With the Dragon Boat Festival over, the birthday celebration of Madam Zhong, the matriarch of the Song family, is just around the corner. Because it is her sixty-sixth birthday, unlike the smaller celebrations of previous years, it will be a full three-day affair to be considered of sufficient importance. Since Consort Rong is highly respected by the Emperor in the palace, and her only son was enfeoffed as the Prince of Ping in Liangzhou last year, everyone in the capital, out of respect for Consort Rong, will come to offer their congratulations to Madam Zhong.
While Madam Shen was busy planning the banquet in her own courtyard, her entire family, except for Zhenxiu, was now confined to the small west courtyard because Zhenshu had made a mistake and dared not move around normally. It wasn't until the seventh day of the fifth month that Granny Miao came to summon them, saying, "The Consort Rong of the palace has issued an edict on how to punish the young ladies. Please come to Suihe Residence with the Second Madam and the young ladies to hear the edict."
Su was dejected and listless. She helped Zhenyuan and Zhenshu and Zhenyi to Suihe Residence. There, they saw Zhong still sitting in the round chair next to the octagonal table, while Zhenyu and Zhenxiu sat on a small table to the side, looking so intimate that they seemed to want to twist and wrestle together.
Su Shi wiped her daughters' faces and greeted them awkwardly. Then Zhong Shi said to the old woman Lü, "Now that everyone is here, read out Consort Rong's decree to them so that they will all be convinced."
After bowing and apologizing, Madam Lü brought out a clean-cut young eunuch from the inner room. The eunuch bowed to Madam Zhong, cleared his throat, and said, “In her letter, Consort Rong said: It has been twenty-six years since I left home. I often remember my mother’s suffering and gratitude, and I have never dared to forget her kindness. My second brother went to the Western Regions years ago to find a good medicine for me, which cured my son’s poisoning. I have never forgotten that either. Yesterday, the Lady of the Marquis of Beishun’s Mansion also sent a letter, as did Mother. I have been in the inner palace for many years and have not heard of outside affairs. However, even the small matter of the women’s quarrels is related to the reputation of the young ladies of each family, so I must be careful. Therefore, I humbly request Mother to comfort my heart and help to reconcile the two mansions and the two branches of the family. I would also like to tell all my nieces that Grandmother’s birthday is approaching. Please be broad-minded and do not attack each other over minor sisterly mistakes. Let us work together to celebrate Grandmother’s birthday. I will remember your contributions.”
After the young eunuch finished speaking, he took the letter and respectfully handed it to Madam Zhong, saying with a smile, "Your Majesty has another message for me to convey to the Old Madam. She said that my daughter has not committed any major offenses, and that harmony in the family is essential for all things to prosper. Please forgive her, Old Madam."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhong remained silent for a long time. The letter was respectfully received by Mama Lü and presented on a brocade plate.
The young eunuch bowed and took his leave. Only then did Madam Zhong sigh and say, "Since that's the case, everyone should disperse."
Zhenyu suddenly stood up and said, "Grandmother, do you mean to just let them go like this?"
Just as Madam Zhong was about to speak, Madam Shen came in from outside and reported, "Grandmother, the Marquis of Beishun's mansion has prepared two loads of gifts and brought a bound servant boy, saying they've come to apologize to our family. What should I do, daughter-in-law?"
After a long pause, Madam Zhong asked, "What else did you bring?"
Madam Shen handed over a letter and said, "This was presented by his servant. My wife is not very literate and has not seen it."
Without even looking, Zhong knew what was inside. She pressed down on the letter and said, "Although his family has brought a servant bound, how can we possibly beat him? You accept the gifts, return some gifts, appease the servant, and send him back."
Lady Zhang, the wife of the Marquis of Beishun, is known for her sharp tongue and has been at odds with other households for many years because of her children. The fact that she took the initiative to send someone to apologize suggests that, firstly, Dou Keming was extremely wrong, and secondly, Consort Rong may have also put pressure on her, forcing her to do so.
