Zhan Chun

Kapitel 32

He Lao Er was delighted to see that he was willing to help with the banquet, and took the box, saying, "Very good, very good, we'll need it in the future."

After sending He Lao Er away, Cheng Mutian was worried that his attitude towards his brother-in-law might not satisfy his wife, so he hurried back to the mansion to find Xiao Yuan and told her that He Lao Er wanted to marry Qian Shisan Niang and that he had only given her a box of toys.

After hearing this, Xiao Yuan hugged Wu Ge and laughed: "Giving toys and giving a lotus plate with the wish of 'continuous success and a son' are not the same thing. The gift you gave is excellent."

Cheng Mutian felt more refreshed than eating an ice-cold watermelon on a hot summer day when he heard his wife's praise. He picked up his son and kissed him again and again.

The next day, invitations arrived from the He family. One was sent to the third courtyard, while the other was delivered to Madam Qian. Madam Qian read the invitations and learned of the matter. She beamed with joy, saying, "Heaven still favors me. I never imagined my daughter-in-law and I would become even closer. I suppose when I'm old, they'll still be reliable." But her joy quickly turned to worry. That night, Qian Shisan Niang had hanged herself from a tree branch outside her room and had been tied up by Madam Xin. The hatred in her heart must have only increased. She sighed to her maid, "Shisan Niang probably speaks ill of me to my daughter-in-law."

The more she thought about it, the more worried she became. So she took out a lot of her dowry money and, without telling Master Cheng, hurriedly bought several trunks. She didn't have time to buy land or houses, so she stuffed the cash into the trunks and carried them heavily to add to her niece's dowry.

Chapter Ninety-Two: Without money, one is a concubine; with money, one is a wife.

Xiao Yuan and her husband waited at the door for Madam Qian to go to the He family's wedding banquet together, but she didn't come out. When they asked, they learned that she was busy preparing her niece's dowry. Cheng Mutian wanted to wait for her, but Xiao Yuan said, "We are relatives of the groom's family, and our stepmother is relatives of the bride's family. We should go first." This made sense, so Cheng Mutian agreed. He left a message for Madam Qian, and the two of them went first.

Upon arriving at the He residence, Cheng Mutian went to the men's table to drink, while Xiao Yuan went inside alone. She first went to check out the bridal chamber, only to find it empty and bare, without even a festive curtain, let alone any dowry chests. She thought that although according to custom, the bridal chamber should be prepared on the first day, Madam Qian's dowry had not yet arrived, so it was normal for it to be a bit shabby. She then set off for the central gate, intending to watch the bride mount the saddle first. However, just as she reached Madam Jiang's hall, she heard Li Wuniang call out to her, "Fourth Sister, come quickly, the newlyweds are paying their respects to their elders and relatives."

Xiao Yuan exclaimed in surprise, "I haven't even seen anyone blocking the door yet! When did the bride come in?" Li Wuniang glanced contemptuously at the second wife's courtyard, "Don't you know? Our cheap second sister-in-law was brought here yesterday, supposedly as the principal wife, but she didn't even ride in a sedan chair, let alone sit in a bridal chamber." Seeing Xiao Yuan's astonished expression, she laughed, "You're too honest. What's so special about this? What's even more absurd is that I heard the old lady didn't even set out the betrothal gifts. Without the proper matchmaking, can she be considered a wife?"

Xiao Yuan was somewhat incredulous and asked, "Qian Shisan Niang didn't have a concubine?" Liu Qiniang, who had just received the bride's greetings, came out and, upon hearing this, laughed so hard she almost fell over: "Your mother-in-law's niece is such a fool. She thinks that as long as she pays respects, she's the legal wife." Xiao Yuan stepped forward to greet her and asked, "Sister-in-law, the ceremony isn't over yet, why did you come out?" Liu Qiniang replied, "She's just a concubine. How long am I supposed to stay? Receiving her greetings is already giving her face." After saying that, she didn't linger for a moment longer and went straight to the backyard.

After Li Wuniang went in to receive the newlyweds' obeisance, she came out and said to Xiaoyuan, "I was wondering why Second Brother's marriage was so hasty. It turns out that the old lady said in front of the relatives that this was just a few tables of wine to collect money from the family. All the relatives and friends treated Qian Shisan Niang as a concubine, but she was the only one kept in the dark. She is even more foolish than your sister-in-law."

