Chapter 181: Foresight (Unedited)

Author: White Pear Flower

Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/

Translated Pill Bug

Gumihou: Poor Jin Zhenyi is once again being made to be the foil for AR Qiuning. Which is fair, but what’s stupid is the bla bla bla derrr deerrr I so so so clever derr 200 words to explain something when 20 words would do so I look so cleverrrer derrr

Sigh. Anyway, read the Edited Version HERE

 

“What should I do then?” Jin Zhenyi was frustrated, but inwardly, he knew that Fu Qiuning made sense. Just as he expected, she calmly responded, “What else can you do? Endure it for now. Perhaps one day, if your father is in a good mood and also sees improvement in your studies when he tests you, even if he doesn’t bring your mother back, he might allow you to visit Concubine Xu. That’s still a possibility. Once you go there, I will instruct the accompanying people to give a word or two of instructions to the servants in the village. They probably will not dare to bully your mother anymore, especially since Concubine Xu is not a good-natured person. I am even afraid she will actually be even more comfortable there than I was. You are only huffing and puffing over here, but what use is it?”

 

Jin Zhenyi pondered for a moment and felt that Fu Qiuning’s words made sense. Then he heard her continue in a contemplative tone, “Right, with such a big incident happening at home, does your grandfather know about it? Maybe I can plead with your father to let you go back for a visit. Optimistically, we can find a solution that way.”

 

Jin Zhenyi lowered his head and said, “There’s no need to count on my grandfather. My grandmother has already passed away many years ago, and the current elder madam in charge of the family hardly speaks with anyone, even my mother. My mother often said that my grandfather is just a Fourth Rank official, and he has made several mistakes in recent years. Thankfully, my father helped cover them up; otherwise, he would have been demoted long ago. Just think about it, under these circumstances, how could he risk offending my father for the sake of my mother? So, we can’t count on them.”

 

Giving it some thought, Fu Qiuning also felt it was true. When Jin Fengju banished Concubine Xu to the village, it was impossible for him to not have informed her family. However, even then, he had never mentioned it, which meant that the Xu family hadn’t objected. Besides, Concubine Xu truly did make a mistake, so what grounds did her father have to stand on?

 

With that in mind, she sighed and said, “In that case, you can only rely on yourself. By the looks of it, it is already late summer, and soon it will be early autumn. Make a good showing, impress your teacher until he gives a few words of praise, and I will see if I can find a way to make your father happy and convince him to accompany us to the village for a couple of days. At that time, you can go visit Concubine Xu. However, let me say the bad news first. I have brought this up several times, and every time I did, your father was in a bad mood. I will do my best, but I cannot guarantee success. Do not complain if things do not work out and accuse me of not keeping my word. I will not accept the blame.”

 

Before this, all the adults Jin Zhenyi had interacted with, including his own mother, always treated him with indulgence, but they also maintained a certain level of authority when speaking to him. Yet, at that moment, Fu Qiuning conversed with him as if he were an adult too. Rather than an elder speaking to a junior, it was more like discussing matters as friends would. Indeed, it gave him a strange feeling, but it was also comforting, as it diminished much of the dislike and hatred he held for Qiuning. Hearing her words, his eyes gleamed, and he patted his chest, saying, “Rest assured, if you truly mean it, I will respect your feelings.”

 

Unable to contain her laughter, Fu Qiuning shook her head and said, “Don’t pretend to be an adult with me. Respect my feelings? Is there anything in me that requires your respect for my feelings?” As she spoke, she stood up, but then she heard Jin Zhenyi’s voice from behind, “That Concubine Huo? Don’t get too close to her.”

 

Fu Qiuning couldn’t believe he had said such words and couldn’t help but turn around in surprise. “You child, what nonsense are you spouting? How would you understand adult matters? You don’t need to concern yourself with these things.”

