FSCGL Chapter 10

Terms used in Chapter 10

小姐 (xiao jie) – young lady.
公子 (gong zi) – an honorific for a noble’s son.
夫人 (fu ren) – the official wife of an official, the matriarch of a family.
氏 (shi) – a suffix placed after a married woman’s name.
奴婢 (nu bi) – slave girl or maidservant.
伯爷 (bo ye) – Earl.
妾身 (qie shen) – a form of self-address used by a wife when speaking to her husband.

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Ruan Xi was unaware of the fact that she had attracted her Earl Father’s suspicion. When Earl Chengyi eventually left, Ruan Xi proceeded to instruct Su Yu and Su Zhu to fetch dinner from the kitchen as if nothing had occurred.

After Su Yu and Su Zhu saw how highly the Earl regarded Ruan Xi, they were particularly excited and emotional the entire time and their eyes were so bright it was frightening. Upon seeing their Young Lady’s indifferent and calm demeanour, however, they exchanged looks with each other.

“Young Lady, you are still calm as always.” Su Yu’s excitement receded and she could not help but sigh with emotion, “Nubi has never seen the Young Lady being agitated, enraged, or smiling widely.”

Su Zhu nodded her head in agreement.

Within the residence, their Young Lady was known as the Young Mistress with the calmest personality; even in her anger, she would merely frown.

Ruan Xi smiled. Ever since her childhood, the original owner’s unfavourable situation was practically unalterable, while there were small twists and turns in the middle, there were no surprises, so where was the agitation supposed to come from?

• 一成不变 (pinyin: yi cheng bu bian) – always the same; stuck in a rut.

Whereas she had a heart disease ever since she was born, which meant that she could not express great joys or extreme sorrows, so she learnt to control her own emotions.

Su Yu could only sigh with emotion again before she went to the kitchen to fetch the dinner.

Dinner was still the same: it was greasy and cloying, and one of the meat dishes had additional ingredients. After Ruan Xi used her meal, she told Su Yu to pour away the untouched and drugged meat dish, while allowing her to distribute the remaining food.

Su Yu and Su Zhu had already gotten over the taste by then. They exchanged a look and Su Yu could not resist asking about a doubt she had.

“Young Lady, is there an issue with the meat dish you are asking nubi to get rid of?”

As Ruan Xi drank the green tea to clear her palate, a small smile emerged in her eyes. “You finally realised it?”

Su Yu and Su Zhu sucked in a cold breath, their complexions becoming deathly pale instantaneously, panic-stricken as they were.

What should be done…

“You don’t have to worry, if there is an issue with the dishes, I will sense it. Nothing will happen.

“In the future, such things will happen from time to time, it would be best if you adapt to it earlier.”

When Ruan Xi saw them suffering from the scare, she shook her head silently. The conflicts within the Earl Residence could not reach the original owner, and in the few instances where it did, the original owner managed to avoid it with her intelligence. Hence, the maidservants by her side barely had any experience with the shameful secrets within the residence, so having such a reaction to it was not strange.

She would have to ask the training Mama to educate them once Wen gongzi sent her over.

Su Yu and Su Zhu exhaled a mouthful of air before they gritted their teeth and said: “Young Lady, please set your mind at ease. Nubi will not disappoint Young Lady.”

Ruan Xi nodded her head in satisfaction.

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Although Limpid Heart Garden was bustling during the day, it reverted back to its tranquil state by the night. After the servants received a wake-up call from Ruan Xi, everything went back normal.

However, the main courtyard was destined for unrest tonight.

The Furen of Earl Chengyi was currently having dinner with the Earl and her two children.

The atmosphere was harmonious and easy-going.

As the servants were clearing the table after the end of the meal, Earl Chengyi and the rest moved towards the side hall to drink tea and converse.

Ruan san niang looked at her high-spirited and vigorous Earl Father with a dark and gloomy expression as she laughed coldly in her heart.

Compared to her, no one was more cognizant of the fact that in her father’s eyes, the most important thing apart from his official career were his sons, whereas his daughters were used to strengthen the Earl Residence’s power and influence through marriage alliances, and even being his legitimate daughter did not make her an exception to this rule.

In her previous lifetime, she had caused the wind and waves to rise and brought the Earl Chengyi Residence enormous profits, which was why her Earl Father had placed her in the centre of his palms.

Hehe, he truly is a scum father bent solely on profit.

This evening, her Earl Father had gone to the Limpid Heart Garden the moment he returned to the residence because it seemed like her fourth sister had more utility value than her right now, and she could provide greater assistance to the Earl Residence. It was highly likely that her Earl Father was going to prioritise cultivating her fourth sister.

Ruan san niang felt a wave of revulsion and displeasure in her heart.

Just as expected, her Earl Father opened his mouth.

“Yu Lan, I need to bring up a matter to you. From tomorrow onwards, have si niang learn about the management of a household.”

