Zhan Chun - Kapitel 44
Seeing that her face was pale, Xiao Tongqian quickly comforted her, saying, "Aunt Ji is already someone else's concubine, and her life or death has nothing to do with you." Madam Qian pressed her chest, but she was still worried, so she took her hand and went to the Jin family, saying that she wanted to see her newborn grandson.
As soon as they reached the second floor, they heard a burst of laughter. It turned out that Madam Jin, Jin Jiushao, Sister Cheng, and their six concubines were all gathered in the room to see the young master. When Madam Jin saw Madam Qian coming in person, she hurriedly went to the door to greet her and said with a smile, "Mother-in-law, come and see my big, fat grandson. Although he was born at only nine months, he is stronger than many full-term babies."
Madam Qian asked Xiao Tongqian to bring out the few things that had been prepared on the spot, making sure everything was in order, before asking, "Where is my cousin?" Madam Jin's face stiffened, and she then remembered that Ji Liu Niang was her relative. She couldn't help but complain about Sister Cheng's unreliability, saying, "Sister Cheng is handling everything. Let her take you to see her."
Back when Ji Liuniang seduced Sai Shanren and ruined the family, who was the loudest in calling for her to die? But now they're busy clearing themselves of any wrongdoing. Sister Cheng was secretly furious, but dared not disobey her mother-in-law. She stood up and said to Madam Qian, "She had a premature birth and her vital energy was depleted. She's recovering. Besides, there was blood in the delivery room. Stepmother, you should wait until she's a month old before you go to see her."
She spoke with perfect logic, and Madam Qian could not refute her. She had no choice but to help Xiao Tongqian back, open the chests and rummage through the cabinets, and find a few thousand-year-old ginseng roots to send to the back.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yuan received a message from A Cai at her parents' home and immediately wanted to rush back, but Li Wu Niang held her back, saying that she and her husband would not allow them to leave unless they persuaded He Yao Hong to change his mind.
Originally, He Yaohong wanted to continue buying a position at the Maritime Trade Office to manage Quanzhou's shipping and support his sister. However, Li Wuniang wanted to keep him at home so she could find an opportunity to have a legitimate son. The two initially discussed the matter amicably, but Li Wuniang unintentionally said, "If I don't give you the dowry money, how will you buy a position?" He Yaohong became angry, saying that he had amassed a considerable amount of money while in office and wasn't just relying on his wife's weakness. Li Wuniang hadn't meant to anger him and repeatedly apologized, but He Yaohong was too angry to listen, and she insisted that he stay in Lin'an without backing down. Thus, their argument escalated from a verbal exchange to a full-blown quarrel, keeping Xiaoyuan and her husband unable to leave.
Chapter 129 A Tumultuous Time
Xiao Yuan felt sorry for her third sister-in-law and earnestly advised He Yaohong to either stay in Lin'an until the baby was born or take Li Wuniang with him. Cheng Mutian's goal was clearer: He Yaohong had to go back to the Maritime Trade Office. It was secondary for him to facilitate the Cheng family's business; the main thing was that he could support his wife. He Yaohong had a comfortable life in Quanzhou and naturally did not want to take his wife and child with him. Li Wuniang, on the other hand, insisted that she would not pay for the job at the Maritime Trade Office unless he took her to Quanzhou.
The couple argued incessantly, causing Xiao Yuan and her husband considerable distress. Suddenly, news arrived from the Qian family that Old Master Qian had passed away, and Master Cheng and Madam Qian had already gone there. Now that the Qian family was considered close relatives, they couldn't continue to persuade their third brother and sister-in-law. They hurriedly went home, changed into plain clothes, and headed to the Qian family's house.
The funeral customs of the Song Dynasty were quite peculiar. Before the sedan chair even reached the gate, the sounds of drums and music filled the air. Upon entering, the first thing one saw were monks begging for alms, followed by the wailing of the Qian clan members in the mourning hall. Xiao Yuan asked in bewilderment, "Why is the music so festive? The Buddhist and Taoist rituals haven't even started yet, why are the monks already begging for alms?" Cheng Mutian explained, "That's the custom at the time. The music is for the deceased to hear, and entertaining the masters is to atone for their sins in life."
After offering incense at the altar, Cheng Mutian went to find Master Cheng. Xiao Yuan went into the inner room and saw Madam Xin and Madam Qian discussing the funerary objects. She waved to the maid who was about to announce their arrival and waited quietly at the door. Madam Xin selected eleven gold and silver pieces, six porcelain pieces, seven jade pieces, and six bronze pieces. Madam Qian still felt it was too little, but Madam Xin sneered, "Your father's favorite concubine is his concubine. Why don't you let him take two of them with him?"
