Chapter 12

Murong Yifei hesitated for a moment, but still moved forward and followed them. The scene in the room where the swords were drawn and the bows were bent¹ was all seen through his eyes. These few women didn’t care about his face at all, stirring up trouble and making a complete mess in front of Murong Yining. He had never cared about his backyard because he had thought that his backyard was peaceful. At the very least, it was able to maintain a peaceful atmosphere on the surface.

¹TN: Daggers drawn, hostility everywhere.

Bearing a few degrees of anger, he slowly walked in.

He coldly swept his gaze across every person in the room. Everyone all lowered their heads unconsciously when they came in contact with his dreadful look.

Still, it was Wen Ruoruo who had responded quickly. Squeezing out a smile, she slightly bent her knees as she bowed, “Concubine pays her respects Wang Ye.”

With this bow from her, “rustle rustle”; Everyone had followed to greet and pay their respects.

This room was too small with only two chairs. One of them had Murong Yining sitting on it. The other one was automatically assumed to be handed to Murong Yifei.

In their own home yet not even being able to have a seat. It shouldn’t be mentioned how gloomy Wen Ruoruo and Lian Ying’er had felt. However, as soon as they thought of how Liu Xinmei, who held the status of the legal princess consort, also had to stand on the side like them, they felt that this clump of anger was able to be soothed a bit.

There was no way that Liu Xinmei would make things go as they wished. She picked up Chaofan, turned around, and sat on top of the bed. It does not matter if you like to stand but the both of us, mother and child, are tired and need to give our legs a good rest.

Murong Yifei narrowed his eyes, but did not say anything.

Just because he did not say anything does not mean that others would also remain silent. The corner of Lian Ying’er’s lips twitched, elongating her tone, “Sister Wang Fei, are you not being very rude by sitting there? Both Wang Ye’s are still present.”

Liu Xinmei rolled her eyes. Sticking out a donkey’s head from a stable², what are you blabbing for?

²TN: Sticking her head where it doesn’t belong/being nosy

“I would like to invite everyone to sit down, but this temple of mine is rather small. The Bodhisattvas that came today are rather numerous.” Whether it was intentional or unintentional, Liu Xinmei glanced at Wen Ruoruo.

Murong Yifei frowned as he sized up this room. and looked at the room. Narrow and cramped space, dim and dull lighting, even the air had a scent of dampness. If he had not seen it with his very own eyes, he really would not believe that An Wang’s Residence still had such a simple and crude living space. And yet, Liu Xinmei had actually lived here for two years.

Looking at Murong Yifei’s dark and gloomy complexion, Chaofan twisted about restlessly in Liu Xinmei’s arms. Accidentally, he tapped the money bag. The copper coins struck against each other and made a pleasant sound.

“Liu Ye’er, add some essential daily necessities to our room tomorrow. This silver is not for the public pool and there is no need to report it to anyone.” Liu Xinmei gently patted the child in her arms and motioned for him to be quiet. Her eyes casted a sidelong glance at the person opposite of her.

“Begging in front of the door. You actually really did such a thing.” Murong Yifei’s voice was obviously laced with anger. This matter would be spread throughout the capital tomorrow yet she still had the gall to mention it.

Liu Xinmei smiled and said helplessly, “There was no other way, I’m poor”

Blame me for being poor and unambitious.

Aside from the two superior Wang Ye, the corner of everyone else’s mouth jerked: Didn’t she know that the dirty linens in one’s family should not be aired outside³? Cheng Wang is still sitting here. Was it really good to cry about her poverty like this?

³TN: The ugly affairs of a family should not be shown in public.

Murong Yining looked at his elder brother in dissatisfaction. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he still swallowed them back down.

“Liu Xinmei, don’t you have your monthly allowance?” Murong Yifei asked impatiently.

“Do we have a monthly allowance here?” Liu Xinmei turned to look at Liu Ye’er.

Even though she had received the look of warning from Wen Ruoruo, Liu Ye’er still bravely opened her mouth, “It was still okay two years ago. Ever since having moved to this courtyard, this servant feels that it is not enough to spend.”

