Pampered Consort of the Fragrant Orchard c1-234

by N/A

  Du Xiao Li looked to the several boxes on the table next to Du Old Madam. Presumably, inside was precisely those incense sticks. She picked up a box for a sniff, her gaze suddenly darkening.

  These incense sticks doesn't seem to be simple incense sticks.

  Ch. 082.1 – Ya Lan Reaches Marriageable Age, Xiao Li Gets Caught! (1)

  Ya Lan Reaches Marriageable Age, Xiao Li Gets Caught! (1)

  Du Old Madam, seeing Du Xiao Li's look, asked, "Is there something wrong with the incense stick?"

  Du Xiao Li put the incense stick back in to the box and said, "Grandmother, there's nothing wrong with this incense stick. It's just my first time smelling incense stick produced from the south, so ended up sniffing it a little longer."

  "This incense is produced in Nanshui. It's very normal for third miss to have not smelled it before." Fourth yiniang said.

  (T/N: Nanshui - Norther Water; sounds weird for a country name if translated so I left as is.)

  "Really?" Du Xiao Li looked to fourth yiniang and said, "Grandmother, although there's nothing wrong with this incense stick, this isn't suitable for the elderly to use."

  "Why?" Du Old Madam asked.

  "The fragrant of this incense is too strong. If the elderly smell it too much, then will easily feel suffocated, causing blood circulation to clog, and instead will be detrimental to the body. Since this was brought over from Nanshui by fourth yiniang, don't tell me that you don't even know this?" Du Xiao Li replied.

  "Third miss, words can't be said recklessly!" Hearing Du Xiao Li's words, fourth yiniang shot up in surprise.

  "It's not like I'm saying nonsense. Fourth yiniang, don't you know yourself?" Du Xiao Li said, "Although this is my first time seeing this incense, this incense's raw ingredient is fragrant deer grass, right? Fourth yiniang, don't forget, I also grew up in the south. Fragrant deer grass and whatnot, I've still seen before, and towards its effect and medicinal use, I've also studied before."

  "Is this true?" Du Old Madam's face instantly sunk and angrily looked to fourth yiniang. "Giving me this kind of incense, what malicious intentions are you harboring? Do you want to take this old life of mine?!"

  Fourth yiniang instantly knelt to the ground, "Old madam, this lowly concubine wouldn't dare. This lowly concubine has never thought of harming old madam's life before!"

  "You still say you don't? If not for today, feeling this scent was not bad, and decided in the last moment to let Xiao Li come over to see, I wouldn't have known this incense of yours also had this kind of affect! Speak, why do you want to harm me?" Du Old Madam firmly believed Du Xiao Li's words without any doubt. Seeing fourth yiniang kneeling on the ground, Du Old Madam increasingly felt that she wanted to harm her life.

  Fourth yiniang knelt on the ground kowtowing, "Old madam, this lowly concubine really never thought of harming you! This incense, this incense actually isn't mine. This lowly concubine got it from fifth yiniang. It definitely must be fifth yiniang that wants to harm old madam!"

  "Fifth yiniang?" Du Xiao Li glanced at Xia Yuan, unsure how fifth yiniang was also involved in this.

  "Someone, go bring me fifth yiniang, then have second madam called over!" Du Old Madam shouted as she angrily slapped the table.

  "Yes."

  Seeing Du Old Madam this angry, the servant girls in the room hurried replied, and shortly after, went to fetch fifth yiniang and invite the madam.

  "Grandmother, don't be angry anymore. Once everyone arrives, just properly ask them. Fortunately, you still haven't used this incense yet, right?" Du Xiao Li consoled.

  "That's because you're here. Today, if not for you, I would've been in danger." Du Old Madam looked to Du Xiao Li and said, her anger also reducing some.

  "Even without this granddaughter, grandmother would've still been fine." Du Xiao Li said.

  Very soon, fifth yiniang was escorted over. Zhong Mei Qing however wasn't in her own courtyard, thus it took some time to find her. When she arrived, Ke Xin and her brother also followed in behind her. Even Du Xiu Heng came over too.

  As soon as Zhong Mei Qing entered the room, she saw fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang kneeling on the ground, weeping endlessly, and a mean looking old servant woman standing to the side holding a one foot long and one inch wide disciplinary ruler, while Du Old Madam sat in the main seat looking quite angry with Du Xiao Li standing at her side comforting her. Zhong Mei Qing quickly went forward and asked, "Mother, what's the matter?"

