After resting twice on the road and traveling for another day, Su arrived in the capital with her four daughters on the evening of the third day.
Zhenshu had been exposed to the sun all the way, and her skin had become even darker. She disliked the heat and didn't want to wear the long skirt that would make her feet hurt, so she only wore a short top and had her hair tied up. From a distance, she didn't look like a girl, but rather like a boy.
When the car arrived at the gate of the Song residence, they could see from afar that Madam Shen from the fourth branch of the Song family, Song Angu's family, was standing at the gate to greet them.
She was only twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old, with a graceful figure, fair skin and beautiful features. She was wearing the most fashionable fitted vest in the capital, which accentuated her slender waist. In the sunset, her lips were rosy and she was smiling slightly.
With Zhenshu's help, Su got out of the carriage. Seeing that her sister-in-law, Shen, still looked as young and beautiful as a young woman, while she herself, in that remote, impoverished place, had a face stained with wrinkles from the wind, her pride, which had been building up for months, vanished instantly. It wasn't until Zhenyuan also got out of the carriage and came to pay her respects that Su, observing from the side, realized that Zhenyuan was many times more beautiful than Shen. Only then did her spirits return.
Zhenshu, Zhenxiu, and Zhenyi bowed to Madam Shen one by one. Madam Shen then smiled and said, "Except for Zhenyi, I have never seen the other young ladies. Seeing them today, I realize that what you said, Second Sister-in-law, is true. All your daughters are truly beautiful. It's a pity that I am not blessed with daughters. Only those two boys are naughty every day."
Su thought bitterly to herself: What kind of blessing is it to have a daughter? You have two chubby sons, and even the old lady has to choose one of them to be a filial son and carry on the family line. Now you're making sarcastic remarks.
Of course, she couldn't say that to her face, so she picked up the thread and said, "Fourth sister-in-law, you are truly blessed to have two chubby little boys in a row, both of them are so adorable and chubby, who wouldn't like them?"
Hearing this, Madam Shen couldn't stop smiling, but since Madam Su had no children, she couldn't reveal it in front of her. So she chimed in, "Children and sons are all the same. We're just doing our best and accepting our fate."
She welcomed Madam Su and her daughters into the mansion and arranged for them to stay in the small courtyard that Song Anrong had occupied before the family divided their property. Madam Shen directed the servants to move the luggage and stood in the courtyard, bowing slightly, saying, "Second sister-in-law, please don't be offended. Land in the capital is extremely valuable these days, and we have many servants in our mansion. All we can offer you are these few rooms. Each room has a bed; please make your own arrangements. As for the meals, I will send someone to deliver them shortly."
Su first rummaged through the box and took out a box of ginseng and handed it to Shen. Shen refused to take it herself, so Su handed it to Rongrong, Shen's maid. Seeing that Rongrong took it, Su smiled and said, "This is a mountain ginseng that is a specialty of our Huixian County. It is a very good tonic and has excellent medicinal properties. Sister-in-law, keep it and give it away."
Madam Shen smiled and said, "How could I accept anything from my second sister-in-law? You're too kind."
Seeing that she still had her usual smiling face, Madam Su asked with a smile, "How is the old lady's mood? These maids haven't seen her for many years. I wonder if she would like to see them tonight?"
Madam Shen looked troubled and said, "She and the second young lady played backgammon all day today, and she's probably already asleep..."
Seeing the disappointment on Su's face, she smiled again and said, "However, I will go to Suiheju again in a little while to let her know. It will be the same if you go to see her tomorrow morning."
Old Madam Zhong has a strange temper. If she were to rashly take her daughters to see her, she would likely be accused of disrespecting her elders. However, if she didn't go, she feared that Madam Zhong would say she had arrived home without meeting her elders, which would be considered impolite. That's why she asked Madam Shen to inquire. But since Madam Shen was willing to go and inform her on her behalf, she could rest peacefully in this courtyard tonight.
Because there were only three rooms, Su had to share a room with Zhenyi, give Zhenyuan a separate room, and Zhenshu and Zhenxiu had to squeeze into one room with only a small bed.
