Chapter 15: Scheming, Heart’s Return

Unexpectedly, the etiquette mama didn’t reprimand, and didn’t explain any etiquette to her either. Rather, she calmly, and even with a bit of affection, spoke, “Miss, don’t blame madam. She is also very upset. Your father is a lustful man, not to mention, before madam married in, he’d already let a tongfang get pregnant with a child. Our third branch’s eldest son and eldest daughter are all shu born, letting others see enough of her joke. Yet because of your maternal grandparent family’s decline, no matter how many grievances and tears she has, she keeps it all in her stomach. She just has you and eighth young master as her only hope. But eighth young master is only 9 years old, there’s still many years before he can establish himself. Also, should this servant say something improper, eighth young master doesn’t seem like the studying type either. How the future will be like, it’s really hard to say. Perhaps, in the future, madam, as well as eighth young master, will only be able to rely on you. She holds you in the palm of her hand, fearing you’ll fall, holds you in her mouth, fearing you’ll melt. In her heart, whether she can rely on you or not is still second place. She hopes for you to be well, hopes for you to marry an ideal husband…..”

“Mama, don’t say anymore, I know I’m wrong, I really know I’m wrong. I know what I should do in the future……” Luo Jing Ying wept as she gasp for breath.

The etiquette mama gently hugged her, stroking her hair. “Our miss is the best, can’t be more smarter.”

The etiquette mama comforted Luo Jing Ying, and then went to find Liu-shi.

“Good work, mama, that good-for-nothing has troubled you again.”

“Madam, what are you saying. Actually, fourth miss really is very intelligent. Just, perhaps because her eight characters[1] are naturally oppose to third miss’s, as long as she encounters third miss, she can’t stay calm. I believe, after this incident, fourth miss will definitely be a lot better in the days after.”

“Actually, it’s also my fault. At that time, I shouldn’t have said those things that shouldn’t be said, just because Luo Jing Wan’s eight characters suppressed hers. In these two days, I finally noticed how big of an affect Luo Jing Wan has on her. It’s practically a curse.”

“Since it’s a curse, it’ll be fine once broken. Once broken, maybe she might even be able to soar to the skies.”

“Mama is right. However, whether Luo Jing Wan is good or bad, don’t tell Jing Ying anything in detail ever again. She needs to learn to grow up herself. What she wants to do, we’ll help her. Aside from this, we naturally can’t be idle either. Second branch is living too comfortably, we should find for them something to do, especially that second sister-in-law of mine. She really is just an eyesore.” Liu-shi rubbed the corners of her eyes that have already began to show wrinkles. Everyday, she needed to spend a lot of time in attempt to smooth them out. But that second sister-in-law of hers, clearly was older than herself, yet was more beautiful than herself. Already at an old age, but still received her husband’s pampering. Even if there were shu children, there weren’t that many tiresome matters either. “Bai-shi’s pregnancy, we originally could make good use of. Yet, because of that good-for-nothing, I had no choice but to bring it out in advance. But it didn’t even have any affect. However, as long as it’s still in the stomach, we can always do a bit of something. If second sister-in-law is not well, then that third miss of ours, afraid, will also be sad.”

“Madam is right.”

Jing Wan naturally wasn’t aware of the schemes behind her back. After having breakfast, while she was accompanying Luo Old Madam in changing clothes, she admitted her wrongdoing to her own grandmother. After all, without her grandmother’s permission, she’d used her grandmother to block third aunt’s mouth. Even though she believes that her grandmother really does know about Bai-shi’s pregnancy. But a wrong is still a wrong.

This kind of trivial matter, Luo Old Madam naturally didn’t care about. This was the difference between being favored and not being favored. If it was anyone else, they will all more or less be reprimanded, or at least, be hurled a few words of scolding. And if it was someone who wasn’t liked, might even have to kneel in the small buddha hall and copy the ‘Classics of Filial Piety’.

Luo Old Madam can blindly indulge her, but Jing Wan won’t indulge herself like this. She won’t allow something similar to happen a second time. Because if it becomes a habit, then there will possibly be a second and third time. First it’s trivial matters. Then afterwards, it will bit by bit accumulate, and become a series of serious matters. Always assuming that you’ll be forgiven, always assuming that someone will deal with the consequences, then one day, you might, in a moment of impulse, do something that you’re unable to bear the consequences for. Even if that love her grandmother had towards her still haven’t been completely erased, but what if even the entire Luo family can’t protect her? This would only bring the entire Luo family disaster. And this isn’t just some frightening words to scare people.

Things like degenerate descendants harming the entire family, regardless if it was in history, or in Qi Yuan dynasty, it was all a common occurrence.

