Der Himmel über den Flüssen und Seen ist sehr klar

Kapitel 13

“Then let’s go back tomorrow. I checked the almanac, and tomorrow is an auspicious day. In a few days it will be the anniversary of Hui-jie’s mother’s death, so it’s good to go back early to make preparations.”

The old lady glanced at Danmei and then added this last sentence.

Danmei returned to her room, her good mood from the day instantly vanishing. She told the maids to pack her things to avoid chaos the next day. She then went to Huijie's room to deliver a message. Huijie, knowing she was going back to the mansion in the capital with Danmei, wasn't particularly happy. Duan'er, however, was overjoyed to hear she was going to live in the city.

Danmei stayed with him for a while before returning to her room. She went to bed early that evening. By the time Xu Jinrong returned, it was already late at night.

Since Xu Jinrong returned, he had been coming home late every day. Danmei had no idea what he was doing outside. Now that she was feeling down, she was even less inclined to ask. She simply waited until he took off his clothes and got into bed before casually asking, "You're back?"

Xu Jinrong borrowed a candlelight to observe her expression, then asked her a few questions about her visit to her parents' home today. Remembering how thoughtfully he had prepared gifts for her, Danmei felt it wouldn't be right to give him a cold shoulder, so she forced herself to respond with a few words and thanked him. Xu Jinrong grunted and said, "I just saw some trunks piled up outside. They said my mother wants you to move back tomorrow?"

Danmei gave a muffled reply and closed her eyes. After a while, she heard him say, "Let's go back then. We won't be staying for long anyway."

Danmei, hearing his seemingly nonsensical words, opened her eyes, intending to ask what he meant, but saw that he had already gotten out of bed and blew out the lamp. Suddenly remembering that Qin Shi had mentioned earlier the possibility of being transferred to a higher position, she wondered if it had already come true. Before she could ask, he pulled her into his arms, pressed his leg against hers, and said, "Sleep." A moment later, his breathing became even, indicating he had truly fallen asleep. She suppressed her doubts, gently moved his heavy leg off her body, and slowly drifted off to sleep herself.

The next day, Steward Xu arrived with his men and loaded the packed trunks onto the carriage. Once everything was settled, Danmei and Huijie went to bid farewell to the old lady. The old lady looked delighted. After giving her instructions, she prepared to leave, dismissing everyone around her and asking Huijie to leave as well. Then she took Danmei's hand and said with a smile, "Daughter-in-law, if you feel nauseous or weak when you get back, be sure to let me know immediately. I'll be waiting for your good news."

Danmei paused, realizing the implication of her words, and felt a little embarrassed. She could only nod and agree. Just when she thought it was over, her mother-in-law continued, "Daughter-in-law, I'm naturally happy that my son and you are so loving now. There's only one thing: I consider you one of my own now, which is why I'm being so frank. When he gets carried away, it's fine, but we women should keep an eye on him and not let him have his way. There aren't many maids or servants here, so they only talk to me, which is fine. But back in the main house, it's not good to let him do whatever he wants. If the servants find out and spread rumors, it will be difficult for you to be the mistress of the house."

At first, Danmei didn't understand what the old lady meant. But after thinking about it carefully, she suddenly remembered that after they finished in the study the night before, he carried her back to the room. But they bumped into the old woman who usually swept the area behind the door. Could it be that the old woman had seen through their affair and knew that the old lady hoped she would get pregnant, so she came to her and tried to please her? She was filled with remorse and shame. She just wanted to bite the man a few times to vent her anger. She lowered her head and couldn't say a word.

Seeing her like this, the old lady chuckled and said, "You two are newlyweds, and you've been separated for almost half a year before you're reunited. It's nothing. I'm just telling you this because I know you're going back to live here, so I'm reminding you to be more careful in the future."

Danmei hurriedly agreed, not daring to look up at the old lady. She quickly bowed and took her leave, then boarded the carriage back to the capital.

