Rodeé con mi brazo la esbelta cintura del hombre fuerte

Capítulo 8

The two chatted for a while longer before Xiqing came to serve the meal. The table was laden with bowls and plates, far more lavish than usual. The cook, having received instructions, naturally worked diligently to prepare, but her only skill was cooking the simple dishes the old lady preferred. No matter how hard she tried, her skills couldn't compare to the elaborate cooking of chefs from the capital. Seeing Liu's disgusted expression, and how she barely touched her chopsticks before putting them down, Danmei felt quite displeased. Moreover, the old lady beside her, though rough around the edges, had very sharp eyes. Seeing Liu's reaction, a somewhat embarrassed expression appeared on her face, and she couldn't help but say, "I know you usually eat too much refined food. Today, since we're out of town, I specially ordered some simple country dishes to change things up and cleanse your palate."

Liu was taken aback. She looked up and saw that her sister-in-law's expression was completely different from her usual gentle demeanor at home. She opened her mouth slightly, but couldn't respond for a moment. Suddenly, she noticed that her mother-in-law, Qin, was glancing at her sideways, seemingly with a hint of reproach. Only then did she lower her head and remain silent. The old lady's expression slowly softened.

After seeing off Madam Qin and her entourage, it was already the fourth day of the following month in the blink of an eye. Danmei knew that the old lady had a habit of going to Shangfang Temple on the fourth day of the month, so she got up early in the morning to accompany her. Unexpectedly, she received a message from Xiqing saying that the old lady wanted to go by herself today and that Madam did not need to go.

As Danmei watched the old lady being helped into the car by Xiqing and gradually disappear into the distance, she recalled how Xiqing's gaze seemed somewhat evasive when he spoke, and how the old lady had been staring at her from time to time since yesterday. Standing there, she was puzzled for a moment.

Chapter Nineteen

Although Danmei had some doubts, she quickly dismissed them and went to Huijie's room. She found Huijie reading and practicing calligraphy as usual, with the little girl watching and occasionally pointing and asking questions, which Huijie would then explain to her. Upon seeing Danmei enter, Huijie hurriedly put down her pen and was about to bow when Danmei stopped her, glancing at her and sighing inwardly. The calligraphy Huijie was currently practicing was none other than the book *Admonitions for Women*.

"Mother, do you think my writing is good?"

Seeing that Danmei was watching, Sister Hui asked somewhat cautiously.

Danmei smiled and nodded in approval. Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the book Danmei had copied was the section on "Humble Behavior," which stated that sons bring good fortune and daughters bring bad fortune, implying that women were inherently inferior to men. Unable to contain herself, Danmei sat down beside her, pointed, and laughed, "While Ban Jie's words are not entirely wrong, they are not without flaws. Pangu created the world, and Nuwa created humanity, showing that there was no distinction between men and women in ancient times. Hua Mulan of the Northern Wei Dynasty took her father's place in the army, making men pale in comparison. More recently, there were female emperors in previous dynasties. Therefore, what is said in the book is not without error; to believe everything in books is worse than having no books at all. A woman may lack talent and beauty, but she must never underestimate herself. If she underestimates herself, how can she expect others not to?"

Hearing Danmei's words, Huijie paused for a moment, then blushed slightly and said, "Mother is absolutely right. Actually, I also... don't really like studying. It's just that the tutor made me study it, and my father said it was good, so..."

Danmei felt a warmth in her heart when she heard Huijie softly call her "Mother" a few times. After thinking for a moment, she said, "It seems we'll be staying here for a long time. Why don't we bring your former poetry, painting, and music tutor here?" Seeing Huijie's face darken, she continued, "It won't be the same morning and evening lessons as before. I'll give you a schedule from now on: poetry this morning, painting tomorrow morning, and music the day after. Only two hours of lessons in the morning, and you can arrange your own rest in the afternoon. Does that sound good?"

Hui Jie then became somewhat pleased, reached out and tugged at Danmei's sleeve, and nodded slightly.

