Southern Song Dynasty Life Consultant

Chapter 17

"I can't believe I didn't think of such a simple principle," Xiaoyuan said, a cold smile creeping onto her lips.

Madam Sun smiled and said, "Madam, you don't need to worry about these things. As servants, we should share your burdens."

Aunt Qin nodded repeatedly, "From now on, I will manage the garden perfectly for you, Madam." Cailian took the opportunity to slip the money into her hand. She said, "Aunt Qin, you're quite astute. I wouldn't know that pregnant women can't eat crabs." Aunt Qin laughed, "You're not married yet. How would you know such things?"

Cailian blushed upon hearing this. Xiaoyuan, however, seemed thoughtful. She had never given birth in either of her lives, so she didn't really understand these things. Why not have the women who had given birth write a "Handbook of Foods Forbidden for Pregnant Women"? She shared this idea, and both Aunt Qin and Madam Sun praised it. She then assigned this task to Madam Sun, who could write, and also told Aunt Qin to take this opportunity to learn a few characters.

Cailian heard that Madam Sun could also write. She asked curiously, "Madam Sun is literate. Why does she ask Ayun to teach Sun Dalang?"

Madam Sun said with shame, "My son is nothing like his father. He only loves to practice martial arts. Only when Madam sends Ah Yun can he sit for a few hours. I have no way to deal with him."

Xiao Yuan remembered Sun Dalang's story about "two-legged sheep." He comforted her, saying, "Everyone has their own ambitions. Learning martial arts isn't a bad thing. We can hire a martial arts instructor to teach him another day."

Madam Sun quickly curtsied and thanked her, then took Aunt Qin downstairs to compile the booklet.

When Cheng Mutian returned for dinner, he saw Xiaoyuan lying listlessly on the couch. He hurried over to take her pulse and touch her forehead, but Xiaoyuan slapped his hand away. "Why can't our family be quiet for once? Whose money is being wasted?"

Cheng Mutian was taken aback: "Who is it, Third Aunt or Aunt Ding?"

Xiao Yuan, resting her head on his lap, said, "Third Sister is overjoyed. She's hiding in her room, secretly rejoicing right now—Father has approved the marriage in Quanzhou, saying that once the groom passes the imperial examination, the woman will be married off. It was your concubine who borrowed some powerful weapons to try and bring down your wife." She told Cheng Mutian what had happened that afternoon, making him so angry that he pounded the bed: "Damn it! Even if she gives birth to a son, I will still persuade Father to send her back." Xiao Yuan sighed, "I don't care whether she gives birth to a son or a daughter, or whether she stays or leaves. After all, she's Father's concubine, not yours. Why should I play the villain and be disliked? But I really don't want to live this life of scheming and living in constant fear. Second Brother, why don't we move back up the mountain?"

Cheng Mutian felt both heartache and amusement. He cupped her face and said, "Then let your father beat me once, so you'll have an excuse to go up the mountain." Xiaoyuan laughed, but then she remembered how hard he had also struggled, desperately trying to protect the family business without knowing for whom he was working so hard. Her heart ached. "Second Brother, I was just venting. With my ability to survive without being starved by my stepmother, Aunt Ding is no match for me. And now, Father's impression of me is getting better every day. The family business you worked so hard to build will surely be yours eventually."

Cheng Mutian pulled her up and hugged her in silence for a long time before saying in a hoarse voice, "Thank you for your hard work." Xiao Yuan knew from his voice that his eyes were red and, afraid that he would be embarrassed, she quickly pushed him away and walked out. She instructed the maids to set up a banquet in the garden and sent someone to invite Master Cheng.

In August, chrysanthemums bloom in yellow, and osmanthus blossoms fill the air with fragrance. Master Cheng was quite pleased with his garden. He took a sip of wine while gazing at the moon and exclaimed, "What fragrant wine!" Xiao Yuan filled the pot to the brim and said, "Father, this is chrysanthemum wine." She then pointed to another pot and said, "That's osmanthus wine. I brewed it myself in my spare time. Father, do you think it's still drinkable?"

Master Cheng nodded in satisfaction. Taking advantage of his good mood, Xiao Yuan added, "Father, we're admiring the moon and eating crabs today, so it's not appropriate to invite Aunt Ding over. We can invite her over for mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival in a few days." Master Cheng recalled the events of the afternoon and was still annoyed by Aunt Ding's recklessness. "I've already told her not to come out unless necessary. Staying in her room to rest and prepare for childbirth is the proper thing to do. She doesn't need to come out even for the Mid-Autumn Festival. She's not part of our family."

Xiao Yuan was secretly pleased to hear this. It seemed that Aunt Ding's attempt to lead Master Cheng to her room that afternoon had not yielded any good results.

Chapter Forty-Four: Ah Xiu Gains a Son

Master Cheng recalled the events of the afternoon and was still annoyed by Aunt Ding's recklessness. "I have already told her not to come out unless necessary. It is proper for her to stay in her room and rest during the Mid-Autumn Festival. She doesn't need to come out at all. She is not a member of our family."

