Chapter 245: The Family Favorite in the Clan

"You're finally back." The young servant rushed forward and, before Qin Lang could ask, chattered away: "Young Master Qin, what exactly is wrong with Second Lady? It seems our Young Master's possession is not as simple as that."

From the young servant, everyone learned that when they performed the ritual for the Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis last time, the Young Master had caught a slight cold, nothing serious. Knowing his Second Aunt's family would surely return from the restaurant in the next few days due to some matter, he decided to perform the ritual regardless of whether it was a possession or not.

As a result, after returning home, his cold worsened significantly, and at that time, his Second Aunt had visited the Marquis Manor.

During this visit to the Marquis Manor, his Second Aunt had used a little trick. She knew she was an outsider and the Marquis Manor might not welcome her, but her son was the Marquis's own nephew, which naturally made a difference.

"I won't go." Second Lady complained to her son: "Your cousin, the Young Master, feels unwell whenever he sees me. The Marquis Lady clearly said I shouldn't come, yet every time I go, I'm met with a cold shoulder."

"I'm getting engaged; I must at least inform my eldest uncle." The cousin, however, really wanted to visit the Marquis Manor. He was getting engaged, and people his age already had several children; this matter of engagement had to be announced to the clan: "If my cousin can't bear to see you, you can send someone ahead to say so, and have my cousin avoid the courtyard."

Having achieved her goal of complaining, Second Lady secretly curled her lip in disdain.

Upon learning that the mother and son were coming, the Marquis hurriedly sent someone to inform the Young Master: "Don't come for the meal yet. Your Second Aunt is arriving; come over only after she leaves."

The Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis was starving. Well, he could only take a short nap.

The mother and son did not stay long at the Marquis Manor and left quickly; only then did the Marquis Manor have their meal.

The Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis asked: "What did that mother and son come for?"

Usually, he called her Second Aunt, but now he didn't want to; he was annoyed.

"Your cousin is getting engaged and came to announce it." The Marquis Lady, being kind, naturally preferred family harmony, and spoke well for her nephew: "Your cousin said he's used to coming to the Marquis Manor. If you feel unwell, it doesn't matter; they just need to inform you in advance."

Since the cousin was close to the Marquis Manor, he came anyway.

"They should have done this long ago." The Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis picked up some food and said: "It's been so long. Let me tell you, I've calculated it; my feeling unwell whenever Second Aunt comes to the Marquis Manor has dragged on for over a year. I've told her more than once, but she always plays dumb. Whether I'm truly possessed or not, since we've told her, she should avoid me. Yet every time she comes to the Marquis Manor, she hunts me down, afraid she won't see me. If she had informed us in advance this time, I wouldn't have blamed her."

The Marquis Lady tried to smooth things over: "I told her not to come unless there's a reason."

The Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis felt a surge of anger. He had been told this last time, yet she came again. He always accommodated Second Aunt and her family, but seeing how vicious this Second Aunt was, why did he still have to indulge her?

But this time, since the cousin had informed them in advance, the Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis couldn't complain. He was also angered by his mother's words; every time she said she wouldn't come, yet every time she failed to stop Second Aunt from coming.

For the next few days, the Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis fell ill. His cold was severe, yet he still had to go out to cultivate.

After several days, he showed no sign of improvement. His headache worsened, leaving him groggy. The Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis grew restless and anxious. He had never seen a cold this severe, especially since he, as the Young Master of the Marquis Manor, hadn't been neglecting his duties.

Just yesterday he had started to recover, and now his toothache began again. A disaster that wouldn't go away.

Was there really something wrong with his teeth? No, it was just a mysterious toothache.

The Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis deeply believed Qin Lang's words, feeling that his Second Aunt truly had a problem. Otherwise, he wouldn't be so perpetually ill. He felt hatred and was truly fed up.

If he could confirm that it was indeed this Second Aunt causing trouble, he would kill her.

