The Battle of the Noble Ladies (Book 2)

Chapter 25 - The Full-Moon Celebration

The last time Song Chuyi had seen An An in Tongzhou, she was still wrinkly and red, looking much like a tiny mouse. But now, An An had grown fair and plump, nestled in the nursemaid's arms, blowing bubbles and playing.

Seeing her at a glance, Song Chuyi could tell she was well cared for. Smiling, she instructed Luyi to reward the nursemaid with a well-filled pouch. She personally reminded her, "Take good care of her. Endure a bit longer through this period, and there will be an even greater reward."

The nursemaid, chosen by Nanny Xu from a family on one of the estates, was an honest and diligent woman. Seeing the silver ingots peeking out of the pouch, she beamed from ear to ear, nodding eagerly in response.

Song Chuyi then gently took An An in her arms, holding her and playing with her for a while before handing her to Nanny Xu. She then stepped into the adjacent room to visit Lianyi.

Lianyi had just completed her confinement period, and Nanny Xu had specifically hired a tailor to make her new clothes, dressing her up to look radiant. At the moment, however, she appeared uncomfortable, fidgeting as she tried to remove her jewelry. After years of living in poverty, she wasn't used to such lavish adornment.

Nanny Xu held her down, not letting her move, and sighed earnestly, "Why do you still see yourself as that Li Gui's wife? Does he deserve someone like you? If Lady Cui were still here, at the very least, you'd be the head housekeeper's wife. Why wouldn't you be worthy of such clothes and jewelry?"

Lianyi's tears began to fall, large droplets hitting the floor like broken pearls. Gripping her collar, she shook her head continuously, her mouth opening and closing as she tried to speak, but only managed to make incoherent sounds.

Song Chuyi froze momentarily, watching as Lianyi's expression changed, and she reached for a paper and brush. Quickly, Song Chuyi stepped forward to assist.

"But Lady Cui is already gone."

"And I was indeed once Li Gui's wife."

"A mute village woman, all dressed up like this, just becomes a laughingstock."

Nanny Xu stood there, stunned, her mouth opening and closing, suddenly at a loss for words. Lianyi still held resentment in her heart—her best years were taken from her, poisoned mute and married to a despicable man. She had three daughters, but none survived, and the ordeal aged her, making her appear decades older...

She was so shaken she didn't even notice Song Chuyi. Trembling, she patted Lianyi's shoulder, trying to calm her down. "I didn't mean it that way... Lianyi..."

But the more she spoke, the worse it seemed to get. Lianyi's whole body shook violently until, in the end, she collapsed onto the table, crying her heart out.

Song Chuyi pressed her lips together, feeling helpless. She had been given a second chance and changed her own unfortunate fate, yet she hadn't been able to save those who never should have suffered in the first place...

In the past, Lianyi had always held herself together, and Song Chuyi had naively thought it was a sign of Lianyi's strength. But now, thinking it over, no matter how strong a young woman might be, no one could emerge from such a tragedy without scars...

She stepped forward and placed a hand on Lianyi's shoulder, but the words of comfort she intended to offer remained unsaid. She was at a loss, so all she could do was repeat over and over, "I will take good care of An An..."

"I will take good care of An An. I'll make sure she becomes your new hope, and I won't let her suffer the slightest bit. She'll never end up in a situation like yours."

Tears blurred Lianyi's vision as she nodded, her makeup smudged from crying.

Nanny Xu breathed a sigh of relief. She knew it would take time for Lianyi to truly recover, but the awkward tension in the room had finally eased a bit. She wiped the sweat from her brow, hurriedly calling Luyi over to help Lianyi wash her face and redo her makeup. Then she bowed her head apologetically, saying, "I spoke out of turn... I'm clumsy with words, Lianyi, please don't hold it against me..."

Song Chuyi left Luyi and Qingtao in the room to accompany Lianyi, and with a sigh, stepped outside. After all, Lianyi had become like this because of the Li family, and the harm inflicted was beyond repair. She used to think that simply looking after Lianyi's future would be enough, but now, it seemed that no matter what she did, there was no way to truly ease Lianyi's pain...

Lost in thought, she stood quietly for a while. Just then, Song Qi entered and, seeing her like this, assumed something had happened. Concerned, he asked, "Why do you look so down? You seemed fine just a moment ago. Did something happen?"

Song Chuyi quickly shook her head and asked why he'd suddenly come inside. "Weren't you outside, Second Brother? Why did you come in all of a sudden?"

"Oh!" Song Qi slapped his forehead, suddenly remembering. "I nearly forgot—the young troublemaker from the King of Zhennan's estate is here again... and he brought along... a little Taoist priest..."

He had never met Zhou Weizhao before, and now that Zhou Weizhao was dressed as a Taoist, he naturally didn't recognize him.

Song Chuyi smiled in mild surprise—although both Zhou Weizhao and Ye Jingchuan had mentioned coming to celebrate An An's one-month birthday, she had thought they were joking. She hadn't expected them to actually show up.

Song Qi sighed and shook his head, clearly at a loss with Ye Jingchuan. "We can't very well have this honored guest sitting outside with the tenants and hired laborers, can we? This is really quite the headache..."

Since An An's full-month banquet was hosted under the guise of being Nanny Xu's granddaughter's celebration, only the villagers and workers on the estate were invited for a cheerful gathering to bring some blessings for the child. Who would have thought Ye Jingchuan would actually come?

Still, even if she'd expected it, Song Chuyi would never have dared to have the two of them sit outside with the villagers. After thinking it over, she said, "In that case, we'll just have to invite them in. Second Brother, why don't you set up another table in the courtyard by the granary, and we can accompany them ourselves."

There really wasn't a better option at the moment. Song Qi nodded, a bit exasperated, and went off to arrange an extra table. Meanwhile, Ye Jingchuan had already slipped inside with Zhou Weizhao and was demanding to see An An as soon as he spotted Song Chuyi.

"I heard from my mother that newborn babies are usually pretty ugly—wrinkled like little mice. But by one month, they should be chubby and fair. Bring her out so I can see if my mother was telling the truth," he ordered, towering over Song Chuyi, who barely reached his shoulder. "Hurry up, I even brought her a gift."

Song Chuyi ignored him and instead turned to Zhou Weizhao, who was standing with his hands behind his back, smiling. She couldn't help but chuckle. "Why is His Highness dressed like a little Taoist?"

Zhou Weizhao cast a glance at Ye Jingchuan and replied slowly, "Convenience." Then, he reached into his wide sleeve and pulled out a small pouch. "Inside is a charm for peace and a protective pendant. It's for An An."

He had actually gone to seek out Celestial Master Zhang to get a protection charm drawn. Song Chuyi paused for a moment, then took it, bowing her head slightly as she thanked him, "Then I thank Your Highness on behalf of An An."