Xiao Yuan was secretly pleased to hear this. It seemed that Aunt Ding's attempt to lead Master Cheng to her room that afternoon had not yielded any good results.

Confined to his quarters, Aunt Ding pleased Cheng Mutian even more than Xiao Yuan. He personally broke off a crab full of roe and presented it to Master Cheng, reciting a few lines of poetry on the spot. In this beautiful setting, amidst the joy of family reunion, Master Cheng was in high spirits and drank himself into a stupor. Cheng Mutian then ordered someone to help him to his study to rest.

Aunt Ding was already unhappy about not being able to go flower viewing and moon-viewing with Master Cheng. She waited anxiously in her room, but Master Cheng didn't return. In her haste, she grabbed a maid and asked, only to learn that Master Cheng had already spent the night in his study. Enraged, she tore a handkerchief to shreds. She recalled how, when she and Master Cheng were in office, she held absolute power in the inner courtyard. Even after returning to Lin'an, she only had the honest but disliked Cheng San Niang; she was still the one in charge. But ever since Xiao Yuan entered the household, everything had gone wrong for her. Although to others it seemed glorious for a concubine to manage her own small courtyard, it was far less prestigious than her former domineering power over the entire inner courtyard.

Aunt Ding grew increasingly resentful, plotting to suppress Xiao Yuan. Currently confined by Master Cheng and unable to approach Xiao Yuan, she decided to start with food. However, before her plan could take shape, she received a "Handbook of Foods Forbidden for Pregnant Women" from Xiao Yuan. She glared at the booklet, gritting her teeth, "You think you can avoid poisoning by not eating these things? There are plenty of incompatible and conflicting foods..." Before she could finish, a maid handed her another booklet: "Auntie, this book lists incompatible and conflicting foods that shouldn't be mixed." Aunt Ding was furious but helpless, so she pretended to diligently study the booklet every day. Master Cheng was delighted by this and praised Xiao Yuan several times as well.

With Aunt Ding no longer causing trouble, everyone was able to live in peace. Although Cheng Mutian didn't know why she had suddenly changed her personality, he was secretly happy for Xiao Yuan. One day, while unloading cargo at the dock with Cheng Fu, he overheard Cheng Fu mention the "Handbook of Foods Forbidden for Pregnant Women." Overjoyed, he forgot about the cargo and rushed back to Xiao Yuan's room to ask, "Are you pregnant?" Xiao Yuan slapped him, "A month or so ago you were still in bed. Even if you were pregnant, it hasn't been a month yet. How would you know?" Cheng Mutian scratched his head, "Then why did you compile the 'Handbook of Foods Forbidden for Pregnant Women'?"

Xiao Yuan took out another book, "Foods That Cannot Be Mixed," saying, "These are for Aunt Ding. I'm too lazy to argue with her all the time. I want to tell her to be careful about what she eats, so she doesn't cause another crab accident. Speaking of which, since I got these two books, my life has become much easier. Aunt Ding is well-behaved, Third Sister is only busy embroidering her wedding dress, and even Father praises me whenever he sees me." "No wonder she's been so well-behaved these days," Cheng Mutian said, staring intently at her belly. "These books will be really useful when you get pregnant. Let her have them for now."

As he spoke, he moved closer and closer to Xiaoyuan, pressing his lips to her neck, intending to "make that booklet useful as soon as possible." Xiaoyuan was so overwhelmed by his kisses that she was powerless to push him away. Seeing that the door to the outer room was closed, she let him pull down her skirt and they did some things on the couch.

After the two finished, Cheng Mutian was reluctant to get up and said he wanted to stay at home for lunch before going to the dock. Xiao Yuan came out and instructed the kitchen to prepare a few more dishes. When she looked up, she suddenly saw a maidservant in front of A Xiu rushing over with a happy expression. She shouted in the courtyard, "Madam, Sister Xiu has a son."

Xiao Yuan was overjoyed and hurriedly ordered people to prepare millet, charcoal, and vinegar according to the customs of Lin'an, and also told the kitchen to stew more chicken soup. Cheng Mutian heard this from inside the room and instructed, "Go and tell Cheng Fu to stay home and rest for a few days before going back to work."

The little maid who came to deliver the message responded and ran off.

Xiao Yuan remembered her promise to A Xiu. She pulled Cheng Mutian back into the room and said, "I promised A Xiu that I would find a good husband for her son. Do you think that's feasible?" Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "Didn't A Xiu tell you? I also said the same thing to Cheng Fu. Don't forget that Cheng Fu has been with me since he was a child. My relationship with him is no less than yours with A Xiu. If it weren't for his connections in our family's shipping business, I would have returned the indenture to him long ago."

Since Cheng Mutian shared the same thoughts, the matter was no longer difficult. Xiao Yuan happily discussed with him how to give Axiu's son a resounding name. After lunch, Xiao Yuan escorted Cheng Mutian to the second gate. There, they bumped into Master Cheng. Master Cheng smiled broadly: "Cheng Fu has a son. He'll be a perfect son for you two young men to be his page."

