The Splendid Medical Concubine: The Journey of a Concubine

Chapter 69 Mother

Not far away, Chu Qianling had just finished throwing an arrow. She wanted to show Gu Nanzhao how beautiful the arrow she had just thrown was and to get his approval. However, when she turned around, she happened to see this scene in the pavilion.

Gu Nanzhao didn't pay attention to Chu Qianling at all. He stared at Chu Qianchen's decisive back in despair.

Chu Qianling's heart hurt even more, as if a knife was cutting into her heart.

The second prince was devoted to Chu Qianchen, and he only had this charming girl in his heart. He had not even looked at him since he came to the Hou Mansion today.

Chu Qianling clutched the bamboo arrow in her hand tightly.

She knew very well that to put it bluntly, Chu Qianchen was just playing hard to get.

Chu Qianchen ruined her face because she wanted to compete for the position of the second prince's concubine. Now she felt that she was ruined and it was impossible to compete with her, so she deliberately played these tricks in front of the second prince, hoping that the second prince would not get what he asked for...

It's really despicable. Just like mother said, Chu Qianchen learned all these tricks to confuse men from her aunt!

"Third sister!" Chu Qianhuang called Chu Qianling and tugged on her sleeves.

Only then did Chu Qianling come to his senses and threw the bamboo arrow in his hand fiercely...

As soon as she threw the bamboo arrow, several people next to her saw the trick and said in a hurry:

"What a pity!"

"Third sister, this arrow missed the target."

"Too hard..."

The bamboo arrow hit the iron pot hard, and there was a "bang" sound. The iron pot was knocked to the ground, and all the bamboo arrows originally inserted in the iron pot fell out, all over the ground. messy.

All the young men and girls of the Chu family around them laughed.

Chu Yunmu clapped his hands and said confidently: "Third sister, I think you will be at the bottom today! I can shoot better than you even sitting down!"

"Quick, quick, carry me over!"

Chu Yunmu directed his mother-in-law to carry his chair over, intending to let Chu Qianchen take a good look at his power.

But when he wanted to find Chu Qianchen, he found that she was no longer in the pavilion.

strangeness? Where did the people go?

Chu Yunmu looked around for Chu Qianchen.

After Chu Qianchen left the pavilion, she planned to sit somewhere else to avoid being annoyed, but as soon as she walked around the rockery, she was stopped by a maid in blue.

"Second Miss," the maid said intermittently, panting and out of breath as she ran, "Auntie... Auntie's yard is flooded... Please go and have a look."

Leaking water? ! Chu Qianchen moved his eyebrows and looked in the direction of Qinghui Courtyard.

Qinghuiyuan is at least half a mile away from the garden. From her current position, she can't see anything at all, let alone hear any movement.

It seems that the fire should not be big. While Chu Qianchen was thinking, he turned around and told Hu Hu: "Go and tell the eldest girl, I'll go see my aunt, and I'll go to the theater later. Don't disturb others."

Amber agreed, and Chu Qianchen followed the maid in blue to Aunt Jiang's Qinghui Courtyard.

The two of them rushed to Qinghui Courtyard non-stop. There was a lot of noise inside and outside the courtyard. Some servants gathered in the courtyard, and there were also some maids and women shouting that they were going to fetch water. They were in a hurry.

As Chu Qianchen had guessed before, the fire in Qinghui Courtyard was not that big, but wisps of white smoke floated from the direction of the inner room.

A little maid with a round face hurriedly came up to her. She said with a pale face: "Second girl, my aunt is still in there and hasn't come out yet." The little maid was so anxious that she was sweating profusely.

Chu Qianchen wetted the handkerchief with the water brought by a woman nearby, and quickly followed the little maid towards the house. The house was filled with a thin layer of white smoke, like a mist.

Chu Qianchen covered his mouth and nose with a wet handkerchief and followed the direction of the smoke towards the inner room.

"Second girl, my aunt is inside!"

The little maid leading the way pointed to the door curtain embroidered with a pool of white lotus in front.

The little maid walked faster and faster, while Chu Qianchen walked slower and slower, and his heart became clear.

If she was still a little unsure when she was outside the house, she was certain now.

This is a bitter trick.

With such a fire, Aunt Jiang could easily get out of it, but why did she insist on hiding in the house and not come out? !

Chu Qianchen suddenly felt his enthusiasm waning and stopped.

She wanted to leave, but before she could turn around, she changed her mind.

The door curtain swayed slightly, and the few white lotuses embroidered on the curtain also swayed gently, which was somewhat charming.

