Chapter 167: Troublesome – Edited
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Pill Bug
Edited by Gumihou
Gumihou: Children should act like children, not robots or plot devices to validate your excuses or just to chant the ‘daddee is great’ refrain
Jin Fengju laughed and said, “It’s not that I have won his heart. He is at heart, already a very steady, quick-witted and loyal person. He has been with me ever since I had chosen to have him follow me. All these years, he had been my right hand, and could even be considered a true confidante. It is the same now. Although I have many plans in the works, without a stable and reliable servant to do all the leg work, it would not have been as successful. You tell me, don’t you think I should pay him a little more attention?”
Fu Qiuning [1] said, “Indeed, it looks like it’s very profitable to be the Young Marquis’s hands and feet.”
Jin Fengju [2a] coughed and said, “Well… one should always treat one’s servants well.”
[2a] Fu Qiuning, “You are right. One should treat their servants well, otherwise, their loyalty could be bought away with a few gold leaves. I should keep that in mind.” [2a] Jin Fengju coughed again, but quickly smiled and said, “That is so, that is so, you should have dinner ready. I shall have my meal here.”Fu Qiuning frowned and said, [2b] “Indeed, it is only right that you come for dinner tonight.”
Hearing her say that, Jin Fengju lazily leaned back on the couch and said with calculated indifference, “Well, I am obligated to stay at Wanying’s place now and then. Only, I despise her for having such an unnecessarily vicious mind. She knew that those words could kill and yet she still spoke them. As you can see, she is both capricious and domineering. As for Xu’shi’s matter, humph, you and I should know the truth of the matter. With all the things she had done, I am not afraid to face my uncle, my actions are perfectly justified.
As for Cui’shi and Huo’shi, you can tell that both were gloating over Xu’shi’s misfortunes just from their faces. How could I bear to visit their rooms after witnessing the evil on their countenance? Allow me a few days of peace and quiet at your place. Ah, you need not fear anything from Mother’s side either. I shall take care of it for you.”
He smirked generously at her, obviously very proud of his own benevolence and generosity.
Fu Qiuning [3] stared at the lounging man for a moment, wondering whether it was worth her time to bust his ego. Finally, she decided to speak her mind. [2b] Even if he did not care for his own blood, she would be the one who would have to take responsibility if Xu’shi’s children made trouble, not to mention the trouble those two children could bring to Feng’er and Jiao’er.
[2b] “Naturally, I speak on behalf of the two children you have just forced into my pavilion. Surely, as their father, you would want to reassure them that you have not abandoned them even though you had cast their mother out of the estate?” [1] Unsurprisingly, that remark caused Jin Fengju to cough and run off ‘to check on something’. She sighed. Why is this man acting like a teenager in love when he already had six or eight children under his knees? Moreover, did he think she had holes in her head and would not remember past grievances for his convenience? [4] However, there was no point dwelling on the mind of a sick, narcissistic man. She still had to depend on him to survive. Moreover, the twins with their identity as the washerwoman’s children could still stain their future, so she had to place nice with their strongest supporter. She just had to be careful and not fall into the hole that poor Jiang Wanying had fallen in, believing herself to be loved if only she could conform to his ‘ideal’ type. In short, it should be fine if she continued to act this way. If he lost interest due to her indifference, she could return to Night Breeze Pavilion. If he continued to be infatuated with her due to the ‘thrill of the chase’… well, either way, the ultimate winner would be her.It was close to noon when she finally decided not to spare any more thought on the matter. She ordered Yu Jie and Aunt Yu to serve the meal. The atmosphere during lunchtime was a little tense, but it ended with relative harmony. Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiunan dare not stir up any waves since their father, [2b] the person who had banished their mother away, was there. [5a] Evening meal passed the same way with the two newest additions keeping their heads down even as their father flirted with another woman in increasingly mincing tones. She could only pity the children for being born into this family.
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Early in the following morning, Jin Fengju was finally dragged away by people sent by Prince Rong’s palace. Fu Qiuning led [5b] all four children to wave goodbye. That way, the two children could see that she was not hogging their daddy’s attention and it would also prevent said daddy from flirting with her overly much before leaving.
