RATMOFANF: Chapter 56

Glossary

· Shen Jingxiu: The female protagonist, Li Ling's wife.

· Li Ling: The Heir of Zhenguo Duke Manor, Shen Jingxiu's husband.

· Ziyun: Shen Jingxiu's maidservant.

· Danzhu: Shen Jingxiu's maidservant.

· Bilü: Shen Jingxiu's maidservant.

· Lingxiao: Li Ling's attendant.

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Chapter 56: Drive Out All Who Dare Disobey the Madame's Orders Again

In a short while, the two young maids carried out a set of thick bedding.

Ziyun took the bedding, folded it neatly, and tied it up with a cloth strip. Danzhu asked, "Sister, where are we taking this bedding?"

While busy with her hands, Ziyun replied, "We're going to deliver it to the Young Master shortly."

As soon as the words fell, Bilü waved her hands and said, "This time, Sister, please don't make me go deliver it again."

Ziyun shot her a reproachful glance. "This time, even if you wanted to go, you couldn't."

Bilü instinctively looked at Danzhu. Then they heard Ziyun continue, "How could we possibly enter a heavily guarded military camp?" With that, she called to the two young maids, "Come on, follow me."

Danzhu and Bilü carried the packaged bedding, following Ziyun all the way to the front courtyard. Ziyun asked the steward for Lingxiao's whereabouts, then brought the two to knock on his door.

Lingxiao had previously served the Elder Princess as a young eunuch. The Elder Princess, seeing his cleverness, assigned him to serve by Li Ling's side. Today, since Li Ling was not in the manor, Lingxiao naturally didn't need to attend the study and was about to lie down and sleep. Seeing Ziyun was somewhat unexpected for him.

"Sister, what brings you here?"

Ziyun said with a smile, "The Young Master has been busy with duties these past two days and is staying overnight at the camp. The Madame is worried he might catch a chill at night, so she ordered me to bring a set of thick bedding. I must trouble you, Gonggong (a respectful term for a eunuch), to make a trip and deliver it to the Young Master."

Lingxiao replied with a smile, "The Madame is truly very attentive to our Young Master."

Ziyun gave an awkward smile, unsure how to respond.

Lingxiao took the bedding from Danzhu and Bilü. "This humble servant will ride out immediately to deliver the bedding to the Young Master."

Ziyun smiled. "In that case, we trouble you, Gonggong."

Lingxiao hugged the bedding and headed out. He turned back and asked Ziyun, "Miss, does the Madame have any other words for this humble servant to pass on to the Young Master?"

Ziyun lowered her eyes and thought for a moment before saying to him, "Just tell the Young Master that the Madame hopes he will return early once he finishes his official duties."

"Alright!" Lingxiao, holding the bedding, disappeared from sight in moments.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Perhaps because she had slept too much in the latter part of the afternoon, even after finishing the accounts and seeing that the hour was already late, Jingxiu still didn't feel sleepy.

She threw on a shawl and pushed the door open. Outside, scattered snowflakes were falling, and a thin layer had already accumulated on the ground.

Ziyun was just about to go on her night rounds. Seeing Jingxiu come out, she stepped forward and said, "It's cold at night, Miss. Please go back inside quickly."

Jingxiu tightened the shawl around her and replied, "I'm not sleepy yet. I'll go with you to check various places."

Ziyun brought a glass lantern, and the mistress and servant left the Qingfeng Yuan.

In the distance, they saw a tall figure walking towards them through the wind and snow.

"It's the Young Master!" Ziyun whispered joyfully to Jingxiu, glancing at her.

Jingxiu naturally recognized Li Ling as well. She stopped walking.

Li Ling approached. His gaze swept over Jingxiu, then he lowered his eyes and asked, "It's so late. Where are you going?"

Jingxiu stood there silently, showing no intention of engaging in conversation with him.

Ziyun quickly replied, "Lately, the night watchwomen have often been slacking off, drinking, and gambling. The Madame intends to personally check various places."

Li Ling nodded slightly and said nothing more.

Jingxiu, with Ziyun, continued towards the front courtyard. After walking a stretch, Ziyun turned her head and saw that Li Ling was still standing in place. After a moment, he actually started following them.

Ziyun felt secretly pleased and whispered in Jingxiu's ear, "The Young Master is following behind us."

Although Jingxiu didn't know why he had suddenly returned or why he was following them, she could tell that he was still angry with her.

Jingxiu turned her head and glanced at Li Ling following far behind. It was indeed as he had said.

