As Jiang Yalan came here to ask when Madame Zhuang would leave, Qiu Yelan asked about it with concern after he left, “Will you leave in the few days, mother? I don’t want to separate with you!”

Madame Zhuang smiled, “It is cold there. Your father stays there alone so I am worried about him.” And then she said, “Several years later after Yashuang learns how to handle things in the court, your grandfather will ask him to join the Northern Army to harden himself, and then you can come there with him. We will see each other again by that time!”

Qiu Yelan smiled and agreed with her. And then she asked whether her mother-in-law needed her to help her pack the luggage.

Madame Zhuang looked at her belly and refused her, “Thanks. But I can handle it with my maids.”

Jiang Yashuang returned home at night. He was disappointed because he heard the news that his mother would leave. He went to ask Madame Zhuang whether she could stay until Qiu Yelan gave birth to the baby, “Her mother passed away early. There are not any elders in the Prince’s Mansion of Xihe close to her. I heard that it is dangerous to give birth. If you can be here, she will be relieved.”

“By that time your grandmother will come here to help her.” Madame Zhuang became silent for a while. But she still refused, “Mrs. Zhou and Mrs. Li are experienced. If you are not assured, I can leave Mrs. Qu here.”

Jiang Yashuang was disappointed. But he knew Madame Zhuang had already made her decision. He had no choice but to agree with her.

The news was spread to the yard they lived in. Qiu Yelan was speechless, “It is fine that my mother-in-law doesn’t want to stay here. But why does she keep Mrs. Qu here?”

She was not sick of Mrs. Qu. But if there was a maid who was left by Madame Zhuang, she needed to consider Madame Zhuang when she wanted to do something. So, she was not as free as before. Besides, those maids who followed Madame Zhuang were all shrewish. If they conflicted with Mr. Zhou, it would be difficult to mediate between them.

But if Madame Zhuang said so, Qiu Yelan had no choice but to show her appreciation.

Several days later Madame Zhuang settled the date when she would leave for Beijiang. She kept her words to send a maid to the mansion of Sir Jibei to tell Jiang Yalan.

The one who went to tell him came back without an affirmative message, which made Madame Zhuang and Qiu Yelan who were packing packages surprised. “Is Mi Yinyin crazy?”

The maid said reverently, “When I went to the Thirteenth Young Master’s yard, I heard two maids saying so. And I also heard the madam crying and shouting. But when she just shouted, she was covered up.”

“Where was Yalan?”

“The Thirteenth Young Master didn’t mind her. He just told me to show his appreciation on his behalf. And he promised that he would be there on time.”

Madame Zhuang snorted. She said to Qiu Yelan, “I really don’t know how your sixth uncle and his wife manage their family. They even allow the undisciplined daughter-in-law to make the mess. Firstly, she made trouble at Emperor’s wedding ceremony. And then she pretended to be ill afterwards. Now she just pretends to be mad! No wonder your granduncle didn’t allow your sixth uncle to join the army. He has only two sons and a daughter, but they even make such chaos. If he were in the Northern army, he would be killed by those fierce soldiers!”

Qiu Yelan also felt that Old Master Tiancan was useless and muddleheaded. Jiang Tiancan only had one sister, Jiang Tianhe. If Jiang Tianhe’s daughter became the Empress, the sixth branch would benefit from her. However, he indulged his wife and daughter-in-law to disturb the ceremony. All their noble relatives were offended by them!

Even if he didn’t need the assistant of the Emperor and Empress, he would need them after Marquess Qin and Sir Jibei passed away.

When she was thinking, the maid continued, “I saw some guys from the Mi Family go in when I was about to leave.”

“It is too late.” Madame Zhuang sneered, “Their daughter bullied the Express when her parents were not in Jing City. And the relatives in Mi Family didn’t stop her at all. Seeing that their daughter has made a big mess, they get flustered now and beg for mercy. Why could they be forgiven?”

Qiu Yelan was worried that Madame Zhuang was so angry that her health would be influenced. She interrupted her, “They will never be forgiven for such a mess their daughter has caused. Mother, you mentioned that after lunch you would go to the Zhuang Family today. I’d like to have lotus seed soup made by my cousin. Can you bring it back for me?”

Madame Zhuang certainly would meet her demand. She nodded, “Your cousin’s cooking skill is just passable. But she is indeed good at the soup. She is always considerate. I will go to tell her!”

Mrs. Chang smiled and said, “In fact, her cooking is also fine in the eyes of ordinary people. The reason why Madame thinks so is that our madame’s cooking is really superb. Last time Madam rewarded me with half a cold dish made by you, it was so delicious that I almost swallowed my tongue.”

Qiu Yelan was asked to stay at home to keep the baby safe during this past half year. She was bord. Madame Zhuang was nice so she allowed her to go to the kitchen and cook for Madame Zhuang. Madame Zhuang didn’t eat anything cooked by her before. So, she happily tasted the dishes. And then she was full of praise for her cooking and liked her daughter-in-law more.

Mrs. Chang knew how much she loved her. She bantered, “It is lucky that madame is pregnant. So, it is inconvenient for her to cook. Otherwise, if Madame is used to your cooking, after she goes to Beijiang, she will fire all her chefs.”

“Please don’t overpraise me, Mrs. Chang. I can just cook several routine dishes.” Qiu Yelan smiled, covering her mouth, “Fortunately, mother likes them…”

“It shows that you and I are meant to be a family!” Madame Zhuang put down the tea bowl and said gently, “You are good at cooking, indeed.”

