Vol 1 Chapter 7 (1/2)
Chapter Seven (Part 1)
In the afternoon Chen Quan Ran visited his grandma in her chamber.
Chen Quan Ran’s grandma requested him to sit next to her at a table and she put a hot bowl of herbal soup in front of him.
‘This bowl of herbal soup is very nouris.h.i.+ng,’ Madam said. ‘Drink it all quickly, you can’t leave behind even one drop.’
For the first time Chen Quan Ran saw his grandma smile at him strangely. His intuition warned him there was something wrong with the bowl of herbal soup. The bowl of herbal soup looked delicious and fragrant, but he was too full from his afternoon meal to eat or drink anything else.
Madam’s complexion darkened because her grandson refused to drink the soup and glared at her grandson. ‘If I asked you to drink then drink. What are you doing staring at the soup? It’s made with rare herbs that will nourish your body.’
‘Grandma, if it’s that nouris.h.i.+ng then why aren’t you drinking it?’ Chen Quan Ran asked.
Madam regretted she couldn’t hit her grandson’s head a few times for not being agreeable. ‘Grandson, are you going to drink it or not?’
Chen Quan Ran laughed. ‘Grandma, confess what is wrong with this bowl of soup? Why aren’t you drinking it and forcing me to drink it?’
‘Whose fault can it be but my exceptional granddaughter-in-law?’ Madam asked. ‘Every day if it’s not in the morning then in the evening she would give me a bowl of herbal soup to drink. Honestly, I’ve drank enough to turn insane. One glance and I’ll be full.’
Madam voiced her grievance and looked pitifully at her grandson. ‘I don’t know anything except that you must drink this bowl of herbal soup for me. Otherwise later if Xiao Lan sees I haven’t drank it, she’ll not let me escape.’
Madam heard her grandson laughed continuously, but she wasn’t in a laughing mood. She forced him to hold the bowl. ‘If you don’t help me then I’ll immediately order servants to evict you from the Chen Manor.’
‘Must I drink it?’ Chen Quan Ran asked. ‘Although it’s one bowl of herbal soup, honestly I’m too full to drink…’
The beaded curtains parted the moment Madam forced Chen Quan Ran to drink a sip. It was the person who Madam feared, Mo Lan.
Mo Lan glared at her husband then she comfortably looked at Madam. ‘He’s healthy as an ox. If Madam force him to drink nouris.h.i.+ng soup, do you think his body can cope?’
Mo Lan turned to look at Chen Quan Ran. ‘Quan Ran, if Madam is being foolish why are you following her lead? Recently a physician said that Madam only eating vegetables has weakened her body a little, which is why I asked the cooks to make herbal soups to nourish Madam’s body.’
Mo Lan continued to explain the seriousness of the situation. ‘Although Madam has a strong body, but it’s inevitable for an elder’s health to slowly decline. If Madam doesn’t nourish her body then during colder days, she could become severely ill. As Madam’s grandson, you need to be more concern about her health.’
Chen Quan Ran couldn’t say anything. His lips smiled behind the bowl of herbal soup, he couldn’t drink it or put it down on the table. He felt very pitiful. He didn’t want to drink it, his grandma was the one who forced him to drink it.
Madam felt she was pitiful too. Honestly, she didn’t want to drink a sip of it. But looking at her granddaughter-in-law’s stern expression, she didn’t dare to protest. In the past she was a heroine and didn’t expect one day she would fear a little girl.
Mo Lan s.n.a.t.c.hed the bowl of herbal soup from her husband and pa.s.sed it to Madam. ‘Madam, why are you sitting still? Madam if you don’t drink this then tomorrow I’ll ask the cooks to double the herbal soup portion.’
Immediately Madam obediently drank the bowl of herbal soup.
After Madam drank all the soup, Mo Lan smiled gently at Madam. ‘Madam, it’s good that you drank it. In the future Madam isn’t allowed to throw away or give the soup to someone else to drink when I’m not with you.’
Mo Lan looked at Chen Quan Ran. ‘Also, Quan Ran next time Madam says a few pitiful words to you, you’re not allowed to grant her request. Because you won’t be helping her but you’ll be causing her harm.’
Mo Lan picked up the empty bowl and walked outside Madam’s chamber.
Chen Quan Ran felt no matter what he did, he couldn’t win a person’s affections. He didn’t provoke anyone, but his grandma was upset with him and his wife was cold toward him. He admitted he was a gentleman who feared his wife. He accepted inside his home, his wife was the little chili. Although his wife scolded him, his heart was full of warmth.
Madam looked pitifully at her grandson. ‘Indeed my granddaughter-in-law is exceptional.’
Chen Quan Ran smiled and nodded in agreement. ‘Indeed exceptional, I love Xiao Lan’s toughness.’
‘I heard a few days ago because of Lady Chen, you did a few things that angered Xiao Lan,’ Madam said.
Although Madam usually mediatated by herself, she wasn’t blind to what happens inside the Chen Manor. She was happy Xiao Lan didn’t lose to a love rival and took pride in Xiao Lan’s conduct. Xiao Lan reminded her of herself. She remembered about that year she protected her love.
‘Isn’t that right?’ Madam asked. ‘Because of Luo Yu, the last two days Xiao Lan caused your face to be unpleasant to look at. I heard you were banished to the calligraphy room.’
Chen Quan Ran would rather die than leave his and his wife’s chamber. The past few days he crawled with his thick face onto their bed and begged his loving wife not be angry anymore. It resulted in countless bruises forming on his body. Luckily he could still sleep with his wife. If he didn’t get to sleep with his wife then he would have been on the losing end… he would have been bruised in vain if he didn’t get to sleep with his wife.