  "What good yiniang you have brought up!" When Du Old Madam saw Zhong Mei Qing, she had all her anger directed onto her, because this yiniang as Du Yun Han's concubine was her responsibility to look after.

  "What did fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang do to anger mother? Mother please calm down, just leave these matters to me to take care of!" Zhong Mei Qing said.

  "Hmph, look at the good thing they did!" Du Old Madam had the box on the table thrown onto the ground. The incense sticks inside all fell out.

  Zhong Mei Qing looked to the incense and asked, "Mother, what's wrong with these incense sticks?"

  "These incense sticks were brought over by fourth yiniang, but third miss said these incenses are detrimental to old madam. The old madam is currently angry at this!" The servant girl at Du Old Madam's side roughly explained the situation.

  "Then why is fifth yiniang also kneeling here?" Zhong Mei Qing asked.

  "Fourth yiniang said these were fifth yiniang's incense sticks, thus fifth yiniang was also called over."

  Du Ke Hui looked to Du Xiao Li and shouted, "Du Xiao Li, what are you doing fanning the flames and lighting the fire at home for? Having this home stirred into a complete mess, are you happy?"

  Du Xiao Li glanced at Du Ke Hui and said, "I merely said what I should say, don't tell me I can't say anything, even if knowing this incense is bad for grandmother?"

  "Before you came, this home has always been peaceful and harmonious, but look at it now, having grandmother angered like this?!" Du Ke Hui scolded.

  (T/N: Dear author please spare me from this stupidity, I feel like I'm losing brain cells as I translate.)

  "Disgraceful thing!" Hearing Du Ke Hui's words, Du Old Madam angrily howled, "Don't tell me, you want to wait until these old bones of mine are lying in a coffin before saying anything? What kind of disgraceful thing are you!"

  "Grandmother, I didn't mean this." Getting yelled at, Du Ke Hui quickly explained himself.

  "Mother, don't be angry, this matter, leave it to this daughter-in-law to take care of." Zhong Mei Qing consoled.

  "Just do the questioning here! I want to see, exactly for what reason made them do this!" Du Old Madam pointed to the two on the ground and said.

  "Yes." Zhong Mei Qing curtsied.

  Du Xiao Li came over from Du Old Madam's side to Du Xiu Heng's, standing together to one side.

  "Are you alright?" Du Xiu Heng looked to Du Xiao Li in concern and asked.

  "I'm fine, how come you're here?" Du Xiao Li softly asked.

  "We'd returned from school and just happened to see them looking for second mother. After asking about the situation, I just followed them over." Du Xiu Heng replied.

  Zhong Mei Qing walked before fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang, "You two have always known your place all these years, yet now you'v begun stirring? Speak, who exactly do these incense belong to? Fourth yiniang, since these were brought over by you, you speak first."

  "Older sister, these really aren't mine." Fourth yiniang said through tears, "I merely saw these incenses in fifth yiniang's courtyard and thought that they smelled nice, thus thought of sending some over to the old madam. I really didn't have the intention to harm the old madam! It must be fifth yiniang, she framed me!"

  "Older sister(addressing fourth yiniang) shouldn't carelessly say nonsense!" Fifth yiniang hurriedly cried out her grievance, "As soon as I'd gotten ahold of these incenses, you said you liked them and insisted on taking them. At the time, I even asked what you were going to do taking that many, but you just said you felt
they smelled nice and wanted to light them in your entire courtyard. You never said they were going to be for the old madam! Else, I definitely wouldn't have given them to you! Second sister, you have to believe me! I really didn't have the intentions to harm the old madam. These incenses, if used by younger people, are very good!"

  "Fourth yiniang, are fifth yiniang's words true?" Zhong Mei Qing asked.

  "Yes, it's true.........." Fourth yiniang weakly replied, "I took them from fifth yiniang's place. She at the time asked if I was going to use them myself. I was afraid that she also wanted to use this to win the old madam's favor, so I said it was for myself."

  "So you didn't know beforehand that she was going to give them to the old madam?" Zhong Mei Qing looked to fifth yiniang and asked again.

  "This younger sister really didn't know! If I'd known, how could I have let fourth sister give them to the old madam?" Fifth yiniang said as she used her handkerchief to wipe her tears.