The room became so silent that you could hear a needle fall. A streak of ruthlessness flashed across Wen Ruoruo’s eyes but when she raised her head, she appeared extremely wronged, “Wang Ye, the monthly allowances for each household is fixed. This concubine would not dare to undercut anyone. Thou also knows that Elder Sister, she is not very good at managing money. There would not be enough to spend no matter how much more money landed in her hands.”

“That’s right, this concubine even has a little left every month.” Lian Ying’er also came out to stab another knife in.

Liu Ye’er really wanted to jump out immediately to clarify. The two Side Consort Niang Niang had twenty silvers per month as their share of the allowance. The amount that her family’s Wang Fei received was only one tenth of what they had. Side Consort Wen had said that when her family’s mistress was in charge, there were too many deficits, and that some compensation to the public funds was necessary. However, her position was low and her opinion did not count for much. Since the master did not ask, where could she jump in to explain?

Liu Xinmei was also too lazy to explain. This was clearly made to criticize her for being wasteful and was ill suited for managing the household.

Placing the child by her side, she reached her hand out, and opened up the bag that was filled with broken pieces of silver and copper coins. Waving her hand and motioning towards Liu Ye’er, she began to plan things neatly and clearly, one by one: These are meant for the addition of tables and chairs; these are meant for purchasing cloth to sew clothes; these are meant for the purchase of pen, ink, paper, and inkstone…

The silvers that had a large weight to them and that ingot of gold were carefully stored away by her, her mouth even muttering the words “a chicken lays eggs, eggs hatches into chickens.”

Wen Ruoruo’s expression grew even more and more uneasy. This was obviously slapping her face out in the open. Every one of Liu Xinmei’s expenditures were accurate down to even a few copper coins. This was clearly an able and virtuous woman that could methodically manage a household.

Murong Yining could no longer stand by and watch. How long did these two mother and son need this silver to support them? With how carefully Liu Xinmei was calculating things, she looked as if she wished to split each copper coin in two to spend.

His hand couldn’t help but feel towards his pocket. If one was to save someone then they must be thoroughly saved, if one was sending the Bodhisattva off then they must send them off to the West. He might as well just give it all to her.

Murong Yifei began to feel uncomfortable in his heart. When did the people in his An Wang Residence fall to the point of needing someone else’s financial aid?

Rushing before Murong Yining could, he steadily said, “Wasn’t the previous Fuyunju still empty? You can move back in tomorrow. If the monthly allowance is not enough, this lord will just reward you with another share.”

Liu Xinmei scratched her ears. She had not wrongly heard right? Didn’t this man hate her very much? How come he would suddenly give her such preferential treatment? She turned around as she looked at him directly with both eyes, but was unable to find any clues. Perhaps this Murong Yifei has facial paralysis. He had always held this icy cold look from the very first moment she saw him, as if everyone under the heavens owed him a huge debt.

Wen Ruoruo’s hatred immediately sprung to life. What is going on with Wang Ye? In an unexpected turn of events, he had stepped into this courtyard but unexpectedly, it was not to punish her. Wasn’t this just a roundabout way of confirming that she had undercut Liu Xinmei’s monthly allowance? She, Wen Ruoruo, did not care for such small amounts of money. It was nothing more than to just ridicule Liu Xinmei is all. However, now he had let Liu Xinmei return back to Fuyunju. What was the meaning of this?

Even though she was unhappy in her heart, she still smiled from ear to ear as she said, “Congratulations elder sister, thank you Wang Ye for your pity. This younger sister is happy for elder sister.”

Liu Xinmei was unable to see Wen Ruo Ruo’s happiness for her no matter which eye she looked out of. Also, the one that Wang Ye was pitying was not her, what is she all thankful for?

Seeing how Liu Xinmei just sat there unmoving, Wen Ruoruo asked in amazement, “Is elder sister not going to thank Wang Ye for his grace?”

“Haven’t you already thanked him for me?” Liu Xinmei asked slowly.

Guh, do you still have any face?