Chapter 209

Chapter 209: Pregnant Madame Jiang did not want He Pingping's son. While she was agonizing over it, Mama Lin beside her tugged at her sleeve, signaling her to agree. Helpless, Madame Jiang could only nod. Seeing this, Old Madame Song said no more and sent someone to notify He Pingping and Cui Lingrong. After the others left, Madame Jiang slumped weakly into her chair. "Why am I so ill-fated, to be saddled with such a husband and such a family?" "Second Madam, don't cry anymore. What's done is done; we must look on the bright side," Mama Lin consoled her. "Think about it—Fifth Ger is born before Sixth Ger. If Fifth Ger turns out accomplished, how would Sixth Ger fare?" Madame Jiang had already figured this out, but she was still sick at heart. "I know that if the child is raised right under my nose, I can raise him however I please. But when I think that Fifth Ger is that slut He Pingping's son, I wish he were dead. How could I possibly be willing to care for him?" "Willing or not, you must. If you make a blatant move against him, Old Madame won't let you off. If we raise Fifth Ger into a useless waste, it will highlight Sixth Ger's merits. Just now Nanny Qiu also said that Concubine He will suffer hardship following the Second Master to Bashu. Think about what kind of man the Second Master is—once Concubine He loses her youth and beauty, what use will she be?" Mama Lin urged her mistress to relax. "You have a son now and are the legitimate wife. You don't need to worry about anything else. As long as you raise Sixth Ger well, your blessings are yet to come!" With things as they were, at least Madame Jiang herself could remain in Bianjing. As for He Pingping, upon learning the news, she was not so pleased. Mama Xu came on behalf of Old Madame to deliver the message. "Concubine He, why are you being so muddle-headed? Letting you accompany the Second Master to Bashu is giving you the opportunity to be alone with him. With that bond of affection, who could ever compare afterward?" "But Fifth Ger is still so young, and his health is poor. What if he falls ill on the journey?" He Pingping asked. "Don't worry. Fifth Ger won't be going to Bashu with you—Old Madame will look after him." Mama Xu did not spell it out, or else Concubine He would absolutely not be able to accept Fifth Ger being raised by the Second Madam. "No, that won't do! Fifth Ger is so little—he can't be separated from me!" He Pingping had barely managed to give birth to this son; she absolutely could not let him leave her. Mama Xu's face turned stern. "Concubine, you're being far too muddle-headed. Old Madame and the Eldest Madam are both doing this for your own good. What, are you afraid Old Madame will raise Fifth Ger badly?" He Pingping said that wasn't it. "Then what do you mean?" Mama Xu countered. "Let me tell you, there's no room for negotiation in this matter. Pack your things—the Eldest Madam will send someone to escort you later." "Mama Xu, wait." He Pingping wiped her tears and regained some composure. "Old Madame went to see the Second Madam, didn't she? Could it be that the Second Madam was the one who proposed this?" Mama Xu said, "Originally Old Madame wanted the Second Madam to go, but the Second Madam was unwilling. This was the Eldest Madam's suggestion. Concubine He, although you are a Noble Concubine, a concubine is ultimately not a legitimate wife. Old Madame will show the Second Madam some face, but for you, it's best to listen to Old Madame. Otherwise, if Old Madame arranges for someone else, do you think you'd want to live under the Second Madam's thumb?" He Pingping clenched her teeth. Even long after Mama Xu had left, she still had not come back to her senses. Lady Cui? He Pingping laughed. Yes, what dignity did a concubine have? She regretted her affair with Song Shucheng back then—she truly regretted it. She had thought that with the Marquis's support, even if Song Shucheng couldn't become a high official, he could at least live a respectable life, and that following him might give her a better existence. Who would have thought that Song Shucheng would gamble away his future, and now he was even causing her to be separated from her son. He Pingping wiped her tears once more. She re-applied her makeup, and when she went to kowtow to Old Madame, there was not a trace of resentment—only gratitude and reluctance. "Your concubine has come specially to kowtow to Old Madame, to thank you for thinking of me. In the future, Fifth Ger will have to trouble Old Madame to look after him." He Pingping kowtowed three full times. This gesture greatly pleased Old Madame Song. "Rest assured, Fifth Ger is my own grandson—I will care for him meticulously. You must also take good care of the Second Master, don't let him be as he was before. Advise him well to walk the straight path. Perhaps one day there will be a general amnesty, and you'll be able to return." "Old Madame, rest assured. Your concubine will do her utmost." "With those words, I'm reassured. You're more sensible than Madame Jiang. When you return, I will surely reward you well!" Old Madame Song had just finished speaking when Mama Xu brought over a brocade box containing banknotes. She still doted on her son and feared he would suffer hardship on the road. He Pingping took the money and left. Until the very end, she never learned that Fifth Ger would henceforth be raised under Madame Jiang's care. However, Old Madame Song, as the child's biological grandmother, had specifically warned Madame Jiang that if anything happened to Fifth Ger, Sixth Ger would be taken away, and she had even sent people over to attend to the child. As for the affairs of the Second Branch, as the days passed, the people of the Marquis's household stopped mentioning it. Aside from Old Madame Song occasionally sighing over it, the others gradually forgot that Song Shucheng was no longer there. As for Madame Jiang and Fifth Ger, she did not deliberately mistreat him. After all, he was only a few months old and in poor health—there was no need for her to do anything. Whether he would even survive to be raised was another matter entirely. However, with Song Shucheng away and Old Madame Song now displeased with her, Madame Jiang kept a much lower profile. Apart from paying her respects at Shouan Tang, she rarely left her quarters, devoting herself instead to raising Sixth Ger. It was not until the end of the first month, when Madam Li discovered she was pregnant, that the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion finally had some cause for celebration. Old Madame Song, however, had never paid much attention to the affairs of the third branch. Upon learning of Madam Li's pregnancy, she merely nodded and said she knew. Cui Lingrong personally visited the third branch and, seeing Madam Li's rosy complexion, felt a touch of envy. "If you ask me, among the three branches of the marquis mansion, you have the best life." "Sister-in-law, you jest. You are so blessed—Yu-jie is sensible, your relatives have become accomplished, and even the Marquis treats you with greater respect." Madam Li, having just discovered her pregnancy, spoke while lying down. Cui Lingrong said it was different. Her relationship with Song Shulan was like two pendants suspended from a spider's web—at the slightest gust of wind, they could be blown apart and fall, never to come together again. As for the couple in the second branch, their situation was even harder to describe. It was the unremarkable third branch that lived their days with warmth and contentment. Clearly, sometimes wealth and honor were not so important after all. Just as Cui Lingrong was thinking this, County Princess Rongjia was smashing things. "Another pregnancy? One after another—why do they all get to have children?" Upon learning of Madam Li's pregnancy, County Princess Rongjia's first reaction was jealousy and anger. The others nearby dared not offer consolation. It was only after a long while, when every teapot in the room lay shattered, that Wang Hechun's Wife cautiously approached. "County Mistress, please do not be angry. Let Third Young Madam have her child—perhaps it might even work in your favor." "Her child? How could it possibly help me?" County Princess Rongjia did not understand. Wang Hechun's Wife leaned in and whispered a few words. County Princess Rongjia's brow relaxed, then furrowed tightly once more. After a moment, County Princess Rongjia ordered gifts to be prepared, intending to return to her natal home—only then did she remember she was under house arrest. "Go and tell my mother that I want her to come see me." County Princess Rongjia took a deep breath. She was determined to win back some standing in the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion.