Chapter 420: Changfang

Madame Tang was so angry that she burst out laughing, "What did you say? Even when Chongzhou is at home, she is so bold. Does she really think Chongzhou is blind? What has he been busy with these days? It's rare for our room to have good news, but this eldest brother of ours doesn't come to help and support, he just stays at home all day without any plan? Does this mean that we don't need to worry about anything in the long run? Just like yesterday, Fen and Li sisters came, shouldn't he as a father spend some time with them? I don't know what he has in his head, actually doing such embarrassing things."
Li Ma Ma lowered her head and did not dare to speak.
Madam Tang continued, "What on earth is going on with Xiang Shi? What can't you say in front of me?"
Li Ma Ma cautiously took two steps forward and lowered her voice, "I heard that Xiang Yi Niang hasn't been feeling well these days. Master only stayed in Xiang Yi Niang's room on the first day he came back, and they slept separately for the following days. Master is worried about Xiang Yi Niang's health and wanted the steward to invite a doctor to diagnose her. However, Xiang Yi Niang refused and insisted that she was fine, just having some symptoms of a cold. She was afraid of infecting Master, that's why they didn't sleep together. Master didn't say anything when he saw her insistence. But as soon as he turned around, Xiang Shi secretly had her nurse find a doctor who works at a medical clinic, and the doctor sneaked in through the back door. The next day, Xiang Yi Niang hurriedly left the house and went to Liutiao Hutong."
In major medical clinics, there are named doctors who travel around. Some of them are genuinely skilled, while others are frauds seeking fame. Genuine people would not go to a named doctor for medical treatment, as they find them unreliable. Unless it is a poor family who cannot afford a good doctor, or someone who has a secretive illness and doesn't want others to know, they would only then seek the help of these doctors.
Most of the registered doctors will only stay in the clinic for about ten days to a month, and then they will go to another city or village, so there is no need to worry about them leaking information.
What kind of illness is Xiang Shi suffering from that requires finding such a doctor to diagnose the pulse?
Madam Tang's face turned serious as she asked, "Where is the doctor who treated Xiang? "
Li Mama shook her head and said, "I don't know. Should we investigate?"
"Of course we should investigate," Madam Tang said expressionlessly. "I have a thought in my mind, I don't know if it's correct. You must quickly find out the whereabouts and background of this doctor, and also inquire about the carriage driver who took Xiang to Liutiao Hutong. This person dares to openly help Xiang in her illicit affair. I don't know if they were bribed or if they are being blackmailed. These are important pieces of evidence. We must not make any mistakes. When Xiang confronts us in the future, we must have solid proof to defend ourselves. Otherwise, with Xiang's intelligence, she will grasp onto any opportunity to refute us. We won't be able to handle that."
Li Maidservant scornfully said, "She's just a maid, why bother confronting her, Your Honor? Is she even worthy with her frail and skinny body?"
"Don't say that." Madame Tang sighed softly. "I naturally don't want to get involved in this kind of thing, but you should think carefully about it. If I don't intervene, should Feng Jun go and manage the affairs in his eldest uncle's room? Besides, it's such an embarrassing matter. In the future, Chongzhou won't have the face to interact with the second wife anymore. I fear they will never associate with each other until death."
Li Masi thought about it and said helplessly, "I never thought that you would be so dominant all your life, and now you have to deal with such trivial matters in the main house. The master is really disappointing, enjoying himself outside without even knowing that the backyard is on fire."
Grandma Tang looked at Li Mamma straightly and said, "So you mean your thoughts coincide with mine?"
Li Mamma replied without looking up, "Auntie Xiang's moves make people suspicious. It's hard not to think about it. She's perfectly healthy, why is she afraid to invite a reputable doctor? Instead, she secretly invites a doctor with a famous name. I don't know what's going on with her."
Old lady Tang shook her head, "Ah, the eldest branch is now hiding dirt and filth. I don't know if it's really the end of their luck."
Li Mama said, "The household has already been divided, what does it have to do with us whether the eldest branch is good or bad? As long as the second branch lives uprightly, outsiders shouldn't confuse us together. When our old master passed away, our family was in such difficult circumstances, but we didn't see the eldest branch lend a hand to help us…"
Tang Laofuren gently interrupted before finishing her sentence, "You can talk about this in front of me, but please do not speak in front of Songzhou and Fengjun. It might make them overthink. The Tang family has come this far not easily, and if it weren't for the first wife, we wouldn't have the second wife today. When the old master passed away, the first wife was struggling herself and had no spare energy to help us. Besides, as the saying goes, 'help those in need, not those who are poor.' Considering the situation of the second wife back then, even if it were me, I wouldn't have reached out to help. Otherwise, I would have dragged myself down as well, and the days of the first wife would have come to an end. Helping you is a matter of personal feelings, not helping is a matter of duty. I never hold it against them."This conversation was gently interrupted by Tang Laofuren before it was finished. "You can talk about this in front of me. Don't speak in front of Songzhou and Fengjun, because it might give them wrong ideas. It's not easy for the Tang family to come this far. Without the first wife, we wouldn't have the second wife today. When the old master passed away, the first wife was struggling herself and didn't have spare energy to help us. Besides, as the saying goes, 'help those in need, not those who are poor.' Considering the situation of the second wife back then, even if it were me, I wouldn't have reached out to help. Otherwise, I would have dragged myself down, and the days of the first wife would have come to an end. Helping you is a matter of personal feelings, not helping is a matter of duty. I never criticize them."
Li Mamma is not as open-minded and generous as Tang Lao Furen. Thinking of the past, Tang Lao Furen alone raised three children, as a widowed mother not only had to deal with the affairs of the tea garden and the shop, but also had to take care of the family's food, clothing, and daily needs. She was worried every day and had no smile on her face. She aged quickly during those years, and had many white hairs before she even reached forty.
She just didn't argue with Granny Tang's words and nodded silently, which meant she agreed.
Granny Tang smiled and said, "You came to my house when you were young, taking care of my daily life even when you were still in your parents' house. When you got married, you were chosen by my mother as a maid accompanying the dowry. We have stumbled through life together, during times of hardship and times of enjoyment. So naturally, you are on my side no matter what happens. This mindset inevitably becomes biased. You think those who treat me well are good people, and you naturally don't like those who treat me poorly. You, because I have lost fairness in looking at things."
When Li Ma left, she pouted and said, "I certainly didn't! Our family had a difficult time back then. In the second year after the old master passed away, we only bought a small piece of meat for the New Year. We carefully researched and prepared the offerings for the old master. But look at the main branch, they have been celebrating with feasts and luxuries until the seventh day of the New Year. I heard that the money spent on fireworks and firecrackers on New Year's Eve alone is enough to buy a pig. Even so, the main branch didn't send anyone to ask about us, as if they were afraid that we would take advantage of the opportunity to stick to them."
"How long has it been? You still remember." Grandma Tang said with a wry smile, "Those old things happened a long time ago. Both the master and grandma of the main branch have passed away for a while. You should forget about it. Keeping such things in your heart will only make yourself uncomfortable. Even if you think about it until death, it won't change anything."
"You can forget, but I can't forget." Dame Li fumed at the thought of these things. "At that time, the Master lived a life of luxury, and what about our Master? If outsiders who don't know the truth see the two of them, they might think that our Master is just a servant by the side of the first wife's husband! But the first wife is just someone who pretends to be silly and clueless. She only knows how to say pompous words, but doesn't actually do anything substantial. She's someone who only knows how to show off with her mouth."