MYSIOAMEWTMMAlTWOAM: Chapter 43

Glossary

· Qin Yuan: The female protagonist, Marquise of the household.

· Gu Jinghui: The male protagonist, the Marquis.

· Hongye: Qin Yuan's loyal maidservant.

· Cuiming: Qin Yuan's other maidservant.

· Gu Shiliu: Gu Jinghui's personal attendant.

· Cai Mama: A stewardess in charge of repairs.

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Chapter 43: The Marquis Is Angry Again

After the Sixth Master left, the room instantly fell into silence. Qin Yuan gave a light cough and said, "Sixth Brother was so enthusiastic, but I couldn't make use of his help. What a pity."

Gu Jinghui stood up, his face dark and gloomy, emanating a chilling air from head to toe.

Only then did Qin Yuan notice his unusual behavior. She quickly rose and asked, "Husband, are you going back to rest?"

"Mmm," Gu Jinghui responded briefly. Without waiting for her, he strode away quickly.

Qin Yuan stood in place, watching his retreating back: "..."

How utterly inexplicable.

Hongye said, "Young Mistress, was the Marquis... was he angry just now?"

Cuiming also frowned with worry.

Qin Yuan furrowed her brows, thinking back, but couldn't find any fault of her own that would have caused the Marquis to suddenly become like this.

"Never mind him. Perhaps he isn't feeling well. He'll probably be fine after a while."

The Marquis, who hadn't gone far, paused, his expression turning even darker.

"The sun has gone down now. Let's take a stroll in the courtyard. It's stifling to stay indoors all the time."

As soon as Qin Yuan said this, her two maids immediately agreed.

Cuiming said, "Young Mistress, it's been a while since you composed poetry. This servant notices several lovely spots in the courtyard. Perhaps while enjoying the scenery, you could recite a few poems. If any turn out well, you could write back to Miss Dong."

Upon hearing this, Qin Yuan was startled.

Since her rebirth, she had been busy preparing for the wedding. After arriving at the Marquis' household, she was occupied with various trivial matters and had actually forgotten this friend from her previous life.

"Very well, let's go for a stroll."

She hadn't even properly explored the courtyard she lived in.

The Marquis' household was not as cramped as the Qin residence. Just the Wutong Yuan where she lived was larger than the entire rear courtyard of the Qin family home.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Qin Yuan led her maids, walking around and playing joyfully.

Their laughter drifted into the side room where the Marquis was lying on a bamboo couch, sulking, making him even more agitated.

He didn't want to listen, but he couldn't help searching among the women's voices for the one that was the softest and most charming.

"Reciting poetry," Gu Jinghui murmured the two words almost inaudibly between his lips and teeth.

The gloom on his face felt almost tangible.

In the end, he couldn't resist going outside. He leaned against the railing, watching Qin Yuan's figure appear and disappear among the rockeries and green shadows from a distance.

After watching for a while, he went back inside and lay down again.

Qin Yuan grew a bit tired from walking in the courtyard and decided to head back.

Earlier, standing by the pond, looking at the dark green water surface, bamboo leaves floating and bobbing on it, and birds skimming lightly over the water, she had suddenly thought of the first half of a poem. She planned to go back and jot it down on decorative paper first, and think of the remaining half later when she had time.

In her previous life, she was mired in mundane affairs every day, exhausting herself scheming for Lin Ziqi's future, seldom having such leisurely moods.

Lin Ziqi had long stopped enjoying moonlit nights and composing poetry and painting with her. He was either engrossed in power struggles or lost in the tenderness of others, no longer the ideal husband she had first met.

In the end, they had both become people the other disliked.

Qin Yuan was determined to live this life comfortably and leisurely. When admiring flowers, her eyes would see only the flowers; when reciting poetry, her heart would hold only the poetry. The Marquis had already been pushed to the back of her mind, which made Hongye cannot help worry for her, saying, "I wonder if the Marquis is feeling better now."

