The Night Before the Divorce, She Was Reborn to Before Her Marriage - Chapter 30

Ning Zhenyuan saw that the Old Madam Ning refused to speak, so he looked at the maid Ruyi. “You tell me.”

Ruyi glanced at the cold-faced Old Madam Ning but refused to speak, merely kneeling down. “Please punish me, Second Lord.”

“Mother, it is right for an elder to discipline a junior, but there must be a reason. Your son requires an explanation,” Ning Zhenyuan said patiently, though he felt a rising urgency, careful not to speak too harshly and hurt his mother’s feelings.

“Second Younger Brother, your wife had a conflict with the Old Madam today. A-Fu spoke on her behalf and lost her sense of propriety, talking back to the Old Madam,” Madam Wei interjected to smooth things over.

Upon hearing this, Ning Zhenyuan defended his wife. “Mother, Madam Liu is kind-hearted and certainly has no ill intentions. She is just a little strong-willed. I ask that Mother not take her words to heart.”

The Old Madam Ning’s anger slightly subsided. Her son was siding with her after all. “Go back and tell her that tomorrow she must take over the duties from Madam Mu. If she tries to push it off again, don’t blame me, as an elder, for being heartless.”

Madam Wei also breathed a sigh of relief. Her Second Younger Brother was always agreeable. “Go back and advise your wife. She is also a daughter-in-law of the Duke’s estate, and the estate’s affairs are her affairs too. Only by working together can the Duke’s estate prosper.

The Unwavering Stance

Just then, Madam Ning rushed over. Seeing the unconscious Ning Fu, her heart was twisted in agony. She looked at Ning Zhenyuan, who was still deferential and filial toward the Old Madam, and felt utterly disappointed.

Madam Ning said flatly, “Tomorrow, I will take A-Fu back to the Princess’s Residence.”

Ning Zhenyuan was stunned. Following this, the Old Madam Ning said coldly, “If you want to go back, then go. No one is stopping you.” She was certain that Madam Ning wouldn’t leave; she had acted similarly when the Second Lord took a concubine, but she ultimately stayed.

Moreover, the Princess’s Residence was not so easy to return to now.

She was an elder; there was no way she would be threatened by a junior.

“What is going on?” Ning Zhenyuan frowned.

Madam Ning ignored him and bent down to look at Ning Fu. The physician had already arrived and applied needles, and only then did Ning Fu slowly wake up.

“Father,” Ning Fu’s eyes reddened when she saw Ning Zhenyuan.

Ning Zhenyuan saw her swollen and raw red knees and felt immense heartache. “How have I usually instructed you? How could you talk back to your Grandmother?”

Ning Fu pushed him away and stared at him. “Why don’t you first ask why I talked back to Grandmother? Is everything Grandmother says absolutely right? What if I told Father that Grandmother first tried to send Mother back to the Princess’s Residence?”

Ning Zhenyuan was taken aback and immediately looked at his wife, but she refused to give him so much as a glance.

No wonder his wife had threatened to return to the Princess’s Residence.

Madam Wei tried to smooth things over. “A-Fu, your Grandmother was only speaking out of anger.”

“Was it only anger? Or was it because she knew in her heart that with me here, Mother couldn’t bear to leave me and wouldn’t be able to return to the Princess’s Residence? That’s why Grandmother felt she could say those hurtful things without any reservation?” Ning Fu asked softly.

The Old Madam Ning’s secret thoughts had been exposed, and her face darkened.

“I will protect my own mother. Even if there is a next time, I will still do this, and I don’t care if I kneel to death here. Until Grandmother apologizes to Mother, I will not set foot in the Qin Garden,” Ning Fu said softly but firmly.

Madam Ning turned her back to her daughter and wiped away her tears.

“Furthermore, there is no room for negotiation regarding the Duke’s estate accounts. My mother will not manage them unless she is allowed to personally find someone to check the accounts from three years ago, from beginning to end, and is satisfied there are no issues. Only then will I agree to Mother taking over,” Ning Fu declared.

