Chapter 193: Selecting Miss Fang
"This is the servant boy I bought for Wei Ge'er," Yun Chu began. "Wei Ge'er has limited mobility and has suffered so much. Having someone to attend to him puts my mind at ease."
Ting Yu couldn't help but interject, "The Xie family can no longer afford to pay monthly stipends. Isn't buying more people just adding to the burden?"
"The madam's silver pays for the monthly stipends, which has nothing to do with the Xie family," Ting Feng said coldly. "Does the madam need to seek a concubine's opinion for everything she does?"
"This humble one didn't mean it that way," Ting Yu quickly lowered her head. "I just feel that compared to the second young master, Kang Ge'er clearly needs more care... I'm only concerned for Kang Ge'er."
"Concubine Yu only knows how to express concern with empty words," Ting Feng retorted mercilessly before turning to call out, "Duo Xi, come in."
As she spoke, Duo Xi led a freshly delivered nanny goat into the courtyard, its udders visibly full of milk.
Yun Chu looked at Yuan Shi. "Kang Ge'er is different from other children. No wet nurse is willing to take him in. After much consideration, I bought this nanny goat. It's more reassuring to have our own family raise it."
In the end, her heart had softened.
In her previous life, she had saved Xie Shikang. In this life, she had stepped back and let things be, and Concubine Tao had also abandoned her own son and fled.
She couldn't possibly devote herself as wholeheartedly as before. Spending a few taels of silver to buy a nanny goat was her final act of goodwill toward the Xie family.
"Chu'er, I knew you wouldn't abandon this entire household," Yuan Shi said, moved to tears. "If not for your protection, Wei Ge'er would have long since... With this nanny goat, Kang Ge'er should be able to survive as well... How fortunate the Xie family is to have you..."
Though she still had some silver herself and could afford to buy a nanny goat, spending a few taels here and a few taels there would quickly deplete her hundred taels in less than half a month. She was currently saving wherever possible and making do with what she had. Never had she expected that Chu'er would use her own silver to buy a nanny goat for Kang Ge'er...
Gazing at the child in her arms, she said, "Kang Ge'er, if you survive and grow up, you must be filial to your mother..."
Yun Chu smiled faintly.
In her previous life, she had personally taken Xie Shikang with her, traveling south to numerous places, seeking out famous physicians, and nurturing him with meticulous care until he gradually became a relatively normal child.
The child had always been close to her—until the Yun family fell from grace. Influenced by Concubine Tao, Xie Shikang decisively sided with the Xie family.
When she knelt to beg Xie Jingyu and Xie Shi'an, Xie Shikang told her not to kneel there, saying it would affect the Xie family's reputation if visitors saw her.
When Ting Xue brought her food, Xie Shikang said that as the daughter of a criminal official, she wasn't worthy of a single grain of the Xie family's rice.
At that time, Xie Shikang had forgotten that when he couldn't even drink milk, it was she, his mother, who had personally fed him drop by drop...
Her sincere devotion hadn't earned her Xie Shikang's filial piety.
Could a mere goat possibly produce a filial son?
Yun Chu shook her head and walked out of the courtyard.
Yuan Shi had a servant woman lead the goat inside to milk it, then boil the milk over a fire and carefully feed a little to Xie Shikang...
Ting Yu and Concubine Jiang led their children and dispersed.Xie Shi'an looked at his own blood brother: "Wei Ge'er, let all that happened in the past be like a gust of wind that has blown away. From now on, with our two brothers united, we will surely overcome this difficult situation."
Xie Shiwei lowered his head: "Alright."
"I plan to go into business first, make some silver, and then make further plans," Xie Shi'an said. "You should start by learning how to do calculations and keep accounts..."
While the two brothers were talking, Ting Xue, as the chief maid serving the mistress of the household, was instructing the only two young servants in the Xie residence.
"San Jiu, teach Gan Lai how to serve the Second Young Master just as you usually serve the First Young Master," Ting Xue said, looking at the two before her. "The Xie residence is not what it used to be, and there are many tasks that require both of you to handle. It will indeed be quite demanding. From now on, your monthly stipends will be distributed by Madam—half a string of cash each month."
"No, no, no," San Jiu waved his hand. "I grew up with the First Young Master since childhood, and I serve him willingly. I'm already grateful that the Xie family provides for me—I don't need a monthly stipend..."
Ting Xue adopted the authoritative tone of a chief maid: "Having a stipend will motivate you to work better. Both of you must serve the young masters diligently. Whatever the young masters are occupied with day to day, you must report promptly to Madam. Don't be caught unaware when asked."
San Jiu and Gan Lai immediately nodded in agreement.
After settling Gan Lai, Ting Xue went to report to Yun Chu.
Yun Chu nodded without saying much.
As long as Xie Shi'an followed the rules, Gan Lai would remain merely a servant. Otherwise...
Later, she took a carriage to the prince's residence to pick up her two children.
She had expected to see the father and his two sons, just like the day before.
But only the two little ones came out.
"Father was summoned to the palace by Grandmother," Chu Hongyu clung to Yun Chu. "I'm much happier without Father tagging along."
Father always said that men and women should maintain proper boundaries, so he never dared sit too close to Mother.
Now, he could do as he pleased, even planting several kisses on Mother's cheeks.
Yun Chu held one child in each arm: "Since your father isn't here, you can stay with Mother a bit longer..."
To be honest, she also felt uneasy when Prince Pingxi accompanied them, as if a pair of intense eyes were constantly watching her.
While the mother and her two children headed to the small courtyard, Chu Yi arrived at Yin Pin's palace quarters.
Yin Pin resided alone in the Everlasting Autumn Palace. As one of the Emperor's longtime consorts and having borne both a princess and a prince, she maintained her place in the palace despite her faded beauty.
"Yi'er, sit," Yin Pin said with a bright smile. "I specifically had the imperial kitchen prepare many of your favorite dishes. Taste them and see if they suit your palate."
Chu Yi picked up his chopsticks and sampled a few bites before looking up. "Mother, what urgent matter required my presence in the palace?"
He had initially refused to come, but the matron sent to summon him insisted that his mother had matters of great importance to discuss.
Seeing how Yin Pin kept urging him to eat, he realized there was nothing truly important.
He stood up, preparing to take his leave.
"Why are you in such a hurry to leave? It's been so long since you've shared a meal with your mother," Yin Pin stopped him. "Sit down, there's something I need to inform you about."
Chu Yi paused but remained standing.
"A few days ago, Madam Fang brought her daughter's birth characters into the palace, and I asked the Grand Astrologer to check their compatibility," Yin Pin said with a beaming face. "The Grand Astrologer said that you and Miss Fang are a match made in heaven..."Before she could finish speaking, Chu Yi interrupted: "What Miss Fang? What divinely ordained match? When did this happen?"
Yin Pin looked at him and said, "There's no need to ask so many questions. Come with me to your father now and request that he issue an imperial decree for your marriage with Miss Fang..."
If not for that incident during the last hunting trip, the marriage between Yi'er and Miss Fang would have been settled long ago, and wouldn't have been delayed until today.
OpenNovel