Although Xu Jinrong had previously left a message saying he would entrust Hui-jie's upbringing to her and then never inquired about it again, Hui-jie was so obedient and well-behaved that it was natural for Danmei to find her endearing and lovable. Once she liked her, she naturally wanted to know how to do what was best for her, which required some thought. It was unrealistic to instill her own ideas into Hui-jie, and even if she were raised to be another version of herself, it might still lead to unhappiness in the future. However, seeing her studying "Admonitions for Women" at such a young age, Danmei couldn't bear to look at her, so she took the opportunity to propose this arrangement. This way, Hui-jie's studies wouldn't be neglected, and she could avoid being dulled by books like "Admonitions for Women." The two agreed, and when Danmei left for her room, she simply took the "Admonitions for Women" with her, intending to use it as a sleep aid if she couldn't sleep.

The old lady went to Shangfang Temple. Danmei remembered that she had returned after noon last time, so she didn't take a nap and waited at the garden gate. However, the old lady didn't return for a long time, so she had to go back to her room. Since she had already missed her nap, she took a piece of embroidery cloth with a pattern she had drawn a few days ago and slowly began to embroider peonies to pass the time. Before she had finished embroidering one petal, she heard footsteps outside and heard Miaochun and Miaoxia calling "Good day, Madam" at the door. Knowing that the old lady had come, she hurriedly put down her embroidery and went out.

Before Danmei could even step out the door, the old lady rushed in, almost bumping into her. Danmei quickly stepped aside, somewhat puzzled, wondering what the old lady was doing here so soon after returning. Looking up, she was even more surprised to see the old lady standing in front of her, looking her up and down with a broad smile. Xiqing behind her also wore a smile.

Danmei had been in the Xu family for many days, and this was the first time she had seen the old lady treat her like this. She was a little confused. After a pause, she realized that it was not right to block the door like this. Just as she was about to let her in, she saw the old lady step forward and grab her hand, smiling and sighing, "Good child, I didn't know before that I had wronged you."

Danmei was startled by her abrupt remark and stood there speechless. Xiqing stepped forward and said, "Madam, the old lady knows she has favored you in the past and is determined to make up for it in the future." Seeing that Danmei was still puzzled, she smiled and explained the reason.

It turned out that a few days ago, after Qin's visit and departure, Old Madam Xu, being of advanced age, naturally became more talkative. She would often mention to Xiqing that she hadn't known before, assuming that a lady of high rank from the Prime Minister's family would be arrogant, but after meeting her in person, she realized that her future mother-in-law was actually extremely peaceful. It was just a pity that her daughter had not only caused the deaths of three men, but now, having only been married a few days, her son was about to leave the capital to venture into dangerous territory. She feared that it was also due to her daughter's unlucky fate. As she spoke, she sighed and looked worried. Xiqing offered some words of comfort and then gave her a suggestion, saying that the abbot of Shangfang Temple was very famous for interpreting divination slips and fortunes. Why not secretly take the birthdays of the master and mistress to the temple on the fourth day of next month, saying only that they wanted to have their marriage analyzed, without mentioning their identities? Presumably, the abbot would answer truthfully. If they are compatible, then it is Buddha's blessing, and the old lady can rest easy from now on. If they are truly incompatible, then she should seek a way to resolve the issue, which would be better than worrying about it in vain.

Hearing Xi Qing's words, the old lady felt as if she had been struck by lightning, cursing herself for being so foolish as to not have thought of this earlier. When the two families arranged the marriage, she had received the bride's birth date cards, but in her anger and resentment, she had simply tossed them into the bottom of a box. Now, she had found them, and on the fourth day of the month, she hurriedly left early in the morning, leaving Danmei at home. When she arrived at the Shangfang Temple and handed over the two birth date cards, the head monk glanced at them, did some calculations, and declared them a match made in heaven. Seeing the old lady speechless, he further explained: "The nature of heaven and earth is one of mutual generation and restraint. This man's fate is strong metal, with the Azure Dragon as his master; the woman's fate is strong water, with the White Tiger at her head. If these two were paired with someone whose fate is weak, the man would surely be a widower, and the woman a widow. Only with these two paired together, the strong metal is tempered by water, and the strong water is nourished by metal. Therefore, their marriage will be happy, their family prosperous, and they will have many children and much happiness."

The old lady hadn't quite caught the middle of his tongue-twisting speech, only making out the phrases "a match made in heaven" and "a prosperous family with many children and blessings." She was immediately dizzy. After profusely thanking him, she was helped out by Xiqing and taken to her usual quiet room. She had no interest in chanting or chatting with others; her mind was preoccupied with the master's pronouncement. She was initially overjoyed, then filled with doubt. Just as she was feeling anxious, she suddenly remembered that there was a Kaibao Temple a few miles south. She thought she might as well go there and get a similar pronouncement. If it was the same there, then she would truly have married the right person.

