Her heart pounded wildly! The image of Madam Wei dying from postpartum hemorrhage in her previous life overlapped heavily with the panicked, frail silhouette that had just passed by, nearly suffocating Ming Lan.
She abruptly lowered her head, burying herself in Madam Qin’s embrace to conceal the surging tears in her eyes. Her small, pale arms tightly encircled Madam Qin’s neck, as if it were the only lifeline in a raging flood.
“Yi’er?” Madam Qin was startled by her daughter’s sudden and intense reaction. She immediately gathered the little girl into her arms, her warm hand gently patting Ming Lan’s back, but her gaze turned cold.
She looked toward the empty corridor—the direction where the concubine had disappeared—and combined with the incessant scolding and crying from the rear courtyard, it was clear that the inner quarters of the Sheng Family were far from peaceful!
Hmph, she had seen plenty of such sordid affairs in these households, and of course, she had executed them far more skillfully herself.
However, it was unacceptable that these matters had frightened her Sister Yi. The foul atmosphere of the Sheng Residence’s inner quarters had disturbed her carefully nurtured child.
After sitting a while longer, the rain eased, and the carriage was repaired and ready. Madam Qin rose to take her leave, her manner polite yet distant. She truly did not wish for her daughter to remain a moment longer in this unpleasant environment.
She stood up promptly, her tone courteous yet leaving no room for persuasion: “Since the rain has stopped, I shall not trouble you further, Old Madam.” The chill in her voice made Old Madam Sheng’s smile stiffen slightly, though she indeed could not insist on them staying.
As they reached the second gate, Madam Qin suddenly halted. With a swift motion, she removed the priceless mutton-fat white jade bracelet from her wrist. With a glance, Mama Xiang immediately presented the Dali Zhong Wan brought from the capital, handing both over together. Madam Qin’s lips curved into a smile, but her eyes remained cold.
“Thank you, Old Madam Sheng, for today. A small token for that concubine under the corridor earlier to nourish her health. I noticed she looked frail and weak… truly pitiable.” She deliberately paused, her gaze subtly pressing upon Old Madam Sheng. “Since Sister Yi was frightened, as her mother, I must accumulate blessings and perform good deeds for her sake. Don’t you agree?”
Madam Qin’s words were a blatant warning!
This gesture stemmed partly from a sliver of pity for the weak, but more so as a slight appeasement for having disturbed her daughter’s peace. Under the guise of accumulating blessings, she issued a warning, admonishing the Sheng Family not to go too far, lest they damage their own virtue.
Her words were artfully spoken, preserving propriety while making it clear that this act of kindness was solely for her own Sister Yi’s sake, thus sparing the Sheng Family any outright embarrassment.
Strangely enough, what Ming Lan had found utterly repulsive in her previous life—these Southern Opera troupe mannerisms—now felt so satisfying!
Old Madam Sheng was no ordinary person. She immediately understood that this Marquise had likely discerned something. Her heart was troubled, but she could only smile and offer thanks.
The carriage departed from the Sheng Residence, returning to the damp streets of Yangzhou.
Ming Lan remained buried in Madam Qin’s embrace, her body trembling slightly. Madam Qin, thinking she was still frightened, hummed a soothing lullaby with a heart full of tenderness. No one saw the scalding tears that had already soaked through Ming Lan’s sleeve, nor heard the sob she stifled between clenched teeth—
Mother… The silent, wrenching cry tore through her heart.
This single address, weightier than a thousand pounds, now left her uncertain—was she calling out to the mother behind her, the noble lady of the marquis' household who cherished her like a treasure and shielded her with all her might, or was she calling to that fragile woman beneath the stormy corridor, glimpsed only once and never seen again, whose fate was as fleeting as duckweed?
The immense vortex of fate, in a manner both cruel and tender, had swept her back to the very beginning of it all.
Clad in overwhelming wealth and boundless affection, she felt as though she wore another heavy mask.
The regrets of her past life and the karma of this one intertwined like a net, while the rich experiences of her former existence clashed violently with her current identity as a child. How, then, was she to find her place?