Chapter 42: Something Bad has Happened

When Ran Yan hurriedly rushed to the courtyard Wu Xiuhe was staying in, she saw that he was just coming around. Because he had choked for too long, his complexion was still a little pale and blue, seeing Ran Yan coming over, his old face reddened slightly, he coughed and said, “Oh, Seventeenth Miss! Er… you’ve hurried here, is there a reason you’re looking for your teacher?”

“Great Doctor Wu, previously you..” Shao Ming was afraid that Ran Yan would misunderstand that he lied, quickly wanted to explain, but he was stifled by Wu Xiuhe’s severe knife-like glare.

Ran Yan sighed and said, “It’s fine as long as nothing happened. I still have guests there, I will return first.”

Wu Xiuhe waved his hands, “Go, it’s all this guy making a mountain out of a molehill, I’m fine.”

Ran Yan indicated for Shao Ming leave with her, after exiting the main door, Ran Yan asked while walking, “What happened?”

“Previously you instructed me to go back and tell Great Doctor Wu regarding the matter about coming back to see him in the evening, so I turned back. When I reached the doorway, I saw that Great Doctor Wu was using his hands to grab a piece of red braised pork belly. The moment he saw me, he stuffed a large piece of meat entirely into his mouth. He momentarily couldn’t swallow it, I saw that he was choking badly, so I went up to help him pat his back. Who knew that Great Doctor Wu was not willing to spit it out even if he died, and stubbornly continued swallowing it. I saw that the situation wasn’t good, so I quickly went to look for you.” Shao Ming felt awfully wronged, at the same time Wu Xiuhe’s floating immortal image in his mind collapsed with a loud bang.

Ran Yan could not help bursting into laughter with a pffft, this cheap shifu of hers was too amusing. He clearly was a rough person, but insisted on putting on airs of an immortal. This time he’s exposed himself indeed!

Ran Yan’s laughter was like the blossoming of spring flowers, uncommonly beautiful. Shao Ming only felt that his vision blurred, there was only her laughing countenence[1], everything around it dimmed in an instant.

Yin Miao-miao stood under the veranda viewing the flowers. She saw Ran Yan entering, and said with a faint smile, “Ah Yan, other tree peonies have all wilted, this tree of yours is still blooming well!”

“Yeah, perhaps it’s a different variety.” Ran Yan could only reply as such. In her heard she did not know how she should interact with Yin Miao-miao.

Ran Yan’s outer appearance looked stern and cold, but actually in private she was very easy going when interacting with her friends, and could talk about anything, clothes, men, perfume. But there seemed to be a long distance towards forming a close friendship with Yin Miao-miao, it was quite constrained/awkward.

After pausing for a moment, Yin Miao-miao said, “On the seventh evening of the seventh lunar month we are going lantern viewing on a boat. Come along as well, everyone really wants to get to know you.”

Ran Yan’s reputation had soared within a day, all of a sudden she had supressed Suzhou’s number one beauty Sixth Miss Qi. Whether this stemmed from the noble ladies’ curiosity, or if they genuinely wanted to be friends, each of them asked Yin Miao-miao to come forward to invite Ran Yan to travel on the boat with them.

Yin Miao-miao walked below the veranda, indicating for Ran Yan to walk towards the pavilion. The two of them walked side by side. Yin Miao-miao’s gentle voice said tirelessly, “You’re probably still unaware, this morning there were 11 families that went to the Ran residence to propose marriage. These 11 families are all aristocratic families with foundations, even the Yan clan were included among them. The whole Suzhou City, half of the aristocratic families want to marry you, this is something that has never even happened to Sixth Miss Qi, naturally they would be curious toward you. Adding to that, you have medical skills, at the moment you’re unrivalled[2], there may be some people who are dissatisfied and make things difficult for you. If you do not want to go, it’s fine not to go.”

As before, Yin Miao-miao was straightforward and was unlike the usual noble ladies who talked in circles. Ran Yan had a rather good impression of this type of personality of hers, therefore her words were more honest, “In my heart I don’t want to go, but it may that I still must go even if I don’t. This matter is not up to my preference.”