[5c] Yes, perhaps having these two new additions would not be a bad thing at Elegant Mansion.Upon entering the house, Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiunan excused themselves and ran off, leaving her with Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao. The twins had complicated looks on their little faces. She held out her hands and the twins ran forward to grab them. She led them towards a couch and all three sat down.
“Are you afraid?” she asked. [5b] [5b] Jin Changjiao leaned closer to pout and say, “Father really sent them here in the end.”
[5b] Jin Changfeng looked a little lost. “What should I do if Little Brother Yi acts out?” [5b] “Just continue to ignore them as usual if they try to provoke you. If they try to make friends… be friendly, but don’t let them lead you around,” said Fu Qiuning a little helplessly. Children could be vicious, but they could also be very different from their parents. There was really no easy answer to this dilemma. [5c]The twins nodded uncertainly.
“Do you hate having them here?”
They nodded with more certainty.
“Do you think they like it here?”
This gave the twins pause. After some thought, both Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao shook their heads slowly.
“Why do you think they hate it here?”
“Because they don’t like Mother!” said Jin Changjiao immediately. “They don’t like us too!”
Jin Changfeng nodded, “Brother Yi hates me. He will hate me more now that he thinks we are responsible for making his mother go away.”
Interesting, thought Fu Qiuning. It’s good that the children could understand this much. However, the next question was even more crucial.
“Is it really our fault that their mother was driven away?”
“No!” Jiao’er answered decisively.
“No…” said Feng’er a little more slowly. “If she had not made a move against us, she would still be here.”
“Indeed,” Fu Qiuning praised him. It was a good plan to practise thought exercises with the twins all this while. She had done this in the past when helping them with their studies. She could now reap the benefits and guide them to think for themselves more naturally. “And what else?”
“Their lives would be very hard from now on,” Jiao’er nodded to herself. “The poor things.”
“Oh?” that was unexpectedly emphatic from Jiao’er. “Why do you say that?”
“Having a mother and having no mother makes a big difference,” she said wisely. “Before we came to Mother’s place, we had a hard life. After coming to Night Breeze Pavilion, our lives become much better.” Her face contorted, but then she relented and said, “I guess Mother would want to protect them too.”
“Do you not want Mother to protect them?” said Fu Qiuning, amused.
“No, but Mother will anyway, right?” Jiao’er muttered. “They are too lucky.”
She could not help it, Fu Qiuning threw her arms around Jiao’er and said, “My Jiao’er is too loving and generous. I should be sorry if someone takes advantage of my darling girl.”
Jin Changjiao blushed, “W-well, I am like this because Mother brought us up well. Everyone said so.”
“Mother, do we still… have to be careful?” Jin Changfeng asked a little hesitantly. “It’s not our fault that their mother was driven away, they should know this. But…”
“But?” she prompted.
“But, it is easier to blame us. Like the story of the villagers and the rain. It was no one’s fault that the rain did not fall, but they blamed the frogs for not singing for the rain and killed them…” said Jin Changfeng.
“My Feng’er is growing up,” said Fu Qiuning a little sadly. “Indeed, human emotions are difficult to comprehend. They cannot afford to hate the one responsible, so they hate the ones they can reach.”
Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao frowned at that.
Finally, Jiao’er sighed, “This is very complicated.”
“Indeed,” Fu Qiuning.
“They will hate us even more if we are nice to them, right?” said Jin Changfeng.
“They will think we are scheming against them,” Jin Changjiao suddenly giggled. “Mother, I feel like I want to be nice to Sister Xiunan~”
“Just treat them civilly,” said Fu Qiuning a little exasperatedly. “Don’t bully them, but don’t let them bully you either. There is no need for you to be especially nice to them.”
“But I want to, I will be so nice to them~”
“Jiao’er…”
“I will be nice to them too,” said Jin Changfeng. “Maybe they will be more wary and more careful if they think we’re scheming.”
“Isn’t that something like Second Mother Ning would do?”
“Ah.”