  "Second sister, I didn't mean to either. I really was just thinking that since this incense smelled so nice, giving it to the old madam will make her happy. That's why things turned out like this! I don't have an understanding of incenses, so I really didn't know the old madam can't smell this scent!" Fourth yiniang tearily said.

  Ch. 082.2 – Ya Lan Reaches Marriageable Age, Xiao Li Gets Caught! (2)

  Ya Lan Reaches Marriageable Age, Xiao Li Gets Caught! (2)

  T/N: Chapter sponsored by Mochakat9! Thank you for sponsoring!

  "You really are doing misdeeds with good intentions!" Zhong Mei Qing looked to fourth yiniang in disappointment, and then turned to the old madam. "Mother, everything has been asked clearly. This is all fourth yiniang having good intentions but caused trouble. Her original intent was good."

  "Hmph!" Du Old Madam had also heard their words, but that didn't mean she wasn't angry anymore. If she really were to have used these incenses, then wouldn't she have been in danger!?

  "Although they didn't mean to, it can't go without punishment either. Since this matter nearly harmed mother's body, then will just have them go to the monastery outside the city and pray for mother and master for a month. Additionally, the two will also have half a year's worth of their monthly allowance deducted. Mother, what do you think?" Zhong Mei Qing stated her own judgement and then inquired the old madam's opinion.

  "You're in charge of the rear court, so just do it like this then! You all go back, too many people giving me a headache! Xiao Li, you stay behind." Du Old Madam waved her hand letting everyone else all leave.

  Zhong Mei Qing and Du Ke Xin both glanced at Du Xiao Li, seeing her calm expression, with their own expressions varying. However, they still all bowed to the old madam and left, while fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang also quickly followed out. This time, getting send to the monastery was still a better punishment than getting beaten to death or some other punishment! "Xiao Li, come over and examine grandma's body. I feel awfully dizzy in the head." Du Old Madam said.

  (T/N: Du Old Madam addresses herself as 'nainai' here which is a more casual and intimate address, though MC continues to address her as the formal 'zhumu'-grandmother)

  "Alright, grandmother." Du Xiao Li let Du Xiu Heng return first, while she herself walked before Du Old Madam and reached out to take her pulse.

  "How is it? Am I sick?" Du Old Madam watched Du Xiao Li earnestly taking her pulse and felt this face that she's hated for more than ten years seemingly was also very good looking, and very pleasing to the eyes!

  (T/N: I'm getting major side-eye vibes here------------you know it's quite sad that this type of grandmother is more common in rl than you'd think, especially in china where the older generation are still super hung up on family background in choosing daughter-in-laws.)

  Du Xiao Li took the pulse for a while and then retracted her hand, "Grandmother, don't worry. Your body doesn't have any problems. It's just that your anger earlier somewhat injured your liver. I'll prescribe you two-days worth of medicine to adjust your body, you'll be fine after drinking it."

  Hearing Du Xiao Li's words, the servant girl to the side very perceptively had the brush and ink prepared, placing them on the table. Du Xiao Li came to the table side. Lifting the brush, she quickly wrote out a prescription and handed it to the servant girl to the side, "Boil three bowls of water down to one, taking it every time before a meal. After drinking for two days, she'll be fine. In addition, the meals in the next two days need to be light, eat some more vegetables, and don't drink wine. Also, don't drink those nourishing herbal soups either."

  "This servant will keep in mind."

  "Grandmother, father should be back now. Regarding the competition this time, I still have some things to ask him about." Du Xiao Li got up and said after she finished explaining.

  "En, go then. The competition this time is a significant matter, you two need to work properly." Du Old Madam said.

  "En, I will." Du Xiao Li said with a smile. "Grandmother, this incense isn't good for your body, but I feel the scent is rather good. Can you give me some?"

  "Take them all." Du Old Madam said, waving her hand. She felt her head ache just looking at those incense sticks.

  "Then, thank you grandmother!" Du Xiao Li mischievously smiled, "Then grandmother, rest well, this granddaughter will be going first."

  "En, go then. If you have time, come visit your grandmother frequently." Du Old Madam said with a smile.

  "This granddaughter will. This granddaughter bids farewell!" Du Xiao Li curtsied and then left with Xia Yuan.