Chu Qianchen looked at the door curtain, thought for a while, and continued walking inside.

The prince said that you cannot escape when encountering trouble. Human life is like sailing against the current. If you don't advance, you will retreat.

Only by facing the truth can we deal with it calmly.

The essence of escape, to put it bluntly, is just inferiority and cowardice.

The prince's words were always so to the point. In her previous life, she was as inferior and cowardly as he said, not daring to fight or resist.

Chu Qianchen walked in slowly.

The inner room was filled with white smoke, the vision was hazy, and it was very hot.

The sky-blue bed tent on Babu's bed was burning. Aunt Jiang was sitting by the window on the other side, holding a handkerchief in her hand and timidly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.

Her eldest maid, Qingyan, advised her softly: "Auntie, you'd better get out quickly, otherwise it will be bad if the fire comes over."

Aunt Jiang said softly: "I won't leave. Madam has ordered me to be grounded. I can't go against Madam's wishes."

The corners of her eyes were reddish and her eyes were full of waves, revealing a kind of soft and fragile charm, which made me feel pity for her.

When the door curtain opened, Aunt Jiang looked towards Chu Qianchen, her eyes suddenly brightened.

"Sister Chen!"

"I...I thought you wouldn't care about my life or death."

Her voice was trembling, soft and hoarse, and large crystal tears rolled down the corners of her eyes, like the dewdrops rolling on the petals after the rain, and as bright and beautiful as the bright moon.

"Sister Chen, I know you are close to Madam now."

"My wife is your aunt, so she can make the decision for your future. I...I shouldn't interfere, I should be happy for you."

As she spoke, she choked slightly and could hardly speak, "But you are my daughter, the daughter I gave birth to in ten months of pregnancy. I can't let you go... Sister Chen, you haven't come to see me for so long..."

"I have nothing left, Grandma Cui is dead..."

Aunt Jiang cried harder, her body was shaking, and she looked at Chu Qianchen with tearful eyes. While gently wiping her tears with a handkerchief, she said sadly: "I brought Aunt Cui from the Jiang family. You have been by my side since I was little, and you were always there for me, and then you and your brother came to my side.”

"This time, she will end up like this because of you..." Aunt Jiang's voice was extremely bitter, revealing a deep sadness.

Qingyan said: "Second girl, you don't know yet, do you?"

"That day, Grandma Cui hit a pillar and died. Before she died, she was still thinking about you, the second girl. She would do such stupid things because she felt sorry for you, the second girl..."

"Originally, this person is dead, and I shouldn't say anything about Grandma Cui anymore..."

Qingyan also held a handkerchief and wiped the corners of her eyes.

When Chu Qianchen heard this, he was finally slightly moved.

According to Qingyan's intention, before hitting the pillar, Grandma Cui kept claiming that everything she did was to express her grievance? !

Chu Qianchen felt a little moved, but it was not because of Aunt Cui, but because of his aunt Shen.

At that time, Aunt Cui still pulled her out, no matter how hard it sounded, it couldn't be for her own good.

However, after Aunt Cui said those words, her aunt never asked her a question about it, and she treated her the same as before.

A warm current flowed through Chu Qianchen's heart.

She never thought that she would still be able to experience this feeling of being trusted in the Chu family in this life.

The thirteen-year-old her in her previous life was indeed blind in both eyes and mind.

Chu Qianchen looked at the familiar yet unfamiliar Aunt Jiang in front of her. She was wearing a light green dress and her unpainted face looked so pitiful.

"Sister Chen!" Aunt Jiang looked up at her, tears filling her eyes again, and her long eyelashes were stained with a few teardrops.

She reached out for Chu Qianchen's sleeve, but Chu Qianchen turned sideways to avoid it. Aunt Jiang seemed to have been stabbed, her face became even paler, "Sister Chen...do you deny me as your biological mother?" "

"You were born in my tenth month of pregnancy..."

Tears rolled down Aunt Jiang's eyes again.

In the inner room, most of the bed tent had been burned, the flames were scorching the room, and the temperature in the room was rising higher and higher.

The white smoke in the air became thicker, making Chu Qianchen's eyes sting slightly.

But Chu Qianchen remained unblinking, staring deeply at Aunt Jiang.

Yes, she is her biological mother. They are connected by blood and should be the closest people...

Thinking about all the things in his past life, Chu Qianchen felt as if he had never seen his own mother in his previous life.

After a few breaths of silence, Chu Qianchen looked towards the burning bed tent not far away, with a somewhat distant and cold voice, "So, will my aunt set the fire?"

