Chapter 293: To Lose One’s Mind
Author: White Pear Flower
Raws: https://book.qidian.com/info/2386994/
Translated by Gumihou
Proofread by Pill Bug
Fu Qiuning smiled at her and said, “The Elder Madam wanted to know why Cai Lian, Bi Yu and Yue Lan were leaving. Since it was the Master who arranged for them to leave, there was nothing she could say to me about it.”
The answer was blunt and to the point.
Concubine Xu chuckled, “As expected, Elder Madam has become much more lenient now. In the past, even if the Master was the one who gave the order for those women to be removed, she would certainly have scolded Madam and insisted that you were the one who instigated the Master.”
Fu Qiuning’s eyebrows rose. She shrugged and said, “While the Elder Madam did not scold me, she did nag me about it.”
Concubine Xu tittered.
The two ladies made their way into the house.
Fu Qiuning was unsure about the flattery being shown to her by Concubine Xu. It felt rather nice to be treated thus, but awkward at the same time.
Now that Jin Fengju had shown how little he thought of his concubines, even someone like Concubine Xu no longer had any illusion about depending on him. Whether she and her children lived well within the Jin estate all depended on Fu Qiuning’s whims now, therefore she had no choice but to switch her energy to flattering the Madam.
Feeling a little sorry for the woman, Fu Qiuning gentled her tone and asked, “How are you? Do you have enough silver for your expenses?”
[1] While it was easy for Jin Fengju to proclaim that he would only love Fu Qiuning from now on, life was not as straightforward for women who had lost their husband’s favour. It was more than just losing a man’s ‘love’; women who had lost a man’s favour also lost their financial and political backing and those who did not have their own income suffered the most, as Fu Qiuning could attest to. [1] As someone who had already experienced the miserable life of a woman without the favour of a man, Fu Qiuning had no intention of letting Jin Fengju’s remaining women fall victim to this terrible patriarchal system.Concubine Xu [2] smiled and said, “I thank the Madam for your concern, but this lowly concubine receives the monthly allowance of ten taels most promptly. Moreover, with the shops and other properties still under my name, my life is quite comfortable, if not extravagant. Although…” She gave Fu Qiuning a meaningful look before leaning closer to whisper. “If I may be so bold, what happened to that Huo Xiangmian?”
The truth about what happened to Concubine Huo had been kept secret, its details known only to a few. However, it was not difficult to guess that something must have happened since the woman was gone with no one willing to openly talk about anything. [3]
Personally, Concubine Xu had no love for the woman whose maid had tried to harm her beloved son. [3a] Back when most of the household had gone to Quanzhou, she had plotted to take the woman down. However, that slut must have sensed something amiss because she kept to herself the whole time, never accepting visitors or venturing out on her own.
Still, if the Madam had taken matters into her own hands, who was she, a mere disgraced concubine, to protest? She herself had survived thanks to this benevolent Madam’s grace.
[4] She watched as Fu Qiuning sipped her tea. The woman merely smiled and said, “Do you truly want to know?” [4] Concubine Xu stared at Fu Qiuning for a moment. She wanted to know. She truly did, however… did she need to know? That woman was gone. The person who harmed her son was punished in a way the Madam saw fit. Knowing how benevolent this woman was, there was a chance that that traitorous slut must have been sent away somehow. Probably with some money too. [4] While it burned at Concubine Xu’s heart to know that her mortal enemy was alive somewhere out there, had she not also benefitted from Fu Qiuning’s benevolence? Even now, she had her properties in her name, a regular allowance and could even see her children whenever they visited her. [4] It was not the most ideal situation, but it was more than she could have hoped for. So why rock the boat? [4] The two women sat in silence for a long time, sipping tea, lost in their thoughts. After a while, Concubine Xu said, “The three of us entered the household with Elder Sister back then. Not long after that, Elder Sister was sent to Night Breeze Pavilion and we barely saw you. After that incident, we never saw you until five years later. In those five years, the number of women in the master’s harem changed little, with only the addition of Concubine Cui and Yue Lan. The two bedroom maids were here even before us. [5]”Fu Qiuning kept quiet, letting her talk.
