Oops! The Black Lotus Can’t Be a Female Supporting Character

CHAPTER 63 PART1



CHAPTER 63 PART1



“Boom, rumble-rumble!”


Outside, thunder roared like a thousand stampeding horses, a relentless barrage accompanied by the relentless “pitter-patter” of pouring rain.


Lying on her bed, Madam She tossed and turned, unable to sleep.


It was already the middle of the night, the third watch, and sleep still eluded her. She couldn’t help but roll over once more.


Ahem, ahem. A light, deliberate cough sounded from outside her inner chamber—a reminder from Zhu momo.


Madam She’s body stiffened. She had forgotten Zhu momo’s repeated instructions: she must not toss and turn once in bed.


Zhu momo swept the curtain aside and entered the inner chamber, walking straight to Madam She’s bedside. She raised her greying eyebrows slightly. “Can’t sleep?”


Madam She sat up, clutching her quilt, a flush of shame warming her cheeks.


“Then get up and read,” Zhu momo said curtly.


Following Zhu momo’s gaze, Madam She looked at the Buddhist texts resting on her bedside table. On the cover of the top one, the title The Sutra on the Causality of Good and Evil was starkly visible.


For days, Madam She had been reading these sutras. Zhu momo, claiming her temperament was too rash, had insisted she study them, even procuring these supposedly simple versions for her to read aloud, over and over.


Once, twice… After so many repetitions, certain passages had begun to haunt her mind like malevolent echoes: “A short life stems from killing in a previous existence…” or “Those who in this life destroy stupas and temples, defy their teachers and monks, or are unfilial to their parents will, upon death, fall into the Avici Hell…”


The cycle of cause and effect, the inescapability of karma—the sins committed in this life would not only be visited upon herself but would also affect the fortune and fate of her children and descendants.


Zhu momo reinforced this daily, whispering, “Madam, the misdeeds of this life are repaid in the next; the connections of this world are forged in the last. It seems the bond between us was also predestined.”


The misdeeds of this life are repaid in the next.


These words were etched deeply into Madam She’s heart, impossible to shake.


Burdened by these thoughts, sleep had become a stranger for nights on end.


The moment she closed her eyes, she would see Old Master Yin collapsing from his stroke. In her dream, he never woke up. The household swiftly donned mourning white, and soon after, her mother-in-law, passed away as well.


Her husband, the Eldest Master Yin Huan, took charge of the family.


Before the three-year mourning period had even ended, her son, Yin Hao, was dead—pushed into the river and drowned by Concubine Wang. Her daughter, Yin Yan, was married off to the son of Concubine Wang’s cousin, where she was tormented to death. And Madam She herself, after catching a mere chill, died suddenly and mysteriously.


In the dream, she and both her children perished. When the underworld guards dragged her before the King of Hell, he sentenced her to the depths of the Avici Hell.


She would always jolt awake from this nightmare, gasping.


For two nights straight, the same horrifying dream had plagued her. The mere memory of it now made her tremble with fear. “It wasn’t me,” she whispered, the words barely audible, a frantic denial born of sheer panic.


That “medicinal broth” given to the old master… the recipe had been personally “sought out” by the Eldest Master himself. He had wanted her to prepare it, but she hadn’t dared.


He had scolded her harshly for it, calling her useless, calling her a coward.


So, he had hidden in his room on the boat and prepared it himself, then secretly replaced the old master’s regular tonic. After five days of this, the old master suffered his stroke…


Zhu momo saw Madam She’s lips move. She didn’t catch the words, but the guilty look on her face was familiar enough—the same feeble excuses.


Picking up The Sutra on the Causality of Good and Evil, Zhu momo thrust it into Madam She’s hands. “It’s only thunder,” she said coldly. “What is there to fear? It’s only those with guilty consciences who need worry about being struck by lightning.”


CRACK!


No sooner had the words left her mouth than a brilliant, white fork of lightning split the sky. A deafening peal of thunder boomed, the immense bolt tearing through the stormy night like a sharp sword, illuminating the courtyard in a sudden, stark flash.


The blinding light pierced the inner chamber, turning night into day for a fleeting instant.


The simultaneous flash and boom made Madam She jolt violently.


How could the thunder be this loud?!


Her face turned as pale as paper. She stared fearfully out the window at the raging night sky, as the thunder continued to rumble, growing ever louder.


Madam She clutched at her left breast, fingers digging into her robes as she felt her heartbeat quicken.


“Madam!” The sharp voice of her head maid rang out from outside the chamber, startling her again.


She frowned, just as the maid burst in, flustered and breathless. Madam She shot a glance at Zhu momo, finding the girl’s panicked demeanor disgraceful, and was about to scold her when the maid stammered, trembling, “Madam, Master’s study at Hanching Pavilion was just struck by lightning!”


Hanching Pavilion was where Young Master Yin Huan resided in the outer courtyard.


Old Master Yin had plans to open several teahouses in the capital, and recently ordered Yin Huan to compile information on the most famous ones—comparing strengths and weaknesses, choosing the best locations. He demanded results within three days, so Yin Huan had been staying up late in the front courtyard, often sleeping directly in the study.