These words made the couple secretly clench their fists. Seeing that Cheng Mutian seemed about to object, Xiao Yuan, fearing he would anger Master Cheng and make things difficult, quickly pushed him out the second door. Turning to Master Cheng, she said, "Let's see when he's older. What if the child is unruly? Wouldn't that hinder your younger brother's chances of passing the imperial examination?" Master Cheng, seeing that Xiao Yuan was thinking of his youngest son, felt his son's judgment was truly excellent, having married such a considerate daughter-in-law. "Then this matter is entrusted to you. When the child is older, you must carefully train him, making sure to raise a good page for your younger brother." With that, he stroked his beard and went to Aunt Ding's room.

Cheng Mutian emerged from behind the screen wall, dejected. "Filial piety is paramount. Besides, it's common for servants to be pageboys. Let's do as Father wishes." Xiao Yuan, sensing his reluctance, laughed and said, "Aunt Ding is still several months away from giving birth. Who knows if it's a boy or a girl? You're worrying too early. Besides, whether Axiu's son is 'naughty' or not is up to me to decide."

Her words of comfort to Cheng Mutian were all reasonable. However, the anger in her own heart didn't dissipate so easily. She sat sullenly in her room for a long time, unable to calm down. She didn't know if she was angry that Master Cheng favored his youngest son too much, or angry that he even worried about his newborn child. Cailian, who had overheard everything behind her, stepped forward and asked, "Madam, should we keep this news from you, or should we give Sister Xiu a heads-up beforehand?"

Xiao Yuan stood up, pressing down on the table. "I was just angry for nothing. Ah Xiu's son must be 'unruly' and doesn't like to read. How can he be a page for Master's stillborn son?"

Madam never speaks harshly in front of others, so she must be really angry this time. Cailian quickly changed the subject, talking about the martial arts instructor they had recently hired for Sun Dalang: "Madam, martial arts practitioners are indeed bold. On the Mid-Autumn Festival, when Doctor Zhao came to deliver the festival gifts, he forced Madam Sun to talk. After hearing Sun Dalang say a few words, that martial arts instructor Xue stepped forward and punched Doctor Zhao in the eyes a few times. I'm afraid he won't have a good time when it comes to the betrothal gifts."

Chapter Forty-Five: Erlang Offers a Plan

Xiao Yuan knew Cai Lian was trying to comfort her, so she forced a smile and asked Cai Mei if she felt sorry for Doctor Zhao and had angered Master Xue. Cai Lian said, "How could Cai Mei not defend him? But Madam, you'd never guess how Master Xue responded." Xiao Yuan was intrigued and urged her to tell her quickly. Cai Lian continued, "Master Xue said, 'After you marry him, you'd better keep an eye on him. If you interfere with Da Lang's mother again, I'll beat you too.' Madam, you see, this man is so straightforward he's almost reckless. Cai Mei was just feeling sorry for her future husband, and he even scolded her." Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "I remember Master Xue's wife passed away early, and he hasn't remarried since. With his personality and martial arts skills, he'd be perfect for supporting my aunt's household. Even if he's ambitious and doesn't want to marry into the family, my aunt probably won't suffer any mistreatment marrying such a man."

Cailian thought it over and agreed. "Aunt Chen is thoughtful and meticulous, and with Martial Arts Master Xue being righteous and skilled, no one would dare to bully them as a family. Madam, Martial Arts Master Xue is much better than that Shen Changchun from before. Why don't we send someone to ask him?" Xiaoyuan also had this idea, but hesitated. "What if he also has his eye on Granny Sun? Breaking up someone's marriage is not a good thing." Cailian nodded and said, "Madam is right. Let's not make a fuss for now and just keep an eye on things secretly."

Since their discussion, Xiao Yuan had been keeping an eye on Xue Wushi, but as a woman, she couldn't see him without a reason. So, she seized an opportunity when Cheng Mutian was free and asked him, "Second Brother, as you know, that Shen Changchun from last time is no longer a good match. I'm thinking of marrying our Xue Wushi to my aunt, but I don't know if he has someone in his heart. Why don't you go and find out for me?" Since Aunt Chen had taken the risk for him and kept the marriage contract, Cheng Mutian treated her differently than before. He immediately nodded and said, "Sure, I happen to be free today. I'll invite him to dinner tonight, pretending to arrange a marriage for him, and then I'll find out."

That evening, Cheng Mutian prepared a feast and invited Martial Arts Master Xue to eat, also inviting Cheng Fu, who had recently become a father, to join them. Cheng Fu had followed Cheng Mutian for many years and always knew to share his master's burdens. He raised his glass and was the first to toast Martial Arts Master Xue: "Master Xue, our young master talks about you several times a day, saying that our family is free from thieves thanks to you. It's just a pity that I couldn't find him a good match, leaving him still single."