Madam Zhong stood up and said, "Very well, since the Marquis of Beishun's mansion is not pursuing this matter, what reason do I have to punish you?"
Zhenyu followed and went into the inner room, whispering, "Grandmother, if you let them get away with this, I'm afraid they'll take advantage of you in the future."
Madam Zhong patted her hand and said, “Good child, your aunt had that little eunuch read her decree aloud in public because she was afraid that I wouldn’t act according to her wishes after receiving the letter, and would deliberately punish the second branch of the family. Years ago, the second prince contracted a strange illness in the palace, and the imperial physicians were helpless. Your second uncle found a cure in a book from the Western Regions, but the medicine was far away in the Western Regions. He went there alone to find the medicine and cured the second prince. Your aunt always remembers his kindness. If I go against her wishes, I’m afraid I will hurt her. As for those people from the second branch of the family, we’ll send them all back after the New Year’s Eve. Just bear with it for a few days.”
Although Madam Shen didn't say much that day, she had nonetheless saved Zhenshu from danger. Since Madam Zhong had lifted the confinement of the small west courtyard that afternoon, Zhenshu went alone to Suiyi Residence to thank Madam Shen. Upon entering, Zhenshu saw Madam Shen's head maid, Banlan, sitting under the eaves of the west room, doing embroidery in the sun. She went over and asked, "Good sister, is Fourth Aunt at home?"
Banlan stood up, curtsied, and smiled, "I just coaxed the two young masters to sleep. I'm afraid they're discussing the ancestral rites on the large kang bed by the window in the main room right now."
She then led Zhenshu to the main room, lifted the curtain of the west room, and let Zhenshu in. Zhenshu saw that Madam Shen was sitting cross-legged on the kang (a heated brick bed), with her head maid Rongrong sitting crookedly on the edge of the kang. Zhenshu bowed and greeted her, "Fourth Aunt, are you busy today?"
Madam Shen gestured for Zhenshu to come forward, took her hand and said, "I was just about to invite you, and here you are. Come on up to the kang (heated brick bed) and help me make some plans."
Zhenshu also sat on the edge of the kang. She saw a large book in front of Shen Shi, which contained detailed information about the preparations for her birthday celebration. However, the handwriting was not that of a woman.
Madam Shen said, “Your fourth uncle is still busy outside and can’t come home in time. He sent this list from afar and asked me to make some preliminary plans. I’m worried because we don’t have enough manpower in our household.”
Zhenshu took the notebook and looked at it. Sure enough, Song Angu had prepared a very detailed list of items and people to be prepared in the ten days leading up to the birthday banquet, as well as the ingredients to be used during the banquet, including when to buy which items, the estimated number of guests, who should be placed in which room, and who should sit at the same table with whom.
After reading through the book, Madam Shen said, "The number of capable maids and servants in our household is dwindling. We have to hire some day laborers from outside to handle the rough and tiring work, but they are a mixed bunch and prone to shirking their duties, making them difficult to manage. Furthermore, we need more than a dozen servants outside to handle errands and run errands, while we only have five or six servants born into the household, which is far from enough. What should we do?"
Zhenshu asked, "When Fourth Aunt mentioned the rough work, did she mean taking care of the three courtyards behind Grandmother's house?"
Madam Shen said, “That’s right. In previous years, although there was a birthday banquet, it was only a one-day event, and few wives and concubines came. It was enough to just vacate our few courtyards. This year is different. At least five or six wives and concubines will stay overnight in our mansion. At that time, even our first and second-class maids will not be enough to keep them company.”
Zhenshu said, “In my opinion, we should hire some young maids from outside, but we don’t need to hire them for heavy work. The other day, on my way to Guangji Temple, I passed through the East Market and saw many old women in the market who were doing odd jobs and waiting to be hired. They were all around thirty years old. They had families, were honest, and had strength. They were not as delicate as the young maids who couldn’t do heavy work. We should hire more old women; they can be used anywhere.”
Madam Shen nodded and said, "Third Miss's idea is good, but many of those old women are cunning and deceitful, and they also like to drink. I'm afraid my maids won't be able to control them. And now our household steward has lost his wife, so we're worried about finding someone to manage them."