Once the old lady had this idea, she couldn't sit still any longer. She even skipped her vegetarian meal, said goodbye to those people, and hurriedly went to Kaibao Temple. Sure enough, the result from Kaibao Temple was almost identical to the previous one. Although the details differed slightly, they all agreed on the final promise of a prosperous family with many children and blessings. Now the old lady was absolutely certain. She offered a generous sum of money for incense and then happily rushed home.

After hearing Xiqing's words, Danmei felt just as dizzy as the old lady had been. Still sitting motionless in her chair, she was pulled up by the old lady, who shook her head and clicked her tongue after seeing Danmei's hands pat her body a few times. "So thin and frail, how will she give me a big, fat grandson? I see that wealthy families in the capital eat very finely, but even the finest food can't compare to the nourishing brown sugar water stewed with chicken in the countryside. Xiqing, quickly have someone make it. From now on, my daughter-in-law must eat a bowl every day at mealtimes to get strong and healthy so she can wait for my son to come back."

Xiqing suppressed a laugh, responded, and left. Danmei was slightly embarrassed and didn't know what to say for a moment. The old lady saw her expression and thought she didn't believe her. She widened her eyes and said, "Daughter-in-law, don't disbelieve me. When I was giving birth to your husband, he was restless in my belly all night and wouldn't come out. His damned father went to the neighbor's and borrowed two chickens to make brown sugar water. I ate it and he came out as soon as I held my breath. It shows that this stuff is very nourishing. I didn't have any to eat before, but now you can eat as much as you want. The more you eat, the stronger you'll be when you give birth in the future."

Danmei was both amused and exasperated, and could only nod in agreement.

Old Mrs. Xu had never hidden her dislike for Danmei before, but now that dislike had faded, aside from finding Danmei a bit too thin, she found her increasingly pleasing to the eye. Naturally, she treated Danmei with heartfelt kindness, ensuring she received a bowl of braised chicken in brown sugar water with every meal. Danmei was fine for the first few days, but after four or five days, she grew tired of it, even finding the smell unpleasant. Knowing that too much was bad for her health, she mentioned to the old lady that she felt bloated. The old lady wouldn't listen, insisting that in her hometown of Qingmen, there was a saying that one needed to replenish their body for a full month to see any effect. Helpless, Danmei only scooped out a small amount of soup the next time it was served, and had the remaining soup secretly divided among the maids.

The old lady's sudden change in attitude towards her was naturally a good thing, but ever since Danmei learned the reason, she had felt something was amiss. She had never studied the supernatural theories of fate and destiny before, and while she didn't dare to completely deny them, she had always kept her distance. Now, here, it felt even more ethereal. She couldn't conclude whether her own fate chart was truly as the monks in the temple had predicted; the fact that both places had given the same result made it seem like it had been pre-arranged, which made her somewhat unconvinced, and the knot in her heart wouldn't go away. Suddenly, she remembered that the old lady had been persuaded by Xiqing to bring her and Xu Jinrong's birth charts, and she recalled that the old lady's expression towards her the day before seemed somewhat strange. A thought struck her, and she decided to call her over and ask her clearly. That day, while the old lady was taking a nap, he called her over. After chatting for a few minutes, he said, "Speaking of which, I still owe you a favor. On the fourth day of the previous month, thanks to you, I persuaded my mother-in-law to go and have my fortune told."

Xiqing blurted out, "It was instructed by the master before he left."

Danmei was taken aback.

Seeing that he had already spoken, Xiqing no longer concealed anything and said with a smile, "On the day before the lord left, he and his wife went to the old lady's place to say goodbye. After they came out, his wife went back to her own room, but the lord instructed me to take the old lady to the Shangfang Temple to have her birth charts read."

Upon hearing this, Danmei was stunned for a moment before finally saying, "Does Your Excellency have anything else to say?"

Xiqing shook her head and said, "Nothing else. I didn't understand what you meant at the time. But since you gave such an order, I naturally obeyed. I never expected it to be such a joyous occasion. Congratulations, Madam."