Xue Wushi said modestly, "Thank you for your concern, young master, but I haven't thought about remarrying yet." Seeing Cheng Mutian's brow furrow slightly, Cheng Fu quickly added, "Xue Wushi, I initially thought the same as you, unwilling to marry, until recently having a son and realizing how wonderful it is to be a father. You are different from me, being a free man, and having a son to carry on the family line is of paramount importance; how can you so easily say you won't marry?" Xue Wushi was moved by his words and revealed the truth, "Since my wife passed away, I haven't met anyone I like, and I don't want to settle things hastily, so I've been putting it off until now."

Upon hearing this, Cheng Mutian's brows relaxed. After the banquet, he couldn't wait to return to his room to congratulate Xiaoyuan. However, Xiaoyuan said, "It's not even close to being settled yet. We've been busy here for nothing. The two of them haven't even met." Cheng Mutian laughed and said, "My precious contract is still with your aunt. What if it gets stolen by thieves? Master Xue is highly skilled in martial arts, so why don't we have him guard it for me? As for Sun Dalang's martial arts training, we can hire another martial arts instructor."

Xiao Yuan laughed at his cunning, saying he had come up with such a good idea. The next day, she summoned Xue Wushi and relayed Cheng Mutian's words to him. Since the master had a request, how could Xue Wushi refuse? That very day, he packed his clothes and luggage and moved to the Chen residence.

Aunt Chen, a clever and shrewd woman who had risen through the ranks of the household, would never believe Cheng Mutian's nonsense. She came to the door herself, placed the small box containing the contract in front of Xiao Yuan, and deliberately said, "My house isn't safe; I'm afraid of thieves. You can keep this treasure." Xiao Yuan secretly looked up. Aunt Chen scolded her, but there was no anger in her eyes. She smiled and pulled her to sit down, ordered someone to pour honey water, and gave a thorough account of Master Xue's family background, character, and martial arts skills, without mentioning the box on the table at all.

Aunt Chen, being a meticulous person who appreciated straightforwardness, unconsciously smiled. Xiao Yuan, however, abruptly changed the subject: "Martial Arts Master Xue is a free man, with his parents still alive and some modest property. I'm afraid he won't agree to marry into the family." Aunt Chen, thinking that martial arts practitioners offered a sense of security, casually remarked, "If it's really as good as you say, marrying him wouldn't be a problem. Serving his parents-in-law isn't difficult." Seeing Xiao Yuan's continued smile, she suddenly realized her mistake, raised her hand to cover her mouth. Good heavens, how could she have so easily revealed her thoughts? Her daughter was too wicked.

Xiao Yuan saw that Aunt Chen was about to blush, so she quickly ordered someone to prepare lunch. She invited Aunt Chen to stay for lunch and then had a long, heartfelt conversation before seeing her off.

Cheng Mutian returned home that evening. Xiaoyuan leaned over and sniffed him: "You've been drinking. Went out for business again?" Cheng Mutian shook his head and said, "I'm sorry to Cheng Fu. I promised to give his son a proper marriage, but I broke my promise. Yesterday when we were drinking, he seemed quite envious of Master Xue. He's probably still hoping his son can return to the family." Xiaoyuan personally brought him water to wipe his hands and feet. She advised him, "Don't be too hasty. You should wait until Aunt Ding gives birth before making any plans. If you ruin my husband's health because of Cheng Fu, don't blame me for being jealous." Cheng Mutian was amused by her and laughed: "Your husband doesn't have a penchant for keeping male concubines."

The couple laughed for a while. Xiao Yuan suddenly said, "Now I envy my aunt the most. She can date someone she likes first. If it doesn't work out, she can find someone else."

Cheng Mutian stared at her, wide-eyed: "Back when I limped up your courtyard wall, you weren't thinking, 'If it's not good, we'll find someone else,' were you?" Xiaoyuan laughed and lay down on the bed: "Actually, my stepmother adored you. You were just too shy to use the main gate, so you insisted on climbing over the wall to see me." Hearing this, Cheng Mutian regretted, "If I had known earlier that Madam Jiang didn't mind me, I would have gone to your house to arrange the marriage much earlier. You suffered so much, and you were almost sold off."

Xiao Yuan snuggled into his arms and laughed, "If I hadn't gone through those trials, how could I have been so at ease in your household?" Those hardships—she called them trials. Aunt Ding had repeatedly made her angry, yet she still said it was all part of being at ease. Cheng Mutian's eyes welled up with tears again. He quickly buried his face in her neck.

The couple got up the next day. Cailian came to report that Doctor Zhao would be bringing the betrothal gifts in a few days, and they wanted to get married at the beginning of next month. Upon hearing the name Doctor Zhao, Cheng Mutian snorted and turned to leave. Xiaoyuan didn't care much about Caimei's marriage these days, but she still felt that the arrangement was too hasty, so she asked why. Cailian shook her head and said she didn't know. Ayun was about to speak when she was stopped by a look from Xiaoyuan. Just then, Xiaoyuan turned her head and saw what was happening. She asked, "Is Doctor Zhao up to no good again? I never thought he was that good to begin with. Just tell me."

