Union

Chapter 9 Difficult to deal with
Lady Hou is trying to persuade her daughter, Shuqing, to go and take care of her son-in-law in the place where he has been sent to work. It would be good if they could cultivate some affection between husband and wife, and even if they couldn't, at least she could get pregnant.

Unfortunately, Lin Shuqing paid no attention to these words. Instead, she looked annoyed and impatient with her mother's lecturing.

She should live a good life with her husband and have children as soon as possible. Doesn't she know these things?

But Chen Yanzhou was not her ideal man, and she was not liked by Chen Yanzhou. It was difficult for the two of them not to hate each other, so how could they share a bed and have children?
Lin Shuqing thought of Chen Yanzhou's cold and aloof appearance and couldn't help but purse her lips in annoyance.

Even if she were to swallow her pride and beg for an heir, Chen Yanzhou would likely not give it to her.

The two of them loathed each other.

Lin Shuqing said impatiently, "Mother, please have some pity for your daughter. The greatest suffering I've ever endured since birth was falling into the water during the Ghost Festival last year. That almost cost me my life, and that was right in front of you. You almost made me die, and now you want me to go to a place thousands of miles away? Aren't you worried that I might lose my life there, and you won't even be able to see me one last time?"

Lin Shuqing spoke without thinking, but Lady Hou couldn't stand her words.

The thought of her daughter being brought back soaking wet on the Ghost Festival, and then suffering from a high fever for three days and three nights before finally waking up, still terrifies her. Upon hearing that her daughter had lost her life in Lingnan, Lady Hou was nearly scared out of her wits.

Even the usually dignified and composed Lady Hou was somewhat flustered at this moment. She slapped Lin Shuqing's arm and glared at her sternly, "You child, what nonsense are you spouting? Bodhisattva, don't listen to her childish ramblings. She's just being silly and ignorant. Bodhisattva, please bless my Qing'er so that she may be safe and healthy. I will make a golden statue for you later."

After praying to the Buddha, Lady Hou glared at her ignorant and arrogant youngest daughter, saying, "If you dare to talk nonsense again, I'll break your legs."

Lin Shuqing reluctantly compromised, "I know, I won't say it again, okay? But Mother, please don't force me to go to Lingnan. It's a poor and remote place, I really can't endure that kind of hardship."

Having said all that, how could Madam Hou dare to threaten her daughter? She could only point at her with a finger, exasperated, and say, "You'll regret this someday."

Lin Shuqing was overjoyed to see that Madam Hou had agreed. She hugged her mother's waist and kept acting coquettishly, "I knew Mother loved me the most, Mother is the best to me."

"What else can you do besides acting cute and silly?" The words were spoken with disdain, but the expression on the Lady Hou's face was full of affection.

Thinking about it carefully, Shuqing's words did make sense. She was a pampered young lady, and she wanted to go to Lingnan to suffer—was Lingnan even a place for a human to live?
Even strong and healthy men can't withstand the strain and collapse over there. Let alone her daughter, who has been raised in a wealthy family since childhood.

Whether her daughter's life or her future grandson was more important, Lady Hou knew perfectly well.

All I could do was sigh and say helplessly, "If you don't want to go, then don't go. As you said, I've had Liu Mama pick out a few well-behaved girls for you from the village. Do you think they're acceptable? If they are, then send them to Lingnan as soon as possible."

The son-in-law's appointment was made hastily, and he left in a hurry. Judging by the time, it's been almost half a month since he left Beijing. If they don't send the person over soon, the son-in-law will accept bribes from the other side, which will put their daughter in a difficult position later.

Upon hearing Madam Hou's words, Lin Shuqing nonchalantly curled her lip and said, "What's it difficult for me? I don't care at all. If it weren't for not wanting my mother-in-law to put people around Chen Yanzhou, I wouldn't even be planning to send someone to serve him."

"You child, why do you say such things?" Lady Hou glared at her again. "She is still your mother-in-law. Whether in public or in private, you must show her the respect she deserves. Listen to me carefully, you dare not talk nonsense in the future. Otherwise, if you get into the habit and let something slip, there will be no place for you in that mansion."

Lin Shuqing pouted again, but this time Madam Hou did not indulge her daughter. She said sternly, "Remember this, just this once. If you dare to let me hear you say anything bad about your mother-in-law again, you will kneel in the ancestral hall and copy scriptures."

"Okay, I won't say it again, alright?" Lin Shuqing pouted. "I only said it in front of you, I know my limits."

Just as Lady Hou was about to continue scolding her daughter, a maidservant announced from outside the door, "Madam, several young ladies have come to pay their respects."

Lady Hou immediately stopped saying anything, but instead pulled her daughter to sit down beside her.

At this point, Liu's mother stopped pretending to be invisible. Seeing that the dignified mother and daughter had finally calmed down, she called out, "Let them both come in."

Yunying and the others bowed their heads respectfully, looked at the ground, and entered the room in an orderly manner, where they obediently greeted the Lady of the Marquis.

Lady Hou glanced at the young ladies, but because they were bowing their heads, she couldn't see their faces clearly. However, the young ladies in the estate were all quite beautiful, and they had learned their manners well; at least they were presentable in general.

Lady Hou said, "Get up, everyone."

Yunying and the others then agreed and slowly stood up.

"Look up, everyone, let me see you."

Yunying and the others responded "Yes" again, and all raised their heads, but they dared not look directly at Madam Hou, instead looking at the area below Madam Hou's neck.

However, that one glance when she looked up was enough for Yunying and the others to see the Lady of the Marquis's appearance clearly.

Lady Hou was actually over forty years old, but judging from her appearance, she looked no more than thirty.