Upon hearing this, several concubines who were pretending to wipe away tears started to cry for real and rushed out, fearing that if they were too slow, they would be caught by Madam Xin and forced to be buried with her. One of the concubines ran so fast that she stepped on Xiao Yuan's instep, and in pain she couldn't help but cry out "Ouch!"
Madam Qian then looked at her, beckoned her closer, and pointed to Qiu Ye beside her, saying, "I heard that Erlang likes her and gave her an extra fifty coins for scrubbing his back, so I bought her for you and put her in the house, so as to show your virtuous reputation."
Why did they act so quickly? Xiao Yuan was still there when Madam Xin chimed in, "You're really lucky. Your mother-in-law was afraid people would say you're jealous, so she bought you a concubine." One of them said it was a done deal, and the other implied that if she didn't agree readily, she would be considered jealous. What could Xiao Yuan say? She could only curtsy and thank them. Fortunately, this was Master Qian's funeral, so she didn't have to put on a smiling face.
At Madam Qian's prompting, Qiu Ye stepped forward to walk with her. Xiao Yuan was truly surprised to find herself with a concubine after a trip back to her parents' home, especially since they were meeting for the first time at a relative's funeral. She couldn't help but feel a bit bewildered. Cai Lian found a fine bracelet from somewhere and, in front of Madam Xin and Madam Qian, handed it to Qiu Ye, saying it was a gift from the young mistress.
Xiao Yuan understood that no matter what she felt in her heart, she had to put on a good show and not disappoint her stepmother's "kind intentions" in thinking about her virtuous reputation. So she talked to Cai Lian about how the ceremony was too meager and how they should work together to serve their husband Cheng family and help them have many children. Under Madam Qian's satisfied gaze, she led Qiu Ye out.
In the hall, the Qian family relatives who had come from afar were having a meal. One by one, Qian's eldest sister-in-law, whose face was flushed from drinking, recognized Xiao Yuan. She raised her cup and invited her to join in the drinking, addressing her as "niece-in-law." A relative nearby, seeing Xiao Yuan's confusion, laughed and said, "The old master has died. They should adopt a son. I think this should be settled this time. Then, eldest sister-in-law will be your mother-in-law's sister-in-law. Calling you niece-in-law wouldn't be an exaggeration."
Xiao Yuan dared not accept the offer. Offending Madam Xin for a distant relative was simply not worth it. So she smiled and turned to leave. Qian Shisan Niang, however, called her back. Pointing to Qiu Ye, she asked, "Sister, is this your family taking a concubine?" Xiao Yuan turned back, smiling and nodding. She called Qiu Ye forward to greet her, saying, "It's getting cold. We've bought someone to warm the bed for our husband."
None of the guests at the table knew that this concubine was bought by Madam Qian behind her back. They took the story as fact and praised her for being virtuous. Even Sister-in-law Qian said, "My sister said that this daughter-in-law keeps her husband very well under control. But I think she's very good."
Xiao Yuanyuan accepted the praise and said a few more humble words before leading Qiuye outside. Qian Shisan Niang, on tiptoe, chased after them, angrily saying, "Back then, I wanted to be your concubine, but you absolutely refused. This woman isn't even as pretty as me. Why did you agree?" Xiao Yuanyuan couldn't understand her thinking at all. She stared at her for a long time before patiently explaining, "You are now my second sister-in-law, the legal wife of the second young master of the He family. Aren't you a thousand times better than my concubine?"
It would have been better if she hadn't mentioned "the principal wife." Upon hearing this, Qian Shisan Niang burst into tears: "What principal wife? She's not even as good as a concubine!" She cried and complained. It turned out that He Lao Er's initial excitement had worn off. He had spent all her dowry money at the brothel and started to treat her with contempt. Madam Jiang was already unhappy with the marriage, and using the fact that she hadn't exchanged betrothal gifts or received a marriage certificate as an excuse, she completely disregarded her, waiting to find a better candidate to replace her.
Xiao Yuan listened to her affairs as mere gossip. Looking at the flowers and plants in the nursery, she said, "These flowers are quite beautiful. It's a pity they've already faded." Qiu Ye, observing her expression, sensed her unease and carefully took her hand, asking, "Is the young mistress tired? Shall we go and pay our respects at the altar again, and inform the madam's family?"
Xiao Yuan was slightly surprised to find that her stepmother had chosen a clever and beautiful girl. She rubbed her temples and said, "I've been out all day and I'm really tired." After saying that, she left Qian Shisan Niang, who was still crying, and went to find Madam Qian.
Madam Qian had just returned from a walk outside and must have heard the gossip about her sister-in-law. She was throwing a tantrum, saying, "What rule says that if Father-in-law dies, he must be adopted? Are they taking advantage of my family because we have no one else? I won't let them have their way." After she finished cursing, she looked up and saw Xiao Yuan come in. She said, "From the seventh day after death to the forty-ninth day, there will be a grand Buddhist and Taoist ceremony. I'll stay here and see who dares to make things difficult for my mother."