Chapter Forty-Six: Picking Plum Blossoms and Getting Married (Part 1)

Upon hearing this, Ayun ignored Cailian's winks and blurted out, "Zhao Langzhong has taken a fancy to a courtesan in the brothel and wants to buy her. However, he's worried that it wouldn't look good to have a concubine before marrying his wife, so he's in a hurry to get married." Cailian scolded her, "Madam is already worrying about the family all day long, and you're just adding to her worries."

Xiao Yuan thought to herself that this was the path she had chosen, and she wouldn't worry about it anymore. That was what she thought, but she still asked aloud, "Does Cai Mei know about this?"

Ayun pouted and said, "What good is it to know now? It's too late."

Xiao Yuan and Cai Lian both sighed and shook their heads, hoping that Cai Mei could gain a foothold in the marriage as soon as possible and not be bullied by a concubine.

A few days later, the Zhao family indeed sent the betrothal letter. Xiao Yuan compared it with their list and made a dowry list in return. Because they were in a hurry, the Zhao family sent all three betrothal gifts at once and started urging the dowry process at the end of the month.

Before September arrived, Xiao Yuan sent several older women to make up the bed for Cai Mei. The next day, the Zhao family sent a matchmaker with a bridal sedan chair to pick up the new bride. Cai Mei, whether feeling remorse or guilty for disobeying her mistress, threw herself into Xiao Yuan's arms and cried before leaving to get into the sedan chair.

After going through all the rituals expected of a principal wife—blocking the door, scattering grains and beans, stepping onto the saddle, paying respects, and entering the bridal chamber—Cai Mei was sitting contentedly on the edge of the bed when Doctor Zhao entered and noticed her makeup was a bit smudged. He said with disgust, "Look at your face! I didn't even notice when you lifted the veil, but it's probably already become a laughing stock among the relatives." Cai Mei quickly grabbed a mirror from the table and looked at herself. It turned out that she had two tear tracks under her eyes from crying in front of Xiao Yuan. They weren't very noticeable, but she was still startled, fearing that Doctor Zhao would turn away. She quickly brought water to wash her face.

Cai Mei was only sixteen, a flower-like age. Now, without her heavy makeup, she appeared even more beautiful and youthful. Doctor Zhao took a liking to her and stopped talking to her, taking her to bed. The next day, Cai Mei woke up to find her newlywed husband gone. Feeling wronged, she went to her parents-in-law to pay her respects, only to be scolded. The two elders blamed her for not being able to keep her husband even after marrying into the family, causing their son to go to a brothel early in the morning.

Cai Mei, both ashamed and anxious, swallowed her anger and went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast snacks for her in-laws. These were her forte, and she had received expert instruction from a bakery cook, so she used every trick in the book to try and win back her in-laws' favor. However, the two cooks from the Zhao family, seeing how capable she was, muttered amongst themselves, "She's a girl by trade, so she's efficient." Cai Mei pretended not to hear, kneaded the dough with tears in her eyes, then went to start the fire. She painstakingly made two plates of cakes and served them. Her in-laws tasted them and beamed, praising her in exactly the same way the cooks had said: "She's a girl by trade, so she's efficient."

Cai Mei returned to her room, unable to hold back her tears any longer. When Doctor Zhao returned, he asked her why she was crying. She opened her mouth but couldn't speak. Her in-laws were praising her; if she said she was crying for this, wouldn't she be asking for trouble? Seeing her stammering, Doctor Zhao became impatient and went to the front to pay his respects to his parents. Cai Mei didn't want people to think she wasn't virtuous, so she quickly followed. Unexpectedly, Doctor Zhao's greeting was a pretense; his real purpose was to persuade his parents to take a concubine. Standing in the hall, he didn't even look at Cai Mei, praising his lover, the head courtesan Mei (in the Southern Song Dynasty, "head courtesan" was a term for a beautiful courtesan), to the skies. His parents had never interfered much in his taking concubines, but they were firmly against him bringing a courtesan home. Old Mrs. Zhao said, "Young master, we don't care if you take a concubine, but courtesans are absolutely not allowed to enter our house."

Unable to persuade his parents, Zhao the Physician winked at Cai Mei. "So my husband still considers me one of his own," Cai Mei thought, her heart pounding. Without thinking, she blurted out, "Father, Mother, courtesans have their advantages; they know how to serve. Besides, even if they're a bit dissolute outside, once they're in our family, they still have to follow our rules." Old Man Zhao, a frequent visitor to brothels in his youth, deeply agreed with the courtesans' ability to serve, and unconsciously nodded. Seeing this, Old Woman Zhao was furious, but after thinking it over, she simply agreed, waiting to see the drama unfold.

Physician Zhao was grateful for Cai Mei's great help that day. He spent the entire day in his room, deliberately flattering her. Cai Mei witnessed the gentle and affectionate side of her husband and felt even more certain that she had done the right thing. Without waiting for Physician Zhao's instructions, she began preparing for the taking of a concubine.