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw Jin Zhenyi jump off the chair, his face flushed with anger. “Why would I not understand adult matters? That Concubine Huo, on the surface, she and my mother were on the same side, but even my mother says she has been manipulated by her behind the scenes countless times. In front of my mother, she confronts Second Madam head-on, but as soon as my mother’s head is turned and no one else is around, just how close she is to Second Madam? I have seen with my own eyes when they were together in the inner court, I can’t even describe how harmonious they were.”

 

Fu Qiuning thought that Huo’shi was a slick and shrewd person. Concubine Xu was inferior in comparison, so it wasn’t surprising that she tried to please Jiang Wanying behind the scenes. Therefore, she didn’t take Jin Zhenyi’s words to heart. What made her relieved was that through this conversation, she understood that although that boy still harboured some hostility towards her on the surface, he had already accepted her in his heart as someone who would take care of them.

 

Jin Fengju only came over when it was time for dinner, and Fu Qiuning brought him the cream rolls brought by Concubine Huo. He smiled and said, “I already ate some at the Old Ancestor’s place, but I didn’t expect these barbarians’ things to be quite this unique. It seems that from now on, we cannot view them with the old standards. In the past, our family looked down on them, thinking that their things were just a result of some clever ideas. But now, when I think about it, they must have their own strengths.”

 

Fu Qiuning finally understood why there were so few Western items in the estate. It turns out the sense of superiority within this family was very strong, and they considered those European countries to be barbarians. This was quite arrogant. So, she smiled and said, “As the saying goes, a foot has places where it is short, and an inch has places where it is long. [1] Even if they are barbarians, they must have their own strengths. Moreover, I’ve heard that those people have golden hair and blue eyes, completely different from us. It must be a heritage of thousands of years. How could we dare to say they don’t have anything remarkable? Let’s not talk about anything else, just the grand self-ringing clock. I find it more useful than our hourglasses. And these snacks, although they cannot compare to the delicate ones made by our chefs, they have a unique taste. Lord Husband, do you think so?”

 

Jin Fengju nodded and smiled, “Exactly. In a few months, there will be the All Nations Cultural Festival. [2] The Ministry of Rites has been so busy since last year that their feet don’t even touch the ground, and now they have finally selected some talents from various regions after much difficulty. Tomorrow, the Emperor will join the officials to see what unique skills these people have. I heard that several countries from across the sea will also participate this year. Their seafaring technology has been improving. Just in the past six months, we occasionally see men and women with golden hair and blue eyes on the streets. The other day, I even told the Emperor that we should step up our preparations in this regard. We must not let those foreign barbarians surpass us.”

 

Fu Qiuning felt a stir in her heart, realizing that as the era developed, control over the seas would become increasingly important. Although it seemed like a matter of competitiveness on the surface, with Jin Fengju’s character, his ability to propose such a suggestion was not simply due to his desire to outdo others. He must have his own insights on the matter. However, not being a modern person and not having experienced the painful history of Greater China, he wouldn’t have been able to have a profound understanding of this issue. Nevertheless, the fact that he could see this and make a proposal already demonstrated his far-sightedness.

 

“Then, what did the Emperor respond with?” Fu Qiuning got up and served a bowl of rice to Jin Zhenyi. Jin Fengju smiled and ruffled Jin Zhenyi’s head, saying, “Ever since Yi’er came to you, it seems that he eats more and is not as picky as before.”

 

Fu Qiuning smiled and replied, “Yes, he is right in the growth spurt, so naturally, he eats more.” But then she saw Jin Fengju shake his head and say, “The growth spurt is around twelve or thirteen years old. [3] He is still young.” Then he shifted the topic back and said, “The Emperor shares the same idea, so he has already allocated funds. There are two dragon shipyards in Suzhou, and this year, they will build more large-scale shipyards in Yangzhou, Ningbo, and other places. Training of naval forces is also on the agenda at the Ministry of War.”

 

Fu Qiuning stopped asking further. Those were all national affairs, and it was already remarkable that Jin Fengju would discuss such matters with a woman like her. If it were another man, where would he have the patience for it? Although she was curious, she knew that it was enough to know that the Great Ning Dynasty valued maritime affairs at this time. As for the future, whether history would repeat the mistakes of the late Qing Dynasty was not something she could predict or change. Asking more at that point would be fruitless.