Xiao Yuan hurriedly said, "Then I'll go back and pack my clothes and bring them to Mother." Madam Qian vented all her remaining anger on her, angrily saying, "Don't you serve your mother-in-law? Wu Ge has a wet nurse to take care of him, so you don't need to worry about him. Just tell Qiu Ye to go back and serve Er Lang and manage the household affairs."
Xiao Yuan bowed respectfully, carefully considering the meaning of her last words. She almost couldn't help but sneer. Just as she was about to reply, Madam Qian didn't wait for her response at all and instead summoned someone to send Qiu Ye back. Knowing she couldn't persuade her otherwise, Xiao Yuan quickly told Cai Lian and A Yun to go back with her, leaving only A Cai to serve her here.
Madam Xin, being old, couldn't hold on any longer before nightfall and collapsed in bed. A doctor was called in to take her pulse, and it was said that she needed to take medicine and rest. Thus, the important task of organizing the Water and Land Ceremony fell on Madam Qian. Madam Qian spoke grandly and eloquently, but she knew nothing about the intricacies of the ceremony. Hiring monks and setting up the ritual were all handled by Xiao Yuan alone. In the end, Madam Qian, the one in charge, was left idle, while Xiao Yuan was exhausted.
During the first Water and Land Ritual, Mu Tian, as Madam Qian's stepson, spent his days helping Master Cheng greet the masters performing the rituals and deal with the troublesome Qian family relatives. Xiao Yuan's heart remained at ease. However, after the ritual was completed and Cheng Mu Tian returned home, she began to have wild thoughts, worrying that Qiu Ye would seduce him. When the second ritual began, she became even more agitated, even considering whether he would ask Qiu Ye to come and massage his back and legs when he got home that night. What worried her even more was that she still didn't understand what the extra fifty coins in reward meant, and wondered if he was truly tempted.
She wanted to call her in and ask her clearly several times, but Madam Qian was watching her closely and she was busy with other matters; she wanted to tear off her mask and have a big fight with Madam Qian, or force her way home, but she was bound by countless shackles from this damned Song Dynasty, making it impossible for her to break free.
After enduring forty-nine days, she helped Madam Xin get rid of the troublesome Sister-in-law Qian and helped Madam Qian into the sedan chair. She was completely exhausted and half-closed her eyes as A Cai helped her into the carriage. In her daze, she was about to ask why it wasn't a sedan chair when she suddenly noticed Cheng Mutian sitting in front of her, looking at her with a slightly furrowed brow and eyes full of concern and inquiry.
Ah Cai wasn't talkative, but that didn't mean she was oblivious. The moment the car started moving, she pulled down the thick curtains for them. Cheng Mutian moved to Xiao Yuan's side, pulling her tightly into his arms, and said with concern, "Why are you so tired?" Xiao Yuan gently stroked his brow, suddenly wanting to ask about the fifty coins that had been swirling in her mind for forty-nine days, but then smiled and said, "Brother Qian must be quite a handful, right?" Cheng Mutian glared at her, "Your face is pale, and you're still worrying about others." Seeing the faint smile still on her lips, he laughed too, "A handful, practically someone tied you up and put you on the boat."
For some reason, the two of them deliberately avoided mentioning Ye, and instead, in that small carriage, they hugged each other tighter and tighter.
The world is full of troubles, otherwise how could it be called a time of many troubles? First, news came from the He family that because He Yaohong insisted on not taking Li Wuniang to Quanzhou and she refused to pay any money, the mission from the Maritime Trade Office fell through, and Xiaoyuan's family no longer had the power to restrain her husband's family; then came bad news from the Jin family that Ji Liuniang had been dragging on for more than a month, and finally died on the bed where she had given birth to her son after her oil lamp ran out; then came people from the Ji family in Quanzhou, who demanded the woman but not the woman, and demanded the dowry, which led to a lawsuit against the Jin family.
But none of this could compare to what happened to Xiaoyuan. Before she could even think about how to deal with Qiuye, she discovered that she was bleeding profusely. At first, she thought it was her period, but after seven or eight days it still hadn't stopped, and she started to feel pain in her abdomen. So she hurriedly called a doctor to take a look, only to receive shocking news: "Young Madam, this is a sign of miscarriage."
Chapter 130 Pregnancy Protection
Mu Tian was first shocked, then pained, and then enraged. He immediately wanted to find the culprit. Seeing Xiao Yuan's pale face and her lips bitten due to abdominal pain, he remembered that there was something more important. He hurriedly invited the doctor to the corridor outside and asked in a low voice, "Can it be saved?"
