Chapter 53: Snake and Rat in One Nest

“The person, I’ve already arrested, leave to take care of afterwards. How’s it on that side?”

“The child is already gone, and Bai Yiniang is crying and fussing nonstop. Moreover, it seems as if it was long arranged in advance. The other few branches’ madams along with old madam were all alerted. The old madam didn’t come, and had the matter handed to eldest madam to take care of. As for the specifics, this servant isn’t clear either.” Since clearly knowing that Jing Wan had already learned of it, she naturally didn’t hide anything.

“I’ll go have a look.”

“Third miss, from the start, madam has already strictly forbid the matter from getting out. She didn’t want you to learn about this matter, so as to not let your dirty your eyes and ears. How about you don’t go? There’s a mama following by Madam’s side, and eldest madam will also take care of it fairly. She won’t let madam be at a disadvantage, so……” If third miss went over, and they weren’t able to stop her, they won’t be able to avoid getting punished by mama afterwards.

Jing Wan paused, “And my father? Not in the manor?”

“Second master went out to meet his good friend. Someone has already been sent to invite him back, don’t know when he’ll be able to come back.”

“Alright, I’ll go to grandmother’s place.” Move a big mountain for herself as support and then go over, that way no one will be able to say anything, and it won’t cause the servant girls to get punished either.

Since it has come to this point, even if they knew what Jing Wan wanted to do, the servant girls wouldn’t dare to stop her either.

Towards Jing Wan’s arrival, Luo Old Madam seemingly wasn’t all that surprised. “Why don’t you just continue to shield her then? It’s exactly because each and every one of you all protect her that she only grows in years and not in wisdom. Already someone at that age, yet still like an unmarried young girl, naive and without the least bit of scheming. Wait until after you get married, see what she’ll do then. See if she’s still able to continue counting on her husband, count on her son? Men most of the time are always outside. Really let someone catch an opportunity, they’ll certainly scheme her to death. If three five times not enough, then eight times, ten times. You father sooner or later will bear ill-feelings and without your father’s support, anything Jing Bo wants to do will all be in vain.”

“That’s why, before I marry, need to quickly find for her a daughter-in-law that can help her and protect her.” Jing Wan somewhat coquettishly said with a giggle.

How could Luo Old Madam not know what she’s thinking? Luo Old Madam squinted at her, “Your marriage, I’m already worried enough about, yet you still want to let me look for a wife for Jing Bo? Can you really bear for your grandmother to be this hard working? Really a heartless little thing.”

Seeing her own grandmother ‘angry’, Jing Wan quickly went forward, “It’s not really needing grandmother to look for one, just hoping that grandmother can keep watch when my parents do decide on the person.” Seeing Luo Old Madam still ‘unmoved’, Jing Wan softened her voice. She cutely called out grandmother, while lightly swaying her arm. That voice was so sweetly that even Jing Wan herself was about to get goosebumps.

In the beginning, Jing Wan was still able to naturally act spoil, but as time went on, she felt that she was about to crumble.

Luo Old Madam, seeing her with an almost unbearable look, knew that she was at her limit, and finally relaxed her expression. She very ‘reluctantly’ opened her mouth, “Okay, okay, I’ll promise you.” In the beginning, she wanted to teach Jing Wan to learn to soften up when appropriate. As for afterwards, she mischievously just liked to see Jing Wan acting spoiled. When the time was short, it was still fine, but once the time was slightly longer, that little appearance of Jing Wan’s made her very amused.

Jing Wan let out a breath in relief. This practically was like killing her.

In her past life, before her family fell apart, although she wasn’t arrogant and willful, she was still prideful. Front and back, she had people flattering her. Afterwards, when they fell into misfortune, especially after her grandma had collapsed, regardless whether it was the outside environment or she herself, all didn’t allow herself to be weak. She wouldn’t show her softer side to others either. That kind of deep pride coming from the bones, even though it wasn’t very obvious in this life, it still exists all along.

Luo Old Madam didn’t tease her anymore. However, she thought of something else and her expression really sank, “Jia’er left after learning about this matter?”

Jing Wan nodded her head and plainly explained what had happened earlier.

“These fools, some things, they’ll never understand.” Luo Old Madam didn’t know whether to sigh or be angry.

Jing Wan hesitated for a moment, then asked, “Grandmother, how did third aunt marry into our family?” Although the Liu family was the descendants of a founding duke and presently still holds a nobility title, but with the Liu family’s decline, even if when Liu-shi married into the Luo family, Luo Pei Shan still haven’t occupied the high position of Head Minister, it was still adequately marrying higher. Even an average fourth or fifth ranked minor official’s family wouldn’t fancy them. Rather, it’s not that Jing Wan similarly looked down on the Liu family. Just, in this place where people paid particularly close attention to families being well-matched in terms of social status, for Liu-shi to have been able to marry into the Luo family, it was somewhat strange

“When your grandfather was young, he had somewhat of a friendship with your third aunt’s father, and her father ended up begging your grandfather. At the time, your eldest uncle had already married, your father and mother were also engaged, and your fourth uncle’s age was much younger than Liu-shi’s. Only your shu born third uncle remained. Liu family didn’t mind, and thus your grandfather agreed to this marriage.”