  "This child, really not bad." Du Old Madam said to the old mama at her side.

  "Much better than that mother of hers." Du Old Madam said, "However, she did give birth to such a pair of children, so can be said to be worthy of having Yun Han leave her the di wife position for this many years. Alright, you all withdraw. I want to rest for a while, wake me up when it's time to drink the medicine."

  "Yes." All the servant girls in the room successively retreated, leaving behind one servant girl serving Du Old Madam to rest.

  After Du Xiao Li left Du Old Madam's courtyard, she directly returned to her Jade Bamboo Courtyard. She entered her own room and let Xia Yuan place those incense on the table.

  "Miss, is there something wrong with these incense sticks?" Xia Yuan asked as she watched Du Xiao Li open the box.

  Du Xiao Li simply made a sound in response, and then let Xia Yuan go fetch a cup of wine. After the wine was brought over, she had incense just now thrown in. The wine very quickly turned blood red.

  "Miss, this is poison?" Xia Yuan said somewhat surprised.

  "As expected, my guess was right!" Du Xiao Li lifted the cup and carefully examined it for a while. Afterwards, she went to the veranda and threw the bowl and wine into the river below. After seeing the bowl sink into the water, she finally lay down on the guifei couch on the veranda.

  (T/N: Oi that's pollution......throwing poison into water------some peasant is prob gonna die from that.)

  Xia Yuan walked up behind Du Xiao Li and said, "Miss, since this incense is poisoned, then back in the old madam's courtyard, why didn't you say so? Instead, just saying this incense scent isn't suitable for the elderly."

  "At first, I also didn't think of this, but afterwards, after seeing fifth yiniang, she had a kind of 'being relieved from a burden' expression, thus I thought of this possibility." Du Xiao Li said.

  "Then that fifth yiniang was being deliberate?"

  "First let's set aside whether or not she'd deliberately put in the poison." Du Xiao Li looked to the gradually darkening skies and said, "Xia Yuan, don't you think second mother's behavior today was somewhat strange?"

  "Strange?"

  Du Xiao Li nodded, "Based on her personality, given such an opportunity to eradicate fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang, how could she not make use of it? But look at her decision, merely letting fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang go to the monastery outside the city to pray."

  "Hearing miss say it like this, it reall
y is strange." Xia Yuan said, "But why would she do this?"

  "This, I don't know. But if fourth yiniang and fifth yiniang really are like how father said, having ulterior motives, I believe they won't miss this opportunity." Du Xiao Li said.

  "Then should we send someone to keep an eye on them?" Xia Yuan asked.

  "No need, this matter, we don't need to interfere. That old fox definitely won't slack off." Du Xiao Li thought of Du Yun Han and laughed.

  "But lately, hasn't the master been busy with the matters of the competition? Won't he be unable to manage this side?" Xia Yuan worryingly asked.

  "Che, that old fox, you don't need to worry. During this period, I can finally understand why he was able to climb onto the prime minister position this quickly. His abilities definitely aren't a bluff. Just that bit of matter for the competition won't waste too much of his energy. He's always been waiting for an opportunity to catch a big fish, perhaps this is precisely the chance." Du Xiao Li finished saying, and absentmindedly looked out to the horizon's sunset glow.

  Xia Yuan knew Du Xiao Li very much liked watching the sunset. Seeing her lost in thought, she silently stood behind her, not saying a word. She remembered the first time seeing Du Xiao Li absentmindedly watching the sunset, she even curiously asked her what she was looking at.

  Du Xiao Li at the time, replied: "When the sky grows dark, it's time to go home. Watching the night fall, I feel my heart is filled with a warm feeling, that is the taste of home."

  She'd never understood why Du Xiao Li held the home in such high regard, but she could tell, Du Xiao Li was very good to everyone at her side, even if they were her servant girls. This was also an important reason why they were willing to wholeheartedly serve her.

  "Xia Yuan, look, today's sunset is really beautiful." Du Xiao Li said.

  "In miss's eyes, every day's sunset is all very beautiful." Xia Yuan said with a smile.

  "Hahah, I just love watching the sunset!" Du Xiao Li smilingly said, "Enough, go invite big brother over for a meal. During this period, we'd been out the whole time, haven't eaten together with big brother in a long time. Also, go see if father has returned yet. If he's returned, ask him if he's willing to come eat dinner with us."