The doctor, from his own pharmacy, spoke frankly: "I'll prescribe some medicine for the young mistress. She'll need to rest in bed for a few days. She's been bleeding for almost half a month now. Whether she can be saved depends on fate." Fate? Cheng Mutian's heart sank. He wondered if he should pray to Buddha, but instead asked, "Won't my wife have to endure the pain for a few more days?" The doctor, who also cared deeply for his wife, understood his feelings. He immediately picked up a brush and wrote a prescription at a small table in the hallway, comforting him, "This medicine contains several ingredients that calm the nerves and relieve pain. She'll feel better after taking it."
After he finished writing, Cheng Mutian couldn't wait for the ink to dry completely, so he handed it to Ayun and asked her to take it to Cheng Fu downstairs so he could hurry to the pharmacy to get the medicine.
After seeing the doctor off, he stood outside for a while, trying to put on a relaxed expression, before going in to hold Xiaoyuan's hand: "The doctor said it's nothing serious, I just need to stay in bed for a few days." Having known each other for so many years and been husband and wife for several, Xiaoyuan saw through his forced expression at a glance and comforted him instead: "Don't worry, at least we still have Brother Wu."
Cheng Mutian tucked her in, wiped the cold sweat from her forehead with a handkerchief, and said, "Just bear with it a little longer. The pain will subside after you take the medicine." He then got up and walked towards the door, saying, "I'm going out for a bit. I'll be back when the medicine is ready."
Since he was going out, how would he know when it would be ready? Xiao Yuan was stunned for a moment, then realized what was happening and hurriedly tried to call out to him, but he had already rushed downstairs and couldn't hear her anymore. Cheng Mutian rushed to Madam Qian's door without stopping, and heard Master Cheng's voice inside, as if they were discussing some kind of aphrodisiac medicine. Normally, he would have blushed and avoided it, but today he didn't care about that and pushed the door open without hesitation. Master Cheng said, "Father, the doctor examined her and said she's carrying a boy."
Even though the baby was only a month along, Xiao Yuan would mistake a miscarriage for menstruation. How could she tell the gender? But Master Cheng, who was eager for a grandson, believed it. His wrinkles on his face blossomed into flowers. Before he could finish laughing, Cheng Mutian looked at Madam Qian and added, "The doctor also said that Madam has overworked herself and has disturbed the pregnancy. The baby's chances of survival are probably slim."
The smile on Master Cheng's face froze instantly, and after a few seconds, it turned completely icy as he gritted his teeth at Madam Qian: "What a mess you've made, you just had to—" He stopped abruptly before finishing his sentence, almost biting his tongue. What could he blame Madam Qian for? Why did Master Qian die at such an inopportune time? Or was he blaming her for letting her daughter-in-law serve her? He and Cheng Mutian had been busy at the Qian family's house for several days, and Madam Qian had asked Xiao Yuan to stay and help. There was nothing wrong with that.
Madam Qian was momentarily flustered, but quickly regained her composure. Her face was filled with remorse as she said, "If I had known my daughter-in-law was pregnant, I would never have kept her. It's all my fault. I should have just fulfilled my filial duties; why drag her into this?"
Her words, at first glance, sounded like self-reproach. But upon closer listening, they were a reminder to Master Cheng and Cheng Mutian that filial piety comes first in all things. She had the moral high ground. Ignorance is no excuse. She was in the right. Even if things escalated, it wouldn't be easy to reason with her.
You can't curse with your mouth, but actions will always speak louder. Master Cheng picked up a packet of aphrodisiacs she'd bought from the table and turned to give them to Aunt Ding.
Cheng Mutian followed suit. He snorted and turned to leave without even a courtesy. He returned to his room and saw the freshly brewed medicine sitting on the table, cooling. He picked it up and blew on it vigorously. Xiao Yuan, seeing his behavior, knew exactly what was going on. She said, "I should have called you back louder. Although my stepmother didn't let me come back this time for her own selfish reasons, she's ostensibly fulfilling her filial duty. She's short-handed, so she kept me to help. Besides, serving her is also my duty as a daughter-in-law. Who can say anything against her?"
The most hateful thing in this world isn't being wronged and unable to find your enemy, but finding them and having to pretend nothing happened. Cheng Mutian held the medicine bowl. A tear slipped from his eye and fell into the medicine. Xiao Yuan pretended not to see it, secretly wiping her own eye with one hand while silently taking the bowl and swallowing the medicine.
The room fell silent. Three maids outside wiped away tears, too afraid to go in and collect the dishes. Suddenly, a reprimand came from the stairwell: "The young mistress is trying to protect her pregnancy. She hasn't miscarried. And you're all crying like this? Are you cursing her?" The maids looked up in surprise. Madam Qian had already walked up to them, glaring at each of them. She scolded again: "I came to see my daughter-in-law. And you just let me stand outside?" A-Yun stiffened her neck, about to speak, but Cai-Lian pinched her hard and pushed A-Cai to lift the curtain.
