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Slipping and Falling Into the Water
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!
Fulan Courtyard.
“Shen second miss doesn’t have any big problems, just need to recuperate for a few days. I will separately prescribe a few nerve-calming prescriptions. Let Shen second miss drink a dose on time everyday.”
The grey-bearded old doctor carefully instructed Shen first madam a few words, then took the money and left.
Shen first madam relaxed a breath and sat down by Shen Lan Chi’s pillow. Shen Lan Chi, who has already changed into clean clothes, quietly sat by the bedside, with Bi Yu helping her wipe her wet black hair.
“How can you be this careless? That Liu Ru Yan falling down, it’s just falling down, how come you even……” Shen first madam’s tone was both distressed and resentful, “Fortunately, the heir saved you in time, else you’ll really make me worried.”
Shen Lan Chi had her eyes lowered, saying, “Mother, it’s not because this daughter was careless, but because that lakeside is particularly slippery today. Presumably, someone had done something. Besides, if not for this daughter slipping into the water, won’t I end up shouldering the blame as the ‘pusher’ for that schemer?”
Once these words came out, Shen first madam’s brow slightly furrowed, carrying a meaningful look on her face.
To dare do something like this, aside from the daring Shen family second branch, there’s no other guesses.
Afterwards, her face became stern, saying with a solemn look, “Mother knows. The second branch really is ‘if you don’t beat them for three days, they’ll start tearing down the roof tiles’. Let Xiao Yu Zhu look after the accounts for a few days and she’ll think that she can climb to the skies! This time, with you falling into the water, their second branch better not think about getting away with it. Once the birthday celebration is over, mother will definitely demand an explanation for you.”
As she spoke, her tone was filled with indignation.
Shen Lan Chi knew, her mother really was angered. When actually angered, Shen first madam’s means were extremely drastic. This time, afraid the second branch won’t be able to get off lightly from her mother.
“Lan’er, you nicely rest first. His Majesty is still in the manor, and your grandfather’s birthday banquet still needs to be held, so mother will first go look after the banquet.” Shen first madam tenderly stroked the top of her damp hair saying, “Don’t worry, you didn’t push the person. Mother absolutely won’t let others frame you, certainly will prove your innocence for you.”
“Wait, mother.” Shen Lan Chi grabbed Shen first madam’s hand, saying with pity, “Be gentler, older sister Tong is that pretty. I don’t want to see her too heartbroken.”
Upon hearing, Shen first madam lightly sighed, revealing a helpless look, “You rest first.” Shen first madam said, “Only you have the most fickle thoughts.”
She was just about to go out, when the servant girl Hong Que came in from the outside and whispered something by her ear. As Shen first madam listened, her complexion suddenly changed, immediately turning dark.
“Is this true?” Shen first madam asked.
“Absolutely true.” Hong Que solemnly vowed.
Shen first madam slightly revealed a hesitant look, turning towards Shen Lan Chi and saying, “Lan’er, are you still getting along well with that Ruan family young lady?”
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Naturally well. What’s wrong?” Shen Lan Chi tilted her head, her tone slightly confused, “Did something happen?”
“……No, nothing.” Shen first madam swallowed back down the words that reached her throat, “Mother feels, that Ruan family young lady doesn’t seem to be a well-behaved person. Stay away from her more, so as to avoid getting into trouble.”
After saying this, Shen first madam hurriedly left.
Once out of Fulan Courtyard, Shen first madam couldn’t hold back her expression anymore, immediately revealing a freezing cold look. Just now, Hong Que said, right when Lan Chi fell into the water, his Highness the Crown Prince was tugging and pulling with that Ruan family young lady under the corridors, a look of giving and accepting something in private. Presumably, it already wasn’t the first time doing this.
Similarly a son of the Lu family, Lu Qi Yang had immediately jumped down the save the person without a second word, while Lu Zhao Ye instead took the opportunity to meet with another woman. Who was better, one could immediately tell.
Shen first madam had countless troublesome matters on her mind, but because today was the old An Duke’s birthday, and his Majesty was also in the manor, she couldn’t get angry at this time. She could only obediently hold it in, then go out and put on a smile for the guests.
When she returned to the lakeside, Madam Liu was already waiting there with a frown.
“Madam Liu, our family’s Lan’er is pure-hearted and kind, absolutely impossible for her to push Liu third miss into the water.” Shen first madam walked to the edge of the lake and pointed at a patch of round pebbles on the shore, “This area is particularly slippery. Madam Liu also saw. Even when Lan’er approached this place, she’d also slid into the lake by accident.”
“You say it’s not, so it’s not?” Madam Liu put on an aggressive stance.
“Madam Liu, please wait.” A young lady suddenly walked out from the crowd. Turns out, it was the Wu family’s young lady, “Prior to Liu third miss falling into the water, Shen second miss was still chatting with me about clothes and accessories over here. After that, Shen second miss just stayed by Shen first madam’s side, so presumably, she doesn’t have the time to push anyone.”
