QWAPMP Chapter 102

Chapter 102: The Little Eunuch Husband

Little Mrs. Song smiled, patted her ge’er’s hand to reassure him, not noticing the look in his eyes was off.

Song Qing had a guilty conscience and was anxious to get Song Yi married off quickly, “Mother, this matter can’t be delayed. Yi ge’er is different from ordinary ge’ers. What if that butcher changes his mind? We must get Yi ge’er married off sooner.”

Little Mrs. Song said confidently, “Don’t worry, Mother has already told that butcher that he can take him away tomorrow if he brings the silver.”

Hearing his mother say this, Song Qing felt relieved and added, “Mother, we can’t make a fuss about Yi ge’er getting married. No man in this world wants people to say he married a eunuch ge’er. If that butcher hears others talking, he might change his mind then.”

Little Mrs. Song thought about it and felt he was right, “Mother knows. Mother will quietly let the butcher take him away tomorrow, but now we don’t know where that jinx has hidden himself.”

Song Qing secretly pinched the flesh in his palm, a hint of viciousness appearing in his eyes, “Mother, I know where he is. Tomorrow, I will definitely make him obediently get into the sedan chair.”

“Qing ge’er, who are the two men outside? Why are they at our house?” Little Mrs. Song’s husband hadn’t wanted to continue listening to his mother and son’s conversation, always feeling something was strange. As soon as he walked out of the room, he found two extra men in the house.

Song Qing explained, “These are servants from my husband’s family. When I came home last time, my husband saw the wound on my knee and was afraid someone would bully me, so he sent two servants to protect me.”

Little Mrs. Song’s husband heard this and didn’t think much more of it, going to the yard to chop firewood.

When Little Mrs. Song heard her daughter say this, she only thought her ge’er was favored and laughed, “You are likable, unlike that jinx, who has been annoying since childhood.”

Song Qing smiled but didn’t respond to his mother’s words. After all, his mother had forgotten what she said before.

Clearly, the one who was likable since childhood was Song Yi, which his mother herself had said before.

On the other side, when Yan Ye arrived at the county town, it was already dark. After paying the entrance fee for the city, he had the carriage driver park the carriage at the entrance of an inn.

“Young master, aren’t we going home first?” The carriage driver was the one who delivered the family letter. He only knew that the family letter he delivered was extremely urgent, and the madam’s maid had said they must pick up the young master.

The inn was the same one as last time. When the manager saw Yan Ye come in, he quickly welcomed him, “Young master, why have you suddenly come?”

Yan Ye ignored the servant driving the carriage behind him and said to the manager, “Bring up a table of dishes. This young master is just hungry today and came to have a meal.”

With one sentence for both of them, the manager wisely retreated, and the carriage driving servant dared not urge him, only running to the door to wait.

After Yan Ye finished his meal, it was already midnight, and they only then re-entered the carriage to hurry towards the Yan residence.

Outside the Yan residence, two large red lanterns hung. Stone lions sat on both sides, and the main gate in the middle was tightly shut, utterly quiet.

Bang bang bang, “Open the door, quickly open the door inside, the young master is back.”

The quiet of the deep night was broken. The dozing gatekeeper boy was also woken up. He rubbed his eyes, and when he heard the words “young master,” the sleepiness instantly vanished. He quickly removed the bolt, pulled the door open, and respectfully called out to the person outside, “Young master.”

Yan Ye’s arrival alarmed quite a few servants. Even Butler Chen woke up to welcome him, “Young master, you’ve returned. Should I have someone prepare hot water for your bath, or would you prefer to rest first?”

Yan Ye glanced at Butler Chen. From the original host’s memories, he knew this was a sly old man who often curried favor with the original host’s mother.

“No need. I heard Mother is critically ill. I’ll go see her first.”

“Impossible, impossible, young master. The madam has already gone to sleep. Perhaps it’s not too late for you to visit her tomorrow morning.”

Yan Ye took out the family letter and threw it at Butler Chen. His eyes were cold, and his voice was reproving, “This young master’s mother is critically ill, on the verge of death, and you tell me to visit her tomorrow? If I don’t even see Mother for the last time, how will I have the face to see my father?”

Butler Chen was dumbfounded.

Yan Ye disliked being threatened and continued to vent his anger, “Before Mother’s death, if I, as a son, cannot attend to her bedside, am I still considered a son? Now, get out of the way!”

Butler Chen, who was cursed with the final “get out of the way,” was bewildered and could only make way.

The servants who heard Yan Ye’s words behind them, once Yan Ye left, all started whispering to each other.

“Did you just hear? The madam is almost gone.”

“That’s impossible. I saw the madam and the cousin enjoying music this morning.”

“What did the young master mean just now?”

“I didn’t understand.”

“Me neither. But the young master said it himself, maybe the madam has a hidden illness that isn’t usually visible.”

“No wonder the young master hurried back with a worried look.”

“That’s right, our young master is truly a filial son. He rushed back without stopping just to see the madam, not daring to rest for a moment.”

The carriage driving boy who had just entered and heard this almost tripped over his own feet. What did he hear? The young master rushed back without stopping to see the madam? Not daring to rest for a moment?

