He has an idea
After a long time, Yu Qingluo lightened the strength she was holding Nannan’s body slowly and quietly sat on a chair beside him, letting out a heavy sigh.
Nannan was startled by her action, suddenly awakening from his beautiful daydreaming. He looked at her puzzled and asked: “Mother, what’s the problem?”
“Nannan, your mother is asking you. Do you want your father or do you want your mother?”
Nannan blinked twice. ‘What did his mother mean with that?’
He hesitated for a while, but then, in a low and hesitating voice asked: “Can’t I want both?”
“No, you can only have one. If you want your father, then go to the front of the tavern and look for him. Your mother will be leaving then, and she won’t show up in front of you again in the future.” Yu Qingluo solemnly said. This kid is way too smart and if she didn’t make things clear to him, she was afraid that he would treat her words like air, going into one ear and leaving through the other. Then he would go to Ye Xiudu and acknowledge him as his father.
Nannan was shocked by that, so in a hurried movement, he raised his arms to hug his mother’s neck tightly: “Don’t do that Mother! I want Mother, I want Mother!”
Although he wanted that black panther very much… it was certainly not as important as his mother.
Yu Qingluo nodded, patting the little guy’s back soothingly. Her voice softened as she said: “Well, since you chose your mother, then you are not allowed to talk about the jade pendant anymore, especially in front of Ye Xiudu. And you cannot acknowledge him even as a relative, did you hear me?”
Nannan felt aggrieved, shrinking into her arms, and staying silent for a long time.
After a long while, his voice sounded almost like a whisper[1]: “I understand. I won’t talk about it again.”
Yu Qingluo secretly let out a relieved sigh while hugging Nannan and patting his back again silently.
She didn’t know who Ye Xiudu was and wasn’t interested in it as well. But she was certain that his identity wasn’t simple and that the burden he carried was a heavy one.
She didn’t wish for her son to carry that burden as well. Nannan just needed to live freely, eating whatever he desires and doing whatever he wants. Leaning some self-defence and finding an interesting occupation that could earn him money was enough. Then, when he grows up, he can find a woman of his choice to marry.
Ye Xiudu, that person… he wasn’t a child raised by a common household. Even if Nannan acknowledged him, he might not recognize him as his son. And even if he did, his family might not acknowledge Nannan as their descendant.
If that were to happen, it would be her son who would be embarrassed and wronged by others.
Therefore, it was best to keep their distance and let this be an act of ‘strangers coming together by chance’ and not become closer at all.
Nannan was in a very depressed mood. His mind wasn’t as complicated as Yu Qingluo’s and naturally couldn’t think that deeply about this. He just thought of how he and the black panther were destined to not be together in this life and felt heartbroken.
That night Nannan was so sad that he didn’t eat a single thing (TL: LMAO, he ate the entire tavern’s food supply not long ago, though), and fell asleep in Yu Qingluo’s arms after a short time.
Yu Qingluo felt a bit guilty in her heart. After all, it seemed somewhat unreasonable of her not to let them acknowledge their father-son relationship.
So, that night, she didn’t eat anything as well and just accompanied Nannan to sleep together.
However, early in the next morning.
When Shen Ying came over and told her about how yesterday evening Nannan had eaten nonstop and, right now, had already eaten two bowls of rice, two plates of pastries, three oranges, a bunch of grapes, a bun and a spring onion pancake that he just bought from outside, all the guilt she had in her heart vanished cleanly.
So it wasn’t because of his heartfelt feelings that he didn’t eat a thing the night before, but because he was so full that he wasn’t able to eat another bite, was it?
Yu Qingluo hammered on her own chest heavily. She had underestimated her son again.
(TL: this action is almost like she is feeling something stuck on her chest and she is beating her chest as if letting it go down her oesophagus, like when you get some fishbones stuck. In this case, this thing that is stuck is her ‘indignation’)
Shen Ying saw the strange look on her face and couldn’t help but tilt his head and asked curiously: “What’s up with you?”
“Nothing.” Yu Qingluo recovered herself instantly and then with a very serious and deadly earnest expression she asked: “Right, how come you guys didn’t return to your Mo residence yesterday evening?”
She had thought that they had gone back, after all, the security measures of this place aren’t as watertight as the Mo residence’s.
(TL: I’m considering, in my final review, substituting Mo residence for Mo Fu, and letting the fu be written in italic, and maybe I’ll substitute Miss for the pinyin version ‘guniang’ or ‘xiaojie’)(ED: If you have an opinion about this matter, please let us know in the comments)
Shen Ying shrugged his shoulders, then helplessly said: “The Lord said that it was a bit too late already, so we stayed here for the night. Furthermore, Miss Yu was still in here, and both the Lord and Peng Ying are still under Miss Yu’s care, and that will help prevent Miss Yu from being too exhausted from having to move from here to the Mo residence.”
In fact, they were going to leave for the Imperial Capital today, but the Lord suddenly said that his wound wasn’t completely healed yet, so he postponed their departure by two days.
Uhn, although he was pretty clear in his heart that it was all because the Lord hadn’t thought of a way to persuade Miss Yu to return to the capital with them, so he found a random excuse to stay a few more days.
Yu Qingluo’s lips moved (TL: this lips moving/twitching, is basically when they can’t hold their expression after hearing something ‘wtf’), really… so it was all for her, eh.
“Where’s your Lord?” Since he wanted a follow-up visit, then how could it be that she hasn’t seen even the shadow of that person throughout the whole morning?
