Yeux charmants

Chapitre 5

Mu Qing was stunned. This appearance and figure really did have the beauty of a delicate flower reflected in water and a willow swaying in the breeze. Could it be that Lin Daiyu fell down to get married?

"Look at the old lady's demeanor, she looks at least ten years younger!" Liu, who was hosting the dinner tonight, went up to greet her.

"Your mouth can really make it snow from the sky..." The old lady glared at Liu, took the hand Liu offered, and took two steps to sit in the head seat.

Liu helped the old lady sit down, looking completely bewildered, and asked, "Your granddaughter-in-law is too dull to understand the deeper meaning behind your words, haha!"

"Sister-in-law, the old lady meant that your way of speaking is just like..." The woman behind her chuckled softly, "...eloquent and dazzling!"

"Ah!" Liu exclaimed, "Is the old lady mocking me or praising me? I have no choice but to persuade the old lady to have a few more drinks later. If you drink my wine, please don't criticize me in front of others!"

Seeing Liu's startled expression, the old lady laughed heartily, and everyone else naturally joined in. Mu Qing's mouth was dry, and she wasn't really paying attention to the three-person comedy routine she'd just been listening to. She just grinned casually to keep up with the atmosphere. Everyone sat down, keeping the old lady company as Liu chatted about interesting anecdotes, and no one paid any attention to her. Only then did she reach out and pick up two grapes from the plate on the table, popping them into her mouth and chewing them. The juice filled her mouth—so sweet!

Just as Mu Qing was about to swallow, she heard Zhou's shrill voice, which startled her so much that she choked and coughed incessantly.

"Qing'er, do you like rabbit eyes? Look at you, anyone who didn't know better would think your mother is mistreating you!" Zhou's voice was soft and gentle, full of tenderness and pity to outsiders. "Look at you, coughing so badly! It's heartbreaking!"

Everyone turned to look at the sound. Mu Qing coughed, inwardly cursing. "Even eating grapes gets me into trouble?" she thought. She'd known from the start that Zhou Shi wasn't a kind person; this was a dirty trick, deliberately trying to scare people!

"Qing'er, what's wrong?" Madam Qian turned around and asked.

"Qing'er, are you alright?" The old matriarch, sitting at the head of the table, also spoke.

When Liu saw the grapes on the table behind Mu Qing, she turned to the old lady and said, "She must have eaten them too quickly and choked!"

The old lady nodded to indicate that everything was alright, then looked at Mu Qing. Mu Qing took a while to catch her breath before stopping her cough. She pouted, her nose twitched, and her eyes welled up with tears, as if she was about to cry. "Grandma, Qing'er choked on grapes."

Zhou smiled sarcastically, "You don't even take good care of your own children. All you do is eat, just listen to your elders... Humph! Sister-in-law, I think when you're ordering servants around for Si Lang's family tomorrow, you should choose a few well-behaved ones to serve Qing'er."

Madam Qian glanced indifferently at the smug Madam Zhou, then turned to the old lady and said, "Please forgive me, Madam. It was my fault for not taking good care of Qing'er. I will definitely teach her manners properly when we get back."

"Don't think it's a big deal. Children get hungry easily, so it's okay for them to have some snacks! Come here, Qing'er, come to Grandma's side."

"Apologize properly to the Old Madam." Madam Qian released Mu Qing, letting her walk over. Mu Qing sidled up to the Old Madam, her eyes already brimming with tears, on the verge of sobbing, "Qing'er was rude!"

The old lady felt sorry for him and quickly said, "Don't cry, don't cry!"

“Qing’er shouldn’t have been greedy. It was because Auntie’s grapes were so delicious that Qing’er couldn’t resist eating a couple more. So when Auntie was talking to Qing’er, Qing’er didn’t notice and choked… coughing so loudly, disturbing the old lady and the aunts and uncles’ conversation. It was Qing’er’s fault!” Mu Qing’s little mouth twitched, and tears rolled down her cheeks like a broken string, landing on the old lady’s hand.

