Chapter 94 – My Mother is Thoughtful, I Cannot Not Be Considerate

Afterward, it was unclear whether the servant woman’s scheming had been exposed, causing the others to refrain from openly reporting things, or if they had received a signal from Madam Liu. Either way, they behaved more cautiously and didn’t act up anymore.

When the servant woman was dismissed, Madam Liu left the account books for Xia Tian to continue reading, then gently supported the old woman as they walked away.

As Madam Liu was about to exit the courtyard, Xia Tian mischievously shouted loudly from behind, “Mother, I’ll come over to have lunch with you at noon. Tell the kitchen to prepare more dishes, and also, I love braised pork!”

Madam Liu, who was walking with a graceful pace, was startled by Xia Tian’s sudden loud voice. She tripped, stumbling forward, and had to hold onto the old woman to steady herself.

Xia Tian watched her like a dog chasing its tail, but Madam Liu didn’t even look back. She quickly hurried away.

Xia Tian, in high spirits, slowly flipped through the account books under the furious glare of Qiuyue.

When noon came, she closed the account books, stood up, and walked toward the door. “I’m going to eat.”

Qiuyue saw that she had barely looked at half of the account books and quickly stopped her. “Madam, you haven’t finished the account books yet. You can’t leave now.”

“I’m not leaving, I’m just going to have lunch with Mother first. Afterward, I’ll come back and continue with the account books.” Xia Tian waved her hand dismissively and kept walking toward the door.

“No, the lady said you must finish reading the books before you can eat,” Qiuyue said urgently, blocking her way.

“I told you, I’m not going to eat for myself; I’m going to accompany Mother. Qiuyue, you can’t stop me from fulfilling my filial duty,” Xia Tian insisted.

“But the lady didn’t say you needed to accompany her for lunch!” Qiuyue stubbornly continued blocking her path.

“Yes, she did! I shouted just now, didn’t you hear? Did you see her objecting?” Xia Tian pushed Qiuyue’s arm aside and headed for the door.

“It doesn’t matter, stop her!” Qiuyue, frustrated, dropped the formalities, no longer calling Xia Tian “Madam,” and shouted for the two gatekeepers to block Xia Tian.

Xia Tian turned around, her smile vanishing, her expression growing cold. “Qiuyue, are you overstepping your boundaries?”

Qiuyue’s expression turned cold as well. “Madam, you come from a humble background, so you don’t understand the rules of the Hou residence. Here, the tasks assigned by the lady must be completed on time. Since the lady told me to watch over you, you can’t leave until the account books are finished.”

“I may come from humble origins, but speaking of rules, Qiuyue, by stopping your master from leaving, doesn’t that count as disobeying the rules of the Hou residence?” Xia Tian shot back.

“I am simply following the lady’s instructions,” Qiuyue replied.

“Did the lady tell you to watch over me? She said ‘accompany,’ do you know the difference between ‘accompany’ and ‘watch over’?” Xia Tian retorted.

“I…” Qiuyue was left speechless by Xia Tian’s question and faltered, reverting back to calling herself “I.”

“Furthermore, I’m just going to eat first and will come back to read the books afterward. Where is the violation of the lady’s instructions?” When Qiuyue couldn’t find an answer, Xia Tian turned to the gatekeepers. “Let me through.”

The two gatekeepers, seeing Qiuyue’s cold expression and no longer receiving her orders, reluctantly stepped aside.

Xia Tian sneered and walked straight toward Hua Rui Hall.

Frustrated that she couldn’t stop Xia Tian, Qiuyue quickly sent a little maid to inform Madam Liu.

As Xia Tian reached the door of Hua Rui Hall, she was once again stopped by the gatekeepers. “Madam, the lady is feeling unwell. She asked you to go back to your own courtyard for lunch.”

“Mother is unwell? As her daughter-in-law, how could I go back and eat first? I need to check on her to see if it’s serious,” Xia Tian exclaimed, showing concern and trying to get past the gatekeepers.

The gatekeeper quickly stepped back, blocking the entrance, and said loudly, “Madam, the lady says she just needs to rest for a while and that you should go back for lunch. She will be fine after a rest.”

“That won’t do. Mother is thoughtful toward me, I can’t just leave her like that,” Xia Tian insisted.

“Madam, the lady has already lied down to rest. She asked you to go back first. You can continue with the account books tomorrow,” the gatekeeper explained.

Xia Tian was still in a standoff with the gatekeeper when Qi Mama, Madam Liu’s personal maid, came out and stood at the stairs, calling out loudly.

“Is Mother all right?” Xia Tian asked with concern. “She just recovered from a serious illness and has been overworked these past few days.”

“She’s fine. Madam is just resting for a while. Your filial piety is commendable, Madam. You’ve worked hard this morning as well. Go back and have lunch,” Qi Mama said with a smile, trying to reassure her.

“Well, then… but Qi Mama, if Mother isn’t feeling well anywhere else, you must let me know. I’ll come to take care of her,” Xia Tian said reluctantly, giving instructions.

“Don’t worry, Madam. I will inform you if anything happens. You should go ahead and have lunch now,” Qi Mama replied sincerely.

“Alright, then I’ll leave. Please take care of Mother,” Xia Tian said, turning to leave.

“Of course, Madam. Don’t worry.” Qi Mama smiled and watched Xia Tian walk away before turning back to the house.

Inside, Madam Liu was lying on a soft couch, her hands pressed to her forehead, exhausted. “Momo, do you think that girl is pretending, or does she really not understand anything?”

Momo paused for a moment before responding, “It’s hard to say. Normally, a country bumpkin like her wouldn’t be intentionally pretending. But if she’s not pretending, her actions are still quite annoying.”

“That’s right,” Qiuyue added angrily from the side. “That wild girl has a good memory, and you can’t fool her.”

Madam Liu nodded thoughtfully. “Her memory is indeed quite good. But whether she’s pretending or truly innocent, marrying Shen Nian to become the heir’s wife was her mistake.”

Madam Liu’s expression darkened. “I can’t move against Shen Nian for now, but since my Ke’er is suffering, I’ll make her pay for it through this girl.”

“Don’t worry, Madam, I won’t let her get away with it,” Qiuyue promised quickly.

“Well,” Madam Liu nodded and asked, “Has the plan been arranged?”

“The things have been prepared, Madam. Don’t worry, they won’t trace it back to us,” Qi Mama assured her quietly.

“Good, make sure it’s arranged when the time is right,” Madam Liu said coldly.

“Yes, Madam,” both Qi Mama and Qiuyue responded in unison.

Meanwhile, Xia Tian returned happily to Jinglan Courtyard, unaware that Madam Liu was already plotting behind her back.

For the next two days, Madam Liu claimed to be feeling unwell and no longer had the servant women report in detail. Only the important matters were handled, while the less urgent ones were left for Qiuyue to handle. Madam Liu also sent Xia Tian home early to eat, not allowing her to continue reading the account books.