Compared to Caijia Temple, this place wasn't much more comfortable. After all, the second branch was just a son of a concubine who had separated from the family. When they returned to the mansion, they needed food and lodging, so they were essentially living under someone else's roof. However, the Su mother and daughter had been crammed into the narrow carriage like shrimp for three whole days. By now, they were so exhausted that they collapsed onto the bed and couldn't get up. When food came, they only ate a few bites and then fell asleep.
The next day, before dawn, Madam Su got up early and went to the next room to wake Zhenyuan, and then called Zhenshu and Zhenxiu to rummage through their chests and drawers to dress up.
She prepared a ten-panel moon-flower skirt for Zhenyuan to wear when meeting dignitaries. Another bundle contained the skirt, which she took out and fastened for Zhenyuan. After Zhenyuan had washed and dressed, she helped her put on a short, floral-patterned jacket, fastened her palace sash, and then draped a silver-pink shawl over her shoulders. Unmarried women were required to wear half their hair, that is, half in a bun and the other half draped over their shoulders, to signify their unmarried status.
Madam Su personally styled Zhenyuan's black hair, adorned her with several hairpins, and then stood back to examine her closely before nodding and saying, "Even now, she can be considered a beauty of unparalleled grace!"
"Oh dear! Where did you hide my foot-binding cloth?" Zhenxiu suddenly shouted, grabbing a piece of cloth and standing by the bed, screaming. Madam Su glared at her and said, "Are you trying to make things worse?"
Zhenxiu said, "Last night I slept in the same bed with Zhenshu. I don't know where she threw my foot binding cloth. Mother, instead of punishing her, you're blaming me?"
Zhenshu was washing up when she heard this. She grabbed a handkerchief to wipe her face, angrily flung the curtain and went out. A moment later, she came back in with a stick, carrying a long, dark strip of cloth. She deliberately threw it at Zhenxiu's face and said, "Here's your smelly and long foot wrap."
Zhenxiu glared at Zhenshu for a long time, then sneered, "Second sister, you've certainly grown more temperamental since you came to the capital. I'm afraid you haven't even remembered what I said."
Madam Su came over with the clothes she was going to dress Zhenyi in, poked Zhenxiu's head and said, "Do you remember? I told you that when we get to the capital, we have to follow the seniority system. Zhenshu is the third in the Song family, so you have to call her Third Sister. You are Fourth Sister. That ugly rat Zhenyao from the third branch is Fifth, our Zhenyi is Sixth, and that red rat Zhenyan from the other third branch is Seventh. You all have to forget that."
Zhenyi rubbed her eyes and walked in, half-closing her eyes and humming, "Mother's appearance is really similar. Those two little daughters of the third branch are just like two mice."
Zhenyuan, Zhenshu, and Zhenxiu, the older sisters, had not been to the capital for many years and had not seen the daughters of the third branch of the family. Only Zhenyi had met them because she would come to the capital with Madam Su every year for the old lady Zhong's birthday celebration. Zhenshu took a handkerchief and wiped Zhenyi's face, saying softly, "No matter what they look like, they are all our sisters. You can't talk about the children of our third uncle's family like that in the future."
Zhenyi squinted and told her to finish wiping, then got up to get Zhenyuan's rouge and powder to apply to herself. It was still dark, and in front of the dim bronze mirror, she and Zhenxiu, their two hairy heads huddled together, vying to scoop out powder from the tin box and apply it to their faces, and each scooped out a large dollop of rouge to apply to their cheeks and lips.
After getting dressed, Su was urging this person and that person to hurry up. Suddenly, she saw Zhenshu standing at the door, wearing a long dress with six panels, looking coldly at Zhenxiu and Zhenyi who were pushing and shoving each other. She exclaimed, "When did you get ready? I didn't even see you wash your face."
Zhenshu placed her hands on her waist and curtsied, saying, "Mother, I just took some time to tidy up myself."
Her words were loud and clear, and her bow was steady and composed. This surprised Su Shi, who had never taught her manners before. She covered her chest with her handkerchief, beckoned to Zhenyi and Zhenxiu, and pointed at Zhenshu, saying, "Look, this is proper etiquette. If you two do as she does, you won't embarrass yourselves."
