Widows in the Song Dynasty were easy to marry

Chapter 28

"I understand what you mean. You can go now."

Danmei smiled and interrupted him.

Xu Jinrong said nothing more, got up in the dark, and quickly dressed. Then he heard the door creak open and left.

After Xu Jinrong left, the faint crying indeed stopped.

Danmei kept her eyes open for a long time, unable to fall asleep. She glanced at the bright moonlight outside the window and finally couldn't help but get up and put on her clothes. She raised the window shutter and looked up at the moon for a while, feeling somewhat lost.

He went there, and right now he should be comforting Zhou Shi and coaxing Liang Ge to sleep.

As if guided by a ghost, Danmei didn't take a candlestick. Instead, she slipped on a pair of soft embroidered shoes, and without disturbing Xiqing Miaoxia in the next room, she quietly went downstairs by the moonlight. When she stopped, she realized that she had arrived at the gate of Zhou's courtyard.

These days, because Xu Jinrong often travels between the two courtyards at night, the gates have not been locked for his convenience. At this late hour, the old woman guarding the gate is already fast asleep, so we haven't seen anyone along the way.

Danmei knew she shouldn't have come like this, but her feet seemed to have a mind of their own, and she didn't stop until she reached the room with the lights on.

"I'm really afraid... Third Master... From now on, will you stay with me and Liang-ge like this...? What if something really happens to Liang-ge..."

The words abruptly stopped, followed by a series of soft, muffled sobs.

"Brother Liang just fell asleep, be careful not to wake him..."

The voice was very gentle.

As night deepened and all was quiet, the sounds inside the house, though faint, were still clearly audible.

With a "whoosh," the door opened, and a maid came out carrying a basin.

Danmei stood behind a clump of crabapple trees. The girl didn't notice and went down the corridor with the door closed. In just that one turn, Danmei had already seen the situation inside the room.

Xu Jinrong sat in a chair, and Zhou Shi, with her hair down, lay on his lap, looking up at him.

The door was closed long ago, and the scene inside had vanished. Only Danmei stood there, stunned, in the shadow of the crabapple tree for a long time.

"She didn't comb her hair all night, her silky strands draped over her shoulders. She nestled gently on her lover's lap, how could she not be pitied?"

Vaguely, a sentence suddenly welled up in Danmei's heart. She repeated it to herself several times, smiled slightly, and finally turned to leave. After climbing up the small building by herself with her hand on the railing, she looked up sharply at the corner and bumped into Xiqing, who was holding a candlestick and standing there as if waiting for her, with a faint sadness in his eyes.

"Why are you up? Go back to sleep."

Danmei smiled at her, but felt a chill on her face. She reached up and touched it, only to realize that she had been crying without even noticing.

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Danmei hurriedly reached out and wiped the wetness off her face.

The moonlight was bright tonight, and Xiqing was carrying a candlestick. He realized he must have already caught her eye. Lowering his hand, he smiled and sighed, "I couldn't sleep, so I came out for a walk. The moonlight is beautiful, but it somehow makes me a little sad..."

Xiqing remained silent, but stepped forward to take her hand and led her into the house, saying in a low voice, "Madam, why are you so sad? Just now I saw you walk over, and although there was a shadow on the ground in front of you, the moonlight was shining brightly behind you. It can be seen that everything has two sides. I think you are only staring at the shadow in front of you, but not looking back, which is why you are so sad."

Danmei was taken aback, and after a long while, she smiled and said, "Xiqing, although you are illiterate, you have spoken of this principle so clearly that people understand it. You are absolutely right. If the road ahead is shadowy, then turning back will reveal a smooth path."

Xiqing only knew that she had been troubled by Zhou Liangge's matter recently, so he was moved by the scene and tried to comfort her, hoping to make her feel more at ease. Hearing her say this, he thought that she had been persuaded and was also a little happy. He helped her lie down again before closing the door and leaving without saying anything more.

***

Xu Jinrong glanced at Liang Ge, who was fast asleep on the bed. He saw that in just two months, Liang Ge had become so thin he was practically skin and bones. Although he didn't particularly like his son and hadn't placed much hope in him, the thought of him suffering from this illness at such a young age, coupled with the fact that even renowned doctors couldn't diagnose him, filled him with a pang of sorrow. Feeling a heaviness in his head, he closed his eyes slightly and leaned back in his chair. Just then, he felt something strange on his thigh. Looking down, he saw Zhou Shi, who was resting on his knees, slowly move her hand up to his and grab it.

