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Cailian said, "The Qian family is all very loose-fisted. Why is this Thirteenth Sister so stingy? There must be a reason." Ayun had always admired Azhu's skill with a stick. Seeing that an opportunity had come, she went to get a broom. Azhu, now a stewardess, was more mature than before and stopped her, saying, "Why hit her? It will give people something to talk about. Let's call her in and have a talk."

Everyone was already indignant on behalf of the young mistress, and upon hearing this, they all understood that this was meant to put Qian Shisan Niang in a difficult position and to vent the young mistress's anger. So they all agreed and glanced at Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan was only concerned with coaxing Wu Ge, pointing to the pine tree hanging with various trinkets for him to see, and casually said, "Don't go too far." Upon hearing this, the old woman, without waiting for A Xiu and the others to give any instructions, ran back to the side gate in a flash, led Qian Shisan Niang in, and pointed out the way for her while saying, "Young lady, watch your step, don't go the wrong way, our young master isn't home."

Qian Shisan Niang's eyes were already darting around, and when she heard this, her face turned red. When she looked up again, she saw that all the maids and wives in the courtyard were staring at her, and she immediately wished she could disappear into the ground. Seeing her face flushed, Ayun pulled Axiu aside and muttered, "When she tried to rush into our courtyard to seduce the young master that day, why didn't she care about her reputation like this?" Qian Shisan Niang, being a lady of a respectable family, couldn't bear such words. She raised her head again, wanting to find Xiaoyuan to demand an explanation, but Xiaoyuan was standing far away in the courtyard looking at the pine tree and didn't hear her. She had no choice but to swallow her anger, walk over to greet her, and force a smile as she asked, "Sister-in-law, I've only ever heard of cutting pine branches to burn in braziers. Why is there such a big pine tree here?" Xiaoyuan very kindly pointed to the cloth tiger and silver bell on the tree for her to see: "Since this pine tree has so many branches, they hung little trinkets on it to amuse the children." Just then, the maids and wives gathered around. Acai moved over a chair, Ayun put on a fox fur, and Cailian invited Xiaoyuan to sit down: "Young mistress, sit down and rest for a while. You've been standing for so long." Then she called over Sun Shi and Sister-in-law Yu to come and hold Wu Ge.

Xiao Yuan noticed that Qian Shisan Niang was still standing, so she asked why she didn't bring chairs for the guests. A Xiu bowed respectfully and replied, "We only have two chairs in our courtyard, one for the young master and one for the madam. There's no room for more."

As the saying goes, "listen to the sound of the gong and drum, listen to the tone of the words." Qian Shisan Niang was muddle-headed but not stupid. She naturally knew that this was a warning not to covet the concubine. But since she had come, how could she admit defeat before even starting? So she immediately changed the subject and asked Xiao Yuan, "I heard that you are born out of wedlock?"

As soon as she finished speaking, she saw everyone glaring angrily, so she quickly added, "I was also born out of wedlock. Children born to concubines suffer at home."

Xiao Yuan remembered the few coins in the old woman's palm. Looking at Qian Shisan Niang's clothes, she realized they were indeed inferior to those of Cheng San Niang and Ji Liu Niang. Qian Shisan Niang had also suffered greatly. Xiao Yuan couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy. She ordered someone to bring a porcelain stool for Qian Shisan Niang to sit on.

Qian Shisan Niang sat down on the cold porcelain stool, feeling a chill run down her spine. The kind-faced, even somewhat taciturn, young mistress of the Cheng family before her seemed unlikely to be easy to deal with.

Xiao Yuan sat upright in the chair. She smiled and said, "I am born of a concubine and am not favored by my stepmother. Yet, I was still brought in as a legal wife with all the proper rites and betrothal gifts. Thirteen Sister, you don't need to worry too much. Once you find a good husband and get married, life will naturally be better."

Qian Shisan Niang scrutinized her closely. She wore a slightly worn long dress, her face unadorned, with only a jade hairpin in her hair. Yet, she exuded an air of elegance. She secretly clutched the three ornaments hidden in her sleeve, not daring to take them out. With downcast eyes and tears welling in her eyes, she said, “I don’t have my sister-in-law’s skills. I’m destined to be someone’s concubine. My younger sisters are all betrothed. Only I seem to be unseen. If I don’t take advantage of my youth and shamelessly find a way out for myself, when I get older, the only path left will be becoming a nun.”

