Chapter 12: It’s All For Your Own Good
“Thank you, Madam.” He Kui’s tone became even more respectful, even with a bit of excitement.
He was originally a scholar, but because his parents were seriously ill and he had no way out, he sold himself to work on accounts at the manor.
Unexpectedly, he gained Jiang Ruanxi’s appreciation, allowing him to leave the manor and come to the Capital to manage her industry for her.
He silently warned himself in his heart.
From now on, he would certainly follow Jiang Ruanxi’s lead and help her manage the industry well to repay her kindness.
“Great kindness needs no thanks. What I need is not just words.”
He Kui immediately understood and hurriedly knelt down. “Madam, if there is anything you need, please just say it.”
Jiang Ruanxi was not polite either. “I have an apothecary shop in the Capital. The shopkeeper there just quit. Go and manage it for me.”
Having the chance to come to the Capital and no longer be on the poor manor, He Kui excitedly knelt and promised, “Thank you for your appreciation, Madam. I will do my utmost to manage the apothecary shop well for you.”
“Get up. I believe in your ability.” Jiang Ruanxi put down the porcelain teacup. “There is one more thing. No matter the cost, go buy up all the lingzhi mushrooms and gastrodia within ten li around the Capital and hoard them all.”
“Yes, Madam.”
Although he was curious, he did not ask more and just followed the instructions.
Jiang Ruanxi was very pleased about this.
After He Kui left, although Hong Ye did not know why Jiang Ruanxi wanted to hoard these things, she unconditionally trusted He Kui, and her face showed a worried expression.
“Madam, He Kui is someone who just came from the manor. Is it appropriate to have him handle such a big matter?”
“Don’t worry. He Kui is someone who repays kindness. For his mother and sister, he will never betray me. Besides, don’t use someone you doubt, and don’t doubt someone you use.”
Just as Hong Ye wanted to say something, the maidservant’s voice came from outside. “Madam, the Yongyi Marquis Manor Madam has arrived.”
Jiang Ruanxi was stunned for a moment, a slight chill at her brows.
“Since Mother has come, why haven’t you invited her in quickly.”
If she remembered correctly, this mother, Madam Wei, was this her first time coming to the Lin Family after she got married?
Thinking that Lin Ningkun had a huge outburst of anger last night, and today Madam Wei came to the door.
She seemed to have guessed the purpose of Madam Wei’s visit, and she cold smiled in her heart.
It seemed Jiang Xuerou’s charm was really great. She had just returned to the Zhenguo Marquis Manor less than a day, and could make Lin Ningkun so angry that he smashed a cup and raged, now making Madam Wei, who never visited, come to the Dingning Marquis Manor.
“Mother.”
After Madam Wei entered, Jiang Ruanxi called out indifferently.
Madam Wei was over thirty, but showed no sign of age. Coupled with her beauty, she looked like a woman in her early twenties, and Jiang Ruanxi’s appearance mostly followed hers.
Madam Wei said indifferently, “You’ve been married into the Dingning Marquis Manor for several years now, haven’t you?”
In Jiang Ruanxi’s impression, Madam Wei had always had a stern face, not smiling.
She thought her mother was naturally cold by nature, so in her previous life, she did not take it to heart and just tried her best to please her.
But after seeing her attitude toward Jiang Xuerou, she realized that Madam Wei was like Lin Ningkun; she was not incapable of smiling, just incapable of smiling at her.
“Mother, it’s been five years.”
She did not even know how many years her own biological daughter had been married. It seemed she really did not care about her.
Jiang Ruanxi suppressed the ripples in her heart. In her previous life, hadn’t she known about these things already?
In this life, in her heart, there was no familial affection, only hatred.
“Five years, and you haven’t borne even one child or half a child for the Lin Family. Don’t you feel ashamed in your heart?”
Jiang Ruanxi held her breath, only feeling it ridiculous.
What did it mean she hadn’t borne a child or half a child for the Lin Family?
Lin Ningkun had gone to take up his post on the day they were married. Others might not know, but wouldn’t her own mother know?
Seeing her silent, Madam Wei thought she felt ashamed.
“It’s not that Mother is criticizing you. As a woman, you must be magnanimous. You’ve been married into the Lin Family for so many years without a child. Now that the Marquis wants to adopt a child, it’s only natural. If you get along harmoniously with the Marquis Manor, that is what Mother hopes to see.”
So today she came to make her agree to adopting Xiao Ge’er. Listening to Madam Wei’s words, which seemed all for her own good, but the events of her previous life kept replaying in Jiang Ruanxi’s mind.
She had really been too lacking in love and too eager to fit into the Jiang Family, so no matter what Madam Wei said to her, she believed it all to be true.
Even knowing clearly it was not her problem, she still felt she was not good enough, trying all sorts of ways to please the Jiang Family and the Lin Family Members, only hoping they would show her a smile.
But what was the result?
She had pleased them her whole life, yet got nothing, and was instead superfluous.
Since she had the chance to rebirth in this life, she would not let the previous life repeat.
“Mother, the matter of adopting a child is the Lin Family’s affair. The Lin Family’s elders will naturally worry about these things.” Jiang Ruanxi suppressed the mockery in her heart and said impassively, “This matter cannot be decided by me alone.”
Madam Wei was stunned, not expecting Jiang Ruanxi to dare talk back, and her brows furrowed.
“You child, don’t you understand the Marquis’s thoughts? He is single-mindedly wanting to repay his close friend’s kindness. If you could solve his problem, your relationship could ease, couldn’t it?”
Jiang Ruanxi was no longer like in her previous life, going along with her words.
“Mother, my relationship with the Marquis is my own business. Whether it is good or not does not depend on me, but on the Marquis.”
She had originally come with some scorn, thinking that Jiang Ruanxi craved her approval. She thought that as long as she persuaded her a few words and played the family card, she would obediently listen.
Just like when she brought her back initially; she had only been slightly good to Jiang Ruanxi, and she was extremely moved.
And when she married her to Lin Ningkun back then, she had only given Jiang Ruanxi a bowl of bird’s nest soup, and she agreed.
But now, she had already condescended to show kindness to Jiang Ruanxi, yet Jiang Ruanxi was not as compliant as before.
Madam Wei was inevitably displeased in her heart. “You child, how can you talk nonsense like that? A woman after marriage follows her husband. If you want your days to be comfortable, you must please your husband well. Mother has no other meaning; it’s all for your good.”
Jiang Ruanxi cold laughed in her heart. Where was it for her good? This was clearly for Jiang Xuerou.
Jiang Ruanxi picked up the porcelain teacup and took a sip of tea, suppressing the mockery in her eyes.
After putting down the teacup, Jiang Ruanxi said with a serious face.
“Mother, there are many ways to please the Marquis, not necessarily by adopting a child. And even if adopting a child, it doesn’t have to be Xiao Ge’er. The Marquis is now busy with promotion matters and still needs to rely on connections in the clan. So, if I want to adopt a child, it would be better to adopt a child from the Lin Clan Members.”
