Chapter 14

Chapter 14

I had become utterly loathsome to Cheng Wenting.

The scorching summer heat eventually passed. The autumn evenings grew long, the waters turned a pale gray, and the setting sun lingered on the eaves as wild geese flew against the slanting rays. Then came the deep of winter; all things withered, and heavy snow fell in flurries.

When spring arrived, Wei Shi gave birth to her second child with Cheng Wenting.

It was Cheng Wenting’s eldest son. Although he was born to a concubine, the entire manor was filled with joy. My mother-in-law even took it upon herself to organize a grand banquet for the child’s hundred-day celebration.

As a virtuous wife, I naturally had to maintain the appearance of propriety. Thus, on that day, I wore a smile and graciously attended to every guest who came to offer their congratulations.

It should have been a wonderful occasion. Everyone praised me for my pure heart and refined character; no one seemed to care that Wei Shi was the child’s biological mother. However, not a single person from my own family attended.

My mother and my eldest sister-in-law, County Princess Rongjia, merely sent gifts via messenger without showing their faces. I knew they considered me a piece of rotten wood that could not be carved. They were disappointed in me.

What did it matter? I didn’t care. In the future, things would surely happen that would disappoint them even more.

For instance, Wei Shi’s second child was still not brought to my courtyard to be raised. In the past, it was because my mother-in-law hadn’t mentioned it; this time, even Cheng Wenting didn’t bother giving me that face. Since they didn’t bring it up, neither did I.

My Wet Nurse, however, was furious.

“Madam, you are the primary wife,” she argued. “If you were to ask for Wei Shi’s child, they would have no reason to refuse you. But you won’t say a word! Why must you endure such grievance?”

The Wet Nurse claimed they were going too far. Xi’er, who usually agreed with her on everything, smiled and tried to soothe her this time. “Alright now, don’t be angry. Madam enjoys her peace and quiet. Having a rowdy child around might only make her headaches worse.”

Once Xi’er said that, the Wet Nurse stopped complaining and merely let out a long sigh.

Since last summer, under Li Shiyin’s care, my symptoms of internal heat had improved. However, due to chronic insomnia and restlessness, I had developed a lingering migraine. It wasn’t severe; Li Shiyin said the main treatment was rest, though I could take some Fangfeng Powder if the pain became unbearable.

For some reason, my migraines had seemed much worse lately. Xi’er was very attentive to my need for rest; the maids and servants in the courtyard usually walked with silent footsteps.

The Wet Nurse said my health was poor because I ate too little. she remarked that my chin was now as sharp as the bodkin she used for her needlework.

I laughed the moment I heard that. “Then next time you’re working, Wet Nurse, you can use my chin to untie your knots.”

The sun was pleasant then. I sat with the Wet Nurse on the long veranda beneath the window. I lay lazily with my head in her lap, letting her use a hairpin to clean my ears. It was a soothing sensation, so comfortable that I felt as if I were floating on air, my eyes fluttering as I drifted toward sleep.

The Wet Nurse carried a scent I had been familiar with since childhood; it was deeply comforting. But, as usual, she started nagging.

She circled back to the matter of Wei Shi, grumbling, “Madam has been precious since she was a babe, a delicate young lady. When have you ever had to suffer such slights?”

I nearly laughed out loud. “Wet Nurse, you always treat me like a child. But I am a proper married woman now. I’m getting old.”

Wei Shi was the same age as I was and already a mother of two. Among the noble ladies of the capital who were my age, which one wasn’t already the mistress of a household? Where was there any “delicate young lady” left?

Despite my words, the Wet Nurse disagreed. She told me I was talking nonsense and insisted that I was still so young-how could I be old?

She began to prattle on again.

I was truly exhausted, my eyes closed in a drowse. Just as I was about to fall completely asleep, I vaguely heard her let out a sigh.

The Wet Nurse’s hand rested on my hair, stroking it gently. “You’ve been clever since you were little. Is there anything you can’t figure out? A person only lives for a few short decades; it passes in the blink of an eye. Why must you torment yourself? Just forget what needs to be forgotten.”