He would keep his distance from her from now on.

When they reached the second gate, sure enough, they heard the murmuring voices of old women inside. Listening carefully, it was clear they were playing cards.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Jingxiu stood under the corridor eaves. Ziyun stepped forward and knocked on the door.

Five or six old women were gathered in the side room. The stove was burning warmly with charcoal, and the women were drinking and playing cards around it.

When the women saw it was Ziyun from the Madame's side, they exchanged glances. The woman responsible for watching the gate stepped forward, grasped Ziyun's hand with a beaming smile, and said, "Good girl, it's cold today. We just gathered together to pass the time. Good girl, please don't report this to the superiors."

Ziyun gave a cold laugh. "I'm afraid this matter is not for me to decide."

The old woman hadn't seen Jingxiu standing outside the door. Seeing Ziyun's unyielding attitude, she said awkwardly, "You, girl, serving directly under the Madame, have great prospects. But we are all servants; who hasn't faced difficulties or disasters? Can you guarantee that with the Madame's protection, you will always have a smooth path in this manor from now on? Although this old body is a lowly servant, I have spent most of my life in this manor. If not for the monk's face, then for the Buddha's sake—not to mention if you report this to the Second Madame, even if you report it to the Old Madam, forgive my presumptuous words, the Old Madam would not bear to deal harshly with us old-timers who have worked diligently in this manor for most of our lives."

These people were presuming on their seniority to bully others, weren't they? Simply taking advantage of her young mistress's reluctance to be harsh? Ziyun was just about to retort when she heard Jingxiu, standing under the eaves, say leisurely, "Nanny, your words are mistaken!"

The old woman, unaware that the Madame was here, was so startled that she hurried out of the room, hastily apologizing, "This old body is aged and spoke nonsense. Please, Madame, do not take it to heart."

The other old women in the room, seeing that the Madame had personally come to inspect, were also frightened. They filed out of the room one by one, heads bowed, and stood properly under the corridor.

Jingxiu's gaze swept over each of the old women's faces. She said lightly, "Since you are old-timers in the manor, you should naturally understand the rules even better. As the saying goes, 'Nothing can be accomplished without norms or standards.' Even if you are old-timers in the manor, if you break the rules, I will not indulge you."

Upon hearing this, the several old women quickly knelt down and pleaded, "We were just momentarily confused. We beg Madame to be lenient."

Ziyun snorted coldly and pointed at the women on the ground. "There are originally three people on duty at this second gate, yet five have gathered here." She pointed at two other women and demanded, "Where are you two from?"

The women stammered, "We... we are from the Zhuxuan Tang."

So they were from the Fourth Master's courtyard. No wonder they were so unruly, daring to leave their posts without permission to gather here and gamble.

Jingxiu looked at the group and said, "Since you have broken the rules, according to the rules, each of you will be fined one month's allowance."

Although losing the money pained them, at least this young Madame was somewhat showing mercy by not making an example of them to warn others. Just as they were about to kowtow and thank her for her grace, Li Ling walked over.

(read @cherrybombbertranslations.blogspot)

Everyone in the manor stood in awe of this always stern and cold Young Master, but fortunately, he never interfered in internal household matters.

Who would have thought that Li Ling, upon approaching, would speak up: "The manor explicitly forbids drinking and gambling during night watch. You knowingly violated the rules. As the Madame said, you are fined one month's allowance. Additionally, from now on, you need not remain in the manor. All of you are to go and work at the estate in the outskirts of the capital."

Upon hearing Li Ling's words, the several women nearly fainted. Working at the estate involved manual labor—how could it compare to the wealth and luxury of the Zhenguo Duke Manor?

The women looked towards the young Madame, wanting to plead for mercy, but glancing at the Young Master's ice-cold face, they were too frightened to speak.

Steward Fu arrived upon hearing the news. Li Ling saw Steward Fu and instructed him, "Spread the word: henceforth, anyone who dares to disobey the Madame's orders will be driven out to the estate without exception."

(End of Chapter)

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Translator's Note: check out my other work— My Younger Sister Insisted On A Marriage Exchange Wanting To Make Me The Wife Of A Marquis and The Marquis’s Beloved is a Black-Hearted Lotus (⁠*⁠＾⁠3⁠＾⁠)⁠/⁠～⁠♡

Li Ling: Madame, your husband is backing you up.

Jingxiu: Get lost! Weren't you going to stay angry with me?

Li Ling: Even though I'm angry with you, I won't allow others to bully you.

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