Xiao Yuan was no longer considered a relative of the He family, so she felt it inappropriate to enter the hall to receive the newlyweds' obeisance. Instead, she waited until their ceremony was over before following the others to the bridal chamber to watch the couple exchange vows. When she saw Qian Shisan Niang dressed in red, her face filled with ecstasy, she couldn't help but feel worried for her, remembering Qian's status as neither a wife nor a concubine.

After the bowing ceremony, the master of ceremonies came to scatter the curtains. Qian Shisan Niang, with her head covered in colorful gold and silver ornaments, said to Xiao Yuan with great pride, "You wouldn't even give me a concubine, but now look what's happened, I've become your second sister-in-law."

Li Wuniang said with a laugh, "If she takes you into her room, where will you get the title of main wife? It's one thing that you don't know how to be grateful, but you're saying such nonsense."

Madam Jiang coldly rebuked, "Don't talk nonsense. There's no principal wife here. There's only Yaozhi as a concubine." Qian Shisan Niang argued, "I just paid my respects to my elders and relatives. How can I not be the principal wife?" Liu Qiniang suddenly appeared out of nowhere and laughed at everyone, "I knew she was a fool. Her own mother was a concubine, and she doesn't know that only through proper betrothal and marriage can one be considered a principal wife."

Although these words were meant to mock Qian Shisan Niang, both He Lao Er and Xiao Yuan were born out of wedlock. Even Li Wu Niang's husband, He Lao San, was born to a concubine. Therefore, several people in the room simultaneously darkened their expressions. Seeing that Li Wu Niang was about to lose her temper and fearing she would ruin the wedding, Xiao Yuan quickly pulled her aside, feigning thirst and asking for tea. She advised, "Sister-in-law wasn't talking about us. Why get so worked up?"

Even in her anger, Li Wuniang couldn't compare to Xiaoyuan. Seeing that Xiaoyuan could calmly and steadily persuade her, she laughed and said, "You're right. She's just a fool. Let's not stoop to her level." Saying this, she didn't go inside anymore, but pulled her into the hall to drink.

Before long, relatives and friends took their seats. They whispered amongst themselves, discussing the matter: "Is this Lady Qian a wife or a concubine? If she's a wife, why wasn't there a proper betrothal ceremony? If she's a concubine, why is she being treated like a concubine?" Xiao Yuan sighed inwardly. Her family's actions were too unreliable. This was probably the topic of conversation in Lin'an these days.

Madam Jiang cleared her throat before the banquet. She began, "This Lady Qian, who has entered my household today, is…" She was about to say, "She is a concubine," when she was interrupted by the deafening sound of firecrackers outside. The master of ceremonies entered to report, "Madam, the Qian family has sent their dowry."

Madam Jiang came out to look at the letter. Sure enough, there were several tables set up at the door. Madam Qian walked up with a smile: "I've come to add to my niece's dowry." As the second wife of Master Jiang Cheng, she dared not be negligent and hurriedly ordered someone to invite her in to sit down. She then quietly asked the maid, "What's in the chest?" The maid replied, "It's all heavy cash, at least nine thousand, if not ten thousand." Upon hearing that it was only ten thousand at most, Madam Jiang immediately stopped and asked the official who had just delivered the message, "You said that was part of the dowry, how come it's so little? Madam Qian's dowry was two hundred thousand!"

The master of ceremonies replied, "The reason Madam Qian has such a large dowry is because her family has no descendants. In Lin'an, wealthy people usually spend several thousand strings of cash on their daughters' weddings." Madam Jiang herself had a very generous dowry back then, and she hadn't spent any money on her daughters' weddings in recent years, so she believed him: "You dare to lie to me? Li Wuniang also had 100,000 strings of cash when she married in!" The master of ceremonies smiled obsequiously and said, "I wouldn't dare. Every word is the truth. Madam Qian's family is extremely wealthy, living at the foot of Phoenix Mountain. Even the imperial family wouldn't dare to compare with them when marrying off a member of the imperial clan."

Madam Jiang believed this and was even happier: "Since the dowry of ten thousand taels of silver is acceptable, then she is not a concubine, but a wife." The dowry maid asked: "Since she is a wife, should we go and make up the betrothal certificate and other documents?" Madam Jiang thought that ten thousand taels of silver was too little compared to one hundred thousand or two hundred thousand taels of silver, so she frowned and said: "Why bother making up those documents? It's too much trouble. I'll just go and tell them at the banquet."

