RATMOFANF: Chapter 29

 Character Glossary

· Shen Jingxiu (沈静姝): The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife.

· Li Ling (李陵): The Heir of the Zhenguo Duke Manor.

· Old Madam Li (李老夫人): The matriarch, Li Ling's grandmother.

· Xu Momo (徐嬷嬷): Old Madam Li's personal, trusted attendant.

· Ninth Princess Qingluan (九公主青鸾): Li Ling's cousin, a princess in the palace.

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Chapter 29: She Didn't Want the Old Madam to Be Sad Again

The Old Madam remained in a deep slumber. Jingxiu sat on a small stool before the daybed, quietly keeping watch over her.

After midnight, Xu Momo arrived. She entered the inner room and, seeing the Old Madam still asleep, asked Jingxiu, who was sitting nearby, "Has the Old Madam not woken at all?"

Jingxiu nodded. "She's been sleeping the whole time."

As they were speaking, the Old Madam's brows furrowed slightly. Seeing she seemed to be stirring, Jingxiu quickly rose to fetch tea from the outer room.

The Old Madam opened her eyes. Xu Momo leaned closer and said, "You're awake? Are you feeling better?"

The Old Madam did not speak, but hot tears rolled from her clouded eyes.

She had been a strong-willed woman in her youth. Xu Momo had rarely seen her cry. Alarmed, she asked, "What's wrong? Are you feeling unwell?"

The Old Madam murmured, "It's not my body that aches. It's my heart that hurts."

Xu Momo understood the Old Madam's feelings perfectly.

Her sudden collapse this time was precisely due to her anxiety over her granddaughter Qingluan's troubles.

Xu Momo tried to console her. "The Ninth Princess is out of danger now. You must set your heart at ease and focus on recuperating."

The Old Madam grasped Xu Momo's hand and said in a choked voice, "I dreamed of Āxián and Ātiān again just now."

The tragic deaths of her two daughters in the palace were the sorrow of the Old Madam's life.

Hearing her bring this up, Xu Momo also couldn't help but feel grief-stricken. Suppressing her own tears, she advised, "You are still ill. Why dwell on these matters? Preserving your health is what's important."

The Old Madam sobbed, "I never should have agreed to send them into the palace back then. I ruined them. It's all my fault."

By the end, the Old Madam was heartbroken, weeping bitterly.

Li Ling, hearing the sounds, hurried in from the outer room but was stopped by Jingxiu at the doorway.

The Old Madam was a proud woman by nature. Although she had endured many hardships, she never showed vulnerability in front of others. She had just woken up and didn't know that he and Jingxiu were also there. Given her character, she would absolutely not want her children and grandchildren to see her in such a state.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Li Ling understood Jingxiu's meaning.

The two silently withdrew from the inner room.

Jingxiu went to the small kitchen, ladled out the plain congee that had been kept warm, placed it in a heat-retaining porcelain jar, and carried it back to Ānxī Táng. Standing in the outer room, she listened; the sounds from the inner room had ceased.

Presumably, Xu Momo had managed to calm the Old Madam.

She carried the congee quietly to the doorway and signaled to Xu Momo with her eyes.

Catching her meaning, Xu Momo came over, took the hot congee, brought it to the Old Madam's bedside, and persuaded her, "I had them heat some congee. Please try to eat a little."

The Old Madam shook her head silently.

Xu Momo continued, "You need to regain your strength, don't you? The Ninth Princess still relies on your protection."

These words struck a chord with the Old Madam. She said, "Feed me a few mouthfuls, then."

Xu Momo readily assented and began feeding the congee to the Old Madam spoonful by spoonful. As she fed her, she chattered, "Your illness has worried the children so. Young Master Ling and the Second Madam kept watch over you for most of the night. Just before you woke, I finally managed to persuade them to go rest."

"Shū'er has a good nature and is a thoughtful person. She is a truly rare and good child." The Old Madam paused, then said with relief, "In the future, when I entrust this household to her, I can die in peace."

Xu Momo replied, "What are you saying, Old Madam? You must live a long life. You still need to see your legitimate great-grandchildren grow up, don't you?"

Hearing Xu Momo's words, the Old Madam's expression softened. She murmured, "Yes, I still need to see my great-grandsons." Then, she looked up at Xu Momo and asked, "Has there been any movement from the second daughter-in-law lately?"

Jingxiu was standing right at the doorway. Hearing the Old Madam's words, a pink blush involuntarily spread across her powdered face.

Li Ling looked down at her, his eyes shining brightly.

Sensing his gaze, Jingxiu looked up and shot him a sharp glare.

Li Ling mouthed soundlessly, "Why are you glaring at me? It's not me who's impatient." Then, he subtly pointed inside and whispered, "It's Grandmother who's eager for a grandson."

Jingxiu rewarded him with another glare, then turned away from him and went back to the outer room.

From inside the inner room, they heard Xu Momo say with a laugh, "The Second Madam has been married into the family for less than three months. You are too impatient, Old Madam."

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

A while later, Xu Momo came out holding the empty bowl. She said quietly to Li Ling and Jingxiu, "She ate over half a bowl of congee just now and has gone back to sleep. The Old Madam is out of danger now. You can rest assured, Young Master, Madam."

Noting the lingering worry on Jingxiu's face, she added, "This old servant has been with the Old Madam her whole life and knows her best. Please don't worry. You've been up most of the night and must be exhausted. Go back and get some rest. You can come again tomorrow."

Jingxiu nodded. "Then I will come again tomorrow."

It was the early hours of the morning by the time they returned to Qīngfēng Yuàn. Having been tired out from the long night, they went straight to bed without even washing up.

Li Ling pulled back the quilt, first covering Jingxiu, and said, "You worked hard today. Get some sleep."

Jingxiu made an affirming sound and turned to sleep. But then Li Ling's arm reached over, pulling her into his embrace in one swift motion.

Jingxiu extricated herself from his embrace, squinting her eyes. "I'm tired. I want to sleep."

She wasn't throwing a tantrum with him.

She was genuinely exhausted from the busy day and night.

At this moment, she simply didn't have the energy to dwell on those other matters.

Seeing her weary, pale little face, Li Ling settled down. He patted the back of her hand and said, "Sleep, then."

Jingxiu closed her eyes, but the image of the Old Madam's heartbroken, grief-stricken face surfaced in her mind.

In her previous life, when she miscarried her unborn child, she had felt a stabbing, heart-wrenching pain. How much worse must it have been for the Old Madam, who had suddenly lost two beautiful, grown daughters?

She could empathize with the Old Madam's pain.

"Is Qingluan truly alright now?" Jingxiu asked softly in the darkness.

At this moment, she sincerely hoped nothing else would happen to Qingluan. Not because she had suddenly become enlightened as the ultimate virtuous wife. But because she didn't want the Old Madam to be sad and heartbroken again.

Hearing her ask about Qingluan, Li Ling was somewhat surprised. Back in Ānxī Táng, he had clearly sensed her displeasure when he mentioned Qingluan.

"She is fine. She's just physically weak and needs quiet recuperation."

As long as she doesn't die!

Jingxiu felt relieved,tucked in the quilt corner, and prepared to sleep.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Li Ling added, "However, the inner court hasn't yet identified the culprit who harmed her."

In that short sentence, Jingxiu could clearly sense the thick resentment emanating from the person beside her. She sneered inwardly but couldn't be bothered to humor him further. Closing her eyes, she fell into an exhausted sleep.

(End of Chapter)

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