When Madam Qian entered the room, she was full of apologies. She instructed Xiao Tongqian to place several large brocade boxes on the headboard of the small round bed and said, "Daughter-in-law, I didn't know you were pregnant. That's why I kept you to help. It caused you to have a miscarriage. It's all my fault. You have every right to blame me."
Cheng Mutian's fists clenched so tightly they cracked. Xiao Yuan quickly gave him a look to stop him. She took a deep breath and leaned over the pillow, saying, "Who's spreading rumors? When has your wife ever blamed your mother? It's just that I've been bedridden these past few days and haven't been able to go to your mother's side to take care of her. I feel really bad about it."
Madam Qian patted the boxes and said, "These contain ginseng and donkey-hide gelatin. They're here to help you recover so you can have another grandson for the Cheng family soon."
Xiao Yuan thanked them politely and instructed the maids to put the gifts away. After leaving, Madam Qian returned to the building facing the street, but instead of going to her own room, she went to Aunt Ding's place to find Master Cheng and said, "I just went to see my daughter-in-law. She needs to stay in bed to rest during her pregnancy and it's really not appropriate for her to work hard on household affairs anymore."
When Master Cheng saw Madam Qian, he was no less angry than Cheng Mutian, but he also knew that offspring were of utmost importance and that his daughter-in-law did need to rest. So he listened to her words and said, "What you say is true, but our family is small. Where can we find someone else to manage the household?"
Upon hearing this, Aunt Ding, who was tidying up aphrodisiac herbs, quickly dropped what she was doing and came over, saying, "I have no right to interrupt when the master and mistress are speaking, but I have managed the household for a few days and am willing to share the burden for the young mistress." Madam Qian secretly regretted not kicking her out earlier, and quickly gave Xiao Tongqian a look. Xiao Tongqian then retorted, "With the principal wife here, what right do you have to manage the household?"
Instead of blaming Aunt Ding, Master Cheng scolded Madam Qian: "I think you're just pretending to be worried about the Cheng family's offspring. You really want to take over the household management. Don't you even look at where your dowry shops are now? If we put you in charge of the household management, you'll just be sending our family's money away?"
The thought of his unborn grandson's uncertain fate, all thanks to Madam Qian, filled him with rage. Unable to vent his anger, he smashed everything he could in the house. He then turned to Madam Qian and said, "Your father-in-law has just passed away, and your mother-in-law must be heartbroken. She's all alone at home, so why don't you go back to your parents' house and keep her company?"
"Are you sending me back to my parents' home?" Qian Fu was startled, but she hadn't expected Master Cheng to hand over the management of the household to her anyway. She quickly composed herself and said, "I am incapable of managing the household. If Master Cheng wants me to go back to my parents' home, I will have no objection. However, since my wife is bedridden, wouldn't handing over the management of the household to Concubine Ding hurt her feelings? I think it would be better to let Qiu Ye manage it. She is my wife's own concubine, right under her nose. If she makes a mistake, it will be easier to discipline her."
Master Cheng originally intended to reprimand his wife for meddling in Qiu Ye's affairs, but then he thought that He Yaohong was no longer with the Maritime Trade Office, and his daughter-in-law had lost her support and was getting angry. It wouldn't be a bad thing if his son had another woman in his room to give him a few more grandchildren. So he turned a blind eye and pretended not to see it.
He did not answer Madam Qian's question in person. After she returned to her parents' home, he adopted her suggestion and asked her to temporarily entrust the household affairs to Qiu Ye, citing Xiao Yuan's need for rest.
Xiao Yuan was only focused on protecting her pregnancy and didn't want to worry about anything, so she readily took out several account books and had A Cai deliver them to Qiu Ye's room. A Yun was so anxious that she stomped her feet: "She won't sell them! She won't sell them! She still wants to manage the accounts!" Cai Lian, however, said: "Is the power of the housekeeper more important than the child in the young mistress's belly? Isn't all this fighting and arguing a waste of energy? Once the young mistress recovers, she can get whatever she wants."
Xiao Yuan smiled and nodded, but Cheng Mutian frowned and seemed to be deep in thought. He secretly instructed Cai Lian and the others: "Don't take any matters to the young mistress. If the concubine next door doesn't understand something, tell her to ask Aunt Ding herself, or send someone to the Qian family to ask the madam."
Now, Ah Cai delivered the account book to Qiu Ye, but she didn't want to go inside. Standing at the door, she saw that Qiu Ye's room had nothing but a bed, not even a table or chair. So she threw the account book far away on the bed, said "Master called you to manage the household," and turned to leave.