She returned to her seat and completed the sentence she hadn't finished saying before leaving, changing the wording so that all the relatives and friends at the banquet would know that Qian Shisan Niang was the newly arrived second wife of the He family.

Although Xiao Yuan was annoyed with Qian Shisan Niang, she was also somewhat worried that if Qian became a concubine, her mother-in-law would blame her. Now, hearing her stepmother say that she was a wife, she breathed a sigh of relief and didn't care whether they had exchanged betrothal gifts or not. She just focused on drinking her wine.

This was the first time Madam Qian had encountered something that made her happy since arriving in Lin'an. After the banquet, she went to her parents' home to share the good news. Madam Xin helped her to lie down on the couch, personally brought her some hangover soup, and said with a smile, "We also received the invitation, but we thought that if you were to deliver the dowry, she would remember your kindness, so we didn't go to the banquet. Speaking of which, Thirteenth Sister is really lucky. I originally wanted to tie her up and take her back to Quanzhou, but she seized the opportunity to escape and become the young mistress."

Madam Qian asked, "What about her parents?" Madam Xin replied bitterly, "Of course they accepted the betrothal gifts from the He family but didn't want to provide a dowry, so they went back to Quanzhou." Madam Qian comforted her, "Mother, don't worry about those small amounts of money. Now that I'm related to my daughter-in-law, I'll have someone to rely on in the future." Madam Xin became happy again, "That's right. Your niece is now her second sister-in-law. You won't have to live at her mercy anymore. You'll have to act like a mother-in-law."

As the saying goes, no one knows a daughter better than her mother. Upon hearing this, Madam Qian couldn't hide her smile. She didn't stay long at her parents' home and went back, claiming she was drunk and asking her daughter-in-law to come and serve her. Xiao Yuan had also returned drunk and had no energy to serve her, so she pushed Cheng Mutian, saying, "Second Brother, your stepmother wants you to go and serve her." Cheng Mutian was already fast asleep and too lazy to even say a word. Xiao Yuan had no choice but to splash some cold water on her face and go to the front to help Madam Qian wash her face and drink the hangover soup.

Out of filial piety, she forced herself to stand in front of Madam Qian's bedside, her head was dizzy and her eyelids were drooping. Madam Qian, who claimed to be drunk, was full of energy, asking for tea one moment and fruit the next, and ordering her around non-stop.

In the past, only Aunt Ding had been subdued by Madam Qian in this family. Now that she saw Xiao Yuan also suffering, she felt a little more at ease and rushed over to help serve tea and water. She whispered, "Just bear with it. She usually pretends to be virtuous in front of others, but she is so vicious behind their backs."

Madam Qian, who was pretending to be drunk, heard everything clearly. She then said considerately to Aunt Ding, "Thank you for your trouble. Go back and rest. You don't need to come up and serve me for the next few days." Not serving her for a few days meant not seeing Xiao Si Niang for a few days. Aunt Ding had never been close to her own daughter, and she didn't want to lose even the chance to see her. So she stayed by the bed and refused to leave, pleading bitterly.

The only maidservant Madam Qian brought from Quanzhou, seeing that Consort Ding was still lingering after speaking ill of her mistress, was determined to avenge her mistress. She grabbed an empty bowl filled with hangover soup and threw it at Consort Ding. Consort Ding instinctively turned her head, and the bowl flew straight towards Xiao Yuan, who was standing behind her. Xiao Yuan, being drunk, reacted slowly; she knew she should dodge, but her body was out of control. She watched helplessly as the bowl struck her forehead, the pain causing her vision to blur and her to lose consciousness.

Several servants exclaimed in alarm, "The young mistress has fainted!"

Chapter Ninety-Three: The Thirty-Year-Old Old Girl (Part 1)

Seeing Xiao Yuan collapse to the ground, A Yun rolled up her sleeves, ready to fight the maid to the death. Cai Lian desperately stopped her, saying, "What's the use of beating her? Quickly go outside and call a servant to inform the young master, and on the way, fetch a doctor to come home." She then instructed A Cai, "Go and tell the master." She directed several old women to carry Xiao Yuan back to her room, ordered the kitchen to prepare ginseng soup and hangover remedy, and called for Sun Shi to pinch her philtrum.

