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Not the Same as Before
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Ganlu was immediately worried, “How come it just broke all of a sudden? Can’t you quickly fix it?”
Zhao Liang’s face reddened even more, lowering his head, not daring to look at Yu Lingxin, “Replying to miss, i-it’s the wheel and axle that has a problem. This one’s skill isn’t good enough, not daring to——–”
“What should we do? When going out, did you not carefully examine?” Ganlu was increasingly worried, helplessly turning towards Yu Lingxin.
In this brief moment, Yu Lingxin already regained her composure. She soundlessly swept a glance at Qi-shi, and then looked to Shuangye.
Shuangye’s complexion was ten times worse than Ganlu’s, collecting herself before finally asking, “Eldest miss, how about we borrow a carriage from the Qi family?” She was a first rank servant girl by Yu old madam’s side. Even though the Yu family residence didn’t have much internal conflict, but having closely served by the old madam’s side for many years, her experiences weren’t something the young and simple-minded Ganlu can compare to.
Although at the moment, she still wasn’t completely sure exactly why the eldest miss suddenly guarded against the Kou family madam like guarding against a snake, but she could tell that the Kou family madam was set on having the eldest miss taken to the Kou family, and in this matter, their family’s current eldest madam Su-shi was probably in favor of this.
Everything else aside, just the problems on this horse carriage, it can only come from their own manor.
If it was the Chang’de Count Manor, this host family, that want to sort out Yu Lingxin, then there were plenty of ways secretly and openly, so no need to make a move on the horse carriage.
“What are you saying?” Before Yu Lingxin could even respond, Qi-shi’s side already heard Shuangye’s words, immediately walking before her in two three steps, “There’s a crack in the carriage’s wheel and axle, right? What are you borrowing a carriage from your maternal uncle for? Just ride back in my carriage and leave the carriage at the count manor for the time being. Tomorrow, once your maternal uncle gets someone to fix the carriage, he’ll then let them send it back to your Yu family.”
Hearing Qi-shi respond this smoothly, not even asking more about the horse carriage’s situation and then mocking the Yu family a few words, Yu Lingxin just knew that this matter perhaps was already plotted in advance. Regardless whether this horse carriage suddenly breaking down was really done by the Qi family, or because of Su-shi making a move in secret, Qi-shi all wasn’t surprised by this. This was certain.
While being as bright as snow inside, there was also a faint burst of anger gradually rising up, the smile on her face also fading, “No need to trouble you.” Turning her head, she directly instructed Zhao Liang, “Return to the manor right now and bring another carriage over.” She paused for moment, her usual gentle tone faintly turning cold, “If today’s task gets held up, or messed up, I will expel your whole family from the manor.”
Zhao Liang was actually an honest house-born servant[1]. Hearing these words, he immediately broke out in cold sweat, quickly complying, “This servant will go right away, absolutely won’t hold up eldest miss’s trip!” After saying this, he practically bolted out.
“Ling’er, what are you saying?!” Qi-shi also faintly sensed something amiss, but on the surface, she still pretended to not know what was wrong, “As a perfectly gentle and virtuous young lady, even if facing the servants, still can’t say such harsh words. Quickly call that servant boy back! What are you in a rush to get another carriage for?”
Yu Lingxin turned around and started walking back, “It’s getting late. Why don’t mother return first. Yuluo is still small, and at this time, also tired, so should rest. I’ll just wait for the horse carriage here.”
Seeing Yu Lingxin’s extremely agile steps, Shuangye also rapidly began calculating inside. Clearly, it was a summer evening where the summer heat was still strong, yet a moment later, she actually began seeping with cold sweat.
———From the meaning in eldest miss’s words just now, this is presuming that when Zhao Liang goes to get another horse carriage, it perhaps won’t be that easy? Could it be that it really was the eldest madam Su-shi intervening from within? T-then, eldest miss asking the old madam to transfer her over in the beginning, it was to guard against this moment?
As for Ganlu, she didn’t have that many thoughts, just purely thinking about that line Yu Lingxin softly whispered just now: ‘In a moment, it might get physical, so be prepared.’
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Get physical?
Actually, when she was little, she’d learned a bit from her uncle who was a guard in the manor, just she has never really fought with anyone before. Exactly how far does the eldest miss think things will go later? And what exactly does the Kou family madam want to do?
While the two servant girls were both lost in their own thoughts, Qi-shi sure enough was already overflowing with anger, catching up to Yu Lingxin in a few steps, “This girl, really increasingly mannerless. Mother isn’t done talking with you, yet you dare to leave?! Exactly how did the Yu family teach you?!”
Yu Lingxin watched Qi-shi’s originally elegant and beautiful face already turn somewhat malevolent from anger. She inwardly knew that this was having the anger from this morning vented out altogether.