"Fourth Madam, you're really something. You're an old woman, why are you scaring the child for no reason? Last time your son was eating candied dates, a servant scared him so much he almost fainted, and you even had someone beat him up and chase him out. How come you don't remember anything now? Come on, Ling'er, come and comfort your Qing'er!" The old lady hugged Mu Qing and gently shook her, stroking her back, afraid that she would cry so hard that she would choke up.

Madam Zhou, the second wife, was speechless. She hadn't expected that Mu Qing, such a young child, would pin the blame on her and be scolded by the old lady for no reason. Just as she was about to explain, "Old lady, what does this have to do with my Xing-ge? You can't blame it all on him..."

"Grandma, it's almost time. Shall we have someone serve tea?" Before Zhou could finish speaking, her mother-in-law, He, interrupted her, giving her a series of meaningful glances. Zhou had no choice but to give up. She curtsied to the Grandma, then glared at Mu Qing's retreating figure before turning away and remaining silent.

Mu Qing secretly rejoiced at Zhou Shi's humiliation. Like attracts like; today she witnessed firsthand that Zhou Shi and Shu Er were truly a pair—petty and always insisting on being right. But how could she always get the upper hand? She had offended her, and even if she tolerated it today, who knew when Zhou Shi would come looking for trouble again? Mu Qing coldly watched the exchange of glances between the eldest daughter-in-law and mother-in-law. Who knew if this "good cop" Zhou Shi was actually the same He Shi, the one wielding a gun against the second daughter-in-law?

Mu Qing was momentarily stunned, then caught a whiff of a delicate fragrance. The young woman who had been following the old lady had gracefully approached her. Mu Qing looked up, and a pale purple handkerchief was offered to her, gently wiping away the tears on her face. The handkerchief also carried a faint scent of jasmine.

Mu Qing thought the scent was faint and pleasant.

(On Christmas Eve, although it's a Western holiday, I still wish everyone a happy Christmas!)

Chapter Eleven: Tea Making

"Don't cry, your face will be all stained, no one will like you anymore!" The young woman's voice was light and gentle.

The few tears Mu Qing squeezed out had served their purpose; they dried quickly after a couple of wipings. She looked up at the young woman whom the old lady called "Ling'er," and thinking about the people who had just arrived, only the third branch of the family was missing. She guessed that the woman in front of her must be the sixth daughter-in-law. She had heard her mother say that the sixth daughter-in-law and the eldest daughter-in-law were cousins.

Mu Qing didn't dare to call out to anyone rashly. Just as she was about to turn and ask the old lady, she noticed the young woman staring at her blankly. Confused, Mu Qing subconsciously moved closer to the old lady.

"He looks just like Liu Lang!" the young woman muttered to herself. Mu Qing clearly felt the old lady holding her tremble slightly. Her heart pounded. What did that mean? Could it be that the "cat" they were talking about that afternoon was the deceased Liu Uncle? All sorts of signs made a very melodramatic thought pop into Mu Qing's mind, but she suppressed it in an instant.

“Qing’er looks more like her father. Father and Sixth Uncle are brothers, so naturally they look alike. Therefore, Qing’er should look like Sixth Uncle!” Mu Qing disliked the idea that suddenly popped into her head. She was living a good life now, with a loving father and mother, and she didn’t want to make herself unhappy. To get rid of this strange atmosphere, she spoke first.

"Granddaughter-in-law has lost her composure, please forgive her, Madam!" The young woman was startled by Mu Qing's words, quickly calmed herself down, regained her composure, and apologized to the Madam with a smile.

The old lady nodded slightly and pointed to the young woman, saying to Mu Qing, "Qing'er, this is your sixth aunt."

Mu Qing stepped out of the old lady's embrace, gave a deep bow to Sixth Sister Liu, and was about to return to Qian Shi's side when the old lady stopped her, instructing her to sit beside her when the banquet began. Although Mu Qing didn't know why the old lady favored her so much, she naturally seized the opportunity given to her by the old lady's favor.