Zhenshu smiled and said, "Back at Guangji Temple, I was fortunate enough to be saved by my aunt. When I was in Huixian, I was used to doing hard and tiring work. Why don't you let me do the house cleaning? I'll help my aunt and the old women with it, okay?"
Madam Shen smiled broadly and said, "If that's the case, I couldn't be happier. Although I haven't known the Third Miss for long, I've already seen that you're efficient, capable, and competent. Since you've volunteered, I'll entrust this matter to you."
Zhenshu added, “We have four adult girls in our household. When the noble ladies from the royal and marquis families arrive, we can assign one to each of them to look after them. It’s both prestigious and reliable. Compared to maids, those noble ladies would naturally prefer them.”
She naturally wanted Zhenyuan to make an appearance in front of those noble ladies from the royal family, so as to leave a good impression and perhaps find her a good marriage.
Madam Shen hadn't thought of this for a moment, but she nodded and said, "That's perfect. With the major matters of the inner courtyard settled, I can concentrate on managing the kitchen. When your fourth uncle returns, he can take care of the outer courtyard, and we'll be able to relax."
The next day, a group of old women were hired. Madam Shen pushed Zhenshu in front of them, her face stern yet imposing, and said in a deep voice, "Ladies, you are all people of status and standing. You're only here to do odd jobs and earn a few pennies. This is our third young lady. During your stay in the manor, just follow her closely. Whatever tasks she assigns, you must do them diligently so as not to tarnish everyone's dignity. Is that alright?"
Chapter 16 Clothes
When the old women saw a girl of about fifteen or sixteen standing there, dressed simply and without any extravagance, yet so poised and unpretentious, like a girl from an ordinary family, they felt a sense of warmth and approachability. One of them boldly said, "If I may be so bold, the third young lady seems very kind. We're here looking for work, so why wouldn't we listen to her?"
The rest of the group echoed, "That's right, that's right."
Zhenshu watched Shen leave before turning back with a charming smile and said, “Ladies, we do hard and tiring work. If your clothes or jewelry are torn or damaged, take them off as soon as possible and leave them with the steward. We have plenty of clothes for rough work in our mansion. Don’t ruin your clothes for a little money.”
The old women quickly waved their hands and said, "We came here to work, there's no reason for us to wear those things."
Zhen Shu said, "If that's the case, then you shall come with me."
The three courtyards behind Zhong's residence had only undergone minor repairs in previous years. Aside from a few days of rest for her sixtieth birthday celebration, they had been uninhabited for six years. Although the rooms were empty, they were teeming with rats and insects, teeming with snakes and ants, with bats hanging upside down and geckos climbing the walls—a truly desolate place. Over the past ten days, these women had not only dug out rat holes and chased away bats, but also pulled up vines and cleared weeds, essentially renovating the entire courtyard.
Zhenshu had been used to these rough jobs since childhood. Dressed in a coarse cloth coat and with her hair wrapped in a handkerchief, she was always at the forefront of everything. She personally dug out snake nests, patched up rat holes, set up ladders to catch bats from the beams, and cleared the beam sheaths. With her taking the lead, the hired women worked with great enthusiasm.
The house, built up over the years, seemed to be covered in an endless layer of dust. Even after being swept and watered today, a thick layer of old dust would appear on the blue brick floor the next day. Although it had been freshly painted during the New Year, the numerous paint marks revealed its old, mottled state, with each layer bearing the traces of time, demonstrating the decline of the Song family mansion over the years.
After cleaning up the several courtyards, the bedding that had been taken out of the storeroom for many years was aired out. The cotton in the quilts was taken out, fluffed, dried, and shaken off insects. The quilt covers and curtains were washed.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated, with bright sunshine for several days in a row. Zhenshu and a group of old women walked from courtyard to courtyard, amidst the cotton piled up like white clouds in large baskets and the colorful curtains, their noses and throats filled with the cotton brought by the spring breeze.