Zhou looked up and met his eyes. She saw that he had been half-closing his eyes, but now he was staring at her intently. Startled, she whispered "Third Master" and then burst into tears again.

Xu Jinrong frowned slightly and lowered his voice, saying, "Brother Liang has fallen asleep. Didn't I just tell you not to cry anymore? I was telling you nicely, but you didn't listen. Do I have to be harsh with you before you remember?" His voice became somewhat displeased towards the end.

Zhou looked up in a panic, biting her lip and remaining silent, tears already welling up in her eyes.

Xu Jinrong stared at her for a moment, shook his head, and slowly said, "Although I don't usually manage things in the backyard, it was very quiet here before you came. Since you came, it's become a bit noisy."

Madam Zhou paused, immediately pulling her hand away from his grasp. She took a step back and knelt down, suppressing her grief as she said, "I know I was wrong. From now on, no matter how sad I am, I will never cry out like that again..."

"It's good that you know this." Xu Jinrong's gaze turned cold as he looked at her. "But that's not what I want to say. Perhaps I've been too lenient with you financially, giving you too much of a monthly allowance, leaving you with nowhere to spend it and making you spend it like a money-spending goddess? I've heard that many of the servants in the back office have become your eyes and ears, reporting to you everything I do and say the next moment?"

Madam Zhou trembled and hurriedly kowtowed, saying in a panic, "Even if I had the greatest courage in the world, I wouldn't dare to do such a thing. Third Master, please don't be deceived..."

Xu Jinrong stared at her for a long time before saying calmly, "Whether you're bold or not, I know my limits. You've been with me for so many years, it hasn't been easy. I'm letting things go for the sake of you being Liang-ge's birth mother, and I don't want to hold it against you. Liang-ge is unwell this time, and I took pity on him for constantly thinking of you, so I brought you here. I thought you would take good care of you, but instead, from the very first day you arrived, you've been crying and behaving completely out of line. That's bad enough, but you even dared to be disrespectful to my wife behind her back..."

Madam Zhou was already prostrate on the ground, her hands trembling slightly. She forced herself to defend herself, saying, "I have absolutely no disrespect for you, Madam. I intended to visit you every day to pay my respects, but you stopped me. I know you are displeased to see me, so I dared not go and provoke your anger... If I have uttered even half a lie, may I be struck by lightning and have no regrets..."

"Shut up!" Xu Jinrong lowered his voice and stopped her. "You're trying to incite me like this, and you still think you've never disrespected her! There are gods watching over you, you know that. Get up, remember your place from now on, and behave yourself. I'll make sure you have a place here. Chunniang and Zonglian have already been sent away. If you continue to be so ungrateful, you know what kind of person I am, don't blame me for not showing any mercy."

Those two had already been sent away from the Xu family. Even though Zhou was well-informed, she had only just heard about it.

Although she was scolded by Xu Jinrong, she was suddenly shocked to learn that her rival, whom she had been fighting against for years, had disappeared. Her heart raced at first, and after an uncontrollable schadenfreude, she slowly felt a sense of sorrow for the fallen.

“His eyes really are only on that woman in the East Courtyard… Chunniang and I have been with him for so many years, fought for him for so many years, and in the end, he’s nothing more than this… If it weren’t for Brother Liang, I’m afraid I would have been kicked out like this long ago…”

Madam Zhou looked up at her husband. Seeing that after he finished speaking, he was staring at her indifferently, his eyes devoid of any of the tenderness he showed the other woman, a wave of bitterness and resentment welled up in her heart. She dared not show it, only hurriedly whispering a "Yes," and got up from the ground. She glanced at the narrow couch he had recently moved in against the wall for his convenience, took two steps closer to him, and carefully said, "I will make the bed for you, Third Master. Third Master, please rest..."

Xu Jinrong turned around again, glanced in Liang Ge's direction, rubbed his face, and said, "I'm going back. You should get some rest too." With that, he stood up from the chair.

Zhou hesitated for a moment, then respectfully responded. She wanted to see him off, but was stopped. She watched him open the door and disappear from sight before she slumped into the chair he had just been sitting in, unable to move.

