IBTSOME Chapter 44 Part 1: Extorting Money

I BECAME THE STEPMOTHER OF MY EX-HUSBAND

 

Chapter 44 Part 1: Extorting Money

 

 ^^

Lin Wei Xi happily enjoyed the treatment of her former grandmother. Gao Ran was also an expert in this respect. Lin Wei Xi only glanced at a certain dish twice, and Gao Ran would serve her that dish in the next instant. After a few times, Gao Ran knew Lin Wei Xi’s preferences. Now, the amount of refreshment brought over was just right, there would be no leftover, nor let Lin Wei Xi still craving to eat.

 

Unconsciously, Lin Wei Xi ate a little more than usual. Being in a good mood was really appetizing. Lin Wei Xi put down her chopsticks, and rinsed her mouth with tea and spitted it out, Gao Ran already passed the silk kerchief for wiping her lips, from beginning to end she was really attentive.

 

After Lin Wei Xi tidied up properly, she slowly stood up with the help of people. She looked at Gao Ran and smiled slightly: "Shizi Consort have work hard. Shizi Consort has been standing for half a day, I will see the people in charge of estate, if Shizi Consort is tired, just go back first."

 

Gao Ran only had two mouthfuls of pastries in the morning and then went out. Observing other people’s body language to discern what they thought was really exhausting. After this breakfast, the two chestnut cakes in Gao Ran's stomach were digested completely. But after Lin Wei Xi said this, how could Gao Ran really go back? Was it exhausting to stand and honestly serve her mother-in-law? Gao Ran suppressed her exhaustion and said with a smile: "How can that be possible? If mother doesn't feel vexed with me. I look forward to serving mother for a while. What should I go back early for?"

 

Since Gao Ran said so, Lin Wei Xi was not polite, and really took her across the courtyard, through the main hall, and sat in the guest hall on the east side of the main hall. A screen stood at the entrance of the guest hall, which covered Lin Wei Xi's figure. The maids quietly filed in and placed the incense burner, fruit plate, brocade cushion and other items. After putting everything in order, Wan Yue helped Lin Wei Xi to sit down on a couch in the middle of five-panel patterned silk screens.

 

Lin Wei Xi was the center of sight of the whole house. After Lin Wei Xi sat down, Gao Ran walked to the side of the couch, went behind Lin Wei Xi's side, and stood still.

 

The maid went out to announce, and after a while, the steward of Yan Wang's estate in Daxing was taken in.

 

Headed by a sturdy woman in her forties, wearing a short blue burlap jacket. She was no stranger to Yan Wang Mansion. Their husband and wife were domestic slaves of the mansion. They took care of the estate in Daxing. At the end of each year, they offered tribute of poultry and fresh produce raised by estate to Yan Wang Mansion. In previous years, she directly met Bu mama, but when she entered the capital this year, she learned that Yan Wang had married a new Wangfei. With a new mistress, this kind offering the tribute from the estate, Bu Mama could no longer be the master, so the granny from the estate must first come and kowtow to the new Wangfei.

 

Except for the flowerbeds in the mansion, all other places were flattened with bluestone. The estate’ granny followed the beautiful maid from the side gate, walked on the mansion middle road straight to Jingcheng Courtyard. After entering the tall gatehouse, the estate granny first saw a glazed screen wall¹ , gold and jade in glorious splendor, truly majestic. When she stared at the coiled dragon on the surface her pit of stomach jumped, she didn't dare to look anymore, and quickly lowered her head and followed the maid to go around the screen wall, and walked along the corridor under the eaves to go inside.

 

Even if the estate granny was only a farmer, she knew that Jingcheng Courtyard was the courtyard where Wangye and Wangfei lived. Behind the screen wall was a wide and flat courtyard, and the wing rooms on both sides were incredibly tall and magnificent. The estate granny couldn't help taking a peek at it. This one wing room might be more spacious and brighter than their three room house in Daxing countryside. However, the maid in the palace said that these wing rooms were left empty.