"..." Aunt Jiang opened her eyes slightly.

Chu Qianchen smiled self-deprecatingly, turned around and said, "Auntie, you'd better reflect on yourself. I'll leave first."

"Second girl!" Qingyan couldn't help shouting.

Aunt Jiang didn't even notice that the handkerchief in her hand slipped from her fingers. She stared at Chu Qianchen's back with eyes as deep as a deep pool.

"Sister Chen!"

Aunt Jiang stood up and wanted to chase Chu Qianchen.

At this time, almost all the bed tents of the Bab bed were on fire. The scorching flames spread along the Bab bed and turned the small room into a furnace.

Suddenly, the copper tent hook on one side of the bed tent fell from mid-air and landed on the bedside table. It rebounded suddenly and hit Aunt Jiang on the instep.

The copper tent hook was so hot that when it hit the instep of Aunt Jiang's left foot, it was like an iron touching human skin through the cloth.

Aunt Jiang let out a cry of pain. This time, she really felt pain. The pain was so intense that her left foot seemed to be burning, and she staggered slightly.

Fortunately, Qingyan was quick-sighted and helped Aunt Jiang.

Chu Qianchen stopped, looked back at Aunt Jiang, and shook hands unconsciously, but did not pass after all.

"Shan'er!" Chu Lingxiao's nervous voice came from outside.

The next moment, the door curtain was roughly opened from the outside, and Chu Lingxiao, dressed in an indigo brocade robe, walked in anxiously.

His handsome face was full of worry, and he didn't see Chu Qianchen here at all. He only had Aunt Jiang in his eyes.

Seeing Qingyan carefully supporting Aunt Jiang who looked in pain, Chu Lingxiao asked nervously: "Shan'er, what's wrong with you?"

Qingyan quickly answered for her master: "Mr. Marquis, my aunt just burned her feet with the red-hot copper tent hook..." "Mr. Marquis, I'm fine." Aunt Jiang said hoarsely, with tears glistening in her eyes.

These five short words are said in a gentle and affectionate way, making them appear weak, forbearing and strong.

Chu Lingxiao felt even more distressed, "Shan'er, don't be brave."

As he spoke, he put one hand under Aunt Jiang's arm, the other hand reached behind her knees, and easily hugged her sideways.

"Master Hou!" Aunt Jiang whispered, hooked one hand around Chu Lingxiao's neck, and leaned against him weakly and bonelessly, her eyes moving.

Chu Lingxiao strode out with Aunt Jiang in his arms. From the beginning to the end, he didn't see Chu Qianchen at all. He entered the house in a hurry and left the house in a hurry.

Looking at the scene just now, Chu Qianchen finally understood.

I see!

She overestimated herself. In this play, she was not the protagonist at all, and could only be regarded as a small character who could sing a few lines.

Chu Qianchen looked at the loving couple and suddenly felt that it was really boring.

The prince is right, you can't run away from trouble. If she hadn't taken such a trip, how could she have seen it clearly.

Chu Qianchen strode out of the inner room. Outside, the servants were surrounding Chu Lingxiao and Aunt Jiang, and the slaves who came to put out the fire were belatedly carrying buckets into the inner room. .

Buckets of water were poured onto the burning bed.

"Wow, wow..."

Chu Qianchen left the noisy sounds in Qinghui Courtyard behind and walked forward leisurely, sometimes walking through the winding verandah, sometimes around a pond, and sometimes strolling on a winding path.

She didn't know where she could go. The Chu family had never been her place, whether it was in her previous life or now...

"Sister Chen."

She didn't know how long it had passed before an elegant and gentle female voice called her.

Chu Qianchen followed the sound and realized that she was in the garden again. In front of her, Ms. Shen was sitting in the water pavilion by the lake. She was leaning on the railing and looking at him with a smile. There was only Grandma Chen beside her. .

There was a steaming cup of scented tea on the table behind her, looking at it leisurely and comfortably.

Today is the birthday banquet of Mrs. Tai. Chu Qianchen did not expect that his aunt would still be interested in taking a break from her busy schedule.

The corners of her mouth curled up slightly and she walked over quickly.

"Mother." Chu Qianchen said blessedly and sat down.

"Why are you here alone?" Shen asked with a smile, "Aren't you playing with everyone?"

"Auntie's place is flooded. I'll go over and take a look." Chu Qianchen said calmly, with a hint of harshness in her voice that she didn't even notice.