Then who was the person who just finished eating and enjoyed tea at the inn for an hour?

The maids keeping watch outside Madam Yan’s door were also woken up by Yan Ye. They said the same things as Butler Chen, but Yan Ye ignored their advice and insisted on going in.

He was the young master, they were servants, and they dared not stop him, so they let Yan Ye walk in front of them.

The door was pushed open. Yan Ye’s voice was a bit louder than usual, “Mother, your son is unfilial, I still came one step late.”

The maids who followed in and the stewards and others standing at the door were scared by Yan Ye’s sudden voice and widened their eyes. They also thought Madam Yan was dead, and each of them knelt down with a thud.

“Ah… who, who died!” Madam Yan was startled awake from her sleep. Her face was pale. She sat straight up from the bed, her heart rate suddenly quickening, her breathing becoming a bit rapid.

Some maids still hadn’t reacted. Their thoughts followed Yan Ye’s. Seeing Madam Yan suddenly sit up, their pupils widened, and they subconsciously cried out, “Ah, the madam is a zombie!”

The maid next to her, who reacted quickly, hurriedly tugged at her clothes, “Shut up, the madam is fine, she’s not dead.”

Madam Yan recovered her senses, her eyes glaring at the two people, “What are you shouting about in the middle of the night? Get out!”

“Yes, madam.” The two maids quickly left, walking fast, afraid that the madam would get angry and blame them.

When only the two of them were left in the room, Madam Yan finally looked at her son with eyes full of longing, “Yan Ye, come here, let Mother take a good look at you. You’ve lost weight staying in the countryside for so long.”

Yan Ye stood rooted to the spot, showing only a look of doubt, “Mother, didn’t you say in the family letter that you were critically ill? Why does your complexion look rosy, not like someone who is about to die?”

“Pfft, pfft, pfft! Is that how you curse your own mother?” Madam Yan said unhappily, getting up and putting on a robe.

“Since Mother is well, why did you use illness to deceive me into coming back?” Yan Ye revealed a dissatisfied expression, furrowing his brow.

Madam Yan felt guilty and wanted to change the subject, “Mother called you back because there’s a great joyous event I want to tell you about. You are already twenty-one this year, and Mother has arranged for you…”

“Mother, your son also has a joyous event to tell you about.” Yan Ye knew what Madam Yan wanted to say and interrupted her, “Your son already has someone he likes, and I have pledged my life to them, I will marry no one but them.”

Madam Yan’s face suddenly changed, her smile freezing on her lips, “Yan Ye, are you serious?”

Yan Ye smiled slightly, continuing to provoke Madam Yan, “The young ge’er that cousin saw that day is the person I like.”

The madam’s eyes turned severe, “Nonsense! How can a rural young ge’er be fit to be your main consort?”

“Then who do you think is fit?” Yan Ye’s voice was cold, “Cousin?”

Madam Yan stared at her son, noticing the mockery in his eyes, and suddenly felt that the son before her seemed to have changed. She tried her best to suppress the anger in her chest and calmly said, “Your cousin is graceful and intelligent, what’s wrong with her? And in what way is she not worthy of you?”

The conversation had reached this point, laid bare. Tonight, for Madam Yan, would be a sleepless night.

Yan Ye’s tone was indifferent, his eyes icy, “However good she is to you, in my eyes, she cannot compare to half of my husband.”

Madam Yan was so angered by his words that she smashed the teacup on the table. Her outstretched fingers trembled with rage, “Did you come back today to anger your mother to death?”

Her words were exactly what Yan Ye wanted. “Mother said in the family letter that she was seriously ill and wanted to see her son one last time. Your son originally came today prepared for mourning.”

As Yan Ye’s words fell, all the tea sets on the table in front of him were swept off and smashed onto the ground with a clatter. The boys outside the door looked at each other, none daring to go inside to see what was happening.

Butler Chen was anxious inside but didn’t dare go in. He sent one of the boys to the concubine’s room to invite Master Yan over.

Madam Yan was still furious and gave Yan Ye a harsh scolding, “Rebellious son! How dare you curse your mother like this! After one trip to the countryside, you were bewitched by that vixen and dare to disown your own mother!”

Yan Ye was tired from standing for too long. He found a place to sit down and continued to refute Madam Yan’s words, “If he can bewitch this son, then that is his skill. Mother, stop being unreasonable. Let cousin go back where she came from. As for the future young madam, he alone is enough.”

Madam Yan still didn’t know that in the near future, her son would strip her of her management authority. She still thought her son was simply bewitched by a young ge’er.

Furious and short of breath, she raised her hand to hit Yan Ye, but unexpectedly, a voice came from the doorway, laughing cheerfully, “Hearing that elder sister is gravely ill, younger sister and master have specially come to visit.”

Madam Yan’s raised palm did not fall. Instead, she withdrew her hand, angered by the woman who had arrived at the door.

No matter how angry she was at her son, she had to endure it. She couldn’t stage a scene of mother and son turning against each other in front of this… woman, making herself a laughing stock.

“Master, why have you come?” Madam Yan forcibly suppressed the unpleasantness in her heart. Her eyes swept towards the maids at the door, gesturing for them to come in and clean up the mess on the floor.