Upon hearing the news, Cheng Mutian rushed back and was immediately enraged to learn that his beloved wife had been knocked unconscious by a maid. Without asking any questions, he went straight to Madam Qian's courtyard, found the maid, and kicked her several times. After kicking the maid, he was about to return to his room to inquire about his wife's injuries when Madam Qian stopped him: "Second Brother, this maid has injured her mistress; she deserves to die. I dare not keep her any longer. Take her back; you can beat or kill her as you please."

She used a feigned retreat to advance, but Cheng Mutian only took it literally. Without a word, he led the girl back and handed her over to A-Yun, whom even he was somewhat afraid of. The girl's name was Xiao Tongqian. Although her name contained the character "Xiao" (meaning "little"), she was quite old, thirty-two years old. In all the years she had served Madam Qian, she had only ever hit Old Master Qian's concubines and scolded young maids. This was the first time she had accidentally hit her mistress, so she was somewhat terrified and clung to A-Yun's leg, calling out "sister" incoherently.

Ah Yun was only fifteen years old when a thirty-two-year-old boy called her "sister" a few times. Not knowing how to proceed, he called over a few maids to tie her hands and feet and gag her with a cloth. He then went to the small bridal chamber to ask for advice.

Xiao Yuan got a big bump on her head, but luckily she was in good health and woke up before Sun Shi could pinch her philtrum a second time. She was drinking the medicine prescribed by the doctor under Cheng Mutian's concerned gaze.

Ayun stood aside waiting for her to finish taking the medicine. She took the bowl and asked hesitantly, "Young Madam, Xiaotongqian is such a big girl, yet she calls me 'sister.' I don't know how to punish her."

Cheng Mutian angrily said, "Who is she to you? You dare to pour cold water on my head, but you're showing kindness to a lowly maid who knocked out the young mistress? If you really don't know how to beat her, send her to the woodshed and have the servants do it."

Xiao Yuan had been drinking the hangover soup for a while. Although her forehead hurt, her mind was still clear. She quickly spoke up to stop them, saying, "Little Copper Coin was going to throw something on Aunt Ding. It was an accident that I was hit. If you hit her for that, you'll be giving her a big handle to use against you."

Madam Sun also chimed in, "Young master, Xiao Tongqian is someone who fulfills his filial duties to you in front of Madam. No matter whose family he lives in, the younger generation should treat him with respect."

Cheng Mutian kicked over a stool. He angrily exclaimed, "Such a wicked servant girl! Is there no way to control her?"

Cailian was more perceptive than Madam Sun: "Young Master, someone has already gone to the gym to invite Master. He should be home soon. You and Madam can't punish her, but Master can punish her with perfect justification."

Xiao Yuan touched the bump on her forehead and laughed, "Although I was hit, I'm actually happy. It's only in times of crisis that you realize everyone around me is more clever than you, sir."

Cheng Mutian was mocked by his wife for his lack of skill, but he didn't regret kicking Xiao Tongqian a few times. He then said he was going to check if Master Cheng had returned and took Xiao Tongqian with him.

Xiao Yuan had intended to tease him and lighten his mood. However, she forgot that he was the most easily amused person in front of others. She quickly told A Yun to chase after him and say, "Young Madam was just joking."

In truth, Cheng Mutian's heart was filled with tenderness for his wife, and he hadn't taken those words to heart at all. However, upon hearing her additional comment, his face flushed slightly. When he found Master Cheng in Madam Qian's courtyard, his face still red, Master Cheng was already venting his anger on Madam Qian: "How dare you hit your daughter-in-law? The He family and our Cheng family have been friends for generations. How can I explain to her deceased father that you've injured her? He Yaohong works at the Quanzhou Maritime Trade Office. If he finds out that my sister is injured, what will happen to our shipping business? I thought you were a sensible person, but I never imagined you were so muddled inside. Although her family isn't as wealthy as yours, both of her brothers hold official positions, and she also has a son. These things, these things, how can you afford to offend them?"

Aunt Ding, relying on their past marital relationship, secretly leaned closer: "Master, you don't know, Madam has always been so domineering. Her dignified and virtuous demeanor is just for show. Hitting the young mistress is the least of her worries. She won't even let me touch Xiao Si Niang."