Shen had already heard the report from her servants about the Qinghui Court leak, but she didn't care at all and forgot about it for a while.

"How is your aunt?" Shen asked casually.

Chu Qianchen smiled lightly and said, "Don't worry, mother, it's just that the bed tent in the inner room was burned, and no one will be harmed."

Aunt Jiang's feet were only burned by the copper tent hook, but in Chu Qianchen's eyes, it was as if she was not injured.

However, her aunt has always loved beauty. If she accidentally left scars on her skin, I wonder if she would regret this move...

Mrs. Shen looked at Chu Qianchen and saw that she had a calm expression from beginning to end, and she did not seem to be sad because Aunt Jiang was injured. However, it was her indifferent expression that made Shen feel distressed inexplicably, as if something was biting her heart.

After a pause, Chu Qianchen added: "My father has passed away just now, and my aunt's purpose has been achieved."

After resurrecting her life, Chu Qianchen felt that she had seen through everything. As for what kind of person Aunt Jiang, her biological mother, was, she had slowly figured it out after meeting Gu Jue in her previous life.

Therefore, in this life, she never planned to question Aunt Jiang, let alone obtain any maternal love from her. She just watched with cold eyes, doing everything from her heart, doing what she thought she should do, just to have a clear conscience. .

However, in this short month, she discovered that the Aunt Jiang she had glimpsed in her previous life was only one tenth of the ten.

Seeing his mother breaking his own bottom line again and again, Chu Qianchen felt a little unspeakably depressed.

She had no one to talk to about this feeling.

Shen was stunned for a moment. Although Chu Qianchen didn't say it clearly, her implication was obvious. She was telling herself that Aunt Jiang was playing a trick, and that today's scandal was caused by Aunt Jiang herself.

Shen had some suspicions but was too lazy to care. Chu Qianchen's words confirmed her suspicions.

To be honest, she was not surprised that Chu Qianchen could see Aunt Jiang's thoughts. This child had always been smart and alert, but she did not expect that Chu Qianchen would tell her without reservation.

Therefore, this child should trust him.

Thinking of this, Shen's heart felt warm.

Grandma Chen was pouring tea for Chu Qianchen. After hearing this, she paused in the act of pouring tea, and then continued as if nothing had happened.

"Second girl, drink tea!" Nanny Chen personally served Chu Qianchen a cup of rose tea, looking at her with more complicated eyes. The second girl is indeed a sensible person, but she accidentally falls in love with such a mother-in-law!

Shen stopped talking and looked at Chu Qianchen with a softer look.

Chu Qianchen's expression was still calm and calm, as if he was talking about an insignificant person.

However, Mrs. Shen knew how much Chu Qianchen relied on Aunt Jiang, but what Aunt Jiang did time and time again made her cold-hearted and pushed her away.

Mrs. Shen couldn't help but feel sorry for this girl. Any child would have a natural feeling of admiration for their own mother. How uncomfortable this girl must be in her heart to be able to say these words so calmly.

She is only thirteen years old!

Shen suddenly stood up and sat next to Chu Qianchen.

Chu Qianchen was startled and looked up, and the next moment, Mrs. Shen gently held her in his arms.

Chu Qianchen's shoulders were stiff and he looked a little uncomfortable.

In two lifetimes, no one has ever been so close to her...

Mrs. Shen patted her shoulder gently, again and again. Chu Qianchen could feel her warm body temperature passing through several layers of fabric, and smelled the fresh orchid scent of incense on her body.

Unconsciously, Chu Qianchen relaxed and his eyebrows relaxed.

This feeling seems good.

"Mother," Chu Qianchen lowered his eyes and murmured as docile as a lamb, "Tell me, are there any mothers in this world who don't like their children..."

Mrs. Shen's heart skipped a beat, and her own voice sounded in her ears, seemingly close yet far away: "Awan, do you think there are mothers who don't like their children?"

Not long ago, she asked this same question.

Looking at Chu Qianchen nestled in her arms, for some reason, Shen felt a feeling in her heart that even she couldn't explain.

"dust…"

Just as she was about to speak again, she was interrupted by a female voice from a distance: "Mother!"

Chu Qianhuang walked quickly from the southeast, his breathing a little short, and a bright smile on his face.

"Mom, second sister, you are here!"

She casually glanced at Chu Qianchen, who was leaning against Mr. Shen, and a dark light flashed in her eyes.

Chu Qianchen raised her head from Shen's arms. She was a little shy and a little nostalgic.