Everyone took their seats, and after exchanging a few polite words, the old lady instructed the banquet to begin.

In the Northern Song Dynasty, it was customary to serve tea before soup at meals. Tea was drunk before the meal, and soup was drunk afterward. Today's banquets are no exception. The first item on the menu is tea.

Three maids carried in a small red clay stove, a silver soup pot, and a white porcelain jar. The stove was burning with charcoal, the embers glowing red.

"Why are you carrying a stove in on such a hot day?" the old lady asked, frowning.

The older woman, Liu, pursed her lips at the younger woman, Liu, beside her and said, "It was my sister's idea. I was worried about you getting too hot, but she insisted... You should ask her!"

The old lady turned to Xiao Liu, who was in no hurry. She gestured to the maid to put away the tea-making supplies and said slowly, "Drinking hot tea in the dog days of summer makes it easier to sweat, which helps to dispel toxins and reduce heat. If we wait for the tea to be brewed before bringing it up, the aroma will dissipate along the way, and the taste will be worse. It's better to brew it fresh. Have the maids stay away so you won't get too hot. This water is spring water that I had someone get from Lingyin Mountain. Today, thanks to my eldest sister-in-law and fourth sister-in-law, I brought back some fine Emei white tea from Sichuan. Please have the first cup and savor it, Old Madam."

Meanwhile, a maid had already crushed a tea leaf and put it into a silver teapot. She added water and heated it over the charcoal fire until it was boiling. The tea leaves were bubbling loudly. Little Liu herself held up a small pot and added cold spring water to the teapot, stopping the boiling water. The sound gradually subsided. When the tea water boiled again, she added cold water to stop it. She did this three times.

A beautiful woman, her green dress lightly draped, uses her slender hands to brew fragrant tea, filling the room with its aroma. The true flavor of the tea likely depends entirely on the power of these "three points".

With a flick of her wrist, Xiao Liu finished three rounds of tea, opened the teapot, filtered out the tea dust, and poured the tea into teacups—a series of fluid and graceful movements. The old lady couldn't help but praise her, but Xiao Liu modestly admitted that her skills were not up to par and then had tea served to everyone.

The maid didn't know if Mu Qing drank tea, but since she was seated and there wasn't an empty cup in front of her, she brought her one as well. Mu Qing picked it up and took a sip. The taste was indeed different from what she had drunk before. She thought to herself, "Making tea seems simple, but the process of controlling the heat, adding the tea, and opening the pot shows that Xiao Liu Shi really has some skill."

As the old lady wiped the tea from the corner of her lips with a silk handkerchief, she asked, "Qing'er is still young, I'm afraid she won't be used to the taste of this tea, hmm?" She watched Mu Qing drink the tea with the air of a little adult, and the more she looked at her, the more she liked her. Although she didn't particularly like Madam Qian, seeing that her great-granddaughter had learned good manners, her prejudice against Madam Qian lessened somewhat.

"Qing'er thinks this tea is more fragrant than usual; it must be because Sixth Aunt's tea-making skills are excellent!"

"Oh, Qing'er likes it? Then how about she learns from Sixth Sister tomorrow?" Little Liu's furrowed eyebrows relaxed, and she chuckled.

"Alright, don't dislike Qing'er for being clumsy when the time comes, Sixth Sister."

"I say, Fourth Sister, is your Qing'er a fairy descended from heaven with a silver tongue? She's so lovable! Oh, when will I be able to carry a daughter like her in my belly?" Liu Shi chimed in as soon as Mu Qing finished speaking. Her tone sounded sincere, but there was always that busybody who had to jump in.

Having just suffered a loss, Zhou seized the opportunity to mock, "Who doesn't hope to have a son? Sister-in-law, you're content with having a son, and your eldest son is quite promising. But some people want to have children but can't have a son!"

