Translator: LishaChan
Editor: Dom
[Edited: 11/19/22]
Gong Zhuoliang didn’t know how long he slept when he was suddenly woken up by a quiet sobbing sound. He was dazed for a moment before he immediately became frightened. He narrowed his eyes and discretely looked for the source of the sobbing sound, before he suddenly saw a woman sitting beside his bed under the dim lights. He then faced the woman’s slender figure, and is now sure that the suppressed sobs were certainly from her. Gong Zhuoliang roared in his heart― Big sister, are you trying to scare me to death!
“Liang-er, are you awake?” The sobbing woman immediately noticed Gong Zhuoliang’s movement so she rushed to light a candle then sat back down by the bed again as she started to observe Gong Zhuoliang’s pale face. When she saw the boy’s appearance, her tears began rolling down in her cheeks again.
“That…. That…. Mother, don’t cry, ah”
Gong Zhuoliang could now clearly see the appearance of the woman’s face and decided that this person should be his current mother. He immediately sat up, rather overwhelmed, but then at the next moment, a tight yet warm embrace surrounded him.
“My son… My son….”
As Concubine Wu hugged her son tightly, she couldn’t help but cry in grief and anger once again. For more than ten years, she had always been silently enduring in the Gong Family. She her son to grow up safely, marry a wife, and have a good life in the future, so she never dared complain to them. But now, she’s really itching to beat those ruthless people to death!
If those people dared to harm her beloved son again yet she couldn’t take on revenge on them this time, she can’t allow herself to reincarnate for her next life!
“D-Don’t cry Mother…..”
Gong Zhuoliang almost lost his breath when he was suddenly hugged this tightly. But when he felt the sudden wetness on his shoulders, he did not dare moved again, and also wrapped his arms around the woman’s waist, patting her back to soothe her.
His real parents had divorced when he was still a child. From then on, Gong Zhuoliang began to live independently. As a result, he had longed forgotten what was the feeling of a parents’ familial and warm embrace is like.
“Why is Mother here? If Madam got a word about this….”
With Concubine Wu hugging him as she cried non-stop on his shoulders, Gong Zhuoliang subconsciously took a handkerchief and wiped the tears of her mother.
By the candlelight, he carefully observed the appearance of his mother in this lifetime.
Concubine Wu does not have the shrewd appearance of a southern woman. She was a cold beauty, yet looked rather heroic, however, when such a beauty cried, it would naturally make others feel distressed for her.
Gong Zhuoliang vaguely remembered that during his mother’s childhood, she had been abducted from the north and was then sold to the south.
As he thought of this, Gong Zhuoliang instantly became excited. Since he has half the blood of the northerners, then there should be still some hope for his height in the future, right? And perhaps, once he grows up, he won’t look girly anymore, right?
We’re sorry for MTLers or people who like using reading mode, but our translations keep getting stolen by aggregators so we’re going to bring back the copy protection. If you need to MTL please retype the gibberish parts.
“Don’t worry….. She was the one who told me to visit you here. They fear that you will start thinking doing things that would trouble them again…”
Thinking that she and her son were only allowed to meet each other during weekends, Concubine Wu help her eyes from turning red once again. Ever since the day she gave birth to her son, she felt so miserable for both of themselves. She hasn’t been able to hug her own son ever since the day they were separated. If she wants them to talk in private, she has to give money to the servants guarding outside just so she could see her son. Right now, when they’re finally seeing each other, she didn’t need to pay anymore, but it’s only because they’re wary of her son.
“Mother” Gong Zhuoliang looked at the woman in front of him who seemed to be in her twenties and was confused as to what to say to comfort her.
“Son, ah, it’s pointless now. Just tell your mother all of your grievances so you won’t have to overthink them anymore. You are my precious son… So if you dare do something as worrisome as that again… Mother, may not have the desire to live anymore”
Concubine Wu touched Gong Zhuoliang with tears rolling down her face, hoping that she could still persuade him. As one of the servants of the Gong Family, if they dare hindered the whole family, it will definitely lead to their doom!
If they could only stay put and obeyed to them, there might be still some hope for them to survive together. As for leaving home….. Concubine Wu hasn’t such rebellious thoughts at all.
“I understand now, Mother, so rest assured. I won’t do stupid things again.”
Gong Zhuoliang had to reassure her again and again, only after his tearful mother finally left did he slumped back into his bed, feeling like he had just lost his strength.
Well, the Madam of the Household had probably already employed someone to make a move on then, only, he’s not sure yet whether they’d target his birth mother next after him.
Gong Zhuoliang pictured running away together with Concubine Wu. After that, they would eventually became orphaned and widowed. Well at least they’re both good-looking, so perhaps they could….. No, No!
After considering what might happen after escaping, Gong Zhuoliang immediately ceased from continuing these thoughts. Compared with the impending hardships he would encounter if he left the Gong Family, Gong Zhuoliang thought that it’s still a good idea to marry into the Qiao Family first. In that way, he would have the dowry money, and after that, he would be able to survive on his own in the future. If he ever considered the idea of escaping again, at least the chances of success would be much higher.