Zhenshu was stretching out her arms and shaking out a quilt with an old woman when suddenly someone pinched her waist, a pinch that was both sore and itchy. She shook herself off and said, "Who is it? Do you want to die?"
"Third sister, why are you working so hard? Even if you rush to empty the chamber pot right now, the old ancestor will still dislike you and won't give you another second glance." Zhenxiu was wearing a phoenix-tail skirt today, which was probably given to her by Zhenyu. It was a bit tight around the waist, leaving a deep cleavage.
Zhenshu handed the quilt to the old woman, then cleared her throat and whispered, "I'm also wondering why, after working so hard here for several days, there hasn't been a single word from the old matriarch. You're an ancestor who's always good at pleasing people, so please teach me a thing or two!"
She pointed to the side room and said with a smile, "Let's go there and talk properly."
Zhenxiu, unsuspecting, twisted her waist and said, "You should have come to beg me a long time ago, but you were too proud and refused to lower yourself."
As they spoke, the two entered the side room one after the other. Zhenshu closed the door and sheathed her sword as soon as she entered. Zhenxiu saw that the room was empty, with mud walls and no place to sit. She frowned and turned to leave, but when she turned back, Zhenshu punched her in the nose. The punch made her feel all the blood rush to her nose, making it sting and painful. She couldn't even open her eyes, let alone see where Zhenshu was.
"Ugh..." Zhenshu saw that Zhenxiu had recovered and was about to scream, so he grabbed her neck and shoved a tablecloth he had just grabbed into her open mouth. Then he straddled Zhenxiu's neck and slapped her face several times. He grabbed her collar and said, "Have you no shame? What did Zhenyu give you that you dare to send your elder sister to Dou Keming's side?"
Since Zhenxiu had tricked Zhenyuan on behalf of Zhenyu, she had been hiding in Shanshu Academy for several days, afraid that Su and Zhenshu would cause her trouble. However, these past few days, Su had been busy taking Zhenyi out to shop at silver and embroidery stores, and Zhenyuan had stayed indoors. Only Zhenshu, because she was brave and hardworking at home, was praised by all the servants in the household, regardless of rank or gender.
Humans are naturally curious and fond of the unusual. It is the natural duty of a rough servant to catch mice and bats, but for a delicate young girl to do these things is a skill. And if this young girl does them well and is also bold, then she will be looked at differently.
Therefore, even Madam Zhong would listen to Mama Lü and Mama Miao recount several times a day how Zhenshu caught mice and bats.
Zhenxiu had assumed that since Madam Zhong had dealt with the second wife but not her, she would only bring Zhenxiu and Zhenyu when Madam Zhong introduced her granddaughters to the noble families at the birthday banquet. If that were the case, she could stand out from Zhenshu and Zhenyuan. However, Zhenshu, after only a few days of being a shrew, unexpectedly won Madam Zhong's praise.
Anxious, she planned to go to the backyard to provoke Zhenshu, hoping that Zhenyu would find an excuse to find fault with her and make Zhong Shi dislike her.
Zhenshu sneered inwardly. She had been holding onto the Guangji Temple incident for a long time, but she couldn't deal with Zhenxiu because Zhenxiu was always with Zhenyu. Who knew that she would take the initiative to come to her door today?
Seeing that Zhenxiu was still acting like a stubborn wretch even after the pain subsided, she decided to hit her again before letting go of her arm and saying, "I hit you not because you're malicious, but because you're foolish. You always think that your older sister is beautiful and steals your thunder, preventing men from taking a liking to you, so you use all your crooked thoughts on your own sisters. Do you know that there are many women outside who are prettier than you? Are you going to harm every single one you meet? If so, how many women in this world can you possibly harm?"
Zhenxiu had been beaten and scolded by Zhenshu countless times since childhood. She listened coldly, knowing in her heart that Zhenshu wouldn't dare to hurt her too much. As long as she endured the time and Zhenshu's anger, Zhenshu would naturally let her go back. So she didn't struggle, but just lay on her back on the ground, letting Zhenshu kick the wall and pound the ground beside her, just watching her coldly.