Taking a concubine is not the same as marrying a wife. What preparations can one make? Cai Mei, however, wanted to please her husband and gain a good reputation. So she took a sedan chair to the Cheng family to borrow from the four departments and six bureaus. She herself didn't realize it, but everyone in the Cheng family was furious when they heard her words. The stewardesses all went to Xiao Yuan and said, "Madam, don't send us to the Zhao family to embarrass ourselves. We've seen plenty of concubines, but this is the first time we've seen someone buy a new concubine for their husband before even having the wife's family visit."

Xiao Yuan simply said, "I'm not going to concern myself with her affairs anymore. Say whatever you want." Cai Lian had lived with Cai Mei for over a year, and couldn't bear to tell her what the housekeepers had said. She only said that there were too many household affairs to spare. She then pointed out to her, "There are shops on the street that specialize in arranging weddings and funerals. Go and have a look."

Cai Mei actually went to the street and hired a troupe to handle the wedding. They made the concubine-taking banquet no less grand than her own wedding banquet. To the relatives who came to congratulate her, they all praised her virtue. But behind her back, they laughed at her foolishness. After the new concubine entered the house, Doctor Zhao plunged headlong into her world of pleasure, leaving Cai Mei alone in her room for several days. On the ninth day, seeing that it would be too late to pay respects, Doctor Zhao finally came to see Cai Mei. He instructed her, "When you see the young master and his wife, you must speak well of me. If you help me get a better position, I will sleep in your room every day." Seeing hope of winning back her husband, Cai Mei readily agreed. She prepared the sedan chair and gifts, and took Doctor Zhao to the Cheng family.

They were simply unlucky. They ran into Cheng Mutian at the gate. Hearing they had come to pay their respects, he exclaimed in surprise, "Madam returned her indenture long ago. She should be going to find her rightful blood relatives. Why did she come to our house to pay her respects? She's not surnamed Cheng." The two had come with good intentions, but before they could even cross the threshold, they were chased away by several servants. Zhao the Physician was furious. When he got home, he beat Cai Mei severely, scolding, "If I had known you wouldn't please the young master and madam, why would I have married you?" Cai Mei dared not dodge, enduring her tears, she said, "The entire Cheng family has gained their freedom; there are only two of us servants, including me. Madam even gave us a dowry. Isn't that enough to please them?"

Doctor Zhao stepped forward and kicked her a few more times: "What good is your delight to me? My Zhao family doesn't need your dowry. If you have the ability to make me the manager of the pharmacy, then I'll treat you properly as a wife. If you don't have that ability, then you should go back to your maternal family and find your blood relatives."

Chapter Forty-Seven: Cai Mei's Wedding (Part Two)

Cai Mei, having been beaten, sat alone in her room, weeping. Mei Hangshou, standing at the door, glanced at her and exclaimed, "What did you do wrong, sister, to be beaten like this? I just came to ask for money to buy medicine, so please bring back some medicine for your wounds." Mei Hangshou had only been in the household for a few days, yet he came every other day to ask for money for medicine. Cai Mei looked up and asked, "Didn't I just give you the money the other day? How come it's gone again?" Mei Hangshou flicked his handkerchief, almost hitting Cai Mei's face. "Oh dear, my sister, medicine is expensive these days. The lord's pharmacy doesn't allow him to buy medicine on credit. I told him to secretly bring some back, but he's afraid of being punished by your former master. I had no choice but to come to you for help."

Even though Aunt Ding was quite a handful, she never dared to be lacking in manners in front of Xiao Yuan. How could her own concubine be so ignorant of etiquette? Cai Mei was furious and pointed towards the main wife's side: "Our family is run by the mother. Go ask her for it yourself." Mei Hangshou exclaimed again, "Sister, I'm just a concubine. How dare I speak to the old lady? You are the main wife, so naturally you should ask her for it." Cai Mei was pleased to be called the main wife and opened the small chest that came with her dowry. She took out about a hundred coins and gave it to her. Mei Hangshou was used to asking customers for money in brothels. She immediately noticed that there was still a string of coins in the chest. She quickly reached in and took it out, smiling and curtsying to Cai Mei: "Thank you for the reward, sister."

Cai Mei watched helplessly as the woman, holding the money, happily skipped across the courtyard like a little dog back to her room. Before she could even look away, she heard Granny Zhao calling her. She quickly covered the bruises on her face with powder and ran to the main room. Granny Zhao had only called Cai Mei after seeing Mei, the head courtesan, pass by the window. As soon as she saw her, she scolded, "Why did you give so much money to a concubine who was once a courtesan? You have a dowry, so why don't you use it to supplement the household expenses? At least spend it on your own husband! You don't care about the household chores, but instead you're helping a courtesan." Cai Mei said aggrievedly, "If I don't give it to my husband, he'll scold me." Old Man Zhao stamped his foot, "Men always favor their concubines. You always try to persuade them. Also, have you planned anything for the eldest son's future? I was wondering why you didn't help him find a way out. Turns out you've given all your money to the head courtesan."

