Chapter 11: Penniless
Chapter 11: Penniless
The Grand Preceptor finally took a clean spoon from the Eight Immortals table and "bestowed" it to her.
Meng Qianqian hugged the little one in her arms, folded a clean handkerchief, and placed it under her chin. She then used the handle of the porcelain spoon to slowly feed her.
The little one opened her tiny mouth and eagerly started sucking.
Lu Yuan narrowed his eyes slightly, seemingly surprised that the child was actually eating.
"Have you taken care of children before?"
He asked nonchalantly.
"I have a younger brother at home," replied Meng Qianqian.
Lu Yuan crossed his arms and lazily observed her, "Your younger brother, Meng Lang, is only a year younger than you."
He had accurately stated her brother's name, something even her husband Lu Lingxiao might not have been so clear about.
Thinking about it, it wasn't surprising. Even though it had been less than a day, this most ruthless man in the world, who had brought a child to her in the middle of the night, must have thoroughly investigated her entire family history.
"Cousin," Meng Qianqian said.
"Do you also take care of your cousin?" Lu Yuan asked.
"I'm willing to," she replied.
The little one smacked her lips, occasionally glancing at Lu Yuan and then at Meng Qianqian, as if she was listening to their conversation.
Meng Qianqian met the little one's big, round eyes and said, "This child doesn't seem to be a year old yet."
A smug smile played on Lu Yuan's lips as he arrogantly declared, "If this Preceptor says she's a year old, then she's a year old."
Indeed, who else but he could point at a deer and proclaim it a horse?
Meng Qianqian fell silent and focused on feeding the child.
Lu Yuan sat on the bare stool, neither with a backrest nor a footrest, feeling extremely uncomfortable. He exuded an aura of coldness and restlessness.
It was evident that he was forcibly suppressing his emotions.
Perhaps no one in the capital would have expected that the formidable Grand Preceptor would actually have a day where he was unable to vent his anger due to a little milk baby.
After an unknown period of time, the little one finally finished eating and drinking. She burped twice, lifted her little chin, and fell asleep, looking incredibly proud of herself.
During this time, neither Meng Qianqian nor the Grand Preceptor mentioned the Lu family's first birthday celebration.
One didn't care, and the other didn't mind.
Meng Qianqian didn't know when she had fallen asleep, but when she woke up, it was already early the next morning, and the Grand Preceptor and the little one were nowhere to be seen.
If not for the faint scent of milk lingering on her, she might have thought that the father-daughter pair had never come.
As she had caught a cold, Meng Qianqian didn't go to pay her respects to the elderly madam and instead stayed in the Sea Pearl Court to recuperate.
Maid Li prepared bird's nest soup for Meng Qianqian.
While Meng Qianqian was eating, the head maid from the Maple Court arrived.
It turned out that Lin Wan'er had picked out several bolts of fabric yesterday and had them delivered to the mansion.
They had been sent over early in the morning, and someone was waiting at the mansion to settle the payment.
"Why are they looking for me? It wasn't me who bought the fabric," said Meng Qianqian.
Maid Qian was shocked beyond words.
Seeing that she didn't leave, Meng Qianqian asked, "Is there something else?"
Maid Qian snapped back to her senses, her eyes filled with suspicion. "There is, in fact, another matter. The Maple Court needs to consume a bowl of blood nest soup every day to nourish Lin young miss's qi and stabilize her pregnancy. Our mansion's blood nest soup is accounted for. We take as much as we need from the storeroom. Today, Lu Luo went to get some but couldn't find any."
As she spoke, she deliberately glanced at Maid Li, implying that she thought Maid Li was making things difficult for the Maple Court.
After all, the First Young Madam had been a soft persimmon in the mansion for several years, known for her generosity and easiness to manipulate.
Meng Qianqian put down her spoon and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief. "It's my decision. If Lin young miss wants to eat it, she should spend her own money."