The young servant also hated this Second Lady, grinding his teeth with hatred. No one knew better than him how much the Young Master suffered. At night, the headaches and toothaches kept him awake. The Young Master was strong and healthy, not looking like someone truly ill.

Master and servant shared the same hatred. The young servant chattered, recounting the events roughly, and even gritted his teeth, saying: "Second Lady must have a problem. I've never seen such a wicked person. When she doesn't come, our Young Master is fine. The moment she comes, the Young Master falls ill in various ways. It was better before; now, he doesn't even need to see her. As long as she comes to the Marquis Manor and wanders around, our Young Master feels unwell."

Qin Yan frowned as he listened. The young servant's account was clear and logical, making it hard not to suspect this Second Lady. However, the claim of possession was vague and mystical, and it involved the mistreatment of orphans and widows, making the situation difficult to handle.

Everyone stood by the teleportation array. Qin Lang asked Qin Bi: "Sister, can reading fortunes for others really increase one's cultivation base?"

Qin Bi didn't answer; she was too lazy to speak such nonsense. Qin Bi said: "Give me your 'Bountiful Harvest Cloud'."

Qin Lang understood the answer now. Reading fortunes for the Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis could be done just like cultivation. Qin Xun also heard this, and Qin Yan pondered, realizing that with a high cultivation base, one could summon a 'Bountiful Harvest Cloud'.

Qin Yan's heart stirred; he wanted a 'Bountiful Harvest Cloud' too.

Don't think he hadn't noticed; the rain from the 'Bountiful Harvest Cloud' was beneficial to crops. Hadn't he seen how well Qin Bi's and Qin Lang's watermelon vines were growing? Qin Bi's watermelon vines had even grown small watermelons.

"Alright, I understand." Qin Lang smiled and said to the Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis's servant: "What does your Young Master plan to do? Should I come over to perform the ritual when he has time? I can wait for him at home."

"Our Young Master is busy today." The servant said: "Our Young Master's illness has mostly healed, but the cousin from the Second Branch is having his minor engagement ceremony tomorrow. Second Lady will surely come to the Marquis Manor. Our Young Master is afraid and has come to ask for your advice."

What should they do? Their Young Master had just recovered; if this happened again, he couldn't take it.

Qin Lang had no solution and looked at Qin Bi.

Qin Bi asked the servant: "The child from the Second Branch is having a minor engagement. Does your Marquis Manor give money?"

"Yes, we do." The servant was very respectful: "The Third Branch gave one hundred taels of silver."

Since the Third Branch gave one hundred taels of silver, the Marquis of Prince Anyuan certainly couldn't give less than one hundred taels. From the servant, they learned that when the Young Master of Prince Anyuan Marquis got engaged, the Second Branch only gave a few bolts of cloth, worth less than two taels of silver.

Qin Bi, Qin Yan, and the others fell silent. Was this how family exchanges were supposed to work?

Qin Bi didn't fully understand social exchanges and looked at Qin Yan. Qin Yan, Qin Xun, and Rong Yan all shook their heads. In this situation, giving fifty taels of silver was already generous; giving one hundred was too much.

Thus, Qin Bi saw it clearly: the mother and son from the Second Branch were the family's favorites, as if some force was pushing everything from the family members' hands to accumulate on them.

If there were no conflicts, it would be fine, but this Second Aunt was too vicious; her wickedness brought no good to those around her. For the Marquis Manor's family to still indulge her was wrong.

In that case, let them indulge her. Qin Bi didn't intend to interfere.

The servant delivered the message and returned to report.

Qin Bi informed Lin Yao, then followed Qin Yan and the others to the Qin Yan Marquis Manor. The little bundle, Rong Yuan, followed along. He Zu returned to the Yan Duke Manor. Rong Yan went home first; he loved the excitement and hurriedly ran to the Qin Yan Marquis Manor.

(End of Chapter)