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Chapter 208: Chapter 208: No Man is Worth the Risk for Me Again!
For some reason, when pondering this question, Zhan Lan’s mind conjured up the image of Mu Yan.
She then shook her head and looked at Liu Xi, "I don’t think so, no man is worth the risk for me!"
Zhan Lan bent down and gazed into Liu Xi’s eyes, a sly smile playing on her lips, "If your future husband dares to treat you poorly, I’ll help you slice him up bit by bit and find you another one. Three-legged toads are hard to find, but men with two legs are a dime a dozen!"
"Goodness, my lady, you’re talking nonsense again!" Liu Xi displayed the coy shyness unique to young maidens.
...
Mu Yan and Zhan Lan had a falling out, and he was displeased all day, so much so that Vermilion Bird dared not even mention Zhan Lan’s name.
Because under his cold and oppressive air, Vermilion Bird felt almost suffocated.
Little White also wisely refrained from disturbing his master and merely exchanged looks with Vermilion Bird.
Zhan Lan did not dwell on the events of last night; she was busy finding ways to stir up trouble for the second branch.
In a few days, she would be heading to Heifeng Pass, and before leaving, she wanted to ensure that the second branch was in complete disarray!
... 𝘯𝑜𝘷𝘱𝘶𝑏.𝘤𝘰𝑚
In the second branch’s courtyard of General Mansion.
Every day, Madam Zhang diligently cared for her husband who was paralyzed in bed, and she began to wonder why Zhan Xincheng’s attitude towards her had changed after he fell ill.
Previously, Zhan Xincheng would listen to whatever she said, but now, even on the rare occasions he was lucid, he showed her no good countenance.
The look in Zhan Xincheng’s eyes no longer held love when they fell on her, which led Madam Zhang to suspect that perhaps the Love Flower Poisonous Insect inside Zhan Xincheng had died!
She was both shocked and frightened, but fortunately, the medical expenses of Zhan Xincheng were covered by her family, which gave her leverage over her husband.
However, the tragic death of her son still caused Madam Zhang to wash her face with tears every day.
When Zhan Xincheng awoke to Madam Zhang’s crying face, he used to think her tears were due to a delicate woman’s melancholic sentiment towards the changing seasons.
Now, she just appeared to be a resentful woman, repellent to all.
Because of the affair involving Zhan Feng and Zhan Liluo, Madam Zhang had aged as if by decades this past month, no longer caring to adorn herself, appearing more like an old nanny no matter how you looked at her.
Zhan Xincheng’s disdain for her grew.
At the same time, his anticipation for his two young concubines increased.
In his dreams, he longed for his mother, Madam Wang, to bring him the good news of the concubines’ pregnancies.
Madam Wang had the physician check the concubines’ pulses daily.
She sometimes went to the small yard to visit the concubines, asking them if they had experienced any symptoms of pregnancy, but she had yet to hear any good news.
It had been over a month since they shared a bed; why was there still no news? Madam Wang was very anxious.
Nanny Liu consoled her, "Old Madam, the heavens will pity the second master, and they will surely bless the second branch with an heir."
Madam Wang turned to the two concubines and said, "Take good care of yourselves, and any sign or symptom, inform the nanny immediately."
"Yes, Old Madam!" the two concubines bowed and watched as Madam Wang left.
Eventually, Madam Zhang noticed something fishy when she caught a nanny sneakily passing a message to Nanny Liu.
She found that the Old Madam had been going out frequently lately. Logically, with Zhan Xincheng’s injuries being so severe, the Old Madam shouldn’t have the inclination to go out.
At this time, there must be some urgent matter for her to leave the house, and it seemed that Nanny Liu and that old woman were meeting behind her back, which aroused the suspicions of the Zhang Family.
Finally, the Zhang Family followed that informer old woman and arrived at the courtyard where Zhan Xincheng had been hiding his concubine.
To her astonishment, the Zhang Family actually saw servants from the mansion in the courtyard, and she was dumbfounded when two beautiful women walked out from the house, one of whom asked, "Who are you looking for?"
The Zhang Family turned to the servant who recognized her identity; the servant knelt before her and said, "Madam, it was the Old Madam who sent this servant here!"
Upon hearing that the visitor was Madam from the second branch, the two unrecognized beautiful women also promptly knelt down.
Feeling unsettled by the scene before her, the Zhang Family walked over to the two women with cold eyes and, grabbing their hair with both hands, demanded, "Speak! What is the meaning of this?"
The maidservant stammered, and the two beautiful women dared not resist.
It was not until the Zhang Family turned to the two Protectors behind her and commanded, "Beat them for me; I want to see if these fox spirits will talk!"
"Stop!" Right as Wang Family was bringing a doctor to take the pulse of the two concubines, she saw the Zhang Family pulling the concubines’ hair like a shrew.
The Zhang Family looked back at her mother-in-law, and thus released the women’s hair.
Wang Family angrily exclaimed, "Look at what you have become now; you used to be dignified, and now you’re no different from a shrew!"
Ever since the Zhang Family lost her son Zhan Feng and her daughter Zhan Liluo ended up in that ghastly state, and her husband was struggling between life and death, her temperament had become increasingly volatile.
Now, she was indeed acting like a shrew.
Who was the one that made her this way!
Facing the Wang Family’s lofty gaze, the Zhang Family retorted, "Mother, you made my natal family take care of my husband’s injuries, and you also kept two concubines for him. Is my Zhang Family’s silver being used to cure my husband, or to support these two fox spirits?"
Wang Family’s tiger-head walking stick thudded on the ground, and the authority of the Family Head Madam immediately revealed itself. Gritting her teeth, she questioned, "Do you still see me as your mother-in-law? My painstaking efforts were to preserve the lineage of the second branch of Zhan Family - is that wrong? Besides, you are well aware of what you have done to my son, aren’t you?"
The Zhang Family was left speechless by the domineering attitude of her mother-in-law. The Old Madam actually knew about the Love Flower Poisonous Insect!
"If I publicize what you have done, my son divorcing you would be well deserved!" Wang Family warned, her gaze falling upon the Zhang Family’s face.
Tears immediately fell from the Zhang Family’s eyes; she was at fault first, and now that the Old Lady had grasped a handle on her, she could only admit defeat.
Wang Family looked at the disheveled concubines kneeling on the ground and decreed, "Starting today, you two will enter the mansion. Whoever conceives a child first will attain the status of concubine. Remember, show some respect to Madam from the second branch!"
"Yes, Old Madam!" The two beautifully attractive concubines immediately saluted the Zhang Family, "Thank you, Madam, for your blessing!"
The Zhang Family’s legs went weak and she nearly collapsed; the Old Lady actually intended to bring these two despicable women into the mansion.
How was she going to endure her days to come!
After returning to the mansion, the Zhang Family’s despair deepened as Li Changlong was lingering at her doorstep, and Zhan Liluo’s maidservant had actually brought him to meet Zhan Liluo.
Under the influence of the Love Flower Poisonous Insect, Zhan Liluo had fallen for Li Changlong.
The Zhang Family pushed open the door and saw Li Changlong holding Zhan Liluo’s hand, and Zhan Liluo did not resist.
Enraged, she slapped Li Changlong, yelling, "Get out!"
However, Li Changlong suddenly kneeled, baring his teeth in a pitiful wail, "Mother, please grant us your blessing. Now that everyone in the town knows about our affair, the gossip and slander are fearsome. How will Liluo face others in the future? I want to marry Liluo and give her proper status!"