Hearing this, Madam Liu’s thoughts just somewhat wavered———-Since there’s a witness, then afraid she can’t use this opportunity to grind down Shen Lan Chi.
“That may not necessarily be the case!” Madam Liu was still unwilling to let go, even wanting to get angry.
“Madam Liu, please listen to this one…………” Shen Ting Yuan had an anxious look, his stance extremely weak as he opened his mouth.
As a refined scholar, he wasn’t good at arguing with others to begin with. In front of Madam Liu, he clearly appeared to be at a disadvantage. That aggressive line of ‘just you wait’ from Madam Liu already made Shen Ting Yuan start stammering.
A good while later, Shen Ting Yuan finally worked up the courage, wanting to open his mouth again.
“My younger sister earlier……..”
“What is a youngster of the An Duke Manor interrupting for?” Madam Liu angrily said, “I’m not done speaking!”
This one line made Shen Ting Yuan swallow back his words again.
This stuttering look of his made others very impatient from watching. To the side, Liu Ru Yan who’d returned after changing all felt somewhat unable to watch and said, “Forget it. Shen Lan Chi had fallen into the water, even more unlucky than me, so let’s not make a fuss over this matter anymore. Moreover, the Shen family’s young master had saved me, so why not just put the lid on this matter.”
Liu Ru Yan’s words made Shen Ting Yuan relax a breath. He couldn’t help but cast Liu Ru Yan a grateful glance. Unfortunately, this noble young lady, who has always had a good reputation, her gaze was perfectly straight, not sparing him the slightest glance, so naturally didn’t notice Shen Ting Yuan’s grateful look.
“That won’t do!” Shen first madam, however, was unwilling to put down this matter, “If it’s not done by Lan’er, then it’s not her, absolutely cannot let anyone obscure this matter. Who was it that said Lan Chi pushed the person?”
Shen Ting Zhu pushed the servant girl from his room. That servant girl called Cui Ying timidly walked out, softly saying, “This servant just said that one saw second miss standing there, don’t know whether or not one saw wrongly…….”
“Then, did you see Lan’er push Liu third miss into the water?” Shen first madam asked.
“Di-didn’t……..” Cui Ying’s voice was increasingly light.
Upon hearing, there was a murmur among the crowd.
“If you didn’t see, then why did you open your mouth and randomly answer? Nearly ruining Shen second miss’s reputation!”
“Perhaps, there’s someone behind her giving directions………”
Hearing these words, Madam Liu also came to realization, just feeling that she’d gotten treated as an idiot. She instantly shot an angry glare towards Xiao-shi, saying, “I actually nearly got deceived by a servant girl! If you didn’t see, then what were you answering for?! Don’t know where this servant girl got the guts to say nonsense!”
Seeing how the fire was about to burn onto the second branch, Xiao-shi who’d been watching from the sidelines the whole time couldn’t sit still anymore. She immediately put on a furious look, angrily scolding, “How dare you Cui Ying! You clearly didn’t see Lan’er push anyone, yet just started saying nonsense! I let you serve by Zhu’er’s side, yet didn’t expect that you’d become ambitious, actually daring to frame a master!”
When Cui Ying heard this, she immediately knelt down in tears.
After Xiao-shi said this, she turned towards Shen first madam, putting on a troubled look, saying, “Sister-in-law, it was Yu Zhu that wasn’t strict in discipline, thus letting the servant speak such conceited nonsense, making the An Duke Manor lose face, causing this laughable matter. Today, I will have this lowly servant thrown out of the manor right away.”
Watching Xiao-shi excellent acting, Shen first madam coldly sneered, “It’s best if this really is the case. Today is father’s birthday. We shouldn’t make too much of a fuss. Since it’s the servant girl’s fault, then leave to tomorrow to properly sort out. Don’t let it ruin the guests’ mood.”
That line of ‘leave to tomorrow to properly sort out’ from Shen first madam’s mouth was emphasized word by word, making Xiao-shi’s heart suddenly jump.
Could it be that this sister-in-law of hers was going to do something again?
Recalling Shen first madam’s methods in the past, Xiao-shi’s heart started beating like a drum.
. . .
In Fulan Courtyard, Shen Lan Chi had her half-dried hair scattered loose, currently listening to Bi Yu talk about the matters outside.
“Heard the people from young master’s side say that his Highness the Crown Prince really ran into Miss Ruan. The two of them were tugging and pulling, don’t know what they were doing……..” Bi Yu softly said, “Miss, is this really good?”
“What’s not good about it?” Shen Lan Chi was unconcerned.
Right at this time, she heard a light pitter-patter sound, the sound of small rocks flying over the wall and landing in the courtyard. She got up and pushed open the door, walking out into the courtyard.