Danmei smiled wryly and said, "Thank you for your trouble. Starting next month, in addition to your original allowance, I'll add some more from my own pocket..."

Before Danmei could finish speaking, Xiqing hurriedly knelt down and said, "This servant dares not conceal anything. Master has already instructed the steward of the manor to increase my monthly allowance, so I dare not ask for more. Thank you for your kindness, Madam."

Seeing that her expression seemed genuine, Danmei said no more, and Xiqing then withdrew.

After the celebration left, Danmei sat on the bench by the window for half a day, unable to move. Her heart felt like a jumbled mess of emotions, and she couldn't even tell what it was anymore.

"Now that you've married me, I will protect you. Even if I'm not here, I won't let you suffer any injustice."

Danmei recalled the words the man had uttered as he rose after their entanglement in the tent that morning. At the time, she hadn't understood their meaning, thinking he was just saying it casually in the heat of the moment. Now, however, she realized it must have meant something like that. He must have known her mother was a devout believer in gods, Buddhas, and fortune tellers, which was why he orchestrated this before leaving. It was a pity she had been kept in the dark, completely unaware. If she hadn't become suspicious afterward and summoned Xiqing to inquire, she probably wouldn't have known for who knows how long.

Chapter Twenty

Summer arrived in the blink of an eye. The old lady continued her daily routine, planting vegetables and harvesting melons. Every fourth day, she would ask Danmei to accompany her to the temple to chant sutras. The steward of the main residence in the capital would come to inquire about her well-being every two or three days, and life was peaceful enough. However, one day the old lady developed a fever, complaining of headaches and nausea. Danmei hurriedly sent someone to the main residence in the capital to ask the steward to fetch a doctor. The doctor arrived that very day; it was the same Dr. Hu who had treated Danmei before. After a thorough examination, he diagnosed her with a heatstroke and prescribed medicine, telling her to take it and rest until she recovered.

Knowing that the old lady was unwell, the Zhou family, who lived in the main house, naturally took a carriage and rushed over every morning, saying they wanted to inquire after the old lady and the madam's health. Upon hearing that it was them, the old lady's brows furrowed so deeply they could trap a mosquito, and she immediately ordered them to be stopped outside the garden. The poor Zhou family, having traveled a long way, couldn't even get through the gate and were sent back, sweating profusely under the blazing sun.

Although Danmei also didn't want to see them, after three or four days in a row, she felt a little reluctant. When she heard from the maid that the concubines had come again early that morning, she thought for a moment, then called Xiqing over and gave her a few instructions. Xiqing then went out to tell her that the old lady was much better and that she had told the concubines they didn't need to come anymore.

The Zhou family knew they were not well-received, and although they felt some resentment, they were bound by custom. As long as the old lady wasn't fully recovered, they couldn't not come, so they had no choice but to come early every day. After being turned away for several days, they finally saw Xiqing, the old lady's trusted maid, come out. Hearing this, they breathed a sigh of relief. Knowing that Xiqing was the old lady's trusted maid, and that she had spoken up, they knew they wouldn't have to run around so much anymore. They quickly thanked her with a smile. Xiqing didn't say much, just smiled and nodded, watching them get into the carriage and leave.

The old lady was always robust, and after taking a few doses of medicine, her symptoms gradually lessened. After another seven or eight days of rest, she was almost completely recovered. However, her brow remained somewhat furrowed, and she lost interest in gardening, constantly muttering about her son who was away. Danmei then realized her thoughts; perhaps the illness was triggered by missing her son, so she naturally tried to comfort her with kind words. At first, the old lady was somewhat receptive, but that night she had a dream in which dark clouds obscured the sun, and a heavy rain began to fall. Upon waking, she became suspicious. Early the next morning, she got up and, together with Danmei, rushed to the Shangfang Temple to have her dream interpreted. Upon hearing that this was an ominous sign for the family, she immediately thought of her son far away, and her face turned pale with fright. She hurriedly asked if there was any way to avert the misfortune.

The monk who interpreted the dream smiled and said, "Good lady, do not be alarmed. Just perform a seven-day blessing and disaster-relief ritual here, and you will be guaranteed to turn bad luck into good and have everything go smoothly."

Upon hearing this, the old lady immediately nodded in agreement. If the monk hadn't said that they needed to prepare the ritual implements before the ceremony could begin the next day, Danmei could have seen that she was eager to start the ceremony right away.