Knowing that the mistress was returning today, everyone in the mansion, from top to bottom, including the three concubines in the west courtyard, naturally arrived early at the screen wall behind the main gate to wait. As soon as Danmei settled in, the three Zhou women came to pay their respects. Danmei had never wanted to live in this mansion, largely due to her ostrich-like mentality; she always felt it was strange to be so harmoniously gathered together with the three women. Since she couldn't change it, she preferred to keep her distance and seek peace and quiet. So, she initially didn't want to see them, but then she thought that if she refused to see the three concubines who were so respectful and undisrespectful to the mistress upon her return, people might talk behind her back. Remembering that Xu Jinrong had previously mentioned the importance of etiquette, she invited them in.

Half a year had passed in a flash. Zhou Shi remained as silent as ever, slightly wooden. Zhao Zonglian also didn't say much; after offering his greetings, he lowered his head slightly as usual, making it impossible to see her expression. Chunniang, however, kept talking, her eyes filled with barely concealed jealousy. Danmei knew she must be resentful that Xu Jinrong had been spending nights outside the city garden since his return, so she pretended not to notice, said a few perfunctory words, and then dismissed them to rest.

After taking a few steps, Madam Zhou suddenly turned back to look at Danmei, then walked back and said, "Madam, in three days it will be the anniversary of the death of the lady who passed away. Before you came, I was entrusted by Third Master to take care of everything every year. Now that you have come, there is naturally nothing for me to do. I was afraid that you might be too busy and overlook something, so I dared to say a few words."

Danmei was enlightened by Zhou's words. Logically speaking, such matters should indeed be handled by her, the second wife. However, considering that Xu Jinrong had not uttered a word, and that she had no experience in these matters, if she took over and made a mistake, she might be accused of disrespecting the deceased. It would be better to let Zhou handle it and then perform the rites herself. Having made up her mind, she said to Zhou, "I have great respect for the first wife, Sister Zhou, and naturally, such an important day should be handled properly. Aunt Zhou has always been a steady person, and she is close to Sister Zhou. It would be better to follow the usual practice and let Aunt Zhou handle the arrangements herself. If you need anything, just ask Steward Xu."

Hearing her say this, Zhou seemed somewhat surprised, but quickly a smile appeared on her face. She bowed respectfully to Danmei in thanks before retreating, passing by Chunniang and Zhao Zonglian, who were still waiting at the door to listen to their conversation, without even glancing at them. Chunniang seemed to show a hint of displeasure, while Zhao Zonglian immediately lowered her head and followed Zhou away.

Xu Jinrong returned earlier that evening, presumably having skipped the time it took him to travel back by fast horse over the previous days. As soon as Danmei saw him, she thought of the women in the west courtyard she had just met during the day, and her heart clenched. Then she thought, those women must have felt even more choked up than she did if they saw her. She chuckled to herself. While he went to wash up, she sat there alone, chin in hand, staring blankly at the candlelight for a moment. Hearing footsteps outside the door, she knew he had returned, grabbed a book from the table, and pretended to read it.

Xu Jinrong, as expected, didn't notice her unusual behavior. He simply closed the latch on the couch and told her to read less to avoid straining her eyes. Upon hearing his voice, Danmei remembered the old lady's last words to her before she left that morning, and her heart sank even further. She sat still, flipping through her book, saying, "I slept during the day, I'm not sleepy, you go to sleep first." She expected him to force her to come over, but there was no movement behind her. Holding her breath, she sat for a while, assuming he had fallen asleep, before blowing out the lamp and quietly climbing onto the couch. Just as she lay down, a hand reached out and grabbed her, pinning her down again. Once everything was quiet and the man beside her had truly fallen asleep, Danmei found it even harder to sleep.

The peaceful days she had spent without a husband, and without his concubines, were likely to be long gone. The situation was becoming increasingly different from what she had envisioned before her marriage. This man, far from treating her with cold indifference, was spending every night with her. Danmei didn't know whether this was a good thing or a bad thing. She felt she was deceiving herself. Before she married him, he already had a concubine, and during his nearly six months away in Huainan, he was almost always accompanied by beautiful women. She hadn't personally witnessed him sleeping with another woman, so she turned a blind eye and let things slide. But what if, once his initial infatuation wore off, he grew tired of her, and like most men of this generation, began rotating between his wives and concubines? Should she then confront him completely, letting him sleep with other women as he pleased, treating her merely as a figurehead used for the sake of the marriage alliance?