The Old Madam Ning did not readily agree, which clearly indicated she knew something about the estate’s finances.

Madam Wei felt a surge of guilt.

At this point, Ning Zhenyuan understood the situation. He had always known that his mother got along better with and favored his Elder Sister-in-law (Madam Wei). However, since he and Ning Zhenxiu (the Duke) were blood brothers, he didn’t concern himself with it. He hadn’t said much, even when the First Branch fully managed the household.

Everyone knew how much profit could be made from managing the household. By remaining silent, he was tacitly allowing the First Branch to gain more profit. Since they were family, he was willing to take a slight loss.

Yet, he never expected that after learning of the financial difficulties, his mother would think of using his wife’s dowry to cover the mess caused by the First Branch.

Ning Zhenyuan felt a chill in his heart.

He looked at his wife, guilt rising within him. Now his daughter was grown up and could advocate for her. But what about before? Had his wife endured it all by herself? If his daughter hadn’t knelt today, his wife would have been the one to collapse here.

His mother was suppressing his wife because she knew he would side with her, but his wife endured it all out of love for him. This comparison made him feel increasingly indebted to his wife.

Ning Zhenyuan also realized that if this issue wasn’t resolved properly now, there would be a next time.

“Tomorrow, Mother will take you back to the Princess’s Residence,” Madam Ning told Ning Fu.

Ning Fu glanced at her father and nodded.

Madam Ning suddenly felt a warmth in her palm. Looking down, she saw that Ning Zhenyuan had grasped her hand.

“Mother, you are also a married woman. You should know best how difficult it is for a woman to return home after marrying. Madam Liu is the woman your son personally sought to marry. If you drive her away, you are slapping your son’s face,” Ning Zhenyuan said sincerely. “Your son hopes you will apologize to Madam Liu.”

The Old Madam Ning could not back down but refused to say a word. It was impossible for her to apologize to Madam Liu.

“Please consider this your son begging you,” Ning Zhenyuan looked at her and said.

The Old Madam Ning replied with disappointment, “Who do you think I am doing this for? Do you think I genuinely can’t tolerate her? Everything I have done in my entire life, hasn’t it been for the Duke’s estate?”

However, the Old Madam Ning ignored one point: she was indeed concerned for the Duke’s estate, but the trouble was caused by the First Branch. There was no logic in blaming the Second Branch for not helping to clean up the mess.

Many elders who suffered greatly from conflicts between sisters-in-law in their youth become confused in their old age, favoring “robbing the rich to aid the poor” by demanding money from better-off children to subsidize those who are struggling.

The most crucial mistake an elder can make is to overstep their boundaries.

Madam Ning had no hope. Ning Zhenyuan always prioritized family unity, and she slowly tried to withdraw her hand.

But before she could, Ning Zhenyuan gripped it again.

She couldn’t help but glance at the man beside her and saw his determined expression.

Ning Zhenyuan looked at the Old Madam Ning for a moment, adjusted his robes, and knelt down. “In that case, let our Second Branch move out and find a new home. This way, Mother can clearly distinguish between the Second Branch and the First Branch. Though living under the same roof, we will have our separate lives.”

Everyone was stunned.

The Old Madam Ning never dreamed that her son would suggest moving out. Her eyes reddened. “Are you saying you no longer want your old mother?”

Ning Zhenyuan smiled bitterly. “It is Mother who no longer wants me. Whether it was taking a concubine before or speaking inappropriately to Madam Liu this time, Mother always acted for herself, not for my sake. Mother has ruined the peace of my family. I can only move far away. Mother has simply relied on my unwillingness to argue to suppress Madam Liu.”

The Old Madam Ning was speechless.

