青春期撞上更年期第1部

“Madam Lu?” Shao Wanru raised her eyebrows.

“She is the daughter of an imperial censor. She has been with Marquis for so many years. Old Madam means that pains also count, even without gains. Besides, she has a daughter. We can’t keep the Young Madams of Marquis Xing’s Mansion outside the mansion,” Nanny Yu explained.

“Madam Lu is Lu E’niang, right?” Shao Wanru sneered in her heart. Shao Jing and Shao Yanru really couldn’t stay calm anymore. Madam Jiang’s coffin was kept in a temporary shelter before burial, and now E’niang was about to marry into the mansion. Shao Wanru wondered if Madam Jiang knew about this, whether she would be so angry that she would crawl out of the coffin and get even with her children and Shao Jing in the middle of the night.

“She’s just a mistress. She can’t become the Marquis’s secondary legal wife. Besides, Madam Jiang has just died. How can a new woman marry into the mansion now?” an elder said, displeased.

The others nodded repeatedly. They all thought that it was inappropriate.

At this time, it was not appropriate for a concubine to marry into the mansion, let alone a secondary legal wife. The so-called Madam was certainly not a concubine.

After all, Madam Jiang had just died.

“Madam Lu has an unusual identity and has been with me for so long. Madam Wen values her very much. A few days ago, in Huaguang Temple, she saved Madam Wen’s life. It’s my fault that Marquis Xing’s Mansion has become like this now. I let the Shao Family down. If things go on like this, maybe there will be no place for our Shao Family in the capital city in a few years,” Shao Jing said with a sigh.

He was using the future of the Shao Family to state his point. He made it sound as if the Shao Family would be hopeless if E’niang was not allowed to marry into their family. Shao Wanru glanced at Shao Hua’an, who had been sitting there quietly with his head down and the expression on his face unable to be seen clearly. He did not respond to what Shao Jing had said at all.

“She saved Madam Wen’s life?” The eyes of several elders lit up. They looked at each other and immediately understood the meaning in each other’s eyes.

Many aristocratic family members had known about it, including the members of the Shao Family. Prime Minister Wen and Prime Minister Zhang were important officials in the imperial court. It would be a good thing to have connections with them.

The decline of Marquis Xing’s Mansion was inevitable, and the mansion mattered to the Shao Family the most. This matter was related to the survival of the Shao Family, so the elders couldn’t say anything no matter how unwilling they were.

At the moment, they nodded reluctantly, but also repeatedly proposed that even if Madam Lu entered the mansion as a secondary legal wife, there couldn’t be any rituals at this time. At most, they could ask a few relatives to have a meal to celebrate it, and no outsiders could be invited. If this kind of thing was spread out, it would be bad.

It would be better to let others think that she was a concubine since most people would have a problem with a man marrying a secondary legal wife in a big way.

When the time came, the elders could just quietly open the family tree and record Madam Lu and her daughter in it. As for what would happen in the future, neither Shao Jing nor the elders said anything.

Since the matter had been settled, the elders saw that it was almost time to leave. Originally, they didn’t intend to come over. Madam Jiang had a bad reputation and ended up like this because of her own actions. No one was willing to come over at this time. If Shao Jing hadn’t specially asked them to come over, they wouldn’t have been willing to pay their respects to Madam Jiang.

Old Madam showed a smile on her tilted face. It seemed that she was in a good mood.

Third Madam suddenly stood up with the help of a servant girl. She staggered a few steps and knelt in front of Old Madam. “Old Madam, Second Sister-in-law has just died, and yet a new woman is going to marry into the mansion. I don’t accept it. Why should a mistress marry into our Marquis Xing’s Mansion? She claims to be the daughter of the former imperial censor. Who knows if she is a fake?”

Third Madam was furious.

“What nonsense are you talking about?” Third Master Shao didn’t expect this. After being stunned for a moment, he was furious and stood up to pull Third Madam. This was his second brother’s business, which had nothing to do with the third branch.

“Old Madam, if you are partial to this bitch from nowhere and want her to marry into our mansion, our third branch is willing to separate from the family and live alone,” Third Madam said with difficulty.

It was obvious from her face that she was weak. It was unknown whether she was angry or tired, but she was panting.

Third Master Shao didn’t dare to hit her. How could he hit her when she was in such a state? He rubbed his hands anxiously and said in a low voice, “What nonsense are you talking about? This is Second Brother’s business. It has nothing to do with us. You are in poor health. You’d better go to rest early.”

Third Madam turned to Third Master Shao and said with a bitter smile, “It has nothing to do with us? If such a woman enters the mansion, what will happen to our daughters? They haven’t got married yet, and they certainly will not get to do it after this. Second Brother is going to take this woman into the mansion while Second Sister-in-law has just died. I heard that Second Sister-in-law committed suicide because of this woman. Aren’t you afraid that she will crawl out of the coffin at this time?”