So it was like that! However, this also created a pair of unhappy couple.

Regardless whether it was Luo Rong Ping or Liu-shi, they both actually looked down on the other from the bottom of their hearts. Liu-shi looked down on Lou Rong Ping’s shu born status, and further resented the fact that she had to be a mother as soon as she married in. But she didn’t have the courage to break off the marriage. She herself was also very clear, with her situation at the time, she couldn’t find an option better than Luo Rong Ping. Yet she just had to be born proud and arrogant. And Luo Rong Ping, who has never been highly regarded since childhood, further used his arrogance to conceal his inferiority complex. And towards the Liu family, this broken down household, he disdained from the bottom of his heart. But he also didn’t dare to disobey Luo Pei Shan. Thus, all these years, he just got by ‘happily and harmoniously’.

Luo Rong Ping had quite a few beauties in his rear court, but aside from his eldest shu son, Luo Jing Ming, and eldest shu daughter, Luo Jing Qiang, his other shu born children, he only had a pitiful two three more. It was completely disproportionate to that large number of beauties, and their ages were all small, if not with a cowardly personality, then they were very sickly. Many people in the Luo family were all aware, that was nothing more than Liu-shi relaxing her hands a bit in these recent years. As for whether if was because she’d found her conscious, or was trying to amass a bit of virtues for her children, or perhaps because she feels that their existence will no longer affect her children, only she herself was clear.

It’s not that Luo Rong Ping didn’t know of her methods. Of the four brothers, he had the most concubines, yet not many got pregnant. Even if they did get pregnant, more than half all will have miscarriages, or die prematurely not long after they’re born. Even a pig-head would realize what was going on. However, he didn’t care and didn’t ask. Even if it was his most pampered concubine at the time, at most he would just criticize Liu-shi a few times, not for reprimanding her maliciousness, but to say she wasn’t strict at managing the household. Those who didn’t know would think he highly regarded his di wife, but in actuality, it was nothing more than his lack of care for others. His natural disposition was cold and frivolous, only caring about that momentary romantic thrill, and at the turn of his head, he could pretend to not know anything. And while outside, Luo Rong Ping has always been someone who cherished his feather. He was still thinking of gloriously soaring high, promotion to a high position and a fat salary, so naturally his reputation couldn’t be bad. It was precisely because Liu-shi very much understood this bit that she became even more unrestrained.

Luo Pei Shan naturally wasn’t one to interfere with his son’s rear court, only learning of his third son’s absurd conduct accidentally. He also had the intention to beat him before, but when he learned that the couple were nothing more than just a snake and rat in one nest, he just felt disinclined to get involved again. As long as they didn’t take the mess outside and let others see a joke, he’ll just let them mess around behind closed doors however they pleased.

That bit of trifling matter with Bai Yiniang, Luo Old Madam naturally didn’t want to bother with. Moreover, she’d handed it to her eldest daughter-in-law to handle. If she went, it’ll look as if she didn’t trust her eldest daughter-in-law. However, she previously didn’t think of Jing Wan possibly coming to find her, but she didn’t say it definitively over at her eldest daughter-in-law’s side that she wouldn’t interfere either. Besides, after Jing Wan learned that this matter was being taken care of by her eldest aunt, she couldn’t just tear down her face. She also promised to Luo Old Madam that she was only going to watch.

Seeing Luo Old Madam arriving, aside from Bai-shi, who was lying on the bed after having a miscarriage, everyone all quickly greeted her, regardless of their current attitude. And after seeing Jing Wan following by her side, even if Zhang-shi was anxious inside, she couldn’t say anything either.

Bai-shi, who originally was crying and screaming like a shrew, unwilling to properly talk, also perceptively shut her mouth when she saw Luo Old Madam, “Old madam, please forgive, this concubine……”

“It’s fine, just lay there.” Luo Old Madam’s flat voice interrupted her words. After which, she sized up Bai-shi a few times. On the day she entered the capital, this woman must have also been at the entrance welcoming her. However, she just didn’t have an impression of her. Willow leaf brows and an egg shaped face. Because of the miscarriage, her complexion was deathly pale, appearing very weak and pitiful, making one feel sorry for her. However, Luo Old Madam didn’t have any expression on her face.

Bai-shi originally could even put on a pitiful yet also beautiful look, but as Luo Old Madam’s gaze lingered, her imposing manner became more and more weak. Her head also unconsciously lowered even further, and her body even uncontrollably trembled slightly.

T/N: I suddenly remembered that Jing Wan, in her modern life, was the daughter of a corrupt politician. Feel like I’ve never seen this troupe before for transmigration novels…then again 90% transmigration novels are all either doctors, assassins, or both. You have no idea how hard it is to browse chinese novel sites and not see the word ‘medical’ in the title for historical josei/shoujo novels.