"That's a brilliant move, playing the 'bitter fate' card." Xiao Yuan secretly praised him, tears welling up in her eyes. She glanced at the other maids beside her; their eyes were also red. Qian Shisan Niang stole glances at everyone, thinking, "Even a porcelain stool is still a stool. He really is a kind person. This matter is probably mostly settled."

Unexpectedly, Xiao Yuan, tears streaming down her face, grasped her hand. She said with utmost sincerity, "We were born of concubines, so our lives are bitter. Must we also become concubines ourselves, bearing several illegitimate children to suffer the same fate?" Qian Shisan Niang seemed moved. She murmured for a long while, then asked in return, "Sister-in-law, find one for me?"

Xiao Yuan kindly advised her, but was met with such a response, which made her a little angry. She simply went along with what the other woman was saying and said, "What's so difficult about that? Leave it to me, sister-in-law. You go back home for the New Year first, and next spring, I'll definitely help you out."

Qian Shisan Niang was taken aback when she realized that Xiao Yuan had misunderstood her meaning. Then, seeing that Xiao Yuan only mentioned finding a husband for herself and not for Ji Liu Niang, she was even more surprised: "Since you're so kind, why don't you find one for Ji Liu Niang too?" Xiao Yuan smiled slightly but didn't answer, only glancing at the second courtyard where Madam Qian lived. Qian Shisan Niang's hand tightened in her sleeve as the tip of a hairpin pierced her palm, causing her to cry out in pain. She hurriedly took her leave.

Ah Xiu served tea, patting her chest as she said, "I was so worried when the young mistress shed tears just now, afraid that you would soften your heart and take her into your household." Xiao Yuan glanced at her with a smile: "Weren't your eyes red just now? Where was your kindness?"

Everyone burst into laughter, the sound drifting into the main room of the third courtyard. Ji Liu Niang's long fingernails dug into her flesh as she said angrily, "Aunt, look at their arrogant attitude! Won't they stand up for me?" Madam Qian, still dazed from Cheng Ershen's visit, rubbed her temples and said, "I can't be too forward; I can only arrange things for you secretly. Don't be impatient. Go back to my parents' home for the New Year first, and we'll talk about everything after spring."

Ji Liu Niang complained, "I am a legitimate young lady, and I have prepared a dowry of hundreds of thousands. I could have found a good family anywhere. But I believed my cousin's sweet words in the letter and traveled all the way to Lin'an. Only after entering the Cheng family did I realize that your so-called good second son is not only a cripple, but also has a wife and an eldest son. I have been fooled by you."

When Madam Qian heard that she was being described as a fraud, she couldn't contain her anger and said, "I heard that you were sent here by my aunt because you didn't have a good reputation in Quanzhou." Ji Liu Niang forgot that Madam Qian had just moved from Quanzhou and knew her background very well, so her momentum waned and she stammered and begged her again.

Madam Qian, seeing that things were going well, comforted her, saying, "After the New Year, I'll invite you to stay with me again. There's plenty of time in the future, no need to rush. You don't know, but today Aunt Cheng came again, saying that I'm not young anymore and I'm worried that I won't be able to have a son, so she wants to give me her youngest son. My family fled to Lin'an because all the relatives wanted to give my mother a son, and now I'm experiencing the same kind of trouble."

Ji Liuniang said, "No wonder you don't like Qian Shisan Niang, Aunt. Her family must have had their eye on her too." Madam Qian nodded, "She's nothing to worry about. What can one person achieve by fighting alone? You just need to find a chance to appease Erlang." Ji Liuniang was quite skilled at appeasing men, otherwise she wouldn't have such a bad reputation. She nodded with seven parts smugness and three parts concern for Madam Qian: "Aunt, what if Aunt Cheng really tries to force a son on you?"

Madam Qian sighed, "This matter is not a concern right now. Our master doesn't want to have a nephew to divide the family property. It's just that I'm more than ten years younger than him. He'll probably die before me. Who knows if the clan head will force a nephew on me when he passes away?"