When Xu Jinrong returned to the east courtyard upstairs, it was already past four o'clock. He pushed open the door and went in. Hearing that it was quiet inside, he assumed that she had fallen asleep. So he tiptoed over, and without taking off his clothes, he lay down on the outside of Danmei. He smelled the familiar orchid fragrance emanating from her hair, and his restless heart gradually calmed down. In addition, he was indeed a little sleepy, and he soon fell asleep.

***

Since that night, although the back office of the prefectural government had been quiet for some time, the atmosphere in this family was so heavy that it was hard to breathe. Liang Ge's condition worsened, and his illness became more and more frequent. When the doctor came to see him, he would shake his head and sigh, as if preparing for his death. Although Aunt Zhou's wailing was no longer heard, everyone in the back office knew that she was now possessed by a ghost. She would often mutter that a ghost wanted to harm her and Liang Ge, and she would clamor all day long to invite a Taoist priest to perform a ritual. Xu Jinrong used to stay in Liang Ge's room for the first half of the night and return to the small building in the east courtyard for the second half, but as Liang Ge's condition worsened, he gradually started to stay there all night. Only Danmei, with Hui Jie, ate and drank as usual, tending to her garden in her spare time, and lived a very ordinary life.

That evening, Danmei stayed with Hui-jie for a while. Remembering it was time to take her medicine, she went back to her room. She saw a bowl of steaming medicine on the table, probably just brought in and now cooled down. Xu Jinrong was sitting at the table, staring at the bowl of medicine, lost in thought. Hearing footsteps, he looked up and saw Danmei, giving her a slight smile. He said, "If you hadn't come back soon, I was just about to go look for you. It's time to take your medicine."

When Danmei approached him, she noticed that his eyes seemed bloodshot, and knew that he hadn't slept well for many nights in a row. She didn't say anything, just smiled, took the medicine, blew on it a few times, and drank it down in one gulp, ignoring the bitter smell, without even frowning.

"Qiuqin's condition is getting worse and worse. She's taking medication now, and she looks like she's about to collapse... I won't be around during the day, so if you have time, try to go to her garden less often and go over there to keep an eye on things... I'm afraid Liang-ge isn't going to make it..."

Xu Jinrong hesitated for a moment, then looked at Danmei and said this.

Danmei was taken aback, but then she understood. She must have been living her life as usual these past few days and hadn't visited much. Xu Jinrong must have heard some gossip, or perhaps he felt her indifference was too cold-hearted? After a moment's thought, she said, "I understand what you mean. I haven't been there much lately, because I felt that since his aunt was taking care of him, it wouldn't matter if I stayed by his side all day without eating. Now that his aunt is ill, and you've said this, it's my duty as his legal mother to take care of him."

Xu Jinrong seemed to regret his words as soon as they left his mouth. Hearing Danmei's response, he looked at her carefully. Although she didn't seem happy, she also didn't seem unhappy. He breathed a sigh of relief, nodded, and put his arm around her shoulder, saying, "I know you're a reasonable person. I'm relieved that you think this way."

Danmei smiled slightly, letting him hold her, without responding. Starting the next day, she indeed visited more frequently. She noticed that Zhou Shi was acting strangely, no longer spending all her time by Liang Ge's side as before. She had even set up a dark shrine in the adjacent room, filled with Buddha statues and incense, spending most of her time kneeling and burning incense there, constantly muttering to herself.

She had set up this house some time ago, and Xu Jinrong must know about it. Since he didn't say anything, Danmei naturally didn't care. She just stayed by Liang Ge's side, sometimes sitting in a daze for half a day, and only returned in the evening.

Time flies, and everyone in the household now knows that the master's only son is probably not going to make it. The atmosphere is even more oppressive and gloomy. But this gloom was broken on this day. Someone knocked on the back door of Huaichu Prefecture and came someone that no one expected.

The visitor was none other than Chunniang, Xu Jinrong's former second concubine, who was now a free woman.

The gatekeeper didn't recognize Chunniang, nor did he know her former identity. He only saw a young woman with a face like a vengeful ghost, carrying a bundle, standing on the steps, banging on the door incessantly, refusing to leave. Although there weren't many pedestrians on the back road, the scene quickly attracted a crowd. The gatekeeper cursed, "Crazy woman," and was about to close the door when the woman shouted at the top of her lungs, "You dare to drive me away! I am the second concubine of your master's household! I've been with him for so many years, borne him children, but they were murdered and I didn't raise them. He wronged me before, and I accepted it. Now he's so heartless as to try to drive me away! I won't leave! If he won't let me in, I'll just smash my head against the lions in front of his yamen. I don't want to live anyway!"

