Chapter 524: To Go for Wool and Come Home Shorn
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Wen Xinya had discussed the related issues regarding the supplements brand with Yan Shaoqing at Lanxin Cosmetics and only returned to the Wen Family at 3 P.M. in the afternoon.
However, she b.u.mped into Mother w.a.n.g at the entrance—she was carrying many bags in her hands and looking worn out. “Mother w.a.n.g, isn’t Butler Yu in charge of the purchases at home? Why are you still out purchasing things when it’s already in the afternoon?”
Mother w.a.n.g said with fatigue on her face, “Step-madam was having a poor appet.i.te, couldn’t stomach any food, and got me to go and buy some fresh fruits and vegetables from the supermarket to change things.”
Mother w.a.n.g didn’t look too good. Step-madam had already returned to the Wen Family for a week. As she had a poor appet.i.te, she often grumbled that she didn’t like the food that she cooked. The fire on the stove was always on—she wanted fruit tea and pastries this moment, soup the next moment, and then she wanted fruits that weren’t available at home…
She had more than seven meals a day.
She complained to Old Madam and Old Master about the most trivial matters. Old Madam treasured the baby in her belly and didn’t dare to treat her carelessly, and Old Master also treated her like a gem.
The helpers at home had all been tortured by her at least once. A few days ago, Mother Zhou had been reprimanded by Old Master for adding slightly more sugar to the custard made for her. Thereafter, it had alarmed Old Madam who actually drove Mother Zhou out of the Wen Family.
Based on poor Mother Zhou’s family situation, with the loss of this salary, the Zhou Family would have a difficult time surviving.
Everyone in the Wen Family was terrified and didn’t dare to offend her.
“Mother w.a.n.g, you have so much on your hands. Let me help you with some of them.” Wen Xinya reached out to receive the plastic bags in her hands. Although Ning Shuqian looked slightly pale, her pair of eyes glowed radiantly and didn’t look like she had bad morning sickness. She was plainly looking for ways to torture the helpers at home, wanting to establish her power using this opportunity.
Ning Shuqian was indeed brilliant. Since she wasn’t successful at establis.h.i.+ng her power at the Wen Family, she used Old Mrs. Wen and Wen Haowen as her s.h.i.+elds and looked for ways to torture the servants.
Mother w.a.n.g hurriedly shook her head. “No, no need. I can handle these.”
Wen Xinya insisted on taking over a plastic bag and said, “Mother w.a.n.g, you don’t have to stand on ceremony with me.”
Wen Xinya knew that ever since she returned to the Wen Family, Mother w.a.n.g had been helping her a lot. Without mentioning others… in the eyes of everyone, she was a little thug who had led a wandering life for fifteen years. Even if Grandpa approved of her, there was still the Old Mrs. Wen who hated her. These helpers in the old mansion were used to taking cues from their employers, how could they serve her so wholeheartedly—because, in her past life, she knew that Mother w.a.n.g had actually been helping her all along.
The fact that she could establish her power and a strong foothold in the Wen Family was credited to Mother w.a.n.g.
Mother w.a.n.g was deeply appreciative as she walked towards the living room together with Wen Xinya.
As they approached the entrance of the living room, they heard Ning Shuqian complaining to Old Mrs. Wen in sobs about Mother w.a.n.g becoming conceited from being treated well.
Wen Xinya’s expression became cold as her eyes glowed with a bone-piercing chill and a vague sharpness of ice—moving back to the old mansion of the Wen Family, Ning Shuqian came well-prepared.
The first step was to use the opportunity to establish her power in the Wen Family. Previously, her plot fell through, so she targeted the senior helper, Mother Zhou.
The second step was to eliminate opposing forces, to drive Mother w.a.n.g out of the Wen Family, leaving her alone and without help in the Wen Family.
Mother w.a.n.g’s expression instantly became gloomy as she prepared to rush into the living room. However, Wen Xinya reached out with her other hand to stop her, shaking her head towards her silently.
Mother w.a.n.g’s aged face was empty and pale. Her brain was preoccupied with the scene of Mother Zhou being chased out of the Wen Family. Although Old Master knew about it subsequently and chided Old Madam slightly, there was no mention of getting Mother Zhou back.
Actually, she knew that in Old Master’s heart, he also cherished the baby in Ning Shuqian’s belly. She used Mother Zhou as a warning to everyone in the Wen Family to not neglect Ning Shuqian.