Qin Yuan said, "It's almost time for the evening meal. Later, we'll ask the Marquis what he would like to eat."

Cuiming said, "Cai Mama has people working on the small kitchen. It should be finished soon. Once the plaster is fully dry, it can be used. We still need to purchase some utensils."

Hongye asked, "Can't we get those from the household stores?"

Cuiming wasn't sure either.

Qin Yuan said, "We can ask Cai Mama and find out."

As they discussed these trivial matters, they set aside their poetic inspiration.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Returning to the corridor, they found Cai Mama already waiting below.

Qin Yuan promptly said, "Cai Mama, please come in for some tea."

Cai Mama shook her head and said, "It's too late now. I won't disturb you, Madame. This old servant has already had the small kitchen tidied up, but I'll need to come back in a few days to check. If we test the flue with smoke and there are no issues, it will be ready for use."

Qin Yuan said with a smile, "I've truly troubled you, Cai Mama. This was done in a hurry; you must have done a lot of running around. In such hot weather, it couldn't have been easy."

These words made the frustration Cai Mama had held back for so long rush straight to her nose, suddenly making her feel a bit emotional.

"This old servant is used to such tasks."

Qin Yuan said, "Hongye, go fetch a red envelope for Cai Mama as a token for tea."

Hongye acknowledged and went into the inner room.

Cai Mama rubbed her hands together and said, "Madame, you should have a capable person accompany this old servant to check if any modifications are needed. After all, doing this once is troublesome; it's better to get it right."

Cuiming said, "I'll go with you."

Hongye came out with the red envelope. Cai Mama and Cuiming left again. Qin Yuan went into the inner room to change clothes, and Hongye stood under the corridor, waiting with her head lowered.

Gu Shiliu walked in from the courtyard and asked curiously, "Hongye, what are you doing here? You're not going to corner me again, are you?"

Every time Hongye cornered him, she needed something.

Hongye smiled, took a piece of paper from her purse, and handed it to Gu Shiliu, saying, "Look, what's this?"

"What?"

"This is the receipt the Madame issued for you. It has her personal seal. You need to sign it here. Later, when Cuiming returns, sign it in her account book, and it'll be settled. You can use this to claim your share of the silver in the future."

"Really?"

Gu Shiliu took it excitedly and praised, "The Madame is so thorough, she even thought of us."

He looked at it over and over, then carefully placed it in his purse.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Cai Mama came around with Cuiming and asked abruptly, "What are you two..."

Hongye cheerfully took out the red envelope and handed it to Cai Mama, saying, "Here you are, Cai Mama."

Cai Mama didn't refuse. She took it, felt its thickness, and asked with a smile, "What were you talking about just now? Can I get involved?"

Her husband worked under the Marquis, and the family had saved up some silver.

After hearing what Hongye and the others said, Cai Mama said with a smile, "Miss Cuiming, could you put in a good word for me with the Madame and let me contribute fifty taels of silver too?"

She genuinely wanted to get closer to the Marquise.

Whether she could make money or not wasn't the main point.

Cuiming hesitated. Seeing Hongye constantly signaling with her eyes, she finally agreed, "I can only ask the Madame for you. I can't promise anything, and please don't spread this around. If it works out, I'll find you."

Cai Mama repeatedly agreed, saying, "This old servant won't go in and disturb the Madame. If you have news, Miss Cuiming, just send any young maid to inform me."

"Alright, alright."

The few of them whispered under the corridor.

The Marquis heard everything from inside the room and called out loudly, "Gu Shiliu, Gu Shiliu, where have you gone?"

Gu Shiliu quickly said, "The Marquis is calling for me."

Hongye pulled him aside and whispered, "Help us find out what's wrong with the Marquis. Why did he suddenly get so upset?"

"Huh?"

Gu Shiliu was completely baffled.

"Wasn't the Marquis fine when he returned from the main house? He even gave me a large reward!"

(End of Chapter)

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