Chapter 2: A Family Doomed to Misfortune

This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.

Madam Xu’s thoughts were in utter turmoil, her mind lost in confusion.

She wished to probe further into the matter of the mistress, but her daughter was still too young, and her thoughts, though audible, were scattered and incoherent. Madam Xu struggled to extract any useful fragments from the jumble of a child’s mind.

Today had upended everything she had ever believed.

Her daughter’s birth had been marred by an attempt to strangle her. And now she had discovered that she could hear the thoughts of her own child.

And worse still…

Her husband was waiting for a child to be born—from his mistress!

Madam Xu’s heart quaked with unease. From the day she married into the Lu family over a decade ago, she had never quarreled with Lu Yuan Ze or even raised her voice in disagreement. She had always believed herself to be the luckiest woman alive to have married the world’s best man.

But now, upon learning about his mistress, her first instinct was rejection.

Could her husband, who cherished her like a precious treasure, have been deceiving her all along?

“Madam, what’s wrong? Are you cold? You’re trembling all over,” Deng Zhi asked, glancing around to check for drafts, even though the doors and windows were tightly shut.

Madam Xu’s lips quivered. She suppressed her emotions and forced herself to speak calmly. “Call the wet nurse to feed the child.”

Three wet nurses had been arranged in advance, but to everyone’s shock, the infant barely opened her eyes before vomiting violently.

She coughed and spit, rejecting the milk so thoroughly that all three wet nurses knelt on the floor in fear.

“Madam, the young miss refuses to take our milk. We don’t know why,” one of the nurses said, her forehead slick with cold sweat.

Not only did the child resist feeding, but even the smallest amount that entered her mouth was promptly spat out.

[Sniffle, sniffle…]

[Cough, cough… I want sheep’s milk or cow’s milk. Not human’s…] Lu Chao Chao wailed, her cries loud but tearless.

Madam Xu hesitated before testing a thought. “Bring sheep’s milk or cow’s milk. Let’s see if she’ll take that.” Sheep’s milk was always stocked in the household, prepared with care to remove any gamey taste.

Deng Zhi immediately dispatched servants to fetch some.

Moments later, the child was carried to an adjacent room. Soon, a maid returned with news: “The young miss drank over ten spoonfuls, dozing off as she fed. She’s sleeping now.”

Madam Xu let out a sigh of relief.

The baby was brought back to her sleeping quarters. Not daring to let the child leave her sight, Madam Xu kept her close.

Lu Chao Chao yawned. Still an infant, she was exhausted after surviving such an ordeal. She mumbled a few incoherent sounds through her bubble-blowing lips before drifting into a deep slumber.

…

“Deng Zhi, you are the only one I can trust,” Madam Xu said as she sat by the bedside, her expression unreadable.

She didn’t want to doubt her husband.

But hearing her daughter’s thoughts had given her a sliver of courage.

“Madam, what’s troubling you?” Deng Zhi asked anxiously. As Madam Xu’s personal maid since her marriage, Deng Zhi shared a deep bond with her mistress.

“Find two trustworthy people to go to Green Rain Alley,” Madam Xu said, her voice heavy with effort. “To see if… Master Lu is there.” Each word seemed to sap her strength.

Deng Zhi’s heart skipped a beat. She opened the door to check both directions before ordering firmly, “Jue Xia, Ying Xue, stand three steps from the door. Do not allow anyone to approach.”

These maids had accompanied Madam Xu as part of her dowry, their lives and families bound to her service.

“Understood,” they replied in unison.

Once the room was secured, Deng Zhi quickly closed the door and hurried back to Madam Xu’s side. “Madam, why would you suspect Master Lu? Has something unusual happened?” Deng Zhi’s face was etched with worry.

Over the years, Madam Xu had devoted her heart and soul to the Lu family, placing all her faith in her husband. For her, Master Lu was her very lifeline.

