Chapter 181: Life and Death
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
As dusk transitioned into the quiet of night, Lu Chao Chao returned to the mansion.
Her personal maid, Yuhua, placed a concerned hand on her stomach. “You’ve overeaten again. Madam will definitely scold me.” It seemed the little lady was always obedient, except when it came to chicken legs.
Chao Chao patted her tummy, her words childlike. “I eat, I get scolded.”
Her belly responded with a loud rumble.
“You’re so honest,” Yuhua chuckled, covering her mouth with her hand.
At the gate, Chao Chao secured the dog’s leash and turned to find a surprise. “Oh, Chasing Wind, how did your collar come off?” She was astonished to see the dog holding the other end of the collar in its mouth, dutifully following her.
“You no get lost,” Chao Chao murmured in her tender baby voice.
Chasing Wind let the collar drop, clearly tired of carrying it all day, drooling slightly.
Chao Chao knelt down beside him, curling into a small ball. [So well-behaved.]
“What are you doing sitting here?” Yuhua asked, her curiosity piqued.
Chasing Wind settled on the ground next to her, and Chao Chao mirrored him, creating a picture of harmony.
“It’s time for a midnight snack,” Chao Chao declared cutely, gazing at the sky.
Just then, a servant emerged with a large bowl.
Yuhua eyed the servant sharply. Chasing Wind’s meal was sumptuous, filled with assorted dried meats, fish, and vegetables—all purchased by Madam Xu at a premium.
Chao Chao looked up, her round face alight with joy, and spread her tiny hands wide.
The servant scratched his head. “Little Miss, your belly is already full. You can’t eat more tonight. How about tomorrow?”
Chao Chao patted her belly regretfully and agreed with a soft, “Oh.”
The servant sighed. “You can’t keep stealing Chasing Wind’s food. Ever since he arrived, he hasn’t had a full meal. Look how skinny he is…” He lamented silently, [Poor thing, can’t speak or cry.]
Yuhua watched as Chao Chao sweet-talked the servant, calling him “good uncle,” making him chuckle.
Yuhua scooped her up, shaking her head. “Do you sneak out every night for Chasing Wind’s midnight snacks?”
It was evident from her familiarity with the servant that this had been a regular occurrence.
Chao Chao gave a sheepish smile.
Yuhua’s expression darkened, knowing full well how Madam Xu tightly controlled her diet. [Turns out she had been snacking on Chasing Wind’s food. No wonder she gained three pounds despite a vegetarian diet!]
Inside, her second brother was kneeling before Madam Xu, his head bowed in shame.
Madam Xu’s expression was stormy, her eyes red from recent tears.
Chao Chao paused at the doorway, the atmosphere heavy with tension. [Did Second Brother get beaten? If he gets beaten, maybe I won’t be…]
[Maybe I won’t be… I just ate a bit too much…] Chao Chao mused.
Madam Xu caught her eye, and Chao Chao wobbled over on tiptoes, offering a piece of dried meat.
“Mommy, what’s wrong?” she asked in her soft, innocent voice.
Madam Xu glared at her son, Lu Zheng Yue. “Ask your brother. It’s his doing!”
“He secretly enlisted in the army. It’s dangerous on the battlefield. What if something happens?” Madam Xu’s voice cracked with emotion. The political climate was tense; war loomed on the horizon.
“Mom, I want to earn some respect for our family and for myself. He would rather throw us out and bring in a stranger. He’s trampling on our dignity! Since he looks down on us, I must prove myself!” Lu Zheng Yue declared with fiery determination.
“Big Brother aims for civil service, but I’m not as scholarly. I want to join the army. Mom, I admire the military and want to achieve something significant. Please give me a chance?” Lu Zheng Yue pleaded.
Madam Xu cried quietly, overwhelmed by the shame of being ostracized and removed from family records—a great dishonor. The children had harbored this resentment, eager to prove their worth.
“Mom, let me try for a year. If I achieve nothing, I’ll come back,” Lu Zheng Yue begged softly.
Madam Xu wiped her tears and helped him to his feet. “Get up.” She understood the slight the children felt, abandoned by Lu Yuan Ze.
“Fine, go. But remember, staying alive is most important.” She reluctantly let go, recognizing her children needed to find their own paths.
Lu Zheng Yue’s face brightened. “Thank you, Mom. I won’t disappoint you.” His eyes gleamed with newfound resolve. Secretly, he rubbed his stomach; the military camp had been rough. The Xu family and the Marquis Household were traditionally scholarly.
Chao Chao noticed her brother’s discomfort. Climbing onto a chair, she shakily poured a cup of tea and discreetly added a crushed medicinal herb. “Second Brother, drink this…”
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
Lu Zheng Yue accepted it gratefully, drinking deeply. “Sister’s water is so sweet.” Whether real or imagined, it soothed him. [Hehe, I added some medicine. After drinking, all illnesses vanish, feeling refreshed…]
Madam Xu turned to Chao Chao, exasperated. “You… overate again?”
“Chao Chao, I worry so much about your eating habits, I can’t sleep at night…” Like all parents, she fretted over her child’s well-being.
Chao Chao blinked innocently. “Can’t sleep at night?” she echoed softly.
Madam Xu sighed and directed Yuhua to massage her belly and take her to bed.
Late at night, Madam Xu, dressed in light pink nightwear, lay half-asleep in bed…
Suddenly!!
A disheveled ghostly figure appeared at her bedside in the moonlight, its eyes glowing eerily.
Madam Xu screamed, leaping up in terror. “Ah!”
The night guard, Ying Xue, rushed in. “Madam, what’s wrong?” The mansion was instantly alert.
Madam Xu cowered in a corner, her face pale.
In the flickering candlelight…
Chao Chao stood by the bed, her hair wild, looking bewildered.
“Little Miss, why are you in Madam’s room?” Deng Zhi asked, hastily dressing.
Chao Chao looked at Madam Xu. “Momma, can’t sleep?” [I came to check if you really couldn’t sleep…]
Madam Xu exhaled deeply. [Being your mom is truly full of ups and downs!]