“Master.”
Lin Zhijin followed Xiaocui into the inner room and saw a coquettish-looking woman sitting at the edge of the bed, feeding Master Chen medicine.
“Mm.”
Master Chen looked Lin Zhijin up and down.
Her features were delicate. Although her skin was not fair and tender enough, it was obvious that she had a good foundation. With some proper nourishment, she would become fairer. Most importantly, she had a pair of watery, timid-looking eyes that made people instinctively feel pity for her.
“You’ve gone to greet First Madam?” Master Chen pushed away the hand of the coquettish woman who was feeding him medicine, took the water Xiaocui handed over, rinsed his mouth, then asked, “Where did First Madam arrange for you to stay?”
“I have. First Madam and the other elder sisters were all very kind. First Madam arranged for me to stay in Wenzhu Courtyard. She said it’s close to your residence, Master, so it’ll be convenient for me to take care of you.”
Lin Zhijin “carefully” sneaked a glance at Master Chen. The moment he looked over, she immediately lowered her head again.
The corners of Master Chen’s lips curved slightly. He looked toward the coquettish woman.
“Xiaoyue, you can go back first. Little Nine can serve me here.”
Xiaoyue pouted unhappily and acted coquettishly.
“No~ Master, the Ninth Concubine is so young and has never learned how to serve someone. How could she be as good at it as I am? Master, you can’t forget the old just because you have someone new. Master, let me serve you~”
Lin Zhijin felt goosebumps rise all over her body.
Oh my god.
This Xiaoyue was ruthless.
She could actually act coquettishly toward Master Chen looking like this.
She really was willing to go all out.
Master Chen was clearly enjoying Xiaoyue’s jealousy. Thinking that Lin Zhijin was too thin and not his preferred type anyway, he decided he might as well let her gain some weight first.
“All right, all right. Stop shaking me. You’re going to shake these old bones of mine apart. Little Nine was tired from serving me last night too, so let her rest properly today. Xiaocui, have Shiqing pick out some things and send them to the Ninth Concubine.”
Master Chen waved his hand, signaling for Lin Zhijin to leave.
When she heard this, Lin Zhijin almost burst out laughing.
Thank you, Xiaoyue.
Not only did she not have to face this old geezer, she could even receive benefits for free.
She obediently returned to Wenzhu Courtyard with Xiaohong.
The moment they entered the room, Xiaohong could no longer hold back her complaints.
“Hu Xiaoyue did that on purpose. Today is obviously still part of your newlywed period, yet she just had to come over and compete for Master’s favor. Luckily, Master cares about you and told Shiqing to send you things. Otherwise, the people in the residence would have laughed at you.”
Lin Zhijin looked at her in confusion.
“Xiaoyue is Master’s bedchamber maid? And who is Shiqing?”
“Xiaoyue is a bedchamber maid Master took into his room last year. She’s fairly favored. Shiqing is Master’s trusted subordinate. Master having him personally send things to you is meant to give you face,” Xiaohong said happily.
Lin Zhijin nodded in understanding, then deliberately said happily, “Really? That’s wonderful. I’ll definitely thank Master later.”
Who knew whose person Xiaohong really was?
Whether it was her, Old Woman Zhang, or those two young maids who looked simple and honest, Lin Zhijin trusted none of them.
After waiting for a while, Shiqing still had not arrived, but the people from the sewing room came first.
“Ninth Concubine, your figure is rather thin. Master and First Madam care about you and want you to eat well and put on some weight. Should we make the clothes a few cun larger?”
After the tailor finished taking her measurements, Old Woman Zhang probed cautiously.
Lin Zhijin glanced at her.
What did she mean, Master and First Madam cared about her?
Wasn’t it simply because Master Chen liked plumper women?
She had already figured that out last night.
If Master Chen were healthy, she definitely would not deliberately gain weight.
But Master Chen was already close to death.