Her hair was styled in a low bun, and her expression was calm and undisturbed. She wore a lotus-blue double-embroidered satin dress, and her hair was adorned with only a large hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers and jewels. It was an extremely ordinary outfit, but her aura was too majestic and dignified. Her eyes, though they merely swept over with a light and indifferent gaze, sent chills down one's spine, as if goosebumps had risen all over one's body.

Yunying and the others breathed softly for a moment, and their expressions became more respectful.

Everyone remained silent as the Lady of the Marquis scrutinized them. It was at this moment that a beautiful, extravagantly dressed young woman sitting beside the Lady of the Marquis, with an arrogant demeanor, spoke up. "This must be the third young lady of the household."

She bore a striking resemblance to Lady Hou, possessing a beautiful face. However, her raised eyebrows, pursed lips, and narrowed eyes that held a scrutinizing and disdainful air suggested she was not an easy person to deal with.

Lin Shuqing asked, "Are those to be sent to the Duke of Rong's mansion?"

Lady Hou didn't say anything, but picked up the teacup next to her and started drinking tea.

Madam Liu quickly stepped forward with a smile and pointed to Yunying and the other two. Then she said to Lin Shuqing with a smile, "These three are Yunying, Mujin, and Qiuning. Please see if they suit your taste. If you don't like them, I will find you others."

Lin Shuqing said, "What does it matter whether they suit my taste or not? These people aren't meant to serve me. They're meant to be sent to the young master's side, so as long as they suit his taste, that's fine."

Liu's mother was taken aback and stood frozen in place.

Lady Hou strongly disapproved of her daughter's sarcastic remarks, feeling that she had lost the dignity of a noble lady from the Hou family.

Lin Shuqing was used to being lawless and unruly, and she was unmoved by her mother's glare.

She continued to scrutinize Yunying and the other two with a critical eye. Yunying was aloof and ethereal, Qiuning appeared gentle and virtuous, and Mujin was petite and delicate, with a tender and considerate demeanor when she looked at people... In short, each of them had their own merits.

Lin Shuqing gave a light hum: "Your name is Yunying?" she asked Yunying, then looked at Mujin, "Your name is Mujin?"

Yunying and Mujin both tensed up, stepped forward, and bowed respectfully, replying, "This servant is Yunying" and "This servant is Mujin."

Lin Shuqing looked at them carefully. "Hibiscus flowers are elegant and aloof, while orioles are delicate and charming. In my opinion, you two have the wrong names. It would be better if you switched them."

The room fell silent for a moment.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have readily agreed to Lin Shuqing's request to curry favor with their master. But Mu Jin was truly timid, and for a moment she was so frightened that she kept saying "Servant, servant" without actually saying it. "If Miss thinks it's good, then this servant will be called Yun Ying from now on." This only made Lin Shuqing more annoyed, and she scolded, "Alright, if you don't want to change it, then don't."

"This servant...this servant..." Mu Jin's face flushed red. She wanted to change; the madam told her to change, so of course she would. But the madam didn't wait for her to finish speaking.

Lin Shuqing waved her hand dismissively, as if shooing away flies, telling them to hurry up and leave.

Lady Hou seemed to realize that her daughter's annoyance was not only due to Mulan's stutter, but there seemed to be some other reason, though she herself was unaware of it.

Lady Hou tentatively asked, "How about... we don't see these three off, and you go and take care of the young master? You and the young master are husband and wife, and I'm sure he doesn't say it, but he's hoping you'll come over."

Yunying raised her eyelids slightly, Mujin clenched her fists, and Qiuning seemed to unconsciously take a half step forward.

Yunying pretended not to see these scenes and continued to listen to the mother and daughter talking above her with her head down.

Lin Shuqing was initially a little uneasy, but when her mother suggested not to give the gift away, she panicked and became unhappy again, and her discomfort immediately disappeared.

Afraid her mother would change her mind, she said impatiently, "Send them off, how can we not send them off? The people have already been chosen." Then she looked at Madam Hou with a wronged expression, "Mother, you still want me to go to Lingnan? Am I even your biological daughter? You don't care about me at all, you don't keep your word!"

Lady Hou clutched her head in exasperation. "I must have owed you something in my past life! Fine, if you don't want to go, then don't. But these three, if you want to send them off, then send them off quickly. However, they must be sent out of the Rongguo Duke's mansion. Sending them directly from the Hou mansion to the son-in-law's place is not proper." Things shouldn't be done that way; it's too impolite and too undignified.

Upon hearing this, Chen Shuqing stopped crying and started to laugh, then began to cling to Lady Hou and act coquettishly.

After that, Yunying and the other two had nothing more to do, and the Lady Hou began to carefully observe Jin Kui and the other three.

Seeing this, Chen Shuqing also stared at the four people with curiosity.

She had just heard her mother say that these people were to be sent to the Prince Zhaoyang's residence. As for why they were being sent to the Prince's residence, her mother didn't tell her, but she didn't care anyway.

Yunying and her seven companions were quickly dismissed.

As soon as I stepped out of the main room, the heat from outside hit me in the face, and it felt like I had entered a steam room.

There was an ice basin in the room just now, and everyone felt so comfortable when they went in. Now they are suffering so much when they come out.

Given the extreme heat, fearing heatstroke and tanning their fair skin, the young ladies didn't have time to say much. After leaving the Lady of the Marquis's courtyard, they hurried back to the courtyard where they had stayed the previous night.

Thank you, Mount Everest baby, for the 100 Qidian coins! Mwah! Is the flu particularly bad lately? My child's cough is driving me crazy. One cough gets better and another comes back. We've been to the hospital, given IV fluids, and taken to so many places, but nothing seems to work. Being a mom is so exhausting. I had another sleepless night last night, and woke up this morning feeling dizzy and nauseous. I'm so sleep-deprived I'm questioning my existence.

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(End of this chapter)