Chapter 252: Not to the Point of Fearing Him
Old Madam Luo asked herself in all honesty: among her three daughters-in-law, she had never mistreated any one of them. Yet she was biased; the eldest daughter-in-law didn’t have to do anything, while the second and third daughters-in-law had to do everything.
Even so, when Lady Liu left, she still departed without once looking back.
Old Madam Luo sighed. “The three children really aren’t at home. If you wish to see them, just come back another day.”
Lady Liu did not want to return to this village that filled her with humiliating memories in the slightest. The way those villagers looked at her made her whole body feel uncomfortable.
Thinking up to this point, Lady Liu asked directly, “Auntie Wen, you might as well tell me where Little Jun is studying medicine and where Datou is attending classes. I’ll just go see them, give them some things, and leave.”
Old Madam Luo cast a glance at her, thinking to herself: I’d be a fool to believe you. Yao’er told me to guard against you.
Although she didn’t know why Wen Yao told her to be careful of Lady Liu, Old Madam Luo still took it to heart.
Since Lady Liu was feigning grievance, then she would just play the role of helplessness.
They only saw Old Madam Luo let out a deep sigh. “This… is likely hard to manage. As you also know, we have separated houses with the eldest son. The matters of the three children are all decided by the eldest son himself. If I were to tell you where the three children are without going through his consent, and if something happens down the line, the eldest son probably won’t spare this old crone. You know what kind of person he is; your uncle and I cannot win against him.”
Lady Liu bit her silver teeth to pieces. This old woman was making it completely clear that she didn’t want her to see the children; otherwise, wouldn’t it be fine to just tell her the addresses of the academy and the medical clinic?
Hmph, don’t think that just because she didn’t speak, she would have no way.
Thinking here, Lady Liu was also too lazy to waste words with Old Madam Luo any further, rising directly to take her leave: “Then let it be. Sorry for the intrusion today. We are leaving.”
After speaking, Lady Liu let the maidservant and the old nanny support her as she walked straight outside, stepping into the horse carriage to drive off into the distance.
Old Madam Luo stood at the entrance, waving her hand in a theatrical manner. “Safe travels.”
Only when the carriage was out of sight did she let out a sigh of relief, complaining to Nanny Shi beside her, “What kind of madness is this girl Yao’er throwing again? This is her mother, so why did she have me guard against her?”
Nanny Shi had stayed in grand households and mixed in places like the capital; she had seen too many people like Lady Liu whose hearts and mouths did not match. She claimed she wanted to see the three children, yet she only kept her eyes on the Eldest Young Master and the youngest master to ask about them; she had only mentioned the Young Mistress once and never asked again.
She was afraid that it truly was as the Young Mistress said—it wasn’t as simple as just wanting to see them.
Could this lady be planning to come back and snatch a child from the Master?
The Eldest Young Master was already an adult and remembered things; it probably wouldn’t be easy for Lady Liu to take him away, so there was only the youngest master.
Thinking about her expression when she mentioned the youngest master just now, coupled with the old lady saying the youngest master could speak now, the look of joy between her brows couldn’t be hidden.
Indeed, for a child as young as the youngest master, living in a different environment for a few years would almost completely erase the things from the preceding few years.
What a calculation.
Nanny Shi felt she had discovered something extraordinary.
“Old Mistress, I will go to the winery to find the Young Mistress.” After speaking, Nanny Shi curtsied to Old Madam Luo and left.
Arriving at the winery, Wen Yao had moved a stool to sit beside the large furnace for distilling liquor. She held a stick in her hand, poking around in the stove hearth from time to time, while Little Hua’er and Miss Wen Ying squatted beside her.
“Young Mistress.” Nanny Shi ran over at a light jog all the way.
Wen Yao lifted her head to cast a glance at her. “Nanny, you’ve come at just the right time. We’ve roasted sweet potatoes and potatoes.”
