Just a Child, Poison, Court Examination (3)

Luo Old Madam sighed, “Fine, he is my younger brother after all, what could I possibly do to him? As for you, in the future, just hope for the best. I won't say much of anything else, but if you encounter any difficulties, you can go look for your great uncle, just your great uncle right now heartaches for your younger cousin Wan even more than me. That person can hold his anger for quite a long time.”

“Many thanks paternal great aunt. It's only rightfully so for great uncle to be angry at me. After all, it was I that disappointed him.”

“No need to say that much, just let this matter pa.s.s. Enough, the Luo family is also very busy as of late, so I won't have you stay, just on the day when Jing Bo goes to welcome the bride, may also need your a.s.sistance.”

“Honor does not allow for one to decline.[1] Then, Zheng Min will take one's leave first.” He bowed again, before getting up and supporting Chen third old master out the door.

Jing Wan got up to send them off.

Exiting the gates, Chen third old master was given to his own servant boy to support.

It was quiet the whole way, all the way until Jing Wan no longer saw them off did Chen Zheng Min finally open his mouth, “Even if it's just a portion of one's life, it's not insignificant, but rather the most important. I won't forget. I will just have it placed in the bottom of my heart and carefully treasure it. Younger cousin, regardless whether I'm a child, or an indomitable man of character, I still won't say something like ‘hoping you will find an ideal husband'. For the time being, be well, and take care!” Chen Zheng Min clasped his hands in farewell and resolutely turned away.

Jing Wan just curtsied, returning the etiquette. Chen Zheng Min's change was beyond her expectations, but Jing Wan also didn't feel it was like ‘forcibly pulling up the sprout to help it grow'[2]. The burden on his shoulder was too heavy. Growing up sooner was actually beneficial to him. Besides, in this society, his age really wasn't considered small anymore.

When they'd gone far, Chen third old master opened his mouth, “With her like this, becoming your concubine…………..”

“Grandfather, even if younger cousin's father just holds an empty post[3], she's still a di born young miss of a Head Minister Manor. I'm merely just a candidate in the imperial exam, and even if I pa.s.s the court exam tomorrow, successfully becoming a palace graduate[4], at most I would still just be a compiler[5] in the Imperial Hanlin Academy. What right do I have to let her become my concubine? Moreover, even if our statuses were swapped, even if I was a descendant of n.o.bility, I still won't let younger cousin Wan become my concubine. Similar words, this grandson doesn't want to hear anymore. ————-In the future, she will no longer have anything to do with me.”

Jing Wan returned to the main courtyard to notify Luo Old Madam.

“Luckily, towards Min boy, we didn't misjudge him. If he was the same as his grandfather, I would definitely break of this familial relation.” It can be seen, Luo Old Madam really was quite angered by Chen third old master today.

“Grandmother, no need to mind, with the world this big, one will always run into a few weirdos[6], and a few human trash.”

“Weirdos? Human trash?”

Jing Wan smiled, and didn't say anything, “This granddaughter still has things to take care of, thus won't be accompanying grandmother.”

“Fine, go then.”

Speaking of cancelling the engagement, it naturally wasn't as simple as just returning the marriage contract. They naturally also needed to give an explanation to the matchmakers, and there was also a pile of varying etiquettes that needed to be taken care of from before. However, these all had nothing to do with Jing Wan. She now was purely just a unmarried young lady again.

Not long after Jing Wan returned to her own little courtyard, that eighth younger tang brother that she, for the most part, has never met before came looking for her. Speaking of this eighth younger brother, he was the third branch's di son, Luo Jing Ying's di younger brother, just nine years old this year, and was even younger than the fourth branch's di son. Have to say, for the sake of giving birth to this son, Liu-s.h.i.+ probably spent quite a bit of effort.

Unlike Luo Jing Ying, this child was still just a normal young child, and Liu-s.h.i.+ didn't instill into him some absurd ideas either. It can be seen, Liu-s.h.i.+ was also aware that some things weren't good, instead having this son of hers protected very well.

“How come eighth brother thought of coming to third older sister's place?” Towards these innocent and harmless young children, Jing Wan naturally won't, because of hating certain people from the third branch, vent all her anger out on him, “Do you want to eat cake or candy?”

Luo eighth young master wrinkled his little nose, “Don't want, Huan Yiniang said, I'm already a little adult, and adults don't like eating cake and candy.” Although he said this, those eyes of his were instead glancing at the dishes on the table.

Huan Yiniang? Jing Wan didn't bat an eye, smilingly picking up a small piece of pastry and shoving it into her mouth, “Adults can also eat occasionally. As for little adults, en, can eat a few extra pieces.”

This time, a certain small child no longer held back and happily began to eat.

“What is eighth younger brother looking for third older sister for?”

“I haven't seen fourth older sister in a long time, they all say that third older sister knows where fourth older sister is, so I came to ask.”

This was wanting to let her go plea to grandmother, having Luo Jing Ying released? Not coming themselves, instead letting a small child come, as expected, even if they want to ask someone for help, they don't have the slightest sincerity either, even using a small child. This was just waiting for her to soften up. “Your mother didn't tell you where your fourth sister went?”