She might as well take advantage of this opportunity to properly nourish her body. After all, this body was hers now, and if she fell sick in the future, she would be the one suffering.
“All right.”
Lin Zhijin obediently nodded and flipped through the design book.
They were either qipao, traditional Han-style clothing, or Western-style dresses.
They were beautiful, certainly, but she would not be able to wear them in the future.
“Are there any other styles?”
“Ninth Concubine doesn’t like these?”
The tailor took out another design book.
“Take a look at this one.”
There were straight-cut qipao, high-collared upper garments with wide sleeves paired with skirts, and qipao trimmed with embroidery.
These were already among the plainest designs inside.
Lin Zhijin chose those three styles, then quietly said that she also wanted shirts and overcoats.
“I’ve seen people dress like that before. They looked especially nice.”
Lin Zhijin pursed her lips, then deliberately put on a frightened expression.
“If they can’t be made, then forget it.”
“Ninth Concubine doesn’t like these?”
The tailor brought out yet another design book.
“Take a look at this one. These are all shirts, coats, and trousers that are currently fashionable in the West.”
Lin Zhijin flipped through several pages and was a little amazed.
Anyone who did not know better might have thought they were clothes from her own era.
No.
They were even more fashionable and attractive than the clothes from her time.
“I’m not sure what kind of fabric suits what kind of clothing, so please help me choose. I’d like several shirts, both long-sleeved and short-sleeved. Make several thin and thick coats and pairs of trousers too. If there’s fabric left, make vests and skirts. Use the scraps to make hair ties and headbands. Or could some of it be exchanged for wool yarn? I’d like a few sweaters.”
These clothes suited her taste and were practical.
If she was careful with them, she would not need to buy clothes for the next ten-odd years.
“There’s no need. First Madam already instructed us that if you’re lacking anything here, we should simply go to the storeroom and collect it,” Old Woman Zhang said with a smile.
Lin Zhijin did not refuse.
Why turn down something that was free?
After seeing off the tailor from the sewing room, it wasn’t long before Shiqing arrived at Wenzhu Courtyard with maids and older female servants carrying quite a few things.
Besides fabric, jewelry, and tonics, there was also a box of silver peanuts and a box of silver melon seeds, which were said to be for her to use as rewards.
Once again, Lin Zhijin witnessed just how extravagant the Chen residence was.
No wonder Xiaoyue kept throwing herself at Master Chen.
They really did give a lot.
Forget the fabric and jewelry.
Those two boxes of silver peanuts and silver melon seeds alone were more than an ordinary commoner could earn in an entire lifetime.
“Thank you for making the trip, Steward Shi. Please trouble yourself to thank Master on behalf of our Ninth Concubine.”
Old Woman Zhang grabbed a handful of silver peanuts and gave them to Shiqing.
Only after he and the others left did she apologize to Lin Zhijin.
“I’m sorry, Ninth Concubine. I took it upon myself just now to give Steward Shi a handful of silver peanuts, but…”
Lin Zhijin waved her hand.
“I understand, Mama Zhang. I don’t understand these things, and Xiaohong is still young too. From now on, I’ll have to trouble you more when it comes to maintaining social courtesies in our courtyard.”
Old Woman Zhang nodded in satisfaction.
She really was just as Mama Sun had said—obedient.
It was good that she was obedient.
It would save her a lot of trouble.
After being busy the entire morning, Lin Zhijin really was rather tired.
She had Xiaohong and the others leave.
She needed some time alone.
After confirming that she was the only person left in the room, Lin Zhijin’s shoulders immediately slumped, and she collapsed onto the bed without caring about her image.
For now, no one took her seriously.
That was a good thing for her.
Hopefully, things would stay this way and allow her to quietly and safely get through these two months.
No.
There was still the plotline where Master Chen was drugged and the original owner was schemed against.
She absolutely could not relax.
Otherwise, she would lose her chastity and even have to give birth.