She glanced at the surrounding. This was a little flower garden on the west side of Chang’de Count Manor’s second gate’s interior.
Those guests that will be leaving, even if passing by and seeing, at a glance, they would just think it was Qi-shi and Yu Lingxin having a mother-daughter talk. No one would overly pay attention. And for the guests that haven’t left, they were still listening to the play inside. The lively clamor from the drums and percussions in the back garden increasingly had the sounds of dispute on this side drowned out. It’s no wonder Qi-shi’s voice was already somewhat rising, to actually not have any misgivings.
“What mother wants to say, it’s nothing more than just that, and what I want to say to mother, I’ve also finished saying.” Since there was no one around, Yu Lingxin, who was similarly overflowing with anger inside, also didn’t want to continue pretending to be polite with her, “Today, I won’t get on the Kou family’s carriage, so mother, please go back.”
“You———–” Qi-shi has never seen Yu Lingxin this directly retort her before. For a moment, she actually blanked. Shortly after, her entire face filled with anger. Behind her, Kou Yuluo staggeringly followed along, already scared to the point of tears. And Qi-shi naturally didn’t pay attention at all, relying on the clamor of the play inside, she just started yelling on this side, “You unfilial daughter! You actually dare to retort your mother’s words? Today, I just refuse to believe, is there no more order, no more law? I’m your mother, if I tell you to get on the carriage, you should just get on!”
This kind of thunderstorm-like anger was once what Yu Lingxin couldn’t comprehend the most in her past life, and also what she was the most scared of. She ultimately was unable to understand, why did her mother Qi-shi seemingly always have endless fury, and ceaseless thunder. And that helpless and weak her was also really scared of mother being like this the most, just like a child fearing the lightning and thunder of a rainstorm.
However, the present wasn’t the same as the past. From the several decades of torment in the last lifetime, Yu Lingxin has already experienced all the varieties of Qi-shi’s cursing and yelling.
After all, when cursing too much, one will eventually run out of phrases.
Yu Lingxin calmly stared at Qi-shi, waiting for her to finish yelling, not saying anything, and naturally also not moving an inch.
Qi-shi practically couldn’t comprehend even more. Why was Yu Lingxin at this time not panickingly weeping, trying to explain herself, or perhaps giving in and apologizing. Could it be that she listened to someone’s incitement? Having someone backing her?
“Let me tell you, Ling girl, don’t assume that anyone will just consider for you!” Sweeping a glance at the two servant girls next to Yu Lingxin, their faces were already filled guard and precaution, even wanting to have Yu Lingxin blocked behind them. Qi-shi couldn’t help but recall her awkwardness in front of Yu old madam this morning. In an instant, her anger once again ignited, “I’m your actual mother. You think that you can help the Yu family win face like this? Look at the broken carriage they prepared for you! Come with mother! Stop being this willful and unreasonable! Who taught you to not even listen to your own mother! Is that something allowed by the heavenly law and natural order!”
“Madam Kou, please go back.” Yu Lingxin seemingly heard some footsteps outside the courtyard, probably other guests also coming to the second gate to ride the carriage and take their leave. There was just clear serenity in her heart, her words were actually even slower than before, “I’ve already sent someone back to the Yu Manor to bring over another carriage. It’s not good for the servant to run back in vain. As for heavenly law, natural order, and whatnot, that’s not something that should be said at this time and at this place. Today is ultimately maternal aunt-in-law’s birthday, so asking you to please think of the Qi family’s face.”
“Face? You being this disobedient and unfilial, you want to talk about face with me? Have you thought about my face and dignity!?” Qi-shi was just like a pot of gunpowder, exploding again in a few words, like an endless torrent, a long stream of cursing and yelling began for a third round.
For Yu Lingxin, this time, even that faint trauma from her past life previously all seemingly diluted a little. Seeing Qi-shi begin yelling again, and Zhao Liang still hasn’t come back with the carriage, she just directly sat down on the stone stool in this little courtyard, fishing out a dried plum from her embroidered pouch and putting it in her mouth, even once again looking around at the winding corridors, gateways, trees, flowers, and paved pathways in the surrounding
And just looking around like this, she suddenly discovered that this wasn’t a courtyard enclosed by three walls. In reality, on the east side was a shadow wall[2], and beside the shadow wall, there was actually a corner of a deep blue satin long gown faintly peeking out.
[1] House-born servant means that his family has worked as servants for the Yu family for more than one generation. In other words, he’s a descendant of servants that serve the family.
[2] Also known as spirit wall, it’s a screen wall used to block the entrance of a traditional courtyard to ward off evil spirits. The idea is that evil spirits don’t know how to turn corners.
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wow …
the outside is holding a knife towards her chest, and the inside is pushing her forward…
it’s amazing that her previous life wasn’t even more tragic