Life in the mansion was indeed unpleasant, even now that her husband was still sleeping next to her.

Since the next day's court session wasn't early in the morning, and the journey to court was much shorter, the two slept in a little later. After getting up, seeing that Xu Jinrong was about to leave, Danmei remembered what had happened yesterday and felt it would be better to mention it to him, lest he blame her for not being diligent enough, so she stopped him.

"You decide what to do. It's fine to have a grander affair. Qiu Niang served my mother very well in the past, so this is appropriate."

Xu Jinrong stopped, thought for a moment, and said. Danmei responded flatly. Xu Jinrong glanced at her, then turned and left.

Although Sister Hui had returned to live here, her daily routine remained the same as before. Danmei went to check on her calligraphy practice, but a little while later, she heard a maid outside say that Aunt Zhou wanted to speak with Madam Zhou.

Danmei knew it was probably related to the anniversary of Hui's death in a few days. She also remembered what Xu Jinrong had mentioned that morning, so she took the opportunity to tell her and called her into Hui's outer room.

When Madam Zhou entered, upon hearing the master's words about making the ceremony as grand as possible, she showed great gratitude, thanking him repeatedly. After glancing at Hui-jie's inner room, she stammered, "The late Madam only left behind Hui-jie, and it was for her sake that she passed away. In previous years, Hui-jie would go to the mourning hall to offer incense and pay her respects three days before and after the New Year. I believe the late Madam would be happy to see Hui-jie..."

Danmei glanced at Zhou Shi and saw her pious expression. After thinking for a moment, she went to the inner room and told Hui Jie what Zhou Shi had just said.

Danmei initially saw nothing wrong with it, but then she noticed Huijie's expression change slightly, as if she were somewhat frightened. After thinking for a moment, she felt it was only right for her daughter to pay respects to her mother, so she softly said, "Shall I go with you?"

Upon hearing this, Sister Hui felt relieved and nodded hurriedly.

This was the first time Danmei had heard that there was a shrine for the former Madam Zhou in this house. After following Madam Zhou through the back garden, she finally saw a wall in a corner, which seemed to separate a small courtyard. The door was tightly closed, and it looked somewhat dilapidated.

Zhou opened the door first, and Danmei told Miaochun and Miaoxia, who had followed her, to wait outside. She then led Huijie inside. Inside the walled compound, everything was bare except for a square house standing in the middle.

Hui-jie followed Dan-mei, and the closer they got to the house, the more frightened she seemed to become, gripping Dan-mei's hand tightly, which puzzled her. Only after she pushed open the door and entered did she understand.

The room was dark and gloomy, with a strong musty smell. Although two candles were lit before the altar, the light was still dim. Danmei stood there for a while, her eyes adjusting to the light, before she could make out the furnishings. In the center was a dark memorial tablet, with incense burning in the incense burner in front of it, a bowl of rice with a pair of chopsticks stuck in it, and dark red mourning cloths draped around the room. Several prayer cushions were placed on the floor. When she and her companions came in, the fan they brought with them had stirred the candlelight, causing the shadows cast on the wall to flicker.

Such a room, let alone Sister Hui, even Danmei felt a chill run down her spine.

“Madam! Usually, it’s just this old servant of mine who comes to visit you and keep you company. You must feel lonely, right? But today, Sister Hui has come again! I’ve brought her to you again. You must be very happy to see her, right? I know you’re here, so you must have seen her! Look, Sister Hui has grown quite a bit since last year…”

Suddenly, Zhou knelt down in front of a prayer mat and began chanting incantations to the memorial tablet, her voice sounding somewhat eerie.

Danmei was startled, and a chill ran down her spine. Huijie, who was next to her, grabbed her hand tightly and squeezed her closer to her.

Danmei steadied herself, patted Huijie's head, took a few incense sticks from the incense table beside her, tried to keep her hand steady, lit them in front of the candlelight, and then handed them to Huijie, saying softly, "Go and pay your respects to your mother, and then light them."

Hui-jie glanced at her, then knelt down on the prayer mat in the middle next to Zhou-shi, kowtowed three times, and then got up and put the incense into the incense burner.

