Chapter 259: A Child’s Thoughts (Unedited)
Author:Â White Pear Flower
Raws:Â https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by AI
Gumihou: I really don’t want to do this, but since the entire chapter is dominated by AR Delulu Qiuning, I had no choice.
Please read the Edited Version Here.
Fu Qiuning knew that there was no point in arguing with Jiang Wanying. Therefore, she didn’t get too angry. She had her own calculations in mind. As long as Jin Fengju knew about this matter, it wouldn’t be up to Jiang Wanying to make any decisions. So she just wanted to throw this troublesome woman to Jin Fengju to handle. With a faint smile, she looked at Jiang Wanying, who was puffing up and speaking louder and louder, clearly looking for a fight. Fu Qiuning took a few sips of tea, even more calm and composed, and said with a smile, “Sister can do whatever you want.”
“I know, sister, you are now relying on the master’s favor and running wild in this mansion. I know that no matter how tough I talk right now, you can easily convince father by whispering a few words in his ear. But this time, I have something to say, even if it’s in front of Lord Husband, I won’t back down.”
Seeing that Fu Qiuning was unaffected, Jiang Wanying couldn’t help but stand up angrily and said with a fierce tone. Before she could finish her words, she saw Fu Qiuning slam the tea cup heavily on the table and look at her, saying in a deep voice, “Sister, speak with respect. After all, you are a young lady from the Duke’s mansion. What nonsense are you spouting? The maids are still here. You’ve been managing the house for so long, how can you not understand the importance of this matter? Yujie, escort Madam Wan back. Let her do as she pleases.”
Jiang Wanying’s intention in coming here was to argue with Fu Qiuning, to let the family who moved in last night listen, and hopefully make them feel unwelcome and leave, along with other families. But she didn’t expect Fu Qiuning to completely ignore her and directly issue an eviction order. It was like punching cotton, and she ended up being mocked. This made her burning with anger, but there was nothing she could do. Seeing Fu Qiuning entering the inner room, she knew that if she really followed and argued, she would lose all her dignity as the lady of the house. So she had no choice but to leave, angry and resentful.
Meanwhile, Fu Qiuning entered the inner room and saw several children gathered together, with a few kittens piled up next to them. The old cat was lying in front of the children, seemingly very content. She sighed and thought that being a child is truly great, carefree and worry-free. So she quietly left.
Originally, she just wanted to take a walk, but as soon as she stepped out of the back door, she saw Jin Zhenxuan sitting under the porch, his hands supporting his cheeks, lost in thought.
Strictly speaking, among these children, the ones Fu Qiuning least wanted to get close to were Jin Zhenxuan and Jin Xiuzhen. Not only because of their mother, but also because these two children always had a gloomy and scheming demeanor, and were spoiled.
However, children are just children. No matter how cunning they may be, they are not yet ten years old and their character is not set in stone. So when Fu Qiuning saw Jin Zhenxuan sitting alone there, she couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry for him. She walked up to him and patted his shoulder, saying, “Why are you sitting here in the wind? Even though it’s summer, the air is not good at this time. Don’t let the wind blow on you, getting sick in the summer is the hardest to cure. Your mother would worry.”
Jin Zhenxuan turned around and saw that it was Fu Qiuning. He quickly stood up and greeted her, calling her “Honoured Mother”. Then he stared at her blankly, as if he had a lot on his mind. Fu Qiuning found it both frustrating and amusing, and gently poked his forehead with her finger, saying, “What are you worried about? Second Miss was just saying that, you and Little Sister Wan have been together for so long, how can you be separated? Don’t worry, I’ll leave the little cat with your older brother, he will take care of it for you. Later, I’ll talk to Second Miss, you go back and spend time with your mother, and that will be the end of it.”
Jin Zhenxuan didn’t say yes or no, he just looked at Fu Qiuning blankly. But after a while, he collected himself and said softly, “Honoured Mother, don’t worry about us. These days, I’ve been studying with my older brother and I feel like I’ve made a lot of progress. My mother is angry now, and my sister has a stubborn temper. It’s actually better for them to be apart for a while and calm down. Auntie is right, I’ll go inside now. You shouldn’t stand here in the wind either. There might be more people moving in today, maybe someone will come to visit.”
After Jin Zhenxuan finished speaking, he walked away, leaving Fu Qiuning standing there staring at his small figure. After a while, Jian Feng let out a sigh and said, “My God, did Xuan ge’er say that? How old is he? No wonder Madam always says that if we don’t consider their studies, among these children, Xuan ge’er is the most clever and deep.”
