Chapter 38

Chapter 38: Birthday Nanny Qiu still called out to the Marquis. Song Shulan only remembered that it was Cui Lingrong's birthday when he saw Nanny Qiu. He clicked his tongue. "The Commandery Princess isn't feeling well. I'll go check on her first, then come over." "The Marquis promised the Eldest Young Madam. You must come," said Nanny Qiu. "I know. Do I need you to remind me?" Song Shulan's mind was entirely on the child in Princess Rongjia's belly. He only wanted to hurry to Wutong Yuan. He answered perfunctorily and strode off quickly toward Wutong Yuan. When he arrived at Wutong Yuan, the physician had just finished taking Princess Rongjia's pulse. He said the pregnancy was disturbed and she needed to rest quietly. "How could the pregnancy be disturbed for no reason?" Song Shulan thought of last night's events. Could it be that he had been too forceful? Wang Shanxi's Wife could see what the Marquis was thinking and hurriedly said, "The Princess was perfectly fine this morning. It was when Huadie came to pay her respects and spilled hot water on the Princess that she was startled." She didn't quite understand why the Princess wanted to suppress Huadie. Huadie was the Princess's own person, after all. With Huadie attending to the Marquis, the Princess should have felt at ease. Princess Rongjia's eyes were red. "My lord, don't blame Huadie. She was careless." "Since she's so clumsy, let her reflect in the courtyard for half a month. Don't let her out!" After Song Shulan finished speaking, he noticed Concubine Zhao was also present. He hadn't seen her in a long while. Seeing her delicate and pretty features, he couldn't help but take a second look. Concubine Zhao tactfully withdrew without saying much. She knew Princess Rongjia was fiercely jealous. That fool Huadie came to pay respects every time and talked about how well the Marquis treated her—how could Princess Rongjia bear it? Concubine Zhao knew she was no longer young. If she didn't seize the chance to have a child now, it would only get harder later. Life under the Eldest Young Madam was stable, but perhaps too stable. The small share of affection she received wasn't enough to give her a better life. With no one else left in the room, Princess Rongjia leaned against Song Shulan's chest. "My lord, I was so scared just now. I was afraid... I was afraid..." "Don't be afraid. I'm here. I'll stay with you." Seeing Princess Rongjia cry, Song Shulan felt a sharp ache in his heart. Princess Rongjia pulled Song Shulan into an afternoon nap. Only when evening came did she suddenly exclaim, "Oh no, I forgot today is Sister Cui's birthday. My lord, you should go quickly. Don't let Sister Cui be upset." "What about you?" "I'm much better now, and Wang Shanxi's Wife is here. My lord needn't worry about me. Sister Cui and I already have so many misunderstandings between us. If you don't even go see her on such an important day, I'm afraid she'll hate me even more." Princess Rongjia pressed her lips together, looking pitiful as she pushed Song Shulan away. Song Shulan held Princess Rongjia for a good while before finally heading to Qiushuang Zhai. By the time he arrived at Qiushuang Zhai, the ladies and young misses had all left. Cui Lingrong was sitting in the courtyard drinking tea with Yu-jie. Song Yu saw her father and was still angry. She called out "Father" and then said nothing more. "Lingrong, I..." "The Marquis needn't explain. The child in the Princess's belly is more important." "I truly meant to come celebrate your birthday and keep you company. How about we invite Madam Wu and the others over another day for a meal?" Song Shulan saw how calm Cui Lingrong was and suddenly felt very unsettled. Cui Lingrong said there was no need. "Everyone has their own affairs. The fact that they could come today to show their support is already very gracious of them. I already said—the child in the Princess's belly is more important. I'm not angry." From beginning to end, she only glanced at Song Shulan once. The rest of the time, her gaze stayed fixed on the teacup in her hands. But Song Shulan knew that the calmer Cui Lingrong appeared, the angrier she truly was. He gave Nanny Qiu a look, and Nanny Qiu led Yu-jie away. Only then did Song Shulan sit down beside Cui Lingrong. "Lingrong, the Princess's pregnancy is still unstable. I truly couldn't manage running between both places. I know you're angry with me. Tell me—what compensation do you want? I'll give you anything." Cui Lingrong almost laughed. The Princess's pregnancy was unstable—was Song Shulan some kind of miracle cure? "Even if you couldn't leave the Princess's side, the Marquis could have at least shown his face for a moment." Cui Lingrong sighed and shook her head. "But the Marquis didn't come. I know. I understand. I won't hold it against you, and I won't make a scene. So why say all this now?" Song Shulan: "I..." "Or would the Marquis be willing to give me the agate from Cuilou, or perhaps some shop fronts and farmland?" Cui Lingrong looked at Song Shulan seriously. She was truly disappointed. Why couldn't Song Shulan keep even such a simple promise? Others might not dare say it, but she understood—because when the two sides were compared, in Song Shulan's eyes, Wutong Yuan mattered more. As for her birthday, what did it count for? Song