Ji Liuniang comforted her, saying, "Auntie has money, what's there to be afraid of? At worst, she can remarry with her dowry. It's a righteous thing for a widow to remarry. Madam herself can say the words 'pass away,' but she doesn't want to hear others mention 'widow.' Her face darkened, and she said, 'What do you know? Second Aunt Cheng comes to bother me every day, making it impossible for me to do anything. And since she's a close relative, I can't scold her or drive her away.' After saying that, she urged Ji Liuniang to hurry back to the Qian family for the New Year, lest she spend the holiday at her future husband's family. If she ruins her reputation in Lin'an, how will she be able to sit in the position of the main wife in the future?

Just as Madam Qian didn't want to hear about "widows," Ji Liu Niang didn't want to hear about "bad reputations." But since Madam Qian was still thinking of her, she could only smile and thank her, then went back to her room to pack her things and took a sedan chair to the Qian family.

In the afternoon, Cheng Mutian finished work early and went home to have some congee. As soon as he entered the courtyard, he saw the big, colorful pine tree in the courtyard. He went closer to take a closer look and saw that it was wrapped with colorful ribbons, sprinkled with colored paper, and had many toys for children hanging with thin cotton ropes. He took Wu Ge from Xiao Yuan's hands, picked up a small bell and rang it for him, and said with a smile, "This tree is nice. The child will definitely like it."

Xiao Yuan instructed the servants to hang more food on the pine tree, and laughed, "You really are knowledgeable; I thought you'd be making a big fuss about it." Cheng Mutian carried his son back to his room and said, "It's just a tree with a few things hanging on it, what's so strange about it? I even think you hung too few; it's not enough for our Wu-ge to play with." Xiao Yuan's mind started working, and she discussed with him, "After the New Year, why don't we invite a skilled craftsman to our house and make more nice things for Wu-ge? What do you say?"

Cheng Mutian praised, "That's more like a mother's love. We'll invite her over as soon as the first month of the lunar calendar is over next year." Xiao Yuan's little plan started again. She took out paper and pen and started drawing, hoping to add another shop to her family's dowry next year.

Chapter 84 Drum Song

After the 25th of the twelfth lunar month, the New Year was just around the corner. Firecrackers were set off in Lin'an until the first day of the Lunar New Year. Xiao Yuan was sitting at the door with Wu Ge in her arms. When she saw the servants coming to the courtyard to set off firecrackers, she hurriedly waved her hand and said, "Wu Ge is still young. Don't scare him."

Cheng Mutian came out holding a wire and laughed, "He's not afraid at all. Yesterday, I took him to the gate, and there were such loud firecrackers, but I didn't hear him cry once." Xiao Yuan saw that there was something tied to the end of the wire in his hand, so she asked what it was. Cheng Mutian moved a few steps away from her, stretched out the wire and lit it. The thing wrapped around it immediately caught fire, and sparks flew everywhere.

"So it's fireworks! How are these made?" Xiao Yuan asked in surprise. Cheng Mutian had a little girl hold up the wire he was holding, and took another unlit wire, holding it in front of her. He pointed to the things tied to the end of the wire and said, "This is called 'Fire Bayberry.' It's filled with jujube pulp and charcoal dust. I specially found it to show Brother Wu." Xiao Yuan handed it to Brother Wu, who took the "Fire Bayberry" and looked at it. She asked, "Tying it with charcoal dust is one thing, but why is it stuffed with jujube pulp?" Cheng Mutian pointed to the sparks for Brother Wu and laughed, "How would I know? I guess it's to make the sparks look nicer. If it weren't for my son, I wouldn't care about these toys."

Xiao Yuan handed the "Fire Bayberry" to Cai Lian behind her and instructed, "Hide a few. We're going to sell these in the toy store we're planning to open." Cheng Mutian laughed heartily, "You're more like a businessman than I am." Xiao Yuan rolled her eyes at him, went into the room and asked someone to bring paper, pen and a list of relatives and friends, and then called to him, "Your handwriting is good, hurry up and write a New Year's greeting card."

Cheng Mutian handed Wu Ge to Sister-in-law Yu, went into the room and sat down at the octagonal table. He flipped through the booklet and laughed, "You always have so many tricks up your sleeve. You even have to compile a list of relatives and friends." Xiao Yuan ground the ink for him and said, "I originally compiled this booklet because I was worried that my stepmother wouldn't recognize the family and friends. But she was pestered by my second aunt early this morning, so this task ended up falling to me."