Everyone in the house knew that among this grandson's generation, besides the unmarried Seventh Son, only the Fourth Son's family had no sons. Since having Mu Qing, Madam Qian had been childless for many years, and Madam Zhou was deliberately trying to rub salt in her wounds. The others turned a deaf ear, secretly pleased but not saying a word, their eyes all fixed on Madam Qian, waiting to see her response. Madam Qian felt a tightness in her chest, but knew that the more she paid attention to Madam Zhou, the more arrogant Madam Zhou would become, so she simply drank her tea and ate her fruit, ignoring Madam Zhou.

Mu Qing was worried that her mother would be in a difficult position and was thinking of how to speak up to help her out. At that moment, Xiao Liu interrupted, "Sister-in-law, you've eaten a lot of the fragrant herbs and fruits on this table. Are you afraid we'll eat you out of house and home? Why aren't you serving any more dishes yet?" Xiao Liu put down her chopsticks and looked at Liu Shi, completely unaware of the glare Zhou Shi was giving her for being nosy.

"Young Master, please serve the dishes!"

Upon hearing the old lady's words, Madam Liu quickly ordered the dishes to be served. In no time, eight cold dishes were presented on the table, arranged on six- or seven-inch blue-and-white porcelain plates: wine-marinated shrimp, rabbit breast, eggplant with scallion blossoms, lotus root with pickles, salted duck, crystal-clear frozen meat, and spicy cucumber strips. Next came twelve hot dishes served on nine-inch plates of the same color, a wide variety: stir-fried quail with three delicacies, stir-fried frog legs, braised white fish with wine, braised pork hock with wine and vinegar and tofu, crab-stuffed orange, stuffed lung, steamed goose, braised beef, stir-fried celery with pork, braised bamboo shoots with assorted mushrooms, stir-fried venison, and stir-fried amaranth. Finally, four desserts were served: thin-skinned spring cocoon buns, crispy jade leaves, rice cakes, and almond milk, along with two large bowls of soup, named crab skewers and radish skewers.

Hearing the names of the dishes being announced, Mu Qing felt an increasing need to go to the kitchen. Things like "qian" meant soup, "lu fu" meant radish, and "xie" meant garlic were all new to her. Back in Danling, there were never so many rules; they never announced the names of the dishes for every meal. Even if it was just casual talk, she hadn't paid much attention. Seeing this spectacle today was truly eye-opening. Mu Qing chewed on her rice, looking at the table full of dishes, her mind churning. So extravagant! If a small family banquet was like this, what must a grand banquet be like?

Since today was for Qian Shi and Mu Qing to clean up, Liu Shi specially prepared mead, pouring a small cup for each person as a formality.

A maidservant served food to Mu Qing, who selected a few of her favorite dishes and ate until she was about 80% full. Finally, Madam Liu served a digestive soup, which everyone drank and rinsed their mouths with. The meal was then considered finished.

After finishing a bowl of soup, her stomach was already bulging, and Mu Qing sat beside the Old Madam, her eyelids drooping, feeling sleepy. Seeing this, Qian Shi, thinking her daughter had been tired all day, prepared to take her leave. However, the Old Madam said that the Fourth Prince's family had just returned and were in a flurry of activity, so Mu Qing could stay in her courtyard that night. Since the Old Madam had spoken, Qian Shi couldn't object, so she left Mu Qing in the Old Madam's courtyard and returned to the west courtyard with Zhang Shi.

(It's Friday! Have a great weekend everyone~ Please vote, favorite, and comment! ~~O(∩_∩)O)

Chapter Twelve Night Talk

In the small courtyard of Chen Yu's family on the east side of the west courtyard, Chen Yu had finished his banquet. He had drunk too much wine, so Qian Shi asked Bi Yan to make him Er Chen Tang (a type of herbal soup). He drank two bowls of it, and Chen Yu became much more sober.

Madam Qian took a cloth from the copper basin, wrung it out until it was half-dry, folded it, and placed it on Chen Yu's forehead. Then she sat down by the bed and told him what had happened after he left that afternoon. She also mentioned that the feast had ended and the old lady liked Mu Qing, so she had him stay overnight.