Although Danmei had been here for less than two years, she already knew that most temples at this time were open for business, and many commoners even became monks to avoid taxes and military service. Even the renowned Xiangguo Temple opened its doors to the public for business five times a month, suggesting that it wasn't truly an escape from the mundane world, as evidenced by the seemingly real yet illusory fortune-telling she had received earlier. Moreover, seeing the monk's shifty eyes as he spoke, she figured he was probably just after some easy money. But since the old lady believed it, and as the saying goes, a mental illness needs a mental cure, and she didn't lack the money for these rituals, she let her spend the money for peace of mind—better than having her constantly nag at home.

The old lady indeed went to Shangfang Temple the next day, and the religious ceremony began in a lively manner. She didn't return until dusk. Danmei had accompanied her for three or four days, and the smoke from the incense and bells was making her head spin. She was somewhat impatient, but she couldn't leave. Seeing the old lady beside her, who was extremely energetic and full of piety, she felt a pang of gratitude for her motherly kindness. She also thought of how Xu Jinrong had treated her quite well. If it weren't for his previous arrangements, the old lady would probably still be finding fault with her, and she wouldn't be living such a comfortable life. Now that the ceremony had begun, she would sincerely pray for him before the gods and Buddhas, hoping for his safe return. That would be her way of showing her some compassion.

Having thought this through, Danmei found the incense smoke no longer bothersome and the bells no longer disturbing. From then on, she diligently accompanied the old lady in performing the rituals for six days. Coincidentally, on the seventh day, upon returning to the garden, she saw Steward Xu come over, saying that he had received a letter from the master from Huainan Road. He then respectfully handed it over before leaving.

The old lady was illiterate, so Danmei opened the letter and saw the words "Dear Mother, Please Open" at the top. Knowing it was addressed to the old lady, she slowly read it aloud to her. The letter was only a few lines long and the content was very simple. It said that she had just arrived in Huai'an Prefecture in Huainan East Road, and everything was going well. She asked her mother not to worry about her and to take care of herself.

Danmei read a sentence, and the old lady nodded. Seeing that Danmei suddenly stopped, she anxiously asked, "What else did he say?"

Danmei opened her mouth, but couldn't say anything. She hurriedly mumbled something and said, "That's all."

The old lady said "Oh," and although she still looked somewhat regretful, her expression was very different from a few days ago; she was extremely happy.

The old lady was delighted, but Danmei clutched the letter, her face slightly flushed. Fortunately, the old lady was too preoccupied with her own joy to notice her expression, and thus didn't suspect anything. It turned out that there was actually another paragraph at the end of the letter, just a few lines: "The beauty of a lotus in full bloom, the pitiful slender waist."

Danmei had only glanced at the letter before her heart skipped a beat, and she dared not read it aloud to the old lady. Seeing that the old lady was only smiling, she was about to secretly hide the letter when the old lady said, "Good child, let your mother see the letter herself."

Danmei was startled, and her face flushed red. Although she knew that the old lady was illiterate, she was still a little guilty. She hesitated for a moment, but seeing that she was being urged, she had no choice but to slowly hand it over.

The old lady took the letter, held it up to her face and examined it repeatedly, then folded it up and put it back in the envelope before taking it to her room to store it. Danmei slowly breathed a sigh of relief, feeling as guilty as if she had done something wrong.

Since Hui-jie arrived here, she had always lived in a separate room with her wet nurse. However, recently, with Xu Jinrong away, she sometimes went to Dan-mei's room in the evenings to keep her company. One time, she fell asleep on Dan-mei's bed, and Dan-mei didn't ask the wet nurse to take her back, but slept with her instead. Since that day, Hui-jie has frequently come to sleep with Dan-mei. The wet nurse has said this several times, but Dan-mei has stopped her, so she had no choice but to give up.

Tonight, Sister Hui was the same. She lay in Danmei's arms, listening to her tell a few jokes, then reached out and hugged her, laughing heartily. After she fell asleep, Danmei covered her stomach with a thin blanket, picked up a book to read again, but held it in her hands for a long time without turning a page, her mind preoccupied with the last paragraph of the letter Xu Jinrong had sent earlier that day.