Daughters of aristocratic families were like this, some invitations no matter how much they did not wish to go, for the benefit of their family or some other reason, they still had to go, and even had to go happily.

“You are right.” Yin Miao-miao said smiling. Because the both of them equally revealed some sincerity, so their conversation became less constrained. Yin Miao-miao pulled Ran Yan to sit in the pavilion blooming abundantly with honeysuckle. She said with a low voice, “This morning the Yan family invited the most famous matchmaker in Suzhou City, guess, who do you think it is?”

Ran Yan thought about it, the Yan family, wasn’t Yan Fangfei the legitimate daughter of the Yan family? Putting aside those born of the concubines for now, Yan Fanfei had a young brother below her, and two older brothers above her. One married the legitimate daughter of the Wang clan, and already had a son and a daughter, the other was an official registrar at Wucheng County, it was rumoured that he was young and capable, “Is it Second Master Yan?”

“Ya! You’ve actually guess correctly!” Yin Miao-miao’s eyes curved and revealed a trace of teasing, “Could it be that you already have Second Master Yan in your heart?”

Ran Yan felt slightly relieved. If this happened, Ran Wen would definitely break the engagement, as Official Qin’s family was inferior to the Yan clan. Ran Yan dared to affirm that in Ran Wen’s heart, power and wealth was more important than some imaginary, intangible reputation. Otherwise, he would not have kept resentment in his heart after spending a vast sum of money only to marry a concubine-born daughter from the Zheng family.

Yin Miao-miao extended her hand and waved it in front of Ran Yan’s face, “You actually started yearning for love right in front of me?”

“No, I don’t have much of an impression regarding Second Master Yan.” Ran Yan lied, as she was recalling her thoughts just now, only did she realise that within the memories of the original owner, this person had actually taken up half the space, it seemed like she really had been interested in Second Master Yan.

Yin Miao-miao smiled lightly and said, “What is there to be embarrassed about, based on your talent, beauty and status, I already feel like matching you to Second Master Yan is an injustice. After all, your mother is from Xingyang’s Zheng clan!”

Ran Yan knew in her heart, this was actually the main point. The Yan family probably also took a fancy to this point. Ran Wen did not know what was good, and abandoned this gold signboard of Xingyang’s Zheng clan. However, the blood that flowed in Ran Yan’s body was of the Zheng clan, this was undeniable. Whoever married Ran Yan, just had to wait till they returned home before sending her to make a trip to the Zheng clan, then this connection would be claimed. In the past Ran Yan was ill beyond cure and the Ran family abandoned and neglected her, therefore no one showed any interest. Today, her health has recovered, even if she had no talent or beauty, the Yan family would likely still propose marriage.

After talking for a while, they became a lot more intimate and warm, and really had thoughts of becoming best friends. After chatting garrulously in the pavilion for a while, Miss Xing called them to have a meal.

Yin Miao-miao only deliberated for a moment before deciding to stay, and asked Miss Xing to call her servant over from the secondary entrance.

Ran Yan asked curiously, “Don’t your servants serve by your side?”

Yin Miao-miao paused a little and said, “Originally I was like everyone else, but since something happened to Fanchun, I get panicky whenever I see people. If I can, I try not to see anyone.”

Ran Yan nodded and looked out of the door.

Following Miss Xing entering the room was a young girl about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a light yellow ruqun, her hair was tied up in two buns, her eyes downcast, appearing very quiet and calm. After entering she bowed towards the direction where Ran Yan sat, and said, “Greeting Seventeenth Miss.”

Ran Yan made a noise of assent and let her go over to serve her mistress. From beginning to end, there was not even a single extra word or extra action from her (the servant).

The Yin clan’s family education had well deserved reputation indeed. Every action of Yin Miao-miao’s could not be picked on, Ran Yan noticed, even the amount of times she chewed on each side was exactly 28 times each!

Even though Ran Yan felt that table manners were very important, but reaching standards to this extent, really made one shiver, even the enjoyment of eating was lost by half.

The silent meal just ended, when Miss Xing heard footsteps coming from outside the courtyard. She figured that it probably was people from the main residence, there quickly served up tea, and waited on Ran Yan and Yin Miao-miao as they rinsed their mouths.