Chen Yu responded with his eyes closed, "It's a good thing that Qing'er has won the old lady's favor!" After saying that, he fell silent again, and it was unclear whether he was asleep or awake.

“Qing’er is growing up. In a few more years, I’m afraid there will be even more gossip! What if one day we can’t hide it anymore…” Madam Qian sighed softly, “My belly is also not cooperating. After all these years, I haven’t given you a son or daughter.”

"Muqing is my daughter. Yueniang, don't make things difficult for yourself. I know you've been secretly seeking remedies everywhere." Chen Yu opened his eyes, and taking advantage of his drunkenness, he held Qian Shi's hand, somewhat moved. "You've suffered so much these past years!"

Madam Qian felt a pang of sadness, her eyes reddened, and her voice choked with emotion as she said, "This time you're back, how about we take two into our household? If you don't like the gossip in the courtyard, you can buy two from outside. I think Biyan is quite nice; she's pretty and reliable..."

"Did Mother say something to you?" Chen Yu pulled off the cloth from his forehead and sat up. "Did she pressure you again like before?"

"No, Mother didn't say anything. It was my own idea. Qing'er is already six years old, and you don't even have a son. Others..." Tears welled up in Madam Qian's eyes, and she couldn't hold them back, so they fell.

Chen Yu wasn't one to listen to pleasantries. His earlier lamentations were all fueled by the few bowls of wine he'd drunk that evening. Now, seeing Qian Shi in tears, a surge of tenderness welled up within him, yet he didn't know how to begin. He reached out to wipe her tears, and after a long pause, he said with pity, "What's destined to be yours will be yours, and what's not, you can't force. This place isn't like Danling. Adding another person to the household would only bring more trouble. I never even considered it when we were in Danling, and naturally, I have no intention of doing so now that we're back. Just ignore what others are saying and don't create more trouble for yourself. Our family is doing just fine; let's not talk about taking a concubine anymore."

Inside, a red candle popped with a loud crackling sound, and the sobbing gradually subsided. Outside, the night remained quiet.

...

Meanwhile, in the middle courtyard, the old lady left Mu Qing in her own room and didn't have anyone arrange another room for her. The old lady was worried that Mu Qing wouldn't be able to sleep well because she was unfamiliar with beds, so she insisted on keeping her in her own room to feel at ease.

After the meal, the old lady had her maidservants help Mu Qing take a bath. Several gauze bags containing spices were at the bottom of the wooden tub; they were different from the ones used in Danling, smelling like pine resin but milder. Two young maidservants followed, washing Mu Qing from head to toe with soap. After the bath, Mu Qing felt much more relaxed. Afterward, the old lady took the dry towel from the maidservant to dry Mu Qing's hair. The old woman serving nearby advised her not to do it herself, but the old lady insisted.

Mu Qing felt the old lady gently squeeze the water out of her hair with a cloth wrapped around it, as if afraid of hurting her. Mu Qing couldn't understand why the old lady was so tender towards her. There were already six or seven great-grandchildren under the old lady's care. Although her eldest son, Chen Nian, had a daughter born out of wedlock, she was already married. Her mother said that the old lady doted on her third brother from the third branch of the family the most, and that he must have gone to welcome her father today, which was why she hadn't seen him. But she had never been by the old lady's side to show filial piety for a single day. Why did the old lady show such favor to her, her great-granddaughter who had just returned from out of town, on their first meeting? Her father had been ostracized and sent to Meizhou, which meant he wasn't a favored person. It didn't make sense that he liked her because of him... Suddenly, a thought flashed through her mind. Had she overlooked something? Could it be because of her sixth uncle, Mao'er? Mu Qing became increasingly curious about her sixth uncle.

The grandfather and grandson chatted for a few minutes about everyday matters, mainly asking Mu Qing how she was doing in Danling and whether she had learned to read and write. Mu Qing remembered Qian Shi's instructions and recounted some interesting anecdotes from her daily life. As for her literacy, she only mentioned that her father, Chen Yu, had taught her to recognize a few characters.