That was far too terrifying.
Somewhere between waking and sleeping, Lin Zhijin was awakened by Xiaohong.
“Ninth Concubine, you can’t sleep too long during the day. Otherwise, once you sleep away your drowsiness, you won’t be able to sleep tonight.”
Xiaohong helped wipe her face and was about to assist her in dressing.
“No need. I can do it myself.”
Lin Zhijin walked out of the inner room and saw four dishes and one soup laid out on the table.
“This is today’s lunch. The concubines’ meals follow a fixed allowance. If you don’t like something, you can also spend silver to exchange it.”
Seeing that Lin Zhijin showed no dissatisfaction, Xiaohong took out a covered stew cup from the insulated food box.
“This was stewed with top-quality bird’s nest. Would you like a bowl first to soothe your throat?”
Oh my god.
Did wealthy households use bird’s nest just to soothe their throats?
Although Lin Zhijin’s salary in her previous life had not been low, she had needed to buy a house and a car, so she had always lived frugally.
She really had never eaten bird’s nest before.
She might as well taste what it was like today.
Lin Zhijin smacked her lips.
How should she put it?
It tasted very good.
But that was because the chef was skilled.
As for the ingredient itself, it was just so-so.
The small bowl of bird’s nest disappeared in a few mouthfuls.
Lin Zhijin began eating the rest of the meal.
It tasted equally good.
Especially the red-braised pork.
It was rich without being greasy and melted in her mouth.
It was the best red-braised pork she had eaten in all thirty years of her life.
After the meal, Lin Zhijin sat on the imperial consort chair by the window, admiring the asparagus ferns in the courtyard while rubbing her stomach.
Corrupt.
This was really too corrupt.
If she did not know what would happen in the future, she could happily remain a widow in the Chen family for the rest of her life.
Two days passed like this.
Just when Lin Zhijin thought Master Chen had forgotten about her, Old Master Chen sent someone to summon her.
No way.
Why had this old geezer suddenly remembered her again?
The moment she stepped into Master Chen’s courtyard, she once again heard Hu Xiaoyue acting coquettishly.
“Master, I still want to stay here and keep you company~”
Goosebumps immediately rose all over Lin Zhijin’s body.
After composing herself, she lowered her eyes submissively and entered the room.
“Little Nine is here? Come over.”
Master Chen beckoned Lin Zhijin closer.
Seeing that her complexion looked better than before, he nodded in satisfaction.
“I heard you asked a doctor to help regulate your health?”
“Yes. Mama Zhang said you prefer women who are a little plumper, Master. I… I asked the doctor to help regulate my health. I was worried the medicinal smell on my body might clash with you, so I didn’t dare come see you these past two days.”
The doctor who treated Master Chen was very skilled, so Lin Zhijin had taken the opportunity to freeload on both the doctor and the Chen family’s medicinal ingredients.
Master Chen was extremely satisfied with her answer.
This chongxi bride they had bought was so considerate and sensible.
She must have been completely conquered by his charm.
As expected, his charisma had not diminished since his younger days.
Master Chen was pleased and waved his hand grandly.
Another pile of rewards followed.
“Master, only the Ninth Concubine gets something? I don’t?”
Xiaoyue hugged Master Chen’s arm, gently rubbing her chest against it.
Master Chen was immediately stirred with amorous feelings.
“Yes, yes. Everyone gets something.”
Lin Zhijin truly admired Hu Xiaoyue.
With such a comparison, she looked far too wooden just standing there.
Since she had accepted so many good things from Master Chen, she simply sat at the foot of the bed and began massaging his legs.
She would just treat it as a caregiver massaging a patient.
Besides, there was a quilt between them.
She was only going through the motions.
Master Chen was very satisfied.
Hu Xiaoyue, however, was nearly furious to death.
It had not been easy for her to become Master Chen’s bedchamber maid. She had been thinking of ways to get pregnant so she could be promoted to concubine.
