Chapter 100
Chapter 100: You Must Trust Her
Madam Jia was already full of anger; when she heard Nanny Sun, she slammed the table and snapped: “What is Xia Meng Yan anyway? With the elders favoring her, she dares act wild in Lin Manor, as if I would be afraid of her.”
Nanny Sun stood and echoed in a chilly tone: “Cousin Miss is counting on having saved the Eldest Master, so she dares to strike a servant; this clearly means she does not put madam in her eyes.” She urged in a low voice: “She dared to hit me; madam should drive Xia Meng Yan out of Lin Manor.”
Madam Jia was furious, but she had no way to act. After all, that branch of the family had only this one daughter, and with Xia Ping Yuan now a Second Rank Official, the Lin Family still needed that side to open doors in the Capital.
She waved Nanny Sun off with annoyance as she drained a cup of tea: “Enough, what is the use of saying so much. She has skill, that is why. Since we know she saved the Eldest Master, keep your distance from her.”
Nanny Sun went silent, her eyes lowering. [Why won’t madam fall for it; she even wants me to back down.]
Thinking of the Eldest Master in the inner room, Madam Jia felt stifled and wanted someone to talk to. After turning it over in her mind, it seemed only the Eldest Master would do. She said to Nanny Sun: “Go to the kitchen and see if the soup for the Eldest Master is ready.”
Nanny Sun swallowed her anger and bowed with respect on her face.
Madam Jia straightened her hairpin and entered the inner chamber.
After the Eldest Master broke his leg, it took only two days for him to go from raging to taking his medicine quietly. Now that he knew his leg could still be saved, he cooperated even more.
Seeing Madam Jia come in with a dark expression, he set down his book and asked in a calm voice: “What happened?”
Madam Jia sat on the round stool by the bed and retold what had happened in the main hall: “I am not as quick as you, but I remember what you said, to talk things over with you. Father’s move today, what did he mean by it? Is he really planning to find someone to split off the household duties you hold?”
The Eldest Master heard her, thought for a moment, then lifted his head with a faint smile: “You did very well and did not go make a scene with Father and Mother.”
Praised, Madam Jia blushed and nodded: “We are husband and wife, and we will be together for a lifetime, so of course I keep your words in my heart.”
To be fair, the Eldest Master had been good to her; otherwise they would not have four children. It was only that Concubine Nian in the rear court truly disgusted her.
Looking at his wife, the Eldest Master felt a kind of helplessness he could not speak. If Madam Jia had not married him, she might have been very happy, without having to handle so much.
He said in a low voice: “Father did this to buy me time.”
Hearing that, Madam Jia found it somewhat reasonable, yet still puzzled: “The matter of the killer should not be hard to check. They might even find the killer by tomorrow. What will Father do then?”
The Eldest Master chuckled, his voice gentle and soothing: “If Father and I could not find them, yet someone else could find them easily, what would that mean?”
Madam Jia froze. It would mean, it would mean, her eyes lit up: “It would mean they are the ones behind it.”
The Eldest Master smiled and nodded.
Madam Jia suddenly understood. If the Old Master’s men could not find the killer, yet people in the manor could, that would be strange indeed. Thankfully, she had not acted on impulse.
Then she thought of Xia Meng Yan; that suggestion seemed to have been raised by her first. Madam Jia sorted through it and finally realized it really was Xia Meng Yan who had steered the topic toward evidence, and then the Old Master followed with the idea of finding the killer.
Seeing Madam Jia staring blankly at him, the Eldest Master found it funny and asked: “What did you think of now?”
She whispered with some shame: “I, I think I misunderstood Meng Yan.”
The Eldest Master paused, then understood what she meant. The smile faded from his face; he said solemnly: “Remember, Meng Yan is a member of the Lin Family. Whatever she does is for the Lin Family’s good. You must trust her and help her. Do not harbor crooked thoughts, and do not let yourself be used by others to hurt her.”
Madam Jia felt uncomfortable hearing this. She did not want to swallow her grievance, so she spoke her heart: “You trust her so much, but what if, I am saying what if, she came this time with an agenda?”
“She did come with an agenda,” the Eldest Master cut in. He almost told her about the Huo Family, but he was afraid she could not bear it. He changed tack and said, “While Meng Yan stays in the Lin Family, take good care of her and the child. In the future, when our children go to the Capital, they will have support. Do not forget, Xia Ping Yuan is the Chief Academician of the Hanlin Academy.”
