Cuddling with the Cold Female Protagonist – Chapter 18
by Little PandaVolume 2: The Captivating Splendor of Jingdu
How a Sickly Plant Gives Birthday Wishes
The Su family had many people but few rooms, and Ji Qingchi and her companions were allocated only a remote small room.
The yatou [丫鬟 | yā tou | female servant/maid] who led them there conveyed the message from Su family’s Da Niang [大娘 | dà niáng | eldest madam], apologetically saying, “Everyone else has children, only the Nineteenth Miss doesn’t have any, so we can only trouble you with this arrangement.”
Su Yi was Su Jie’s nineteenth granddaughter. Everyone else was much older than her – the eldest not only had children but even grandchildren. For such a large family to squeeze into a remote small room was quite pitiful. Therefore, the Su family’s Da Niang tried to let those with children stay in larger rooms, while Su Yi, who had no children, naturally could only receive a small room.
Ji Qingchi had no objections to this, as she could survive in any harsh environment.
She smiled faintly at the yatou and said, “It’s fine, this place is quiet, I particularly like it. I think this tranquil environment will also benefit my Wife Master. Thank you to Da Niang for finding this place for us.”
The yatou breathed a sigh of relief, but as she turned to leave and report back, Ji Qingchi called out to her, “Wait… I want to ask, does everyone who seeks an audience with Zumu [祖母 | zǔ mǔ | grandmother] have to give silver to the guards at the door?”
She had wanted to ask this question since entering. Even though Su Jie held an official position, why would she, like those highway bandits, make everyone who visits pay money?
“Aiya.” Hearing this question, the smile suddenly faded from the yatou’s face, turning pale. She hurriedly looked outside to confirm no one was eavesdropping, then approached Ji Qingchi and said in a low voice, “Nineteenth Zhu Jun [主君 | zhǔ jūn | master/lord], this place is now managed by our family’s Zheng Jun [正君 | zhèng jūn | main husband], who has decreed that anyone wanting to enter and see the elder must first give money to the guards.”
The Zheng Jun she mentioned was naturally the Su family Da Niang’s fulang.
Having heard his words targeting Su Ming earlier, Ji Qingchi wasn’t surprised by such behavior, but did Su Jie and the Su family Da Niang not know about this? Were they really allowing him to do this?
“Do Da Niang and Zumu know about this?”
“The Da Xiaojie [大小姐 | dà xiǎo jiě | eldest young lady] knows, but the elder doesn’t.”
Ji Qingchi nodded, guessing that if Su Jie were to find out about this, that man would certainly face consequences.
After thinking for a moment, Ji Qingchi asked again, “Does Da Niang know about Da Niang Gong [大娘公 | dà niáng gōng | husband of Da Niang] doing this? What has been her response?”
“Da Xiaojie has mentioned it several times, but the Zheng Jun won’t listen to her. They’ve had several quarrels over it, and eventually, Da Xiaojie stopped trying to manage him.”
“Alright, I understand. Thank you.”
“Nineteenth Zhu Jun is too kind.”
After the yatou left, Ji Qingchi made several rounds in the mansion while gathering information about the Su family.
After casual conversations with several yatou, they all said the family’s Zheng Jun was fierce in temperament, stingy, and couldn’t stand seeing others do well. While Da Niang had a non-confrontational nature, the two often quarreled, sometimes even disturbing Su Jie.
After gathering this information, Ji Qingchi leisurely strolled back to her room.
Opening the door, she saw Su Yi and Su Ming already seated inside, apparently in discussion. Upon seeing her, they stopped talking and turned to look at her.
Su Ming frowned unconsciously seeing her return from outside, but Su Yi, sensing the poor atmosphere, quickly spoke up to interrupt her mother’s impending scolding, “Where did fulang go? Have you eaten? I’ll have Gancao tell someone to prepare something.”
Ji Qingchi appeared very shy, while her appreciation for Su Yi grew – indeed, Su Yi was someone who could read the situation well. “This slave went for a walk earlier, intending to look for Wife Master, but ended up getting lost.”