“Now, Cai Lian and Bi Yu are gone. Yue Lan is gone and Sister Huo is gone too. I saw Second Madam Wan from afar the other day and… though she looked as radiant as ever, there was a certain brittleness to her expression. Things must not be easy for her…” Concubine Xu trailed off, her eyes demurely downcast as she watched Fu Qiuning’s reaction.
[4] Contrary to her expectations, instead of looking rattled, Fu Qiuning remained indifferent. The woman placed a pastry into her mouth and chewed, not speaking at all. [4] Suddenly, she was reminded of a tall mountain she had seen on the way to the village. She had been recently cast out of the Jin Estate and was filled with worry for her children. She had raged and screamed, had howled and cried, but… there was nothing. Nothing she could do. Like an ant trying to do battle against a mountain, she had thrust her body uselessly against something beyond her power. [4] The Fu Qiuning in front of her was like a great mountain. Lofty and indifferent. She had seen the woman show affection to the children. Brother Yi had told her how ‘Honourable Mother’ had let them keep cats and play as they liked and eat the food they liked so long as they did their homework and obeyed the odd rules that had been set in place. Therefore, she knew that the woman was capable of great feelings despite the many rules imposed on the children. [4] In the past, Concubine Xu believed that the best way to raise children was to give them whatever they wanted and praise them lavishly. She had fought against Jin Fengju when he tried to discipline the children and she had shielded them from all criticism. When she heard that Fu Qiuning often disciplined the children, her heart leapt to her throat. However, it turned out that Fu Qiuning’s idea of ‘discipline’ was to make the children sit and think about their actions with each other and explain why certain actions are acceptable or otherwise. [4] It felt like an unacceptably convoluted way of handling things, but since the children did not object to it, and with Zhenyi acting calmer than she had ever seen him, she supposed it was a good way of handling things. It certainly seemed to help Zhenyi with his essay-writing skills too. At least, that’s what the children had been telling her. [4] Perhaps, it was this indifference that put her a cut above the rest of them. With how grand and noble the master was, only a lofty and indifferent mountain could match him. Fu Qiuning was above reproach in all things, and not even Elder Madam Jiang could find fault with her. Of the people left within the harem, there was only the quiet Concubine Cui who kept to herself all this while and… herself. [4] Even so, the master had drawn a clear line between her and his harem. Her own residence was kept pointedly outside the main harem, but still close enough that her children could visit her regularly. She was sure that this concession was thanks to the noble and indifferent Fu Qiuning. She had been allowed back because the Madam had deemed that her presence was important to the children. [4] After a while, she said, “It is lovely to see the children grow up so well.” [4] Fu Qiuning nodded, “Indeed.” [5] Just as the two of them were about to take another sip of their tea, there was a scream from outside. Concubine Xu immediately perked up, her drama sensors tingling. Fu Qiuning merely sighed. [5] As if on cue, Qiu Yu dashed into the room to scream, “Not good! Someone said that Second Madam Wan is chasing Young Master Xuan and Second Young Miss with a kitchen knife!” [5] “What?!” Concubine Xu immediately jumped up.“She’s screaming about how she wants to die with them and- and- they are running towards Elegant Mansion now! Wh-what if the other children get hurt-”
[5] Fu Qiuning blinked slowly at Qiu Yu. Jiang Wanying screaming about wanting to die with the children? Chasing them around with a knife? [5] She exchanged a confused look with Concubine Xu. That did not sound like Jiang Wanying at all. If she had really wanted to kill herself and her children, surely she would have orchestrated a meal of poison mixed in a dessert and have the entire household die together? If she could get Jin Fengju to dine on the poison with them, all the better. [5] So just what was going on? What was Jiang Wanying planning now? [6] While Fu Qiuning was trying to decide what to do, more screams came. [6] “Madam! Shouldn’t we hurry and see what is happening? Wh-what if the children are hurt?” [6] “Ah, right, I have forgotten that the servants and guards in this place are all for show,” Fu Qiuning muttered under her breath. [6] “Madam?” [6] Fu Qiuning sighed, “Come, let us have a look at what is going on outside.” [6] Concubine Xu trailed after Fu Qiuning, more than a little bemused. So long as her own children were not threatened, what did she care? It was more interesting to find out what was happening and watch the drama. Meanwhile, a stampede of footsteps and even more screams were heard as the servants dashed out to see what was going on. Partway through the mansion, Fu Qiuning paused and returned to her room. [6] “Madam? What are you doing? Where are you going?” Qiu Yu asked anxiously. [6] “To collect