Master Cheng was already in a bad mood and wouldn't listen to her nonsensical words. He simply tossed her aside. Madam Qian, taking the opportunity to reprimand Aunt Ding, defended herself: "Don't talk nonsense. I love my daughter-in-law dearly, how could I hit her? Little Copper Coin was accidentally injured. Besides, I've already handed her over to Erlang to take away. I have no intention of protecting her." Hearing that the girl had been taken away by Cheng Mutian, Master Cheng's anger subsided slightly. Considering the dowry of 200,000 taels of silver, he advised Madam Qian: "Don't provoke your daughter-in-law, or you'll have to live at her mercy when you're old."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Mutian frowned involuntarily. He brought Xiao Tongqian to them and said, "It was my recklessness. Xiao Tongqian is someone who is fulfilling my filial duty on my behalf. I cannot punish her." He then bowed to Madam Qian and apologized, "Mother, I acted impulsively and hit the person in front of you. Please punish me."

Seeing that he had perfectly mastered the art of feigning retreat, Madam Qian didn't know how to respond. She could only glance at Master Cheng, who greatly admired this scene of maternal love and filial piety. He chuckled and said, "Every family has its rules. She hit the young mistress, so she should be punished. What's a few slaps from you?" After saying that, he called the servants and ordered them to drag Xiao Tongqian to the woodshed and give her a good whack on the head to vent her anger for the young mistress.

Madam Qian was the only one of her own in the family, and she couldn't bear to let them drag her into the woodshed. Disregarding her manners, she went up to stop them herself. When Master Cheng saw that she was still stubborn, he hurriedly told Aunt Ding, "Go up and pull your wife away."

This was an opportunity that might not come for a thousand years. Aunt Ding happily rolled up her sleeves and rushed forward. While they were grappling, she pinched Madam Qian's arm hard a few times. Madam Qian naturally knew who had done it, but she couldn't fight with a concubine in front of her. She was angry and in pain, and she couldn't cry in front of her stepson. Suddenly, she saw Xiao Yuan being helped in by two maids and said, "Daughter-in-law, you tell me yourself, was Xiao Tongqian's action intentional or unintentional?"

Xiao Yuan's face was completely drained of color, but a smile played on her lips. With Cai Lian's help, she completed the proper etiquette before speaking: "Xiao Tongqian's actions were unintentional. I insisted on coming to persuade Father to calm down. Our family has always been kind and generous, and Xiao Tongqian is fulfilling her filial duties to Mother on behalf of Erlang and me. How can we punish her for such a small mistake? Otherwise, people will gossip and say that we are harsh on our servants."

These words deeply moved Master Cheng. In front of his children and servants, he said to Madam Qian, "You beat your daughter-in-law to this state, yet she still cares about our family's reputation. You should learn from her in the future." But there's no such thing as a mother-in-law learning from her daughter-in-law. Madam Qian felt even angrier, but she didn't dare show it on her face. She lowered her head and humbly accepted the lesson. She personally saw Xiao Yuan out of the courtyard and then had some of the good tonics she had brought from her parents' home delivered to her.

Seeing his wife's pale face and the imminent fainting, Cheng Mutian disregarded all propriety, scooped her up in his arms, and strode back to the room. He carefully placed Xiaoyuan on the bed, touched the large bump on her forehead, and said with concern, "Just send a message through the maids. What if she faints again?" Xiaoyuan was sweating profusely, but still teased him, "I'm afraid I'll be scolded for being unfilial if I don't follow proper etiquette." Cheng Mutian was speechless at her words, his face turning red with embarrassment. After a long while, he managed to squeeze out, "That's blind filial piety." He thought for a moment and then asked, "Father wanted to take Xiaotongqian to the woodshed, which suited me perfectly. Why did you stop him?"

Taking advantage of her injury, Xiao Yuan pinched him in front of the servants: "I think I still have the ability to handle things in the backyard, so don't worry about it. Just focus on managing the business. If you have nothing else to do, go and supervise Gan Shier and tell him not to focus on his studies. He should also read more of the books for the imperial examinations."

Cheng Mutian felt both heartache and gratitude. He longed to say a few heartfelt words to his wife, but with the servants around, he got up and sent Cailian to brew medicine, sent Ayun to cook soup, and sent them off with a bunch of errands. Only then did he turn around and gently touch Xiaoyuan's forehead with his lips, murmuring, "You've suffered."