But then Master Chen suddenly fell ill.
After that, for some inexplicable reason, a Ninth Concubine appeared.
She was nothing more than a country girl, yet she had actually skipped over her and directly become a concubine.
Clearly, she should have been the Ninth Concubine.
She really did not know what First Madam had been thinking.
It was only a chongxi marriage.
Why had she chosen someone so beautiful?
They had not even consummated the marriage yet, and this girl had already bewitched Master until he could no longer think straight.
No.
She had to think of a way to get rid of this Ninth Concubine.
Lin Zhijin raised her eyes and happened to meet Hu Xiaoyue’s blazing gaze.
She deliberately lowered her head fearfully, but alarm bells were already ringing in her heart.
Hu Xiaoyue was definitely going to make a move against her.
Could she be the one who had schemed against the original owner?
“All right. I’m tired. You can all go back first.”
Master Chen’s health had not recovered yet.
After such a short while, he was already lacking energy, so he waved for them to leave.
Seeing this, Lin Zhijin immediately left with Xiaohong.
She did not give Hu Xiaoyue even the slightest opportunity to find fault with her.
“Ninth Concubine, there was no need for us to leave so quickly. You’re a concubine, while she’s only a bedchamber maid. If we give her face, we call her Concubine Hu. If we don’t, you could even order her to serve tea and pour water. You have no reason to be afraid of her.”
Xiaohong spoke with a deeply unhappy expression.
Lin Zhijin glanced at Xiaohong.
Was she trying to fan the flames, or was she trying to fan the flames?
“It’s better to have one less problem than one more. I only just entered the household. It’s better not to cause trouble.”
Lin Zhijin timidly shook her head, looking exactly like someone weak and easy to bully.
That’s right.
She was just a pitiful victim being bullied.
She especially needed the People’s Liberation Army to come rescue her.
Meanwhile, Hu Xiaoyue returned to her own room and angrily smashed a teacup.
“Hmph! Vixen! Shameless! Pretending to be so honest and simple when she’s really just a fox spirit.”
“Oh my, Sister Hu. Who made you this angry?”
A woman with delicate features and a gentle temperament pushed open the door and entered.
“Wang Xiuzhu, what are you doing here?” Hu Xiaoyue asked irritably when she saw who had arrived.
“I came to give you a child.”
Wang Xiuzhu sat directly opposite Hu Xiaoyue and spoke with a smile.
“What child?”
Hu Xiaoyue frowned at her.
“Sister Hu, don’t you want to become pregnant with Master’s child? I have a way.”
Wang Xiuzhu leaned close to Hu Xiaoyue’s ear and spoke quietly.
Hu Xiaoyue gave her a sidelong glance.
“You? If you really have a way, why don’t you get pregnant yourself?”
“You should know that I’ve been pregnant before, twice. If I hadn’t damaged my body when I miscarried the second child, I would still be able to conceive.”
At the mention of her children, a trace of hatred flashed through Wang Xiuzhu’s eyes.
Hu Xiaoyue’s breathing grew heavier.
“You really have a way? But Master’s body…”
“I said I have a way, so I have a way. As long as you listen to me, you’ll be able to have one.”
Wang Xiuzhu’s tone was full of temptation.
Hu Xiaoyue gritted her teeth.
“All right. Tell me. I’ll listen to everything you say.”
AUTHOR’S NOTE:
I went to the hospital today. Didn’t I say in my last book that I thought I had depression? I only found out today that it isn’t depression, but hypothyroidism. No wonder I feel weak all over every day, can’t even be bothered to talk, don’t want to do anything, and always feel so low. It turns out it was hypothyroidism. Before this, I only knew about hyperthyroidism. I didn’t even know hypothyroidism existed. This is the first time I’ve heard of this illness. How amazing!!! P.S.: The update time is set for six in the evening. Love you all, muah muah (づ￣3￣)づ╭?～