Mister Cat,” she said. “Whatever is happening outside sounds dangerous. Might as well have the strongest member of my staff with me.” [6] Eventually, with the assistance of Jian Feng, a harried Qiu Yu finally managed to convince Fu Qiuning to leave Elegant Mansion to investigate what was going on. [6] “Oh, Madam! What if the children are injured? How terrible would that be?” Jian Feng fretted as she wrung her hands. [6] “If such a thing could happen within the Jin Estate, then we can only assume that security within the Jin Estate is laughable at best. At worst, none of the servants within this estate gives a jot about the young masters and mistresses of this family and should be dragged across hot coals and beaten to death,” she said glibly. [6] “Madam! This- h-how could this be?” [6] At the entrance of Elegant Mansion, Fu Qiuning watched as Jiang Wanying leisurely strolled around with a kitchen knife in hand. There was blood on the blade and a smirk on the woman’s face. Jin Xiuzhen and Jin Zhenxuan stood a few arm’s lengths away, their own faces filled with anxiety and fear as they stared at their mother. The other children had also come out to watch the spectacle. [6] Jin Zhenyi was busy stuffing a bun into his mouth. [6] The screams were from the servants running around like headless chickens. A few of them sported blood running down their arms as they continued to shriek and howl. Personally, Fu Qiuning felt like stabbing them too. How noisy. [6] “Mother, please don’t do this…” Jin Zhenxuan pleaded. [6] “This is stupid!” Jin Xiuzhen shouted. “You’re stupid! You’re all stupid!!” [6] Jin Changfeng was there too. There was a pinched look on his face as he tried to remain calm amidst the chaos caused by the screaming servants. Beside him, Jin Zhenyi was chewing on a second bun, observing the chaotic scene with interest. [6] “Second Mother sure knows how to put on a show,” he commented with glee. [6] Jin Changjiao cuffed the back of his head, “Tsk, can’t you at least enjoy the show quietly?” [6] Fu Qiuning glanced at the children, Mister Cat purring like a motor in her arms. Although the children were nudging each other and making jokes, there was tension between them as they observed the situation. [6] Jiang Wanying was stalking about with a bloodied knife while her children alternately pleaded or shouted at her. The servants, those who weren’t running around and splattering blood everywhere, were standing far away from Second Madam Wan. [7] “What are you doing? Have you gone mad? Even if Young Master Yi and Second Miss have done something wrong, they are your flesh and blood. Even a tiger doesn’t eat its cubs. Are you truly planning to harm them with this bloody knife? Have you lost your conscience?” [7] A particularly bloodied and heroic-looking matron screamed. [7] Jin Zhenyi tilted his head, and then pointed at himself, “But, I’m Young Master Yi?” [7] Fu Qiuning tsked disdainfully, “She messed up her lines.” [7] Concubine Xu sighed, “Clearly she hasn’t been practising as much as she should.” [8] It was hard to feel nervous or anxious in the face of such a ridiculous scene. Indeed, even Jiang Wanying had a stunned look on her face before it transformed into pure rage as she dramatically thrust her knife at Fu Qiuning and loudly declared, “It’s you, it’s because of you! If it weren’t for you, my cousin wouldn’t have left me. If it weren’t for you, my children wouldn’t have turned their backs on me. Hahaha… my children? No, no, those two little brats who recognise a thief as their mother, how could they be my children? They’re just little beasts who disregard years of nurturing. Just because you now have status and my cousin’s favour, they want to come to you. Tell me, what use do I have for such heartless and ungrateful brats?” [8] Fu Qiuning, “… …” [8] Concubine Xu, “… …” [8] Jin Zhenxuan, “… …” [8] Jin Xiuzhen, “What the hell?” [8] Vaguely, Fu Qiuning realised that Jin Xiuzhen would have spat out worse expletives if she had known them at the moment. [8] As for Jiang Wanying, this amazingly thick-faced woman did not even have the decency to blush after that long and cringe-inducing line as she stabbed her bloodied knife to the sky and uttered a dramatic ‘ha ha ha’ laugh before crying out, “Did the heavens hear that? I raised two children, but they’re actually beasts in human skin. Even lambs know to kneel for milk, even crows know to feed back, but them? Their wings aren’t even hardened yet, and they already know how to climb higher branches, truly worse than beasts!!” [8] Jin Zhenyi swallowed the last of his bun and said, “Wow, that’s really bad.” [8] Jin Xiunan shushed him. [8] Fu Qiuning felt embarrassed on Jiang Wanying’s behalf.[Gumihou: Like, I’m super embarrassed for everyone here. I’m suffering from second-hand embarrassment for the author…]
[1] Instead of penning it as ‘Wow, Qiuning is a saint!’, reveal the awful truth of this system
As they spoke, they entered the house, and Jianfeng served tea. Fu Qiuning asked, “Are you comfortable living in the rear court now? Do you have enough for daily expenses? I make sure every month to send ten taels of silver to you. No one is skimming from that, right?”