Indeed, after a few breaths, they could see Madam Gao leading a group of maidservants and manservants over.

Madam Gao was as still beautiful and alluring as usual, wearing a dark red embroidered silk dress, her thick hair rolled up into a high bun, a smile residing in her eyes. Ran Yan did not know if she really did not see that Yin Miao-miao was here or was pretending, Madam Gao’s expression showed slight astonishment before she immediately greeted her, “Not knowing that Third Miss Yin came to visit today, I suddenly came over without even informing, I hope I am not disturbing you both?”

“No, Miao-miao was just about to leave.” Yin Miao-miao quickly got up and bowed.

Ran Yan looked at their friendly exchange, before slowly getting up and bowing towards Madam Gao, “Greeting Second Mother.”

“Quickly, don’t be too courteous.” With a smile, Madam Gao made a motion to help Ran Yan up, before turning around to order the servants behind her to place some things at the side, “I planned to come over in the morning, but you Father said that there were prefectural soldiers guarding here, and one cannot casually enter or exit. I just obtained permission from Provincial Governor Liu before I could enter now.”

Madam Gao warmly called out to Yin Miao-miao, “Don’t keep standing, Third Miss sit as well! The residence is very busy, I have to go back after a couple of sentences.”

Yin Miao-miao was just about to leave, but since Madam Gao said so, it was not good for her to hold up someone’s time, yet it was inconvenient for her to listen to the family matters of the Ran family, so she could only say that she would go look at flowers outside the pavilion. Madam Gao also did not stop her.

After sitting down, Madam Gao said to Ran Yan, “I came over to send you some things to wear and use. Moreover these seven slaves, before this you refused, I was afraid that it would affect your emotions so I did not insist on pushing them to you. But you’ve fully recovered now, your Father decided to receive you back to the residence after 8 days, your maidservants cannot be so perfunctory anymore.”

In the past Ran Yan did not dare to accept, originally she was already gravely ill, how would she still dare to allow people sent by Madam Gao by her side? Was she resentful that her life was too long or that her days were too comfortable?

“I’ll try using these few first, if I’m not satisfied, after returning to the residence Second Mother have to act on my behalf and change them for me.” Ran Yan said indifferently.

“Of course!” Madam Gao agreed easily, without any trace of unhappiness. “Because there are only a few days left before you return to the residence, so I did not send too many things over. Bear with it for a few days, I will put all my effort to decorate your room.”

She had already endured for two years, what were another few days? Ran Yan thought this in her heart, but could not refute her like this. The proverbs say that a hand should not slap a smiling face, furthermore offending Madam Gao, other than giving free reign to her tongue for a moment, there were no other benefits, thus the corners of her mouth twitched and she said, “Then I will have to trouble Second Mother.”

“With these words of yours, my heart is at ease regardless of the trouble.” Madam Gao’s bright and beautiful eyes contained a faint smile, indescribably tender.

After she completed her purpose, she got up and said, “In that case, I will return now. Go and accompany Third Miss Yin, no need to send me off.”

When Madam Gao exited the living hall, she met Miss Xing who was carrying in the tea. Her beautiful eyes swept across the tea utensils in Miss Xing’s hands, her plump lips curved up slightly, she answered Miss Xing’s greeting, before leading her servants and left.

Madam Gao arrived at the area where the pavilion was, preparing to say her farewell to Yin Miao-miao, but she could hear a commotion from outside, a woman’s cries could be heard from a distance, “Madam! Madam! Something bad happened! Something bad happened at the residence!”

Madam Gao could not bother about etiquette, furrowed her brows and walked towards the doorway. Yin Miao-miao and Ran Yan were also startled and looked at each other before following her.

At the doorway, they saw prefectural soldiers blocking a girl in a pink garment from entering.

T/N: It’s funny how productive you are when you’re busy. This week was one of my busiest week, yet I’ve also managed to finish translating one chapter and am half way through the next chapter as well!

[1] 她眉眼之间的笑: literally: the smile/laugh in between her eyes and brows. Which sounds weird, so I changed it.