Qiu Ye stared at the door for a while, then looked down at the ledgers scattered about. Yes, she looked at them, not flipped through them. In the countryside, all she knew was farming, and even after moving to the city, all she learned was how to scrub backs. The ledgers didn't recognize her, and she didn't recognize them either.
She gathered up the notebooks and was about to return them to Xiaoyuan when she suddenly remembered what Madam Xin had taught her: to coax the young master, give birth to a son, and then seize the opportunity to obtain the family accounts and hand them over to Madam Qian to manage. Now that something unexpected had happened to Xiaoyuan, she hadn't even managed to coax the young master into the room yet, but she had already obtained the account books. She wondered if this was an unexpected bonus.
She clutched the account book tightly. Logically speaking, once someone becomes another concubine, the mother-in-law is secondary, and the principal wife must come first. If she secretly gave the account book to Madam Qian, wouldn't that anger the young mistress and be a loss? But she had her own difficulties and her own reasons. She slowly put down the account book she had picked up.
Madam Qian had returned to her parents' home, and Xiao Tongqian had been taken away as well. Both buildings were now filled with Xiao Yuan's people. Qiu Ye couldn't find anyone to inform the Qian family, so she finally made up her mind but then began to worry again about how to manage the household these next few days. She thought of taking the account book to ask Xiao Yuan for advice, but she was afraid people would discover she was illiterate. She considered going downstairs to find a grocer to deliver a message to the Qian family, but the guards at the gate were strict. She racked her brains but couldn't find a solution, so she got up and went to Xiao Yuan's room, but without the account book. She only wanted to use the excuse of serving her to try and get some information about managing the household from her.
Chapter 131 Behind the Scenes (Part 1)
At the entrance of the small round room, A-Yun was on guard. Seeing Qiu-Ye walking this way, she stopped her and said, "Do you want to ask about the steward? Our young mistress is pregnant, you should go and ask the madam." Qiu-Ye smiled obsequiously and said, "Sister, how could I dare to trouble the young mistress with such trivial matters? I'm just here to fill in for the sisters and serve the young mistress at her bedside." A-Yun lowered her head and looked Qiu-Ye's hands over, then laughed and said, "What can you serve? Rub the young mistress's back? There's no use for that."
Qiu Ye, who always dealt with men at the perfume shop, had never been ridiculed like this by a woman before, and her face immediately turned bright red with embarrassment. Sister-in-law Yu, who was bringing Wu Ge to visit her mother, saw this scene and couldn't bear it, saying, "If the family wasn't struggling to make ends meet, who would want to work in a place like the perfume shop? A-Yun, please forgive her."
Ayun took Wu Ge and put him on the ground, lifted half of the curtain to let him walk in by himself, and turned back to say, "I don't look down on the back scrubbers in the perfume shop, I just look down on concubines." What woman who is a legal wife would respect a concubine? Hearing this, Sister-in-law Yu stopped speaking up for Qiu Ye and said to Ayun, "You are the young mistress's favorite, don't argue with her, it will lower your status. If she continues to disturb the young mistress's rest, you should report to the young master and tell her to move to the first floor."
Cailian, who had overheard everything behind the curtain, came out and playfully tapped Ayun's forehead: "Now you know you're the only one who's stupid?" She then turned to Qiuye and said, "If you have any questions about managing household affairs, just ask Madam." Qiuye was stunned. She had been worrying about not being able to contact Madam Qian for most of the day, so how could the young mistress be so generous as to specifically allow her to go? While she was still in a daze, Cailian had already lifted the curtain and was about to enter the room again. She hurriedly asked, "Sister, is Madam at her parents' house? Where did she go?" Whether Cailian genuinely didn't understand or pretended not to, she replied, "How did she go? She walked. Our family is poor now and doesn't have the money to hire a sedan chair for you."
Qiu Ye's original intention in asking Cai Lian was to send a servant to the Qian family to inform them, or to ask the master, to bring Madam Qian back. However, Cai Lian's unexpected answer surprised her, and she was stunned for a moment. When she came to her senses, the door was empty. Fortunately, she had large feet and was strong from years of hard work, so walking was not a problem for her. She went back to her room, put the account book in her bosom, and went downstairs to inquire about the Qian family's address.
Downstairs, a rough-working old woman was sunbathing. Qiu Ye walked over and asked, "Does Madam know which way to get to Madam's family home?" Seeing that Qiu Ye was being polite, the old woman lazily looked up and said, "I'm just a lowly servant, how would I know where Madam's family home is?" A little maid carrying a basin of water passed by and asked in surprise, "Didn't you go to the Qian family's house with Madam? How come you don't know the way?"
