Chapter 29: Unfair

  It's almost the end of the month again, and the atmosphere in Madame Cheng's courtyard is more tense than usual.

  Bang!

  The housekeeping daughters-in-law shivered as they knelt indoors.

  "Is this house no longer in need of me?" Madam Cheng shouted with raised eyebrows.

  Account books were scattered all over the ground.

  "Madam, it was the second madam who gave the order in person, it's really..." Several servant girls bowed their heads to the ground and trembled as they spoke.

  They didn't know what to say, fearing that they would be blamed for causing discord between the two families.

  It's her again, how did this young girl become younger and younger?

  She didn't dare to say that she couldn't afford it anymore, otherwise the last time she randomly bought clothes and accessories, this time she randomly added delicacies, if it was her own account, it would be fine, but all of them were on the company's account, who knows what she will do next time.

  "Please come in, Second Mistress," said Madame Cheng. "You all go down."

  The busy housewives were responding to each other's voices, carefully collecting their account books and leaving in a line.

  They all exchanged knowing glances and stuck out their tongues at each other as soon as they were out the door.

  Get out of here.

  Madam Cheng II smiled when she heard that Madam Zhang had invited her.

  "What does your sister-in-law want with you?" asked Cheng Erlao, who was sitting on the ground reading a book.

  "Perhaps you've been thinking of me for several days now?" Madame Cheng said with a smile as she stood up.

  Second Master Cheng burst out laughing.

  "Then you go quickly, you all sit well." he said.

  Watching Madame Cheng II walk out, Old Master Cheng II, who was reading a book, let out a yawn. He heard the sound of women's laughter coming from outside. On this autumn day with its high sky and refreshing air, the laughter sounded especially alluring.

  He put down the book and got up to walk out. Not long after, the laughter outside stopped, and the servant woman in the courtyard didn't see Master Cheng II come back again.

  "Who's outside?" a maid asked with a sly smile.

  A maidservant standing at the door curled her lip.

  "That woman from the East Wing." she said in a low voice.

  "This aunt's eyes are really sharp." The maid who had spoken earlier said with a smile.

  The two maids exchanged a glance and smiled silently.

  Madam Er's wife walked slowly and steadily on the road with her maid, Yatou, to go to Madam Zhang's place, passing by the lotus pond.

  "It's been a few days since I last saw it, and this chrysanthemum has bloomed," she said, looking at the chrysanthemums by the flower pool.

  "Yes, chrysanthemums are blooming early this year." The servant woman said with a smile.

  Madam Ching slowed down her pace.

  "Hmm, okay, let me take a look," she said.

  The maids behind exchanged a glance, some looking anxious and others puzzled.

  Isn't there something Mrs. Cheng wants to find? What's wrong, still hesitating?

  But they didn't dare to remind her out loud, and Madam Cheng wasn't a fool!

  "Mother." The voice of Cheng Qiuniang came from the opposite side.

  Madam Cheng 2 looked back and saw several girls including Cheng Qiuniang admiring the flowers.

  "Have fun, be careful, don't fall into the water." she said.

  Qī Niáng was over there waving her hand and shouting, knowing that her mother had left with someone.

  "It's really boring." She said, throwing the flowers in her hand into the pond.

  Cheng Wu Niang and Cheng Si Niang were helping Cheng Liu Niang pick out chrysanthemum flowers to wear.

  "I heard that Dong's daughter is hosting a tea party." said Cheng Liu'niang.

  "What's the point, we can't go anyway, and if we do, people will laugh at us." Cheng Qiuniang said, sitting down on a rock, looking at the chrysanthemums in front of her, "When is that fool leaving?"

  "Don't talk nonsense, where are you going?" said Cheng Wuniang.

  "Our chrysanthemums are blooming so well, but Dongniang's house doesn't have any. She can hold a tea party, I can hold a chrysanthemum party." said Cheng Liu'niang with sparkling eyes.

  "Sister, going out is still being laughed at, do you invite people to come home and see a fool?" Cheng Qiuniang pouted, stretched out her hand to pick off a half-open chrysanthemum and crushed it before throwing it on the ground.

  "It's indeed." said Cheng Liu Niang with a sigh.

  "Why don't you send her to the temple yet? My father said so, and the Taoist priest said so too. Sending her to the temple is for her own good." Qiqi Niang said angrily, clutching a chrysanthemum flower.

  Cheng Liu's mother seemed lost in thought, gazing at the chrysanthemums that filled the entire courtyard.