Now Su Ming couldn’t say anything more. Seeing her daughter’s eyes glued to Ji Qingchi since “he” entered, she silently sighed at how having a husband made one forget their mother, but could do nothing about it. After giving Ji Qingchi a few instructions, she returned to her own room.
Although her mother had left, Su Yi still needed to maintain her image of loving her husband dearly, so she wheeled her wheelchair to Ji Qingchi’s side and asked softly, “Is fulang hungry?”
Ji Qingchi played along, acting the part of a virtuous husband, “I’m fine. Why is Wife Master’s brow furrowed? Did Zumu say something to Wife Master earlier?”
As she spoke, she raised her hand to smooth the wrinkles between Su Yi’s brows, appearing deeply concerned, “Wife Master, don’t worry. You’ve just recovered from a serious illness, you mustn’t strain yourself.”
Before she could touch her, Su Yi tremblingly grabbed her hand, forcing a smile on her pale face, “I’m fine. Would fulang like to hear what Zumu said?”
Ji Qingchi slightly raised her eyes, with a gentle shimmer of tears, biting her lip halfway and looking at her with hesitation, “But, those were Zumu’s words meant for the women. This servant is a man, and a commoner at that. If I were to hear them, wouldn’t Zumu be displeased?”
Knowing these words were specifically meant for them, yet still wanting to hear them, and even acting so affected – won’t you rest until you’ve thoroughly unsettled me?
Su Yi screamed internally, yet forced herself to smile and say, “It’s not really a secret anymore, it’s fine.”
Ji Qingchi appeared relieved, gazing at her with tender affection, “Very well then, please tell me, Wife Master.”
Su Yi endured her inner discomfort and related everything that had happened earlier.
“Wife Master will give the birthday wishes?” Ji Qingchi’s first thought was that she could accompany Su Yi to the Marquis of Pingyang’s mansion. Her second thought was that Su Yi was essentially taking Da Niang’s position. While the Su family’s Da Niang had a gentle nature, her Zheng Jun would likely not let the matter rest.
She told Su Yi what she had learned earlier, “Wife Master must be careful of him.”
Su Yi hesitated, “Da Niang Gong is still my elder, surely he wouldn’t do anything to me.”
“Is that so?” Ji Qingchi smiled softly. Indeed, Su Yi, having been cherished by Su Ming since childhood, had never realized how treacherous people’s hearts could be.
Seeing her troubled expression, Su Yi realized she had been too naive. She took note and nodded, “But since fulang has said so, I will certainly be careful of him.”
Besides her shadow guards, few people would sincerely believe her after hearing something just once.
Ji Qingchi was momentarily stunned. Looking down at Su Yi’s trusting gaze, her eyes wavered, and she turned her face away without meeting Su Yi’s eyes, “Has Wife Master decided how to give birthday wishes to Tai Zumu [太祖母 | tài zǔ mǔ | great-grandmother]?”
“Not yet.” Su Yi was also troubled. She neither knew how to play musical instruments nor could compose poetry. She felt she was utterly useless, the kind who would just embarrass herself if she went up there.
Seeing her troubled, Ji Qingchi thought for a moment and suggested, “Why don’t we go to the streets tomorrow and look around? Elderly people all like calligraphy and paintings.”
Since the female protagonist said so, it must be good. Su Yi’s troubled heart eased considerably, and her smile was especially genuine, “Alright, I’ll follow fulang’s suggestion.”
Her smiling face was like sunlight breaking through clouds, making Ji Qingchi feel inexplicably guilty. She turned her face away, “It’s getting late, Wife Master should rest soon.”
“Alright.”
After their conversation, both retired quietly.
Unlike the tranquility of their small room, in Su family Da Niang’s chamber, a tremendous argument was taking place.
