Chapter 1094: Chapter 1084: The Incident (Part 2)
He rolled over to Xiqiu, and after squirming around he found a comfortable position. Xiqiu laughed quietly and said, "Ying can crawl, yet I haven’t seen you crawl. Come on, give it a try."
Gong pouted without reacting.
Xiqiu simply put him on the bed and shook a rattle at the other end, making a "dun-dun" sound: "Come to Mama, Mama will take you for a walk."
Gong opened his eyes, glancing at Xiqiu, before looking at the nursemaid from the Ma Family who was standing by, suppressing her laughter. Reluctantly, he twisted his buttocks.
Xiqiu continued to coax him: "Your big brother is coming home soon, would you like to go see the horse?"
Gong suddenly opened his eyes and looked at Xiqiu.
Ma Family’s maid exclaimed in surprise: "Madam, the young master can understand what you are saying."
Xiqiu chuckled and shook the rattle happily.
Gong finally raised his little chubby bottom and kicked his little legs a few times, but found he moved backwards instead of forwards, causing Xiqiu to laugh: "Indeed, he can’t."
Gong looked at Xiqiu then at Ma Family, then opened his mouth and started to cry. The nursemaid quickly went to pick him up, but Xiqiu gestured with her hand: "Come to Mama, if you keep crying, not only will you not learn to crawl, but you also won’t be able to play with your brother."
With his mouth puckered in a look of reluctant grievance, Gong sobbed for a while. Perhaps realizing no one was coming to console him, he awkwardly tried several times until he could finally push forward a short distance. Xiqiu clapped: "Mama will give you a hug." Gong looked at Xiqiu, blinked randomly and retreated, breaking out in a sweat as he lay on the bed obstinately refusing to move despite Xiqiu’s calls and attempts to entice him.
Xiqiu sighed, thinking to herself, "Who does this child take after!"
Mother and child stared at each other, big eyes staring down little eyes.
Gong lifted his head to look to the left. The rose bed was wide but narrower than the bed at home. Gong rolled a circle and then looked outside the bed, rolling another circle.
Xiqiu didn’t move, watching to see what he intended to do.
Gong somersaulted several times and was about to reach the edge of the bed. Xiqiu and Ma Family cried out in alarm, and Gong had already rolled off.
Luckily, Ma Family stood close and caught him.
Both were frightened, breaking into a cold sweat. Xiqiu took Gong from Ma Family, ready to reprimand him, only to see Gong staring with big round eyes and laughing out loud.
Xiqiu was taken aback, thinking perhaps the child did it on purpose.
Gong seemed to find amusement in it, squirming to have Xiqiu put him back on the bed. Xiqiu feared he would get into the habit and truly fall, quickly instructing Ma Family: "Keep an eye on him, and whenever you see him rolling, pick him up immediately."
Ma Family acknowledged, and Xiqiu summoned Nanny Cen: "Arrange for a bedside guard. With both children growing up, it would be dreadful if they fell."
Nanny Cen acknowledged, took measurements with others, and after consulting on the height, withdrew to carry out the task.
After a flurry of activity, the sun had reached midday, but Madam Jiang still hadn’t arrived.
Xiqiu grew increasingly uneasy and was about to send someone to Tong Mansion to inquire when a servant reported: "The First Young Madam and Seventh Young Madam from Tong Mansion are here."
As she spoke, Madam Jiang and Mrs. Chen had already entered, Madam Jiang’s face looking very unpleasant, mirrored by Mrs. Chen’s defeated expression. Xiqiu invited the two to sit, Bihuai served tea, and she asked, "What’s the matter?"
Madam Jiang and Mrs. Chen exchanged a glance, with Madam Jiang full of anger unwilling to speak, Mrs. Chen sighed and narrated the incident at Shouning Bo Mansion to Xiqiu: "Old Madam Lou was very polite, but her words indirectly blamed the eighth aunt."
As it turned out, they were immediately summoned to Old Madam Lou’s room upon arrival, who did not mince words. First, she informed them that Second Master Lou’s childless concubine had been sent away.
Such news startled Madam Jiang even more, who asked, "Did something happen?"
Old Madam Lou then said: "...this is quite a scandal." She sighed deeply: "I heard you saw the Second Master when you visited the mansion a few days ago?"
Madam Jiang nodded, vaguely guessing what Old Madam Lou was about to say.
True enough, Old Madam Lou continued: "The second master grew up in front of me; I know his temperament better than anyone else. Despite being somewhat timid, he absolutely isn’t promiscuous and indulgent. Recently, I saw him getting thinner by the day, sitting as if he had lost his soul... Initially, I intended to invite the Imperial Physician for a check-up, but coincidentally, his wife became pregnant and he was sidelined. But who would have expected, the night before last, while resting in a concubine’s room, he suddenly..." She seemed unable to continue, shaking her head, "Suddenly coughed up blood and fell from the bed."
Madam Jiang and Mrs. Chen exchanged a worried glance, knowing well that Old Madam Lou did not invite them merely to discuss Second Master Lou’s bedroom matters, thus they listened attentively without interrupting.
Old Madam Lou drank some tea, too upset to speak, and after resting she continued: "...the Imperial Physician’s examination revealed a deficiency in vital energy, liver, and kidney weakness."
Even though Madam Jiang and Mrs. Chen were not proficient, they understood the implication of her words; liver and kidney weakness due to insufficient vital energy implied excessive indulgence.
Both changed faces, and Madam Jiang contemplated asking what Second Master’s excesses had to do with the eighth aunt, certain that some concubine employed malicious tactics, but refrained from speaking.
Old Madam Lou cast a glance at Madam Jiang, seemingly aware of her thoughts: "Perhaps the mistress suspects a concubine employed cunning means to curry favor; such was my suspicion too. Therefore, I questioned all the concubines thoroughly, only to discover the second master hadn’t been staying in any of their rooms for half a year." Her gaze became sharp, directing towards Madam Jiang with thinly veiled displeasure.
This was tantamount to outright accusing Tong Xiyu of employing such lowly tactics.
From a family of great standing, and the main wife at that!
Yet, resorted to such disgraceful means.
Madam Jiang broke into a cold sweat, while Mrs. Chen shivered, both embarrassed enough to wish they could find a hole to crawl into.
At this point, Mrs. Chen’s face turned red, and Xiqiu’s complexion also darkened as she asked Madam Jiang: "Though the eighth sister has some means, she has always been principled. Why would she engage in such behavior?"
Madam Jiang sighed: "I thought the same." Recalling Old Madam Lou’s words, she felt more ashamed: "But they had evidence, even brought in Doctor Feng, confirming the eighth sister bought aphrodisiac powder three or four times over the past year..." She spoke fiercely: "I hadn’t even seen the eighth aunt when we hurried out of Shouning Bo Mansion." Walking through Lou Mansion, she endured the servants’ mocking gazes and whispers, feeling pricked as if walking on thorns, wishing she could grow wings and fly away.
Xiqiu held her cup in silence; Old Madam Lou was not one to stir trouble without reason. Moreover, Tong Xiyu had been doing well these years in Shouning Bo Mansion, receiving no mistreatment despite childlessness in prior years; and now, pregnant with high status, how could such baseless accusations arise?
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