Chapter 151
Once the words were heard, the servants in Thriving Joy Hall were shocked.
Jiang Ningbao was stunned.
Old Madam Xie actually gave her the management rights on her first day after married. This......this.....was simply a pie falling from the sky.
If it was another person, that person probably agreed with joy, but Jiang Ningbao actually rejected calmly, "Mother, you mustn't. I never manage a residence before so I cannot receive this heavy responsibility."
The servants in Thriving Joy Hall were shocked. They did not expect that the madam who had just gotten married into their residence would refuse to manage the residence.
Old Madam Xie was surprised, she had never thought that her daughter-in-law would refuse. Looking at her closely, the old madam was speechless. It seemed that Ningbao really did not want to manage the place now.
Even Old Servant Huang was surprised.
"How about this? You study with me for a few days." Old Madam Xie did not give up. Ningbao was the duke residence's mistress, she would be managing the place sooner or later, so it would be better to be used to it.
"Mother, I want to give you a grandson soon and give Jinyi a brother." Jiang Ningbao glanced at Duke Ding's cold and hard side face as a blush appeared when she was speaking a little shyly.
If the big duke residence was Duke Ding's, then Butler Zhao was Duke Ding's underling.
The matters in the residence were taken care of by Butler Zhao
Wanting the management rights was only a matter of a sentence from Duke Ding.
So right now, Jiang Ningbao only wanted to experience a sweet honeymoon with the duke. The matter of management should be given to the old madam who was getting healthier.
At the side, Xie Jingyi heard his new adopted mother saying shyly about giving him a brother and he could not help but tightened his held on the ink box with complicated emotions.
Old Madam Xie exclaimed and patted her forehead while saying in a vex manner, "Right, right, Ningbao spoke correctly. It seems like I was muddled and forgot that you and A'Heng just got married. It's better to give Jingyi a brother first, the management matters come later."
Duke Ding Xie Heng spoke faintly, "Mother, the matter of children is up to chance, it cannot be rushed."
Jiang Ningbao: "....."
Old Madam Xie: "....."
Suddenly, Old Madam Xie widened her eyes. She had just noticed that she did not feel any discomfort even though her son was standing in front of her. She could not help but ask in a shock.
"A'Heng, the ominous energy on your body......what happened?"
Once her words were heard, the people in Thriving Joy Hall finally noticed something strange.
Goodness, the duke actually stood in front of the old madam and talked within close distance when they did not forget that the duke had always talked with long distance with the old madam before.
Moreover, they did not feel hurt.
The scary ominous energy on the duke seemed to vanish without a trace.
"Mother, have you finally realized?" Jiang Ningbao pursed her lips and smiled with curved eyes.
Xie Jingyi was stunned.
The ominous energy on his adopted father's body looked like it was gone for a big half and the rest was probably suppressed by the Buddhist bracelet.
The shocked Old Madam Xie heard Jiang Ningbao speaking and promptly stood up in agitation. She grabbed Jiang Ningbao's hands and asked.
"Ningbao, this.....what is happening?"
"Mother, don't be anxious and hear my explanation." Jiang Ningbao smiled and comforted Old Madam Xie. She did not hide anything and told her everything.
She and the duke tried three times. Water actions could indeed lessen the ominous energy but could not erase it. Moreover, once the ominous energy was lessened to a certain point, it could not be fainter.
Chapter 152
About this point, Jiang Ningbao also felt helpless.
It seemed that the ominous energy would accompany the duke for a lifetime.
Duke Ding was not bothered, he had gotten used to the existence of the ominous energy.
Old Madam Xie took a deep breath and calmed her erratic beating heart, asking carefully.
"Ningbao, you mean that A'Heng will be like normal people with the red sandalwood Buddhist bracelet suppressing the rest of the ominous energy, right?"
Old Servant Huang stood beside and waited for Jiang Ningbao's answer nervously.
"That's right, mother." Jiang Ningbao nodded with a smile.
Old Madam Xie was so moved and almost cried in happiness. She suddenly thought of the words of the high monk, then stared deeply at Jiang Ningbao, enlightened.
"So that's how it is, so that's how it is."
No wonder the high monk said that if A'Heng found his destined person, A'Heng would have a long life and many children and grandchildren.
Because only Ningbao could lessen the ominous energy on A'Heng.
Old Madam Xie happily pulled Jiang Ningbao's hand and patted, "Ningbao, I will entrust A'Heng to you." Then, she turned and looked at her tall and handsome son, beating at him a little.
"A'Heng, don't bully Ningbao, got it?"
"Mother, don't worry. Ningbao is my wife, I will be good to her in my life." Duke Ding Xie Heng glanced at his little wife and guaranteed with a solemn face.
Jiang Ningbao was happy in her heart and gave a bright smile to Duke Ding.
Old Madam Xie smiled in gratification.
Xie Jingyi watched this scene and his thin lips unconsciously pursed tight, faintly feeling that he was surplus.
Perhaps adopting was not a correct decision.
