FSCGL Chapter 101

Terms used in FSCGL Chapter 101

姨娘 (yi niang) – an official’s concubine.
小姐 (xiao jie) – young lady.
婆婆 (po po) – mother-in-law, used by the wife.
大哥 (da ge) – older or oldest brother.
大嫂 (da sao) – the oldest brother’s wife or oldest sister-in-law, which ise used by the husband’s younger siblings to address his wife.
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 patronymic.
少夫人 (shao fu ren) – the wife of a young master.

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It was extremely lively and jubilant outside, and the midwife started to preside over the Third Bath Ceremony.

Wen Jing Ru’s mother-in-law had dispatched a servant to tell her to go over and add to the basin, so Wen Jing Ru could only bid farewell to Ruan Xi, though she was reluctant to part.

She also brought away Li Xiang Xiang.

Likewise, Liu Wan Wan was among the ranks who were adding to the basin. Although she was wearing a smiling expression on her face, her smile was not right, and her gaze was even more abnormal.

On the other hand, Wen san xiaojie and Zhao yiniang were absolutely compliant as they stood together with Liu Wan Wan.

Wen Ting Zhou noticed Liu Wan Wan’s irregularity at the very first moment. His eyes narrowed slightly as a shred of vigilance rose in his heart, before he beckoned over Zhang Qing to give him a few lines of instructions in a low voice, simply afraid that Liu Wan Wan would do something terrible.

Not long after, two more steady and pretty maid servants were added to the flanks of the older midwife.

Zhan yiniang’s smile stiffened upon seeing that.

Wen san xiaojie could not help but become slightly frustrated. 

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Meanwhile, the others and the older midwife did not find it strange at all. There would always be someone keeping a close eye during the Third Bath Ceremony of a son from a prominent and large family, out of genuine fear that an accident would occur.

“Saozi, it’s going to be your turn soon.” Wen Yu Wei said to Liu Wan Wan with a smile as she leaned closer to her side, a vague tint of excitement seeping into her voice. 

The fragrance on her body drifted into Liu Wan Wan’s nose ceaselessly. Liu Wan Wan’s gaze was slightly dazed, her state of mind turning irritable gradually.

“Indeed.”

“Saozi, if your child wasn’t lost in a miscarriage, perhaps the first Third Bath Ceremony of our Minister Wen Residence’s grandson generation would have been your child’s.

• 嫂子 (pinyin: sao zi) — older sister-in-law.

“Unfortunately, the ones being well-regarded now are da ge and da sao.”

Liu Wan Wan’s expression twisted ever so briefly, a glint of hatred emerging from the bottom of her eyes as her emotions became more unstable.

Her younger sister-in-law was right, if her child was not lost in a miscarriage…

Liu Wan Wan descended into a delusion, her pretty face becoming mercurial. 

Wen Yu Wei peered at her, the smiling expression on her visage deepening. She raised her head to exchange a look with Zhao yiniang, communicating everything in wordless silence.

After a short beat, Wen Yu Wei gave Liu Wan Wan a light nudge, reminding her with a whisper. 

“Saozi, it’s your turn to add to the basin for the little nephew.”

Liu Wan Wan woke up from her hallucinations abruptly, her gaze suddenly snapping towards the quiet little infant inside the basin, while a hint of madness faintly billowed in the depths of her eyes.

With a seemingly calm appearance, she walked forward to add a spoonful of clear water…

Wen Ting Zhou, who had been remaining vigilant of Liu Wan Wan the whole time, felt his nerves stretching taut.

After Liu Wan Wan threw the gold and silver ingot into the basin, her mind glazed over for a second. All of a sudden, both of her hands swiftly extended towards the little infant sitting inside the basin in an attempt to strangle it…

Liu Wan Wan’s expression distorted as she shouted maniacally: “Go and die!”

The older midwife was stunned, having been taken off guard.

In the instant where flint and stone sparked, the two maidservants that Wen Ting Zhou deployed acted just as Liu Wan Wan’s hands were going to reach the little infant’s neck. 

Two needles in one of the maidservant’s grasp suddenly shot towards Liu Wan Wan’s hands.

Liu Wan Wan issued a miserable cry, her grip loosening, whilst the other maidservant quickly brought away the little young master.

The accident arrived quickly, and ended quickly.

The child did not suffer the slightest harm.

“Wah Wah…”

The frightened infant started wailing.

His cries were extremely sonorous and bright. 

Wen Ting Zhou’s taut nerves relaxed abruptly. It was unknown when, but his back was drenched, and the depths of his eyes were brimming with violent and approaching storm clouds.

“Outrageous Liu shi!”

“Men come hither, drag her down!”

Immediately, there were two coarse-labour older woman-servants who stepped forward to seize and drag away Liu Wan Wan without any scruples. 

Wen furen was both shocked and enraged; she did not expect that Liu shi would actually try for her grandson’s life under a thousand staring eyes. 