“Furthermore, Madam Liu’s dowry cannot be used to subsidize the Duke’s estate. Whoever starts the fire is responsible for putting it out,” Ning Zhenyuan, who was the Minister of Personnel, said with the solemn authority of his rank.

Madam Wei dared not speak again.

“Second Lord, those words are truly hurtful to the Old Madam,” Ruyi said.

Ning Zhenyuan ignored her, knelt down, and kowtowed three times, making a loud sound. “Your son is unfilial, but your son only has Madam Liu as his one wife. If I don’t protect her, I will be failing as her husband. Moreover, I have already sided with Mother too many times… Mother, please think about this yourself.”

Leaving these words behind, Ning Zhenyuan led his wife and daughter back to the Heting Garden without looking back.

“If Father had acted like this sooner, Mother wouldn’t have had to suffer so much injustice,” Ning Fu said. Her knees wouldn’t recover quickly, so she was carried back in a sedan chair.

Ning Zhenyuan felt guilty. “From now on, I won’t let your mother suffer any more injustice.”

His eyes, however, were fixed on Madam Ning.

Ning Fu sighed in relief. Her willingness to be punished by kneeling today was based on calculating Ning Zhenyuan’s time of return. Her father’s attitude made her feel that this “bitter sacrifice” was worthwhile.

Clearing the Air

That evening, the Duke of Ning, Ning Zhenxiu, returned to the estate.

Ning Zhenyuan spoke with him late into the night. When he returned, he no longer mentioned the separation, but he had lost his usual closeness with his older brother.

At the moment, Ning Fu did not want a separation. Many people targeted her father, so it was better for the Duke’s estate to appear as united as possible to outsiders.

Her goal was simply to change the relationship between her father and grandmother. As long as her father’s attitude was firm, her grandmother would never trouble her mother again, and her aunt would restrain herself. Even if they truly wanted to separate later, it wouldn’t be too difficult.

Furthermore, if this incident hadn’t happened, her father, out of fraternal affection, would likely still have been willing to help her aunt. The matter of household management would have been delayed, and if it dragged on any longer, the Duke’s estate might have truly collapsed.

Ning Fu’s plan to stage this “bitter sacrifice” with her mother also cut off the possibility of her father lending money to the First Branch.

The Negotiation

Four or five days later, the Old Madam Ning personally came to the Bamboo Court to see the recovering Ning Fu.

Just as Ning Fu expected, her father’s attitude determined her grandmother’s.

“Are you still upset with Grandmother?” the Old Madam sighed.

The willingness of the Old Madam to visit was a tacit apology, and Ning Fu shook her head, giving her a way out. “My attitude was also poor that day, and I hurt Grandmother’s feelings.”

The Old Madam Ning was somewhat relieved. She then took out a carved wooden box. “I had this pair of jade earrings made a few days ago. Give them to your mother later.”

“Mother will love them,” Ning Fu smiled.

The Old Madam Ning looked at her granddaughter. In truth, she was willing to apologize not only to ease the tension with her son but also for her granddaughter’s sake. She now knew how protective her granddaughter was and didn’t want her to truly stop speaking to her.

Soon after the Old Madam left, Madam Wei also came.

She asked about Ning Fu’s condition a few times, then began asking about Madam Ning’s whereabouts.

“Aunt, if you have something to say, just tell me,” Ning Fu said.

“What I have to say, I must discuss with your mother. You are still young, and I cannot explain it clearly to you,” Madam Wei smiled dismissively, though anyone could see she was troubled.

Ning Fu spread a stack of silver notes in front of her. After seeing the amount on them, Madam Wei’s smile froze.

“Here are twenty thousand taels. I can subsidize the rest monthly. Your deficit should be cleared within a year, Aunt,” Ning Fu said.

Madam Wei was genuinely shocked. She didn’t know how Ning Fu had learned the exact amount. However, since she knew, why hadn’t she reported her to the Old Madam?

