Chapter 253: Chapter 254: Beware of Petty People
By the next day, Jin Qianqian and Ancient Wen Heng had a general idea of what had happened in Gaoling Village.
"...Actually, my sisters-in-law have their little flaws, but they can be pretty endearing sometimes." Jin Qianqian felt a faint sense of regret. "If only I’d been home yesterday. Getting into a brawl with them... that would’ve been pretty great."
Ancient Wen Heng wrapped his arms around her waist and rubbed her belly. "Are you sure about that?"
Jin Qianqian glanced down at her belly, then stroked it with a touch of regret. "Well, cheering them on from the sidelines would have been nice, too."
"...Gu Yuanlei probably won’t give up that easily. How about you go back and stand guard?" Ancient Wen Heng tilted his head to look at her, surprised to see Jin Qianqian actually nodding in agreement.
"Whoa, just take it easy! If you’re bored staying in the courtyard, I can have the steward go to a teahouse and find a storyteller to come and entertain you."
Ancient Wen Heng knew that Jin Qianqian had been bored out of her mind these past few months. There were many places she couldn’t go, and it wasn’t easy to visit people with her large belly.
She would have been happy to hide in her room and watch the movies she’d collected, but she couldn’t stare at electronic devices all day. Not only was it bad for the baby, but it would also arouse others’ suspicion.
"I’d rather just read the stories myself than listen to those storytellers. It’s much faster. They drag a tiny little story out for half the day." Jin Qianqian didn’t think she had that kind of patience. In the past, whenever she attended those flower-viewing banquets, there was always an opera troupe or a storyteller, and she’d nearly fallen asleep listening on several occasions.
Ancient Wen Heng said, "Then let’s walk around the courtyard some more. I’ll go another round with you."
In truth, Ancient Wen Heng had also been anxious lately. In this backward dynasty, countless women’s lives ended the moment they gave birth.
But he didn’t dare voice these fears, as it would only drag Jin Qianqian down into anxiety with him.
He had been asking around and had even made a special trip to Tianfu Restaurant in Dao City, all in the hopes of persuading the doctor from the medical hall to be present for the birth.
But so much time had passed, and there was still no news.
Ancient Wen Heng was even considering moving to Dao City, or perhaps going directly to Shangjing to find a way to request a house call from an Imperial Physician.
He wouldn’t have had the confidence to do so before, but with the glass formula and the fact that his soap had been accepted as an official tribute, it wasn’t impossible to ask now.
Jin Qianqian, for her part, saw everything as clear as day. Although she was worried, she didn’t let it show on her face at all.
After all, with a bun in the oven, she had to keep looking forward.
"Master, Madam," the two of them had just stepped into the courtyard when Nanny Ou and Nanny Duan approached, carrying bowls of soup.
"What kind of soup is it today?" Jin Qianqian grimaced. Nanny Duan made sure never to repeat a dish for her three daily meals, but she was getting tired of it all.
Nanny Duan smiled and said, "This time, it’s not soup. It’s milk from a goat the Master specially found for you. We followed his instructions and added almonds while boiling the milk, and just as he said, there’s no gamy taste at all."
Jin Qianqian turned her head to look at Ancient Wen Heng. "When did you arrange this?"
"I had someone look for it yesterday. Since you don’t want to drink all those soups, supplementing with goat’s milk is a good alternative." Ancient Wen Heng knew Jin Qianqian had plenty of powdered goat’s milk in her dimensional space, but it couldn’t compare to the fresh kind.
Jin Qianqian hugged Ancient Wen Heng’s arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "Have I made you worry a lot lately?"
"No," Ancient Wen Heng quickly soothed her. "Besides, even if I am worried, it’s only right. After all, you’re going through all this hardship for me."
The nearby nannies and maids all lowered their heads. The Master’s words were getting more and more direct. They all felt their skin had thickened; they’d gone from being embarrassed at first to being completely used to it now.
Jin Qianqian was speechless. ’I really wish my old classmates could see this. Who knew the upperclassman I knew back then could be such a smooth-talker?’
"Did Mrs. Tian stop by a few days ago?" Ancient Wen Heng asked after Jin Qianqian had finished her goat’s milk.
"She did, for a little while. She wanted to order a batch of soap, but we had just finished a delivery and didn’t have any stock on hand for her. Why? Did she go to you about it?"
Ancient Wen Heng took out a handkerchief and wiped a smudge of milk from the corner of her mouth, then dismissed everyone else.
"Is something wrong?" Jin Qianqian asked, her expression turning serious.
"I heard something from Chief Li. It seems our Magistrate Tian’s brother-in-law wants more than just a simple batch of goods." Ancient Wen Heng didn’t think it was a good idea to hide things from Jin Qianqian; after all, one had to be wary of petty individuals.
"He originally convinced Mrs. Tian to try and buy the secret formula from you. But Mr. Tian stopped him. To avoid any conflict with us, Mr. Tian even made his brother-in-law leave Fu County immediately."
Jin Qianqian said, "So that’s what was going on. No wonder Mrs. Tian was acting so strange that day. Are you worried she’ll try to make things difficult for me later on?"
Ancient Wen Heng nodded. "Even though Mr. Tian is a decent man and was able to put a stop to it this time, you still have to be careful when it comes to the affairs of the women’s quarters. You should also give our servants a few more reminders. From now on, you must be on high alert whenever you go out."
Ancient Wen Heng didn’t want to seem like he was overreacting, but he didn’t dare underestimate the women of the inner quarters.
Jin Qianqian knew better than to be careless. Her face grew solemn. "I understand. What did I ever do to deserve this? It’s just one thing after another."
Ancient Wen Heng gently patted her back. "Take it easy. This will all pass."
Jin Qianqian was speechless. ’Do I really look that gullible?’
＆
Lan Ying looked at Gu Yuanlei’s bruised and swollen face, her eyebrows raised in surprise.
’Even for brothers who have already split the family estate, would they really be so vicious?’
She handed the infant in her arms to the maid behind her, her expression instantly shifting to one of concern. "What happened? Did you fall on your way back?"
Gu Yuanlei clutched his injuries. "I was beaten by those shrews. They want to control all the family’s affairs, and they absolutely refuse to let me rejoin the clan."
Lan Ying went to a cabinet and took out some medicinal liniment. "There must be some misunderstanding, right? You’re all family; you should be able to just sit down and clear things up. Why resort to beating someone like this? What would you do if you’d been seriously injured?"
Moved by his wife’s concern, Gu Yuanlei grasped her hand. "That’s why I said they’re all shrews. They should learn from you what it means to be a proper, virtuous woman."
But Lan Ying lowered her eyes sadly, her face full of guilt. "Is it because of me? I only had you marry into my family because I was worried you wouldn’t be able to get by otherwise. I just wanted you to have a proper place with my family."