Hearing the woman shouting like that, the gatekeeper's eyes went blank as if he had gone mad. Not daring to be careless, he hurriedly called for someone to drive away the passersby who had gathered to watch the commotion. Fearing that she would shout incoherently again, he dragged her to a corner of the gate and had someone watch her to prevent her from running around. Only then did he wipe away his cold sweat and rush to report to the madam.

Danmei was greatly surprised to hear the joyous news. She had felt uneasy when Xu Jinrong had previously mentioned dismissing Chunniang and Zhao Zonglian. In this era, concubines were considered lowly; even if they became pregnant, they could be given away to unscrupulous men. Xu Jinrong's actions—restoring their freedom and giving them a large sum of money—were considered quite good. She wondered what the two women themselves thought. Later, as Liangge's illness worsened, Danmei herself lived a life of pretense, gradually forgetting the matter. She never imagined that Chunniang would travel such a long distance and force her way back!

Danmei had already gone downstairs, but after taking a few steps, she stopped, turned back, and slowly went back up the stairs. Miaoxia was puzzled and was about to ask a question when Xiqing shook his head at her, telling her to be quiet.

“Since she’s already here, it’s not good to leave her standing outside making such a fuss. Let’s take her to the outhouse first, and I’ll discuss it with the master when he returns.”

Danmei thought for a moment, then turned to Xiqing and said.

Xiqing nodded and went to give the instructions.

When Xu Jinrong returned from the front office and heard about this, he was furious. He stood up abruptly, his face extremely pale, and even the veins on his forehead were throbbing.

"Now that things are like this, what do you think we should do..."

Danmei sighed and asked.

Xu Jinrong snorted and said, "What else can I do? I promised you, so naturally I have to set them free. This is no child's play! Now you're not going to take it back!"

Danmei was startled, and a wave of weariness and confusion washed over her. She stood there motionless, lost in thought.

Seeing her pale face and a faint weariness between her brows, Xu Jinrong softened his tone and said in a low voice, "Don't overthink it. Stay inside and don't go out. I'll go check on you."

Danmei remained silent. Xu Jinrong reached out, took her hand, patted it lightly, and was about to turn and leave when suddenly the little maid Chang'er rushed over in a panic, saying, "Master, Madam, something terrible has happened! Aunt Chun has gone to the woodshed, poured kerosene all over the floor, and is shouting that she wants to set herself on fire and kill herself..."

Chapter Sixty-Nine

The door to the woodshed was half open, and kerosene was spilled everywhere. A large-bellied jar was lying on the floor against the wall, with black liquid still bubbling out of its mouth. The air was filled with a pungent odor.

"I want to see Third Master! I want to see Third Master! You Xu Mazi, if you dare take another step closer, I'll throw this fire on the ground!"

Chunniang was completely naked, with one foot inside the threshold and the other outside. She tightly gripped a candle in her hand, her eyes wide open as she glared angrily at Steward Xu and the servants behind him who were closing in to snatch the candle from her hand. Her expression was somewhat ferocious.

The season has passed the White Dew, and it has been dry for many days without rain. Although the woodshed here is at the back, it is only connected to a large number of side rooms on the side, and behind it are the houses outside the courtyard wall. There is only one alley in between. If a fire were to start, it would be spread by the wind and could easily spread to other places.

Steward Xu tried to approach her and snatch the candle from her hand, but seeing that she was about to drop it, he dared not push her too far.

When Danmei arrived, this was exactly the scene she saw.

Steward Xu and Chunniang were at an impasse when Xu Jinrong rushed over. Steward Xu quickly turned around, looking ashamed, and said, "Sir, she just said she was hungry, so I took it upon myself to have someone take her to the kitchen for a meal. I never expected her to cause such a mess..."

Xu Jinrong's face was tense. He ignored Steward Xu's words of self-reproach and walked straight toward Chunniang.

Steward Xu glanced at Danmei, who had arrived shortly after, sighed inwardly, and hurriedly chased away the servants who had gathered around upon hearing the commotion, leaving only Jiang Rui and a few others nearby.

"Third Master, you've finally arrived!"