Madam saw her grandson’s dreamy expression under a love trance and couldn’t stop herself from teasing her grandson. ‘When will I get to hold my first great-grandchild?’
Chen Quan Ran recognised his grandma wanted to trap him into a confession and purposely sighed. ‘Hold a great-grandchild? It’s something that depletes a lot of energy. Very tiring, needs a lot of energy to achieve…’
Madam chased her grandson to hit him. ‘Little boy, what nonsense are you saying? You’re a handsome wolf general. But you don’t know small from big and dare to provoke your elder. See if I don’t hit a grandson like you…’
Madam and Chen Quan Ran fought a while before Madam sweated excessively. Then Chen Quan Ran smiled and let her hit him once to appease her anger.
After they both sat at the table, Madam drank a sip of tea, smiled and spoke sternly. ‘I heard the Southern Yue’s Prince Jing Qi and the Southern Yue’s General Fang Mu Chu wants to visit the Northern Empire.’
‘Grandma, your news gathering is extraordinary fast,’ Chen Quan Ran praised. ‘It’s only been a few days but the news has spread to you.’
Madam glared at her grandson. ‘You are in the mood to jest? General Fang Mu Chu is an exceptional person. Remember when your father lost one battle? The person your father lost to was General Fang Mu Chu.’
The only territory that could oppose the Northern Empire was Southern Yue. The Southern Yue Emperor had seven sons and three daughters. The oldest son was Jing Li who was the crown prince, all the other princes except Jing Qi were living in remote areas. Jing Qi shared the same mother as Jing Li and Jing Qi was also the Southern Yue Emperor’s favorite son. It was rumored the Southern Yue court officials didn’t approve of Jing Qi’s reckless arrogance, but Jing Qi was never punished for any serious offences committed. Because Jing Qi was the favorite prince and had another strong mountain to support him – General Fang Mu Chu. General Fang Mu Chu had conquered many territories for Southern Yue and earned the t.i.tle of the undefeated general.
The Northern Empire and Southern Yue citizens all knew of General Chen in the North and General Fang in the South. Although there was a generation between the ages of the two generals, they were both known for winning many battles.
For many years Southern Yue wanted to conquer the Northern Empire, but hesitated because General Chen had his grandma’s war knowledge, experience and support. In contrast the Northern Empire wanted to conquer Southern Yue, but General Fang was an enormous obstacle. As a result, Southern Yue and the Northern Empire were at a standstill.
Suddenly the Southern Yue Emperor sent his favorite son and General Fang to visit the Northern Empire under the guise as diplomats wanting to improve relations between Southern Yue and the Northern Empire. But no one in the Northern Empire was fooled by Southern Yue’s truce offer, because it was clear Southern Yue had a hidden agenda.
‘Although you haven’t faced General Fang Mu Chu on the battlefield but since he has appeared, you need to know both your enemy and yourself,’ Madam warned.
In relation to General Fang Mu Chu, Chen Quan Ran had never once underestimated General Fang Mu Chu’s war skills.
‘I’ll silently follow their movements,’ Chen Quan Ran said. ‘If they use this visit as a ploy for an ambush, I’ll make certain even if they have wings, they won’t be able to use it to fly.’
In that moment Chen Quan Ran’s eyes shone dangerously. ‘Although my father lost on the battlefield to General Fang Mu Chu, it doesn’t mean that I’ll also lose to General Fang Mu Cu. If there is a day I need to face General Fang Mu Cu on the battlefield then I’ll use all my strengths to battle. When that day arrives, winning or losing will be clear.’
***
Chapter Seven (Part 2)
Mo Lan delegated duties to the maids and servants.
Most of the maids and servants were nearly thirty years old and they have been working in the Chen Household since they were young. They regarded General Chen’s wife highly.
‘This ladder needs to be repaired within three days,’ Mo Lan said. ‘Bring the ladder back after it’s repaired. Later this afternoon I’ll allocate five hundred silver taels between everyone to buy necessities for this month. Be certain that the silver taels are spent on the allocated necessities otherwise everyone will face the consequences together.’
The maids and servants nodded that they understood and quickly resumed their a.s.signed work duties.
Suddenly some servants hurriedly carried mysterious chests into their young master and mistress’ chamber.
‘What’s inside these chests and why are they being brought here?’ Mo Lan asked.
‘Master asked us to carry these chests here,’ a servant said.
Mo Lan was surprised. She remembered the last few days her husband suddenly became busy and some days she didn’t see him. Even Xiao Ha didn’t know what her husband was busy doing. But every night her thick face husband would attach himself to her. No matter how many times she kicked him, he wouldn’t let go of her. Even if she cursed him, he would endure until he got to sleep with me. After being eaten by him, she didn’t have energy left to ask him what he did during the day.
When Mo Lan wakes up in the morning, she wouldn’t see the rogue anywhere either. She only saw him in the middle of the night when she was tired to death. She thought perhaps he went sightseeing with Chen Luo Yu, but Cheng informed her that Chen Luo Yu stayed inside the Chen Manor the last few days.
Mo Lan didn’t know what was making her husband busy. While she was in deep thought, the servants brought more chests into the chamber and quietly left.
Cheng heard the commotion and ran to her mistress’ chamber. She was curious what was inside the chests and opened a few chests. ‘Heavens! There are many beautiful jewellery.’
Mo Lan saw the surprise look on Cheng’s face and couldn’t help but be curious, she stepped closer to the opened chests. Mo Lan was shocked to see the opened chests were full of valuable jewellery from pearl necklaces to jade bracelets. Mo Lan opened another chest and saw many different kinds of silk fabrics.
While Mo Lan and Cheng looked at each other in disbelief, they heard Chen Quan Ran’s voice nearby.