       

The estate granny felt regret, and her mind couldn’t but started wandering. At last they finally here. At the front were five section main house with raised eaves and corners. The middle section had a pass through that was made into a hallway, with armchairs, vases and other objects placed in the middle, which was intended to be used for meeting guests. A magnificent garden could be faintly seen through the hallway, the flowers and trees were lush and dense, and the carvings were exquisite. The estate granny barely took a glance when all of a sudden she was bumped by a person. She looked up and saw the maid who led the way looking at her disapprovingly: "Inside is the courtyard where Wangfei lives. Don't be presumptuous."

 

Only then did the estate granny realized that the courtyard under her feet that had made her sigh for half a day was just the outer part of the place where the Wangfei lived. The place where the Wangfei actually lived was still inside. Outsiders like them could only met Wangfei in the outside yard to see guests, and to think about what kind of person the Wangfei was, how could she let people step into her living space at will.

 

After being reminded, the estate granny’s heart tightened. She stood in the hallway with the maid. Across the screen, the shadow could already showed a very beautiful silhouette, all the people were surrounding this one person. After the maid pressed her hand to pass the word inside, a voice came: "This is the steward of the estate in the southern suburbs of Daxing?"

 

The estate granny had lived for so many years, but it was the first time she heard such a nice voice. She didn’t know how to describe it, it was like the spring water that just melts in the spring, like the raindrops on lotus leaves in the summer, it was clear and delicate but didn’t have the kind of deliberately charming and overly sweet, it hits people senses with fresh and clean nature. The estate granny was distracted by this voice, and after a while she finally reacted and quickly responded, "It's this old slave."

 

There was a pause inside, and the estate granny was panicking, then heard the fairy-like voice sounded again: "Since you are all servants of the mansion, then you are not outsiders. It's cold in the hallway, come in and talk."

 

The estate granny was like stepping on the clouds, she seemed to be in dazed, after a while still didn't react. The maid next to her took a look and said, "Still not thanking Wangfei."

 

The estate granny woke up from her dream: "Ah yes, thank you Wangfei."

 

The granny thought that voice must be the new Wangfei's strong point. The imperial family womenfolk all had their own strengths. Some had long slender waists and some were good at flattering. The new Wangfei's strength must be this good voice. The estate granny walked around the screen, knelt down to kowtow, she got up when suddenly raised her eyes, she let out a sound "Oh" and almost fell backward.

 

Wan Xing frowned, and immediately shouted: "Presumptuous! How dare you make noise in front of Wangfei?"

 

The estate granny saw that the woman sitting in the middle raised her hand. Even though the maid who had just stood up and chided still glaring her eyes, she immediately bowed her head and took a step back. Then, the woman who made the estate granny forgot her manners, that she could barely catch her breath, turned her head and glanced lightly at her: "The steward hasn't firmly stand, help her up."

 

The estate granny was half lifted half drag to stand up by the maids on both sides, and when she looked at Lin Wei Xi, she couldn't even speak for a while. The estate granny looked distracted, realizing that she had just lost her manners, quickly bowed to beg forgiveness: "Wangfei please forgive me... this old slave is really shocked just now, so lost her manners. This old slave has lived for so many years. I have seen many big girls and little wives in the city and countryside, but I have never seen such a beautiful person like Wangfei... No, they can’t even compare with Wangfei’s finger. As long as they have a tenth of Wangfei’s good looks, this old slave will still unprepared, directly fall because of shock."

 

Lin Wei Xi had long been accustomed to outsiders being all kinds of surprises when they saw her. This old woman was just a bit exaggerated and fell directly to the ground. Lin Wei Xi didn’t take such flowery words into her heart. She saw that the granny had finally stood up properly, flipped through the book in her hand, and asked: "The livestock used for the winter sacrifices and New Year celebration are all ready?"

---

1 Screen wall here is a traditional architecture, a wall made of bricks the entrance of the house usually decorated with auspicious carving for blocking the line of sight. ^↩

Prev     TOC     Next