“Nannan told the Lord that he wanted him to teach him kung fu. He said that since they might not see each other again after the Lord’s injuries are fully healed in a few days and that he wanted to take this chance to learn a bit more.” Shen Ying frowned. He had always thought that Nannan’s words seemed a bit out of place.
Yu Qingluo’s whole body stiffened. Just by thinking about both of them being together, she became very anxious.
But what Nannan said was correct. After Ye Xiudu’s and Peng Ying’s injuries recover, they might not have a chance to meet again in the future.
Whatever, just let them do what they wanted for now.
“Let’s go. I’ll take a look at Peng Ying’s condition first.” In fact, neither he nor Ye Xiudu had any serious issues now. As long as they rested well, then it shouldn’t be a problem. But that fussy Ye Xiudu, he would only give her the money… no, consultation fee! After both of them were completely recovered.
Shen Ying nodded, then took a step aside to make way for her.
It wasn’t until both had already left that Nannan poked his head from up the roof then, grabbing Ye Xiudu’s hand, he excitedly said: “Uncle Ye, we can go down now.”
“What are you doing hiding from your mother?” Ye Xiudu lifted an eyebrow and looked at this little guy who had rushed secretly to him earlier.
This kid seemed particularly passionate about him today.
Nannan snickered, turning his head to ask him cryptically: “Uncle Ye, are you going back to the Capital?”
Ye Xiudu was taken aback, his brows spread wide and, flabbergasted, he asked: “You heard so?”
Nannan nodded vigorously, and then, frowning, he said: “But when you return to the Capital, won’t Nannan be lonely? Not only that But! Uncle Ye’s and Uncle Peng’s injuries aren’t fully healed yet. If you go back abruptly, there will be no one to treat you if Mother isn’t there.”
Ye Xiudu laughed leaning back lazily on the roof. Holding Nannan with both hands, he turned him around so they could be face to face: “Yes, I would be in a tight spot without your mother. She has such amazing medical skills, and it would be a shame to stay in here, such a desolate place. I really want to bring your mother to the Capital, but it seems a bit difficult to do so. She might not be happy with that.”
‘Of course, she wouldn’t be happy, mother now wished nothing more than to be as far away from you as possible’
Nannan thought that to himself, but his face still kept a smile on: “Actually, it’s not difficult to get my mother to agree with that.”
“What, do you have any ideas?” there was a flash of brilliancy in Ye Xiudu’s eyes. He knew that this little guy was for sure his lucky star.
Translated by C, The Apostle of Coffee
Edited by NoveLeo, Life is a Drama
Some further notes
TL: if you aren’t used to Chinese Ancient settings, you really read this. I like this chapter a lot because it shows that our FL isn’t trying to run away just because. And may I say that YQL’s worries aren’t unfounded. If YXD wasn’t the ML, with ML characteristics (that is – a deep trauma that makes him act different from other men in ancient times, not having other women around nor being too bound by filial piety) then Nannan’s fate might be dire.
In ancient China, there’s a very strict rule for children born out of marriage. Let me explain a child’s status in a household according to their birth:
(1) If the child is birthed by the main room (the main wife), it is a Di (嫡) Son or daughter. They can also earn this title if they are children adopted under the main wife’s name.
(2) If the child is birthed by a concubine, it is a Shu （庶） son or daughter and under normal circumstances, they are not allowed to inherit the family properties and their status is much lower than the main room (this also affects what kind of marriage partners they will get, sometimes even the education they get).
(3) The third type is the child birthed out of wedlock – that would be Nannan. It could either be by an outside room (a mistress kept outside) or by a fling. In any case, this child has no status whatsoever in the house, because he doesn’t have a proper mother. His mother may marry later into the house, but never as a mistress, only as a concubine. And the higher the status of the father’s household, the more strict are those rules. Because it may affect his future, carrier and the marriage of all the children in the family.
The chances of this child being accepted by the family are low (unless there are no other children around and if the child is male – Yes, females are mostly heavily discriminated against). The chances of him being bullied and having to live like a rat for the rest of his life are very high. He would be bound by rules and conventions and his future controlled. And Yu Qing Luo? Under the mercy of the future main mistress and the YXD’s mother, her life is cheaper than grass, worthless.
That’s why her worries are on point. And you see that she is very worried because she guessed that Ye Xiudu might be from a powerful noble family (and there’s a distinction – Yu Zuolin is from an official’s family, and Ye Xiudu should be from a noble’s family. Nobility is higher ranked than an Official since the title is usually hereditary while the official’s family depends on the person who is occupying the position at present.)
Nannan is a smart kid, but he is only a kid. I like this story because the child doesn’t act like a 30 y.o. adult like most of these stories has them behave. And ofc the things he is sad about are very practical matters – his food, his drinks, his panther. YQL gave him lots of love (albeit eccentric) and he knows it. So ofc he won’t think this deeply, ofc he wants his father by his side – and YQL also thinks so, that he deserves to have his father. But now that you read the most likely scenario, you also understand why it’s better for him not to be with his father.
Anyways, this is a novel and we know things won’t go this way. But that was reality.
Thank you to those who read this very long note. I hope it helped people to situate themselves in the context!
Translator’s Notes
[1] 若蚊蝇的开口 – it lit. means ‘as small as a mosquito/fly’. Sooooo small, soooo little. Hence ‘like a whisper’
Obviously Too Busy to Translate 
Thank you soo much for your translation and notes that give us readers a better understanding of the old China feudalism society.
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