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Later on, the Second Madam seemed to have a change of heart and gave birth to Jiang Zhanyu, but this child still remained unhealthy.
Due to Zhanyu’s poor health, both the Second Master and Second Madam were physically and emotionally exhausted. When Zhanyu nearly died once again, the second master, overwhelmed with grief, had a heated argument with the Second Madam. After drinking a bit, he went to the Qingfeng Courtyard and forced himself on Miss Zhou.
Feeling guilty and ashamed after the act, he hastily dressed and left. Surprisingly, that single encounter resulted in Miss Zhou becoming pregnant once again.
The Second Madam was displeased and without saying a word, took her son back to her family home. The Second Master went to the Lin family, crying and pleading, with the Lin family intervening on his behalf, convincing the Second Madam to return.
After Miss Zhou gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl, the second master named them Jiang Zhankui (Ashamed) and Jiang Jiu (Remorse). Shortly after giving birth, Miss Zhou fell ill and passed away.
Since Jiang Zhanwei was born with the Second Madam’s consent, the Second Master’s treatment of him was neither good nor bad. However, he harbored intense animosity towards the twins, as they were conceived through his secret encounter with Miss Zhou. He did not want to see or acknowledge them, as their presence reminded him of his shameful act.
Princess Changting sighed, “Ah, Zhanwei’s birth mother was also a decent girl from a respectable family. It was a shame on the second son. She bore three children for our family, honest, dutiful, hardly ever seen outside that small courtyard… Yet when she passed away, the second son didn’t even grant her the status of a concubine, further wronging those three children. It was only recently that I realized Zhanwei’s ambitious nature—he worked tirelessly to achieve success, perhaps with the intention of establishing a reputation for his birth mother. We owe them apologies…”
Princess Changting continued to lament, sharing her thoughts with Lu Man, who pieced together the secret of the second household after much contemplation.
Lu Man couldn’t help but sigh. Such a fine young woman, manipulated by a corrupt and greedy father to serve as a tool for bearing children, while the children’s father saw her only as a tool, showing no compassion and even finding her presence bothersome. The more he saw her and her children, the more he felt guilty for his beloved wife and the more he despised them.
Looking at the appearances of Jiang Zhanwei and his siblings, it was evident that Miss Zhou was undoubtedly beautiful. Considering the intelligence of the two brothers, Miss Zhou was likely exceptionally bright as well. Intelligent and beautiful girls not only yearn for love but also exude confidence—having the assets to do so. Unfortunately, fate envied her beauty, sold by her corrupt father and mistreated by the Second Master, her heart would naturally be heavy, resulting in an early death.
In her mind, Lu Man couldn’t help but vent about the Second Master. While it was fine for him to love his wife, he should not have mistreated other girls. If he had the courage, he could have resisted his parents’ pressure, refrained from bringing another woman into the household, and avoided impregnating her. Naming the child “Ashamed” after his actions—what kind of person was he!
Considering the Second Madam, although not entirely bad and somewhat sentimental, leaving Miss Zhou behind essentially pushed her towards a dead-end. Miss Zhou’s twin’s presence constantly reminded the Second Master of his past “betrayal”, and her disdain for Miss Zhou was evident to all, showing no fear of any retaliation from her—a possible underlying motive.
Cultured women possess invisible and formidable means of revenge. By trampling on Miss Zhou’s dignity, others couldn’t fault her and might even praise her for her virtue.
It was a pity for the innocent Miss Zhou, wasting away in the small courtyard, devoid of her own life, dignity, and freedom, spending her youth and exhausting her life.
In ancient times, those of lowly status were treated as expendable. Quietly passing away, aside from her children, no one mourned for her, nor did anyone wonder why she died so young. Only many years later, due to an action of her son, did Princess Changting, as the head of the household, recall her and speak a slightly fair word…
The attitudes of the Second Master and Second Madam, coupled with the old Marquis’s bias against his legitimate grandson and the apathy and disregard of others, it’s no wonder Jiang Zhanwei developed such a conflicted and paranoid personality.
Thinking back on Jiang Zhanwei, Lu Man’s emotions were complex. While she despised his cunning nature, she also acknowledged the challenges he faced over the years. Despite his young age, he not only had to plan for himself but also for his siblings and even for his deceased birth mother. Even his contractual wife, in certain aspects, he’s not willing that someone will mistreat her.
Lu Man believed that perhaps it was his unfortunate experiences that drove him to aspire for a higher status and to control his own destiny.
The image of Jiang Zhanwei resurfaced in Lu Man’s mind, with a faint “川” symbol seemingly present between his arched eyebrows. Bearing too much burden, juggling numerous responsibilities, his mind likely never rested even during sleep, constantly contemplating his circumstances.
She couldn’t help but sympathize with that man. To persevere in such an environment, though with a flawed character, not to the point of being deranged, it was truly challenging for him.
May he achieve his goals, earn great accomplishments, achieve fame, return alive, honor his birth mother, grant himself closure, and redeem past shame.
While this man evoked sympathy, he wasn’t suited to be a husband. He was exhausted, and his woman even more so.
Having learned this secret, Lu Man grew even more fond of Jiang Zhankui and Jiang Jiu. During lunch at the Crane Hall, she continuously served the siblings their favorite dishes.
They were dining at the Crane Hall, and Jiang Zhankui was specifically summoned.
Mama Wang was unaware they would be dining at the Crane Hall and personally cooked their favorite deer meat teppanyaki, bringing it to the table.
This was Jiang Zhankui’s favorite. After half a year of care, Jiang Jiu’s health had improved significantly, and she gladly indulged in several pieces.
The young siblings greatly appreciated Lu Man’s affection towards them, acting affectionately towards her, which helped ease the pain of their brother leaving for the frontier.
The old Marquis, feeling left out, also playfully requested more food from Lu Man, delighting Princess Changting.
Upon returning to the Donghui Courtyard and sending the young siblings to rest, Lu Man had four portions of deer meat and roe deer meat prepared to be sent to the Tongren Hall for Manager Li, Master Qin, Physician Chen, Physician He and the others.
This time, Jiang Zhanwei brought back a significant amount of game, sharing some and keeping two deer, three roe deer, five wild chickens, as well as two tiger skins, five fox skins, and five deer skins to be prepared.
Lu Man also had the maidservant make a set of clothes and a pair of boots for Manager Li, as he had no wife to tend to such matters.