Shao Jing had two daughters. Shao Yanru and Shao Jie’er were both married at least. Thinking that his two daughters, Shao Caihuan and Shao Cailing, had not had a suitable marriage recently, Third Master Shao was very annoyed.

Third Madam looked furious while mentioning the marriage of her two daughters. The Third Master Shao, who had always been indifferent, couldn’t help feeling angry at this time. “Second Brother, can’t you marry a decent woman?”

Old Madam on the couch patted the edge of the bed hard. At this time, if she could move, she would have slapped Third Madam twice and asked her to kneel outside. As the insignificant Third Madam, she could not make the decision on the affairs of the mansion.

Shao Jing pulled a long face and said harshly, “Third Brother, what are you talking about?”

“No. Second Brother, I didn’t mean…”Third Master Shao had always been afraid of his brother. After being scolded by Shao Jing, he immediately lowered his voice.

“Marquis, our third branch wants to separate from the family.” Third Madam gritted her teeth and insisted. She was not like Third Master Shao. Even though she used to be afraid of Shao Jing, she was no longer afraid at this time.

“Hey, don’t talk nonsense…” Third Master Shao looked at her and then looked at Shao Jing, whose face was darkened, and stamped his feet anxiously.

“Third Master, our third branch has always been an extra in Marquis Xing’s Mansion, and they never discuss anything with us. Most of the time, they will inform us. If it weren’t for the elders here today, I’m afraid that we wouldn’t even know that woman is going to marry into the mansion! Haven’t our two daughters suffered enough in the past? Will we even ask them to bow to such a woman now? If so, I will take our daughters away even if I die. When that happens, you can also marry a new woman into the family not long after my death!”

The Third Madam burst into tears, but her meaning was very clear. She was going to separate from the family today no matter what.

The elders looked at each other and couldn’t say anything for a while. They didn’t expect things to turn out like this.

It was the first time that Shao Jing had been disgraced by his useless sister-in-law. She kept talking about marrying a new woman. He was so angry that his face turned livid. He slammed his hand on the table and looked at Third Master Shao gloomily. “Third Brother, what do you think?”

Third Master Shao was a carefree person and had never cared about what Third Madam said in the past. But now he saw Third Madam, who was so thin that her bones were almost exposed, clenching the handkerchief in her hand hard, and a touch of faint blood in the handkerchief. Also, he thought of the matter that a mistress would marry into the mansion. For a moment, he got some courage.

“Second… Second Brother, we’ll separate from the family!”

He couldn’t take it anymore. His wife was about to die of illness, and his daughters hadn’t even got married. The worse the reputation of the mansion was, the worse it would be for their marriage. For so many years, the third branch had just been unimportant in Marquis Xing’s Mansion. Third Master Shao didn’t care about it before, but now he felt quite aggrieved.

His second brother brought all kinds of women to the mansion, whether they were noble or not. He did this for his daughter who was raised outside the mansion. But Third Master Shao also had two daughters.

“Third Brother, do you know what you are talking about?” Shao Jing was furious, and the veins on his forehead bulged. His younger brother, who had always been obedient to him, betrayed him at this time. He really couldn’t stand it anymore. “Without the protection of Marquis Xing’s Mansion, how will your daughters marry decent men?”

“Well…” Third Master Shao hesitated again. He took the marriage of his two daughters as his priority. Seeing that his second brother was so angry, he felt guilty and couldn’t help looking back at Third Madam.

Third Madam said with difficulty, “Thank you, Second Uncle. If… if it’s possible, please separate us. I don’t wish my daughters to marry into rich and powerful families. I just hope that they will get to be decent wives. I can’t let them be scolded before they get married. How can they face others in the future? Even if they can get married, how will they hold their heads high in the husband’s family?”

Although her voice was low, her every word was very powerful. After that, she kowtowed to Old Madam and said, “Old Madam, please grant my wish!”

It seemed that she was determined to separate from the family.

Although Old Madam couldn’t move her mouth or hands, she knew what Third Madam was talking about. She was angry and full of hatred, but she could only make a strange sound while slamming her hands and feet. She glared at Third Madam angrily, and saliva dripped from the corners of her mouth. Nanny Yu took two steps forward, wiped the saliva for Old Madam with a handkerchief, and then carefully stepped aside.

“I disagree!” Shao Jing said angrily and glared at Third Madam.

“I agree!” A cold voice almost sounded at the same time. It surpassed Shao Jing’s voice and appeared in everyone’s ears. It was Shao Wanru.

Her words attracted everyone’s attention. Even Shao Hua’an, who had been silent all the time, raised his head and looked at Shao Wanru, whose face was tense, with unclear eyes.

“What do you mean, Your Highness?” Shao Jing asked, his face darkening.