Chapter 8: Brat

Wang Heng opened her mouth, but said nothing.

Because she had a premonition that even if she refused, her stepmother would still take her.

Since it was a foregone conclusion that could not be changed, she might as well not struggle.

It was still the Old Madam Xie who, ultimately unable to hold back, asked tentatively, "A Cui, are you taking A Jiu to the Lou family?"

The Old Madam Xie did not know Cui Shi's intentions, but she dared to wager on her decades of experience navigating the inner courtyard that Cui Shi was definitely scheming against A Jiu.

There were far too many tricks one could play when taking a young girl out as a guest.

The most common, and most brutal, method was to directly make the young girl embarrass herself in front of everyone.

If one were more ruthless, they could engineer the loss of her reputation, and consequently marry her off to an unworthy man.

However—

The Old Madam Xie fingered her Buddhist beads, her peripheral vision glancing at the chubby, dazed Wang Heng. This girl was only six years old.

She was still a child.

Even if she embarrassed herself, the world would only say "a child being naughty," laugh it off, and the matter would be dropped.

After all, no matter how strict or rule-abiding a person was, they would not hold a child accountable.

The Old Madam Xie ran through almost every trick commonly used by women in the inner courtyard, but could not figure out how Cui Shi could possibly frame A Jiu.

Of course, there was another method, too vicious and too base. Although Cui Shi was domineering, she was also a daughter of a prestigious clan; she probably wouldn't take advantage of taking A Jiu out to engineer her "disappearance."

Besides, A Jiu was brought out by Cui Shi. If A Jiu encountered kidnappers or villains, Cui Shi could not escape responsibility either.

After a month of observation, the Old Madam Xie had a general understanding of this new daughter-in-law: Cui Shi was merely overbearing, not stupid.

"Reporting to the Matriarch, this daughter-in-law does indeed wish to take A Jiu to the Lou family. Since this daughter-in-law married Wang Lang, I am the matron of the Wang family."

"Wang Lang's daughter is also my daughter."

And as a mother, going out as a guest, especially for a family banquet like this, it was only natural to bring one's "daughter" along.

Although Cui Shi's words were still not as gentle and pleasing as the Wang family women's, this was already her utmost effort.

If it weren't for wanting to get "a certain matter" settled quickly, Cui Shi couldn't be bothered to waste so many words on the Old Madam Xie.

Old Madam Xie:...It makes some sense, at least it saves face.

As for A Jiu, the Old Madam Xie indeed didn't like her very much.

But she doted on her son, and knew her son still couldn't forget Jiang Shi.

Anyway, she was just a little girl; raising her cost nothing. Just think of it as leaving a memento for her son.

As long as it didn't endanger the family's interests, the Old Madam Xie was still willing to be a good grandmother.

Guessing Cui Shi harbored ill intentions, for the sake of family harmony, the Old Madam Xie couldn't openly refuse, so she simply secretly assigned more guards.

"Alas! I only hope Cui Shi doesn't act foolishly!"

The Old Madam Xie truly didn't want to be caught between face and profit over a granddaughter.

"What A Cui says is absolutely right! We are one family, we should be harmonious!"

The Old Madam Xie collected her thoughts, not revealing a thing on her face.

Her eyes even held satisfaction towards this new daughter-in-law who understood the big picture and was so loving.

Having said this, the Old Madam Xie looked at Wang Heng: "A Jiu, when you go out tomorrow, follow your mother closely!"

Wang Heng blinked her eyes, the whole person still looking dazed.

After a long while, she slowly replied: "Yes."

Since Grandmother had agreed to Cui Shi, she must have already made preparations.

With Grandmother's word, Wang Hiu could rest assured going out with Cui Shi.

Cui Shi glanced at Wang Heng, a strange color flashing in her eyes

This child, born chubby and fat, should have been extremely ugly.

But for some reason, even Cui Shi, who harbored malice towards Wang Heng in her heart, had to admit that this child was extremely beautiful.

Obesity had not made her greasy or ugly; on the contrary, it carried an inexplicable softness and cuteness.

Perhaps she couldn't compare to her mother, whose beauty could topple cities, but she was definitely not ugly!

If Wang Heng weren't Wang Lin's daughter, Cui Shi, seeing such a child, would have couldn't help but want to like her.

Too bad... the relationship between the two was destined to be hostile.

"Fat girl, don't blame me! If you must blame, blame your bad fate; you shouldn't have been born from Jiang Shi's womb!"

"The status of the Wang family's legitimate eldest daughter can only belong to my daughter!"

...

The next day, early morning.

Wang Heng was woken up early by Fu Mu. Fu Mu picked out a brand new set of ruqun for Wang Heng.

A narrow-sleeved jacket in pale green, paired with a qixiong ruqun in lotus root pink.

At the waist, a matching sachet and perfume pouch were tied.

"And the little bamboo basket!"

Wang Heng looked down and reminded Fu Mu.

She used to like wearing a small bamboo basket diagonally across her body, used to hold snacks, toys, and other small items.

After setting the grand goal of "eating until round," Wang Heng never let the bamboo basket leave her side.

And as her appetite increased, the size of the small bamboo basket also grew.

It used to be only the size of an adult's palm, but now it was the size of a winter melon.

Fu Mu's temple twitched, her gaze involuntarily drifting over her young mistress's body full of flesh.

The ruqun was qixiong style, no waistband needed, so the waistline couldn't be seen.

But the young mistress's little face was full of flesh; her little chin already had two layers.