Bird's nest soup was precious, especially since it had to be transported from far away. In the capital, a catty could sell for as high as thirty taels, not to mention the even more expensive blood nest soup.
The elderly madam consumed a bowl daily, and on some occasions, the second madam and Lu Linglong would join her, not to mention the additional portions the elderly madam would take to send back to her maternal family. Each month, they spent hundreds of taels solely on bird's nest.
Meng Qianqian had been reluctant to indulge in such delicacies herself, but look where that generosity had gotten her—feeding a pack of ungrateful wolves.
Maid Qian, looking at the large bowl of blood nest soup remaining on Meng Qianqian's table, forced a smile and said, "Lin Wan'er is also carrying the Lu family's future offspring. How could we let her pay for the soup herself? Besides, you can't possibly finish all of this by yourself, it would be a waste."
Meng Qianqian replied calmly, "Whether I eat half and discard the rest or not is my business. If she doesn't want to spend her money, then she shouldn't eat it."
Maid Qian hadn't expected the First Young Madam to be so resolute and quickly reported the matter to the elderly madam in the Fuk Sau Court.
The elderly madam was so furious that she sent her own maid to reprimand Meng Qianqian, telling her not to be ungrateful and that the fabrics and bird's nest were for her future great-grandson.
Meng Qianqian responded, "Since grandmother dotes so much on her precious great-grandson, why doesn't she pay for the expenses of the Maple Court as well? It would be a token of the great-grandmother's love. It's not expensive, just seven to eight hundred taels."
"Did she really say that?"
"Yes, madam. It's absolutely true. This old servant wouldn't dare to lie."
The elderly madam was so angry that she grit her teeth in fury, "This girl has gone rogue!"
There was no way she was going to pay seven to eight hundred taels!
The maid said, "I heard that yesterday, the First Young Master took Lin Wan'er to a banquet. Could this be the reason?"
The elderly madam huffed, "Isn't it because she went out gallivanting by herself? Someone covered for her, and instead of being grateful, she cuts off their expenses... I said from the beginning that we shouldn't marry a girl from such a humble background. All she does is cause trouble and jealousy. No wonder Lingxiao doesn't enter her courtyard!"
In the Hall of Sea Pearl.
After finishing the bird's nest soup, Meng Qianqian told Maid Li, "After this batch of bird's nest is finished, don't buy anymore."
Maid Li hesitated, "But then, the elderly madam won't have any to eat either."
"I've said it before, if she wants to eat it, she should buy it herself," replied Meng Qianqian.
After the humiliation of yesterday, Maid Li could understand any decision Miss Qianqian made.
However, while venting her anger was fine, they must not compromise their principles.
And the elderly madam was the principle of the Lu family.
Maid Li closed the door.
"Miss, please tell me what you're planning. Are you trying to pressure the Lu family and control Lin Wan'er, or..."
Meng Qianqian shook her head, "Why would I want to control her? As long as she doesn't provoke me, I can turn a blind eye to her existence."
Maid Li asked, "Then, Miss, what you're doing..."
Meng Qianqian said earnestly, "Maid Li, the Lu family was the one who proposed this marriage. My grandfather was reluctant to let me marry at such a young age, and my great-grandfather repeatedly assured him that they would treat his granddaughter well and that I would never suffer any grievances in the Lu family. Over the past few years, I've fulfilled my duties as a wife, a daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter-in-law. I've given everything I could, but what have I gotten in return?"
"A husband who doesn't love me and a husband's family that squeezes me dry."
"Maid Li, I don't want to live like this anymore."
Early in the morning, Lu Lingxiao went to the military camp and returned to hear about the fabric and bird's nest incident.
He frowned, "Have the Pine and Bamboo Courts settle the payment first."
The servant said, "The funds for the Pine... and Bamboo Courts are also depleted. Starting today, Young Master, you are... broke."
Lu Lingxiao's tall and sturdy frame trembled!
(End of Chapter)
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