Chapter 269: Breaking The Stalemate
The First Madam sent people to watch the commotion over there, and sure enough, it wasn’t long before a servant came to report the follow-up situation.
Everything was just as they had anticipated. Jiang Yihuan threw this dirty water onto the wet nurse, saying that the wet nurse didn’t pay attention to her diet on a daily basis, so there was a problem with her milk, which caused the child to become idiotic after consuming it.
“First Madam, does Marquis Jing’an normally have a normal brain?” Su Yaoguang asked.
Marchioness Jing’an understood Su Yaoguang’s meaning, her eyes full of sarcasm: “If it was before, he still had some brains, but now I’m afraid his brain has already run away from home.”
He could even believe such a lie full of loopholes; it could only be said that Jiang Yihuan had some real ability. Of course, that was also because Marquis Jing’an was willing to fall into the lie.
He had no heirs for so many years and urgently needed an heir to prove that there was nothing wrong with him. Otherwise, with so many concubines in the backyard and none of their bellies showing any movement, it would inevitably make others suspect that the real problem was with the man. Men, even if they knew exactly what was going on, still cared about face.
“I’ll go take a look. Those wet nurses are innocent.” The First Madam said, “If we let her treat lives as worthless, I’m afraid several more families will be destroyed.”
“We thank the First Madam for the hospitality today and will head back first.” Su Yaoguang said, “First Madam, please rest well. Jing’er will come back in a few days to give you a follow-up check.”
After returning from Jing’an Marquis Manor, Su Yaoguang went back to Peach Blossom Workshop with everyone first.
After Zhou Wangshu got off duty, he came to Peach Blossom Workshop to pick up Su Yaoguang, and only then did Su Yaoguang return to Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion with Zhou Wangshu.
“Young Madam, the Marchioness asks you to come over.” The old wet nurse stopped Su Yaoguang and said to her.
Zhou Wangshu’s eyes darkened: “Is that so? The Marchioness rarely wants to see us husband and wife, so let’s go!”
“Young Master, the Marchioness only invited the Young Madam.”
“Is the Marchioness unwilling to see this Young Master?” Zhou Wangshu said indifferently, “I and the Madam are one body; there’s no reason to see only the daughter-in-law and not the son.”
The old wet nurse didn’t dare say anything more.
Zhou Wangshu was the master and she was the servant; how could she stop him if he insisted on going?
Most importantly, now that the Second Young Master had become a waste, Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion clearly intended for this Young Master to inherit the position. If she offended him, there would be no good days ahead.
Zhou Wangshu took Su Yaoguang to the main courtyard.
As the two stepped through the gate, they saw the Cheng’an Marchioness reclining on the sofa, looking extremely weak.
When the Cheng’an Marchioness saw Zhou Wangshu, her eyes flickered.
“The Eldest Young Master is here too.”
“I heard that the Marchioness wanted to see my wife, so I specially came along with her to see if I could be of any help.” Zhou Wangshu said indifferently.
“Does the Eldest Young Master have some misunderstanding about me?” the Cheng’an Marchioness said weakly. “The Eldest Young Master being able to return makes your mother very happy too. You are the child left behind by your older sister, and when your older sister was on her deathbed, she was most worried about you. After I married over, I treated you as my own, but later that accident happened, which kept us apart for so long. There were some misunderstandings before; the Eldest Young Master must not listen to others’ provocations.”
“The Madam called me here, probably not to say these things. I wonder what the Madam wants from me?” Su Yaoguang was too lazy to listen to her hypocritical words.
“It’s for Zhen’er.” the Cheng’an Marchioness said. “You know Zhen’er’s situation; he’s in so much pain now like this, and Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion has no face either. Your Peach Blossom Workshop has a scar removal cream that’s said to be miraculously effective for scar removal. I wonder if you can get some for Zhen’er to use?”
So it was for the scar removal cream.
Look at her apologizing and playing the emotional card; she thought there was some scheme.
However, showing weakness for the scar removal cream was normal. Their Peach Blossom Workshop’s goods were in short supply; almost as soon as they were put out, they sold out in less than half a day. Old customers had priority, and Peach Blossom Workshop would reserve goods for them separately, so some items were out of stock for a long time, including this scar removal cream.
“The scar removal cream is a bit hard to get.” Su Yaoguang said, “Its medicinal herbs are particularly hard to find, and even when we manage to gather them, we can’t make many bottles, so the price of the scar removal cream is particularly expensive.”
“We are family; surely it won’t be…”
“Madam, I still have thousands of shop assistants to support, and the raw materials for the scar removal cream are particularly hard to get. Just the cost price for one bottle of ointment is fifty taels of silver. This doesn’t even include labor and such. If labor is factored in, the price is even more outrageous.”
