Chapter 363 The Wind Got Strong and the Trouble Started…
Because it was the eve of the Spring Festival and there were a ceremony of wors.h.i.+pping the ancestors and a family banquet in the evening, Shui Ruolan did not take a nap in the afternoon and spent the afternoon listening to the supervisors of the inner court reporting various affairs. There were tremendous affairs to handle today. Qionghua had advised her to take a nap repeatedly, but she still refused to do that and forced herself to hold on.
Qionghua was extremely anxious. Failing to persuade Shui Ruolan, she could only invite Qin Wanru to come over. After Qin Wanru helped her persuade Shui Ruolan, Shui Ruolan obediently went into the inner room and had a rest.
In the outer room, two concubines helped Shui Ruolan handle the affairs, while Qin Wanru sat behind the screen in the outer room and went through the account book which Shui Ruolan had gone through.
In addition to a few account books of the supervisors of the inner court, the rest were sent from outside. They recorded the profits from the stores bought by the Qin’s Mansion after the Qin’s Mansion moved to the capital, and the profits looked pretty good.
Shui Ruolan had listened to the supervisors reporting outside, while going through the account books. The two concubines handled the main affairs outside. Shui Ruolan only talked when noticing something wrong.
The two concubines had known that Qin Wanru sat behind the screen instead of Shui Ruolan. They would never bother Qin Wanru if they could handle the affairs. Qin Wanru sat there comfortably.
Qin Wanru casually went through the account books, while calculating the profits of her store in a good mood. Although her store was not big, the profits were pretty good. Madame Dong did well in this indeed and began to make profits in such a short time.
Shui Ruolan hadn’t slept for a long time. About an hour later, she got up and sat back behind the screen to go through the account books. With nothing else to do, Qin Wanru continued to accompany her beside. She picked up Shui Ruolan’s needle and thread randomly and began to do the embroidery for her.
It was still quiet behind the screen, and Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanru were both attentive.
“Two concubines, two concubines, something terrible happened to Madam Di!” An old maid ran in in a panic.
Qin Wanru put down the needle and thread in her hand, and looked out through the screen. She could not see it clearly, but only faintly saw that more than an old maid came. She silently lifted the corners of her mouth. As she expected, Madam Di would not leave willingly.
If Madam Di didn’t want to leave, she could only make trouble to make herself look disadvantaged. In the entire mansion, Shui Ruolan was the only one qualified to make Madam Di suffer a loss and quarrel with Madam Di. If Madam Di confronted Qin Wanru, she would be considered bullying a child. If Madam Di confronted grandma, grandma was not in charge of the mansion now.
Since Shui Ruolan was in charge of the mansion, Shui Ruolan should be the one Madam Di intended to confront. Qin Wanru didn’t leave in a hurry, because she had expected such a scene. But she didn’t know what Madam Di was going to do. Would Madam Di be cruel enough to herself?
Shui Ruolan also raised her head, frowned and listened intently without talking.
“What happened to Madam Di?” Aunt Xu asked and had eye contact with Aunt Dong at the opposite side. They did not dare to ignore any actions of Madam Di. They both lived under the control of Madam Di for so many years, so they naturally knew Madam Di was not easy to deal with.
“There’s something wrong with the pastries Madam Di ate this morning. She vomited so seriously that she has pa.s.sed out now!” the supervisor said with her legs trembling, reached out to drag the old maid beside and said anxiously, “Nanny Zhou, Madam Di’s intimate old maid, went to the kitchen to ask about it. I’ve brought her here, but she said she didn’t know what made Madam Di get sick!”
“This is the old maid who made the pastries?” Aunt Dong asked with a frown.
“Yes, Nanny Zhou said that Madam Di ate the pastries made by her. However, besides Madam Di, many people in the kitchen have eaten the pastries. Why is Madam Di the only one who got sick?” the supervisor said.
“Mesdames, I really don’t know anything. The pastries are all right, and I made them this morning. In the morning, Nanny Zhou came to pick up the pastries. I was busy at that time, so I asked her to pick them up. I didn’t expect that… It has nothing to do with me…”
The old maid making the pastries complained of being wronged.
Shui Ruolan exchanged a glance with Qin Wanru and coughed in a low voice. The voices outside were lowered, because they knew that Madam Shui was about to speak.
“Have you asked a doctor to come over?” Shui Ruolan asked softly.
“Someone has been sent to ask,” the supervisor of the kitchen said. At that time, she immediately asked Nanny Zhou to ask a doctor to come over after knowing this. However, Nanny Zhou was truculent and tended to seize the old maid making the pastries. So they had wasted a lot of time. Later, Nanny Zhou finally left after being repeatedly reminded by her.
“Where is the one going to ask?” Qin Wanru blinked slightly and asked.
“It is said that the one is going to the front door. There is a doctor with great medical skills. The doctor has treated Madam Di before, and Nanny Zhou said that he’s great!”
The supervisor reported.
“Send someone to ask another doctor to come over!” Qin Wanru said softly.
“What?” The old maid froze for a moment and didn’t understand.
“Send someone to ask another doctor to come here, and the doctor should be famous in the capital. Yujie, you should go there as well and remember to ask the doctor whom we asked last time!” Qin Wanru said again.
She was talking about the doctor who had made a diagnosis for Ning Caixian and found that Ning Caixian was not sick. His ancestors had worked as imperial physicians in the palace. It was said that he had inherited the great medical skills, but he did not enter the palace as an imperial physician because of something. Nevertheless, he had a good reputation in the capital.