Nanny Shi was anxious to death. At a time like this, the Young Mistress was still only thinking about eating. She cast a glance at Wen Ying and Hua’er, speaking warily, “Miss Ying, I have some matters I wish to speak with the Young Mistress alone. You and Hua’er…”
Wen Ying was very discerning. “Fine, understood. Hua’er, let’s go.” Saying this, she held Little Hua’er’s hand to go play with something else.
Wen Yao pointed at Wen Ying’s stool to let Nanny Shi sit down and speak. By now, Nanny Shi was already accustomed to her own master’s casual temperament anyway. Sitting down, she spoke directly, “Lady Liu has left.”
“Mm.” Wen Yao flipped the sweet potatoes and potatoes in the stove hearth once more.
Nanny Shi then related Lady Liu’s performance and what she had said, down to the smallest detail, to Wen Yao. At the very end, she even warily dropped hints and beat around the bush to remind Wen Yao that Lady Liu was likely coming with a purpose.
Listening to her words, Wen Yao suddenly felt that someone who had stayed in a grand household and experienced all kinds of inner residence battles truly had a different brain. She thought and saw much more than other people. This Lady Liu was described as quite a shrewd person in the original book, and after going to the capital, she had learned quite a few methods.
Yet it turned out to be just this; even Nanny Shi could see this transparent motive.
“Young Mistress, she wouldn’t truly be coming back to snatch the youngest master, would she?” Nanny Shi worried. The youngest master was such a well-behaved person; in a place like the capital, in case this man Lady Liu remarried had other children, the youngest master’s life would not be easy.
“Very likely.” Wen Yao looked completely calm. She had known it long ago.
Seeing her look not worried in the slightest, Nanny Shi grew anxious herself. “Young Mistress, we cannot let them take the youngest master away. The youngest master is such a well-behaved and pure person; a place like the capital is too complicated, and the youngest master will suffer a loss.”
The description of Datou in the original book couldn’t help but surface in Wen Yao’s mind, comparing it to the current little turnip head.
True, he was still quite well-behaved and pure right now, but it would be hard to say in the future.
“Rest assured, she won’t be able to take him away.”
Nanny Shi thought Wen Yao’er’s meaning was because Datou was a boy, and normally speaking, men carried the mission of passing down the family line, so a couple’s divorce couldn’t take a boy away. But she still said, “Young Mistress, although that is the case, the nanny accompanying Lady Liu today said their family’s Master is a fourth-rank official. This… in case they use authority to oppress people, what should we do?”
The Master was only a seventh-rank official; if they truly clashed, he would likely suffer a loss.
Wen Yao looked at the sweet potatoes and potatoes in the stove hearth. Feeling they were about ready, she poked them out one by one, placing them into a bamboo winnowing basket. Nanny Shi immediately raised the basket instinctively to toss them, shaking off the burnt parts on the surface.
Watching her actions, Wen Yao said, “Soldiers will be blocked by generals, and water will be covered by earth. Even if she truly wants to play tricks on us, there’s no need to fear. The one standing behind Dad is that one.” Wen Yao pointed at the sky, then said, “Furthermore, there is still Uncle Qiu; what is there to fear?”
A single Meng De, with Qiu Zhi’s network of connections, was not to the point of fearing him.
Although Nanny Shi didn’t know exactly what Manager Qiu’s background was, to be able to have such a good relationship with Prince Fu, he naturally wasn’t an ordinary person either.
It seemed it truly was her borrowing trouble.
Nanny Shi let out a sigh of relief, tossing the basket with even more effort. Once the charred parts on the surface were all tossed away, only then did Wen Yao call Wen Ying and Little Hua’er back. The few of them sat together, peeling the skin and eating them along with the chili powder Wen Yao made until they were half full before pattering back home.
When Wen Jun returned in the evening, he quietly told her and Wen Xiuyi that someone went to the medical clinic this afternoon to inquire about him. Manager Qiu also returned from picking up Datou and the others, saying that when he went to the academy today, the academy’s gatekeeper told him someone had inquired about Wen Zhao.
Only then did Wen Yao speak up: “Lady Liu came by this morning, and Grandma blocked her back.”
It seemed this lady couldn’t see the people from Old Madam Luo’s side, so she intended to go look for them herself.