Minister Wen’s complexion was completely gloomy. 

The other guests were having difficulties concealing their shock and disbelief as well. 

Wen Jing Ru covered her heart, expression ghastly white. Skies above, was this Liu shi insane or something?

Li Xiang Xiang had jumped in fright as well. This Liu shi must have fallen into the clutches of something, though it was a pity that she did not succeed. Dimly, some disappointment and regret appeared in her heart. 

The other womenfolk had more elaborate thoughts: all of them remembered that this Liu Wan Wan had been pregnant with a child before except she had miscarried due to her husband’s concubine, and they unanimously felt that Liu Wan Wan must have gone mad. 

At the scene, Ruan lao taitai and Lin shi displayed glad expressions.

Fortunately, it was fortunate that nothing came to pass.

This child was the link that tied the Wen Family and the Earl Chengyi Residence in a tight and intimate bond, nothing should be allowed to befall him. 

Ruan lao taitai pinched the Buddhist praying beads in her hands as chants spilled from her mouth nonstop: “May the Buddha bless and protect!”

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After Liu Wan Wan issued that miserable cry, her whole person sobered up. Upon learning that she had just tried to strangle the legitimate eldest grandson of the Wen Family’s second branch to death right in front of everyone, her complexion became akin to dead ashes instantaneously. 

Done for, she was done for!

No, that wasn’t her, how could she possibly do such a thing in front of everyone.

She must have fallen for a scheme!

As she was being dragged away by the two coarse-labour older woman-servants, Liu Wan Wan suddenly put up a struggle out of dread, screaming and shouting at Wen Ting Yi.

“Ting Yi, save me!”

Wen Ting Yi shifted his head away. 

A smudge of mirth flickered past the eyes of the mother-daughter pair Zhao yiniang and Wen Yu Wei.

It succeeded, this Liu shi was done for.

When Liu Wan Wan saw Wen Ting Yi shifting his face away, she descended into an ice-cold cellar instantaneously, the hope in her eyes extinguishing.

She did not want to die, she did not want to die!

An intense desire for survive roused from the bottom of Liu Wan Wan’s heart, and she abruptly turned towards Wen furen to shout in fear:

“Furen please investigate this thoroughly, someone is trying to scheme against me!”

Sadly, no one believed it.

Wen furen’s face was chilly. 

“Drag her down!”

When Wen Ting Zhou heard Liu Wan Wan yell that she was falsely accused, his heart sank slightly as he recalled Liu Wan Wan’s dazed appearance from before. A hint of heaviness flashed past the depths of his eyes.

His gaze glanced past Wen Yu Wei, keenly grabbing hold of the glimmer of panic that flitted past her eyes. His brows furrowed as he beckoned over Zhang Qing to give a few lines of instructions.

Zhang Qing departed without delay.

After Liu Wan Wan was detained, the interrupted Third Day Bath Ceremony continued, and the wailing infant was already soothed by the wetnurse.

The festivities and bustle at the celebration resumed.

No one cared about the arrested Liu Wan Wan.

Although the countenances of Zhao yiniang, Wen Yu Wei, and Wen Ting Yi were very ugly, no one paid them any heed when they noticed it.

Apart from Wen Ting Zhou. 

    ……

Inside the Harmonious Dwelling, when Ruan Xi heard about Liu Wan Wan unsuccessful murder attempt, she was both afraid and infuriated. 

Who could have anticipated that someone would try for the life of a young infant under the eyes of everyone? Fortunately, Wen Ting Zhou had prepared contingencies early on, which ensured that her Ah Yu would be safe and sound.

Once she calmed down, Ruan Xi suddenly asked:

“Su Yu, you mentioned that Liu Wan Wan yelled that someone was scheming against her before she was dragged away?”

Su Yu nodded, “Yes, Young Lady, but that should just be Er Shao-Furen spouting nonsense.”

Ruan Xi lowered her eyes, “Su Yu Su Zhu, don’t you feel like there’s something wrong with Liu Wan Wan?”

It was not like Liu Wan Wan was a mentally impaired idiot. 

In short, Ruan Xi felt that her reaction was suspicious, and it gave the impression that a problem had cropped up in her consciousness.

Su Yu shook her head: “No. Young Lady, yõu have forgotten that Er Shao-furen once miscarried a child, it’s not strange that she would lose her rationality and act against Little Young Master after seeing Furen host a grand Third Day Bath Ceremony for Little Young Master.”

Su Zhu was of the same opinion.

“Yeah, Young Lady, Su Yu speaks correctly. Er Shao-Furen probably couldn’t stand seeing Little Young Master being so well-regarded, so she became tempted by demons in the moment. When she finally woke up, she tried to save herself by saying that someone was conspiring against her.”

Ruan Xi frowned.

Was this what everyone was thinking?

Forget it, she would bring it up to Wen Ting Zhou once he returned after the Third Day Bath Ceremony ended.

Ruan Xi trusted her own intuition.

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