The maiden name of Earl Chengyi’s official wife was Zhang Yu Lan. On ordinary days, the Earl would usually address her as Zhang shi, and a few days ago, he had started calling her Furen all of a sudden.

Zhang shi became absent-minded, as if she was recalling how the Earl would always call her Yu Lan when they first married. The two of them also had a period of sweet days where they were like honey mixed with oil.

•  蜜里调油 (pinyin: mi li tiao you) – deeply attached/devoted to each other.

Unfortunately, good times do not last long. The Earl admitted beautiful concubines who were fresh and tender in appearance one after another. As the wife and concubines fought, she became the Zhang shi that the Earl spoke about.

However, the Earl was only calling her by her maiden name suddenly because he wanted her to teach si niang how to manage a household.

Zhang shi’s expression warped for an instant. She sucked in a mouthful of cold air silently to calm down before she said smilingly:

“Bo ye speaks correctly. With si niang becoming Wen gongzi’s fiancée, there are only two years left before she has to marry out, and learning to manage a household is imperative under these circumstances. Originally, I wanted to wait for si niang to recover fully before allowing her to manage the residence’s affairs with san niang. Bo ye has the same vein of thought as qieshen.”

• 伯爷 (pinyin: bo ye) – Earl.
  妾身 (pinyin: qie shen) – a form of self-address used by a wife when speaking to her husband.

Upon hearing Zhang shi’s words, Earl Chengyi felt particularly free from worries, and he found Zhang shi more pleasing to the eye.

“Yu Lan is wise and kind.”

• 贤惠 (pinyin: xian hui) – (of a woman) that is kind, amicable and understanding; or perfect in her traditional roles.

Zhang shi smiled slightly: “This is my duty. Si niang has her own blessing.”

Household management also had its knacks, they would have to see if si niang had the capability.

As Ruan san niang looked at her mother who was pretending to be amicable, understanding, and magnanimous on the surface even though she was swallowing her grievances into her stomach, and her father who treated it as a matter of course, she felt extremely averse in her heart.

Being a matriarch of a wealthy and influential family in the ancient times was not easy; each and every one of them looked incredibly impressive, but the truth was that their minds were preoccupied with grief.

Apart from having to help their husbands manage their inner residence and discipline his concubine-born sons and daughters, they also had to pretend to be amicable and understanding as they admitted concubines for their husbands. The wives who were neglected because the concubines were spoiled had it even worse, since their dignity as the legal wife was also being stomped underfoot.

And yet her fourth sister was an exception; she was born lucky and she met a good man.

Ruan san niang recalled what her older brother said about fortune and fate. Her fourth sister possessed both, while she only had the fortune, and she had to put in the effort to change her fate. Qi Yue An’s future was a bright road and he was a good man who treasured his wife. In this lifetime, she would hold onto him tightly and never let go.

“Apart from this matter, I am also planning to look for a Mama who came out from the palace for san niang and si niang.”

Although Earl Chengyi regarded his fourth daughter highly, he treated his legitimate son and daughter fairly well too.

Zhang shi’s mouth twitched as her right hand clenched into a fist. The smile on her face almost threatened to crack open but she exhaled the turbid air, and said with much difficulty: “Bo ye, the Mamas that come out from the imperial palace are in great demand. Without the social connections, finding one already proves to be a task, wanting…. Wanting to find two in a short notice is…”

Early Chengyi stiffened upon realising the truth in Zhang shi’s words. His eyebrows knitted together tightly and his complexion was rather ugly.

“Just one then, she will be given to si niang first.”

Once those words left his mouth, Zhang shi was so angry her heart was on the verge of exploding. A vicious glint flickered past her eyes very swiftly.

Before Zhang shi had the time to speak, Ruan san niang took the lead to jump out first.

“I disagree!”

“Father, you are being too biased, I’m the Earl Residence’s legitimate daughter, why should my head be stepped upon by si mei, a concubine-born daughter!”

Although Ruan Yu Wen did not approve of his father’s actions, he did not say anything either. From his father’s standpoint, Ning’er was only marrying an illegitimate son from Marquis Huaiyang Residence, and it was enough if she had a few Mamas with ample experience by her side.

Whereas his fourth sister had to marry into the Wen Family in the future. If she wanted to gain a firm foothold in the Wen Family, she could not do without the help of a few competent Mamas.

With his younger sister losing her cool and jumping out… Ru Yu Wen felt his head aching.

Earl Chengyi’s expression darkened as he berated her: “San niang, do not make trouble!”

Ruan san niang became angrier because of Earl Chengyi’s berating.  Thus, she straightened her neck and shouted in a loud voice.

“I’m not making trouble, Father is being biased. Now that si mei has entered Wen gongzi’s eyes, she can provide the Earl Residence with a lot of benefits, which is why si mei is being held up with both hands. Father is not even observing to see if si mei has the ability to capture Wen gongzi’s heart, and perhaps it will be like drawing water with a bamboo basket where nothing is achieved and all is vain, and it will be too late to regret it then!”

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