Wishing You Eternal Happiness WYEH - 63

Chapter - 63

By Tea Time Translations

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Sending the chapter a little earlier. If there are any mistakes in translation, please feel free to comment! Please support for faster updates @TeaTime.

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The mother consort of Prince He'yang, Lady Pan, and Lady Pei, the old lady, were sisters. Now that Lady Pan has passed away peacefully, Lady Pei attended the funeral herself. However, upon her return, perhaps due to sudden weather changes, Lady Pei's appetite waned, and she began to eat less. Coupled with the cooling season, she spent most of her days in drowsiness and lethargy.

Jiafu recalled that in her past life, Lady Pei seemed to have passed away shortly after Emperor Xiao Lie ascended the throne. Therefore, upon noticing Lady Pei's declining health and with Pei You'an absent from home, Jiafu became particularly anxious and worried. She not only devoted herself to care for Lady Pei but also frequently summoned physicians to treat her.

Despite their efforts, Lady Pei's health resembled a lamp on the verge of burning out, with its flame gradually dimming. Jiafu began to sense an ominous premonition creeping into her heart.

On this day, nearly a month since Pei You'an left home, Jiafu received her first letter from him.

The letter was brief and to the point, just like how Pei You'an usually spoke to her. 

He told her that he had arrived in the area of Jingxiang and Nanyang nearly half a month ago, and that everything was proceeding well. He reassured her not to worry and asked her to convey his safety to their grandmother.

Following the letter was a page listing books, all of which he had in his study. If she had free time, she could entertain herself by reading the books in the order listed, from light to heavy. He anticipated that by the time she finished reading all the books listed, he would likely have returned to the capital.

Since Pei You'an left, Jiafu had been taking care of Lady Pei during the day and longing for him at night. Sometimes, she couldn't fall asleep late into the night due to thoughts of him. Finally receiving his letter today, although it contained no words of longing, but with the list of books he had compiled for her, Jiafu felt satisfied. She felt a mixture of sweetness and regret in her heart, thinking how nice it would be if their grandmother's health improved.

She went to Lady Pei's room.

The old lady slept for the entire morning and had just woken up not long ago. She seemed slightly better in spirits upon awakening. Upon hearing Jiafu recount the contents of Pei You'an's letter and the greetings from the eldest grandson, she smiled and nodded continuously. At this moment, Lady Xin, Lady Er, and Zhou Jiao'e also came to serve the meal. After staying for a while, they were all sent away by the old lady. The old lady told Jiafu that she didn't need to stay any longer and should go back to take a nap. She specifically instructed her that if she were to reply to the letter, she shouldn't mention anything about her own health issues to avoid causing unnecessary worry.

Back in her own room, Jiafu couldn't bring herself to sleep. She sat down and picked up a pen, intending to reply to the letter. Just as she was about to write, Grandma Liu came in and stood by hesitantly.

Jiafu asked her what was on her mind.

Liu Mama approached and whispered, "Madam, I heard rumors among the servants these past few days. They say that in the room where the former concubine used to stay, there have been cries heard in the middle of the night, and also..."

She paused for a moment.

"And also what?" 

Jiafu immediately put down her pen and turned her head.

"And also... it's said that someone saw a ghost hanging itself at midnight, with disheveled hair and a long tongue, wandering in front of the courtyard where the master used to live..."

Liu Mama looked at her expression, hesitating as she spoke.

The anger in Jiafu's heart surged more and more.

It had been only a few days since Pei You'an left home, and now with the old madam falling ill, rumors had already begun to circulate in the Duke's residence.

If last year, during Madam Pei's birthday celebration, she overheard the gossip of those two maids as she passed by Pei You'an's former residence and felt only slight annoyance, then at this moment, "annoyance" was completely insufficient to express her current emotions.

She was furious, immensely furious.

Suppressing her emotions, she asked, "Who saw it?"

Liu Mama shook her head. "That's not clear yet. I've asked around, but there are many servants in the mansion, and rumors spreading between the two branches, it's hard to pinpoint who started spreading this."

Jiafu gritted her teeth, "Go and investigate again! We must find out who saw the hanging ghost! They must have been terrified, we need to reassure and comfort them."

Her tone was stern, and Liu Mama hesitated for a moment before nodding. She turned to leave but was stopped by Jiafu. Turning back, she saw Jiafu lost in thought. After a moment, she stood up abruptly and said, "You don't need to investigate. I'll go and arrange for someone to do it."

Surprised, Liu Mama watched as Jiafu left the room, then hurriedly followed after her.

Jiafu returned to her grandmother's side first and asked someone to quietly summon Yuzhu. After confirming that her grandmother had taken her medicine and was resting, she led Yuzhu to a secluded corner and whispered to her what she had just heard.

Yuzhu was greatly shocked, her brows furrowing in anger. "Who dares to spread such rumors? We must deal with this matter seriously! No matter who it is, whether they have dignity or not, if we catch them, even if we tear their mouths apart, it would be too kind to those foul-mouthed individuals!"

Jiafu replied, "That's exactly what I was thinking. We need to address this issue. However, with grandmother's recent decline in health, I'm afraid these vile rumors might upset her if she were to hear about them. It's best if she remains unaware. Please keep an eye on things."

Yuzhu nodded and said, "Madam, rest assured, I know everyone around grandmother very well. Those who slack off and gossip, I won't spare them any face. Since Madam specifically mentioned it, I'll be even more vigilant."

Jiafu smiled, squeezed her hand, turned around and walked out. She then asked Tanxiang to invite Mrs. Meng, and then went to Mrs. Xin's main courtyard.

Mrs. Xin was in Little Master Quan's room at the moment, her face full of anger as she scolded the nurse maid for negligence. She chastised her for not promptly cleaning up Master Quan when he wet the bed during his nap. It wasn't just about cleanliness; in this weather, sitting in wet clothes could lead to catching a cold. The nurse maid felt aggrieved and tried to explain, "I had already sent Xiao Hong to the kitchen to fetch hot water early on. Xiao Hong came back saying that the hot water had just been boiled, but she was taken away by Xiangmei, the maid in Second Madam's room, saying that Second Madam urgently needed hot water and asked Xiao Hong to wait a bit longer. That's why there was a delay."

Madam Xin was furious, and she angrily threw the clothes she was holding. "This is outrageous! Does she think she's descended from heaven as a goddess? Has she no sense of propriety left?"

The nurse maid muttered and urged, "Exactly, that's the point. Master Quan has hardly seen Second Master these days. Madam should set some rules."

Madam Xin's face was extremely unpleasant, filled with anger. She was about to summon Zhou Jiao'e to reprimand her, but she stopped herself before the words left her mouth, swallowing her anger instead.

Despite the recent setbacks of the Zhou family, the position of the Empress is still there, and one never knows when they might turn things around. The Empress seems to have some affection for Zhou Jiao'e as well. Just a few days ago, she sent some gifts from the palace to her. Moreover, Zhou Jiao'e's temperament is quite spirited. If she refuses to comply and causes trouble, the old lady will just think that she is incompetent. She is even more afraid of being laughed at behind her back by the second wife, Mrs.Meng.

Madam Xin felt a mixture of resentment and indecision. Just as she was hesitating, a maid entered and announced that the senior madam had arrived. Seeing the nursemaid eagerly waiting for her to scold Zhou Jiao'e, she felt annoyed. Using this opportunity as an excuse, she quickly left, instructing the nursemaid to take care of Master Quan and hurried out.