He was clearly writing a letter to his mother, yet he suddenly added these two lines at the end. It seemed he had anticipated that his mother was illiterate and would have read the letter aloud, hence this deliberate teasing. For someone like him to actually compose such erotic lines was truly remarkable. And the handwriting was very messy, a stark contrast to the neatness of the previous lines, and the ink was also darker, as if written in haste. Could it be that he had written the letter in advance, and only added these two lines—clearly meant to flirt—when he was about to have it mailed? Suddenly recalling the scene that morning after they had finished, when he sat up on her outer side, beads of sweat dripping from his waist, Danmei felt a surge of heat and her heart race. As if afraid of being seen, she got out of bed, blew out the lamp, and closed the curtains.

The next morning, Danmei got up to receive some unexpected news. The old lady said she wanted to move to a quiet house behind Shangfang Temple to live peacefully for a while until her son returned.

It turned out that the old lady had received a letter from her son shortly after the seven-day Buddhist ceremony, which further solidified her belief in the monk's words. At that time, many large temples had built houses behind them called "quiet dwellings," specifically for devout Buddhist monks or laypeople to stay temporarily. The old lady was determined to pray for her son's safety and wished she could spend every day praying before the Buddha statue. Moreover, she believed that praying and chanting at the temple was far more effective than in her own home shrine. She had thought about it all night and came up with this idea. Being an impatient person, once she made up her mind, she started making arrangements to move there early this morning.

Upon hearing the old lady's plan, Danmei initially tried to offer some advice. However, the old lady was extremely stubborn and wouldn't listen, continuing to direct Xiqing and the other maids and servants to pack things up and load them onto the cart. Seeing that she wouldn't listen, Danmei stopped trying to persuade her, lest she become suspicious and think that she didn't care about her husband.

“Wife, you have nothing to do at home anyway, why don’t you move over with me? It’s always better to have another person to talk to.”

When Danmei heard the old lady suddenly speak to her like that, she secretly groaned inwardly and glanced at Xiqing to the side.

Xiqing had gradually become one of Danmei's confidantes. Seeing her looking over, he smiled and said, "Madam, the master will be sending messages every few days. If you go with him, the remaining maids and servants in the house are all rough and might cause delays. In my opinion, it would be better for you to go, Madam. You can stay at home and send messages to the master as soon as they come to you. That would be more appropriate."

The old lady thought it made sense and gave up. Danmei breathed a sigh of relief and smiled slightly at Xiqing.

Before noon, the old lady had packed her things, instructed the remaining women to watch the vegetable garden, and took Xiqing and two other maids with her as she went out. Danmei personally escorted her there, chose a few of the best rooms to stay in, donated incense to the temple, and then returned to her garden.

From then on, Danmei's life truly became carefree. She had no mother-in-law to serve, and her husband wasn't around to look after her. Every day or two, she would visit the Shangfang Temple, chat with the old lady, recite scriptures, and bring her anything she needed. The rest of her time was entirely her own, and naturally, she began to think about growing flowers again. Every few days, she would have Ding Da arrange a car to take her to the flower market at Donghuamen or Xingzhuang, buying any suitable plants for breeding. Gradually, a considerable number of pots and jars accumulated in front of her house. She carefully cultivated them every day, and the days flew by. Before she knew it, it was the end of August, almost three months since Xu Jinrong had left the capital.

Chapter Twenty-One

Early that morning, as usual, Danmei had Ding Da hitch up a donkey cart and took Miaoxia to Shangfang Temple to deliver the old lady the few summer clothes she had mentioned before, along with some melons and vegetables harvested from their own fields. Two or three other elderly women from other villages lived in the quiet house, practicing Buddhism. One said she had lost her son and had sold her land and house to live there in her old age; another was there seeking peace and tranquility; and the third, like Old Lady Xu, was temporarily staying to chant Buddhist prayers and pray for peace and safety for her home. The women lived together, keeping each other company.

Danmei chatted with the old lady for a while, and when she asked if any letters from Xu Jinrong had arrived, she said no. Seeing the old lady's disappointed expression, she thought for a moment and then comforted her, "Mother, don't worry. In his last letter, my husband mentioned that he wrote and sent it as soon as he arrived in Huai'an Prefecture, but the date on the cover indicated that he had left the capital more than a month ago, which shows that the journey was long. He must have been extremely busy with official duties when he first arrived there, so how could he have time to send letters every few days? Even if he had time to write and send it by express horse, it would still take more than a month to reach the capital. If he encountered rain or wind on the way, it wouldn't be surprising if it took two months. Mother, don't worry, perhaps my husband's letter is on its way now. I will stay at home and let you know as soon as there is any news."