The An Duke Manor and the Zhennan Wang Manor were neighbors. Fulan Courtyard just happened to be next to Zhennan Wang Manor’s little garden. When Shen Lan Chi was still little, Lu Qi Yang frequently threw little rocks over from the other side of the wall, using this way to ask her whether there were others in her courtyard. Afterwards, he would climb over the wall, and the two little children would fold paper frogs or play house together.
If not for having Lu Qi Yang playing with her, afraid those times she got confined in her courtyard, she would’ve already been bored to the point of achieving enlightenment.
Because of having Lu Qi Yang accompanying her, Shen Lan Chi no longer asked her older brother to secretly take her out to play. Because of this, Shen Ting Yuan was even depressed for a while, directly stating, “Little sister has grown up.”
In this moment, Shen Lan Chi gazed at that wall, just waiting for a handsome and elegant heir to climb over it.
Just this time, she waited for a long time, yet still didn’t see Lu Qi Yang skillfully climb over the wall.
She stared at that wall, her memories subconsciously returning to her childhood——–
That year when she was seven, she fell into the water. The person that saved her was Lu Qi Yang.
Lu Qi Yang at the time was also merely a half-grown child, his whole body ice-cold and dripping wet as he ran carrying her on his back. As he ran, he even tried to console her, “Don’t worry, it’ll be warm soon, it’ll be warm soon.”
Although saying it like this, he himself was also freezing to the point of shivering.
Shen Lan Chi was still young, having fallen into the water and gotten frightened, so just passed out on his back. When she woke up again, a day and a night had already passed. Not knowing what happened, Shen Lan Chi just saw her mother crying her eyes out before her bed.
A day later, Lu Qi Yang got forcibly dragged over by Zhennan Wang to kneel down and apologize. He, a pitiful half-grown child, had bruises all over his face, clearly having gotten beaten. And don’t know how many injuries he had all over, when kneeling, he even grimaced in pain, making Shen first madam all somewhat feel bad for him.
Although having an extremely angry look, Lu Qi Yang still knelt down and admitted his mistake, saying that he was too playful at the time, thus had Shen Lan Chi pushed into the water, hoping that Shen Lan Chi can forgive him.
But, Shen Lan Chi knew, the person that pushed her wasn’t Lu Qi Yang, but rather, Shen Tong Ying.
Her eldest tang sister actually didn’t have bad intentions, merely an accident. Shen Tong Ying at the time was also just a young child, long having gotten scared silly, just thinking about hiding herself so as to not let others find her. How could she have cared about who took the blame for her?
Heard the servant girl say that Zhennan Wang was very ruthless in his beating. If Lu Qi Yang were to say ‘no’, then Zhennan Wang would just add another rod, the force just like in the past when beating people in the army camp, not once holding back in the slightest. Towards the end, Lu Qi Yang just obediently admitted, saying that he’d pushed her. Only then did Zhennan Wang finally let him off, changing to letting him come apologize on his own.
This matter just went by like that.
As they got older, Shen Lan Chi also once asked him, why didn’t he later explain this matter to others?
At the time, the young Lu Qi Yang was lying on the afternoon grass, with his legs crossed, lazily answering, “Why bicker with a girl? I merely just got beaten. Once it’s over, it’s just over, too lazy to mention again.”
“Doesn’t matter even if you’d gotten beaten for nothing?”
“Merely a trivial matter.” The young Lu Qi Yang said, “You know that it wasn’t me, and that is enough. As for what others say, I don’t care.”
At the time, Shen Lan Chi was thirteen, hugging her knees, feeling a bit annoyed inside, so she was also a bit blunt with her words, “You don’t care how others view you, but I care. You taking the blame for that Shen Tong Ying makes me angry inside. Wanna bet that when I see you in the future, I’ll first call you an ‘idiot’?”
“You say it like when you see me now, you’ll have a good look!” The young Lu Qi Yang replied.
Shen Lan Chi pulled out of her memories. She gazed towards the wall before her. Seeing that person still not appearing over the wall, looks like he was still too scared, not daring to come see her.
She raised her brow, softly saying towards the wall, “Really an idiot.”
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The prince was busy with another woman, good, let him keep being busy.
On another other subject, I have a question. In most of the chinese novels I have read when a woman falls into the water and is saved by a man she needs to marry him (because she lost her purity or whatever). From what I understood nobody mentioned that here so it won’t happen? Is it because he saved her when he was younger that they don’t even consider it?
To be honest, this is one of those things that depends on the author. If the author wants that kind of drama/plot, then it’ll be an issue. If not, then it’s mostly ignored. It has been mentioned that their country is less strict and more open-minded in terms of etiquette between man and woman. In short, it has sorta become more of a plot device in webnovels.
Ah, that makes sense, thank you!