After seeing that, she took a glance at the clock. And then she urged the maids to serve the lunch for them, “After lunch I have to go to the Zhuang Family. The marriage of Man’er shall be settled today. Otherwise, after I leave, your aunt will hesitate. The two kids’ marriage will be procrastinated.”

Qiu Yelan said yes.

After finishing having lunch, Madame Zhuang went to the Zhuang Family with Mrs. Chang to discuss the marriage of Zhuang Man and Ling Zui. Qiu Yelan walked with Madame Zhuang to the second gate and then she returned to her own yard.

When she just walked in, Chen Shui went to welcome her. She said, “Mistress Gu has just sent a maid here to find you. And she has something to tell you.”

“Oh.” She was different from Madame Zhuang, who didn’t pay much attention to Mistress Gu at all. Qiu Yelan was always on the lookout for her. However, it involved Jiang Yadan and his child-rearing issue. So, it was not proper for her to get involved. She gazed after hearing the words, “What did she say?”

Chen Shui said, “It has been a long time since Jiang Jingheng said something.”

Qiu Yelan frowned, “What do you mean?”

“Mistress Gu’s maid said that from the day Mistress Gu came in, he had not spoken a word.” Chen Shui pursed her lips, “She thought Jiang Jingheng was born unable to speak. It took her several days to find out that he had been frightened when his biological mother was ‘sent away’ by Madame Zhuang. That’s why he hasn’t said a word since then. Mistress Gu said she comforted him for several days, but the kid did not open his mouth at all. Now he does not even leave his room and becomes weak gradually. She was afraid that she had to take the blame so she sent a maid to ask for your advice. She wanted to ask Madame Zhuang for advice on how to solve the problem.”

Did he shut himself up in fear? Qiu Yelan pondered, “How did he see that his biological mother was ‘sent away’?”

She had an impression on Jiang Jingheng. He was born by one of Jiang Yadan’s concubines, Madame Cao. She was deeply affected by Jiang Yadan and so she often bullied Madame Tao Junior. When Madame Tao Junior had a hard time, Qiu Yelan and Jiang Yashuang went to the yard of Jiang Yadan to mediate. They ran across Jiang Jingheng and Jiang Huizhu making noise on purpose to torture her.

When Madame Zhuang made the order to investigate the dowry of Madame Tao Junior thoroughly, most of the loot was found in her room. Even those rare curios found by He Shuijin were obtained from her.

Though she insisted that Madame Tao Junior had rewarded it to her, there was no way that Madame Zhuang would believe her.

So, she was certainly executed according to Madame Zhuang’s order. She was dragged to the courtyard to be beaten to death, as a sample to others!

When Madame Cao was beaten to death, according to the rules, Jiang Yadan’s concubines were supposed to be present to watch so that they would be deterred. But Jiang Yadan’s children should not have been there. Because the children were so young, they would have been terrified. In addition to Jiang Jinghu, who died in the river, the eldest kid of Jiang Yadan was Jiang Jingheng, who was just ten years old.

At that moment Qiu Yelan couldn’t stop thinking whether it was the maid who was so careless to let Jiang Jingheng see his mother die, or someone else who intended to do so.

Chen Shui shook her head, “The maid didn’t tell me.”

“Go there and ask them for the details!” Qiu Yelan frowned, “Tell her that my mother-in-law is not here. After she returns home, I will tell her.”

After Chen Shui left, Mrs. Zhou seemed to be worried, “I am afraid that Madame will be angry after she knows it.”

“Mistress Gu asks me to solve the trouble. I can’t take the blame. So, I have to tell her.” Qiu Yelan sighed. She guessed that Jiang Jingheng was overstimulated so that he lost his voice. If they wanted him to become normal, they had to try all efforts to comfort him. And he also might need to change a place to live.

But good filial piety was the most important thing. Children could not be as important as the old. Madame Zhuang did not like the children born by concubines. So, she was afraid that Madame Zhuang might not consider how to let Jiang Jingheng return to normal. Even she would think that he was simmering with resentment so he deliberately did not speak to show his resistance!

Mrs. Zhou sighed, “Though Madame Cao was awful, her son is a kid of the Jiang Family. Even if Madame Zhuang doesn’t value him, Marquess Qin and my young master all treat him as a family member. Why destroy the peace of our own family for the sake of a child ill-taught by his biological mother?”

“I agree with you. But you know my mother-in-law’s temper.” Qiu Yelan was helpless, “I will try to persuade her to comfort those kids of Yadan.” After seeing that, she frowned, “Oh, Mistress Gu only asked her maid to tell my mother-in-law. So, what about Yadan? He is the father of the kid. What will he do?”

Mrs. Zhou hesitated, “Does he go out to flirt with women?”

“How dare he? My mother-in-law hasn’t left yet!” Qiu Yelan finally found another advantage of him besides loving brothers and sisters, that is, following his mother’s order. After he returned from Shazhou, he didn’t go to brothel even once because of being rebuked by Madame Zhuang.

But when it came to loving sisters and brothers, a thing suddenly stroked her mind, “Oh, hasn’t the ninth sister come back yet?”

There were three sons and two daughters in the fourth branch. Though Jiang Qilai was born by a concubine and got married already so that she didn’t have to come back to the Jiang Family frequently, she was still the daughter of the fourth branch. But since Qiu Yelan married Jiang Yashuang for almost three years and she was even pregnant, they met each other only once at their wedding ceremony.

“I haven’t heard her husband be sent to the outside. What happened?” Qiu Yelan was as if deep in thought. “If she were suppressed by her mother-in-law, she wouldn’t dare come back as Ningxin did. But she came here to our wedding. And I didn’t find any resentment on her face at that time. My mother-in-law came back from distance, but she even didn’t come here to visit her!”