"You must be tired from yesterday. Both of you go back and rest, we will eat lunch together at noon." Old Madam Xie hurried with a smile.
Jiang Ningbao and Duke Ding left Thriving Joy Hall.
Back at the courtyard, Jiang Ningbao decided to sleep enough.
It was their honeymoon so it was obvious that Duke Ding would accompany her and rest.
Inside Thriving Joy Hall, the incense wafted.
Old Madam Xie's face was full of smiles and tasted the tea in a good moon. Old Servant Huang saw the old madam so happy and her heart was also happy. But not even ten minutes later, Old Madam Xie held back her smile and sighed.
"A'Heng's Buddhist bracelet won't last much longer."
Old Servant Huang was stunned and couldn't help saying, "Old madam, you can ask the high monk in Clear Water Temple to make another Buddhist bracelet."
Old Madam Xie went silent.
If it was possible, she would've long gone to Clear Water Temple and would not delay until now. A'Heng's Buddhist bracelet was special, one of a kind.
Fortunately, her daughter-in-law Ningbao could decrease the ominous energy and a few days later, without the Buddhist Bracelet suppressing the ominous energy, A'Heng would be the same at most, normal people couldn't get near.
This was already the best result.
Old Madam Xie told herself silently, don't be greedy.
On the other side, Xie Jingyi brought the ink box to his courtyard and took out the plum ink inside, but after seeing the words carved on the ink tablet, his handsome face flashed with flabbergasted.
This ink tablet was actually the one his mother gave out as a gift for saving her.
Now it went back to his hand in that manner.
Xie Jingyi stared at the words on the ink tablet. Thinking of the word 'conscience', a trace of guilt flashed at the base of his eyes.
Chapter 153
After waking up at noon, Jiang Ningbao held Duke Ding's arm with a bright face and went to Thriving Joy Hall to have lunch with Old Madam Xie.
The lunch was rich and exquisite.
After twenty eight years, she could finally eat lunch together at one table with her son. Old Madam Xie was moved as she picked the dishes for her son with delighted eyes.
"A'Heng, this crispy skin roasted duck is the head chef's specialty, you try eating."
Duke Ding was rather introverted but his eyes showed delight.
"Mother, you should eat more."
Old Madam Xie nodded with a wide smile and looked at Jiang Ningbao and smiled, saying, "Ningbao, I specially tell the kitchen to make these soups to enrich your blood. You should drink more later. "
"......"
Jiang Ningbao smiled faintly as she nodded and put the old madam's favorite food in her bowl and spoke some words that made the old madam happy. In the corner of her eyes, she glanced at her newly gained son, Xie Jingyi who ate his lunch silently and the aura on him was colder and gloomier than before, causing her brows to lower.
Ink conscience, no heart, black heart..... See how he decipher it.
On that note, the meeting gift was something Jiang Ningbao prepared for poking at Xie Jingyi's personality.
Actually, she wanted to write 'heart' on a paper but thinking of 'sweetheart' made Jiang Ningbao disgusted. If she was misunderstood by Xie Jingyi, it wasn't nice so she wrote 'conscience'.
Normally, the two of them were not far apart in age and they were once engaged so Jiang Ningbao won't be too close to Xie Jingyi, lest someone gossiped. She won't find trouble for him in the duke residence.
So Jiang Ningbao decided to get a little even with Xie Jingyi.
Jiang Ningbao never forgot the matter of annulling the engagement.
It seemed that it was quite effective.
After lunch, Old Madam Xie still had a smile on her face. Perhaps she was too happy that she ate full and after drinking digestion tea, she was helped by a servant girl to her room to digest the food.
In the main hall of Thriving Joy Hall, the servants had tidied the table and left only Jiang Ningbao, Duke Ding, and Xie Jingyi.
Jiang Ningbao sipped the fragrant tea to erase the oil and glanced at the cool and handsome male lead with a smile, "Jingyi, do you like the plum ink mother sent you?"
Jiang Ningbao felt that it was satisfying to call herself mother in front of the male lead.
Right, she could also take advantage of Xie Jingyi later.
And disgust Xie Second Madam.
Duke Ding Xie Heng's heart, who was sitting straight at the side, moved and he felt something was not right. His brow furrowed. It seemed that his little wife hid something from him.
Xie Jingyi did not think that Jiang Ningbao would suddenly ask about the plum ink. His gaze stiffened and the hand holding the teacup tightened. He raised to look at Jiang Ningbao who was smiling bright but the smile did not reach her eyes and nodded silently.
"Plum ink is one of Dayue Dynasty's four famous ink. I like it very much."
Calling himself son......Xie Jingyi could not say it but saying his name was not polite.
So he could only regard himself as 'me'.
But Jiang Ningbao rather naturally, as if she really was happy that she had a son a bit older than her.
"It's good that you like it. This is the meeting gift mother selected very carefully." Jiang Ningbao purposely emphasized the words 'select very carefully' with a beautiful smile, as if the lotus in autumn waters, beautiful to the point of making one's heart to miss a beat.