Struck by lightning?!


Madam She’s face drained of all color. Her pupils contracted sharply as her gaze dropped to the Scripture on Cause and Effect of Good and Evil in her hands.


Struck by lightning… was this retribution?


Her mind went blank, unable to react.


Seeing her silence, the maid swallowed nervously and asked in a small voice, “Madam, should we go to Hanching Pavilion?”


A low rumble of thunder rolled across the sky.


Madam She flinched and shook her head repeatedly. “No… I’m not going.”


She didn’t want to be struck herself.


Distraught, she turned to the window. The rain outside was pouring even harder, cascading down like a waterfall.


“Go,” Zhu momo dismissed the maid with a careless wave, a mocking curve tugging at her lips.


Madam She sat numbly by the bed, her vacant eyes fixed on the storm outside. She clutched the scripture tighter, as though holding on to her very lifeline.


She hardly slept that night—sometimes sitting up, sometimes lying back down. By dawn, she rose, exhausted but restless.


The rain, which had lasted all night, finally began to taper off. She hurried to Hanching Pavilion, her skirt hem soaking quickly with mud as she crossed the wet ground.


Inside was utter ruin.


Half the study’s roof had been torn away by lightning, and part of the wall had collapsed, crushing a nearby parasol tree. A thick branch had snapped, leaving rubble, dust, and scattered leaves everywhere.


A faint smell of burning still lingered in the air.


The sight was shocking.


Madam She’s face went deathly pale, lips bloodless, and her heart quailed: This… this must be Heaven’s retribution!


An unfilial son deserves to be struck by lightning!


One of the servant women at Hanching Pavilion, still shaken, stepped forward to report, “Madam, please don’t worry. The young master isn’t gravely hurt. When the lightning struck, a bookshelf toppled over and landed on his arm. The physician says it’s only a fracture of the right arm. With a month’s rest, he’ll recover.”


“As for the study roof, it’s beyond repair—it will have to be rebuilt.”


A gust of wind blew past as she spoke, shaking raindrops loose from the branches above, making it seem as if the storm had begun again.


Caught in the branches of the damaged parasol tree was a torn butterfly-shaped kite, snapping in the wind with a harsh flutter.


The servant woman muttered, “Not sure which girl lost her kite yesterday—it must’ve snapped and gotten stuck there.”


It was only a kite, so the servants hadn’t paid it any mind.


Neither did Madam She. She cast it a fleeting glance before stepping into the main hall.


“Madam, the young master is resting in the east chamber,” the servant pointed out.


Madam She said nothing, walking on silently, her mind a tangled mess of fear and confusion.


She wanted to warn Yin Huan—that the old master already knew about the silver he had siphoned from the maritime trade funds.


She wanted to urge him to stop before Heaven’s wrath struck again.


This time, the lightning had struck askew, sparing Yin Huan’s life and leaving him only with an injured arm. But what about the next time?


At the entrance of the east chamber, the maidservant curtsied to Madam She and lifted the curtain for her.


Stepping inside, Madam She immediately saw Concubine Wang seated by the bed, while Yin Huan lay there, pale-faced, his right arm swathed in white bandages.


Concubine Wang was tending to his injury with deliberate slowness, her voice dripping with delicate complaint: “Master, you must take care of yourself. I’m not even three months along yet—if anything were to happen to you, what would become of me and this child?”


As she spoke, she paused in her task, pressing a hand against her still-flat belly.


Yin Huan was deeply moved. With his uninjured left hand, he covered hers and said warmly, “Qian’er, don’t worry. As long as I’m here, neither you nor the child will ever want for anything. You’re both my very lifeblood.”


Madam She had just reached the partition behind the treasure cabinet when her steps froze. Through the gap, she caught sight of the pair inside—their intimacy, their tenderness—and the fear in her eyes turned to ice.


Clenching her teeth, she did not enter. Instead, she turned sharply on her heel and walked away, her husband’s indulgent voice drifting after her: “Qian’er, are you frightened? I’ll have the physician check your pulse for peace of mind later.”


She heard no more. Her gaze grew ever colder.


Yin Huan already had two sons and three daughters by concubines, but never had he treated them—or their mothers—with such care.


The one he cherished above all was indeed different.


Ever since Concubine Wang had been brought into the household, Yin Huan spent most of his nights with her, guarding her as though she were porcelain too fine to touch.


And once she gave him a son… what would become of herself and her children?


A chill seized her as the nightmare that had haunted her so often rose again before her eyes—her children dead, and herself following them into the grave.


She shuddered, feeling as if a guillotine hung suspended above her head. Her pace quickened.


“Madam, don’t distress yourself,” Zhu momo soothed gently.


“You bore the eldest son, the legitimate heir. No concubine’s child can compare to that.”


Madam She halted abruptly, turning toward her with a bitter smile. “The Yin family are merchants…”


Merchant families did not cling to the strict traditions of officialdom. There were no iron rules of primogeniture.


Sometimes the family head chose whichever son proved most capable. Sometimes it was simply the child who most won favor.