Cai Mei stood at the lower end, wanting to cry but not daring to. She bit her lower lip hard. It was only when Granny Zhao made a fuss about Old Man Zhao's words, "Men always favor their youngest children," that she was able to get away. She went back to her room and cried bitterly, soaking half of her pillow.

When Doctor Zhao returned and saw her still crying, he asked in surprise, "I only hit you a few times, why are you still crying?" Cai Mei shook her head with tears streaming down her face and told him about how Mei Xing asked for money and how her in-laws scolded her. Doctor Zhao stamped his foot like Old Man Zhao and said, "Fool! Couldn't you have given the money quietly? You had to let your parents see. You deserve to be scolded." After scolding Cai Mei, he muttered, "Is Xiao Mei feeling unwell again? I have to go and see her."

Cai Mei watched helplessly as he took a few clothes and went into the Mei family's main room. She wanted to cry again, but her tears had all dried up. She thought to herself that the whole family was blaming her for not helping her husband with his future. If she really put in the effort, wouldn't she be able to establish herself at home?

The next morning, she carefully prepared several pastries and set off to see Xiaoyuan. Afraid of being seen by Cheng Mutian, she hid by the door and watched him leave before going inside. Xiaoyuan, seeing her visit, assumed she had secured her place at home and was somewhat pleased. However, when Caimei entered the room and lifted her clothes, all the maids and servants were stunned. Her shoulder was covered in bruises, one of which was clearly a raw, unhealed wound, the red flesh visible beneath.

Cailian gasped, "You've only been married a few days, and he's already beating you so badly. I'll go find some medicine for beatings."

Madam Sun stepped forward and gently covered her with her clothes, saying, "A wife is not the same as a concubine. No matter how long you've been married, you can't just beat her."

Seeing that everyone was still defending her, Cai Mei knelt down and cried to Xiao Yuan, "Madam, please save me for the sake of our past relationship as mistress and servant."

Xiao Yuan looked at her with pity, but also with some helplessness: "Why did he hit you?"

Cai Mei stammered out the story of how Cheng Mutian had forbade them from entering when they went to pay their respects. This time, even A Yun and A Cai said, "This servant is finally free. Others wouldn't even dare to dream of it. Now that you've got it, you still insist on coming back here to pay your respects. I really don't know what you're thinking. The young master sent you away for your own good."

Seeing that even the little maid couldn't appease her, Cai Mei had no choice but to reveal Zhao Langzhong's desire to become the manager of the pharmacy. This caused everyone to frown. Cai Lian said, "When we entered the Cheng family with Madam, when did you ever see her discuss her husband's business? You're afraid of being beaten by the official, but aren't you afraid of Madam being scolded by the master and young master?"

Hearing this, Cai Mei felt a pang of guilt. She cried and dared not mention it again. Xiao Yuan, though believing Cai Mei's current predicament was self-inflicted, genuinely pitied her for being beaten—remembering how she herself wouldn't even flick a fingernail when Cai Mei was a maid. So she said, "If you want me to save you, I really do have a way. But as the saying goes, 'Better to tear down a temple than break up a marriage.'" Cai Mei was overjoyed to hear Xiao Yuan was willing to help her. She nodded repeatedly, not even fully understanding what Xiao Yuan was saying.

Xiao Yuan continued, "If you want a divorce, I can help you escape this misery. But if you're after personal gain, I'm afraid I can't help you. You should go back now."

Cai Mei greatly valued the title of "first wife." Upon hearing about divorce, she shook her head vigorously. Seeing her spineless demeanor, Xiao Yuan had nothing more to say. She went into the inner room and sighed. Cai Lian followed her in and, seeing her like this, hurriedly asked if Doctor Zhao had angered her. Xiao Yuan slammed her fist on the table. "Why should I be angry with him? He's a complete idiot. If it weren't for Cai Mei's sake, Erlang would have kicked him out of the shop long ago. I'm angry with myself for raising such a stupid girl. If you all follow her example in the future, you must marry far away, so I don't have to worry about you."

That evening, Xiaoyuan told Cheng Mutian about it. Cheng Mutian said, "He's just a doctor. Instead of thinking about how to treat and save people, he hurts them. The reason he hurts people is because he's after our family's pharmacy manager's position. This man is of bad character and can't be kept any longer." Xiaoyuan also felt that Doctor Zhao was too greedy and ruthless, and indeed couldn't be kept any longer. But she felt sorry for Caimei: "At least Doctor Zhao still has some scruples now. If he doesn't work for us anymore, Caimei will probably suffer even more." Cheng Mutian said, "You've tried to persuade her, you've even scolded her. What else can you do? Besides, even the officials can't control a man beating his wife. How can we outsiders say anything? From now on, just pretend you never bought this girl."

Chapter Forty-Eight: The Battle for a Wife

More than a month passed in the blink of an eye. "Information" from the Chen family kept reaching Xiao Yuan, saying that whenever Aunt Chen went to play mahjong at the homes of familiar ladies, no matter how late it was, Martial Arts Master Xue would stand at the door until she safely alighted from her sedan chair before going to sleep. After this happened repeatedly, the two had developed feelings for each other. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan immediately questioned, "No one has ever treated my aunt like this before, so it's normal for her to develop feelings for her; but Martial Arts Master Xue's purpose was to ensure her safety, and waiting for her was simply his duty. How can you see that he has developed feelings for my aunt?"