Luo little eight shook his head.

“Your fourth sister did something wrong and got locked up by grandmother.”

“T-Then, then I'll go beg grandmother, and let grandmother release fourth sister.”

“That won't work, if you go plea, grandmother will think that it's your parents that made you go. She will get angry. How about eighth brother go back and have my words relayed to your mother. Your mother will know what to do.”

“Oh, understood.”

“Who made this little embroidered pouch on eighth brother, it's really pretty.” Jing Wan's nose lightly sniffed, her gaze landing on the embroidered pouch on Luo little eight.

Luo little eight hesitated for a moment, “If I tell third older sister, third older sister can't tell others.”

“Alright.”

“Huan Yiniang made it. She told me not to tell anyone. She said my mother doesn't like her, and if my mother finds out that she made it, my mother will hit her.”

“Then if your mother asks you, who would you say made it?”

“The first rank servant girl at my side.”

“Can you let third sister see what all is inside the embroidered pouch?”

“Alright.” Luo little eight removed the embroidered pouch and handed it to Jing Wan.

Jing Wan opened it up for a look. She didn't recognize what was inside, but it should be a kind of medicinal herb. Thus, she put it back again. “Eighth brother, this embroidered pouch, older sister likes very much, can you give it to older sister? If Huan Yiniang asks, just tell her the truth. Afterwards, let her make a new one for you, and let her not put anything inside. I will give you a gla.s.s marble to play with, you can put this gla.s.s marble inside.”

Hearing the words ‘gla.s.s marble', the little guy quickly nodded his head.

Under Jing Wan's indication, Qing Zhu hurriedly went inside and fetched an infant fist sized gla.s.s marble.

Luo little eight held it in his hand and intently stared at it, obviously liking it very much. After playing with it for a good while, “Third older sister, say, Huan Yiniang is such a nice person, but how come my mother doesn't like her?”

“This, third sister doesn't know either, you need to ask you mother.”

Luo little eight scratched his head, “I'm scared to ask. Last time, I'd only mentioned Huan Yiniang, yet my mother hit me.”

“Then just don't bother with them, those are matters for grownups. Right now, you only need to properly study, and just play when you should play. Other things, you don't need to worry about.”

“Oh, I'll listen to third older sister.” As they spoke, Luo little eight started yawning, and his eyes also began blinking nonstop.

“Tired? Then go back soon. Moreover, if by chance your mother is unable to find you, she'll also be worried.”

“Alright, then third sister, I'll be going back first.” Luo little eight very properly bowed.

After Luo little eight left, Jing Wan's expression sunk. Ever since that Huan Yiniang entered the third branch, she has made the third branch awfully noisy, fighting with Liu-s.h.i.+ to no end. If it was just this, Jing Wan naturally would just sit on the wall and amusingly watch the play. Luo little eight was Liu-s.h.i.+'s di son, he was the pearl of her eye. To say Huan Yiniang didn't have any twisted intentions in approaching Luo little eight, who would believe? Just, even with Liu-s.h.i.+'s abilities, she still let Huan Yiniang find an opening, bribing the people at Luo little eight's side, further making Luo little eight become fond of her. “Does mama know what this thing is?”

“It's a kind of medicinal herb. Using on its own is not a problem, but if there's also another thing nearby, then it might be deadly. The symptoms in the early stages are being excessively fond of sleeping, then gradually, nightmares will appear, and then afterwards symptoms of hysteria will appear, hitting people, biting people. The closer the person, the more likely they will be attacked, because in his perception, these people are constantly tormenting him, letting him unable to be at peace. Getting tormented like this day and night, either one will just get tormented to death alive, or be driven insane.”

[1] The dictionary translation of this idiom is ‘not to be s.h.i.+rked without dishonor', but it's a really weird way of wording it, so I went with a more direct translation. If the meaning is still confusing, it just roughly means it would be dishonorable to decline.

[2] The inherent meaning is ‘forcibly making something grow, to only instead ruin things'. I feel like the visual image of someone pulling up a sprout only to kill it is fitting of the meaning this idiom is trying to convey.

[3] Translates literally to ‘hanging post', it's explained before in a previous chapter, but basically he's only an official in name and doesn't hold any power or do any work.

[4] Palace Graduate – refers to someone who successfully pa.s.sed the imperial exam, can think of it like being an imperial court intern.

[5] Compiler – Someone who compiles written doc.u.ments and text; it should be pretty straightforward.

[6] So the original word directly translates to ‘exotic flower', which is a modern slang for weirdo.

T/N: Luo little eight is really precious, and it goes to show what Luo Jing Ying could've turned out to be like if not for Liu-s.h.i.+'s heavy influence on her. It's really a shame Liu-s.h.i.+ is his mother, she sorta neglects him because he's kinda below average in learning, which is why she invests so much into Luo Jing Ying, this was subtly mentioned in chapter 15 I think. I'm pretty sure I'd already added him to the family tree. Tbh of the third branch children, my favorite is actually the eldest shu son, the second young master Luo Jing Ming, he'll be more properly introduced in a later chap. He has short appearances throughout but his character isn't fully introduced and fleshed out until later on.