Liutong Pavilion.
Madam Jiang was reclining on the beauty couch by the south window in her main room, pressing her chest and gasping for air. With so many things happening at once in this household, she had been spinning around like a top all day long, and finally taking a break, her throat was already burning.
"Madam, what’s wrong?" Qing Yang moved the ice basin closer, noticing Madam Jiang’s discomfort, and couldn’t help but worry.
Madam Jiang exhaled and said, "I don’t know, feeling stifled since this morning, and with things happening one after another, it’s getting more oppressive, my heart isn’t at ease."
She couldn’t quite understand the source of this unease, only that it felt both empty and heavy, very uncomfortable.
Qing Yang said, "The weather is stifling these days, with so much happening suddenly, perhaps it’s heatstroke. Shouldn’t we call the Doctor to check your pulse?"
Madam Jiang shook her head: "The Doctor is attending to other matters over at the third household, let’s not bother him with this. Just brew a couple of bowls of cool tea and get so mint oil to rub on."
Qing Yang obliged, turned to get the oil from the room, and personally applied it to her temples, gently massaging them.
Madam Jiang closed her eyes to enjoy it and asked, "Have the Second Young Master and the others returned?"
"Have you forgotten? The Third Young Master went to the palace, and the Second Young Master sent soone over earlier to say he’s working on improving the new Crossbow Arrow, and won’t be coming to greet you these days."
Madam Jiang snorted: "That brat, he’s forgotten his parents now that he has a new weapon; but when he asks for Silver in the morning, he’s as eager as a bootlicking servant."
Her words sounded complaining, yet her tone didn’t hold much resentnt.
Qing Yang laughed and said: "Isn’t it because you and the master spoiled him?"
Madam Jiang sighed: "In one’s life, if you have the ans, isn’t it ant to be enjoyed? Having wealth without using it, what’s the point? That’s what your family’s old master used to say, that money is ant to be spent, or else it’s just numbers."
"The old master was a wise man."
"But now, I don’t know where he’s gone off to, not a word for ten days to a half month; he sets aside personal life and death and leaves , his daughter, to worry needlessly."
Qing Yang gently kneaded her temples, saying, "But the old master lives freely and contentedly, only such a mindset wouldn’t be troubled by external things, and one appears younger, too."
"Waiting, that’s all one can do," Madam Jiang said. "Have they told the Second Young Master not to visit the Fourth Young Master?"
"Already inford, the Second Young Master sent so tonics over, saying he’ll visit once the Fourth Young Master has recovered."
"That’s good, it’s not that I’m an inconsiderate mother, but none of them have had the asles, if they contract it now, who would handle matters in this household? Ultimately, these children are at an awkward age. If they were seventeen or eighteen, they’d bring ho a wife and there would be less to fuss over."
The boys aren’t yet of marrying age, without a wife to help with socializing and managing household affairs, even the girls are still young. So, when counting on handling household duties or hosting banquets, it truly falls only on the old mistress and the three sisters-in-law.
But when an event occurs like now, Madam Song is in confinent, and the third sister-in-law has to care for her sick child, all the household affairs fall upon her shoulders.
Alas, having a small family, one wonders if it’s fortunate or unfortunate; the fortunate thing is the peacefulness with fewer conflicts, the unfortunate when sothing arises, there’s nobody to help take over.
Therefore, everything has a double side with pros and cons, it just depends on how one balances it.
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