“My lady… how could someone as virtuous as you have such an unfortunate fate… while people are alive, there is still some human kindness; once a person is gone, all that kindness is gone… it makes me so sad to think about it… if you have a spirit in heaven, my lady, you must be grieving too…”

Suddenly, Zhou bent down and lay on the ground again, this time as if she were sobbing and crying.

Danmei's heart pounded, and she felt she couldn't bear to stay in the room for even a second longer. She grabbed Huijie's hand, pushed open the door, and went out. Standing in the bright sun, she walked several dozen steps away, and she could still hear Zhou Shi's somewhat eerie voice from the dark room behind her.

Author's Note: I've already given out points for the first two chapters, dear readers!

Let me know if you haven't received it yet, dear~

This is the last time I'll use the Taobao style, dear~

But the free points are at the end, my friend~

Chapter Thirty-Two

Danmei escorted Huijie back to her room, then sat and pondered for a moment before calling over the wet nurse and asking about the spirit house in the back garden.

The wet nurse was very good at judging people. Danmei had been in the family for half a year, and the old lady, needless to say, was aware of it. Even Xu Sanye, who was usually out early and back late and was somewhat stern, had been spending his nights at her house since he got married. So the wet nurse had a pretty good idea of what was going on and naturally dared not hide anything, so she told her everything she knew.

It turned out that this wet nurse was a distant relative of Madam Zhou, who had come to visit when she was six months pregnant. At that time, the family still lived in Qingmen County, consisting of the old lady, her daughter-in-law, and a few servants. Xu Jinrong was only in his early twenties then, and only spent about half the year at home. This wet nurse, Zhou, was taken in by Madam Zhou at that time, who said she was afraid she wouldn't serve her husband well. When she was ten months pregnant and about to give birth, Xu Jinrong was away and did not return home. The delivery went smoothly, and she gave birth in the first half of the night. Unexpectedly, in the second half of the night, she began to bleed profusely, and after two or three days, she passed away. When Xu Jinrong heard the news and rushed back, the coffin had already been prepared for burial, and the old lady was also heartbroken and ill for many days. From then on, Huijie was entrusted to Zhou's care. The wet nurse has been with her ever since. Two years ago, when Xu Jinrong settled in the capital, Aunt Zhou said she wanted to set up a memorial room for his first wife in this house as a way to remember her. Perhaps out of some gratitude for his first wife, Xu Jinrong agreed, and that's how this memorial room came to be.

“Madam, if you hadn’t asked before, I wouldn’t have told you. Now that you’ve asked, I’m telling you. Aunt Zhou has made that room so eerie that no one dares to go there on ordinary days, except for her herself, who goes there every few days and sits there for half a day. When I used to live in the west courtyard, I overheard her maid secretly saying…” The wet nurse glanced behind her, as if to see if anyone was eavesdropping, before turning back and whispering, “That maid said that Aunt Zhou seems fine on ordinary days, but when she goes in alone, she mutters to herself in a daze, and sometimes she even cries out, which is very frightening. She suspects that the room is haunted! Madam, you can hear this, but please don’t mention to the adults that I learned it from them. If the adults find out, they might cut out your tongue.”

Hearing her nanny's words, Danmei recalled what she had just witnessed and felt even more uneasy. She thanked her nanny and left. Although she didn't believe in ghosts, she had always been timid. Even watching a horror movie at night, she would get chills when she went to the toilet alone at home, always feeling like something was following her. Today, she had first been unexpectedly frightened by Aunt Zhou and the haunted house, and then heard her nanny's tales of ghosts. Now, alone in the large room with candles lit, she saw the eerie haunted house from the daytime outside the dark window, and seemed to hear Aunt Zhou's mournful cries. Slightly uneasy, she called Miaochun and Miaoxia in, lit three or five more candles, and had Zhenxian keep them company. Estimating that Xu Jinrong would be back soon, she then told them to leave.

