The Lady’s Sickly Husband

Translator: Antonia

“I guess this is Mrs. Ning. Old madam can’t stop praising your cake, so she sent me here to offer appreciation.” Then nanny Liang took over a box from the girl servant behind her.

Mo Qianxue received it respectfully and expressed her gratitude, “It’s my due obligation to accept gifts from elders. Thanks for old madam’s appreciation and thank you for taking it to me.”

Finishing the words, Mo Qianxue also took out a purse and gave to nanny Liang. Mo Qianxue knew the rules of high-ranked families. When back in modern times, when she went out for business, she had used to preparing gifts to the other party, so she was quite familiar with the formalities.

Nanny Liang accept the purse. She was too rich to care about what was inside, but it really surprised her. She didn’t expect to receive gift from a countryside woman.

However, she was sophisticated enough to conceal her surprise.

She managed to maintain a calm and smiling face, “Thank you so much.”

This old nanny’s demeanor was appreciated by Mo Qianxue. From the time they first met, she treated Mo with due courtesy and didn’t display any sneer or satire because of Mo’s identity. Nor did she behave condescending like some of the servants. Instead, she was so amiable that once Mo Qianxue saw her, she couldn’t help getting close to her and telling her everything.

Judging from the attitude of Jian Qingyou towards her, this nanny must be a favored one of old madam. Such a person should vein her emotion so well and present herself as an amiable person. It was no easy thing.

With such a servant, the old madam Jian must be a great person too. Mo Qianxue suddenly wanted to meet this old madam Jian and take a look at her demeanor. Moreover, she also wanted an opportunity to help Jian Qingyou with her marriage.

Only when knowing the enemy and oneself equally well, could one win any battle. In addition, Mo Qianxue was rewarded, so out of courtesy, she should go to thank old madam in person.

Mo Qianxue laughed, “No big deal! I should feel sorry to have bothered you. Later, if it was convenient for you, could you please take me to meet old madam and thank her in person?”

The old nanny’s eyes turned bright. She also didn’t expect that this Mrs. Ning was such a courteous person. She didn’t care about what was in the purse and randomly put it into her pocket, saying, “Old madam is also expecting you. She wonders what a sweet person you are that can make such delicious cakes.”

Last time when Jian Qingyou came back, old madam had heard about Mo Qianxue, who was a woman of poor origin and somehow got married as a lucky wife, so old madam had been pitiful to her. This time, after having a taste of the delicate cake, old madam became more curious about this woman.

One reason she had sent nanny Liang here was to take a look first. If this Mrs. Ning was really as lovable as their first young lady described, old madam was willing to see her in person.

Women living in a deep huge mansion felt bored staying at home all day along, so they really wanted to know how ordinary folks led their lives.

“I never had a taste of that kind of cake before. I believe only people clever like Mo Qianxue can make it.”

Hearing Jian Qingyou’s praise, Mo Qianxue laughed brightly, “I can teach you if you want to learn. It’s not difficult at all.”

Although noble women didn’t cook themselves, they did know how to make fancy refreshments and cuisines.

These were heated-discussed subjects among noble women such as which restaurant made great wine, which made excellent refreshments, and which valued classy cuisines.

Without presentable needlework or cooking skills, the female aristocrats would be regarded as uncapable of domestic affairs and find it hard to be married.

Upon Mo Qianxue’s words, nanny Liang was stunned.

Any woman who had a special recipe would either hide it from others or make it a family heirloom. No one would easily teach others like her.

Moreover, nanny Liang also had a taste of this pastry.

The red one melt in the mouth without chewing at all once you put a spoonful of it into your mouth, leaving faint refreshing smell. The after taste was dense milky, lingering in the mouth, sweet and satisfying.

As for the yellow one, it had tender texture and zealous fragrant smell. The smooth chestnut paste ran down into your stomach together with cream, which was sweet yet not greasy. Anyone who had a taste would want another bite.

The white one had icy cream, which, once put into the mouth, turned into warm and chess-taste texture, soft and sweet, and unexpectedly delicious!

These three kinds of pastries couldn’t be produced even by Xiangdianju, the most renown pastry shop in Tianxiang city.

This culinary skill must be handed down within her own family. If first young lady learned this, she would totally be loved by her parents-in-law and bring glory to Jian family.

“This is Mo Qianxue’s secret thing. I’m not that shameless to demand on learning it. if grandmother enjoys the cakes, just send people to buy some at her restaurant.” Jian Qingyou also tasted the cakes, so she refused to learn out of politeness.

“This kind of cake is troublesome to make, needing expensive fine flour, so it doesn’t sell at the restaurant. But if old madam likes it and if Qingyou finds the learning too tiring, just send a servant just to learn this.”

