The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 132

Xie Yunchu knew that she had truly frightened those around her this time, so she obeyed their arrangements without protest.

This brief illness also allowed Xie Yunchu to experience the warmth of human kindness.

In her past life, after Wang Shuhuai emerged victorious in the struggle for the throne, the Grand Princess passed away, and the Wang family fell apart. The second branch, as the sole heir of the main line, took over the ancestral residence entirely. In that vast estate, only their family remained.

Her mother-in-law, Madam Jiang, had finally reached the pinnacle of power and used her birthday banquet to flaunt her status as the mother of the Grand Chancellor.

That banquet took such a toll on her that she never recovered, yet the second branch—those heartless ingrates—were too preoccupied with scheming over her inheritance to spare any true concern for her. All they did was maintain a façade of care for appearances’ sake.

But in this life, she had merely lost her hearing for a brief while, and the first, third, and even fourth branches of the family had all sent over tonics and messengers to inquire after her health. Her little aunt, Wang Yining, upon hearing the news, stormed into the Wang household straight from the Yao family residence and stationed herself in Chunjing Hall, personally receiving visitors and tending to the imperial physicians.

Madam Ming had officially married her father on the eighth of September. As soon as she arrived at the Wang residence, she instructed Xie Yunyuo to search for any skilled healers among the common folk while personally overseeing Xie Yunchu’s medicinal regimen.

In the end, it was all a false alarm, leaving Xie Yunchu feeling rather embarrassed. But no one blamed her for it—instead, they feared she might have suffered some hidden ailment and forbade her from being careless with her health.

Thus, for the next few days, Xie Yunchu remained at home to recuperate.

Xiao Ke, though young, was keenly perceptive. That night, sensing something was amiss in the household, she wobbled step by step toward Xie Yunchu’s bedside, reaching out in an attempt to grasp her mother’s hand.

Mama Lin, fearing the child might cause a disturbance, quickly scooped her up. At that, Xiao Ke burst into wailing cries.

Now that her mother had recovered, Xiao Ke grinned so widely that her little teeth showed.

Xie Yunchu pulled her daughter into her embrace, gently pinching her soft, bouncy cheeks.

“Mother is all better now. Are you that happy?”

Xiao Ke didn’t understand the words but buried her tiny face in her mother’s arms. The warmth melted Xie Yunchu’s heart.

“Ke’er, will you cherish Mother well in this life?” She fondly stroked the child’s twin buns.

The little girl rested her forehead against her mother’s neck, giggling as if nodding in agreement.

Xie Yunchu was overjoyed.

She and her daughter played on the kang bed for a long while.

Her monthly cycle had started on the 20th and ended on the 24th. This morning, Mama Lin had prepared a bowl of herbal tonic to replenish her qi and blood. As soon as Xie Yunchu caught the scent of ginseng, she puffed up her cheeks in protest.

“Mama, I’ve been drinking ginseng soup for days now. Can’t we stop today?”

Mama Lin would not hear of it. She placed the small table before her and, fearing the heat might harm the child, quickly scooped Ke’er into her arms and stepped aside.

“This is ginseng from Fifth Young Mistress. She said it came from the deep mountains and is extremely rare. She has been reluctant to use it herself, yet she sent it to you. If you don’t drink it, you’ll be disregarding her kindness.”

Hearing this, Xie Yunchu relented. As she lifted the tea lid and blew gently on the soup, she glanced out through the translucent glass window. Chun Qi had been on night duty and was now resting in the rear courtyard. Xia’an was picking flowers in the yard, while Dongning was likely busy in the accounting room at this hour. Ever since Linglong Embroidery had opened, money had been flowing into Chunjing Hall like water, and Dongning had to reconcile the accounts daily.

“Where’s Qiu Shui?” she asked.

Mama Lin snorted lightly at the mention of Qiu Shui. “That girl has been a bit lazy lately.”

“What happened?” Xie Yunchu’s maids each had their roles—Chun Qi managed her daily affairs, Xia’an often accompanied her on outings, and Qiu Shui had been responsible for liaising with the front courtyard when Wang Shuhuai was in residence.

Just then, the wet nurse entered, saying that the sun was shining brightly outside and she would take the child out to bask in the warmth. Mama Lin handed the little one over before personally stirring the ginseng soup and explaining,

“The other day, when such a major incident happened, she still left the estate.”

“For what?”

“Her uncle fell gravely ill, so she took some of her monthly wages and medicine to him.”

Xie Yunchu nodded. “That’s only right. She lost her father at a young age, and it was her uncle who raised her. If he’s seriously ill, of course, she should go see him. Besides, that day, there were more than enough people around me—I wasn’t lacking in attendants. Mama, don’t be too harsh on her.”

Mama Lin, however, was displeased. “A servant’s duty is to prioritize their master above all else. When the master is unwell, how can they worry about anything else?”

Xie Yunchu looked at Mama Lin, and for a fleeting moment, she saw her past self—

As a wife, she had to behave a certain way. As a daughter-in-law, she had to conform to expectations. In her past life, hadn’t she shackled herself with layer upon layer of obligations?

At that moment, the beaded curtain swayed, and a lively young maid in pink entered. It was Qiu Shui. She carried a bundle of flowers, which she quickly arranged in the plum vase by the window before kneeling before Xie Yunchu with a smile. Turning to Mama Lin, she pleaded, “Good Mama, please forgive me this time. I won’t do it again. My uncle was in critical condition that night—he was even coughing up blood. I feared he wouldn’t make it, so I had to…” Her voice trailed off, and her eyes reddened.

Xie Yunchu asked at once, “Is he better now?”

Qiu Shui wiped her tears and beamed. “Yes, he pulled through! They say a great calamity must mean great fortune ahead.”

Xie Yunchu nodded. “That’s good. When we make winter clothes later, see if there are any old fabrics left. Take two bolts back to your aunt as a token of respect.”

Qiu Shui squatted down and massaged Xie Yunchu’s feet, pouting. “My aunt isn’t worth such good things from you, my lady.”

Curious, Xie Yunchu inquired further, and Qiu Shui, full of grievances, explained. It turned out that her aunt resented her uncle for supporting their mother and children, making life difficult for him in secret.

Hearing this, Xie Yunchu sighed—indeed, every family had its own troubles.