Anyway, the scar removal cream had been out of stock for a long time, so the price was up to her. If she inquired elsewhere and came to question her, she would say it was an improved version of the scar removal cream, so of course the price was different from before. The improved scar removal cream was also much more effective than before.
Xia Zhen had become like this, not even daring to step out the gate. No, with burns in multiple places, he probably couldn’t sleep at night due to the pain, let alone go out the gate.
His condition couldn’t be solved with just scar removal cream; it required a doctor with excellent medical skill to treat. She had confidence in Jiang Jing; she could probably cure Xia Zhen. Even if other things couldn’t be done, at least easing his pain was possible. However, she wasn’t going to be that kind-hearted. A human demon like Xia Zhen should suffer torment day and night until he couldn’t bear it and ended himself.
“Fine, then give it to me at cost price; sell me two bottles.” the Cheng’an Marchioness said.
“The materials are too hard to find now; fifty taels probably won’t do; it has to be one hundred taels.” Su Yaoguang said, “After all, this scar removal cream requires hundred-year-old ginseng.”
The Cheng’an Marchioness said through gritted teeth: “One hundred taels it is.”
“Madam, wait for the news. I’ll let you know once it’s made. But you have to pay first, or else it’ll be snatched up by others as soon as it’s available.”
The Cheng’an Marchioness signaled to the old wet nurse beside her.
The old wet nurse took out silver notes for two hundred taels from her bosom.
“If there’s nothing else, we’ll head back first.” After Su Yaoguang finished speaking, she pulled Zhou Wangshu and left there.
The Cheng’an Marchioness glared at the two figures, fiercely sweeping her hand across the table beside her; the tea set on the table shattered with a crash.
“Madam, that woman is clearly deliberately extorting your silver.”
“I’ve asked many people, even inquired at the Imperial Hospital, and they all say Peach Blossom Workshop’s scar removal cream is miraculously effective, unavailable elsewhere. I sent people to buy it, and they said it’s been out of stock for a long time. For Zhen’er, I can only go to this woman. Of course, I also deliberately showed weakness to them, making them think we no longer have the guts to oppose them, so they’ll let their guard down, giving us more time to recuperate. No matter what, we need to buy time for Zhen’er’s body to recover. Only when Zhen’er’s body is better do we have a chance of fighting them. Otherwise, what’s the use of winning?”
“This old servant can’t stand seeing those villains’ smug faces.” the old wet nurse said. “Over at the Second Young Master… today he beat and killed another maidservant.”
“Can’t he stay quiet for a bit?” The Cheng’an Marchioness’s expression changed drastically.
She didn’t feel sorry for the servants’ lives; rather, his reputation outside was already extremely bad, and if this continued, even if he recovered, he wouldn’t get the title.
“Spread the word outside that the girl wanted to climb into Zhen’er’s bed, Zhen’er wanted to sell her off, and she couldn’t accept it and crashed into a pillar.”
“As long as the Young Master’s reputation isn’t affected, those servants can die!” the old wet nurse said.
“Comb my hair for me; I still need to go see Zhen’er and warn him not to do such things again.”
“The Young Master has been in a lot of pain lately, so his temper is inevitably irritable and uncontrollable. How about arranging a few young servants in his courtyard?”
“In his current state, arranging young servants would probably lead to even more deaths.” The Cheng’an Marchioness frowned. “What about the Marquis?”
“The Marquis received two Yangzhou slim horses from a colleague yesterday and has been in those two vixens’ rooms for the past two days.”
A strange light flashed in the Cheng’an Marchioness’s eyes.
“Why didn’t I think of that?”
“What?” the old wet nurse asked puzzled.
“That illegitimate child is so arrogant precisely because he has a Great General Who Protects the Nation as father-in-law. If he falls out with that woman, will his good father-in-law become his help or the knife that cuts him down?” A smug look flashed in the Cheng’an Marchioness’s eyes. “If you do this…”
Zhou Wangshu and Su Yaoguang returned to their own courtyard.
Zhou Wangshu said: “Are you really going to give her the scar removal cream?”
“Two hundred taels of silver—not earning it would be a waste. If she wants it, give it to her.” Su Yaoguang said, “I’ll make it myself later and get it done early.”
“You’ll make it yourself… Didn’t it require hundred-year-old ginseng?” Zhou Wangshu pinched her nose tip. “So that hundred-year-old ginseng is readily available, and you can just whip it up?”
“People like them still want hundred-year-old ginseng? It’ll be good if I put some radish in it for her.” Su Yaoguang said, “Besides, Xia Zhen’s injuries can’t be cured with ordinary scar removal cream. Jing’er should have a way, but I don’t plan to let Jing’er treat them. He should best endure this pain worse than death day and night.”