Nanny Liang was so afraid that Jian Qingyou would refuse again, so she hurriedly persuaded her, “Mrs. Ning, thank you so much for your kindness, and old madam really loves your cakes. Of course, first young lady will go to learn it herself, so as to show her filial piety, right?”

Once the big hat of filial piety was put on the head, Jian Qingyou naturally had no excuse to reject.

They chatted for a while and got up.

Nanny Liang had brought with her two servant girls when she came.

Jian Qingyou also took two servant girls when they had hung around in the garden, so this time to meet old madam, they altogether took four servant girls.

The large group of people made their way to where old madam lived—Ciyang Courtyard.

Upon entering the yard, they heard sound of teacups dropping to the floor from the inner room.

Then were cries of a group of servants.

“Old madam…”

There were all kinds of noises all mixed together.

Nanny Liang hurried in, “What’s going on?”

Once nanny Liang arrived, her one sentence stopped the mess.

The various kinds of sound faded out and were replaced by nanny Liang’s solemn and slightly trembling voice of asking and some other sobbing out of scare.

“Old madam heard the report and called concubine Li, then…”

“Then, she got so angry and smashed the cup, and then old madam got up suddenly, and things…became like this…”

“Is it a stroke?”

“Why are you standing here? Go and get old Mr. Wang.”

“Come and strap up these two bitches.”

“Yes.”

It sounded that grandmother had a stroke, so Jian Qing also rushed in with concern. Mo Qianxue followed up.

Stroke was no joking thing. Many died immediately, and many others became motionless and lay on bed forever with disformed faces, which was no better than death.

Entering the room following Jian Qignyou, Mo Qanxue found that nanny Liang was trying to drag old madam who was lying on the ground.

“Come and put old madam on the couch!”

Old madam Jian’s face and mouth was twitching and certain liquid flew out along the corner of her mouth…

All kinds of information flashed like lightning in Mo Qianxue’s brain.

So old madam had been irritated, then stood up suddenly and then collapsed to the ground…then became this!

So this was a stroke!

Oh dear heaven, don’t move her! Mo Qianxue searched first aid in her mind and stepped forward to stop the servants, “Don’t!”

The servant girls and nannies’s bodies paused out of her scary loud scold.

She had no time to explain in detail.

Time waited for no one.

“Step away!” She pushed away the numb girls and nannies, dashing over, and quickly took off old madam’s shoes and socks, shouting anxiously to nanny Liang,

“Hurry! Hurry! Go and get some needles.”

One of the girls fell down and her head knocked on the table. Probably this was a high-ranked one, so as she immediately covered her head with hand, she pointed at Mo Qianxue, “Needles? Who is this rude woman? What do you want? Are you guys dead? Pull her away from old madam. If something happened to her, should you be held responsible?”

“Hongyu, shut up!” Nanny Liang scolded.

The stroke came too fast. Now the only silver lining was listening to Mo Qianxue.

Considering this, nanny Liang had already handed needles to Mo Qianxue.

She took over the needles, poking one into the toes of old madam while telling nanny Liang, who now seemed in a lost, “Turn old madam’s head to one side and let the liquid flow out of her mouth. Keep it from flowing back to hurt trachea.”

Nanny Liang quickly went to adjust old madam’s head.

Seeing her movement was too violent, Mo Qianxue shouted at once, “Gentle!” This wasn’t the time to be polite.

“Unfasten her collar and belt. If possible, please suck out the sputum in her throat, in case that it may block the trachea.” Mo Qianxue pointed around and at the same time rubbing the toes, from there black blood flew out again.

Nanny Liang didn’t consider at all whether Mo Qianxue’s instruction was right or wrong.

She only felt that at this moment there seemed to be halo around Mo Qianxue.

After untying the collar and belt for old madam, nanny Liang leaned over without hesitation and sucked out a thick sip of sputum.

At this moment, all the ten toes of old madam Jian was poked and squeezed.

Seeing she was still in a coma, Mo Qianxue went all out and poked with needles the ten fingers and squeezed out black blood.

Then, old madam Jian partly opened her eyes.

Seeing this, Mo Qianxue let nanny Liang to comfort her and gave her some soothing massage.

Mo Qianxue learned it online. The comfort was to prevent the patient from terror or anxiety which would cause further coma and aggravate the condition.

Once the patient got slightly better, let him/ her sit still and gave the patient massage to promote blood circulation and prevent thrombosis caused by further decrease in blood pressure.

Nanny Liang imitate what Mo Qianxue was doing and gentled rubbed old madam’s head.

The air was so quiet that Mo Qianxue could even hear her beating heart.

They lost sense of time when footsteps rang outside.

The servant girl that nanny Liang sent out marched in the front followed by a small old man who should take nothing with him.

Entering the room, that old man who was called old Mr. Wang took a glance at old madam, confused, “Uh? Why the patient is still lying on the ground?”