Transmigrated Genius: Fragile Heiress Reigns Supreme-Chapter 767 - 768: Experience (3)
Xiqiu smiled and waved her hand, Madam Zhou continued, "I wanted to attend the full month banquet, but then..." She sighed and looked at Xiqiu, "You’re a capable child too."
"You’re too kind," Xiqiu replied with a light laugh, increasingly perplexed about what Madam Zhou truly wanted to say. After a pause, Madam Zhou indeed spoke, asking, "Is the Fourth Miss... doing well?"
So she wanted to ask about Tong Xiyan? Xiqiu nodded with a smile, "She is doing well. She opened two embroidery shops outside, and unexpectedly the business is thriving. She is busy all day with no leisure." Madam Zhou nodded in admiration upon hearing this, "That’s good, that’s good." She then added apologetically, "What happened back then was indeed our fault, if it weren’t for Bohan’s lack of understanding, things wouldn’t have turned out as they did."
"It’s all in the past, don’t burden yourself with it," Xiqiu replied, "It’s their fate and no one else can be blamed for it." Back then, Lady’s actions were quite excessive, and she didn’t want to dwell on this topic.
Madam Zhou sighed and shook her head, "You’re right, it’s their fate that hadn’t arrived." She paused, appeared helpless, Xiqiu remembered what Madam Ruan said earlier, that the First Young Madam of the Zhou Family disappeared, still without a trace, neither dead nor alive. Madam Zhou’s helplessness was understandable; if she had died it would have been easier, but leaving in such an unseemly way was disgraceful to talk about.
The Zhou Family once extended kindness, if it had resulted in a good marriage it would have been fine, but no one expected it to evolve into the present situation.
"Let’s not talk about it anymore," Madam Zhou waved her hand, looked at Xiqiu, "Fourth Madam, you must be curious why I suddenly came to see you." Xiqiu looked at her without speaking, waiting for her to continue, and Madam Zhou said, "Actually, it goes like this, a few days ago I went to Tongzhou. I don’t know if you’re aware, Marquis Jinxiang had seven brothers in the last generation. The main branch, you surely know, is Madam Ruan and Madam Qian’s branch. Our branch has long since moved out of the Marquis Mansion to live separately in the suburbs for two generations, and because of changing our surname, we seldom interact with the Marquis Mansion..." Xiqiu listened quietly, and Madam Zhou continued, "You might not understand this, but you should be most familiar with the Seventh branch."
Xiqiu was taken aback, "Madam, what do you mean?" She was not acquainted with the Seventh branch of Marquis Jinxiang.
Madam Zhou then smiled and said, "Don’t worry, Fourth Madam, listen to me." After a pause, she said further, "The Seventh branch is originally the youngest direct descendant in the mansion. Later, he obtained a title and donated for a nominal position and moved the entire family to Tongzhou. The Seventh branch has few offspring, only two children in total. The eldest son established a family and career, inheriting ancestral businesses. The other one is the one Madam is familiar with... Ruan Jingliu."
Xiqiu felt a sudden shock in her heart, could it really be Ruan Jingliu!
She had long suspected whether there was any connection between Ruan Jingliu and Madam Ruan, but did not expect her to indeed be a distant branch of Marquis Jinxiang. She never heard Ruan Jingliu mention it.
Madam Zhou then said, "It turns out she is my little sister-in-law, she and I are of the same generation." After a pause, seeing the puzzled look on Xiqiu’s face, Madam Zhou continued, "You may not know about my little sister-in-law’s past, but she was very clever since childhood. In Tongzhou, everyone praised her, and why not? Because she could write at three and compose poems at seven... Seventh Uncle adored her from childhood, and Sister Liu was obedient and sensible. Even the Marquis personally summoned her to the Capital to stay for some time, doting on her immensely, often saying she was born wrong in a female body."
Xiqiu raised her eyebrows high, listening intently to Madam Zhou’s words, "But although she was obedient and smart from a young age, she learned many things without a teacher, especially medicine. At the age of eight or nine, she could treat the servants in the mansion, yet her temperament was very intractable..." Madam Zhou’s expression shifted, pausing for a long time before continuing, "... When a livestock died at home, she, like a man, took a knife to dissect the belly, alone in a room, excavated the contents, examining them for an entire day and night... No one knew what she was looking at, but those around were terrified."
"Seventh Uncle saw her like this, feared if news spread she wouldn’t be marriageable, so she was confined at home and not allowed anywhere. Even asked the Marquis to find her a good marriage... Later, as she grew up, however, she inexplicably became infatuated upon hearing that Mr. Zhang was going to marry, and secretly entrusted a matchmaker to propose marriage."
Xiqiu was so surprised she couldn’t speak. She had never thought Ruan Jingliu’s marriage was initiated by her own request. She curiously asked, "And then? Seventh Master surely wouldn’t agree?"
Madam Zhou shook her head helplessly, "It’s not merely disagreement, though the Seventh branch had moved out, being from the Marquis Mansion, it’s impossible to marry his direct daughter to an ordinary family. Though the Zhang Family was also quite reputable, ultimately had no official title. Seventh Uncle hurriedly was going to send her to the Capital, but who knew she would run off midway to the Zhang Mansion declaring to marry and become the Zhang family’s daughter-in-law... Divine Doctor Zhang is notoriously solitary, yet managed to converse with her, formally inviting an official matchmaker to propose."
Madam Zhou sighed long, feeling as if she was recounting a tale rather than recounting a woman’s experience, "So it went, word spread throughout Tongzhou City about this matter. Whether ridiculed or criticized, her reputation was out there, preventing future unions. Seventh Uncle, in a fit of anger, expelled her, claiming she disgraced the Ruan Family’s name, leaving her to fend for herself. My little sister-in-law is indeed a strange person, who hired parents, married off to the Zhang Mansion alone."
The subsequent events were known to Xiqiu: within two years, Mr. Zhang passed away, and Ruan Jingliu took Divine Doctor Zhang as her mentor, devotedly studying medicine.
A thought stirred within her, the reason why Ruan Jingliu was determined to marry into the Zhang Mansion, disregarding societal stigma and even abandoning her own family was likely to admire the Zhang Family’s hereditary medical skills!
"Seventh Uncle’s health has always been poor, and now it’s visibly declining. He wishes to see her, searched for her for a long time, initially knowing she had opened a medical clinic in the Capital and often went to the Governor Mansion, but now can’t find her at all. With no alternatives, I came to seek your help with a thick face. If you know where she is, ask her to return, a father and daughter have no enduring hatred, as the saying goes, trees want to remain still yet the wind blows, children want to care but parents don’t wait... Youth unfortunately doesn’t understand, regret arrives late when comprehension dawns."
"She mentioned going out for something, saying she’d return in a month, which has been overdue for several days... To be honest, I haven’t seen her in a long time either." Xiqiu was almost certain that her disappearance during Zhi’s washing ceremony was indeed to avoid the Ruan Family. However, not knowing what was truly in Ruan Jingliu’s mind, and having only heard from Madam Zhou’s side, she was unable to respond, "If I see her, I shall certainly relay your words."
"Thank you, Fourth Madam," Madam Zhou’s face showed helplessness, "Her temperament is quite intractable, the Marquis wishes she returns as a widow, yet she’s traveling alone with her medicine chest, traversing the world. You say a young woman traveling alone..." she shook her head, unable to comprehend and accept Ruan Jingliu’s behavior and thoughts given her education and culture, "Luckily acquainted with you, knowing within this period that you cared for her in the Capital, otherwise, even if we wanted to find her, it would require much effort."