The fact that the young mistress of the Cheng family was injured by her mother-in-law's maid could not be kept secret. When the relatives received the news, some felt sorry for her, while others were gloating... For several days in a row, they all had different thoughts and came to the Cheng family one after another.

Sister Cheng, always the most impulsive and quick-tempered, was the first to visit the sick woman. She and her accomplice, Ji Liu Niang, stormed into Madam Qian's courtyard and berated her: "Don't think I don't know what you're up to! You just want to kill Erlang's wife and then give Wu Ge a shameless niece as a stepmother, don't you?" Not satisfied with her own outburst, she forced Ji Liu Niang to join in. Ji Liu Niang dared not insult her aunt, shuffling towards a corner. Sister Cheng didn't chase after her to use her fists, but laughed, "You're a coward. You deserve to be sold as a concubine. Look at Qian Shisan Niang, she dared to hang herself at her door, and she got the position of the principal wife."

Ji Liuniang always considered herself a lady of a prominent family, and not being able to become the principal wife was her life's regret. Now, provoked by Sister Cheng, her anger rose even higher than Sister Cheng's. She walked to the door of Madam Qian's room, leaned against the door frame, and said calmly, "For your own sake, you first turned your own cousin into a concubine, and now you want to kill your daughter-in-law and then harm someone else?"

Madam Qian remained remarkably composed, refusing to show herself despite being subjected to their repeated insults for a long time. Only when Sister Cheng grew tired of her own insults did she triumphantly return to Xiao Yuan's room, beaming with pride as she showed her the results of her training of Ji Liu Niang, adding, "We cursed until our throats were dry at our stepmother's door, but we've certainly vented your anger for you." Xiao Yuan smiled bitterly, thinking, "You all vented your anger so well, but who knows if she'll blame it all on me when she turns around."

For the first time, Ayun felt genuine admiration for Sister Cheng. She brought two cups of tea to soothe her throat, offering one to Sister Cheng and the other to Sister Ji. Sister Ji had never received such high treatment before and was overjoyed. She thought to herself, "So it turns out there are benefits to scolding my aunt like this. I should scold her more often in the future."

Xiao Yuan looked at the two women with a troubled expression, unsure whether to thank them or kick them out. Suddenly, she remembered the tricks adults use to scare children, so she looked up and asked A Yun, "Young Master said he went to the shop to get a cake, he should be back soon, why don't you go and see him?"

This trick worked. Sister Cheng was terrified that Cheng Mutian would give her a hard time, so she jumped up and knocked the cup out of Ji Liu Niang's hand, scolding, "You're going to keep drinking this tea forever, why don't you hurry up and come back with me?" Before she finished speaking, they had already reached the courtyard gate. A Yun complained with great reluctance, "Young Madam only knows how to endure. It's so hard for someone to come and avenge you, and you still chased them away."

Xiao Yuan leaned against the couch, her forehead still throbbing slightly. Too lazy to teach her, she said, "Aren't you determined to marry Sun Dalang? Why don't you go and fulfill your filial duties to him?" She sent A Yun to Sun's place and then called Sister-in-law Yu to bring Wu Ge over: "You haven't seen your son for half a day, you miss him terribly."

Wu Ge was only a few months old and didn't understand that his mother was injured. He just smiled and touched Xiao Yuan's face with his little hand. Xiao Yuan sweetly enjoyed her son's "claws" and welcomed the second guest, Cheng San Niang, who came to visit her in the hospital.

Upon seeing the bump on her sister-in-law's forehead, Cheng San Niang burst into tears before even speaking, causing Wu Ge to cry as well. Xiao Yuan quickly told Yu Da Sao to take the child away and comforted her, saying, "I'm perfectly fine, I'll be lively and energetic again in a few days." Cheng San Niang, who had come to visit the patient, was instead comforted by the patient and became embarrassed, saying, "Sister-in-law, besides knowing how to do a few needlework procedures, I don't know anything else. I wanted to make you some soup, but I didn't know how much water to put in."

Xiao Yuan was amused: "It's alright, all I know how to make is bitter melon salad. I just don't know if Gan Shier will mind that you don't know how to cook."

Speak of the devil, and he appears. Gan Twelve walked in from outside and said with a smile, "No problem, no problem. We can borrow two of your good cooks from your family when the time comes." Cheng San Niang was so ashamed that she dared not raise her head. She seized the opportunity and quickly slipped away from him.

