Higher Level Wife – 268 – Motherhood (Unedited)

Chapter 268: Motherhood (Unedited)

Author: White Pear Flower

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

Translated by Gumihou

Proofread by Pill Bug

Gumihou: … honestly, at this point, I’m actually worried for White Pear Flower. I mean, if this what she thinks a ‘good mom’ is, I, well, I’m really sorry for you, dear.

Come to the Edited Chapter to see an actual good mom

Here, Fu Qiuning took out a handkerchief to wipe Jin Xiuzhen’s tears and said gently, “Look at how tired your father is. If you keep crying like this, when he sees how distressed you’ve become, he will feel sorry for you. He still has many important things to do outside. Stop crying, even though your Flowerball has passed away, don’t your sisters still have Spotty and Inky here?” Because the children were very attached to the kittens, each of them had given their cats a name. Only the old cat that Fu Qiuning raised did not receive this treatment; everyone just called it “old cat” or “big tabby cat.”

Jin Xiuzhen nodded and followed Fu Qiuning and Jin Zangfeng into the house. Fu Qiuning then asked, “What about Brother Xuan? If he’s feeling upset, let Second Miss accompany him for a walk. But boys always have broader minds, so he shouldn’t be too upset over just a cat, right?”

“My younger brother is also upset. These days, he’s even more sullen and quiet than me. Even Mother is a bit worried. I know those two little kittens were harmed by her, so she has been treating my brother and me well these past few days. Even though she treats us well, Flowerball and Flower Brocade will never come back. Anyway, I will remember this for the rest of my life…” Jin Xiuzhen gritted her teeth and finished speaking before realizing that she was talking about her own mother. Would Fu Qiuning be pleased to hear this? She quickly bit her lip, sneakily looking at Fu Qiuning, who showed no sign of gloating, which put Jin Xiuzhen at ease.

“Don’t say such foolish things; that’s still your mother. She probably didn’t know you would be this upset, otherwise, she wouldn’t have harmed Flowerball and Flower Brocade. Fu Qiuning sighed. She wasn’t speaking up for Jiang Wanying out of kindness but rather thinking that the woman would soon be separated from her children, possibly forever. This made her feel uncomfortable. She thought that spending this final period of time well with Jin Xiuzhen and her brother and mother was the right thing to do. Although everything was Jiang Wanying’s fault, her fate was still deserving of some sympathy.

Jin Xiuzhen couldn’t help but glance at Fu Qiuning again when she heard this, then looked at Jin Zhenyi and Jin Xiunan, secretly thinking, no wonder even Younger Brother Zhenyi and Younger Sister Xiunan were won over by her. Indeed, her way of doing things and speaking made people feel comfortable and couldn’t help but want to get close to her. Among Father’s women, to be honest, she was probably the best, no wonder Father eventually only liked her. If I could choose, I would also rather be her daughter, better than my mother who only knows how to force me to practice the piano and embroidery every day, forcing me to be better than my sisters. Actually, those things weren’t forced out, right? I’ve never seen her force my elder sister, but isn’t my elder sister now the best among us in music and needlework?

As she thought about it, she was surrounded by several children and taken into the room to see the kittens. The little ones were curled up together sleeping, like a few balls of fur snuggled together, indescribably cute. Jin Xiuzhen touched the smooth fur of the kittens and couldn’t help but mutter, “If Flowerball and Flower Brocade were still alive, they would probably be here snuggled up too…” Before she could finish, tears streamed down her face once again.

Fu Qiuning listened outside the door, feeling heartbroken, and heard Jin Zangfeng and Jin Xiunan comforting her, so she quietly retreated. Sitting in a daze in the hall, watching the sky gradually darken, suddenly heard a burst of lazy laughter behind her, “My goodness, only now do I feel like I’ve come back to life. Those days before, I dare not even think back on them. That wasn’t living in the mortal world, it was clearly soaking in hell.”

Fu Qiuning stood up and turned around to see Jin Fengju wearing a white satin robe, with his hair loose and dripping water, emerging from behind the screen, stretching lazily.

“Have you had lunch yet? I see you rushed back in a hurry, and then rushed to interrogate that Japanese pirate. I’m afraid you didn’t have lunch, right?” Fu Qiuning stepped forward to help him tie up his hair, secretly amused: still the handsome young master, but his face has been sunburned, he doesn’t even need makeup to play the role of young Bao Qingtian.

“I really haven’t eaten, but it’s getting late, so let’s have dinner together tonight. Yujie, go get two plates of snacks. Oh, I rented a house near the government office, you and Ling guard can stay there first, so that the young couple doesn’t have to come together but sleep separately, there’s no reason for that.”

Jin Fengju’s words made Yujie blush, and she stomped her foot, “You went out for a trip, how come you’re coming back with such a sharp tongue? My business doesn’t need you and Grandma to worry about.” With that, she ran out. Jin Fengju watched her run away with wide eyes and said to Fu Qiuning, “Hey, I show kindness, and she says I have a sharp tongue, is there still justice in this world?”