Madam Xu shook her head slowly. “Don’t let anyone know. This must not be discovered.” Her hands twisted the fabric of her robe, her unease visible.

“Rest assured, Madam. I’ll disguise myself and personally lead the investigation,” Deng Zhi promised, fully aware of the gravity of the situation. She arranged for others to attend to Madam Xu before departing hastily.

Madam Xu sat motionless until evening, her heart growing colder with every passing moment. Yet there was still no sign of Lu Yuan Ze.

…

“Mother! Mother, I’m back! Mother, where’s my little sister?”

The boisterous voice of an eight-year-old boy echoed from outside as he burst into the room like a cannonball.

“Third Young Master, be careful not to trip! The young miss is still sleeping. Don’t wake her,” Jue Xia said, pulling him back.

Lu Yuan Xiao, the third son of the Marquis Zhongyong, was born during the Lantern Festival, earning him his festive name. Round and plump, he resembled a glutinous rice ball and shared the same carefree nature.

He had a mischievous streak, avoided studying, and loved indulging in food, much to the Marquis’s chagrin.

Lu Yuan Xiao clamped a hand over his mouth and whispered loudly, “I’ll be quiet. Where’s my little sister?”

Ying Xue chuckled, pointing to the cradle in the adjacent room.

“Mother, you’ve worked so hard. Why do you look so unwell?” Lu Yuan Xiao’s concern was genuine despite his tender age.

Madam Xu forced a smile. “I’m just a bit tired. Rest will help. Why are you home so early today?”

Her brow furrowed as a thought struck her. “Did you skip your lessons again?”

Lu Yuan Xiao grinned sheepishly. “Grandmother protects me, so Father wouldn’t dare hit me. Besides, Yuan Xiao doesn’t like studying anyway.” His aversion to books had earned him more than a few beatings in the past.

Madam Xu’s temples throbbed as she sighed deeply. “Yuan Xiao, you need to start acting more mature. Perhaps then your father might… love you a little more.” She clung to a faint shred of hope.

Lu Yuan Xiao snorted. “Studying? Never! I’d rather die than read books!”

Madam Xu’s sigh grew heavier.

Oblivious, Lu Yuan Xiao bounded into the adjacent room and leaned over the cradle. His round face hovered inches from Lu Chao Chao’s tiny form.

Lu Chao Chao was startled awake.

[Ah! It’s my walking disaster of a third brother…]

[Big, round, and… kind of cute, actually.]

Lu Yuan Xiao blinked in surprise and glanced over his shoulder. Madam Xu was too far to hear, and the baby in the cradle was far too young to speak.

Was he imagining things?

Lu Chao Chao’s thoughts continued unabated.

[Poor Third Brother. His life is so tragic…]

[He was led astray as a child, spoiled deliberately to ruin his character. He grew up illiterate and became the shame of the Marquis household, a fool mocked throughout the capital.]

[He may look simple, but no wonder his end was so miserable…]

Lu Yuan Xiao’s fingers trembled. [I die miserably?]

[Tortured alive, tongue ripped out, ears and nose cut off, limbs severed, and finally turned into a human swine, imprisoned in a jar… What a horrible fate for my poor brother.]

Lu Chao Chao cast a sidelong glance at him. [Dumb from the start, then schemed against until he lost his life.]

“Ahhh!” Lu Yuan Xiao screamed, leaping to his feet.

“What is it?” Madam Xu’s voice snapped him back to reality as she peered into the room.

Lu Yuan Xiao’s mouth opened and closed, his words stuttering. “I… I need to go back to my room.”

Under Madam Xu’s puzzled gaze, his eyes brimmed with tears, his small fists clenching. “I… I’m going to study! I’ll read until my books are worn to shreds!”

[So miserable! My life is too miserable!]

The plump boy ran from the room, wailing loudly.

[Story Wiki]
[Table of Content]
[Previous Chapter]
[Next Chapter]