kvmb Chapter 134 Be good
Chapter 134 Be good
Shen Mingzhu hadn't heard a word of it, which showed that the second wife didn't need to go to the palace.
Whenever she thought about Emperor Jing'an and Consort Ling's attitude towards Zhao Yi, she felt particularly resentful.
In particular, because they loved Shen Qingtan so much, they treated her extremely well as well as anyone else.
The last time I went to the palace to see Consort Ling, Consort Ling's words and actions clearly showed that she was biased towards Shen Qingtan.
She was jealous and wanted to get Consort Ling's attention, so she tried to speak like Shen Qingtan, but she was too ignorant and offended her.
Emperor Jing'an was the same; when his two nephews from the Duke's mansion got married, he only summoned Zhao Yi and Shen Qingtan, and showered them with gifts.
Now, the second branch of the family is also excluded from the memorial rites for Empress Yuanrong.
She felt very uncomfortable, as if as long as this couple was around, their second wife would never be able to get ahead.
Fortunately, Zhao Yi did not live long.
Shen Mingzhu told herself that there was no need to fight with the dead.
The maidservant said respectfully, "Third Madam, the Old Madam invites you in."
Shen Mingzhu cleared her mind, went inside, and glanced at the box in Wei Mama's hand.
She curtsied and greeted her, saying, "May Grandmother be blessed."
Madam Zhao noticed Shen Mingzhu's subtle glances and guessed that she had overheard her instructions to Wei Mama.
Although she looked down on Shen Mingzhu's petty nature, Shen Mingzhu was now pregnant with the eldest great-grandson of the Zhao family and had been behaving much better lately, so her attitude towards her had softened considerably.
"Your baby's position is not very stable. If anything happens, just send a maid to deliver the message. There's no need for you to make this special trip."
Madam Zhao gestured for Shen Mingzhu to sit on the couch and said with a kind expression, "How have you been feeling lately? How's your appetite?"
“Grandmother, I feel much better lately, but my appetite isn’t as good as before. It’s probably because of the hot and humid weather; I can’t eat more than a few bites.” Shen Mingzhu stroked her lower abdomen. “I thought about putting some ice in the room, but I’m afraid of getting chilled and catching a cold.”
She said this to curry favor with the old lady, hoping that the old lady would take pity on her and offer to put ice in her room.
How could Old Madam Zhao not see through Shen Mingzhu's thoughts?
It was just a matter of a bowl of ice.
Having been through it herself, she naturally knew that pregnant women are more sensitive to heat than usual, and also have a poor appetite. If they also experience morning sickness, they will suffer a lot.
Madam Zhao said understandingly, "Tell the maid to fetch some ice from the ice cellar and put it in the outer room. You can rest in the inner room. It's cooler in the outer room when you eat, and you'll have a better appetite then."
Shen Mingzhu smiled broadly and said, "Grandmother still loves me the most. I'll have the maid fetch the ice when I get back."
Madam Zhao smiled slightly, waiting for Shen Mingzhu to bring up the matter of the memorial ceremony for Empress Yuanrong.
Unexpectedly, Shen Mingzhu didn't mention it, but instead brought up another matter.
“Grandmother, a while ago the embroiderer came to the mansion to take our measurements and make summer clothes. Now that I am six months pregnant, my aunt sent the embroiderer over again so that I can choose the fabric and make four more loose-fitting summer clothes.”
Shen Mingzhu tentatively said, "I also picked out a few bolts of fabric to make clothes for the children."
Madam Zhao said nonchalantly, "It's just a few bolts of fabric."
She added, "It's time to choose. You make a few sets of inner garments for the child, and have the embroiderer make the outer garments."
"That's what my granddaughter-in-law thinks too." Unable to gauge the old lady's attitude, Shen Mingzhu said calmly, "I found a piece of fabric at the embroiderer's shop. The color is very soft and bright, and the pattern is not only delicate but also very smooth, as if it were carved with a knife. I heard that you can touch it and rub it as you like without it getting snagged, and it won't spoil no matter how many years you keep it."
As the matriarch of the Duke's mansion, Madam Zhao was well-informed and knowledgeable. Based solely on Shen Mingzhu's description of the fabric's characteristics, she knew that she was referring to kesi (silk tapestry).
“Newborn babies grow very quickly, there’s no need for them to wear such expensive fabrics.” Madam Zhao didn’t spoil her: “Babies’ skin is very delicate, so soft and breathable fabrics are more suitable.”
