Chapter 32: Taking the Initiative

Evening, Yunxiang Courtyard.

Fang Yuean and Er’er were laughing and playing, chasing each other around the room.

Qin Xuan sat by the lamp, reviewing the checklist of wedding preparations. Holding a brush in her right hand, she lightly ticked off items that were already prepared.

Suddenly recalling something, she looked toward Nanny Lei, who was waiting nearby.

“When Xunli gets married, make sure to assign more people to thoroughly inspect every corner of the residence. We must never allow what happened to me back then to happen again.”

Back then, when she married Fang Zhan, their bridal chamber caught fire.

At the time, Fang Zhan was in the front courtyard entertaining guests. Nanny Lei was overseeing the dowry inventory, another trusted maid had gone to fetch food for her, and the maid guarding the door had disappeared without a trace.

Due to traditional customs, when she first noticed something was wrong, she didn’t dare move rashly. By the time she realized the danger, it was already too late.

If she had been in everyday clothing, it might have been easier, but that day she was dressed in elaborate ceremonial attire, weighed down with heavy hair ornaments. By the time she reached the door, escape was impossible.

In the end, it was Old Madam Meng, who had come to deliver some snacks, who charged into the flames and carried her out just before she fainted.

The incident even became a well-known tale in the capital.

Her trust in Old Madam Meng was solidified from that day on.

Fang Zhan was immensely grateful to Old Madam Meng for saving his wife, treating her with the same respect as his own mother.

But now, Qin Xuan no longer believed it was just a coincidence.

The playing Fang Yuean twitched her ears:

[It was that old hag who set the fire back then.]

[It was Nanny Zhang who did it.]

Qin Xuan’s hand paused mid-tick.

As expected!

Old Madam Meng had risked her life to save the daughter-in-law from the fire, gaining both trust and a sterling reputation.

In the future, no matter what conflicts arose between them, because she had saved Qin Xuan’s life, Old Madam Meng would always be seen as the righteous party, supported by public opinion.

Huai Ze couldn’t help but add: [Nanny Zhang is both hateful and pitiful.]

Fang Yuean perked up, intrigued: [Why do you say that?]

Huai Ze sighed: [She doesn’t even know that her husband and son got hooked on gambling because Old Madam Meng bribed people at the gambling house to lure them in.]

[The owner of Xinglong Gambling House will do anything for money—they’ve done plenty of dirty business like this.]

[After Nanny Zhang did Old Madam Meng’s dirty work, she’d receive extra rewards, which she used to pay off her husband’s and son’s gambling debts, keeping them alive and out of deeper trouble.]

[Privately, Old Madam Meng has a terrible temper and treats the servants harshly. Few are genuinely loyal to her. She uses methods like this to control those close to her, ensuring their loyalty.]

Fang Yuean was shocked: [There’s actually something like this?]

[That old hag will fully recover in a few days and will attend Madam Chen’s birthday banquet on time.]

[But if Nanny Zhang finds out the truth before then, things will get really interesting.]

[I’m going to find a chance to check out Xinglong Gambling House in the next few days.]

Hearing this, Qin Xuan connected all the dots and finally saw the bigger picture.

That evening, Nanny Lei reported the recent findings about Nanny Zhang.

Nanny Zhang had been sold into servitude by her parents.

She later went to the Meng household, originally working as a cleaning maid in Old Madam Meng’s courtyard.

Thanks to her cleverness, she gradually rose to become a first-class maid.

A man who regularly delivered vegetables to the household was from Nanny Zhang’s hometown—a simple, honest man with whom she developed feelings.

Old Madam Meng, aware of this, decided to match them together.

It was said that about two years after their marriage, Nanny Zhang discovered her husband had gotten into gambling and racked up debts.

At that time, she was heavily pregnant and had to use all their savings to pay off his debts.

From that point on, and for the next several years, she spent her life paying off those debts.

Eventually, her husband passed away from illness.

But before she could catch her breath, she discovered her son, Qu Dayong, had fallen into the same trap.

As a result, Qu Dayong never even managed to find a wife.

Qin Xuan had heard rumors about Nanny Zhang’s son being a gambler after marrying into the Fang family.

But she never expected it all to be part of Old Madam Meng’s scheme.

The sheer malice of this woman was truly chilling.

After sending the two children back to Mingyue Residence and watching them fall asleep, Qin Xuan returned to Yunxiang Courtyard, deep in thought. She quietly instructed Nanny Lei:

“I’ve heard Nanny Zhang always leaves the residence to personally pay off her son’s debts. Have someone keep an eye on her, see when she goes out again, and arrange for a few people…”

Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

Two days later, Nanny Zhang was still haunted by the sound of a baby crying, leaving her restless and unsettled.

Thinking she might be ill, she took the household token and went out to seek medical attention.

After leaving the clinic without getting any medicine—the old doctor said she was fine, just overthinking and lacking rest—she decided not to waste the money.

On her way back, she thought if things didn’t improve, she’d ask a familiar old servant in the household to recommend a fortune teller. Maybe it was the child she had drowned coming back to haunt her.

After all, she had watched with her own eyes as that child sank into the water, waiting about a quarter of an hour before leaving the scene.

Lost in thought, Nanny Zhang was suddenly stomped on heavily by someone.

Just as she was about to lash out, she saw that it was a fierce-looking brute. The words died in her throat.

The brute glanced at her sideways, then, along with another equally menacing man, dragged a frail-looking middle-aged man into an alley.

Nanny Zhang hadn’t walked far when she heard screams of pain, followed by slurred, desperate pleas:

“Please, sirs, just give me two more days! I’ll sell the ancestral home and definitely pay off the gambling debt!”

A rough voice said, “Just a couple of days ago, you claimed you had nothing left, and today you suddenly cough up a family estate? If we beat you half to death and break an arm, will you be able to pay up immediately?”

“Let me show you what happens when you mess with me!”

As the words fell, the sound of heavy blows followed, mixed with the man’s suppressed screams.

Nanny Zhang listened, horrified. Thinking of her own son’s gambling debts, she couldn’t help but return to the alley entrance, sneaking a peek.

“Please, I swear it’s true!”

The man, his head covered in blood, curled up on the ground, pleading miserably. The sight made Nanny Zhang’s heart jolt violently.

One of the burly men, tired of beating, finally stopped, squatted down, and grabbed the man’s collar viciously.

“You’ve got two more days. If you still can’t pay up next time, we’ll break your damn legs. Let’s see how you like messing with Xinglong Gambling House!”

Seeing the two thugs about to come out, Nanny Zhang quickly stepped aside and walked a few paces forward, stopping at a porcelain stall, pretending to examine the wares.

The two men passed behind her, speaking in low voices.

“That poor bastard. Some enemy of his paid big money to have our boss set him up. Used to be from a wealthy family, but now he’s about to lose everything.”

The other man sounded intrigued, “I heard there’s lots of stories like this. Bro, I came late to the game, tell me more…”

Because of the mention of Xinglong Gambling House, Nanny Zhang, as if possessed, followed the two men from a short distance, eavesdropping on their conversation.

The thug said, “Ah, nothing much to tell. It’s always the same—someone’s got a grudge, wants to ruin someone else, so they pay our boss to set a trap. Get them hooked on gambling, guarantee they’ll lose everything and never get out.”

“I even heard about a really vicious one. Just to control a servant, the boss dragged two generations of a family into it. The old man died early. What was the son’s name again? Right, Qu Dayong!”