When Xu Jinrong returned, he noticed several candles lit in the room and that she seemed rather listless, so he asked what was wrong. Danmei felt a sense of relief when he entered, as the room seemed to come alive. Although she disliked Aunt Zhou, she didn't want to speak ill of her in front of him, so she made up an excuse. After the lights were turned off and she got into bed, unlike usual, she didn't insist on him pulling her closer. Instead, she snuggled up to him, feeling his warmth emanating from her, and her heart, which had been tense all night, finally relaxed completely. Seeing her unusual behavior, leaning against his shoulder as soon as she got into bed, Xu Jinrong was somewhat puzzled, but a faint warmth slowly crept into his heart, and he pulled her into his embrace.

The next day, around the same time as yesterday, the maid came to say that Aunt Zhou had come again. When Danmei got up early in the morning, she saw that the room was brightly lit and the sun was shining brightly outside. Her mood from last night had long since vanished. Guessing that Aunt Zhou would definitely come again today, she had been waiting for her and called her in.

Aunt Zhou entered and, upon seeing Danmei, again asked Huijie to go and offer incense to her deceased mother. Danmei did not respond, but instead carefully observed Aunt Zhou. She noticed that Aunt Zhou's hair was neatly combed and adorned with a pearl hairpin with the character "福" (fortune/blessing). She wore a dark blue satin jacket with auspicious cloud patterns, and her skin was slightly dark. She had applied white powder, but it was applied too thickly, making her neck appear even darker. She looked exactly as she usually did, quite proper and dignified. Where was the trace of the eerie atmosphere she had displayed in the mourning room yesterday?

Seeing that Danmei was staring at her without speaking, Aunt Zhou reached out and touched the earring on her earlobe. Just as she was about to repeat herself, Danmei asked, "Aunt Zhou, yesterday I heard what you said at Sister Zhou's coffin. At first, it didn't seem like anything. But the more I thought about it after I got back, the more uneasy I felt. Yesterday you said that people still have some human kindness when they're alive, but once they're gone, all that kindness is gone too. I don't know if this is what you meant, or what you meant on behalf of Sister Zhou?"

Aunt Zhou was perhaps taken aback by Danmei's sudden question. She paused for a moment, then touched her earlobe again. Her lips moved twice, but she couldn't say a word.

Danmei smiled slightly and continued, "I've heard that Sister Zhou is a very virtuous woman, so I don't think she would harbor such resentment. Could it be that you've inferred Sister Zhou's meaning yourself? I wonder who you mentioned who severed those favors and obligations with? Was it the Old Madam, my husband, or Sister Hui? I've pondered this all night but still can't figure it out. I originally intended to ask my husband this morning, but he was very busy, so I didn't want to bother him with such matters. That's why I specifically asked you, Aunt Zhou. You and Sister Zhou are close, and I heard that it was Sister Zhou who arranged for you to serve my husband back then. I think you know best what Sister Zhou is thinking. If you can get a clear answer, I will pass it on to you, so that you won't keep wailing like this in front of Sister Zhou every few days, disturbing her peace in heaven!"

Danmei had rehearsed these words several times beforehand before speaking them in one breath. After finishing, she lowered her face slightly and stared at Aunt Zhou.

Although Aunt Zhou's face was powdered, the more Danmei spoke, the more panicked she became, unable to conceal it. When she heard Danmei mention questioning Xu Jinrong, she panicked even more. Looking up, she saw Danmei looking at her with a stern face. Although Danmei was almost a decade younger than her, her brows were tightly furrowed and her expression serious. Her hand trembled, and she knelt down with a thud, saying, "This concubine knows her mistake. I shouldn't have been so rude in front of Madam and Miss yesterday..."

"You're wrong again. Yesterday you were rude to Sister Zhou, not just rude, but downright presumptuous. You tried to guess what Sister Zhou was thinking. Luckily, I only overheard it. If the instructor knew, do you think he would think?"

Danmei interrupted her and brought up Xu Jinrong.

As expected, Aunt Zhou looked even more panicked, kowtowing repeatedly and saying, "Madam is right. This servant will never dare to do it again. Please forgive this servant this time, and please don't let the master find out."

