Chapter 25: The Genius’s Mothers
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation.
In a lively and bustling gathering, a woman named Pei Jiao Jiao stood at the center of attention, receiving abundant praise and hopeful forecasts about her successful future and elevated social standing. “Everyone’s talking about how this woman is destined for great wealth and prestige,” attendees remarked with admiration, recognizing her immense potential.
Pei Jiao Jiao, who had overcome numerous hardships over the years, felt a surge of pride during this moment of acknowledgment.
With her eyes gleaming with pride, she eagerly recounted her son’s exceptional academic accomplishments. “My son has truly excelled academically, outshining his peers. At the tender age of ten, he passed the provincial examination, a feat many achieve much later in life. By seventeen, he was engaged to Miss Yun Jin. And next year, he’s setting his sights on the national examinations,” she proclaimed proudly, casting a victorious look at Madam Xu, whose envy was palpable.
A curious voice from the crowd inquired, “Is he engaged to the eldest daughter of the Jiang family? I’ve heard she’s recently been promised to a very talented young man.”
“Could it be the renowned scholar, Lu Jing Huai?” another chimed in, trying to connect the dots.
“That’s her son?” someone logically deduced, prompting a subtle nod of confirmation from Pei Jiao Jiao.
“Miss Yun Jin is indeed fortunate. I heard she was previously engaged to a man who suffered a tragedy, leaving him bedridden and reliant on others,” another person added, highlighting the stark contrast between her former and current fiancés.
“Now she’s betrothed to a young genius,” they noted, acknowledging the significant upgrade in her circumstances.
Pei Jiao Jiao, unable to suppress her amusement, chuckled softly yet mockingly. “A woman of her caliber surely deserves an equally distinguished partner. How could she settle for someone who’s incapacitated?” Her comment further piqued the crowd’s interest, especially as Lu Jing Huai, who had impressively passed the scholars’ examination at a young age, was now a favorite to become the top scholar.
The current top scholar was thirty-three, making Lu Jing Huai’s potential achievement at seventeen even more extraordinary, as he was on the verge of becoming the youngest top scholar in Northern Zhao’s history, setting a new record.
Eventually, the conversation shifted to the exceptionally fine brocade quilt, sparking the shopkeeper’s curiosity. “Is this quilt made from peace brocade, that special fabric blessed at the National Temple for infant health?” he inquired, recognizing its significance.
Pei Jiao Jiao smiled and confirmed it was indeed that material. She shared how her husband had gone to great lengths to obtain it, even kneeling for a thousand steps, to ensure their daughter’s well-being. This gesture demonstrated his deep love and determination to safeguard her health.
She then recounted her journey with her son, determined to mold him into a prodigy by employing rigorous studying methods from an early age. However, despite the efforts, Lu Yan Shu’s success had seemed nearly unattainable, bordering on nightmarish for her son. That was until the dynamics shifted after a fateful day—the once famed Lu Yan Shu nearly drowned, subsequently becoming a disabled cripple who couldn’t move anymore. Since then, she and her son have seized the opportunity and shone like never before.
With the arrival of her daughter, the family atmosphere transformed once again, drawing intense love and attention toward the newborn. Pei Jiao Jiao fondly explained how her cravings for lychees during her pregnancy led her husband to import a basket from afar, sacrificing three horses in the process. This act underscored the extraordinary lengths her husband would go to out of love and care.
Madam Xu, overhearing this story, felt a wave of resentment. She remembered how Lu Yuan Ze used to present her with expired lychees from the warmer southern regions, which she had always treasured as symbols of his affection despite the rotten fruit. Yet, learning that such gestures were not meant for her, the once cherished fruits now seemed to embody her feelings of bitterness and disillusionment.
Whispers of admiration spread among the onlookers, drawn by the prophecy from the abbot of the National Temple about Pei Jiao Jiao’s daughter’s destined prosperity and high status.