In the many years that she had been with the Wen Family, she had served the employers of the Wen Family to the best of her ability and didn’t expect to still end up like this at an old age. Instantly, she felt waves of coldness in her heart.
Wen Xinya looked at the few plastic bags in Mother w.a.n.g’s hands and purposely asked in a shocked manner, “Oh, Mother w.a.n.g, are you cooking tonight? Grandpa loves your Anhui cuisine.”
Mother w.a.n.g quickly reacted, hurriedly calmed her emotions down, and answered, “Old Master’s appet.i.te hasn’t been great lately, so I’m thinking of cooking some of his favorite Anhui cuisine to hopefully whet his appet.i.te.”
Old Mr. Wen loved the Anhui cuisine that she cooked. Mentioning Old Mr. Wen would make Old Mrs. Wen reconsider instead of being led by the nose by Ning Shuqian.
Wen Xinya looked into the plastic bags and said, “These fruits look very fresh and are the rarities of this season. Mother w.a.n.g, you must have been to many supermarkets to get them!”
Mother w.a.n.g got the hint and said purposely, “Step-madam is pregnant and has a poor appet.i.te. I’ve been wanting to make something more appealing to her these few days. Today, I suddenly recalled a kind of fruit paste from my hometown that is very nutritious and appetizing. Thus, I’ve run to a few supermarkets to get some fruits.”
Old Mrs. Wen and Ning Shuqian looked towards the entrance and saw Mother w.a.n.g holding bags of various sizes—even Wen Xinya was helping to hold a bag—as the two of them walked into the living room chatting happily.
Just like this, Ning Shuqian’s words got stuck in her throat as she looked at Wen Xinya in shock, a teardrop still stuck on her eyelashes. Her thoughtful plot was ruined by a mere few words from Wen Xinya.
Old Mrs. Wen’s anger instantly vanished without a trace. Mother w.a.n.g was a senior helper at home, knew the Old Man’s food preferences the best, and also whipped up Anhui cuisines that the Old Man praised endlessly. The Old Man’s appet.i.te had indeed been poor these few days—she didn’t expect Mother w.a.n.g to actually realize.
She then recalled previously when Mo Yunyao was pregnant, she had been in a worse condition than Ning Shuqian, vomiting everything she ate and couldn’t stand the least bit of oiliness. She had exactly pushed through by consuming Mother w.a.n.g’s fruit paste which was very c.u.mbersome to prepare. She had tasted it before—it had indeed tasted very good—she didn’t expect Mother w.a.n.g to be so thoughtful.
It then occurred to her that with Mother Zhou out of the Wen Family, not only did Mother w.a.n.g now had to serve her and the Old Man, she also had to take care of the pregnant Ning Shuqian. Inevitably, she could have done better, but it was also understandable.
Thinking of which, she said, “Mother w.a.n.g’s fruit paste tastes extremely good and is also very nutritious. Previously, the outlook for Yunyao’s pregnancy wasn’t good, and she had precisely pushed through with the fruit paste.”
“Didn’t… didn’t expect Mother w.a.n.g to actually be so thoughtful.” She could forget about driving Mother w.a.n.g out of the Wen Family, because… indeed, the Old Man loved Mother w.a.n.g’s Anhui cuisine. Although Old Mrs. Wen and Wen Haowen sang the same tune, they cared about the Old Man. For the Old Man, they wouldn’t do anything to Mother w.a.n.g.
Old Mrs. Wen smiled, patted her hand, and said, “With Mother w.a.n.g’s fruit paste, you’ll definitely give birth to a healthy baby and help to expand the Wen Family.”
When Mo Yunyao was pregnant, she had been through hards.h.i.+p a hundred times worse than Ning Shuqian. If she could successfully give birth to a healthy baby with Mother w.a.n.g’s fruit paste, Ning Shuqian could naturally do so as well.
Listening to Old Mrs. Wen’s admiration towards Mother w.a.n.g, she felt hot-headed, like she had gone for wool but came home shorn. Instantly, she shot her icy cold glare towards Wen Xinya.
Wen Xinya met Ning Shuqian’s glare with an icy cold sharpness in her eyes.
And Mother w.a.n.g looked at Miss thankfully. Previously, as she heard Ning Shuqian complain to Old Madam, she had instantly felt disheartened. Now, it became a slight disappointment. Luckily, Miss was quick-witted and used such a method to eliminate her danger.