Seeing her momentarily panicked, even downgrading her self-reference from "concubine" to "maid," her eyes filled with fear, Danmei felt a pang of pity. Although she didn't know Zhou Yiniang's true intentions, she had been with Xu Jinrong for many years. When Zhou Yiniang was with him, Wen Danmei was only about the same age as Huijie, and Danmei herself was still playing in the mud in the new society. While her nature was the primary reason for her current state, that man also played a part. Although she was annoyed that her mother had thought she might take advantage of her mild temper to vent her anger and scare her, she couldn't bring herself to really do anything to her. After thinking for a moment, she took a breath and said, "You and Sister Zhou are deeply in love. I heard you often visit that mourning house to keep her company. Sister Zhou must be happy about that. But you've made that place so dark, and you've been acting strangely. When Sister Hui came back, she complained of a headache. She must have been frightened by you. You don't need to do that for the next couple of days. Just kowtow a few more times on the anniversary of her death. Sister Zhou loves her own flesh and blood, so she probably won't blame you."

Zhou dared not say anything more and hurriedly bowed and kowtowed in agreement. Seeing that Danmei stopped talking and waved for her to leave, Zhou got up from the ground and went out. Perhaps her legs were weak, she almost tripped when she stepped out of the threshold, and she had to hold onto the threshold to avoid falling.

Seeing that Zhou had left, Danmei leaned back in her chair, relaxing her stiff shoulders. Although she had temporarily suppressed Zhou, the thought of how many more such power struggles between wives and concubines would occur in the future, and when it would end, made her feel slightly annoyed. She let out a long breath and felt a little better.

After being reprimanded like that, news came the next day that Aunt Zhou had caught a cold the night before and was unable to get out of bed that morning, lying there only groaning. The maid who delivered the message had barely left when Aunt Zhou was seen being helped over, looking indeed sallow-faced and with puffy eyes; she seemed to have aged five or six years overnight, which startled Danmei. Upon seeing Danmei, Aunt Zhou apologized, saying she was useless and feared she wouldn't be able to handle the many matters related to the sacrificial ceremony that day, begging for Madam's forgiveness. Xu Jinrong was already out, so Danmei could only tell her to go back and rest, and sent someone to fetch a doctor.

Tomorrow is the anniversary of Hui-jie's mother's death, but at this crucial moment, Zhou Shi is unable to get out of bed. Danmei herself doesn't know much about these ancestral rites and was quite troubled when she suddenly thought of a capable person. Her brow immediately unfurrowed, and she went to find Steward Xu herself. Steward Xu, seeing that his mistress was personally seeking his advice with such sincerity, and knowing that his master seemed to hold this lady in high regard, dared not presume. Without Danmei even needing to ask, he readily agreed, telling his mistress to rest assured. This was exactly what Danmei wanted to hear. After a few polite words, she thanked him with a smile and returned home.

That evening, Xu Jinrong returned home and went to the east courtyard as usual. Danmei remembered Zhou's illness; although its onset was somewhat strange, she feared it might be serious if she didn't let him know, so she mentioned it. Upon hearing this, Xu Jinrong asked, "Did you see a doctor? What did he say?"

Danmei said calmly, "I have already consulted a doctor. He looked very weak when he came to my room to ask for leave this morning. You can go and see him for yourself and you'll know."

Xu Jinrong glanced at Danmei, grunted, and then left with his hands behind his back.

Seeing him leave, Danmei closed the door and sat down under the lamp to read. She read for a while, but found herself unable to concentrate, and a wave of restlessness washed over her. Unable to bear it any longer, she got up and went to the window, pushing open the shutter. A gust of cold wind rushed in, chilling her forehead and making her shiver, but she felt a surge of relief as she breathed. Looking up, she saw a bright moon and sparse stars, the night sky deep and vast, and only then did she feel some of the unease in her chest dissipate.

She's just a bedmate to share with others. What does it matter if she comes or goes? The right thing to do is to guard your own heart and live life to the fullest.

Danmei closed the window and sat back down. This time, she truly calmed down and read a book with great interest. Before she knew it, it was past her usual bedtime. Seeing that Xu Jinrong had not returned yet, she wondered where he was staying. She slightly pursed her lips and went to bed herself.