“Finally, there was a chance to show face before Zumu, and you actually gave it to that sickly plant! Look at how many daughters you have! None of them got the chance, so why give such an advantage to that sickly plant for nothing? Look at your current situation, you have nothing! Just this broken house in Jingdu, how will your daughters establish themselves in the future? How did I end up marrying such a worthless Wife Master!” The Su family’s Zheng Jun sat in the chair, wailing loudly, “I’m going back to my maternal home tomorrow, I’ll tell everyone how worthless my Wife Master is!”
“You dare!” Su Zhong [苏衷 | Sū Zhōng] had a headache from her fulang’s tantrum. “Haven’t I been the one giving birthday wishes to Zumu every year? But Zumu has never noticed our family. This time Mother changed to Su Yi just for something new, hoping for an opportunity, what are you making such a fuss about?”
“I don’t care! Look at you, being worthless is one thing, but making excuses! If changing to someone else would make Zumu feel refreshed and more likely to notice our family, why didn’t you tell Mother to let our own daughter give the birthday wishes? I think you just don’t care!”
“Say what you want.” Su Zhong was irritated and turned to leave, “Tonight I’m sleeping at shi jun’s [侍君 | shì jūn | serving husband] place.”
Hearing this, the Su family Zheng Jun cried even harder, chasing after her and making a scene, “If you really go there, I’ll take our daughters back to my maternal home first thing tomorrow! I’ll tell my mother you’re bullying me! Let her submit a memorial to the court about your mother, then your whole family will have to go drink northwest wind [喝西北风 | hē xī běi fēng | idiom meaning to starve]!”
Su Zhong’s hurried steps came to an abrupt halt, trembling with anger.
Her Zheng Jun’s maternal family was a branch of the powerful Chancellor Xiao’s family. Chancellor Xiao was currently deeply favored by the Emperor, and the family members under the Chancellor’s protection were all extremely arrogant and overbearing.
Relying on Chancellor Xiao’s influence, this Zheng Jun of hers had made scenes like this more than once or twice.
Back then, her mother had specially arranged for her to marry Xiao Long [肖陇 | Xiāo Lǒng], a son from this Xiao family branch, in order to establish a firm foothold in Jingdu.
Xiao Long was arrogant by nature, shrewish and jealous. Every woman in Jingdu avoided him. When she had no choice but to propose marriage to the Xiao family, he initially looked down on her, despising their family’s decline. However, since everyone in the Su family was good-looking, after seeing her once, he rushed to marry her. After marriage, he absolutely refused to let her take any shi jun, until later when they didn’t produce a daughter within two years, he was forced to agree to let his personal servant become her shi jun.
Relying on his maternal family’s power, this wasn’t the first time he had quarreled with her. For many years, Su Zhong had endured it all, but this time she had truly had enough of her fulang’s unreasonable tantrums, so she angrily said, “Go ahead and return! We’ll see if your mother thinks you’re right or I’m right!”
With that, she stormed off in anger.
Leaving Xiao Long sitting on the ground, wailing and crying to heaven and earth.
His voice disturbed his youngest daughter Su Zhi [苏致 | Sū Zhì], who had come to pay her respects. Seeing her father crying shamelessly on the ground, she hurriedly went forward to help him up, “Father, what’s wrong?”
“It’s your mother again!” Xiao Long complained tearfully, telling her what had just happened, “I’m thinking of you and your sisters! You are the legitimate daughters of the main branch, how could the birthday celebration duties for your grandmother be snatched away by that sickly plant from Old Six’s family?”
Although Su Zhi was a legitimate daughter, she wasn’t the eldest, so she would receive less when she came of age. Therefore, she had developed many scheming thoughts since childhood. Hearing her father’s words, she calculated for a moment, “Father, why don’t I accompany you to Grandmother’s house? Let the elder evaluate the situation.”
Her maternal grandmother’s family still had several unmarried male cousins. If she could hook one of them, even after the family division, she could live well relying on a fulang.
Provoked by his daughter’s suggestion, Xiao Long’s temper flared up. He grabbed his daughter’s hand, ready to leave, “Good, let’s go to your grandmother’s house and let the elder judge who’s right!”
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