This was the reason why when he said that Ning Caixian was not sick, everyone around him believed it immediately.
“Okay, I’ll set out immediately!” Yujie nodded and left.
“Tell me everything again!” Qin Wanru said again.
“Yes, Second Miss!” The supervisor instantly told the whole affair from beginning to end again, including how Nanny Zhou came to the kitchen, how she made a scene after reaching the kitchen and then hurriedly went to seek a doctor after being reminded repeatedly by the supervisor, and that she had spent much time on her journey to seek a doctor.
After the supervisor finished talking, Qin Wanru looked down and looked towards Shui Ruolan after thinking for a while.
“I’ll go and have a look!” Shui Ruolan stood up and said.
“Mother, are you going to see Madam Di now?” Qin Wanru also stood up and said with a glimmer of deepness across her watery eyes. Being in charge of the mansion, coupled with her character, Shui Ruolan should go and have a look at this moment.
“Something like this happened. I should go and have a look!” Shui Ruolan said helplessly.
“Where is father? Would you like to inform him now and ask him to go and have a look?” Qin Wanru suggested.
“Your father isn’t at home at this moment. He went out to deal with something after lunch and hasn’t returned yet!” Shui Ruolan shook her head helplessly.
Her father was absent, and her grandma was not in good health. Only her mother and she were left. She was still young, so it was only proper for her mother to go there and have a look. It was such a coincidence.
“Mother, let me go there!” Qin Wanru felt worried about letting Shui Ruolan going there and suggested.
“It… it’s improper for you…” Shui Ruolan looked at Qin Wanru and said hesitantly.
“Well, I’ll go there with mother.” Qin Wanru reached out to hold Shui Ruolan’s hand and said with a smile.
“Okay!” Seeing Qin Wanru’s resolute face, Shui Ruolan said helplessly.
The two concubines stayed to continue handling the affairs, while Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanru went to Madam Di’s yard. On their way, they came across Qin Yuru, who had got the news and were heading for the Yulan Pavilion in tears.
Qin Yuru, who cried anxiously with fl.u.s.ter, even fell down and almost b.u.mped into Shui Ruolan. After getting up with the help of others, she didn’t even glance at Shui Ruolan, hurried to the Yulan Pavilion and ignored Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanru.
Qin Wanru had reached out to drag Shui Ruolan. Fortunately she responded quickly, otherwise at this time Shui Ruolan would have been knocked down. Qin Wanru watched Qin Yuru stumble ahead, with a trace of sharpness across her eyes. Madam Di and her daughter had never forgotten the Shui Ruolan’s unborn baby and did not miss any chance to hurt the baby.
“Mother, walk slowly behind me. Qionghua, pay more attention!” Qin Wanru told Qionghua, for fear that Madam Di would hurt Shui Ruolan’s unborn baby at any cost.
“Second Miss, rest a.s.sured. I will protect Madam!” Qionghua said. All of Shui Ruolan’s maids knew that Madam Di desperately wanted to prevent Shui Ruolan from giving birth to the baby.
Several people reached the Yulan Pavilion together. Upon their arrival at the door, they suddenly saw Nanny Zhou run out from inside and almost b.u.mp into Qionghua who was in front of them. Qionghua nimbly grabbed her hand and barely made her stand firm.
“Nanny Zhou, what’s the matter?” Shui Ruolan asked coldly.
“Madam Shui, please, please ask the general to come here. Our Madam is about to die…” With her face changing dramatically, Nanny Zhou reached out to hold Shui Ruolan, but was blocked by Qionghua.
“Madam Di is going to die?” Qin Wanru asked, raising her eyebrows.
“Our Madam… is going to die… Madam Shui, please save our Madam. I’m kowtowing to you. Please save our Madam!” Nanny Zhou immediately knelt and kowtowed heavily to Shui Ruolan several times. She did it so hard that there was a bruise appearing and some faint scratches on her forehead at once.
“Help Nanny Zhou up!” Qin Wanru commanded, and the two old maids, who followed Shui Ruolan here, immediately walked over and helped Nanny Zhou up.
“Second Miss, Second Miss, Madam Shui, you can’t be so cruel. Please save our Madam. Our Madam was fine a moment ago. Why would she be so sick suddenly? Madam Shui… Madam Shui, even if our Madam has done anything offensive to you, how do you want to deal with her since she’s so sick now. Everything will belong to you!”
Nanny Zhou struggled, while crying loudly. She made such a scene that several maids, who were pa.s.sing by, were all frightened and hid aside. They were all confused. Did it mean that the two Mesdames openly confronted and fought with each other?
“Nanny Zhou, tell me what’s wrong with Madam Di?” Shui Ruolan said with slightly cold eyes. She could tell that Madam Di was in a terrible situation at first glance.
“Madam Shui, please, please let go of our Madam!” Nanny Zhou struggled strenuously in an attempt to free herself from two old maids. Unfortunately, the two old maids were very strong. Nanny Zhou was dragged to a corner, shouting in an increasingly loud voice.
“Mother, let me have a look!” Qin Wanru glanced at Nanny Zhou who desperately s.h.i.+fted the blame onto Shui Ruolan. Seeing this situation, Qin Wanru knew that Shui Ruolan would not be able to go inside in a while, so she proposed.
Seeing the current situation, Shui Ruolan also knew that this was the best solution. So she nodded instantly.
Qin Wanru walked towards the main room. However, before reaching the door of the main room, she suddenly heard Qin Yuru’s sharp voice, “Mother!” It was followed by the sound of striking…