No sooner had Hua Mei left than Qing Lan told Wu Mama about her promise regarding the Poetry Club. Wu Mama was immediately taken aback and exclaimed, "Oh dear, how could you agree to such a thing?"
Qing Lan was puzzled and asked, "What's wrong with agreeing? Isn't this why I'm discussing with you how to manage the Poetry Club? I'm young and inexperienced, never having handled such a grand occasion before. You've seen much more of the world, and I'll need to rely on you for everything."
To her surprise, Wu Mama gritted her teeth and cursed angrily, "I knew that little minx Hua Mei was up to no good, leading Concubine Lan straight into trouble!" Seeing Qing Lan's bewildered expression, she sighed and said, "Do you think running a Poetry Club is just child's play, something you can manage with a few words? In ordinary wealthy households, Poetry Clubs are just for the womenfolk to amuse themselves, but here it's different. Taitai is well-liked, and the Master's official reputation is illustrious. If our household hosts a Poetry Club, it would be tantamount to gathering all the distinguished ladies and young misses of Jinling under one roof. Such an event requires meticulous planning to satisfy everyone, and earning a single word of praise is no easy feat. Do you know why the Second Young Lady loves hosting Poetry Clubs? It's because she's still unmarried. If she handles such occasions well, who wouldn't praise her as virtuous and capable, vying to marry her into their family?"
At first, Qing Lan looked troubled by Wu Mama's words, but as she listened further, her spirits lifted, and she smiled. "If I handle such an occasion well, won't I also earn praise? You always say I have no backing in the household and fear I'll suffer once Taitai is gone. Isn't this the perfect opportunity to make a name for myself? Why should I back down now?"
Wu Mama nearly rolled her eyes and said with a bitter smile, "Oh dear! The Second Young Lady succeeds because Taitai is there to support and guide her. Do you think you have the same influence to ask Taitai to help you manage this? Besides, you're heavily pregnant—shouldn't you be focusing on resting and nurturing the baby? Listen to me, let this idea go, alright?"
Qing Lan pouted, clearly displeased.
Seeing Qing Lan's youthful, flower-like cheeks, Wu Mama sighed again, reminded that Concubine Lan was just an inexperienced young woman of eighteen or nineteen. Her voice softened as she said, "If you want to host a Poetry Club, why not wait until after the baby is born and you've recovered? For now, focus on your health and don't exhaust yourself with unnecessary worries. If anything happens to the baby in your womb, not only will we all be frantic with worry, but the Master will also be heartbroken."
Despite Wu Mama's coaxing and persuasion, Qing Lan was stubborn, determined to prove herself. The more she was discouraged, the more she insisted on going through with it, refusing to change her mind.
At her wit's end, Wu Mama had no choice but to seek out Qin Shi. Qin Shi frowned and scolded, "Nonsense!" Her brows knitted deeply. She had chosen Qing Lan after careful consideration precisely because the girl was gentle and simple-minded, without any scheming tendencies. Otherwise, a concubine vying for power and favor would only stir up chaos in the household. But now it seemed that being too simple-minded wasn't necessarily a good thing either.
After some thought, Qin Shi said to Wu Mama, "Let her. If she wants to do it, let her."
Wu Mama was stunned.Qin Shi said, "She hasn't suffered any setbacks since entering the household. Learning a lesson from this experience might not be a bad thing. But one thing is crucial—her pregnancy must be carefully monitored. Keep a close eye on her, have a physician check her pulse daily, and inform me immediately if anything seems amiss. That way, I can arrange for someone to take care of her."
Wu Mama accepted the order and left.
After dinner, Xianglan gathered the leftovers into a bowl and took it to the courtyard to feed the cats. Seeing Wu Mama sitting on the veranda sighing deeply, she approached and said, "It's almost dark, Mama. Are you sitting here feeding the mosquitoes?"
Wu Mama, who had been longing for someone to confide in, immediately poured out her troubles to Xianglan, explaining the whole situation about Qing Lan taking charge of the Poetry club.
Xianglan's expression turned serious upon hearing this. "This is no joking matter. A concubine shouldn't be handling such affairs in the first place. What would Taitai think if she found out? Moreover, organizing such an event requires careful budgeting, ensuring it's entertaining, and upholding the Lin family's reputation—it's even more challenging than preparing a family reunion feast for Mid-Autumn Festival."
Wu Mama was inwardly surprised by Xianglan's insight. "This young girl speaks as if she's managed a noble household's affairs before," she thought. Aloud, she said, "Exactly! And to make matters worse, some of the officials' wives are notoriously picky. Embarrassing our family would be bad enough, but my greatest fear is that something might happen to the concubine's pregnancy. I wouldn't be able to face Master or Taitai then." She sighed again. "Though I've been with the Lin family for decades, I've never helped organize such banquets. And now the concubine insists on relying on this old woman for everything. Ah..."
Xianglan also sighed. "The concubine really shouldn't have agreed to such a difficult task." She then asked, "When is the Poetry club meeting?"
Wu Mama replied, "In half a month."
As they were talking, they suddenly heard Yin Die's shrill voice from the tea room: "...Sister, don't use Xianglan to intimidate me! Just because she has a fox-like charm and knows how to play the victim in front of the men, do you think I don't know what kind of vixen she is?"
Chun Ling's calm voice followed: "She's Master's favorite and holds a second-rank position. Why make trouble for yourself? My advice is to let it go and just do what she says."
Yin Die's voice grew sharper and more agitated: "I'm not as easygoing as you, Sister Chun Ling. Where's all your usual authority gone? Why be afraid of her?"
Chun Ling lowered her voice and said something else, but the words were too muffled to make out.
Wu Mama immediately glanced at Xianglan, who remained composed. "This is..." Wu Mama began.
Xianglan forced an awkward smile. "It's all because of that ointment Master gave me."
Wu Mama disapprovingly said, "If Master chose to reward you, that's his prerogative. What business is it of theirs... I never thought Yin Die was particularly kind, but she works efficiently and knows how to please the concubine, so I turned a blind eye. Who knew she could be so vicious behind someone's back?"Xianglan thought to herself, "Yin Die and I entered the household on the same day, and we're about the same age. Yet I was promoted to second-rank maid before her. She's always been competitive, so naturally she's unhappy about it. What's more, she harbors feelings for Master. Seeing him give me that box of ointment must have stoked her resentment even further." Suddenly recalling that Lin Jinlou had given her a box of imperial ointment, she realized the news had probably spread throughout the entire household by now. Growing wary, she straightened her expression and said to Wu Mama, "I'd like to ask you a favor... As Master's wet nurse, you're someone he respects deeply. If you could speak to him, would you persuade him to take back that box of ointment? Better yet, if he could publicly scold me harshly, I might have a few peaceful days ahead."
Wu Mama burst into laughter and tapped Xianglan's forehead, saying, "Do you think Master grants favors to just anyone? Silly girl, even the mistress hasn't been fortunate enough to receive such ointment. Since he gave it to you, just accept it. Remember my words—things may be tough now, but there'll be benefits for you later. You're different from the others. Looking at you, I can tell you're destined for good fortune and great things..."
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Thank you christine_86 for two Peace Talismans, thank you Aria for two rice dumplings, and thank you Friends Account for the rice dumplings. Much appreciated =3=
The exciting part is coming soon, so please click, comment, bookmark, and vote for recommendations, etc. ^_^
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