After a while, Zhenshu pushed open the door and went out to do her chores in the courtyard.
Zhenxiu rolled over and got up, tidied her messy hair, and wiped the snot and tears from her face. Looking down, she saw that her phoenix-tail skirt was covered in dust. She felt both pain and hatred, but there was nothing she could do about Zhenshu. She could only quietly leave the room and slip away along the wall when no one was looking.
After the bedding was packed, Madam Shen bought some oil paper from the outer room and pasted it neatly onto the clean, mud-brick walls. Then she prepared to move the furniture into each room. Because the furniture consisted of large, heavy items, Madam Shen specially set aside half a day to have the women in the inner courtyard pack all their personal belongings. She also had the steward personally lead about ten strong servants and young men to open the storeroom and carry the furniture.
After the furniture was arranged, Zhenshu led the women to spread the bedding that had been dried in the sun to each room, and then opened the storeroom to take out various small ornaments and put them on. Only then did the three courtyards become clean, bright, fresh, and brand new.
Since it was already the fifteenth of May, just one day before the birthday banquet, Madam Zhong specially brought Madam Shen and Madam Su, as well as Madam Lu from the third branch of the family who had just arrived from out of town, to inspect the fourth courtyard. Madam Miao and Madam Lü had been talking about Zhenshu as a rare and wonderful thing for a long time, and Madam Zhong was already very familiar with it. Seeing that Zhenshu, with a group of old women, had indeed transformed the dilapidated fourth courtyard into a completely new place in just nine days, she couldn't help but admire her.
Her praise was merely a way of treating Zhenshu like a plaything, something to see trending. She still harbored resentment towards the second wife, but she never showed it outwardly.
That night, after calculating the wages of the hired women and seeing them off, Madam Shen prepared a simple meal of wine and snacks, intending to have a drink with Zhenshu. The two sat down on the large kang (heated brick bed) by the window in the main room of Suiyi Residence. Seeing that there was still no sign of a man in the room, Zhenshu asked, "Why hasn't Fourth Uncle returned yet?"
Madam Shen frowned and shook her head, saying, "He returned a long time ago, but he was busy outside, so he rested outside."
Seeing the sorrow on her face, Zhenshu didn't press her for details. She simply picked up the small cup, sipped the sweet wine, and ate a few bites of the side dishes.
Suddenly, Madam Shen smiled and said, "These past few days you've been busy at Suihe Residence, and I've often taken the time to visit you. Seeing your two natural feet jumping up and down, so agile and joyful, I really envy you."
Zhenshu withdrew her foot and said with a forced smile, "I was only so eager for this bit of exhilarating pain that I was determined to never bind my feet."
Madam Shen said, "A woman like you shouldn't be confined to the inner chambers; that would be the death of you."
Zhenshu said, "Isn't that right? The world is vast and open, why must women be confined to their chambers and spend their lives there?"
Madam Shen remained silent for a long time, then suddenly called softly to Banlan in the outer room, "Bring me the set of clothes I prepared the other day."
Banlan responded from the outer room and brought in a bundle after a while. Shen took it and opened it, taking out a white embroidered long gown with a cross-collar, a lilac-colored one-piece waist skirt, and a dark purple palace sash. Then, she took out a lotus-shaped cloud-shaped shoulder piece and spread it on the short jacket on the kang, asking Zhenshu, "Do you think it's pretty?"
Seeing the white roots embroidered with green paths and pink stamens, with each thread clearly defined, Zhenshu couldn't help but gently stroke it and say, "This embroidery is really well done, as if the flowers were printed on it."
Shen folded and wrapped the bundle again, then pushed it to Zhenshu, saying, "I made this according to the length of the jacket you gave Zhenyuan before. It will definitely fit you perfectly, so there's no need to try it on. You can wear this to the banquet the day after tomorrow, okay?"
Zhenshu had thought these were clothes that Shen would wear the day after tomorrow, but she was going to give them to her. She quickly waved her hand and said, "I caused a great disaster last time. My grandmother will definitely not want me to be a guest the day after tomorrow. I'm afraid I will disappoint my fourth aunt's good intentions."