Zhenxiu, being more voluptuous and stronger, managed to grab more rouge. Her lips, already thick, now appeared even larger with the blood-red rouge, making them look like gaping maws. She stood up, adjusting her six-panel skirt, which was too tight at the waist and had spread wide, glanced coldly at Zhenshu, and spread her hands, saying, "She's always putting on airs, but the master likes that about her. What can we do?"
Seeing that she had deliberately spread out all the pleats of the six-panel skirt, Madam Su thought to herself that both she and Song Anrong were beautiful and good-looking, and she didn't know how they could have given birth to such a short and ugly daughter. However, she thought that her fair skin and bound feet meant that someone who liked this kind of thing would marry her.
Even with such a hurried packing, once all the girls were ready, Madam Su lifted the curtain and looked outside, exclaiming in alarm, "Oh no, oh no, it's already broad daylight, I'm afraid it's too late."
Several girls, dressed neatly, filed out. Then, Rongrong, a girl who was by Madam Shen's side, entered the courtyard, bowed, and said, "Fourth Madam sent me to lead the way for Second Madam."
Su lifted her skirt and descended the steps, took Rongrong's hand, and slipped Rongrong a handful of copper coins, saying, "Thank you for troubling me so much, Miss."
The fact that Madam Shen was willing to send her capable head maid to lead the way shows that the ginseng from yesterday must have been something she really wanted.
As the saying goes, it's easier to see the King of Hell than to deal with his underlings. Since they spared no expense on these servants, the servants were naturally willing to take care of Su Shi.
Rongrong, accompanied by Madam Su from the second wife's household and several young ladies, bypassed the kitchen and servants' quarters, and passed through two narrow alleys before finally arriving at Suihe Residence, where Madam Zhong resided. Suihe Residence consisted of four courtyards. When Master Song, the head of the household, was alive, the courtyards were bustling with concubines and people coming and going. After Master Song passed away, the concubines either died or scattered, and now the doors and windows of the last three courtyards were locked, and no one entered. Madam Zhong now only lived in the main room of the first courtyard. This was the first time Madam Su had brought her four daughters back to the mansion. Her daughters were all exceptionally beautiful and were determined to gain Madam Zhong's favor. They dared not look around and followed Rongrong into Suihe Residence.
With the curtains drawn in the main room of Suihe Residence, one could see from afar that Madam Zhong, dressed in a dark red long-sleeved jacket, was sitting on a grand chair, with a slender young woman standing beside her.
Madam Su led several girls to the middle of the courtyard and stopped. Several maids had already brought cushions to lay on the ground. Madam Su and the girls lifted their skirts and stepped onto the cushions, loudly proclaiming, "This concubine, Madam Su, greets Mother!"
"Granddaughter Zhenyuan (Zhenshu, Zhenxiu, Zhenyi) greets Grandmother!" The girls bowed in unison, bowing three times, and then knelt steadily with their foreheads buried in their hands with palms facing upwards, not daring to flinch.
After an unknown amount of time, Madam Zhong finally snorted and said, "Get up!"
The Su family and their daughters stood up and straightened their clothes. Then they heard Zhong say, "Come in."
Chapter 5 Zhenyu
The mother and her daughters then entered the main room of the Zhong family.
Zhenyuan was also born in this Song family mansion, but when she separated from the family and became a nun, she was only one year old and had no memory of this place. She also had no memory of her grandmother. In her mind, although her grandmother was strict, she must have been a very beautiful old lady. Seeing her now, she was secretly surprised. From afar, Madam Zhong, the old lady of the Song family, looked alright, but up close, her black mustache made her look exactly like an elderly man, and her hoarse, deep voice also sounded like a man's.
The girl standing beside her was dressed in extremely rich attire, with three small gold locks adorning her necklace and a head full of gleaming gold and jade hairpins. She must be Zhenyu, the second daughter of the first wife; her features were remarkably masculine. While a woman's face might possess a touch of masculinity, Zhenyu lacked this. She had a dark ring of downy hair around her lips, thick eyebrows, and a large nose—a far from pleasing masculine appearance. The hairpins and jewels certainly enhanced her features, making her appear less coarse.
In the blink of an eye, just as Zhenyuan, Zhenshu, and Zhenxiu were sizing up Zhongshi and Zhenyu and drawing conclusions in their minds, Zhongshi and Zhenyu also stared at the five of them with eyes like silver needles, showing no mercy.