“Madam is still too kind-hearted; two hundred taels is too little.” Zhou Wangshu walked to the cabinet not far away, took out a box from inside, and placed it in her hand. “Here, this is what I earned from that woman’s hand.”
“Silver notes for tens of thousands of taels?”
“Is my life worth so much?”
Su Yaoguang nodded repeatedly.
“By comparison, you are indeed much more valuable than her son. Look, she casually took out silver notes for tens of thousands of taels to kill you. But to treat her son’s injuries, she even felt pain taking out two hundred taels. Turns out she doesn’t care that much about her son after all!”
The husband and wife were in the courtyard having hot pot with a small flame.
Su Yaoguang told him about what happened at Jing’an Marquis Manor today.
“Jiang Yihuan’s son isn’t Marquis Jing’an’s. Marquis Jing’an should be infertile. Proving this would actually be easy. But we didn’t expose it. After all, it’s a foolish son, and Marquis Jing’an is already very angry about this; exposing that it’s not his biological child would still not make him admit it for the sake of face.”
“This woman Jiang Yihuan really has some skills; no matter where she is, she can coax men into being devoted to her.”
Zhou Wangshu leaned over and kissed her lips: “Are you envious that she has many men? Her men are all crooked melons and cracked dates; your husband alone is better than all of hers combined.”
“I’m not envious.” Su Yaoguang said irritably, “I’m chatting with you; don’t take the opportunity to sneak attack me.”
“Yaoguang, after handling official duties outside all day today, I just look forward to coming back to hold you and rest. Can we not talk about that unlucky woman?”
“We just ate!”
“So we need to digest.”
“Be serious.” Su Yaoguang pushed him away. “Since being on duty is so tiring, how do you still have the strength to toss me around?”
Zhou Wangshu stuck to her again, holding her as he walked toward the bathroom.
“Let’s bathe first; later while soaking in the bath, you can slowly tell me in detail about those upsetting matters at Jing’an Marquis Manor.”
Su Yaoguang: “…”
With his bad habit, once they got in the water, would she still have the strength to talk?
Fortunately, he was still young a few years ago and didn’t have those thoughts, or else there would have been no way to wait until now to marry and consummate.
Su Yaoguang was thoroughly worn out by Zhou Wangshu. When he carried her back to the bed, Su Yaoguang pushed him, telling him to get something from the cabinet.
Zhou Wangshu brought over a box and opened it, seeing medicine bottles inside.
He opened a medicine bottle, poured out the pills inside, smelled them, and asked: “What is this?”
“Contraceptive pills.” Su Yaoguang said, “There are still vicious wolves circling in Marquis Cheng’an’s Mansion, and you and I are too young; it’s not suitable to be parents yet, so…”
“I understand.” Zhou Wangshu put the pills back. “Did Jiang Jing make this for you?”
“Yes. It’s medicine made by Jing’er; you can take it with confidence—it won’t harm the body.”
“All medicine has some toxicity.” Zhou Wangshu said, “You don’t need to take this. I went to the Imperial Hospital for acupuncture some time ago; it will prevent you from getting pregnant for a year.”
Su Yaoguang was stunned and looked at him blankly: “What did you say?”
“I didn’t want you to worry, so I didn’t tell you. If I’d known you were taking contraceptive pills, I would have told you earlier to spare you these things.”
“You did acupuncture; won’t it harm your body?”
“No, it’s very safe.” Zhou Wangshu kissed her forehead. “As you said, our current environment isn’t suitable for having a child, and we’re so young, just married and haven’t had enough husband-and-wife life yet; I don’t want a noisy one to steal my madam.”
Su Yaoguang hugged Zhou Wangshu’s neck, her eyes full of emotion.
“Feeling sorry for me? Then do you want to…”
Su Yaoguang let go of him and kicked out with her leg.
Zhou Wangshu grabbed her leg and pulled, drawing her whole body into his arms.
“Madam can punch a tiger to death with one fist, so logically your body is very strong, so your husband can enjoy himself once more, right?”
“Zhou Wangshu!” Su Yaoguang blushed furiously at his teasing words, her old face red with shame.
Seeing her shy and annoyed look, Zhou Wangshu chuckled lowly.
“Alright, don’t be angry.” Zhou Wangshu said, “Now Madam can properly tell me about those matters; I have the patience to listen now.”
Su Yaoguang turned her back to him, not wanting to pay him any attention.
Zhou Wangshu hugged her from behind, holding her tightly in his arms.
“Yaoguang…” Zhou Wangshu nestled in her neck. “It’s so good to have you.”
Su Yaoguang turned around and nestled in his arms: “Mm, you’re good too.”
