Chapter 16: Sending Some Snacks (2)
In the study in the outer court, Senior Servant Liu had also delivered some nourishing soup to He Changdi. After throwing up that mid-afternoon, He Changdi hadn’t eaten anything else. Now that he was being forced to drink some strange herbal soup, he was already filled to the brim with frustration.
He Changdi no longer had the mood to continue reading the letters in front of him. Thus, he stood up and left the study.
Laiyue, his personal manservant, was dozing off while guarding the door outside. He Changdi kicked him to relieve some of his frustration, startling Laiyue awake. He wiped away the drool at the corner of his mouth and hurriedly asked, “Young Master, where are you going at this time?”
He Changdi cast a sideways glance at Laiyue and was about to reply that he was returning to his courtyard. However, he instantly remembered that the wicked woman, Chu Lian, was staying there, so he turned and headed to his mother’s courtyard instead.
“I’m going to visit Mother.”
Laiyue scratched his head and followed behind Third Young Master, confused. There were three great occasions in a man’s life: meeting a friend in a foreign land, getting married, and ranking on the imperial examination. Third Young Master had just gotten married and Third Young Madam was such a beauty. Why was Third Young Master walking around with such a dark look on his face, as if the entire world owed him three hundred taels of silver and no one was paying up?
When He Changdi reached his mother’s courtyard, Countess Jing’an was currently walking about in her room with the support of one of her personal maidservants.
Something interesting seemed to have occurred, as the bell-like laughter of her personal maidservant, Miaozhen, drifted out from the parlour.
As He Sanlang walked closer, he could hear Countess Jing’an talking and laughing with the servants by her side.
“Madam, these candied kumquats that Third Young Madam sent over are really delicious!” That was Miaozhen’s voice.
“Yes, this old servant also thinks that they’re good. Speaking critically, these candied kumquats look pretty and cheerful, and they even taste great. They won’t lose out to the pastries that Cook Zhou makes!”
“Oh? I didn’t think that these sweets could get such a high evaluation from you. Let me have one to try.” Countess Jing’an’s voice was clearly a little weak.
Following that came the sound of the maidservants’ footsteps.
He Changdi’s expression changed and he sprinted into his mother’s room. When he saw the plate of candied kumquats that Miaozhen was about to bring to his mother, he reached out and knocked it away.
The little dish immediately shattered, making a sharp, ear-piercing sound as it hit the ground. The translucent candied kumquats scattered all over the floor.
Everyone in the room was so shocked by He Changdi’s sudden actions that they turned completely mute.
It was Countess Jing’an who recovered and reacted first. She stared at her youngest son with her brows slightly drawn together as she said, “Sanlang, what are you doing? Your wife personally delivered these to me this afternoon as a gift.”
He Changdi finally realised that he had acted too impulsively. However, upon thinking of the ploys that ‘Chu Lian’ had used in his past life, he felt that he hadn’t done anything wrong.
“Mother, you’re not well. You have to be careful with what you eat. Don’t let it affect your body.”
No one knows a man better than his own mother. Countess Jing’an seemed to have detected something from He Changdi’s flickering eyes. She sent away the servants in the room before she asked her son, “I heard from Senior Servant Liu that you don’t seem to be very happy with your wife. Is this true? Tell Mother why you’re so unhappy with her. She came to visit me this afternoon, and she seems like a good child.”
He Changdi was astounded. He inwardly sneered. Who would have thought that that wicked woman, Chu Lian, would actually try and play this game while he was away? She had even come to curry favour with his mother.
“Mother, don’t think too much about it. Nothing’s wrong. I’m just worried about your health.”
Seeing that He Changdi wasn’t willing to speak the truth, Countess Jing’an could only sigh. “Sanlang, Mother worries the most over you. If you don’t pass your days in happiness, how can Mother relax?”
He Sanlang’s expression was extremely dark when he left Countess Jing’an’s courtyard. By this point, he had already heard of what Chu Lian had done earlier in the afternoon. So she had been up to something while he wasn’t around. He walked towards his courtyard in a huff.
Laiyue scratched his head as he followed behind his master. He found that he really couldn’t understand Third Young Master anymore.
Chu Lian napped for an hour in a daze. She woke up in the most uncomfortable way, covered in sweat and stifled. Thus, she ordered Jingyan and Mingyan to prepare a hot bath for her.
She had just entered the fragrant hot bath when she heard Mingyan’s alarmed voice outside. “Third Young Master, Third Young Master, it’s not convenient to meet Third Young Madam at this time! Please wait for a moment before going in!”