The human heart was made of flesh. The ten plus years’ time living in this family, growing up in this family, and receiving a good deal of love and concerns, regardless of how deep the influence of her past life had on her, she couldn’t just cast her current self outside of the Luo family either, only observing like an outsider. She had already long became a part of this family. She needed to think for this family, think for her loved ones.

Although Jing Wan didn’t say anything, but she had been raised at her side for that many years, what Jing Wan was thinking, she could still more or less guess. That’s why, this kind of gentle, considerate and filial child, how can one not love dearly.

There’s always those people that think she’s bias, unable to see their good, their talent, but they should instead look at what kind of things they’ve all done. The so called ‘fawning’, the so called outstanding display, all carry an ulterior motive, all carry calculations. Comparing heart to heart, you don’t put in your sincerity, yet still hoping for me to hold you in my palm? Isn’t that just too funny?! Besides, a cold-hearted ingrate would always feel that everyone all owes them. When there was benefit, they would always rush over, wanting to take part. But once there’s trouble, they would hide faster than anyone, even becoming hostile, heartless, and refusing to recognize their own family. This kind of person, no matter how outstanding, what can they do? Even if it was parent and child, if it was just anger in the moment, for a short time, perhaps could still selflessly sacrifice for them. But once the time drags on, one would always feel their heart grow cold.

Jing Wan helped look over the list of gifts prepared for everyone in the Chen family once again. Because everything was written very clearly on there, on Luo Old Madam’s side, the situation of using inferior goods to substitute the better goods naturally won’t appear. So she only needed to look once to have an rough idea in her heart. After all, at Qi’an Fu, she didn’t do any less of this kind of thing. Occasionally, when she wasn’t sure, she would open her mouth and ask Luo Old Madam. The capital city wasn’t Qi’an Fu, so perhaps there were some differences in etiquette. She can’t just, because of a small matter, lose big.

Seeing Jing Wan’s serious appearance, Luo Old Madam only sat to the side, wordlessly smiling. She was very reassured with Jing Wan. In the past year or so, the things sent out in her name, regardless if it was for the acquaintances in Qi’an Fu, or for the various seasonal courtesy gifts sent to the capital, for the most part, were all prepared by Jing Wan. In the very beginning, they were all very shocked at how fast she learned, yet clearly understanding. After pointing some things out a few times, no more mistakes appeared again.

When they left, it was almost close to two hours later.

Jing Wan rode in the horse carriage in front, accompanying Luo Old Madam. Fourth uncle’s whole family separately rode in the two horse carriages in the back. There was also the numerous servants. This way, what was originally just a simple visit to the relatives was also grandiose. When the commoners saw, no one didn’t yield to the side. This was the advantage of an influential official. Because her degenerate father in her past life was also a significant high official, Jing Wan had already at an early age, experienced this kind of feeling before. Just, it was far from how profound it was in this world, that’s all. After all, in the previous world, in that kind of unpredictable society, majority of the times it was the officials paying courtesy to the common people.

“Wan Wan, is there anywhere that’s uncomfortable?” Evidently, during the trip to the capital, Jing Wan’s severe carriage-sickness really scared the old madam.

“Grandmother, don’t worry, I’m fine. Before at the Qi’an Fu, wasn’t I also fine with riding the carriage out of the city for two or four hours?”

“Just worried that once you have it the first time, whenever you come in contact with horse carriages in the future, you’ll feel uncomfortable. If you really feel uncomfortable, don’t just endure it.”

“It’s not like grandmother doesn’t know that this granddaughter has always been delicate and likes to live comfortably, as if I would endure the suffering all on my own. On the way to the capital, it was because the duration was long, and in addition, the roads were uneven and too bumpy. Isn’t it just a hour or so to maternal great uncle’s home? It’ll definitely be fine.” Jing Wan smilingly hugged Luo Old Madam’s arm and coquettishly rubbed against it.

Luo Old Madam also laughed, “It’d be good if our family’s Wan Wan really was a delicate one.”

On the way, a small steward’s voice suddenly sounded from the outside, “Old madam, Rui Qinwang’s[2] carriage is behind us.”

“Make way.” Luo Old Madam said without even needing to think.

Thus, the horse carriage leaned to the side a little, slowly coming to a stop. Jing Wan pursed her lips, no longer opening her mouth.

The briefing Gong mama gave her in the beginning regarding the royalties wasn’t much, though there was still the basic information. Although Gong mama had left the capital for two years, there still shouldn’t be a lot of changes in two years.

[1] Eight Characters – It’s the four pairs of Chinese characters that respectively represent the year, month, day, and hour of birth.

[2] Rui Qinwang – His honorary title ‘Rui’ means astute; qinwang is the highest ranking of Wangn/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om