Chunniang spotted Xu Jinrong at once, and a hint of joy appeared on her previously pale face. She placed the candlestick at her feet, knelt down on the ground with a thud, and kowtowed several times before looking up at him and shouting, "Third Master, this Xu Mazi suddenly returned to the capital two months ago, saying he wanted to send me away. I refuse to believe it, even if it kills me. I know this isn't your intention, which is why I risked my life to chase after him here alone, just to beg you for an answer..."

Xu Jinrong moved closer to her, stopped, frowned, and said sternly, "He naturally acted according to my orders. You have a perfectly good life, yet you dare to trespass here and put on such a show. You really have a lot of nerve!"

Chunniang used to be somewhat afraid of Xu Jinrong, and if he were to speak so sternly, she would have been terrified long ago. But now she stared at Xu Jinrong for a moment before saying in a daze, "Third Master, do you really not want me anymore? You want to send me away? But where do you want me to go?"

"Miss Chun, didn't I tell you when I sent you back to your hometown that you are now free and have money to rely on? Whether you go back to your hometown and start your own household or remarry, you will have no worries about living a good life in the future?"

Butler Xu hurriedly responded from the side.

Chunniang seemed not to hear, not even blinking, but continuing to look up at Xu Jinrong, saying sorrowfully, "Third Master, do you still remember how I followed you? You must have long forgotten, but I remember it very clearly. That year, the sea dike hadn't been repaired yet, and my village was flooded by seawater. My mother and brother died, and only my father and I fled to Tongzhou Prefecture, begging along the streets. I was harassed by a ruffian, and when my father stopped him, the ruffian beat my father and was about to drag me away when you happened to ride by on your tall horse, Third Master, and saved my father and me. That's when I followed..." I told you, even if I have to be your slave, I will never leave you, Third Master. You used to be so good to me, you would smile at me, and once you even complimented my looks. I remember all of that clearly, but have you forgotten? I even bore you a son, but he was killed before he could be raised… Now you don’t want me anymore, you want to send me away… I know I was wrong. I shouldn’t have been jealous and made you unhappy. I will never dare to be competitive or stand out again. Third Master, please let me stay. From now on, I’ll just sleep in the woodshed and be a servant girl…”

“I will not change my mind once I have made up my mind. Do not say anything more. Get up. After tonight, I will send someone to escort you back to your hometown tomorrow.”

Xu Jinrong interrupted her, his voice low and unreadable.

"Madam, Madam, you've come too! Madam, I know you're the kindest person, and the master cherishes you the most. Please, Madam, say something to me, I beg you... please don't send me away..."

Chunniang paused for a moment, then suddenly saw Danmei standing a dozen steps behind Xu Jinrong. She turned around and began to kowtow to Danmei desperately.

Chunniang used to cherish her appearance the most, and every time Danmei saw her, she always had a carefully made-up face. But now, disregarding the oil stains all over the ground, she was pleading and kowtowing incessantly, her forehead covered with black stains and her hair disheveled, making her look like a female ghost at first glance.

Danmei's heart tightened, and her palms were already slightly damp with sweat.

"Xiqing, accompany Madam back to her room."

Xu Jinrong turned around and shouted at Xiqing.

Xiqing, as if waking from a dream, hurriedly went forward to help Danmei leave, but found her standing still, her eyes fixed straight ahead. Following her gaze, he saw that Chunniang had stopped kowtowing, stood up, her face as white as paper, her eyes fixed on Xu Jinrong, and suddenly let out a few cold laughs, her voice stiff like an owl's:

"Third Master, I finally understand why your heart is so hard. To please the woman you love today, you've made up your mind to abandon me. I don't blame you, I only blame myself for being so lowly, not having her privileged background. If you dismissed everyone else, I would have nothing to say. But you've kept that wretched woman, Zhou, and I truly cannot accept that. Just because she carried Liang-ge? Third Master, you love Liang-ge, but don't you feel any pain for my poor, stillborn child? My child was clearly harmed by that wretched woman, Zhou! It's one thing for her to kill my child, but it was also that Zhou Fu from before..." "Her death might have been orchestrated by her. I knew before that her long-serving maid, Xiulan, had confided in my close maid that she feared she might suddenly die one day. Sure enough, she went out one day and never returned; she must have been killed by her. I wanted to inform Third Master sooner, but without any proof, I kept it to myself. Third Master, since you're getting rid of the unnecessary people, you should get rid of her too! This vile woman is utterly heartless; if she continues to live such a good life, I won't rest in peace even as a ghost..."