Qiu Ye laughed, "I went by sedan chair. Madam wouldn't let me lift the curtain to see the road." The maid splashed a basin full of water—whose contents were unknown—at her feet and laughed, "Then why did you still go by sedan chair?" The old woman scolded, "Hiring a sedan chair doesn't cost money!" The maid laughed at her, "You underestimate this concubine. Although she doesn't please the young master, she is highly regarded by the master. He entrusted the household to her; how could she not have money?"
Qiu Ye blushed and gave her the notebook, but didn't give her any money and didn't know who to ask for it from. She only had less than ten coins left, enough to hire a sedan chair. She lowered her head and hurriedly left. Only when she reached the door did she realize that the words "not pleasing to the young master, but valued by the master" sounded a bit off.
The guards, presumably instructed, not only didn't stop her but also kindly pointed her in the right direction. As Qiu Ye walked along the desolate autumn road, she deeply regretted not having asked the old woman and maid for directions, thus avoiding humiliation. The Qian family's residence was far from the slums; it took her a full hour to reach it. The gatekeeper, who had seen her at Master Qian's funeral, didn't give her any trouble. He accepted five iron coins and went inside to announce her arrival. Soon after, Little Copper Coin personally came out to escort her inside.
Madam Qian reviewed the accounts and smiled at Madam Xin, saying, "I knew this concubine I chose wasn't bad. Much better than Ji Liu Niang." The Ji family was still embroiled in a lawsuit with the Jin family, which had also drawn their hatred towards Madam Xin. Therefore, Madam Xin somewhat resented Madam Qian's lack of shrewdness. But helplessly, this was her own daughter, and she had to help her no matter what. She took the account book and began to examine it. The more she looked, the more her brows furrowed: "What use do you have for this detailed account of the inner courtyard's finances? Where is the money?"
Such an obvious flaw. Madam Qian hadn't noticed it at all. Even with her years of cultivated composure, she couldn't help but blush. She scolded Qiu Ye, "You got the account book and didn't even look at it first. There's no money in the accounts. Don't you know to ask them?"
Qiu Ye lowered her head and thought for a moment. She didn't mention that she was illiterate. She only said, "I need to go. The maids said that the young mistress is pregnant and won't let me disturb her."
Upon hearing this, Madam Qian was not annoyed at all. Instead, she smiled and said, "What a wonderful opportunity! The young mistress does indeed need to rest during her pregnancy. Don't bother her. Just ask the young master about everything." Qiu Ye nodded shyly and said, "I will go to see the young master when I get back. I wonder if I can see my parents first?" Madam Xin nodded and ordered someone to take her to the servants' quarters.
Qiu Ye saw her parents and burst into tears, hugging them tightly. "I just sold myself! How could you sell yourselves too?" Her father impatiently pushed her away, pointing to her clothes and saying, "You became a concubine, letting us enjoy some good fortune. But look at your clothes! They're still the same ones you had before. You're even worse off than us." Qiu Ye was about to say that if she hadn't been obedient, Madam Xin would have sold them to a foreign land. But then she noticed the maid who had brought her standing nearby and quickly swallowed her words. Her mother still felt sorry for her daughter. She went back to her room and retrieved some servant's clothes from the mansion for her, saying, "Madam Xin treats us very well. It's much better than before we were sold. Take these clothes and wear them. Winter is coming soon. If you catch a cold and have a runny nose and tears, the young master of the Cheng family won't like it."
Although Qiu Ye had thought of using Madam Qian's support to bring Cheng Mutian into her room as soon as possible so that she could have a son, she never intended to go against the first wife. But the person who was supposed to support her had become the one who was forcing her. Now that she had offended the first wife, how would she live in the future? She had a lot to say but couldn't say it. She could only take the clothes, hug her mother, and cry again.
She wept bitterly here, while Madam Qian was laughing. "Mother is so resourceful. Our master absolutely refuses to let me manage the household, but the account books still ended up in my hands. Now I just hope Qiuye will give birth to a son soon. I can't raise a son, but I can raise a grandson. Anyway, I'm not afraid that Qiuye will disobey." Madam Qian peeled a fruit and handed it to Madam Xin, laughing.
Madam Xin refused the fruit, staring at her intently, somewhat exasperated: "Girl, you got the account book so early only because of luck. If your wife hadn't been pregnant, Qiu Ye wouldn't have gotten it—I heard she hasn't even consummated her marriage with Cheng Erlang yet. When I told Qiu Ye to have a son soon, I was just trying to appease her. Even if she has a son, it will be under your wife's name, what does it have to do with you?"
Madam Qian was completely stunned and said in a daze, "I thought Mother wanted me to put a concubine in Erlang's room so that she would keep her as one of our own." Madam Xin said, "I told you to put someone who could seduce Cheng Erlang so that he would hand over the accounts to you. Who knew that this Qiuye was also useless? Fortunately, she got lucky and accidentally got the account book to give to you. But her parents will die one day. You can blackmail her for a while, but not forever. You should take advantage of having the accounts to save more money." After saying that, she sighed deeply, "Your dowry could support a family. If you hadn't squandered it all, why would you need to scheme for that little bit of money from the Cheng family?"
