Chapter 1506: Mu Qinglian Side Story (Part 2)
In May, there was none of the piercing chill of early spring, nor the scorching restlessness and languor of midsummer; it was the most comfortable season of the year.
At this time in Duke Ning’s Mansion, Mu Qinglian had just sat down only to get up again, her whole person restless and uneasy. Madam Cui stood off to the side, not saying a word.
After quite a while, a Maid came in cheerfully and said, "Madam, Second Master is back, Madam, Second Master has reached the second gate." The Second Master of Duke Mansion was Mu Qinglian’s second son. He had previously been posted outside, and now, after eight years, he had finally returned.
Mu Qinglian hurried out, and as soon as she reached the gate of the courtyard she saw her son coming over with his wife and their grandson and granddaughter.
Ning Shaowen was very handsome, having inherited all the good features of Ning Lixuan and Mu Qinglian. With such striking looks, plus outstanding learning, he had attracted more young girls back then than one could count. It was for this reason that he had married Lady Min, the Legitimate Daughter of the Min Family’s fourth branch.
The scene of a loving mother and filial son moved everyone present. Even Madam Cui shed a few tears.
Mu Qinglian held onto Ning Shaowen and talked with him for quite a long time, finally saying, "Just look at how thin you’ve become, you must be properly nourished."
Madam Cui looked at Ning Shaowen, whose complexion was ruddy and who seemed brimming with energy, and could not tell what she was feeling inside. To keep others from seeing her abnormality, she lowered her head. After she had reined in her emotions, she smiled and said, "Mother, Second Uncle has had a long and tiring journey. Let Second Uncle and younger sister-in-law wash up first; once they’ve rested, you can talk slowly."
Only then did Mu Qinglian put away her tears, let Ning Shaowen withdraw, and then turned her head and dismissed Madam Cui as well.
Madam Cui said nothing at all and respectfully took her leave. After she returned to her courtyard, Ah Yuan came to pound her legs. Ever since learning that Ning Shaowen would be coming back, Madam Cui had been busy without pause. She had toiled with both mind and body for more than half a month, yet not a single word of praise, only nitpicking like finding bones in an egg.
Nanny Chen said in a low voice, "Now that Second Master is back, I fear the residence will know no peace again." Duke Ning’s Heir was mediocre both in civil and martial matters, average in everything and unremarkable, and thus did not win Mu Qinglian’s favor. The second son, Ning Shaowen, was precisely the opposite: not only was he exceptionally handsome and talented in literature, he was very good at currying favor with Mu Qinglian.
When Madam Cui heard this, her brows furrowed so tightly they could pinch a fly to death. She did not like Ning Shaowen; when he used to be in the Capital City, he spent money like water. Other people, when posted outside, would send Silver back home. But during the seven years Ning Shaowen was away, not only had he not sent back a single coin of Silver, every year the Duke Mansion even had to subsidize him. This made Madam Cui extremely resentful.
Madam Cui said, "Don’t say such things again in the future." No matter how dissatisfied she was, so what? Her father-in-law doted on and favored him; if she dared say a word or two, their days would certainly become even harder than before.
That very evening, Lady Min brought gifts over to thank Madam Cui. Madam Cui smiled and said, "You’re far too polite, younger sister-in-law. After such a long journey, you should have a good rest." Lady Min was quite decent: well-read and sensible, with outstanding skills in needlework and all the female crafts, and her literary talent was not bad either. But she had one fatal flaw—her looks were ordinary. Ning Shaowen, however, was fond of beauties, so the couple’s relationship was not very good. Like Madam Cui, Lady Min now had only one son and one daughter, but the Min Family’s methods were not as sharp as Madam Cui’s; four Concubine-born children already existed in her backyard.
After the two sisters-in-law had exchanged a few words, Madam Cui smiled and said, "Younger sister-in-law, hurry back and get some rest." Mu Qinglian was very fond of Lady Min; back when Lady Min was in the Capital City, she often spoke well of Madam Cui in front of Mu Qinglian, and Madam Cui acknowledged that favor.
While in office, Ning Shaowen had not achieved any outstanding political accomplishments; he was neither meritorious nor at fault. Although he had been posted outside for more than seven years, he had only been promoted by one grade. Now he had entered the Ministry of Works as a Fifth Rank Exterior Officer, and even that was thanks to the Min Family’s efforts.
After Ning Shaowen returned to the Capital City, the expenses of Duke Mansion clearly rose. Every time Madam Cui looked at the accounts, her brows knitted together. If she could not speak to Mu Qinglian about it, could she not at least speak to her husband?
At first, Ning Shaowu did not take it to heart, even scolding Madam Cui for having fallen into the money pit. But when he heard that the amount kept growing—that Ning Shaowen alone was spending as much as half a month’s expenses for the entire Duke Mansion—Ning Shaowu’s expression also soured. A little overage was fine, but for Ning Shaowen to do this, was he planning to empty out the Duke Mansion?
Although Ning Shaowu’s aptitude was not as good as Ning Shaowen’s, he was no fool. Knowing that his mother was biased, he went directly to speak of this matter to Ning Lixuan.
After hearing Ning Shaowu’s words, Ning Lixuan immediately checked the accounts. Once he finished reading the account books, his face darkened. That night, when Ning Shaowen returned, Ning Lixuan not only gave him a fierce scolding, he also forbade Ning Shaowen from drawing any more money from the public funds. If Ning Shaowen wanted to buy anything, he would have to find a way to pay for it himself.
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