After hearing Danmei's words, the old lady hesitated for a moment, then slapped her forehead and said, "How foolish I am. Just because I wait for his letter every day, does that mean I can't write to him? Daughter-in-law, you are literate and can write. I'll tell you what to do. Write it down as I say and have the steward send someone to Huai'an. Only then will I feel at ease."

Danmei initially thought that she had persuaded the old lady and was secretly relieved, but she didn't expect her to come up with such a suggestion in the blink of an eye, which made her a little troubled.

Danmei was in a dilemma, not because the old lady wanted to write a letter to her son, but because she had to write it herself. She could read and write without difficulty, but writing was a little challenging. Writing for her own amusement was fine, but now she had to write to Xu Jinrong. She wondered what he would think of her handwriting.

While Danmei hesitated there, Xiqing had already gone to the temple in front to borrow writing brushes, ink, paper, and inkstones. In no time, he happily brought them over and laid them on the table.

Seeing that the setup was already set up, Danmei had no choice but to go along with it. With a sigh, she rolled up her sleeves and sat down at the table.

The old woman thought for a moment and then said, "Daughter-in-law, tell him that I am in good health and that he shouldn't worry about me while he's away. It's his duty to serve the government, but he should also consider the consequences and think about the family at home. He should go out safely and come back safely. And don't kill them all. Alas, no one is born willing to become a bandit. If you can spare them, leave them a way to live. It's better to accumulate less bloodshed and more good karma..."

Danmei copied it down perfectly. When the old lady didn't say anything, she looked up and was about to ask if it was okay, but then she heard her say again: "Write it to him again, and tell her that this old woman said that I can't control what he does when he's away from home, but he's not allowed to bring back any shady people, not even those given by others. There are already three at home. If I see any more, I'll tear them off and sell them off."

Danmei paused, her hand froze, and a drop of ink splashed onto the paper, making a huge smudge.

The old lady looked up and saw that she wasn't writing. She thought she was frightened and shook her head, sighing, "You child, why are you so simple-minded? To put it nicely, you're virtuous; to put it bluntly, you're a blockhead. Back in the day, I was the most ruthless. When our family was still doing well, I kept that damned father of hers under control so he dared not have any disloyal thoughts. I couldn't control my son. It was fine before I didn't know, but now that I know your fates are so well-matched, why bring those useless people here? They've just wasted my family's money! I have no other hope now but that you two can give me a few more grandsons while I can still see. That's the most important thing."

The old lady continued talking, while Xiqing covered her mouth and turned her back, seemingly wanting to laugh but holding it in. Danmei was somewhat embarrassed by the old lady's words and remained silent, but inwardly extremely surprised, never expecting her mother-in-law to say such a thing. Although she felt a little embarrassed to ask Xu Jinrong to write these things, seeing the old lady's insistence, she had no choice but to write them down. After finishing, she glanced at them and suddenly had a strange thought: what kind of expression would Xu Jinrong have upon seeing this?

The old lady asked her to read it aloud. Danmei cleared her throat and began to read it word by word. The old lady listened, added or deleted a couple of sentences, and was satisfied. She hurriedly urged her to go back and give the letter to Steward Xu to send out.

Danmei returned to the garden and, not daring to be negligent, took out the letter she had written earlier and read it again. Her handwriting was not very good to begin with, and in her haste to write down the old lady's words, it was even more illegible, with a large ink stain on it. She couldn't bear to look at it herself, so she closed the door to keep everyone from disturbing her and sat down to rewrite it.