As for Concubine Wu… Gong Zhuoliang is not a holy mother at all. If not for her, he would have already taken the life of every of the Gong’s family member, but he couldn’t just take the lives of these people with his own hands for the time being, so all he could do was try to find some help.
Finally accepting his fate of marrying for his own sake, Gong Zhuoliang suddenly noticed some scrolls of portraits beneath the quilt. As he silently stared at it, he then thought that the latter half of his life…… is in the hands of this young boy!
✤✤✤
On the day before his wedding, just as when Gong Zhuoliang just woke up, he was immediately dragged out of the bed by the maidservants, was forced to try his supposedly wedding dress, then he began to act all kinds of social etiquette practices again and again.
After that, our poor little Gong was instantly led in front of a table of delicacies, and looking at this foods immediately made him dizzy and his stomach began to rumble due to hunger.
Gong Zhuoliang badly wished he could immediately drink the hot broth down to his stomach right there and then… or perhaps just splash it on the face of that woman in front of him so he could vent his anger!!
“Why are you still standing there? How many times am I going to tell you that once you faced your mother-in-law, you should must properly act the etiquette customs without fail! I remind you that they’re a wealthy and an influential family, working under His Majesty! Looking at your dumb appearance is really infuriating me!”
The feather duster held by the woman’s hands, twitched under her hold, as her arms laid on the hand-rest of her chair. A beautiful middle-aged woman is sitting on the Main Wife’s seat, and she’s currently wearing such fierce face as she glared down at Gong Zhuoliang’s eyes, looking like she’s itching to lash on the kid in front of her just so she could relieve her anger.
Her own daughter had just done a scandal. Although Gong Zhuoliang had properly concealed it to most of the servants and outsiders, only the inner maids serving within the mansion and those accompanying him all knew about the situation which caused Madam Gong to lose her face lose her face. Her husband’s accusations and her fear of provoking the Qiao Family instantly turned into anger, and she instantly took it out on Gong Zhuoliang.
Otherwise, she wouldn’t have scared this timid child to the point of commiting suicide. If it were not for this child’s inability to endure any more wounds, who knows how many strikes he’d already receive from her? While on the other hand, she's currently holding back from taking actions, she also couldn’t suppress her overbearing temperament, thus poor little Gong was ruthlessly abused by her….
“…..”
Seeing Ruo Lan behind Madam Gong, looking at him worriedly, Gong Zhuoliang suppressed his urge to make violent actions, and lowered his eyes to hide the anger that he could barely hold back. He acted even more timidly and cowardly while he quietly served Madam Gong the dishes.
“If we send you over there, you will be a person with your tails tucked within your legs!You dare thought of yourself as the scholar’s first wife? Always remember that you’re nothing but a bastard son from a prostitute! I dare you to be arrogant, little slut!”
Madam Gong couldn’t stop fuming more and more as she proceeded to scold him again and again. Whenever she remembered the dowry she had long been preparing for her own daughter which is now wasted on Gong Zhuoliang, her heart couldn’t help but feel bitter. Although Gong Zhuoliang was already about to be married to the Qiao Family in the stead of the Gong Family’s Eldest Going Lady, the dowry was still her own and it was supposed to be for her daughter, so how could Madam Gong not be mad about it to the point that she had to destroy the noble face she had been maintaining in the past? In the end, she’s still a shrew woman from a businessman’s family.
Gong Zhuoliang had grown up believing that decorum is one of the most important things in one’s life foundation. He had never been scolded and pointed at his nose like this. If he only stood still in his place without standing up for himself, he wouldn’t be called a Man!
A bright look flashed in his black eyes and Gong Zhuoliang no longer suppressed his anger. He then started showing hints of hunger, feigning to struggle, but still stood firm on the table and then aferwards, he immediately fell weakly right in front of Madam Gong without forgetting to pull the red tablecloth along with him; instantly making all the delicacies on the table to spill on Madam Gong.
Madam Gong instantly shrieked and everyone immediately came rushing to her. Gong Zhuoliang, who was also showered with soup, dropped on the ground and then pretended to be dazed for a while.
Hearing Madam Gong’s screams, Ruo Lan tugged at the Madam’s sleeves to persuade her not to make a huge deal of this situation anymore. As Gong Zhuoliang’s face was kept buried on the floor, the corners of his mouth was already curling up proudly.
This Young Master is now the future daughter-in-law of the Qiao Family, so after this, this vixen bitch wouldn’t dare harm a hair on him anymore. Otherwise, if this Young Master pretended to faint again tomorrow during the wedding ceremony, he dared you to provoke him once again!
“Madam ah, please don’t fuss about it anymore. If something goes wrong on the wedding tomorrow…ー”
Ruo Lan forced to suppress her amazement in her heart, and whispered to the ear of the furious Madam Gong, mentioning the name of the Qiao Family from time to time in order to make hush her down. Right now, Gong Zhuoliang must be sent away to the Qiao family in a smooth and proper way.