The messenger chuckled twice: "Madam, we've all heard Master Xue advise Aunt Chen to gamble less and take care of her health more than once. The older generation of literary enthusiasts all say that this means he's taken a liking to our aunt."

Xiao Yuan laughed and scolded, "You little rascal, if what you said isn't true, you'll get a beating."

After the servant went outside to collect his reward, she thought to herself, "The Southern Song Dynasty is not like modern times. You can't just date like that. If it goes on for too long, rumors will spread everywhere." Thinking of this, she immediately instructed Cailian to prepare gifts to visit Aunt Chen: "Let's go quietly and observe first. If it's really the case, we'll ask Aunt Chen and settle this matter as soon as possible."

Cailian followed instructions to prepare the gifts, taking a box each of ointment and pearls from the sea, a few jars of jasmine, and several cages of partridges, before following Xiaoyuan to the Chen residence.

As the sedan chair approached the gate of the Chen residence, before Xiao Yuan could even disembark, she heard a commotion outside. Cai Lian whispered from outside, "Madam, there are many people gathered at the gate. You'd better not get out." Xiao Yuan lifted a corner of the sedan chair curtain to peek out and saw that there was indeed a crowd gathered at the gate, including many of the Chen family's servants. She quickly ordered someone to inquire and instructed the sedan chair to be carried directly through the second gate.

She saw Aunt Chen in front of the screen wall at the second gate, and pulled her up and down several times to look her over. Only when she saw that she was indeed unharmed did she feel relieved and asked, "Aunt, why are there so many people gathered at the gate? Isn't Master Xue going to do anything about it?" Aunt Chen blushed, "They're just gathered around to watch Master Xue beat someone up. A few days ago, Shen Changchun wanted to come to our house to work again, but I didn't even let him in through the gate. He said that I had forgotten the old ones since the new ones came, and for several days he made a fuss at the gate, making veiled insults. Master Xue chased him away several times but couldn't do anything about it, so he had no choice but to throw punches."

"Well done." Xiao Yuan slammed her hand on the table. "Go tell Master Xue not to be afraid to go too far. If the literary fan kills or maims him, I'll take responsibility. If we don't scare this kind of person once and for all, he'll keep causing trouble." Aunt Chen said sadly, "With his commotion, I'm afraid rumors will spread far and wide. I'm not afraid of anything as a concubine, but I'm sorry to have implicated Master Xue."

Xiao Yuan sat down next to her and quietly asked if she had ever thought about marrying Xue Wushi. Aunt Chen just lowered her head and remained silent, but her eyes and brows clearly showed her willingness. Xiao Yuan smiled and asked, "Should we go and propose, or wait for him to come?" Aunt Chen had her own opinion on this matter and blushed as she said, "If he is truly responsible, he will send a matchmaker tomorrow. A hasty marriage, even if it comes together, won't lead to a good life." Xiao Yuan deeply agreed and, thinking of Cai Mei's fate, sighed with Aunt Chen for a while.

As the two were talking, Xue Wushi replied from outside the curtain, "Aunt Chen, I beat Shen Changchun up and he was carried back." Aunt Chen was somewhat surprised, "Carried back? He can't be moved? If they go to the authorities because of this, we need to prepare early. It would be better to send someone with money to bribe the yamen first."

Master Xue laughed, "His injury is internal; you can't tell from the outside. Even if you sue, you won't win." Aunt Chen shook her head and said softly, "Whether I win or not, his going will only make things worse. How will I ever have the face to go out again?" Master Xue had been busy beating people outside, and with layers of people blocking his way, he hadn't seen Xiao Yuan's sedan chair come in. He assumed that only Aunt Chen was inside the curtain at this moment, so he said, "Don't worry, I'll have a matchmaker come and settle our marriage soon. I'm not afraid of him making a scene."

Xiao Yuan clapped and laughed. Startled, Xue Wushi dropped the words "I'll go find a matchmaker!" and ran off. She had intended to tease him a bit, but she hadn't expected this martial artist to be more shy than ordinary people when it came to matters of the heart. Aunt Chen tugged at Xiao Yuan's sleeve, worriedly saying, "His family is still alive. I don't know if they'll approve of this marriage. After all, I was once a concubine." Xiao Yuan patted her hand, comforting her, "His family isn't some high-ranking household. It's not that difficult to get in. Besides, he has a deceased wife." Aunt Chen said, "I was terrified by the Shen family's troubles and didn't tell Master Xue I had some dowry. That's why I'm worried. Nowadays in Lin'an, who would want a daughter without a substantial dowry?" Her aunt was truly smitten and was becoming increasingly anxious. Xiao Yuan suppressed a laugh and carefully chose some words to gently comfort her.