“Madam,” Zhu momo continued, “I can see the Old Master is very fond of Young Master Hao. He won’t stand idly by and let the Master go too far.”


At the mention of her son, Madam She’s expression brightened. She nodded eagerly.


“Yes, yes. The Old Master dotes on Hao’er and has never held my disputes with the Master against him. He even had Hao’s tutor brought all the way from Jiangnan to the capital, just so his studies wouldn’t be delayed.”


As long as the Old Master lived, Hao’s position would remain secure…


But what if one day the Old Master was gone?


The thought struck her like a bucket of ice water. Her body went cold, the chill seeping into her very bones.


Before, Yin Huan had said he wished the Old Master dead—claiming he feared discovery of the fifty thousand taels he had embezzled from the maritime trade funds. But was that truly the reason?


If the Old Master were gone, there would be no one left to protect her Hao. Yin Huan could openly pass the inheritance to that concubine’s bastard instead.


Concubine Wang was nearly three months along. Had they already known before coming to the capital? Had everyone known—everyone but her?


Once suspicion surfaced, it could not be buried. One thought after another rose unchecked, flooding her mind.


Zhu momo sighed, her voice deliberate and heavy: “Madam, concubines and their children can’t truly be prevented. If you spend your days scheming like a petty concubine, you’ll only waste your strength. In this household, the Old Master holds the true authority. As long as he speaks a word, does the Master dare contradict him?


Don’t lose the greater for the sake of the small.”


“Yes… yes, you’re right.” Madam She nodded repeatedly, her thoughts fully steered by Zhu momo.


“Then… what should I do?” she asked haltingly. “Father and Mother have been displeased with me lately…”


“Now,” Zhu momo lowered her voice meaningfully, “the ones the Old Master and Madam feel most guilty toward—the ones they most wish to make amends with—are the young miss.”


Madam She’s eyes lit up. She clapped her hands in sudden excitement. “Momo, I understand! The little engagement ceremony for my niece is coming up—I must make a proper display of sincerity!”


She would show the Old Master and Madam her loyalty and good intentions.


“That’s right.” Zhu momo nodded approvingly.


“All thanks to you, Momo!” Madam She looked at her with a mixture of gratitude and reliance, her earlier panic steadied at last.


How fortunate she was to have such a guide—without her, she would still be blundering like a headless fly, and might well end up meeting the very fate she feared in her dreams.


Once her mind was made up, Madam She threw herself into the preparations alongside Madam Yin. Even if Madam Yin treated her with cold indifference, she paid it no mind, wearing her eagerness like armor and pressing on.


It left Madam Yin baffled. She could not tell what Madam She was scheming and, in private, muttered about it to her daughter and parents.


Her daughter only laughed, playfully reassuring her: “Mother, don’t trouble yourself. Whatever it is, just let Aunt fuss over it.”


These days, Madam Yin noticed her daughter and the Old Master often whispering together—sometimes laughing in secret, sometimes pointing to the sky and making gestures she could not understand.


Just what the old man and the little girl were plotting together, she had no idea.


Seeing how well her father and daughter got along, Madam Yin was overjoyed. She smiled gently; since her daughter had spoken, she followed her lead and no longer paid Madam She any mind, letting her help as she pleased.


As the date of the betrothal gift ceremony drew near, Madam Yin grew busier by the day.


Not only did she have to alter Xiao Yanfei’s ceremonial dress, she also had to prepare new clothes for all the servants, arrange the decorations for the main hall, and adorn the residence inside and out.


The Yin family’s servants bustled about, all busy yet full of cheer.


Then, one day, a servant woman rushed in, her face alight with excitement: “Master, Madam, His Majesty has sent rewards!”


The last time, only a palace attendant had come on behalf of the Empress.


But today, it was an imperial eunuch of high rank, personally bringing the Emperor’s gifts.


The gates of the Yin residence were flung open, the servants tense and vigilant as they welcomed the imperial envoys, fearful of showing the slightest lapse in decorum.


The long line of carriages and horses from the palace filled the entire alley, and one by one, chests of treasures were carried into the Yin household—gold and silver, jade and jewelry, medicinal herbs, fragrant spices, silks and brocades, antiques and calligraphy, fine vessels and ornaments… the dazzling sight left everyone breathless.


“Congratulations, Second Young Lady Xiao!”


The one delivering the Emperor’s decree and rewards was Liang Zheng. Before Xiao Yanfei, he was all courtesy and warmth, bowing repeatedly with a smile that carried subtle meaning.


“These are tokens of His Majesty’s esteem for you, Young Lady.”


The heaps of rewards soon filled the main hall and spilled into the courtyard, each chest heavy and substantial.


“Many thanks for your trouble, Eunuch Liang.” Xiao Yanfei returned the bow with poised ease. As their eyes briefly met, an unspoken understanding flickered between them. Then she discreetly slipped a red packet containing ibuprofen into his hand.


Liang Zheng was thoroughly pleased. With his duty done, he departed with a smile, while Madam Yin quickly ordered Steward Jin to see him out.


***



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