Chapter 101
Chapter 101: Imperial Merchant?
Luo You was scolded harshly by Madam Bai.
She said he idled around all day and never learned anything.
“…If you do not try to improve yourself, who will your mother rely on in the future?” Madam Bai shouted hoarsely at last.
Luo You was stunned by her scolding.
Mother had never been like this before.
She had always been busy, graceful, and proper. She spent all her energy on Brother’s future and on managing the inner residence. Luo You did not blame her for neglecting him.
He had been raised by a wet nurse, who treated him very well. He had servant boys and maidservants with him, and a good friend, Zhou Huai. Luo You was quite content.
To him, Father and Mother were both the masters of this house. He was just the youngest son in this family, not loved by his father or his mother, and would live on a small share of the property in the future.
The Mistress of the House of the Marquis of Zhen Nan Manor had always been calm, skilled, and smooth with everyone. Luo You had never seen her lose control like this.
“Mother, have you really gone mad?” Luo You asked without thinking, scared silly.
It would have been better if he had not asked. His words poured fuel on Madam Bai’s roaring anger.
Madam Bai grabbed the teacup at hand and threw it at him.
He had not expected her to hit him and did not dodge in time. The cup struck him squarely on the forehead.
A burst of sharp pain hit him.
Luo You sucked in a breath as tea and tea leaves poured down his whole face.
When he touched it again, there was blood mixed into the warm tea. His forehead had been split open.
Nanny Zhen rushed in and grabbed Madam Bai: “Madam, Madam, please calm down!”
Luo You stood up, moved aside, and lowered his head.
Madam Bai was so angry she seemed crazy: “I want to beat this unfilial son to death. He is useless, and he believes any rumor he hears. He is my only hope. How can he be so muddleheaded?”
Luo You said: “…”
He really wanted to say that Brother had only run away and would come back sooner or later.
With Brother’s temper and character, how could he throw away the family estate?
Ever since he was born, the house had been full of people. He was just one of them. Other than his wet nurse, Nanny Fan, no one needed him. In front of anyone, he could be replaced.
He was not his parents’ only son, and of course he was not Grandmother’s only grandson.
Even when Big Sister treated him kindly, it was only because he had “caused trouble” and she had to clean up after him.
How had he suddenly become someone’s “hope”?
He was already twelve years old.
For twelve years, he had been someone who did not matter, and now he was suddenly important?
[Mother really has gone mad. What crazy things is she saying? Who on earth is this Sister A’Rong? What is Second Sister’s given name again?]
While his mind was a mess, Bai Ci Rong came in.
Suddenly, Luo You remembered that his cousin was called A’Rong.
[So the Sister A’Rong she meant was Cousin? Why is Cousin also counting on me? Does she not have her own brother?]
Everyone’s voices were hoarse from shouting, their faces twisted. Luo You felt as if he had fallen into a nightmare.
It was all so strange.
Blood flowed down from his forehead and stuck over his eye. Nanny Zhen hurriedly pulled him over: “Second Young Master, come here and let me look at your wound.”
Luo You covered the wound with his hand and ran out: “I’m fine. You stay and look after my mother, I will go first.”
He dashed back to his own courtyard.
When his wet nurse, Nanny Fan, saw him soaked with tea water and half his face covered in blood, she wiped away tears in distress.
News of this spread through the inner residence.
Nanny Kong told Luo Ning: “Madam called Second Young Master over and beat him. His forehead was split open.”
She added: “Lord Marquis has gone to the main courtyard. He heard about it too.”
Luo Ning was flipping through Wenqi Courtyard’s account books. When she heard this, she lifted her eyes slightly and said calmly: “Go and find out why it got to the point of hitting.”
Nanny Kong agreed.
When night fell, the doors all over the inner residence were locked.
Before that, Luo Ning had already heard that it was because the Marchioness Madam Bai blamed Second Young Master for not being promising.
In this household, probably only Luo Ning and Old Madam understood what was really going on. Everyone else was confused.
Those who did not know the inside story just thought Madam Bai had gone mad again.