Cheng Mutian finished writing about ten pages in one go, threw down his pen, and asked Cailian to bring him pepper and cypress wine. He took a sip and said, "Was this wine brewed on New Year's Eve? The taste is off. Did you put too many cypress leaves in it?" Xiaoyuan quickly poured herself a cup, took a sip, and said, "In previous years, it was three peppers and seven cypress leaves. This year, my stepmother did it. Perhaps this is the Quanzhou brewing method?" Cheng Mutian put down his cup without saying anything. Xiaoyuan quickly gave Cailian a look and brought her Tusu wine instead.

Cheng Mutian swirled his wine cup: "Did you personally soak the herbs for making Tusu wine?" After receiving an affirmative answer, he took a few sips and said, "How could I let my elders trouble themselves with such a small matter? It was you, Xiao Yuan." Xiao Yuan suppressed a laugh and curtsied to him: "It was my fault. From now on, I will definitely do it myself."

While Cheng Mutian continued writing the post, Cailian quietly asked Xiaoyuan, "In the past, when the young mistress spoke ill of the madam, the young master would always refute her. Why is he being so defensive today?" Xiaoyuan smiled gently, "He's not stupid. Second Aunt is always running to our house. Who knows if the madam will have an adopted son?"

The next day, a thick stack of New Year's greeting cards were sent out. Although this saved a lot of the hassle of New Year's greetings, it was still impossible to avoid the New Year's feasts of several close relatives. According to custom, the first place was Uncle Cheng's house. Madam Qian was extremely unwilling to see Aunt Cheng, but she had no choice but to take Xiao Yuan with her. She made up her mind that if she encountered any problems, she would push her daughter-in-law out first.

They arrived at Aunt Cheng's house. A group of relatives were listening to a drum ballad in the hall. Aunt Cheng personally came out to greet them and led them to sit down at the front. She smiled and said, "I heard that Fourth Sister loves shadow puppetry. I specially prepared one. After we finish listening to the drum ballad, we'll have them perform."

Madam Qian was here. She, however, prioritized Xiao Yuan's preferences. She was truly trying to sow discord from the moment she opened her mouth. Unfortunately for her, Madam Qian hated her most at that moment, and wouldn't fall into such a trap. She immediately thanked her, saying, "When I left, I was saying I'd order a show for my daughter-in-law. I didn't expect you to have already prepared it, sister-in-law. It saved me a lot of trouble."

With a single, witty remark, she both silenced Aunt Cheng and demonstrated to everyone that she was a loving mother-in-law. Xiao Yuan smiled inwardly, but couldn't help but secretly praise her.

A small stage had been temporarily set up in the hall. The storyteller was speaking and singing on stage, while several singers accompanied him with instruments. Fang Shiniang moved to sit next to Xiaoyuan and handed her a piece of soap cake. She whispered, "Sister-in-law, this drum ballad is specially performed for you." Xiaoyuan pretended not to understand her and thanked her, saying, "I knew Second Aunt was biased towards us." Fang Shiniang became anxious: "Listen, listen! On stage, they're singing about Niu Er's wife having no children. After her husband died, her eldest son took away her dowry and drove her out."

Xiao Yuan listened intently for a while. It really was such a poem. She sneered inwardly, but her face remained impassive. She slowly took a bite of the soap cake and chuckled, "Speaking of such a poem during the New Year is a bit inappropriate, but it's nothing serious."

Fang Shiniang thought she was still oblivious. So she simply brought it up: "My mother-in-law wants to give your mother-in-law a son. Do you really not know, or are you pretending not to know?"

She always followed her mother-in-law's lead, so why was she protecting an outsider today? It was because Aunt Bi only wanted to send her younger son away and ignored her older son. Xiao Yuan put the most delicious thing in her mouth and chewed it carefully: "My lady's dowry is 200,000, which is enough to raise a son."

Fang Shiniang was stunned: "Really two hundred thousand? I thought it was a rumor." She glanced at Aunt Cheng and saw that she was talking so enthusiastically with Madam Qian that she had no time to pay attention to her daughters-in-law. She then tugged at Xiaoyuan's sleeve: "Sister-in-law, my mother-in-law wants to give her youngest son to your mother-in-law. She's after a piece of your family property." She paused, and seeing that Xiaoyuan's expression did not change, she continued: "My mother-in-law is always eyeing your family property. I really can't stand it. If it were our eldest son, he would be satisfied with half of your mother-in-law's dowry."