  "Are you admiring the flowers?" The man's voice came over.

  The sisters all looked at each other and smiled in surprise.

  "Fourth brother!"

  It's been a month since I last saw Cheng Si Lang, and he has lost a lot of weight, but he also looks more spirited, standing beside him with his hand on the child's head.

  Sisters gathered around and asked how I was doing.

  "Fourth brother, you dare to come to the garden again? Aren't you afraid of being caught by the female ghost again?" Cheng Qiuniang laughed.

  Several other sisters were busy teasing her.

  Cheng Silang couldn't help but laugh.

  "Don't be afraid, ghosts are afraid of wicked people. Last time she didn't catch you, this time she won't dare to come." He smiled and stroked Qiniang's head.

  "Fourth brother, ghost, does it look scary?" Cheng Qiuniang came with interest and asked curiously.

  "It won't scare people." Cheng Si Lang said with a smile.

  "Alright, alright, let Fourth Brother take a walk and clear his mind. We'll go play on our side." said Cheng Wu Niang.

  Cheng Qiuniang wanted to ask more about the female ghost, but her sisters had all left and she didn't want to be left alone, so she reluctantly followed them.

  "Master, aren't you tired? Let's go back." Chunlan asked.

  "Not tired." Cheng Si Lang looked ahead and said, "Let's walk a bit further."

  Chun Lan supported him as they walked slowly together.

  They both stopped at the same time beside a large rock.

  Cheng Silang wanted to speak and turned his head to look at Chunlan, seeing her staring blankly at the boulder.

  What does she look like?

  Cheng Silang looked back and saw that the woman was sitting quietly with her eyes cast down, but in the blink of an eye she had vanished.

  "Chun Lan, have you come here to look for a female ghost?" he suddenly said, "Or did you see something here?"

  The orchid is trembling with cold.

  "The slave, here, met someone who gave me an idea to save the young master," she said.

  Cheng Silang let out a soft "oh" and felt somewhat disappointed in his heart.

  Perhaps the woman was just an illusion after all, he had been ill at the time anyway.

  "That little girl from the Zhou family," he said with a slight smile. "I haven't even thanked her yet and she's already gone."

  Spring Orchid nodded slightly.

  "Yes." She said, looking at the mountain rock again. It was strange that she couldn't remember the appearance of that girl very clearly, but instead, the silly woman covered in a white cloth appeared vividly. She shook her head, "Young master, it's good that we're done, let's go back, today is cooler."

  Cheng Silang said okay and supported her as she slowly turned around and walked away.

  At this time, the second wife of Cheng finally sat down in front of Mrs. Cheng.

  "Sister, the chrysanthemums here are blooming well," she said, looking at a single stem of chrysanthemum placed in front of the screen.

  "The flowers in the garden have all bloomed, would you like to pick some?" said Madame Cheng.

  Madam Cheng II took the tea from Ya Tou and sipped it.

  "Our family's are good, but not the best. A new florist has come to the city and is raising some famous and expensive chrysanthemums," she said. "Everyone is rushing to buy them, I was lucky and managed to get two, they'll be delivered in a few days, sister-in-law will definitely like them when she sees them."

  Madam Cheng's heart skipped a beat when she heard the two words "famous and expensive".

  "How much?" she asked abruptly.

  I heard that some of those expensive flowers are worth a thousand pieces of gold!

  "It's not expensive, only 300 taels." Madame Cheng said, "Elder sister, when the time comes, we'll put it in the courtyard and hold a flower appreciation party..."

  She hadn't finished speaking when Mrs. Cheng shouted loudly for Qingniang.

  Madam Cheng looked at her and didn't say anything else.

  "Return the flowers." said Madame Cheng with a deep breath.

  "Sister, you haven't seen it yet, and I'm sure you'll like it once you do." Madame Cheng smiled slightly, stroking her new ivory fan, which she was quite fond of. "Besides, the betrothal gifts have already been exchanged, so there's no backing out now."

  Madam Cheng looked at her gritting her teeth.

  "Alright, since you like it, it's your own money, buy whatever you want." she said.

  "Sister-in-law, you're right." Madame Cheng II smiled, fanning herself, "We're all family members, it's our family's money, why can't I use it?"

  "You!" Madam Cheng shouted angrily.

  This is roughly the first time Peng Qingniang has spoken to herself like this since she entered the door!

  What's wrong with her? She's become so affected! Is she possessed or something?

  Two updates today, sorry for the slow update.