Ning Fu anticipated her suspicion and played along. Thanks to her previous life, though she knew the amount, she had no real evidence, or she wouldn’t have let her aunt cause trouble. She now took advantage of the situation. “Aunt, you should know that I have been lenient.”

Madam Wei’s feelings were complicated. “Thank you.”

“Our Second Branch is not short of money, but Elder Brother is at an age where he needs to establish contacts, and everything requires money. Dragging this on is not good for the First Branch. If it delays Elder Brother’s official career, Aunt will surely regret it,” Ning Fu said.

This was exactly what Madam Wei was most worried about. Her private funds would not last long. She could have asked her Second Younger Brother for money, but that was no longer possible, so she had to approach the Second Branch privately.

“I can pay for the places Elder Brother needs to spend money, and I can fill the deficit. I want Aunt to hand over the authority in your hands. It depends on your choice.”

Madam Wei’s visit proved she couldn’t delay any longer. Resolving the matter privately with the Second Branch was the best solution. After confessing to her husband, he scolded her and then told her to hand over all the household management to the Second Branch.

Ning Fu smiled cordially. “Aunt, please inform my mother directly of the result of our discussion, but as for the clearing of the accounts, pretend the deficit wasn’t this high. Tell her the amount is half of what it is. As for how to prepare the accounts you hand over to my mother, Aunt should know what to do.”

She didn’t want her mother to know that she was conducting business in secret. By making the amount smaller, her mother would think she was using her private savings.

Madam Wei thought Ning Fu was worried about her mother feeling distressed and didn’t think much of it, but she now realized that this girl from the Second Branch was not simple.

Once Madam Wei understood the situation, the handover proceeded quickly.

After discussing it with Madam Ning, she informed the Old Madam Ning. Although the elder had her doubts, she didn’t want the two branches to fall out again and allowed them to handle it themselves.

The Divine Physician’s Man

Ning Fu saw Wei Ziyi (Ning Yu’s wife) after the matter had settled. Ning Fu was sunbathing in the courtyard when she saw her and teased, “Sister Wei, you aren’t resenting me, are you?”

“I was afraid you wouldn’t want to see me,” Wei Ziyi replied.

Although her maid had complained that the First Branch had lost authority and her husband might have to beg the Second Branch in the future, she didn’t believe Ning Fu would treat her that way.

Ning Fu held her hand. “Sister Wei, even though we had this unpleasantness with the First Branch, my feelings for Elder Brother remain unchanged. If Elder Brother ever needs help, you can come to me.”

Madam Wei’s actions were wrong, but she wouldn’t let it affect Sister Ran (Ning Ran) and Elder Brother (Ning Yu).

Wei Ziyi was very touched. “I know that my Mother-in-law (Madam Wei) was wrong. Even my husband thinks so, and he feels you did the right thing.”

Ning Fu thought for a moment. “Sister Wei, if your Mother-in-law ever treats you unfairly, you must tell Elder Brother immediately. Choosing to endure it may not be helpful; it might lead Elder Brother to mistakenly believe that your Mother-in-law treats you very well.”

Wei Ziyi nodded, though she was still young and it was unclear if she truly took the advice to heart.

“You injured your knees. Can you still come fly a kite with me?” Wei Ziyi asked.

“It’s a bit difficult to run right now, but walking is fine,” Ning Fu smiled.

It was early spring. The snow had just melted, and new shoots were growing on the trees. By midday, the sun was very warm, and it wasn’t cold even without a heavy cloak.

Ning Fu and Wei Ziyi’s kite-flying was an excuse; leaving the estate for business was the real reason.

A few days earlier, Fu Jiahui had secretly informed her that a middle-aged man in tattered clothes had appeared at the Warm Fragrance Pavilion (Ning Fu’s shop) and refused to leave.

Ning Fu had an idea of the man’s identity, suspecting he was connected to the Divine Physician Mu. Now that her legs were somewhat recovered, she took the opportunity to leave the estate with Wei Ziyi.