Zhenyu wore a red phoenix-tail dress embroidered with gold thread, with a peony-colored short jacket on top and a cloud-shaped brocade embroidered with colorful clouds on her shoulders. Combined with her golden and green pearl and jade outfit, she made Zhenyi, who loved to dress up the most, extremely envious. She stared at Zhenyu in a daze, and a long strand of saliva mixed with red rouge dripped from the corner of her mouth without her noticing.
Zhong ignored Su's greetings and slowly drank her milk.
When she gave birth to Consort Rong, her uterus was damaged, and the prolapse was so severe that it ruined her uterus. Over the years, her appearance has become more and more like a man, and her voice has become increasingly hoarse. She fears that when she dies, she will truly look like a castrated man and be despised by Song Shihong in the underworld. Therefore, she has been searching everywhere for a cure for this disease. A few years ago, she heard from a doctor that drinking milk could help alleviate her male appearance. So, every morning for the past few years, she has drunk a cup of milk. However, the strong smell of pure milk is not easy to drink, so Shen asked the kitchen staff to chop fine ginger into it to mask the smell of the milk.
Even so, the addition of ginger to the milk made it smell unpleasant, so Zhong was always in a bad mood when she ate the milk, and thus became even more reluctant to deal with these poor relatives.
Su stepped forward again to greet her, and then took a large box, about a foot long and wide, from Zhenshu's hands and handed it to Miao Mama behind Zhong, saying, "This is ginseng, a specialty of Huixian County. Use it to make soup or tea for Mother."
Zhong lifted her eyelids slightly and saw that the box was indeed much larger and more impressive than the one she had given to Shen the night before. She thought to herself that Shen did know the difference between what was important and what was not, and then nodded and let it go.
The girls stepped forward one by one to greet her. Madam Zhong raised her eyebrows and looked at Zhenyi for a long time. Suddenly, she looked up at Zhenyu and said, "This child looks so cheerful."
Zhenyu covered her mouth and chuckled, then rubbed Zhong's shoulder and said, "She was just too young and didn't know any better."
She glanced coldly at Zhenyi, thinking to herself, "This little girl is so young, yet she's already so flirtatious. She's getting better at showing off her charms every year. Look at her, wearing a light pink jacket with a silver-red jacket over it, and a light green six-panel skirt. The skirt is covered with tassels, whether she made them herself or Su Shi arranged them for her. Her face is painted with pink and white rouge, and she even has some blue powder on her eyes. I wonder where she learned all that."
Madam Su got up early and was busy taking care of her daughters. She only paid special attention to Zhenyuan. Not only did Madam Zhong not even lift her eyelids, but she was also happy to go up to Zhenyi and say a few words of celebration. However, when she turned around and saw Zhenyi's appearance, she was so embarrassed that she wished there was a crack in the ground for her to crawl into.
It turned out that when they got up, they were putting on makeup and looking in the mirror under the lamp. Zhenxiu and Zhenyi had applied a lot of powder and lipstick to their faces in order to stand out. Now their faces were as white as if they had been turned upside down in a flour box, with thick red lipstick on their lips and two red blushes on their cheeks. They were even more vivid than the colors in the New Year paintings.
Furthermore, Zhenyi, being young and adorable, always wore brightly colored clothes. Now, with this makeup, she looked even more mature than Zhenyuan, resembling a short, thin, and mature young woman. Zhenxiu, already plump and fair-skinned, looked even more chubby than a freshly baked steamed bun with her white face and red lips. In addition, to appear slimmer, she deliberately wore a very narrow skirt and a tight-fitting jacket, which accentuated her belly fat, making her even more unbearable to look at.
Seeing Su's embarrassed expression, Zhong sneered twice and said, "Did these two young ladies eat a raw chicken in the kitchen this morning before coming here?"
These words, coupled with her two bright red lips, were quite fitting for the occasion.
Zhenyu couldn't hold back any longer and covered her face, laughing so hard she almost fell over. Madam Zhong was also amused by her own joke, chuckling a few times before turning to the maid beside her and saying, "Why aren't you getting handkerchiefs to wipe the two young ladies' faces?"