Fu Qiuning watched as the little figure disappeared at the back door, her eyebrows slightly furrowed. She couldn’t help but think that Jin Zhenxuan’s scheming was the deepest. Why did he say those things just now? From his appearance, it seemed like he had some unresolved issues. Could it be… he had noticed Jiang Wanying’s schemes? The thought sent shivers down her spine, and she couldn’t help but look towards the back door, only to find that there was no one there.
“Madam…” Hearing Jian Feng call her, Fu Qiuning snapped back to reality and said softly, “It’s nothing. Let’s go around and also see who the family that moved in last night under the cover of darkness is.” After saying that, she walked ahead, but she couldn’t help but ponder Jin Zhenxuan’s behavior just now. If her guess was correct, Jin Zhenxuan had noticed some of his mother’s actions and decided to draw a line at this opportunity. Then… his cunning and coldness were really terrifying.
It was still early in the morning, and the sun peeked out from behind the clouds lazily, emitting a gentle light. Fu Qiuning walked for a while and noticed that a courtyard that had been empty before now had clothes hanging up. She wanted to go closer and take a look, but then she heard a loud voice saying, “Quick, pack up these freshly made snacks and bring two plates to the Marqui’s wife. Tell them that these are our local speciality snacks, something you won’t find in the capital. Let them have a taste.”
Despite Fu Qiuning’s efforts to conduct herself like a proper young lady since transmigrating, so as not to arouse suspicion, she couldn’t help but roll her eyes at the sky and mutter, “Of all people, it had to be her.” Feeling annoyed, she turned to Jian Feng and said, “Let’s go back, I’m tired of walking.”
Jian Feng couldn’t help but smile and lower her head, saying, “I told you, how could there be someone so clueless? Grandma just made an announcement, and she immediately moved in under the cover of darkness. It turns out to be her. Well, if she can make a scene in front of our house, there’s nothing else she can’t do. But now she remembers to bring us snacks, as if two plates of snacks can erase everything she’s done?”
Fu Qiuning shook her head and said, “She’s just a crude woman. Maybe she was forced into this situation and had no choice but to cause a scene. There’s no need to stoop to her level. As the saying goes, don’t judge a book by its cover. We’re only doing this for the sake of that person’s reputation.”
The master and servant returned to the house, and soon a little maid came with a food box, saying that the lady of the house invited Fu Qiuning to taste the fresh snacks. Fu Qiuning reluctantly accepted, but Jian Feng despised the woman for her crude and aggressive behavior. Fu Qiuning noticed that the young maid looked frail and pitiful, so she gave her five hundred coins. The girl was overjoyed and immediately knelt down to kowtow.
As soon as the maid left, Jin Fengju returned. The usually charming and elegant young marquis looked a bit dishevelled, covered in mud. As soon as he entered the house, he said to Fu Qiuning, “Yesterday’s rain was short but heavy. We were on our way back when we got caught in it. We had no choice but to seek shelter in a family’s house. Who would have thought that there would be another heavy rain in the middle of the night? The water and mud from the mountain came rushing down, flooding two houses. Fortunately, it wasn’t too severe, and with the help of the villagers, we managed to rescue those two families. Ah, I have travelled far and read many books, but I never knew such things could happen in this world.”
Jin Fengju didn’t know, but Fu Qiuning understood very well. It must have been a mudslide that happened in the middle of the night. However, deforestation wasn’t as severe in this era, so the scale of the mudslide was small. If it happened in the future with rampant deforestation, the entire village would probably be submerged. Jin Fengju wouldn’t even be able to save anyone, no matter how capable he was. The thought made her shudder. She quickly checked his body and found only a few scratches, likely from rescuing people, but not serious.
The servants were instructed to bring hot water, as Jin Fengju was also hungry. After washing his hands, he saw two plates of snacks on the table and ate one piece. Then he smiled and said, “I haven’t seen you make this kind of snack before. I guess someone sent it? How about you? These past few days must have been hard for you.”
Fu Qiuning replied, “Master, go ahead and take a bath. When you come back, I have something important to discuss with you.” Seeing Jin Fengju raise his head in surprise, she continued, “What’s so important that it can’t be said now? Otherwise, it’ll be uncomfortable to wait.”
“It’s just taking a bath, it won’t take long. This is not something that can be finished in a short time. Go and wash up quickly, or else if the children see you like this, it’ll become a topic of gossip.” While saying this, Fu Qiuning pushed Jin Fengju towards the room designated for bathing. She then returned to the front hall and waited. After about half an hour, she saw Jin Fengju come out in a different set of clothes, looking refreshed. However, his hair was still damp and water was dripping down.
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