“Lord Marquis has sent people to tell Second Madam and Young Madam to take the tally cards tomorrow and invite a physician to see Madam.
If she still does not get better, Lord Marquis will send Madam to the country estate to rest. He is very angry that she is throwing such fits,” Nanny Kong said.
Luo Ning understood.
That night, many people in the Marquis of Zhen Nan Manor could not sleep, but Luo Ning slept soundly.
By Madam Bai’s side, Bai Ci Rong stayed to attend her and watched her drink a bowl of ginseng soup and lie down.
“…I am really discouraged,” Madam Bai said to Bai Ci Rong. “He has been spoiled by the Luo Family. He does not even recognize his own family any more.”
Back then, they had Luo Yin, so they did not need Luo You. Besides, Luo You had still been very young then.
Without years of raising him from childhood, it would be hard for Luo You to accept Qiu Shi Dong as his father. This matter was difficult.
“Mother, I received a letter from Father. He left for the north on the twentieth day of the fourth month. He is taking the official road. In a bit over forty days, he will arrive. In another ten days to half a month, we will be able to see Father,” Bai Ci Rong said in a low voice.
A bit of light came back to Madam Bai’s listless face: “Really?”
“Father has been spending money everywhere, wanting to use ‘Lake Inkstone and Lake Ink’ to get his name recorded at the Ministry of Revenue and become a real Imperial Merchant,” Bai Ci Rong said. “For this, Father has spent hundreds of thousands of taels of silver through the Marquis of Jian Ning’s Wang Family. Now this matter is probably about to be settled.”
Qiu Shi Dong had many ways to make money. On the surface, he ran all kinds of sea trade businesses. In secret, he relied on salt permits and the cover of official salt to sell smuggled salt.
Just from smuggled salt alone, he made money every day by the bucket. The one thing he never lacked was silver.
But an Imperial Merchant needed more proper and respectable trades. For example, the brushes, ink, and inkstones produced in Huzhou were Qiu Shi Dong’s cover.
He did not rely on such business to get rich. He only needed the status of “Imperial Merchant”.
“Did they not say we still had to wait a few more months?” Madam Bai asked.
“A few months earlier or later is all the same. After years of paving the way, this can already be done,” Bai Ci Rong said.
Madam Bai let out a small sigh of relief.
“A’You is a boy. He will be like Brother and admire Father. When Father comes, he can explain everything clearly to him. He knows nothing yet. That is why he is so confused. Please do not be angry with him,” Bai Ci Rong said.
“I am angry that he is close to Luo Ning and cannot tell who is near and who is distant,” Madam Bai said.
Bai Ci Rong thought of how she had also taken care of Luo You often over the last three years, but he had not responded much. She also felt discouraged.
He was too young and did not know how to be grateful.
“He is not close to Luo Ning either. He only went to her courtyard for one meal,” Bai Ci Rong said. “A’You is now Father’s only son. You must train him.”
Madam Bai took a deep breath: “I was too impulsive today.”
After hearing that Qiu Shi Dong would come earlier, Madam Bai’s anxious heart calmed down a lot.
Days would get better.
She was just feeling lost for a while.
She had to get better soon and take charge of the household again. If Second Madam and Madam Wen kept running things, it would not be convenient for Qiu Shi Dong to come and go.
Only with her own people in charge could Madam Bai feel at ease.
Madam Bai drank the ginseng soup and, with Bai Ci Rong keeping her company, slowly fell asleep.
The next day, the Young Madam brought a physician to see the Marchioness Madam Bai.
Madam Bai spoke to the Young Madam with a strange, sharp tone. The Young Madam was very soft, and after a few casual barbs from her mother-in-law, she turned into a weeping mess.
Mother-in-law and daughter-in-law ended in a draw.
The physician prescribed some medicine. Madam Bai would have to drink it for half a month before she could leave her courtyard again and manage household affairs.
With tears all over her face, Madam Wen extended Madam Bai’s confinement by another half month. Madam Bai almost hated her to death.
“Mother, I think Madam Wen is doing this on purpose,” Bai Ci Rong suddenly said. “Her crying is just acting.”