"Mom, I'm a little jealous that you are so kind to your second sister." Chu Qianhuang sat down on the other side of Shen's family, held her arm affectionately, and pouted coquettishly.

Mrs. Shen couldn't help but laugh at her daughter's amusement. She stroked her temples and said with a smile, "Mom is also very good to you."

Chu Qianhuang nodded vigorously, with a bit of shy childishness, and changed the topic: "Mom, second sister, the banquet is about to begin, I came here specially to ask you to come over."

"Then let's go." Mrs. Shen stood up and stroked her dress gracefully.

Chu Qianchen and Chu Qianhuang both followed Shen to the theater first, and after asking the Dowager Madam for instructions, they invited everyone to move to the banquet hall today.

In addition to the second prince Gu Nanzhao, today's guests also included several aunts married to the Hou family and their husbands and children. The hall was packed and lively.

That is to say, Chu Lingxiao arrived a step late and changed into a brand new lake blue robe. Everyone just thought he was going to change clothes and didn't pay attention, including the wife.

She is the birthday girl today, and neither Shen, Chu Lingxiao, nor the servants of the Hou Mansion have a tacit agreement not to tell Mrs. Tai about the leak of Qinghui Courtyard.

At noon, the banquet started on time. All kinds of delicacies, chicken, duck, fish, fruits and vegetables were presented by the maids. It was a dazzling array, full of color, fragrance and flavor.

Not only that, Shen also arranged for musicians to play the piano and pipa in a pavilion outside.

The guests ate, drank, talked and laughed, and occasionally drank tea and enjoyed themselves. Everyone was quite happy and full of praise.

The birthday banquet didn't end until mid-afternoon.

After the party was over, Mrs. Shen took Chu Qianhuang and Chu Qianchen to see off the guests.

"Sister-in-law, let's go now and come back for a visit another day." A beautiful woman in her twenties or eighties said goodbye to Mrs. Shen with a smile. She couldn't help but look at Chu Qianchen, and then to the other side. A young woman in Tsing Yi who was twenty-four or five years old said, "Fifth sister, since we are on the way, why don't I give you a ride."

"Third Sister, I won't be polite to you anymore." The young woman in green, also known as Chu Wuniang, got on Chu Sanniang's carriage obediently.

After getting on the carriage, Chu Wuniang couldn't help but lift the curtains of the carriage, took another look at Chu Qianchen, and said softly in a voice that only their sisters could hear: "Third sister, do you think my sister-in-law is waiting for Chen today?" Sister is particularly different?"

The two sisters exchanged a knowing look.

Chu Sanniang nodded and said, "Yes, I just saw that she is no different from Sister Huang."

Chu Wu Niang paused and lowered her voice a little: "I heard that the imperial concubine intends to choose a concubine for the second prince from among several nieces. Third sister, do you think it is..."

"Eight to nine percent. My sister-in-law is probably teaching her how to treat guests today. This girl was taught by her aunt that she couldn't stand up to the public. She has a timid temperament. If she does this and becomes the second prince's concubine, she will be embarrassed. It’s not our Chu family’s face!”

"That's right!"

While the two sisters were talking, they looked through the window of the carriage at the second prince Gu Nanzhao who was walking towards Yimen.

Gu Nanzhao came to Mr. Shen surrounded by several young men and girls from the Chu family. He smiled politely and said, "Auntie, I want to take some of my cousins ​​out for a walk."

"Mom, it's still early, we want to go for a walk nearby." Chu Qianhuang said with a bright smile.

This is just a trivial matter. Of course, Mrs. Shen would not spoil Gu Nanzhao's face. She nodded with a smile and said, "Your Highness, you young people go and have fun."

"Sister Huang, don't be too playful. Remember to come back before curfew." Mrs. Shen gave her daughter an extra warning.

Chu Qianhuang responded with a smile, as bright and cheerful as a little daughter.

Chu Qianling was also there, her face still covered with a veil and looking happy. Her right hand subconsciously touched her left hand wrapped in gauze.

Her cousin treated her very well and was willing to take her to seek medical treatment.

only…

Chu Qianling raised her head and looked at Chu Qianchen on Shen's right, her eyes darkening again.

Gu Nanzhao smiled slightly, like a spring breeze, "Don't worry, aunt, I will send my cousins ​​back safely..." As he said that, Gu Nanzhao looked at Chu Qianchen with hope, wanting to call her to go with him.

Chu Qianchen noticed his gaze and retreated directly behind Shen.

She had no intention of him, so she naturally wouldn't give him the slightest chance of misunderstanding.

(End of chapter)