Shen Mingzhu felt a surge of immense disappointment.
Madam Zhao then said, "I have two bolts of cotton here. Take them back later to make clothes for the children."
Feeling humiliated, Shen Mingzhu couldn't help but feel resentful and deliberately tried to sow discord between the First Madam and Shen Qingtan.
"My granddaughter-in-law is a mother for the first time and doesn't understand these principles. She just saw that my second sister-in-law had a few pieces of this fabric with beautiful patterns, which were different from the fabric that the embroiderer had picked out for me, so I asked the embroiderer a few more questions."
Shen Mingzhu became more and more heartbroken as she spoke, her smile forced as she said, "I originally planned to pick out a piece of fabric and make two garments, one large and one small, to wear together when the baby turned one month old. I never expected that this kind of fabric wouldn't be suitable for the baby."
Madam Zhao was a shrewd person; how could she not understand the meaning behind Shen Mingzhu's words?
It's nothing more than saying that the First Madam, relying on her power as the head of the household, misappropriated public funds to buy silk tapestries for Shen Qingtan.
"The eldest son's wife manages the household expenses. She sends me the account books every month. Every account is clear and there has never been a mistake."
Madam Zhao stopped beating around the bush: "The material you're talking about is kesi (silk tapestry). Even a skilled weaver can only weave one or two inches a day, and one inch of kesi costs one tael of gold."
She said bluntly, "The few bolts of kesi silk in Tan'er's hands should have been bought by Yi'er with her own money. If you want them, you can ask Jue'er to buy them for you."
These words struck a nerve with Shen Mingzhu. Where would Zhao Jue get the money to buy her kesi (silk tapestry)?
“There are rules in the manor, and everyone has a quota. If you take a fancy to this precious item today, and she takes a fancy to that precious item tomorrow, the public funds will be spent like water, and there will be a deficit every month. How can we maintain the normal expenses of the manor?”
Madam Zhao said sternly, "Without rules, there can be no order. Today, because you are pregnant, we have set a precedent, and things will fall into chaos in the future."
Shen Mingzhu was humiliated, her face turning pale and then red.
The pain in her lower abdomen became more and more obvious. She endured the discomfort and said, "I understand now. It's just that I'm not knowledgeable enough and didn't recognize that it was kesi, which is extremely valuable. That's why I made a fool of myself in front of you."
After saying this, Shen Mingzhu got up to take her leave.
She took two steps, stopped, and turned to Wei Mama, saying, "I am pregnant and cannot go to pay respects to my aunt. When you take the things to my second sister-in-law later, please ask her to offer a few sticks of incense to my aunt on my behalf."
Madam Wei was taken aback for a moment, but quickly came to her senses and replied with a smile, "Don't worry, this old servant will pass on your words to Second Madam later."
Shen Mingzhu said politely, "Thank you for your trouble."
As Madam Zhao watched Shen Mingzhu's departing figure, her expression turned cold.
Since becoming pregnant, Shen Mingzhu has been trying to outdo Shen Qingtan in everything, including food, clothing, and daily necessities.
As a woman herself, she understood the hardships Shen Mingzhu endured during her ten months of pregnancy, and as long as it wasn't excessive, she turned a blind eye.
Who knew that her insatiable desires would lead her to covet kesi (silk tapestry), and she even tried to sow discord between the First Madam and Shen Qingtan because of it.
I thought she had learned her lesson by not mentioning Empress Yuanrong.
Little did she know that Shen Mingzhu was just being coy, trying to evoke her compassion.
"I now believe the saying: A fool believes that everyone else is a fool except himself."
Madam Zhao frowned and said, "The eldest son's family is dwindling, while the second son's lineage is quite prosperous. Unfortunately, they are short-sighted and narrow-minded, and I don't know if they can raise their children well. My husband and I are getting old, and I don't know how much longer we can hold on."
"Grandma, you and the Duke will surely live to be a hundred years old," Mama Wei comforted her. "There's still the Second Master in the manor, so you don't need to say such discouraging things."
A complex emotion flashed in Madam Zhao's eyes as she said with a forced smile, "Yes, and Yi'er is here too."
As long as he is there, the Duke of Zhao's mansion will surely prosper for several more decades.
"It's just his illness..."
Madam Zhao let out a long, quiet sigh.