Madam Shen insisted on placing the garment in her arms before saying, "I couldn't help you at the temple last time, nor did I speak up for you before the Ancestor. Yet you still went out of your way to help me. How could I not do my best for you? Don't worry, I will definitely ask the Ancestor to have you meet with the guests the day after tomorrow. However, you must not tell anyone that you took these clothes from me. The Ancestor doesn't like the wives of concubines getting too close, so I can't help you too much."
Having been here for so long, Zhenshu could not have missed Shen's difficulties. She immediately packed her bundle and said, "Thank you very much, Fourth Aunt. It's just that my complexion is dark, and the color is too plain to match these clothes. I'm afraid people will laugh at me."
Madam Shen smiled, reached for the bronze mirror on the kang cabinet, and handed it to Zhenshu, saying, "Take a look, are you still as dark as before?"
Zhenshu had never looked in a mirror before, but this time, under the lamp, she looked at herself in the bronze mirror and saw a beautiful woman with thick eyebrows, big eyes, and a delicate nose. Still not confident, she looked at Shen Shi with half-belief and said, "Your mirror makes me look good."
Madam Shen put away the bronze mirror and said, "The water in the capital is good for one's skin. Only women in the capital have fair and tender skin. You've been in the capital for so long, and your skin has become fair and tender. You're no longer the dark-skinned woman you were when you first arrived. Although I don't have any other skills, I have a great eye for matching clothes. Put these clothes away first. Wear them the day after tomorrow, and I guarantee you'll be a stunning beauty who will outshine all others."
Zhenshu had never been praised like this before. In addition, she had drunk a few cups of wine and was now a little dizzy. She looked at herself in the mirror for a long time and suddenly had a different kind of expectation for that outfit. It was as if she could really become beautiful if she wore it and would feel happy because of her beauty. She had an uncontrollable feeling of excitement in her throat and secretly clenched the clothes in her arms.
☆, Chapter 17, The Day
Since the seventeenth was the main day, a grand banquet would be held to entertain the distinguished family members, and some theatrical troupes would be invited to provide entertainment. The family's birthday gifts would be presented on the evening of the sixteenth. The three women, Su, Lu, and Shen, naturally had to stand respectfully behind their ancestor, Zhong. Song Angu, who hadn't been to the backyard for a long time, also returned. He sat hidden in the shadows of the side lamplight, neither smiling nor speaking, twirling two bright, shiny mountain walnuts in his hands.
Because Zhenyuan was the eldest and had not visited to offer birthday wishes for many years, she was the first to present a gift. When Mother Miao took the tray from her, Zhenyuan knelt properly on the prayer mat and kowtowed three times, saying softly, "May our ancestor enjoy a long and prosperous life, like the sun and moon shining brightly, and may he live as long as the pine and crane."
Madam Zhong nodded slightly and said, "Poor thing, get up quickly."
Madam Lü came over, picked up Zhenyuan's birthday gift, and unfolded it. It revealed a four-panel embroidered screen depicting the Four Gentlemen: plum blossom, orchid, bamboo, and chrysanthemum. Madam Miao smiled and said, "Old Madam, please take a look and see what you think?"
Mrs. Zhong glanced at it and said, "It's hard on the child. We have plenty of these things at home. There's no need for this."
Zhenyuan bowed and withdrew, and Zhenyu then walked up gracefully, followed by her maid Jichun, who was also carrying a tray.
Zhenyu bowed gracefully, smiled and said, "May our ancestor enjoy boundless happiness and longevity."
Mrs. Zhong beamed and nodded repeatedly, saying, "Good! Good!"
Mother Miao took the tray from Ji Chun, and Mother Lü quickly helped Zhen Yu up. Madam Zhong asked with a smile, "What good things have you prepared for me?"
Zhenyu pouted and said, "I eat what our ancestors have, wear what our ancestors have, use what our ancestors have, I am entirely our ancestors'. The best thing is this person, so let's give him to our ancestors!"