4. Benevolence

The abbot halted with a worried look on his face. “Perhaps I’m not in the position to judge, benefactor, but you should keep in mind that both Master Shui and you are merchants, as well as the three earlier generations of your ancestors. You shouldn’t forget your origin.”

His words enraged Lord Shui, who dragged Jin Mengmeng away in an instant.

The abbot sighed as he stepped out of the room and caught up with them. “Renxin (Lit. Benevolence),” he raised his voice.

Hearing his own name, Lord Shui halted.

The abbot reached into his robe and took out a yellow talisman with his trembling hand. “Here’s a talisman for you. Remember to keep it close wherever you go.”

He shoved the yellow talisman into Lord Shui’s palm and turned to look at Jin Mengmeng before saying with earnestness, “The two of you should have a child as soon as possible. And please be tolerant with your husband, Renxin, given his stubbornness and grumpiness.”

That’s definitely not what the abbot of Longju temple should have said.

Jin Mengmeng winked, for she was taken aback at the sight of Lord Shui stuffing the talisman into his pocket before taking her away without a word, leaving their receding figures to the abbot.

There weren’t many pedestrians on the street on their way back. Lord Shui pulled up at the busiest part of the River Town, intending to buy jewelleries for Jin Mengmeng.

As the wife of Lord Shui, she was supposed to wear clothes made of the top-level silk, as well as the most luxurious jewelleries. How could she keep her neck bare like poor girls from the rural area?

In the fanciest jewellery shop of the River Town.

Seeing Lord Shui entering, the boss came over immediately. “To what do I owe the pleasure? I thought we have sent the jewelleries to your mansion on regular intervals for the madams to pick.”

Lord Shui replied without even looking at him, “Take out all the jewelleries in your shop so my wife can try on every piece.”

It was not until then did the boss turn to measure Jin Mengmeng with his eyes.

Frankly speaking, he had never paid much attention to the plain-looking girl following Lord Shui, assuming that she was his maid.

Hearing her identity, the boss immediately stooped and put on a flattery smile. “What kind of jewellery does our honored madam want? Let me take them out for you.”

The only piece of jewellery Jin Mengmeng owned was a pair of silver earrings given by her third Senior brother. She didn’t dare to wear them when accompanying the bride to her new family. It was beyond everyone’s expectation that Jin Mengmeng would be snatched to the Shui family as the future bride of Lord Shui.

The boss was certainly smart enough to understand her embarrassment. With a gleam in his eyes, he asked a maid with a benign face to help Jin Mengmeng pick jewelleries.

The whole set of golden jewelleries dotted with jade, the head ornaments dotted with rubies, the sets made of jade, as well as the only diamond ring in River Town, which had one of the small dazzling gems popular in foreign countries.

Knowing nothing about jewelleries, Jin Mengmeng was forced to wear various of them on her head and wrists so that Lord Shui could choose for her.

Lord Shui signaled the shop keeper that they would take the lot with a wave of his hand.

Jin Mengmeng stepped out of the jewellery shop, with golden earrings and a necklace dotted with jade glinting glamorously under the sun.

“Looks good.” Lord Shui concluded before he took her hand and drove back home.

The news that Jin Mengmeng had gained grace spread from the jewellery shop, directly to the streets of River Town, and at last, to the Shui family.

Before they got home, the concubines at the backyard had already started quarreling.

Regardless of their quarrel, Lord Shui took Jin Mengmeng directly to the main chamber in order to produce an heir. When dinner was ready, Lord Shui had just buckled his belt.

This time, instead of pain, Jin Mengmeng sensed something new.

Jin Mengmeng lay on her front in the quilt, and her body was as limp as a noodle. Lord Shui got down on one knee on the bed, his hand rubbing her chin softly. “What do the Jins do for a living?”

“Weaving wicker baskets.” She answered lazily.

Living in Mount Fenglai covered with willows, the Jin family had been living on making wicker baskets for generations. During the era of peace, they would expand their operations, such as making wicker vases or pendants.

They were just artisans who could barely make ends meet.

Jin Mengmeng was abandoned in the forest of the southern part of Mount Fenglai by her parents when she was a baby, and was later saved by her master when he was collecting wickers in the mountain.

From then on, she had been living with the Jin family. In order to return their favor, Jin Mengmeng had been serving other family members sincerely as if a maid.

...Translator: Madesmoiselle V....

...To be continued.....

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