 

After finishing their meal, Yu Jie and Jian Feng instructed the young maids to clean up the dishes. Jin Fengju and Fu Qiuning reclined opposite each other on the couch, and the pair of husband and wife engaged in idle conversation. Jin Fengju asked, “Are Yi’er and Xiunan doing well under your care? Were they naughty? They haven’t given you a hard time, have they?”

 

Fu Qiuning laughed and said, “As the saying goes, ‘eat some loss, gain some wisdom’. [4] This time, the loss that two of them have eaten has given them a valuable lesson that will stay with them for a lifetime. How would they be as reckless as before? Speaking of that, I have something to discuss with you. During these days, both of them have been very well-behaved. As their father, rewarding them should only be proper.”

 

Jin Fengju laughed in reply, “Those belongings of mine are all with you now. You can pick whatever you think is good and give it to the two of them. Won’t it do just to simply tell them that it was a gift from me? However, it would also be appropriate to give some items to Feng’er and Jiao’er.”

 

Fu Qiuning gave him a disdainful look and sneered, “Lord Husband is so skilled in socializing outside, you truly can be said to be nimble in all eight directions and able to find resources anywhere. But now that you’re with your own children, you suddenly forget how to spare a little more thought for them? What Brother Yi and Third Young Miss looking forward to, are they truly your gifts? When you brought them here, remember what I told you? If they listened to me, to soothe and discipline them, you should give them some sweet rewards to make up for it. Now, what do they desire most? It’s none other than Concubine Xu…”

 

Before she could finish her sentence, Jin Fengju interrupted decisively, “That will not do, hasn’t she only been sent to the village for a few days? They have not even learned their lesson yet. Bringing her back so soon? No, just no.”

 

Fu Qiuning smiled and said, “It is not like I am forcing you to bring her back right now. The children simply miss Concubine Xu. We should find an opportunity to let them see her. This shouldn’t be too difficult, right? Besides, it doesn’t have to be immediate. The weather is getting hotter day by day, and I am concerned about them getting heatstroke. Even if we bring them, we should wait until around the time of the Mid-Autumn Festival when the weather is more suitable.”

 

After hearing her words, Jin Fengju pondered for a moment and felt that it was acceptable. He nodded in agreement. Just then, Yu Jie brought them tea, and Jin Fengju looked at her and said, “Right, Yu Jie must be twenty years old now, right? At her age, it is about time to consider arranging a marriage for her. Jian Feng, Qiu Yu and Qiu Shuang, you can still serve for a few more years. By the time they are married off, these junior maids under them will have grown up. Tomorrow, when the matchmaker comes, you should pick a few more maids and servants for Feng’er and Jiao’er. Look, even Yi’er has quite a few servants by him. The two of them are slowly growing up, and they should be accompanied by a tutor, matron and maids.”

 

Fu Qiuning agreed and said, “Now that Aunt Yu and Zhang San’s marriage is harmonious, a load has been lifted off my thoughts. Yu Jie has been with me for so many years. Although officially, we are mistress and servant, since we have gone through hardships together, my heart has long viewed her as a younger sister. I request that Lord Husband be her backer and find a good family for her.”

 

Jin Fengju smiled and said, “Your subordinates must be outstanding. Very well, I will pay attention and make sure Yu Jie is not treated unfairly.” After chatting for a while longer, the couple settled down and didn’t mention it again.

 

Pill Bug TL Notes:

 

[1]       Chinese idiom, means: everything has its own advantages. Measuring a road in feet would be tiresome because feet are too short, and measuring the thickness of hair in inches would also be too tiresome because inches are too long.

 

[2]       Previously mentioned in chapter 74.

 

[3]       Not completely true. There are multiple growth spurts before adulthood.

 

[4]       Chinese idiom, means: Experience is gained through setbacks

 

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