Chapter Ninety-Four: The Thirty-Year-Old Girl (Part 2)

When Gan Shier saw Cheng San Niang run away, he sighed with great regret: "After asking around for half a day, I learned that she was here to visit my sister-in-law. I dropped the thing I was only half-finished and rushed here. I finally caught up with her, but she was gone again."

Xiao Yuan laughed and scolded, "Do you think everyone is as shameless as you? It's a good thing you're the son of a family friend of our master, otherwise, openly peeking at a fiancée's face like this would have gotten you a beating with a broom long ago."

Gan Shier scratched his head and chuckled. Suddenly, he saw two women walk in one after the other. The one in front wore a white long-sleeved robe and a tulip-shaped skirt; the one behind wore a short-sleeved vest and a belt around her waist. He guessed that this must be a lady leading her concubine, so he quickly stepped forward and sang a song to the woman in the long-sleeved robe.

Li Wuniang was startled and asked Xiaoyuan, "This child is really brave. Whose is he?" Xiaoyuan laughed and said, "This is Gan Shierlang, the son of our master's old friend and Third Sister's fiancé. He's always been incredibly bold, so Third Sister-in-law doesn't need to pay him any attention." Li Wuniang also laughed and asked Gan Shierlang, "You're bowing without asking any questions. What if I'm a junior? Wouldn't you be at a disadvantage?"

Before Gan Shier could answer, Qian Shisan Niang, wearing a vest, said discontentedly, "According to seniority, I'm still ahead of her. Why do you only bow to her and not to me?" Xiao Yuan hurriedly said, "Shier, this is my second sister-in-law from my maternal family. Go and greet her quickly." Gan Shier looked at Qian Shisan Niang again with surprise, stepped forward, bowed, and then turned to Xiao Yuan to say goodbye, "Sister-in-law, since you have guests, I'll go back to work first and come to see you again the next day."

Qian Shisan Niang was still complaining about why he hadn't bowed to her first. Xiao Yuan quickly told the maids to open the side gate, and after Gan Shier came out, she turned to her and said, "Second Sister-in-law, why are you dressed like this? Perhaps Gan Shier mistook you for someone else." Qian Shisan Niang also knew that her clothes were inappropriate. Pointing at Li Wu Niang, she continued to complain, "I was having my period and got my clothes stained red. I went to borrow some clothes from her, but she said they didn't fit us. She only gave me a set of clothes from Sister Luo."

Luo Jie was a concubine who had just given birth to He Yaohong's second son. She was currently in her postpartum period. Li Wuniang snorted, "If Luo Jie didn't have to go out, I wouldn't even have a spare blanket to lend you." Her height was clearly similar to Qian Shisan Niang's, yet she lent her a spare blanket that a concubine wore. It was obviously a joke. Xiao Yuan chuckled inwardly, but was more puzzled. She asked Qian Shisan Niang, "Second sister-in-law, my mistress gave you so much dowry, didn't you take any out to make a couple of new clothes?"

Qian Shisan Niang stood up: "It's getting late. You should rest. I'm going to see my aunt." Then, as if someone was about to cut off her tail, she hurried off ahead.

Li Wuniang patted her skirt and scoffed, "All you know is how to save face. Why don't you dare talk about the shameful things? There's a war going on in the north right now. Prices are skyrocketing. Her dowry of several thousand strings of cash isn't enough for a whole family. Naturally, there's no money left to make new clothes."

As she patted her skirt, a floral fragrance filled the air. Xiao Yuan asked in surprise, "Third Sister-in-law, did you put flower juice on yourself?" Seeing that there were only a few maids in the room, Li Wu Niang lifted her skirt slightly to let her see it clearly. She said, "Your stepmother received Qian Shisan Niang's dowry, and out of kindness, she gave me a string of cash as well. I used it to exchange for this skirt. I heard it was dyed with tulip grass, hence the floral fragrance."

Taking away her daughter-in-law's dowry was one of Madam Jiang's old tricks. Xiao Yuan wasn't surprised: "That dowry was given by our mistress. If she finds out that my stepmother took it, she won't let it go." Li Wu Niang shook her head: "You're wronging her. Qian Shisan Niang's dowry, she only took one thousand guan. The rest was swallowed up by your second brother."

