somehow, she had simply become a bride.

Entering an entirely new and unfamiliar environment would make any woman anxious and uneasy. But Wu Qingyu was so direct, and everything he did gave her a sense of security.

His trust in her was not merely about money. This gesture expressed an attitude: he had sincerely accepted her and intended to live their life together with her.

“Mm.” Lin Yanyao smiled at him and closed her fingers around the key. It felt burning hot in her palm. Without further hesitation, she rose and placed it in the jewelry box on her dressing table.

When she returned and sat on the edge of the bed, Wu Qingyu, who had been sitting cross-legged in the center, quickly shifted inward and patted the space beside him.

It was broad daylight, and the two of them were alone together in the room with the door shut. The atmosphere was slightly awkward.

Lin Yanyao hesitated for a moment, but then moved over and sat beside him.

Wu Qingyu casually drew her into his arms. Resting against him, she heard him hesitate before saying, “There is something I need to tell you.”

Lin Yanyao felt a little uncomfortable, but did not move. She merely lowered her head and toyed with the ribbon at her waist.

“Mm. Go ahead.”

“Father summoned me back this time to help Eldest Brother manage Third Sister’s wedding. I probably will not be able to stay in the capital for very long—only these two months for now. After the Crown Prince’s wedding, I will have to return to Yuanzhou City with Eldest Brother.” Afraid she might take it badly, Wu Qingyu quickly explained, “Although Eldest Brother is there to support the family, and I am not required to go to the battlefield, you know that our Dingyuan Marquis household is a military family. I am already an adult, and I do not want to spend my life relying only on the family’s protection. I want to accomplish something of my own, so…”

Lin Yanyao climbed out of his arms and knelt in front of him, looking seriously at his face.

“I understand. You do not actually need to explain yourself to me. You have your own ideas and ambitions, and that is a good thing. But the battlefield is not like other places. When you are away from home, you must be especially careful.”

Wu Qingyu had never thought she would be unreasonable, but her considerate response still surprised him.

“We have only just married. I thought…”

“Then come back more often whenever you have the chance.” Lin Yanyao interrupted him again.

She could understand, to some extent, his eagerness to prove himself. As a man, it was better for him to have ambition than to know only how to eat, drink, and amuse himself.

Though she was certainly unhappy that they would have to separate so soon after their wedding, it was not something she could not accept.

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Wu Qingyu carefully studied her expression. When he saw that she truly showed no sign of displeasure, he finally relaxed completely. Grinning with relief, he pulled her back into his arms.

“Good! I will speak to Father later. I will come back for the New Year and stay for several months.”

“Mm.” Lin Yanyao answered absentmindedly. She did not want to discuss their separation just yet, so she deliberately changed the subject.

“By the way, should we go separately to Grandmother and your mother to offer our greetings again?”

“Didn’t we just see them? Our household does not have that many rules.” Wu Qingyu answered distractedly, but his voice began to drift. “Yao Yao, there is one more thing… well…”

His sudden awkwardness made Lin Yanyao uncomfortable. She tipped her head back and looked at him suspiciously.

“What is it? If you have something to say, just say it.”

Wu Qingyu’s expression was strange, and he avoided meeting her eyes. Stammering, he said, “It’s just… are you… still uncomfortable?”

At first, Lin Yanyao did not understand. Then she followed the direction of his furtive gaze and immediately blushed scarlet. After struggling for a long while, she finally managed to say, “Much better.”

She could no longer remain in his arms. Pulling his arm away, she hurriedly rose to leave.

Wu Qingyu caught her arm and tugged. She toppled onto the bed, and before she could react, he rolled over and pinned her beneath him.

“Hey!” Lin Yanyao panicked. Staring at his face so close to hers, she did not even dare shout too loudly. “What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?”

Wu Qingyu had never been troubled by embarrassment. He simply lowered his head and rubbed his chin against the hollow of her shoulder.

“We’re newlyweds!”

“No!” Lin Yanyao’s stance was firm. Using both hands and feet, she tried to push him away, her face so red it seemed even her hair might catch fire. “It’s broad daylight! What if this reaches your mother’s ears? What will she think of me? Will I still be able to show my face?”

Wu Qingyu paid no attention. His hand had already begun wandering toward places it had no business touching.

“Then we’ll just keep the noise down…”

The two of them continued their struggle in the room for nearly an hour. Lin Yanyao was terrified that someone might come looking for them and catch them in the act; in that case, she truly would never be able to face anyone again. In the end, she had to beg and coax him before he finally stopped.

