Zhangjia Jinzhi

Chapter 162 Mother and Son
The news that the eldest son of the Pan family made a fool of himself yesterday spread to Zhao Shangshu's backyard early in the morning.

Mrs. Zhao wore a dark purple tie on her forehead, her hair was loose in a bun, and her eye sockets were sunken. She was lying sickly on the arhat bed carved with flowers and birds, staring at the top of the gauze tent in a daze.

The maid Xi Que opened the curtain and came in, leaned into the bedroom, and winked at Du Juan who was guarding Madam Zhao.

Du Juan understood, turned her head to look at Mrs. Zhao quietly, and nodded invisibly with the magpie.

This means that the madam is in a good mood today, the magpie has a bottom line in her heart, and enters the inner room with a smile on her face.

Mrs. Zhao has been seriously ill since she fell from the carriage last time, not to mention that she has not shown a smile for more than half a month, and she will be reprimanded even if she walks a little too heavily.

Madam's temperament suddenly changed a lot, even Zhao Shangshu couldn't stand Madam's cold words, some days the future Madam will visit her in her room.

"lady,"

Magpie walked to Zhao's bed with a smile on his face, and said softly:
"Madam is overjoyed!"

Mrs. Zhao frowned when she heard the words, turned her head to look at the magpie, and said coldly:
"I can't get out of bed for half a month, what else can I have a happy event?"

Magpie hurriedly said:

"Ma'am! This servant just went to Bailizhai to buy rice paper for the third girl, but it sounds like a happy event!"

"I heard that when Young Master Pan was riding a horse yesterday, for some reason, the horse suddenly started to hoof, and carried Young Master Pan from Taibai Tower to Chong'an Gate before being stopped!"

"That Mr. Pan usually loves to dance and write, but he is not good at riding and is as timid as a mouse! He even wailed along the way, which shocked many merchants... I heard that when the guards of Chong'anmen knocked down the horse's head, Mr. Pan's voice was terrified. Shouting dumb, tears and snot mixed together on the face..."

"This story has been spread all over the streets and alleys today! I heard that Mrs. Pan knew that she couldn't cover up this matter, and she fainted in the morning...Madam, listen! Isn't it just great joy!"

Mrs. Zhao's face relaxed a little after hearing this, she quickly stood up after a little thought, and ordered Yu Magpie:

"Go and ask people to spread the word in secret, saying that our sister Xian didn't look at Mr. Pan as a coward that day, and that's why you asked people to make a fuss about the horoscope..."

"This matter must be done quickly, and while the Pan family is in deep quagmire, and you step on me, I will definitely let that old lady taste the heart-wrenching feeling!"

"Go! If you finish this matter well, Madam, I will reward you a lot!"

Magpie smiled even more when he heard this, and hurriedly patted his chest to Mrs. Zhao and said:
"Ma'am, don't worry! This matter will be done by the servants! You must vent your anger on our girl!"

Only then did Mrs. Zhao show a satisfied look on her face. After the magpie retreated, she turned to look at Du Juan and asked:
"How is Nanny Gui these few days? Did you call the doctor for a follow-up visit? What do you say?"

Du Juan was envious of the magpie's favor. Hearing the sound, he hurriedly approached Mrs. Zhao and said flatteringly:
"Back to Madam, the doctor just came to examine the pulse yesterday, and said that the injury on Nanny Gui's back is much better, and he only said that she will be able to get out of bed after half a month's rest. The doctor changed the prescription again yesterday, Madam, don't worry, Nanny Gui said Head, the servants are serving you wholeheartedly!"

Mrs. Zhao heard the words, but a layer of frost gathered in her eyes again.

It will take another half a month to get out of bed... How can this be called improvement?
Li Taiwei's twenty boards almost killed Nanny Gui that day!

Thinking of this woman, Mrs. Zhao hated and feared...

How could she know about Brother Ping?She is obviously not as old as brother Ping, how could she say such a thing?
In the eighth year of Taihe, on Lake Luan...

Just thinking of these eight words from Li Taiwei's mouth made Mrs. Zhao's face turn pale!
That was a secret she had buried for many years, and she had dealt with all those who knew her back then, except for herself and Nanny Gui, no one else would know about it!
How could Li Taiwei know...how could she know?

Could it be that Li Xiang and Mrs. Li knew about it, and then revealed it to Li Taiwei?Will Li Taiwei tell Sister Jing or Aunt Zheng about this?

Thinking that the matter might be exposed, Mrs. Zhao felt anxious and tormented like ants eating her heart.

"lady?"

Du Juan saw Mrs. Zhao's face was as white as paper, and she fell into a trance again, so she couldn't help raising her voice and calling out several times,
"Madam... madam... the eldest son is here to visit you..."

Only then did Mrs. Zhao come back to her senses, looking at Zhao Mengping's blurred silhouette outside the door, her fingertips shivering under the quilt trembled a little...

"Mother... are you okay?"

Zhao Mengping couldn't wait for Mrs. Zhao to ask someone to open the door, so he couldn't help asking in worry.

Du Juan looked at Madam Zhao with a little confusion, since Madam got out of the carriage last time, her attitude towards the eldest son became more and more indifferent.

"lady……"

Rhododendron cautiously said,
"The eldest son is here... Madam, do you want to see me?"

Mrs. Zhao took a deep breath, clenched her fists under the quilt, and after a long while she breathed a sigh of relief, and nodded to Du Juan.

Du Juan hurried forward to open the door like a Meng Dahe.

Zhao Mengping came in with a bow, saluted Mrs. Zhao respectfully, and looked at Mrs. Zhao with obvious concern:
"Why is mother so thin? Could it be that the imperial doctor's medicine doesn't work? My son will go to the imperial hospital for my mother and ask another imperial physician..."

Zhao Mengping lifted his robe and wanted to go outside while speaking, but told Mrs. Zhao to stop her voice.

"Brother Ping—!"

Zhao Mengping turned around, but saw Mrs. Zhao looking at him with complicated eyes. He had never seen such an expression on his mother's face before, and he felt inexplicably uneasy.

"Mother...do you have something on your mind?"

Mrs. Zhao's eyes trembled, and the circles of her eyes turned red.

It is said that mother and child are connected, but she and Brother Ping have been a fake mother and son for seventeen years, and they are no different from real mother and son...

These days, even Sister Xian only thinks that she has hurt her leg so that she can't keep up. Only this fake son she brought up with her own hands can keenly capture the emotion in her eyes.

Madam Zhao sighed, stretched out her hand to Brother Ping, caressed his cheek, concealed her emotion and said:

"It's okay, mother, it's just that I haven't got out of bed for a long time, and I'm just depressed... How are you studying these days? Have you been praised by your husband? You will end next year, so you can't play anymore..."

Hearing what his mother said, Zhao Mengping felt relieved, and answered Mrs. Zhao's words carefully, then put Mrs. Zhao's hand into the quilt, tucked the corners of the quilt for her again, and told Du Juan to take good care of his wife.

Mrs. Zhao stared blankly at such a humble and filial son, tears almost fell down.

This is the son she raised for 17 years...

This is the son she snatched from his biological mother for 17 years...

"Mother, why do you..."

Zhao Mengping saw that Mrs. Zhao's expression was not right, so he wanted to ask each other, when he heard a loud cry from outside:
"Ma'am! It's not good! Sister Xian fought with the second girl of Pan's family in Fulu Hutong!"

"what!"

Mrs. Zhao almost rolled out of bed when she heard the sound, Zhao Mengping supported Mrs. Zhao, and said in relief:

"Mother is resting, son is going to have a look!"

(End of this chapter)