Chapter 162: Enduring in Silence
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
“Why did you visit the Marquis household? Pei Jiao Jiao dislikes you, my dear. What if she sees you and starts to harm you?” Madam Xu’s voice trembled with fear, haunted by the memory of Pei Jiao Jiao’s attempt to murder Chao Chao right after her birth. The mere thought of Chao Chao confronting that family alone filled her with dread.
“Me… me went ’cause…” Chao Chao began, her words tumbling out in a babyish manner. “Me wanted to potty on Lu Jing Yao’s face.”
Madam Xu blinked in confusion. “Potty on Lu Jing Yao’s face? What exactly do you mean by that?”
“Just like me said,” Chao Chao whispered softly.
Madam Xu gasped, her face twisting in shock. “Did you actually dump feces on her face?” she asked, her voice breaking with dismay. Having been a noblewoman for over three decades, she had never been involved in anything so crude.
Chao Chao nodded vigorously. “She bet and lost, so she had to face the consequences.”
Lowering her voice, Chao Chao added, “Mommy, me heard a big secret!”
“What secret?” Madam Xu leaned closer, her curiosity ignited.
Whispering, Chao Chao revealed, “Lu Jing Huai isn’t scummy daddy’s real son!”
“What did you just say? Lu Jing Huai is not his biological son?” Madam Xu stood up suddenly, her shock evident.
Chao Chao nodded affirmatively. “Yuhua heard it too.”
Yuhua quickly chimed in, “Madam, it’s true. It seems Pei Jiao Jiao couldn’t cope with the pressure and brought her lover into the marquis’s home.”
“The lover is now staying in the house and refuses to leave. I’m afraid this could lead to even more trouble,” Yuhua added.
Lost in thought, Madam Xu prompted Chao Chao to worry. “Mommy, what are you thinking about?” Chao Chao asked timidly.
“Regret…” Madam Xu sighed deeply.
Chao Chao’s heart raced. “R-regret what?” Her voice quivered, and tears welled up in her eyes. [Is she considering returning to them? No, this can’t be happening…]
“Mommy, are you thinking of going back to them?” Chao Chao asked, anxiety lacing her words.
“I regret not going with you!” Madam Xu finally revealed, a glint of satisfaction in her eyes.
Taken aback, Chao Chao declared, “He deserved it, that villain!”
“If he doesn’t appreciate his own legitimate child, then he deserves to be cuckolded!” Madam Xu’s eyes sparkled with a sense of justice.
How ludicrous it was. Lu Yuan Ze had ousted them in favor of Lu Jing Huai, only to end up with an illegitimate heir. Madam Xu relished the idea of seeing Lu Yuan Ze’s reaction when he discovered the truth. [Hmph, serves him right. The scholar son he so valued and coveted has been ousted…]
“Mommy, how did you find out I sneaked out?” Chao Chao inquired, her expression sad.
“Did you take chicken feet from the kitchen before you left?” Madam Xu asked slowly.
Chao Chao nodded, embarrassed.
“Nobody else here wanders around eating chicken feet except for you! And your dog…” Madam Xu pointed out, indicating the trail of chicken bones leading from the kitchen to the courtyard wall. “You still have grease around your mouth.”
Both Chao Chao and her dog sheepishly wiped their mouths. Clearly, pets mirror their owners.
While Chao Chao drifted into a deep sleep due to the night’s venture, the Marquis Zhongyong’s household endured a sleepless night.
“I’ll kill her! I’ll kill her!” Lu Jing Yao fumed, her grip tightening on Pei Jiao Jiao’s hand, almost crazed with anger. “It was Lu Chao Chao! Lu Chao Chao did this!” she exclaimed, her voice thick with disgust.
Pei Jiao Jiao rushed to her side, her clothes in disarray. The elderly lady, noticing a red mark on Pei Jiao Jiao’s neck and knowing Lu Yuan Ze hadn’t returned yet, dismissed it as a misunderstanding.
“My dear granddaughter, did Lu Chao Chao really dare to infiltrate our household?” the old lady questioned.
“It must have been Madam Xu’s doing! How could a two-year-old have such audacity?” Pei Jiao Jiao lamented, empathizing with Lu Jing Yao.
Despite being washed thrice, the foul smell lingered.
“Where were the guards? How could someone sneak in unnoticed?” the old lady fumed. “Useless fools! I told you we needed more guards!” She pounded her cane on the floor.
Pei Jiao Jiao concealed her bitterness. Guards cost money, yet you refuse to pay!
“Summon the authorities, I want to file a report!” Lu Jing Yao demanded.
“No, we can’t!” both the old lady and Pei Jiao Jiao exclaimed in unison.
Pei Jiao Jiao tensed. If her lover was discovered at the marquis household, what would they do?
The old lady sighed. “Jing Yao, Chao Chao is just a two-year-old. If we report this, what will it do to our reputation?” She felt devastated for her granddaughter, but the household couldn’t afford such disgrace.
With Lu Jing Huai’s fabricated scholarly success, the family was already the butt of jokes.
“Are we just going to let this go?” Lu Jing Yao sobbed, covering her face. [Why? Why does everyone favor Lu Chao Chao?]
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“Jing Yao, I understand your distress, but you are a young lady. Your reputation matters. The abbot of the National Temple has predicted great things for you. What if your reputation is tarnished, then what?”
The humiliation of being associated with feces was unbearable.
Lu Jing Yao paused, recalling the crown prince in her dreams who adored her, and reluctantly calmed down. However, the resentment and desire for revenge still smoldered in her eyes.
“Mother, our household seems to be plagued by misfortune lately. Perhaps we should invite a high monk to stay with us for a while?” Pei Jiao Jiao suggested thoughtfully, glancing at the old lady. She nervously fiddled with her handkerchief, afraid the plan might be refused.
“Alright, handle it,” the old lady dismissed her, appearing exhausted.
Pei Jiao Jiao managed a slight smile. “Mother, inviting a high monk might be costly, so I’ll need…” She hesitated, glancing awkwardly at the old lady.
The old lady’s expression darkened. [Really, everything costs money. You should take a leaf out of Madam Xu’s book. She never asked me for a penny in eighteen years.]
“Nanny, give her five hundred… no, make it three hundred taels!” The old lady winced as she parted with the money.
Their family’s wealth had dwindled, largely due to Madam Xu’s generous contributions over the years being taken away.
“If you hadn’t flaunted Madam Xu’s hairpin before being caught and forced to replenish the dowry, we wouldn’t be in this mess,” the old lady muttered.
Before Pei Jiao Jiao married into the family, she and the old lady had been as close as mother and daughter. But once she joined the household, their relationship soured.
Indeed, whoever manages the house becomes the disliked one.
The once-radiant concubine had become a haggard woman in just one year.