The maidservant hurriedly brought a damp cloth and personally helped them wipe off the makeup from their faces before leaving.
Madam Zhong looked Zhenyuan up and down and nodded, saying, "The eldest daughter is growing more and more beautiful."
Zhenyu bowed and said, "She does have some of the charm of Consort Rong."
Zhong Shi had a slight smile on her face, but it vanished upon hearing this. She coldly glanced at Zhen Yuan from head to toe before saying, "I hope so."
How can she, born of a concubine, compare to Consort Rong, whom I gave birth to?
As Zhong thought to herself, the more she looked at Zhenyuan and Rongfei, the more alike they seemed. Suddenly, she remembered that Rongfei resembled her father, Song Shihong, more, and Zhenyuan's father, Song Anrong, was none other than Song Shihong's son. Upon realizing this, any goodwill she had felt towards Zhenyuan's son vanished instantly.
She pulled Zhenyu's arm over, and Zhenyu helped her to her feet. Zhong Shi glanced around again and said coldly, "Let's eat."
Unmarried girls are honored guests and can naturally dine at the same table as their grandmother. As a daughter-in-law who spends most of the year away from home, this is the perfect opportunity for Madam Su to demonstrate her filial piety.
Zhenyu, clinging to Zhong Shi, led the way, followed by Su Shi and several young ladies, as they filed into the dining room. Because Zhong Shi preferred coolness, even though it was only April, the air was still slightly chilly. However, the maids had already opened all the doors and windows, making the entire dining room bright and airy. Only after Zhong Shi was seated did the young ladies dare to approach their seats. Seeing Zhenyu sitting below Zhong Shi, Zhenxiu shifted her position, squeezing past Zhenyuan, and sat down next to Zhenyu.
She wrung her hands together and moved closer to Zhenyu, her voice low and laced with a hint of flattery: "Second sister, you are so beautiful, I can't take my eyes off you."
Zhenyu snorted coldly and moved slightly away from her, saying, "Hmm!"
"Do not speak while eating, do not talk while sleeping!" Suddenly, Mama Lü, who had been standing beside Madam Zhong behind her, spoke up, raising her voice, "Fourth Miss, have you remembered that?"
Zhenxiu stood up, bowed her head, and said, "I've remembered."
As they spoke, a group of maids and matrons entered carrying trays, with Madam Shen leading the way, holding a paper sachet. Today, she wore a long, light pink brocade robe over a moon-white skirt, and a shimmering jade pendant on her headdress glittered slightly, making Madam Su both envious and jealous. She first bowed at the door before stepping forward, smiling sweetly as she placed Madam Zhong's chopsticks on the chopstick rest. Madam Zhong usually used a pair of old, heavy ironwood chopsticks, which were longer and thicker than those of others.
Then she set out chopsticks for the girls one by one, and Zhenshu and Zhenyuan both stood up to thank her. Zhenxiu and Zhenyi, however, were only concerned with admiring Zhenyu's gorgeous clothes and ornaments and did not pay any attention to Shen Shi.
After arranging the paper money, Madam Shen walked to Madam Zhong's side. Looking up, she saw Madam Su smiling sheepishly at her, knowing that Madam Su intended to stand behind Madam Zhong to serve the food as a sign of filial piety. She smiled and turned to fetch breakfast. Breakfast consisted of several types of porridge, all cooked in earthenware pots, which the maids placed on the cabinet at the bottom. There were also two medicinal herb soups, specifically for Madam Zhong. Then there were pastries and noodles, which Madam Shen laid out on the table, though each dish contained only five or six pieces on a small six-inch plate. The sweet ones included Rugao candy, Langya pastry, and thousand-layer pastry; the savory ones included Jinhua pastry, scallion pancakes, and sesame oil rolls; there were also several fresh green vegetables and pickled vegetables with a savory sauce.
Madam Su bent down and asked Madam Zhong, "What kind of soup would you like to have today, Mother?"
Without even glancing at Su, Zhong stared straight ahead and asked, "What kind of soup are you making today?"
Su hadn't been to the kitchen yet, so how would she know what kind of soup she was making?
She turned to look at Madam Shen, who was sitting far below her, also smiling slightly as she looked at her.