"What's the difference between this and robbery?" Xiao Yuan thought, "How dare she say that?" Xiao Yuan was just glad that Sister Cheng wasn't there to scold her. Suddenly, an idea struck her, and she laughed, "If you really only want to earn a dowry, then you're really going to take a roundabout way. Do you remember those two young ladies from last year's tea competition? Their families are both wealthy, and their dowries must be quite substantial." As she spoke, she slapped herself, "I'm not going to say anything more. It sounds like I'm offering you a concubine."

Fang Shiniang waved her hands repeatedly: "The eldest son already has a bunch of concubines and maids in his room, what's the value of adding two more? I just don't know if your mother-in-law is willing to part with them." Two? You're really greedy. Xiao Yuan hurriedly said: "That Miss Qian is from my mother-in-law's own family, how could she become someone's concubine? But Miss Ji, I can inquire about her for you." Fang Shiniang was overjoyed and thanked her, saying: "If this matter can be accomplished, I will do my best to persuade my mother-in-law not to adopt the youngest son into your family."

Xiao Yuan needed Aunt Cheng to keep Madam Qian occupied every day so that she wouldn't have the heart to make things difficult for her daughter-in-law. Besides, with Master Cheng around, the adoption was definitely not going to work. If Fang Shiniang really persuaded Aunt Cheng, she would be doing more harm than good: "Aunt Cheng means well. Why are you trying to persuade her? I'm helping you because of our sister-in-law relationship. If you keep asking for a reward, that would be too distant."

Fang Shiniang, unaware of her plans, sighed, "You really are a virtuous woman; no wonder your mother-in-law praises you in front of everyone."

Xiao Yuan smiled but remained silent. She rose to serve her mother-in-law. Madam Qian was still internally injured by the performance on stage. Seeing Xiao Yuan approach, she quickly pointed at her and said to Aunt Cheng, "I originally wanted to rely on Erlang. I can't make the decision about the adoption; I have to listen to them." Xiao Yuan stood respectfully to the side and said, "Such a big matter as adoption is decided by the clan head and the master. How can we juniors have the right to interfere? But filial piety towards one's mother is a matter of course. Does that mean that if Mother adopts her nephew, Erlang and I will not serve him wholeheartedly?"

Aunt Cheng pondered these words carefully, and they didn't seem to be against adoption. She said happily, "Fourth Sister is so filial to her sister-in-law, it makes us outsiders envious."

Is the daughter-in-law not afraid of having more brothers to divide the family property? Is she truly filial or just too foolish? Madam Qian couldn't quite figure it out.

The silk music on stage started again, and a few lines of lyrics interrupted everyone's thoughts. Only then did they remember that this was the end of a festival, and they all came out with smiling faces, saying some pleasant-sounding words than the drum ballads.

Although Madam Qian had been raised in her maiden home and was skilled in shrewdness, she had been pampered for over thirty years and was not very adept at domestic affairs. When she returned home, she felt exhausted and it took her half a day to recover. Seeing that she was indeed tired, Xiao Yuan offered, "Mother, please rest at home for a few days. I'll go to the New Year's feasts at those other families myself." Madam Qian nodded slightly, "You can decide for yourself. Just bring Sixth Sister over to keep me company for a few days."

Xiao Yuan answered without hesitation, "It was my oversight. I've been away these past few days, so naturally someone needs to stay with Mother. I'll send someone to fetch Sixth Sister and Thirteenth Sister right away."

Madam Qian spoke in her usual slow, seemingly nonchalant tone: "Thirteenth Sister said she's not used to living in such a big courtyard. Let Sixth Sister live in the fourth courtyard."

Could it be that mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law are truly born adversaries? My attempts to put myself in her shoes have not only failed to earn me any praise, but have also caused me distress during the New Year. Her hands unconsciously clenched into fists in her small sleeves. However angry she was, she did not want to be labeled as unfilial, so she could only nod in agreement, arrange for people to go to the Qian residence to pick up the person, and also have people tidy up the courtyard.

