Chapter 225 – Little by little, everything will be dealt with (2)
Ji Man fell sick. She didn’t have any appetite or much energy. Doctor Li had come over twice to check on her. Each time, he said that it was her heart that was sick. There wasn’t a prescription that could fix this.
After Dengxin had cried enough, she knelt down in front of her master and tried to persuade her by saying, “Master, don’t feel too bad. If Gancao was still here, she wouldn’t want to see you like this.”
Ji Man shook her head and quietly said, “I want to feel better too. I never had the habit of wanting to torment myself. But Dengxin, I really can’t make myself eat.”
Dengxin covered her mouth and let out a sob. She turned around to hide her crying face.
—
Gancao’s family consisted of two younger sisters and her parents. Ji Man gave them plenty of money in compensation for the loss of their daughter, so they would never have to worry about money again for the rest of their lives. But, when Ji Man watched as Gancao’s parents happily knelt down in front of her to thank her benevolence, she felt an indescribable pain in her heart.
—
Ning Mingjie came to Marquis Moyu’s estate to take Gancao’s body away to be buried.
Ji Man tottered after him to watch the burial rites that would be held at the top of a mountain.
Gancao hadn’t formally entered Ning Residence, or observed any other formalities. But, Ning Mingjie still took on the role of her husband by laying her body into the wooden coffin and setting up a gravestone that said, Ning Gancao, maiden last name Liu.
Standing behind Ning Mingjie, Ji Man quietly said, “I’m sorry.”
Ning Mingjie slightly turned his head to look at her. There was a bit of stubble on his lower face. He dryly smiled and said, “It’s probably because I just don’t have that fortune. I finally met a woman that truly loves me, but we’ve already been separated by time.”
Ji Man’s eyes redden.
It was slightly too windy on the top of the mountain, and the edges of Ning Mingjie’s long robe was lifted up by the wind. His back figure looked quite lonely.
—
Ji Man was sick for a month. She had probably only survived by drinking medicine. Because she couldn’t keep down any solid food during this month, her body rapidly lost weight. Although she didn’t look as thin as a skeleton like when she had first come here, her body had returned to being slender and well proportioned. Every part was just right. If any part was slightly bigger, it would be too much. If any part was slightly smaller, it would be too little.
Ji Man bitterly smiled. This was the last present that Gancao would give her. It was better than any weight loss program.
It was just that her appetite was almost completely ruined.
—
When Muxu gave birth, it was a bit earlier than expected. However, she was able to smoothly give birth to a baby boy. Perhaps, her smooth delivery was due to Doctor Li taking care of her.
The estate became a bit more cheerful. After all, this was the Marquis Moyu’s first baby, and it was a boy too. Even though Old Madame wasn’t happy that this baby was from a concubine, she still felt a bit of joy in being able to hold her grandson in the midst of her sickness.
Ji Man took this opportunity to suggest to Old Madame to raise Muxu up to an honored concubine.
—
It was about time for Liu Hanyun to give birth too. By happy coincidence, there were more doctors checking up on her. When Ji Man went over to visit her, she saw that Liu Hanyun had gained weight and seemed more blessed than before.
Looking at Nie Sangyu’s eyes, Liu Hanyun felt somewhat distressed and said, “Madam, you look as if you have suffered a lot of terrible tribulations. Your eyes don’t look the same as before.”
Ji Man smiled at her. “It wasn’t any terrible tribulations. It was just a bunch of little things. Those little things, I can handle them on my own.”
—
After the main rooms in Xuesong Courtyard had been damaged by fire, Qian Lianxue had been staying in the side rooms. Marquis Moyu had allocated money to repair Xuesong Courtyard. Qian Lianxue said that she had a relative that knew how to do repair work, so this job had been given to her relative to do.
Ji Man acted very magnanimously. Whatever price that person quoted as the cost of material, she would pay him that amount without asking any questions. This person was a man slightly over thirty, and his monkey-like face was a bit oily. Strictly based on appearances, he didn’t look like an honest person.
Seeing how agreeable Nie Sangyu was being, he thought that the women in this harem were very ignorant and could be easily tricked. Thus, he fraudulently marked up the cost of the other materials as well.
By the end of the repair process, it had cost over three thousand silver taels just to fix the main rooms in Xuesong Courtyard.
Ji Man delivered the account book to Marquis Moyu and calmly said, “Since he was a person recommended by Lianxue, this servant didn’t say anything. But my lord, you should still look at this account book yourself.”
Ning Yuxuan supported his chin in his hand and scrutinized the woman standing in front of him for a while before finally flickering his eyes to glance at the account book. His expression changed, and his hands clasped together.
Ji Man faintly smiled and said, “This servant doesn’t know why you and Old Madame are so biased in favor of Lianxue, but from my perspective, she’s even slicker at establishing social connections than this servant. Moreover, she doesn’t seem as much of an invalid as she appears.”
After a pause, Ning Yuxuan helplessly said, “Lianxue has always been wholeheartedly loyal to me. Plus, with her health, I don’t want her to be dragged into conflict.”
Dragged? The person that was stirring up the conflict was probably Qian Lianxue. Ji Man sneered. Looking at Marquis Moyu, she said, “My lord, if you’re interested, how about we play an interception game?”
“What’s an interception game?”
Ji Man smiled, “My lord, if you aren’t busy sometime during today, how about we go together somewhere and do something wicked like playing out the role of bandits?”
Ning Yuxuan’s interest was stirred up. “Where do you want to go?”
—
After the old guard’s grandson skipped his way to Feiwan Courtyard, Ji Man pulled Ning Yuxuan towards the back gate with her. The two of them crouched behind the shrubs that lined the unavoidable path that Danzhu would have to pass to return to Xuesong Courtyard.
Marquis Moyu heard the the woman next to him seriously say, “My lord, when Danzhu comes by, please knock her unconscious.”