Fu Qiuning couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Don’t listen to her, she’s probably very happy inside saying that.” Just as she finished speaking, she happened to see Chuang Hua passing by outside the door, so she quickly called her over and instructed, “Go to each room and tell them that the master is back, we’ll have dinner together tonight.”

Chuang Hua agreed and went. Here, Fu Qiuning asked, “How about it? Have those Japanese pirates been interrogated? Are there any other Japanese pirates in the city?”

Jin Fengju’s face became serious, nodding, “They have been interrogated. In addition to these three, there are four other Japanese pirates lurking in the city. They are a small group of fugitives who had nowhere to hide because they were being chased. They took a risk and relied on someone inside the city who could dig a hole, thinking of finding a way out by entering the city. Little did they know that the first time they tried to commit a crime at night, they failed. It’s also fortunate that they were scared and didn’t dare to act together, fearing that once they encountered the authorities, they would all be caught. If all seven of them had come that day, the children would have been in danger.”

Fu Qiuning frowned, “There are still four Japanese pirates, which is four unstable factors. The people in the city are mostly unarmed. If they encounter them, wouldn’t it be very dangerous? Wasn’t there a search going on? How come they haven’t been found yet? I don’t believe it. Can those Japanese pirates grow wings and fly away?”

“Quanzhou City is not small, with tens of thousands of people. It’s not easy to search. It’s not like it’s under the emperor’s feet, where the Imperial Guards and the Forbidden Army can easily catch criminals.” Jin Fengju showed deep concern. Fu Qiuning thought that he had just returned from a series of battles and should not be burdened with more worries. So she decided not to bring up this matter and instead asked about his actions during the past month chasing the Japanese pirates.

Indeed, as soon as this topic was brought up, Jin Fengju immediately became animated and eloquently recounted his experiences to Fu Qiuning. His eloquence was excellent, and when he described the dangers, it was truly thrilling, making Fu Qiuning’s heart race. At this moment, Mrs. Cui, Yuelan, and even Jiang Wanying also came over, all listening intently.

“Grandmother, dinner is ready. Shall we set the table in the dining room?”

Just as they were happily discussing, Jianfeng walked in. Fu Qiuning smiled, “Let’s set it up. Master is as hungry as a wolf coming down the mountain. He finished those two plates of snacks with tea in one go. I’ve never seen him eat so rudely before.”

Jin Fengju laughed, “You didn’t see me when I was trapped in the past. When the reinforcements arrived and I finally had a meal, that was truly an impressive display of appetite.”

Fu Qiuning thought of the time when he ate snake meat, Jin Fengju seemed to have mentioned that he had eaten rats when he was trapped. It can be seen that even this extremely wealthy young marquis has experienced hardship.

Seeing Jin Changjiao and Jin Xiunan pulling Jin Xiuzhen out, she smiled and said, “Second Miss was sad because her little cat died. She was upset all afternoon, but finally cheered up. She can eat with us now.” She looked at Jiang Wanying as she spoke, not to intentionally hurt her feelings but because she could not understand how someone could poison the pet cats of her own children just because she didn’t like cats. By mentioning this now, she hoped that Jiang Wanying would reflect on it and truly cherish and respect these two children in the remaining time. Of course, she knew that her efforts would likely be in vain, but Fu Qiuning didn’t care. With her current status and position, she didn’t need to worry about what others thought. Back when she had a lowly status, she never worried about it either.

Seeing that her second daughter’s eyes were still red, Jin Fengju smiled and gently touched her head, saying, “Don’t be sad. After dealing with the Japanese pirates, I will take you to play on Dongfan Island. There are many fruits and seabirds there, and even rabbits on the island. If you like them, we can catch a couple to raise. Rabbit fur is not inferior to cat fur.”

Jin Xiuzhen didn’t react much to this, but Jin Zhenyi suddenly jumped up with joy and said, “Dad, is what you said true? That’s great, I also want to catch two rabbits to raise.” Before she could finish speaking, she was tapped on the head by Jin Fengju and coldly warned, “You want to raise rabbits? When they get fat and plump, I guarantee they will be roasted and eaten.”

Everyone laughed at his words, and seeing that the dishes and rice had been served by the maids, Fu Qiuning arranged for everyone to sit down. Jiang Wanying jokingly said, “Is Lord returning triumphantly today? Why so quiet? I was looking forward to seeing the soldiers enter the city in glory and watch your imposing presence at the city gate.”

When it came to cunning and acting skills, Jin Fengju was no less than his cousin. Knowing in his heart that she was a traitor, hearing her speak now made him inexplicably annoyed, but he didn’t show it on his face and just smiled, “Imposing presence and glory? Do you think killing Japanese pirates is easy? Hundreds of soldiers sacrificed their lives in the fight against them. Moreover, although this group of Japanese pirates has been eliminated, there are still thousands more at sea. They have suffered a big loss this time, and with their brutality, they will surely seek revenge. Just wait for the time when they launch a large-scale invasion.”

His words made everyone’s expressions change, even Fu Qiuning thought it was over, but hearing Jin Fengju’s words, it seemed like this was just the beginning, and the real content had yet to unfold. Everyone was so engrossed that they forgot about eating, and they all eagerly asked questions, even the children listened attentively.

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