Madam Qian was stunned again: "For this? What's the use of saving up so much money? After my husband is gone, I'll still have to live with Erlang and his wife. They're not the kind of people who will fawn over whoever has money." Madam Xin slammed her hand on the table twice and said: "Do you think you can stay after your husband is gone? Hurry up and make as much money as possible so you can remarry as soon as he dies."
Madam Qian dropped the fruit in her hand with a thud and exclaimed in surprise, "Mother, are you asking me to prepare a way out?" Madam Xin said, "Do you want to spend your whole life having to put up with the attitudes of Cheng Erlang and his wife?" Madam Qian's long fingernails drew lines on the newly lacquered table: "When I first entered the Cheng family, I did think about this, but it's not my fault that I can't give birth to a son. Why should they all live a carefree and happy life while I have to be soaked in bitterness? I'm not willing to accept it."
When Madam Gan saw Ye Zheng coming this way, she quickly said, "If you are unwilling, then listen to your mother. I think this Qiu Ye is not easy to deal with, and your master will not let her manage the accounts forever. Once you take back the power in her hands, then get rid of her."
Madam Qian said, "Even if she's no use to me after I send her away, it's good that she's kept around to cause trouble for my daughter-in-law. There's no reason for her to enjoy happiness while her mother-in-law suffers."
This was a trivial matter, and since Qiuye had already arrived at the door, Madam Xin stopped talking and instead instructed Qiuye, "You should hurry back. First, go and ask for the money, and second, try to persuade your master to calm down and take Madam back."
They were all preoccupied with their own grand plans, and no one cared whether Qiu Ye had the money to ride in a sedan chair. So she had no choice but to walk back, which took her an hour. When she got home, her clothes were soaked through and stuck to her body, making her very uncomfortable. So she went to the kitchen to fetch water, intending to take a bath before going to find Cheng Mutian.
In the kitchen, Aunt Ding and Sister Liu were busy. The little girl who had splashed water at her feet was sitting on a small stool by the door picking vegetables. When she looked up and saw that Aunt Ding was about to enter the kitchen, she acted as if she had seen a wolf or a tiger. She hurriedly moved the stool towards the middle of the door and blocked her, saying, "The kitchen is a restricted area. No unauthorized personnel are allowed to enter."
Chapter 132 Behind the Scenes (Part 2)
Ye Ruanyu pleaded, "Sister, I just want to fetch a bucket of water to wash up." The maid pointed to the back of the house and said, "There's water in the river; go fetch it yourself if you want to wash." Aunt Ding considered herself to be of the same kind as Qiu Ye and scolded the little maid, "She's a concubine, after all; how can you treat her like this?" Sister Liu, an old acquaintance of Xiao Yuan, naturally sided with Xiao Yuan and laughed, "We're from a humble family; we know that anyone who hasn't served a master isn't considered a concubine."
Qiu Ye had been married for almost two months and still hadn't won over the man, a fact that even Aunt Ding looked down on. She wanted to say Qiu Ye had disgraced the concubines, and then turned back to cooking. Seeing that Qiu Ye had no help, the maid and Sister-in-law Liu became even more sarcastic, but Qiu Ye wasn't annoyed at all. She lowered her head shyly and asked, "I wonder if the wound on the young master's waist has healed yet?" The maid didn't immediately understand and blurted out, "What wound?" Qiu Ye took the clothes her mother had given her and half-covered her face, whispering, "It's the one next to the birthmark on my lower back."
Her voice was soft but her words were clear, and every word reached the ears of the three people in the kitchen. They were all shocked and looked at each other in surprise. Qiu Ye exclaimed, "Oh dear! How could you say such embarrassing things? You deserve to be punished." After saying that, she picked up a bucket leaning against the door, quickly went to the river to fetch water, and went upstairs to take a bath.
Sister Liu glanced at Aunt Ding and said to the maid, "She must be making this up to fool people." The maid understood and nodded repeatedly. Aunt Ding seemed not to hear, silently finished cooking, picked up the tray, said she was going to feed Xiao Si Niang, went upstairs, but ran to Master Cheng's room and congratulated him repeatedly, saying, "Young Master has already taken Qiu Ye as his concubine, Master, the birth of a grandson is just around the corner." Master Cheng grinned and said, "Second Master is a man, how can he not love beautiful concubines? The previous ones must not have caught his eye."
After taking a bath and changing into new clothes, Qiu Ye climbed up to the third floor while the maids went downstairs for dinner and found Cheng Mutian in Wu Ge's room. Knowing a little about his temperament, she didn't go in but stood at the door and knocked.