Fu Qiuning looked on exasperatedly as the twins discussed how to weaponise their niceness. She had never seen niceness used as a way to bully people before…
“This is so difficult…”
“What is Father thinking…”
“Father is probably angry…”
“A gentleman should always be in control of himself…”
“Says the gentleman who threw the ink stick…”
Somehow, the discussion led back to Jin Fengju. She thought of defending the man for the sake of the children, but… that would undermine all lessons on watching and studying a person’s true nature.
Instead, Fu Qiuning patted them on the head and said, “Now that we have had this discussion, it’s time for you to go out and play. Have Cai Feng take you as well as Jin Zhuan and Lu Hua to Pillow Moon Pavilion to play with Brother Zhan’er and Sister Yu’er. There is no need for you to be on pins and needles here while the other two are still getting used to the place..”
“Yes Mother,” chorused the twins as they headed out, still bickering with each other about the day’s incident earlier.
Jian Feng walked through the doors and laughed, “Really, the Young Master and Young Miss are such little adults before outsiders, but in front of Madam, they reverted back to their childish nature.”
Fu Qiuning quirked up an eyebrow. She thought: which one of your eyes saw them being childish? My children mature too fast due to their unfortunate upbringing, and whose fault was that?
Feeling a vague headache coming up, she sighed, “Where are the maids and matrons that came with Brother Yi and Third Young Miss? If they have arrived, call them here. Tell those two children to come as well.”
Jian Feng looked at her with some hesitation and mumbled, “What if Young Master Yi and Third Young Miss refuse to come…”
“Are you saying you cannot handle two children?”
Jian Feng suddenly giggled, “Yes, this maid understands.”
Fu Qiuning frowned at Jian Feng’s weird attitude but said nothing.
Jian Feng arrived at Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiunan’s room to find the brother and sister sitting together on the couch in a daze while their maids stood at attention. One of the sharper maids came forward to give her greetings and smiled, “Sister Jian Feng is here, is there a reason for this visit?”
Jian Feng smiled and said, “Madam asked me to look at the Young Master’s and Young Miss’ room. Have all the clothes, brushes, ink and favourite playthings all brought over from Calling Crane Pavilion?” When they all answered in the affirmative, she nodded authoritatively and said, “Good, the Madam wants all of you to accompany Young Master Yi and Third Young Miss to see her.”
[Gumihou: looks into the horizon in a daze] [1] Bust Jin Fengju’s overinflated balloons. Gumi meant his ego, of course, it’s too bad that we couldn’t bust his other balloons. [2] Awkward conversations: [2a] Talk about how JFJ bought over FQN’s servants [2b] Talk about the two kids you stuff into our MC’s place [3] Deleted Fu Wanying [3a] “Lord Husband has been in Elegant Mansion for seven or eight days, right? Honestly, I wish you were here all the time. Even if you say I have no moral virtue, that I am jealous, which woman in the world would be willing to give up their beloved husband? It’s just that, as fate would have it, there are so many people in your home, and although I am the main wife, emotionally speaking, I am one who married in later. I think you have to go to other places to live a few times even if it is just for show, right? In fact, don’t misunderstand, I’m not being virtuous, but I just want to attract less jealousy towards myself.
Someone come out and tell me this isn’t something Jiang Wanying would say.
[4] Since I took out the long TED talks on how brilliant/awesome/shiny Jin Fengju is, let’s replace them with proper modern woman thoughts. It’s all for the word count, of course. [5] Think of the kids!! [5a] No, seriously, think of the kids, author-san. They are kids, not plot devices. Well, they are probably plot devices, but could you at least please not make it too obvious? [5b] This scene is deleted since Gumi had already trashed the ‘daddeee is awesome sauce brilliant and would never~~’ back in chapter 164Entering the house via the side door, she saw Jin Changfeng and Jin Changjiao standing in front of the hall doors, the two young faces a little frustrated. She knew why they were like that, secretly sighing, scolding Jin Fengju in her heart, thinking: Yesterday, I spoke so decisively in front of the children, almost beating my chest to guarantee it. You’re very good, breaking apart my image of a loving mother with a single rake due to my untrustworthy promises. So hateful ah, really too hateful!
[5c] Actual interaction with human children that are more than just plot devices to make JFJ look good.
Pill Bug TL Notes:
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