Xiao Yuan asked curiously, "You just said that her dowry was used to support a large family, but Second Brother doesn't have a single concubine. Where did he get people to support?"

Li Wuniang laughed loudly: "You never go back to your parents' home, so you don't know the details. Your second brother's men are all kept in brothels."

Xiao Yuan thought of Zhao Langzhong, who died of syphilis, and sighed, "Qian Shisan Niang's fate was probably not much better than that of my girl Cai Meidi."

Li Wuniang showed no sympathy whatsoever: "She brought it on herself."

After chatting for a while, she suddenly said, "It was all because of Qian Shisan Niang that I almost ended up like her. She left without even asking about your injury." Xiao Yuan touched her forehead and said, "It's nothing serious. I just fainted because I drank too much that day."

Li Wuniang lifted her head and examined it carefully, then frowned and said, "Such a big bump, and you say it's nothing serious? Where's the girl who hurt you? Did you beat her to death?"

Xiao Yuan shifted her position on the couch and said, "She didn't mean it, why hit her?" Li Wu Niang thought for a moment and nodded, "Yes, hitting her would be disgraceful, just sell her." Xiao Yuan laughed, "Why sell her? I pity her for being over thirty and still unmarried, so I want to do her a good deed and find her a husband." Li Wu Niang didn't believe her, thinking that she was intentionally hiding her brilliant plan and keeping it a secret from her.

This was a misunderstanding on Xiaoyuan's part. She genuinely wanted to find a good family for Xiaotongqian. As soon as the bump on her head subsided, she took the opportunity during dinner to ask Cheng Mutian, "Erlang, you often do business outside, so you must have quite a few managers working for you. Are there any in their thirties or forties who are still unmarried or about to take a second wife?"

Cheng Mutian thought she was going to choose husbands for the maids who were part of the dowry. He glanced at Cailian and Ayun beside him, holding his chopsticks, and whispered, "Their ages aren't right. Did they do something wrong?" Xiaoyuan chuckled and tapped his hand with her chopsticks. "What are you thinking? I'm going to choose one for Xiaotongqian." Cheng Mutian was already displeased that she tapped his hand in front of the servants, and he was even angrier when he heard this. "You're going to play the good guy again." Xiaoyuan tapped the back of his hand a few more times. "I told you not to worry about things in the backyard. Just tell me who's suitable. If you don't, I'll give her to Cheng Fu as a second wife."

Although her chopsticks tapped lightly, it greatly embarrassed Cheng Mutian. He wanted to retaliate but was too embarrassed. He glared at her for a while and said, "You're setting a bad example for Brother Wu."

Sister-in-law Yu, who came in to get fresh fruit, was taken aback: "Young Master, Brother Wu is next door. I've come to get some fruit to mash into a paste for him to eat." Seeing that Cheng Mutian was on the verge of getting angry, Xiao Yuan quickly suppressed her laughter and said: "Young Master misses Brother Wu. After you finish feeding him the fruit paste, bring it over for him to see."

Sister-in-law Yu agreed, and took a fruit from Lingnan to make fruit puree for Brother Wu.

Cheng Mutian ate his rice wine in silence. Xiao Yuan put a piece of food into his bowl with her chopsticks, but he pushed it out. He tried again and again until Wu Ge's babbling voice came. Sister-in-law Yu lifted the curtain, and he hurriedly swallowed the last meatball Xiao Yuan had put in his bowl, saying, "It's not that I'm afraid of you, it's just that I don't want to embarrass you in front of our son."

Wu-ge can't even call his parents properly yet, how would he know what face is? Xiao-yuan and the other maids all smiled with their lips pursed.

On the second day, after finishing his business, Cheng Mutian returned home, bringing back a piece of paper. He silently tossed it onto the table and went next door to hold his son. Cailian handed it to Xiaoyuan, smiling, "It contains several names, their positions and ages are all listed." Xiaoyuan took it and looked at it. She saw that it read: Zhang San, age 40, deputy manager of the dock; Li Si, age 38, deputy manager of the pharmacy; Wang Wu, age 43, manager of the estate.

Cailian leaned over to take a look and asked, "Only three?" Xiaoyuan laughed and said, "At her age, what's there to be picky about? It's already quite an achievement to find three." Ayun looked at the paper and said indignantly, "I thought the young master thought the same as me, but he only chose those with good status."