Yet the young mistress still didn't forget her "food basket."

"Ninth Miss, you are going out as a guest with the Matron, not going out to play. You cannot bring the bamboo basket!"

It was fine to eat indiscriminately and never let snacks leave her hand at home, but once out the door, such impropriety was unacceptable.

Otherwise, forget Cui Shi making trouble; the Old Madam Xie would punish Ninth Miss.

Gluttony was not a good reputation.

Especially since Ninth Miss was a girl, she absolutely could not be stained with it.

"...Okay then." Although Wang Heng really wanted to argue: If I don't bring the little basket, I'll be hungry.

But, same old story: things decided by adults leave no room for a child's "resistance."

Sophistry, demands... were all useless, so might as well not do them.

At a young age, Wang Heng had become exceptionally "Buddha-like" because of her mother's departure.

No arguing, no demanding; she just obeyed quietly, not attracting attention, not causing trouble, curling up and living peacefully.

Seeing such an obedient Ninth Miss, Fu Mu felt a pang of heartache.

Ever since the Matron—no, since Niangzi Jiang left, Ninth Miss had become exceptionally obedient.

At first towards the Old Madam Xie and Wang Lin, slowly, even towards those around her, like Fu Mu, Bai Zhi, and others, she was the same.

Fu Mu felt very distressed.

It is a child's nature to love to play and make trouble; being sensible and obedient are not what a child wants themselves.

As the saying goes, "relying on favor to act willfully." Ninth Miss lost the person who doted on her, so naturally she dared not be "willful."

Realizing this, Fu Mu felt even more heartache for this motherless child.

So, knowing that eating too much and getting fat was bad, she still couldn't help but want to satisfy her every time.

"...The bamboo basket can't be brought, but Fu Mu will put some meat jerky, candied fruit, and small pastries in your sachet, how about that?"

"Good!"

Wang Heng lifted her little head, her fair, chubby little face piled high with a happy smile.

Fu Mu's heart softened. Alas, what a good Ninth Miss, yet with such a hard fate!

She only hoped this was her "petty thinking," that Cui Shi had no harmful intentions, and that Ninth Miss could go happily and return safe and sound!

...

The Lou family's manor was just outside the east side of Hexian County, bordering the Yi River on one side and vast farmlands on the other.

Lou Jin was stationed in He with his troops; he was no clean-handed civil official.

He was a military general; encircling land, "borrowing" military grain, seizing spoils of war—these were his standard operations.

So, the Lou family's manor was originally a farmstead of a local powerful clan in He.

And the vast good fields surrounding the manor had all changed their surname to Lou.

After the Lou family women arrived in He, they all moved into this manor.

On the farmstead, the main structure was a three-courtyard, five-bay large compound. Surrounding the main compound were some houses for servants and tenant farmers.

A small path led from the compound to the official road.

Cui Shi's carriage followed the small path all the way to the front of the compound gate.

The Lou family's Old Madam, who was also Cui Shi's aunt, valued Cui Shi quite a bit.

She had long since sent a stewardess to wait at the gate to welcome them.

The stewardess was in her thirties, slightly plump but very capable and efficient.

Seeing Cui Shi alight from the carriage, she hurried forward.

"This servant greets Lady Cui!"

There was no helping it; Wang Lin's official rank was too low, and the court existed in name only. Wang Lin fundamentally couldn't secure a title for his wife.

Without a title, Cui Shi couldn't be addressed as Madam or such; people could only call her "Miss Cui."

If one wanted to be more polite and respectful, they could address her as "Lady."

The Old Madam Lou's stewardess was a maid she brought from the Cui family as part of her dowry; she was a hereditary servant of the Cui family.

Facing a daughter of the Cui family like Cui Shi, she naturally had to be even more respectful.

"Stewardess, you are too polite!"

Cui Shi was domineering in the Wang family, but in the Lou family, even facing a servant, she behaved very politely.

This—was also a kind of cleverness, knowing who could be bullied and who could not be provoked.

She personally supported the stewardess, chatting warmly with her.

The stewardess's peripheral vision caught sight of a little girl following behind Cui Shi and getting down from the carriage.

Five or six years old, wearing a pink, fresh ruqun, slightly chubby, but extremely cute.

The stewardess's eyes flashed; she guessed the girl's identity—County Magistrate Wang Lin and his original wife Jiang Shi's daughter, Wang Heng, ranked ninth among the sisters in the family.

Cui Shi was the Old Madam Cui's biological niece; Cui family girls had no good tempers.

The Old Madam Cui was no loving stepmother; Cui Shi probably wasn't either!

However, Cui Shi went to her maternal relatives as a guest but still brought her stepdaughter... The stewardess knew the Lou family's affairs even better than the Old Madam Xie. Almost the moment she saw Wang Heng, she guessed Cui Shi's calculation.

What a calculation!

And it was an open scheme.

As a stepmother, going out as a guest and bringing her stepdaughter—anyone who heard it would say she was loving and reasonable.

If the stepdaughter had an accident at the host's house, that was the stepdaughter's and the host's problem; no one could blame her.

The host's madam was indeed Cui Shi's biological aunt, but that troublemaker in the host's family... even the stewardess truly couldn't like him.

If one needed to borrow a knife to kill someone, the stewardess estimated she would make the same choice as Cui Shi.

No way around it; that child was simply too unruly. Not to mention the servants, even the Old Madam Cui was troubled and aggrieved by him...

(End of Chapter)