In the evening, Cheng Mutian came home drunk after finishing his New Year's feast, only to find the door between the third and fourth courtyards locked again. He was sobered up considerably in shock: "Again?"

Seeing that he was quite frightened, Xiao Yuan chuckled. She felt that with her husband like this, all the humiliation she suffered in front of her stepmother was really nothing. She helped the slightly unsteady Cheng Mutian back to his room and brought him some hangover soup. She said, "I have something to discuss with you. Today, we had New Year's Eve dinner at my second uncle's house. Fang Shiniang wanted to ask my stepmother to give her Ji Liuniang as a concubine. Do you think I should help her with this?"

Chapter 85 Peach Blossom Eyes (Part 1)

Cheng Mutian, who was engrossed in drinking his hangover soup, grinned upon hearing this: "Isn't it also the stepmother's wish to marry Ji Liuniang off to someone else as a concubine? It's a happy ending for everyone, so why not help? After you finish the New Year's feast these next few days, hurry up and go tell the stepmother." He glanced at the lock on the courtyard gate and smiled again.

The Cheng family didn't have many relatives in Lin'an. Apart from Uncle Cheng, there was only Sister Cheng, Aunt Chen, and the He family. Xiao Yuan spent two days visiting Sister Cheng and the Xue family. In the end, it was only after Cheng Mutian urged her that she finally went back to her parents' home with him, albeit reluctantly.

During the first month of the lunar year, the He family mansion was very lively—so noisy that Xiao Yuan stood in front of the second gate, not daring to go in. She pointed to the two lanterns hanging under the eaves and asked Cheng Mutian which one was redder.

Li Wuniang came out with her two concubines and said with a smile, "This has nothing to do with us. Come to my room for tea. Erlang, come too. There's no man to drink with you today." Xiaoyuan gave Cheng Mutian a wry smile and they all went to sit down in the third room.

The concubine who had just given birth to a son served three bowls of sweet rice balls with milk sugar. The heavily pregnant concubine asked softly, "Are they still sweet? If not, I'll go get more sugar." Xiao Yuan nodded slightly. After they left, she whispered to Li Wu Niang, "Third Sister-in-law, I think these two are fine."

Li Wuniang stirred the dumplings with a spoon and sneered, "Your third brother doesn't take them seriously. Otherwise, they wouldn't all stay at home. Men are unreliable, so naturally they have to live at my beck and call." Xiao Yuan saw that she had already said "men are unreliable," so she didn't dare to bring it up again and instead asked her why her stepmother and brothers were arguing.

Li Wuniang said, "Your second brother has taken a fancy to the young lady from the Zhang family and is asking his stepmother to propose marriage." Xiao Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Is it the Zhang family, who did business with me but then turned their backs on me? Their young lady and my second brother are a good match, what's there to argue about?" Li Wuniang made a circle with her hand: "What else could it be? That young lady is born out of wedlock, her dowry is not generous, and his stepmother is unwilling to pay the betrothal gifts."

Xiao Yuan laughed and said, "My second brother was willing to marry her even without a good dowry, so that young lady must be very beautiful." Li Wu Niang also laughed and said, "You really know your second brother."

This gossip was incredibly tiresome for Cheng Mutian. He stood up and said, "Brother Wu is probably crying at home. I'll go back and check on him." Li Wuniang just smiled at Xiao Yuan. Xiao Yuan knew he was suffering from hearing problems, so she let him go back first.

The streets of Lin'an were bustling with activity during the first month of the lunar year. Cheng Mutian didn't ride in a sedan chair. Instead, he led Cheng Fu along the colorful stalls that lined the streets. These stalls were where small vendors sold trinkets during the festival. The items weren't expensive, but they were plentiful. Cheng Fu, ever the quick-thinker, suggested to Cheng Mutian, "Young Master, two young ladies of dubious origin have moved into our house. The young mistress may not say anything, but she's clearly annoyed. Why don't we buy her some jewelry to make her happy?"