The gathering, initially focused on the baby’s good fortune, shifted when they noticed another child present, Lu Chao Chao. Her delicate, ethereal looks made Pei Jiao Jiao’s daughter seem quite plain in comparison.
Lu Chao Chao, quietly observing, felt her own frustration rise. ?Hmph, that so-called visionary abbot must be blind! He might as well not keep his eyes to be that blind!? she thought, her attention drawn to the rosary, which to her symbolized the misdirected blessings and complex family dynamics within the marquis’s household.
As the crowd’s fascination increased, someone highlighted the significance of the rosary, explaining, “This rosary is known to ward off evil after being blessed by all those divine monks at the National Temple. It’s particularly auspicious as we approach the latter half of July, a time for dispelling negative spirits. Those evil spirits would never dare to get near.”
This revelation intensified the crowd’s envy and respect.
Lu Chao Chao observed the scene with a discerning eye, noticing a faint golden glow around each bead of the rosary, a sign of its genuine protective powers. This insight sparked heavy resentment within her as well.
[Old darn thing, old darn thing, blind old thing, you dare bully my mother!]
[Mama, the hairpin on her head, it’s your dowry! Aaargh, I’m so angry!]
She silently decried the unfairness, questioning the monk’s decision to bestow such a potent item upon those she deemed unworthy. Overwhelmed by disdain and frustration, especially upon seeing her mother’s dowry hairpin, she reflected on her personal grievances and the perceived injustices within her family.
Empowered by a surge of spiritual energy, Lu Chao Chao aimed her anger at the rosary, intent on its destruction.
As Pei Jiao Jiao enjoyed the crowd’s praise, a sharp sound suddenly pierced the atmosphere. The rosary’s beads shattered, falling to the ground and stunning everyone. Moments before radiant, the beads became dull and lifeless upon contact with the floor as their spiritual essence vanished.
Whispers of confusion and worry filled the room. “How could this happen? This must be a bad sign!” people said, troubled by the beads’ sudden dimming.
Examining a bead, once warm and luminous, now resembled decaying wood, crumbling to dust at the slightest touch. This caused a ripple of fear among the onlookers.
Pei Jiao Jiao, taken aback and anxious, fretted over the elder lady’s reaction, who had held the rosary dear.
Madam Xu, struggling to conceal her satisfaction at this turn of events, remarked on the supposed indestructibility of the spirit-releasing beads, now debunked as they lay in ruins, devoid of their spiritual strength. “My lady, perhaps you’ve angered some unseen entity?” she suggested, tactfully distancing herself from the incident.
This insinuation left Pei Jiao Jiao feeling deserted as bystanders retreated, viewing her with suspicion and caution. Questioned and defenseless, she was overwhelmed by tears of frustration and anger while the shopkeeper offered a look of sympathy mixed with wariness.
“Madam, I’m terribly sorry, but may I request that you visit us another time? My apologies… today just isn’t a suitable day for entertaining guests,” the shopkeeper said, his voice betraying a hint of nervousness.
As the second half of July neared, marking the period traditionally believed to open the gateway to the spirit world, the entire city planned to shut down for three days to honor this time.
Given this context, the shopkeeper was wary of being linked to any potential bad luck, especially after the incident where the spirit beads shattered. This event led to widespread speculation about what Pei Jiao Jiao might have done to cause such an unsettling occurrence.
Overcome with anger, Pei Jiao Jiao’s eyes brimmed with tears of rage, and she tightly clenched her jaw, shooting a resentful look at Madam Xu.
“Madam, it might be best to head home now,” her maid advised quietly from behind. The lord had been generous to Pei Jiao Jiao, but his patience had its limits, especially concerning actions that could tarnish his reputation.
Despite being taken care of by the marquis for seventeen years, he had never dared to officially acknowledge her in his family, largely due to these apprehensions.
With sadness, Pei Jiao Jiao turned to leave, while Madam Xu observed silently, subtly signaling with her hand.