Chapter Thirty-Three

Danmei squinted, her eyes still hazy, when she heard the door creak open. To her surprise, Xu Jinrong had come over again. He didn't light a lamp, but went straight to the bedside. He quickly removed his clothes, lifted the bed curtains, and lay down outside Danmei's bed. Unlike usual, he didn't immediately embrace her, and there was no sound of him speaking. Only silence filled the darkness.

Danmei sensed something was off about him. After a moment's thought, she realized that with all the commotion he'd made, pretending to be asleep wouldn't work. So she asked softly, "You're here? Is Aunt Zhou feeling better?" She held her breath, waiting for his reply. But he remained silent. After a while, just when Danmei thought he wouldn't answer, he said calmly, "You certainly know how to keep things quiet. That's good, saves you from causing trouble." He then fell silent, only placing his hand around her waist.

Danmei was somewhat confused by his nonsensical remark. Although she couldn't see his expression in the darkness, she sensed that his mood seemed off, so she refrained from asking any further questions.

The next day was the anniversary of Madam Zhou's death. Xu Jinrong, having attended the morning court session, rose early as usual. Danmei, not forgetting his unusual behavior the previous night, got up to help him dress and discreetly observed his complexion; everything seemed normal. After seeing him off, she remembered that Steward Xu had come to report the previous evening that monks would be performing rituals at the mourning hall in the back garden today, and that the sheds and other preparations were all set up. Just as she was about to go and take a look, she saw the wet nurse peeking in from outside the door, as if she had something to say, so she called her in.

"Madam, you know what happened last night. Everyone lost face and probably won't be able to show their faces in public today."

As the wet nurse spoke, Danmei noticed her expression, which seemed to thrive on chaos. Recalling Xu Jinrong's unusual behavior the previous night, she felt a little curious and simply said "Oh."

Seeing that she seemed unaware, the wet nurse perked up and leaned closer, rattling off the story she had overheard that morning, embellishing it with her own words. She said that last night, the master went to the west courtyard to visit the sick, and found Zhou Shi indeed pale and sickly. After asking a few questions, Zhou Shi began to sob and cry. Before she could finish a sentence, Chunniang and Zhao Zonglian arrived with her. Before long, Chunniang advised Zhou Shi to punish the maid who dared to neglect her master, saying that she was too soft-hearted and had spoiled the maid so much that she dared to bring her cold water to bathe in the dead of winter.

Although Chunniang's words were ostensibly referring to the maid in Zhou's room, even a fool would know that she was implying that Zhou had deliberately taken a cold shower the night before, which was why she had a headache and fever today. Zhou's face immediately changed, and she naturally retorted. So one accused the other of talking nonsense, while the other sneered that her own people had clearly seen Zhou's maid carrying cold water in. Just as they were exchanging barbs, Zhao Zonglian suddenly clutched her chest and cried out in pain, apparently her old ailment had flared up again, making the scene quite lively.

"I overheard the maids in the courtyard whispering that the master slammed his hand on the table and told everyone to go back to their rooms, take their medicine, rest, and eat more and talk less. The maids immediately fell silent as if they had a chicken stuffed in their mouths, and then the master came out. If you ask me, the second concubine must have been resentful that the first concubine had taken advantage of her illness, which is why she made a scene, and everyone ended up losing everything."

After hearing her nanny's vivid retelling of the scene, Danmei finally understood the reason for Xu Jinrong's unusual behavior last night; it must have been caused by the fire in their own backyard. Seeing that her nanny still seemed unsatisfied, she interrupted her, reminding her not to spread rumors and to take good care of Hui-jie today. The nanny hurriedly agreed and went to the back garden. From afar, she saw Steward Xu leading people busily at work; the mourning room had been tidied up and was no longer the gloomy place she had seen the day before. However, by the end of Chenshi (7-9 AM), the monks had all arrived, and at once, bells and chimes rang out in unison as the monks began chanting sutras, and the ritual began.

Because the sacrificial ceremony wouldn't begin until Xu Jinrong returned, Danmei went back to her room first. When she estimated the time was about right, she took Huijie with her. Several concubines were already sitting there waiting. Zhou Shi looked increasingly unwell; her eyelids were so swollen they seemed about to drip water. Chunniang and Zhao Zonglian also looked unwell. Seeing Danmei arrive, they all stood up to greet her. Danmei responded and told them to return to their seats.