Such an awkward silence was terrifying. Madam Su was so anxious that beads of sweat were about to burst from her forehead. Then Madam Shen stepped forward and bowed gracefully, saying, "Reporting to Ancestor, today we have prepared ginseng, wolfberry, and black-boned chicken soup, as well as red date, codonopsis, and pork tripe soup."
Su silently cursed Shen's parents in her heart, but also thanked her for her belated attempt to smooth things over. Besides, it turns out that the Song family now refers to Zhong as "Grandmother," which is a new title. Not only her, but also the maids must remember to address Zhong as "Grandmother" from the day they are born.
Mrs. Zhong nodded and said, "Then let's have pork tripe soup. It'll help cut through the greasiness."
A maidservant had already lifted the sand-filled bowl and ladled out a small bowl. Su bent down to take it, gracefully placed it in front of Zhong, and then, without consulting her, picked up a piece of Rugao candy and placed it on a plate for Zhong. Zhong stirred the soup with her spoon, took a sip, then picked up her chopsticks, looked at what was in front of her, and looked up at Shen, saying, "This pork tripe soup is already a bit sour, which is quite refreshing. Are you trying to make me eat something so sweet and greasy? Do you want me to live too long and die of nausea?"
Suddenly, Madam Shen passed through the layers of maids and servants, her moon-colored skirt billowing out, revealing a patch of moonlight in the dining room. She brought a plate of scallion pancakes to Madam Zhong, winked at Madam Su, and Madam Su quickly picked up a piece and handed it to Madam Zhong's plate, saying with a forced smile, "I haven't been back for almost a year, and I've forgotten what the old lady likes. I'm so ashamed."
Zhong sneered, "You spend all year being a nouveau riche, living a carefree life. What are etiquette and filial piety? I'm afraid you've long forgotten them. What does my taste matter?"
In front of all the old women and maids, Madam Su felt her face burning with embarrassment. She thought to herself: If you hadn't sent us to that poor, remote place because you found our illegitimate sons an eyesore, I would have been willing to serve you like this every day in the capital.
After finally getting Zhong Shi to finish breakfast, Su Shi handed her a warm, damp handkerchief to wipe her mouth before the girls began to eat. Zhenxiu ate a bowl of congee and a bowl of fish congee. Since the maids were serving the dishes, they would refill whoever finished. Zhenxiu finished most of the desserts on the table but was still not satisfied. She looked around and saw that Zhenyuan and Zhenshu were eating politely, while Zhenyu wasn't eating rice, only stirring her congee with a spoon, coldly watching them. She quickly gave them a friendly smile, but Zhenyu gave her a slight glare and looked away.
Zhenshu was eating her fish porridge with perfect posture. She found the taste too fishy and ate very little, swallowing with difficulty, when suddenly someone pinched her thigh. Looking up, she saw Zhenxiu giving her meaningful glances. Following Zhenxiu's gaze, she saw there was still a piece of the golden-flower pastry left, realizing Zhenxiu wanted her to pick it up and give it to her. At home, this wouldn't be a big deal, but with Zhong's two maids watching from behind, and Shen and Zhenyu also keeping an eye on them, how could she possibly do such a thing?
Zhenshu ignored the pain, finished the porridge in two mouthfuls, took the silk handkerchief brought by the maid to wipe her mouth, stood up and curtsied, saying, "Grandmother, your granddaughter has finished eating."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhong smiled slightly and beckoned Zhenshu over, saying, "This is how meals should be eaten—quick and delicious. Why don't you come with me to the outer room?"
Zhenshu helped her up and they went to the outer room together. Madam Su hurriedly followed and brought out a cup of tea to serve. Madam Zhong accepted it, and Madam Su quickly stood behind Madam Zhong.
The mother-in-law sat in front, while the daughter-in-law stood behind her with her hands clasped and head bowed. This was the proper etiquette. Back when the family hadn't separated, Madam Su and Madam Lu from the third branch would stand on either side of Madam Zhong whenever they had free time, forming the perfect stance of the eighteen bronze statues—one fat, one thin, one tall, one short. After they separated and moved out, their interactions over the years were limited to birthday celebrations, and Madam Su hadn't performed this etiquette in front of Madam Zhong for quite some time.