Shulan furrowed his thick brows. "Lingrong, you were never this materialistic before." "I'm not asking for these things. But even a child knows an apology must be sincere. I want to see whether the Marquis truly still has me in his heart. My lord, you wouldn't be unwilling to give them, would you?" Cui Lingrong gazed at Song Shulan, taking in every expression on his face. He hesitated. He was reluctant. He begrudged the expense. The more he was, the more Cui Lingrong wanted him to give it to her. Because she was no longer that foolish woman who devoted herself entirely to the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, thinking only of giving. "Since the Marquis is unwilling to give it, then forget it." Cui Lingrong turned her head away. "I told you, I'm not angry. Please return, Marquis." Seeing Cui Lingrong like this, Song Shulan lost patience and turned to leave Qiushuang Zhai. Nanny Qiu saw the Marquis leave and came over. "Why are you quarreling with the Marquis?" "Shouldn't I be angry?" With no one else around now, Cui Lingrong no longer hid her true feelings. "He promised he would come, but Princess Rongjia said her stomach hurt, and he was gone all day. He wouldn't even give me that face. What does he take me for?" "Nanny Qiu, I'm human too. I feel joy, I feel anger. I'm not the unfeeling clay bodhisattva everyone says I am." Cui Lingrong took a deep breath, but still couldn't calm down. "Tell me, he didn't even send a single person to inform me, as if he'd completely forgotten about it. Men are all the same—none of them are any good!" Nanny Qiu wanted to console her but couldn't find the words. Every move the Marquis made caused her mistress too much disappointment. "Enough, let's not talk about this. Talking won't help anyway. He wouldn't even say a few kind words, let alone expect him to give me land and shops." Cui Lingrong laughed bitterly at herself and rose to walk inside. Today Sister Yuan had said that she had done right by the Duke of Dingguo's heir—serving him her whole life and bearing much gossip and slander. She had no need to keep guarding herself for his sake. Even though the Duchess of Dingguo had offered generous terms, she refused them all, waiting only three months before she would return home. She had said, "I only came to understand at this age that life is just one lifetime. Happy is one day, unhappy is one day. The dead are dead. Why should I still care about those accusations?" She said there was no need to care. In the second half of her life, she would be willful. Though many wouldn't understand, it was enough that she understood herself. At this moment, Cui Lingrong envied Sister Yuan's ability to do this. If she had to abandon her children now, abandon everything she had fought for in the Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion, she didn't seem to have that courage yet. After entering the room, Cui Lingrong picked up the account books to keep herself busy. When there's work to do, one doesn't overthink. Meanwhile, Song Shulan went to Concubine Zhao's quarters and complained about Cui Lingrong. "I merely forgot for a moment, and I did eventually go to Qiushuang Zhai, yet she sulked with me. She said she wasn't angry but wouldn't even look at me. Don't you think she's changed?" Concubine Zhao was delighted to see the Marquis come over. She only wanted to hurry and pull the Marquis into making a child. While listening to his complaints, she leaned against his chest. "Since you're unhappy, just ignore the First Madam for a while. She's always been like this—she'll be fine in a few days." She reached to touch the Marquis's cheek, but Song Shulan was not in the mood for intimacy. Getting no emotional response from Concubine Zhao, he rose and went to the adjoining quarters. Concubine Zhang was surprised the Marquis had come. Hearing that it was about the First Madam's birthday, she poured him a cup of tea. "The First Madam's anger shows she was hoping you would come. What woman doesn't want her husband to dote on her?" These words struck a chord with Song Shulan. Yes, Lady Cui still had him in her heart—that was why she was angry. "Marquis, go coax the First Madam. She doesn't ask for much." Concubine Zhang remembered the First Madam's kindness and was willing to speak a few good words for her. Song Shulan thought for a moment and gave an "mm." "Tomorrow I'll have Qingshan deliver the land deed to her. If she's still angry after that, then she's just being difficult." That night, Song Shulan stayed at Concubine Zhang's quarters. She was, after all, the one who had served him the longest, and Song Shulan spent a comfortable night there. Early the next morning, Qingshan delivered the land deed to Qiushuang Zhai. Cui Lingrong looked at the deed for five mu of fertile farmland, as if in a dream. So it turned out that a woman couldn't be too understanding—only women who cried got the rewards. Today she fully understood that saying. After accepting the land deed, Cui Lingrong had Nanny Qiu wrap up some pastries and sent them with Qingshan to give to Song Shulan. She knew to quit while ahead, lest next time Song Shulan wouldn't send the land deed. Not long after Qingshan left, Er Shun, whom she had sent to investigate Princess Rongjia's former husband's household, returned. She hurriedly had him brought in.