After Danmei finished copying it once, she suddenly remembered that she had forgotten to write the heading, so she hurriedly picked up her pen and added the four characters "Ziqing, my son" in the right margin. After writing it, she looked at it and chuckled to herself, feeling as if she were his mother lecturing him to behave. So she looked at it again from the beginning, but still wasn't satisfied, so she crumpled it up and rewrote it. After copying it for the third time, she finally felt somewhat satisfied. Realizing that this was all I could manage, and that copying wouldn't improve things much, I gently placed the pen on the shelf. I took a gold-leafed envelope from the drawer, waited for the ink to dry on the paper, and was about to fold it and put it back when I suddenly remembered the last two teasing lines in Xu Jinrong's letter. A sense of resentment washed over me. After a moment's hesitation, my mischievous impulse prevailed. I quickly unfolded the paper, dipped it in ink again, and pondered for a while. Then, a lightbulb went off. On the left side of the signature line, I began a new paragraph, slowly adding a line: "Thinking of you, yet unable to see you, I am thinner than a yellow chrysanthemum. I recently read this poem and deeply agree with it. Not daring to keep it to myself, I share it with you."

Danmei finished writing and blew on the ink to make it dry faster, but the more she thought about it, the funnier it became, until her face turned slightly red. She wondered what Xu Jinrong would think if he saw this passage.

Once the ink had completely dried, Danmei sealed the letter with sealing wax and gave it to a servant in the garden to deliver to Steward Xu in the city. Two days later, Steward Xu came again and reported that the letter had been sent to Huai'an Prefecture in Huainan Road by express post.

After sending the letter, Danmei naturally went to Shangfang Temple to inform the old lady. She had just returned to the garden and caught her breath when a maidservant came to report that a young girl had arrived at the garden gate, repeatedly saying she was looking for Lady Wen. The gatekeeper refused to let her in, but the girl wouldn't leave, and it looked like they were about to start arguing.

Upon hearing this, Danmei hurried to the garden gate and saw a thin, dark-skinned girl of about eleven or twelve years old. She recognized the girl; she was the granddaughter of an old flower grower surnamed Huang in Xingzhuang, and Danmei had bought flowers from her family a few times before. She quickly called the girl in.

Danmei was dressed much the same as she had been when she visited Xingzhuang. The young maid didn't know her identity and only thought she was the housekeeper. She said, "Madam Wen, when you came to my house to buy flowers last time, didn't you ask about the peony mother plant? My father asked me to come and tell you that he has found one for you from someone else. Would you like to go and take a look?"

Danmei was overjoyed upon hearing this. It turned out that she had been bored some time ago and had thought of buying some flowers to cultivate as seedlings for the following year. However, she had only bought common varieties, none of which were the most expensive peonies of the time. Even the ones she found were mostly weak, lower-grade varieties, unsuitable for division or cuttings. She visited Xingzhuang and the flower market several times, gradually becoming acquainted with a few flower growers. She then asked them to inquire if they had any good peony mother plants, and if so, she would contact Madam Wen of the Xu family behind the bluestone bridge in the village, who would then come and take a look.

Peonies are slow-growing perennial shrubs, and for the sake of next year, the best time to plant them is in autumn, around September. Now is the perfect time of year. The message was sent out half a month ago, and Danmei had thought she hadn't heard back yet, but unexpectedly received news, which naturally made her happy. Since it was almost noon, she treated the granddaughter of the Huanghua family to lunch, and asked the cook to pack some snacks for her to take with her. Then, she took Miaoxia, had Ding Da hitch up the carriage, and rode with the little girl to Xingzhuang. Upon arriving at the Huanghua family's house, they indeed saw a peony in a large jar, which looked to be about seven or eight years old, and the plant was quite robust. The Huanghua family said it was a red-flowered, peony of the Tuogui type, and next year when it blooms, the outer petals will be wide, flat, and hemispherical. A relative of his knew someone was willing to pay a high price for it, so he had it transported over.

Danmei knew that the red-flowered peony varieties were quite common and not particularly rare, such as Dahuhong, Yingjinhong, Xiutaohua, and Xiaoyehong. Finding one of this quality was already quite good, so she wasn't going to be picky. Hearing from the flower grower that her relative had offered ten thousand coins, which wasn't an exorbitant price, she readily agreed, paid a deposit, and had it carefully packaged and delivered to her home on a flatbed cart. She would pay the remaining balance later.

Danmei was delighted to have finally bought a peony of decent quality. She thanked Huang Huahu and his wife, telling them to let her know if she found any better varieties in the future. The elderly couple nodded in agreement. Just as Danmei was about to leave, she noticed the couple squatting by a pot of chrysanthemums, their brows furrowed, seemingly burdened by something. She couldn't help but ask them what was wrong.