After dressing himself properly, Wu Qingyu went to speak with his elder brother, claiming they needed to discuss some matters concerning Wu Qingqiong’s wedding—

At Wu Xun’s instruction.

Lin Yanyao did not dare entrust the freshly changed bedsheets to anyone else. She quietly handed them to Lan Yu and had her wash them secretly in the courtyard. She was so nervous that she felt like a thief.

The bride had only just entered the household, so that evening the entire family gathered for dinner in the old madam’s rooms. The atmosphere at the table was fairly harmonious.

After dinner, when they left the old madam’s courtyard, Madam Meng and the newlywed couple happened to be going in the same direction and walked together. Halfway there, Madam Meng suddenly said to Lin Yanyao, “You will be returning to your family tomorrow. I have prepared a gift for your mother. Take it to her for me, and come with me to collect it.”

Without a second thought, Wu Qingyu said, “Then we’ll go get it together.”

Madam Meng smiled.

“My daughter-in-law and I want to exchange a few private words behind your back. Why are you following us? Go back first.”

It was clearly a joke, and Wu Qingyu did not think much of it. He gave Lin Yanyao a meaningful glance.

“Then I will go back to our room first.”

“Mm.” Lin Yanyao nodded and turned to follow Madam Meng toward the southern courtyard.

Madam Meng had indeed prepared a generous number of gifts for Madam Li: an entire set of hair ornaments, bolts of cloth, and pastries. She had put considerable thought into them.

After showing them to Lin Yanyao, however, she did not immediately let her leave. Instead, she invited her into the inner room to drink tea.

“Your mother gave me gifts before as well. I was so busy preparing for your wedding that I lost track of everything and never had the chance to return the courtesy. I have felt rather embarrassed about it.”

Lin Yanyao declined politely.

“You are too kind, Mother. We are all family. There is no need to stand on ceremony.”

Madam Meng smiled.

“Proper etiquette is still necessary.”

Shurong brought in the tea, and Madam Meng personally handed a cup to Lin Yanyao.

Lin Yanyao quickly thanked her.

“I would not dare trouble you, Mother.”

Madam Meng merely smiled and said nothing.

For some reason, even Lan Yu, standing behind Lin Yanyao, felt that the atmosphere in the room was rather strange.

The two women silently drank a couple of mouthfuls of tea before Madam Meng asked, “Is Qingyu treating you well? That child has always been wild. Sometimes he acts without any sense of propriety. I know you are a sensible girl, so if he does anything inappropriate, be sure to persuade him.”

People had always said that a woman belonged to her husband after marriage. Hearing Madam Meng put it that way, Lin Yanyao felt distinctly uneasy.

She gave a perfunctory smile.

“Mother has taught him well. How could my husband possibly do anything wrong? You make your daughter-in-law feel quite embarrassed by saying so.”

Madam Meng could see that Lin Yanyao held some resentment toward her.

But she was the daughter of the Lin family. Madam Meng had never expected the two of them to become a loving mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. In any case, she had summoned Lin Yanyao today for a specific purpose. The groundwork had been laid sufficiently, so she stopped wasting time and went straight to the point.

She lowered her head and blew on the hot tea in her cup, then smiled and said slowly, “There is one more matter I would like to discuss with you.”

Seeing her expression, Lin Yanyao suddenly became guarded. She did not rashly agree before knowing what was being asked.

“Please speak, Mother.”

Madam Meng looked up at her, her face still wearing a calm smile.

“It is not a serious matter. It is only that you two young people were too impatient, and the wedding took place somewhat early. Qingyu is a man, so it is not a problem for him. You are still young, and there are some things he does not understand, so I can only speak to you directly. We women are not as fortunate as men. Especially when it comes to bearing children—it is like making a journey around the gates of death. The younger a woman is, the greater the danger during childbirth. Your mother entrusted her daughter to me because she trusts me, so I must consider every aspect carefully. Therefore… although I am eager to hold a grandchild, I was wondering whether the two of you might wait another two years.”

What did it mean to be struck by a bolt from the blue?

This was exactly it.

—Author’s Note—

Madam Meng: After years of being a daughter-in-law, I have finally become a mother-in-law. At last, it is my turn to cause trouble!

Originally published by the author. Unauthorized reproduction is prohibited.