At the hour of Si (9-11 AM), Xu Jinrong arrived. He first placed incense sticks into the incense burner, and that was it. Danmei followed, bowing respectfully, and then Huijie and the three concubines all knelt and kowtowed to offer incense.

After offering incense, Xu Jinrong left, while Danmei didn't return to her room until the ritual was finished. Feeling exhausted after most of the day, she ate a hasty dinner and went to bed early. When she woke up, she didn't know what time it was, but saw the lights on in her room. Xu Jinrong had returned sometime earlier and was sitting at the table with a book in his hand. Seeing Danmei lift the bed curtains, look up, and casually say, "Awake? You must be quite tired today?"

Danmei hummed in response, unsure of what to say next. She sat on the edge of the bed in a daze for a while, then managed to squeeze out, "You should get some rest too," before turning around and lying down.

Xu Jinrong soon turned off the light and got into bed. He pulled Danmei closer to him, stroking her long hair idly as if he were thinking about something. After a while, he finally said, "Today I received news from my father-in-law that the Emperor has graciously approved my appointment as the Prefect of Huai'an Prefecture and concurrently the Pacification Commissioner of Huainan Circuit. The official document from the Ministry of Personnel should be issued in a couple of days."

Although Qin Shi had vaguely mentioned it when Danmei returned to her parents' home a few days earlier, she hadn't paid much attention. Hearing him say such things now, she figured it was pretty much confirmed. She paused for a moment, then asked, "When will you take office?"

"At the latest, it will be early next month. The position of prefect has been vacant for some time and is in urgent need of being filled."

"So fast!" Danmei exclaimed in surprise, then realized she had overreacted and asked softly, "Should I go with them?"

Xu Jinrong was taken aback, then chuckled softly. Danmei then realized she had asked too many questions. Her husband was being transferred to a post in another region, so naturally the whole family would move. How could she, as his wife, not go with him? But the thought of leaving the capital and her family so soon, and going to a distant place with the man beside her, made her heart feel heavy and slightly sluggish.

Within two days, the Ministry of Personnel's official document arrived. Huai'an Prefecture was the prefecture of Huainan Circuit, and the prefect's rank was already half a grade higher than that of a fourth-rank prefect in other prefectures. Furthermore, he concurrently served as the Pacification Commissioner of Huainan Circuit, in charge of military power along the entire circuit. The position of Pacification Commissioner was usually held by high-ranking officials of the third rank or above, yet it had fallen to him. For a time, Xu's residence was overflowing with guests, and colleagues frequently came to offer their congratulations. Xu Jinrong was naturally busy with these social engagements, returning home late every night, always staying overnight at Danmei's room. Danmei guessed that his recent appointment was partly due to his previous meritorious service, but her father must have also played a role. He was grateful for his father-in-law's strong support, and in return, it wasn't surprising that he stayed at her daughter's house every night.

Chapter Thirty-Four

That day, Danmei took Huijie by carriage to the garden outside the city, firstly to visit the old lady, and secondly to see the few peony plants.

Next month, we'll be moving to Huaichu Prefecture, where we'll spend the New Year. If all goes well, we'll be staying for two or three years. Other flowers and plants are fine, but these few peonies, especially the 'Xiaozhuangxin' variety, are something Danmei really can't bear to abandon. Huainan Road is located east of the Great Sea, west of the Han River, south of the Yangtze River, and north of the Huai River, governing seventeen prefectures including Yangzhou, Chuzhou, Luzhou, Haizhou, Suzhou, and Tongzhou. Huaichu Prefecture is situated on the Jianghuai waterway, along the Grand Canal, and around Hongze Lake, roughly in what is now northern Jiangsu. While everyone says Luoyang peonies are the best in the world, peonies are also cultivated in the Jiangsu and Zhejiang areas at this time, with varieties named after places in Jiangsu such as Suhua, Changhua, Runhua, and Jinlinghua. This shows that although the climate there is more humid, with proper care or improved varieties, it's not impossible to grow good peonies. Danmei decided to bring these few plants with her.