Wow, bleeding heart, whatever
[2] Instead of ‘Xu Meiyun’, let’s keep calling her Concubine Xu. Don’t forget that dear wonderful hubby has other women attached to him. [3] Ah, Gumi finally realised why ‘Xu Meiyun’ appeared here. It was to talk about Concubine Huo and how wonderful, generous and benevolent the Super Couple are. Well, let’s delete all of that wah wah nonsense (About 60 words) and rework the scene into a mild tea sharing moment between two ladies instead [3a] Give a more plausible reason for Concubine Xu’s interest [4] Redid the scene so that it’s properly dramatic instead of whatever this thing is:Fu Qiuning took a sip of tea, gazing at her for a while before giving a faint smile, “With your intelligence, you must have already guessed what happened. So why ask again?”
Concubine Xu’s heart skipped a beat. Guessing is one thing, but having it confirmed brought mixed feelings that weren’t entirely joyful. After a long pause, she found herself asking blankly, “Then… what happened next? How did Master and Madam deal with her?”
“Naturally, she was dealt with in secret. Could Master really allow someone like her to live?” Since this concerned Concubine Huo’s fate and involved Concubine Xu, even if she seemed to have reformed, who could tell if she might leak information due to her son’s grievances? Hence, Fu Qiuning gave her a straightforward answer to set her mind at ease.
[5] Deleted this ‘Wow, we suck’ speech.“…It was only me, Second Madam Wan, and Sister Huo, then later came Aunt Cui and Yuelan. Even the master’s two concubine servants came before us. The master is actually a person who values affection. But human greed knows no bounds; we all wanted his favor, openly and secretly competing countless times, only to realize in the end that all our scheming led to our downfall.”
Because it is totally us, we women are the problem. It’s totally our fault.
[6] Just as she finished speaking, they heard crying and shouting from afar, approaching Elegant Mansion. Next, Qiu Yu ran in frantically and said, “It’s not good, madam! I don’t know what happened, but Second Madam Wan is chasing Young Master Xuan and Second Young Miss with a kitchen knife, saying she wants to die with them, and she’s heading towards Elegant. The young master and young misses are all out right now, if anyone gets hurt…”Gumihou: … …
Concubine Xu: … …
Jiang Wanying: My, that maid sure has amazing lung capacity
Gumihou: Right? I don’t even know…
Concubine Xu: Who did that maid say was chasing what now?
Jiang Wanying: Let’s see the next bit!
Outside Elegant Mansion, chaos had already erupted. Jin Xiuzhen and Jin Zhenxuan were so frightened their legs went weak, their faces pale without a trace of blood. Being small and weak, it was not easy for them to make it here, thanks to the servants who held back Jiang Wanying, buying them some time. But their mother seemed insane, injuring several servants, and continued to chase them relentlessly. Driven by a strong will to survive, the two children managed to run all the way here. Seeing Jin Changfeng, Jin Changjiao, Jin Zhenyi, and others ahead, although they were also children, the numbers gave them some courage, making even their cries louder. Clinging to their brothers’ arms, they cried out, “It’s terrible! Mother wants to kill us, wuwuwu…”
Gumi has her face in her hands…
[7] Let’s give this speech to someone else. There’s a ‘comedic moment’ here that was just too lame… [8] Since the scene is stupid, let us acknowledge it as such
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