Madam Gong was still shaking in angwr with the feather duster until she pushed away Ruo Zi, who was now busy cleaning her clothes. She badly wanted to kick down on Gong Zhuoliang. But in the end, the one holding her back was these two girls. Even Ruo Zi, who disliked Gong Zhuoliang, is actually trying to stop her. Literally, everyone here preventing him from being harmed!
Right after Madam Gong was placated by these two girls, she gradually returned to her senses, finally aware that she couldn’t do anything with this situation anymore. If this brat wrecked the wedding, his little life would not only be ruined but it would also cause befall to the Gong Family!
“Quickly clean him up, or else both of you will be implicated!”
Throwing away the feather duster, Madam Gong stomped back to her room to take a shower, not without forgetting to throw a glare at the ‘passed out’ Gong Zhuoliang.
Ruo Zi’s small mouth twitched in a disgusted look while Ruo Lan carried Gong Zhuoliang, without avoiding the other’s stained clothes, and helped him back to the Young Lady’s boudoir.
Ruo Lan asked the reluctant Ruo Zi to rest first, then ordered the other servants to prepare something to eat and a basin of hot water for bathing, before she went to Gong Zhuoliang who was pretending to be dead on the table. She then began to poke the back of his head.
“Come on, you must wash and change your clothes. Your body is greasy.”
If it wasn’t for the fact she could see the slyness that just flashed across Gong Zhuoliang’s face at this angle, Ruo Lan wouldn’t have believed that this little man actually dared to cause such a scene today. Such an act of revenge. Recalling the Madam being showered with vegetable soup while she was still holding the roasted chicken in her hands, Ruo Lan couldn’t help but snicker behind the handkerchief covering her mouth.
The Madam’s fear was to lose face in front of others. Today’s incident would surely annoy her for many days.
“Ruo Lan, I’m hungry…”
Gong Zhuoliang mumbled and raised his head, looking at Ruo Lan with shining eyes. After that, he couldn’t take it anymore, and then he began to laugh out loud, his happiness appearing on his face without the suffering that he just acted out recently.
“The food should be delivered soon. You almost fainted, surely no one will dare to starve you again.”
While helping Gong Zhuoliang taking off his dirty robes and then washed the other’s face and hands with a towel, Ruo Lan’s heart was now at ease. This child used to be so timid and shy who won’t even dare to lift up his head. Now that he had taken revenge on the Madam, is it possible that he had finally woken up right after this disaster? At the moment, this clever look is much better than before.
“Mnn..… Feeling comfortable….”
Finally having the chance to eat a meal with two dishes and a soup, the full and satisfied Gong Zhuoliang now elegantly soaked in the tub. Ruo Lan had left the bathroom due to shyness, allowing him to be alone so he could freely stretch his body and spread out in the tub.
However, Gong Zhuoliang only had a short moment to relax because his good mood was instantly disturbed by a call from a girl outside. He didn’t want to let Ruo Lan wait any longer so he hurriedly washed his irritable long long hair.
While Gong Zhuoliang was hurriedly washing his hair, he kept wondering― what would happen tomorrow! Thinking about it now, he couldn’t help but feel troubled in his heart. After all, this is his first ever marriage. An arranged marriage for him. But why is he the bride one here, ne??
Translator’s Notes
Reminding everyone that I had changed the previous title of GZL as “Elder Mistress” into “Young Lady” because someone just recommended the other day that…. Mistress…was for…married woman XD
And GZL is still not married so he should be “Miss” or “Young Lady”…(But I prefer Young Lady)
At the moment, I’m still not sure whether it should be Young Lady or Elder Lady, because if he were to be referred as the Elder Lady, it clearly meant that since GZL’s elder sister run away, he’s taking the place of his elder sister and temporarily took the title Elder Lady . But in the end, I wanted both to have their own title for easy identification so….
Young Lady- Gong Zhuoliang
Eldest Young Lady- for when GZL’s elder sister was mentioned. She was the Elder Lady
So for now, Young Lady will be for GZL. But sum recommendations are also allowed~ ෆ╹ .̮ ╹ෆ
Extra Reminder:
Madam Gong- The first wife/main wife
Concubine Wu- orig GZL’s birth mother
Old Master- Gong Household’s Head. GZL’s father.
thank you for the chapter.
Ahhh hopefully you caught up with the edited version bcoz’ I just finished editing it (• ▽ •;)
And your welcome! 💖💖💖
Look at photos of your husband day and night, and even fall asleep with him. Romance 💛
Thank you very much for the translation 🤍🤍🤍
what a horrible lady >_<
thanks for the chapter <3
Ugh, evil woman ಠ益ಠ I need to spal her hard! Poor GZL and concubine Wu, they have such pittiful lives in the Gu mansion…
Thank You for the new chapter (｡･ω･｡)ﾉ♡