Passing the Warm Fragrance Pavilion, they saw a crowd of people and a long queue.

“The business at this shop is really good,” Wei Ziyi lifted the curtain of the carriage.

Ning Fu smiled slightly. “Sister Wei, would you like to go down and have a look?”

Wei Ziyi hesitated. “You know the First Branch’s situation lately. If I buy these things to take back, my Mother-in-law will be unhappy.”

Ning Fu inwardly sighed. Wei Ziyi still cared too much about Madam Wei’s opinion. What did it matter if she spent her own dowry? If Madam Wei kept an eye on even that, she was too petty.

The two still entered the shop for a look. Ning Fu immediately spotted the middle-aged man in ragged clothes. Although he wasn’t the exact person she suspected, he was close enough.

She took only a glance, then withdrew her gaze and asked for two boxes of Snow Muscle Cream. While paying the bill, she instructed the steward, Zhang Zhong, to settle the middle-aged man before leaving with Wei Ziyi.

With the pleasant weather, many young ladies were out enjoying themselves.

As soon as Zong Ning saw Ning Fu, she followed her over. “Sister Ning, your kite is so small and delicate.”

Ning Fu’s kite was a small sparrow, blue and gold all over. The quality of Madam Ning’s dowry was indeed enviable; even the kite was one in a thousand.

“I heard the Northern campaign went very smoothly. When will the Second Lord and Third Lord return to the capital?” Ning Fu asked politely.

Zong Ning replied enthusiastically, “As soon as I get word, I’ll tell you immediately, Sister Ning.”

Ning Fu recalled the letter sent by Zong Si. Zong Ning’s heart was set on matching her with Zong Duo, so she simply smiled and said nothing.

“What happened to your leg, Sister Ning?” Zong Ning noticed her stiff movements.

“I suffered a small injury,” Ning Fu said briefly. She did not want outsiders to know about the affairs of the Duke’s estate.

Zong Ning still wanted to gather information about her to report to her Second Elder Brother, but she also had to tend to the other young ladies who came with her, so she quickly bid Ning Fu farewell.

Ning Fu, being uncomfortable on her feet, didn’t stay long with Wei Ziyi and planned to return to the estate. However, she made one more stop at the Warm Fragrance Pavilion before heading back.

“These two boxes of Snow Muscle Cream have a problem. I’m going to exchange them. Sister Wei, please wait for me in the carriage for a moment,” Ning Fu said.

Ning Fu went to the back courtyard of the Warm Fragrance Pavilion. The middle-aged man had been sitting there for a while.

“Uncle Song, you must be tired from your journey. Please come with me and have a cup of tea,” Ning Fu walked up to the middle-aged man and said softly.

The Hidden Listener

Under the eaves of the veranda, a faint, clean fragrance wafted by.

“How do you know me?” the middle-aged man stroked his beard, his eyes full of suspicion.

Ning Fu thought, Naturally because I have met you before. But she said mysteriously, “The Divine Physician Mu and I are old acquaintances. I heard him speak of you.”

The man laughed. “Why lie, Miss? There is no one around him whom I don’t know.”

Ning Fu replied, “I am not lying. We are indeed acquainted.” Just not in this lifetime.

“The Divine Physician is very curious where you obtained this prescription. It has his unique style of prescribing, yet it contains one herb that he himself is unaware of. After reviewing your prescription, the Divine Physician himself was enlightened.”

Ning Fu used this as bait to secure a meeting with the Divine Physician Mu. “I must explain this matter to the Divine Physician myself. Uncle Song, please tell the Divine Physician that I wish to meet him.”

As Ning Fu finished speaking, her gaze shifted to the curtain behind her. She wondered why the curtain in this hidden room was drawn.

Behind the curtain, Zong Si was deep in thought.

This matter was intriguing. The Divine Physician Mu’s prescription, yet the Divine Physician himself was unaware of it.