"Well, a girl only needs to know a few characters; she doesn't need to study those books. She can't become the top scholar anyway. Tomorrow, she can stay in your great-grandmother's courtyard. I'll find you a needlework teacher so you can learn needlework, embroidery, and etiquette. Laying a good foundation early will ensure you marry well in the future." The old lady said slowly, applying a little force to her hair, which was wrapped in a white cloth, before letting go. "Alright, get up and comb it smooth again."

Mu Qing agreed verbally, but inwardly she felt sorry for herself. She knew that in ancient times, one couldn't succeed without learning these things. But needlework and embroidery were delicate skills, and on top of that, one had to learn etiquette. She was only six years old; was it too early for the old lady to be so concerned with raising a proper young lady? Recalling the old lady's words, she remembered that the old lady had mentioned letting her stay in the central courtyard. Stay? If she stayed there, wouldn't she lose the opportunity to practice calligraphy and study?

Mu Qing felt depressed, but dared not show it on her face. She sat beside the old lady, listening to the servants' jokes. When her hair was about 80-90% dry, everyone was tired and went to bed.

The old lady's bedroom was an inner and outer room, and there was a small room behind the multi-treasure pavilion where Mu Qing stayed at night. Yun Cui, the old lady's head maid, made up the bed and helped her to sleep. After a long day, Mu Qing was really tired, and as soon as she touched the bed, she fell into a deep sleep.

...

Outside, the candlelight was still burning.

Yun Cui and the other maids were all sent out by the old lady, leaving only the old lady and her personal servant Zhang Ma in the room.

The old lady leaned against the couch, and Zhang Ma fanned her. "The old lady really cares about Qing'er from Si Lang's family."

"Yes, this girl is adorable."

"But you've always treated everyone equally, yet now you only show favoritism towards Qing'er. I wonder what the other families in the courtyard are thinking. I really don't understand what you mean by this."

The old lady sighed, "The older the children get, the more trouble they cause. Zhang forced her son away back then, and she must have been thinking about him all these years. But my daughter-in-law is not one to back down. It's true that she thinks about her son and granddaughter, but she would never say it out loud. The eldest son thinks I don't know what they're thinking and that they want to take advantage of any opportunity. He dragged the second son over and said that Zhang misses her son, and that Silang has worked so hard for so many years, so it's time for him to come back and enjoy life. Silang has worked hard for several years and got a title as an official merchant. He has taken the route of border sales with tea permits, and the income of the Meizhou shop has increased by 50% or 60% in the past few years."

The old lady waved her hand, and Zhang Ma hurriedly put down her fan and handed her a teacup.

The old matriarch's mind was in turmoil, and it was true that she harbored ulterior motives. She knew perfectly well that the eldest son's family was full of money-grubbing schemers, and the eldest son was simply envious. The second son was a playful fellow; in his youth, he spent his days chasing chickens and dogs, and in his old age, he had adopted a pretentious air of refinement. This time, she wondered if he had acquired some antique or calligraphy painting from the eldest son, which was why he had remained silent and hadn't uttered a single word in the end. She simply went along with the eldest son's wishes and brought back the fourth son. Firstly, she wanted the second son's family to have someone capable of handling things, so they wouldn't suffer too much in the future. Secondly, the fourth son and the sixth son were close brothers, and she could rest assured about the affairs of the third son's family with him around. Considering her age, she was still quite capable, and worrying about her children and grandchildren was truly exhausting.

The old lady took a sip and continued, "I went along with them because I didn't want the younger ones to cause trouble behind my back. At my age, I might be gone any day... I can't take it anymore! As for how well I treat Qing'er, it's also to appease Silang. Besides, this girl is quite pleasing to the eye, and there's more..."

As Zhang Ma massaged the old lady's shoulders, she noticed her silence and asked in a low voice, "Is it because of Liu Lang?"