It was easier to talk interest than reason; that way Madam Jia would accept it more easily.
Sure enough, when Madam Jia heard “Hanlin Academy,” she thought of her eldest son, who would go to the Capital in a few years. If he passed the exams, the first thing would be entering the Hanlin Academy.
She bowed her head: “I was short-sighted and did not think that far. Since we are close kin, I will take good care of Meng Yan and make her feel that the Lin Family is her own home.”
The Eldest Master nodded with satisfaction: “You have worked hard these days. Once I am healed, I will take you to the mountain to stay for two days.”
At the mention of the mountain, Madam Jia’s face flushed red. She gave him a playful little punch and scolded softly: “How can you say such naughty things in broad daylight?”
Three of their four children had been conceived up in the mountains.
The Eldest Master held her hand and smiled warmly: “What is there to fear? There is no outsider.”
When Nanny Sun came in, she saw this scene and burned with resentment: [Madam has no firmness at all; the Eldest Master says a few soft words and she forgets everything.]
She said with a bow: “Madam, the vegetable porridge is ready. Shall I bring it now?”
“Bring it. And bring the small dishes the Eldest Master likes,” Madam Jia answered with an easy heart. Having a place in the Eldest Master’s heart mattered more than anything.
As for the family property, she knew very well that the Old Master, muddled as he might be, would not hand it to anyone else.
Xia Meng Yan did not know that her eldest uncle had spoken up for her to Madam Jia. Back in her own courtyard, she lay lazily on the couch and told Song Mo to keep an eye on the people in the manor, then she closed her eyes to rest.
At night, with a soft breeze blowing, Xia Meng Yan ate dinner, and Chun Yue supported her as they strolled in the yard.
She was due in a little over two months. The child moved longer and longer each time; her heart was full of quiet happiness.
Feeling the air turn cool, Chun Yue said with concern: “I will go back to get a cloak. Please wait a moment, big miss.”
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Xia Meng Yan nodded, thinking about her eldest uncle. Everyone’s behavior today had been unusual; Madam Jia was foolish, Qian Heng was too eager, Zhou Yuan was too calm, and the younger generation outside, having heard they might become second shopkeeper, were all rubbing their hands to try for it.
For a moment it felt like she was back at the starting point.
Suddenly, a pair of hands settled on her shoulders. The warmth made her relax. She pulled the cloak closer and kept walking.
She said in a quiet voice: “I wonder how Father and Mother are doing in the Capital, and whether anyone is making things hard for them.”
A man’s voice came from behind: “No. They are both well.”
Startled, Xia Meng Yan turned and saw Duan Yi Chen standing there: “You, why are you here?” She blinked. He was supposed to be confined by the Eldest Princess. How could he appear in faraway Man Lin City?
He grinned and leaned in a little: “I snuck out again. Surprised?”
Xia Meng Yan did not know how to put her feelings into words. She wanted to be happy that a close friend had appeared from far away, but his identity made that hard. [Forget it. He is Duan Yi Chen; who could control him anyway.]
She warned in a hushed voice: “If the Eldest Princess finds out, she will kill me.”
“It will not happen,” said Duan Yi Chen lightly. “If you die at the third watch, I will follow at the fourth. She would not dare.”
His hand started to take her arm, then halted in mid-air and slowly withdrew. He asked instead, gentle and restrained: “Are you living well in the Lin Family?”
“This is my maternal grandfather’s home; of course I am well,” Xia Meng Yan answered. Then she asked about the latest events in the Capital.
“Lin Ye Lan did not die,” said Duan Yi Chen.
Xia Meng Yan was shocked: “He did not die? I heard he died on the road to exile.”
Duan Yi Chen shook his head and told her what he had found: “My men have been watching the Northern Fortress Pass. They discovered that a masked man had joined Marshal Huo’s side. Later they confirmed that man is Lin Ye Lan.”
Xia Meng Yan’s eyes narrowed. The so-called death by illness had only been an excuse to slip away.
Duan Yi Chen’s face darkened as he added: “There is one more thing. Be ready. Lin Hong and Grand Madam Lin are also missing.”