Upon hearing this, Cheng Mutian stopped and picked up a hairpin from the stall to examine it. He chuckled and scolded, "They're a legitimate relative of the Madam. What's so unclear about that?" Cheng Fu scoffed, "A sensible person wouldn't leave a legitimate relative at the Qian family mansion and then refuse to leave our Cheng family." Cheng Mutian, finding the hairpin's quality insufficient, tossed it aside and walked a few steps forward. He then went to another stall to look at the jewelry and asked Cheng Fu, "You yourself are looking to take a concubine. Why are you protecting the young mistress in this matter?" Cheng Fu, while defending him, chuckled, "Who is our young master? If he's going to take a concubine, he should take a proper one. Someone I wouldn't even look at is unworthy of you." Cheng Mutian glared at him, "Even a proper one isn't good enough."

The master and servant walked for a long time among the decorated pavilions. Unfortunately, none of the jewelry appealed to the young master Cheng, who was accustomed to high-end goods. In the end, he only chose a stone eyebrow pencil and a book supposedly ingenious and versatile "Sister Ying's Hundred Eyebrow Paintings." Cheng Mutian carried these two items home. After walking a short distance through the alley, he saw the gate leading to the servants' courtyard nearby. He told Cheng Fu to go back and keep his son company, and continued walking alone.

Just as the corner gate of the third courtyard came into view, Cheng Mutian suddenly remembered that he had forgotten to buy a gift for his son. He hurriedly turned back, only to bump into Ji Liuniang at the corner gate of the second courtyard. Ji Liuniang had been visiting Madam Qian and was heading back to the fourth courtyard via the alleyway when she unexpectedly encountered Cheng Mutian. She was overjoyed but not flustered. She slowly curtsied and, taking advantage of the moment, threw him a flirtatious wink. In truth, her appearance was ordinary, but she possessed a pair of charming, captivating eyes that added to her allure. Back in Quanzhou, it was precisely these eyes that had bewitched her brother-in-law, which had earned her an unsavory reputation.

She was very confident in herself, unaware that there were other men in the world besides her brother-in-law. Cheng Mutian trembled at her alluring eyes, no longer daring to go out to buy gifts for his son. He turned and ran towards his own courtyard. This time, Ji Liuniang's alluring eyes were useless. In her anxiety, she abandoned all pretense and rushed after him, grabbing his sleeve. Cheng Mutian was strong and broke free in a few moments. However, the stone ink and sketchbook hidden in his sleeve fell to the ground. Afraid that Ji Liuniang would continue to pester him, he didn't bother to bend down to pick them up, running wildly into the side gate and shouting for the old woman to close it.

Ji Liuniang looked around for a long time until the corner gate of the third courtyard slammed shut. She then lowered her head in utter disappointment and immediately noticed two scattered items on the ground. Upon picking them up, she found a picture book that taught people how to draw eyebrows and a tube of fine stone ink.

"So he's just pretending to be virtuous. He wanted to give me something but didn't dare say so directly, he had to pull and tug at it until it fell off." Ji Liuniang covered her mouth and laughed again. From Quanzhou to Lin'an, she had the idea that there was no man in the world she couldn't win over, so she never even considered that "this might also be Cheng Mutian's gift to please his wife." Clutching the two items, as if Cheng Erlang was already in her grasp, she happily returned to her room, opened the photo album, selected cosmetics, and carefully drew a pair of mandarin duck eyebrows according to the picture book.

She finished her makeup, put on a thin summer blouse, and excitedly went to knock on the courtyard gate, only to find it still locked tight. Turning to the side gate, she found it locked as well, guarded by two fierce-looking old women. It was still chilly at this time of year, and the alleyway was windy. She was only wearing a blouse that revealed her bodice, and her lips were turning blue from the cold. Unwilling to turn back, she hunched her shoulders and hobbled her small feet to Madam Qian's room to escape the wind.

Madam Qian had just finished drinking with the female guests who came to pay New Year's visits and was lying on the couch, feeling dizzy from the alcohol, when suddenly a woman dressed even less than a courtesan ran up to her. In her dazed state, she thought it was a new entertainer that Master Cheng had taken in and exclaimed, "Master is ruining people! He's brought someone here to live a life of widowhood!"

Ji Liuniang only heard the second half of it, and stammered, "Aunt, I will not live as a widow. Cheng Erlang has feelings for me."

Madam Qian then recognized the person in front of her. It was none other than her cousin, whose reputation wasn't exactly good. She forced herself to sit up, took the hangover soup from the maid, drank a few mouthfuls, and asked, "Why is he interested in you? Just because you're dressed so scantily? Luckily, Master went out for drinks today. If he had seen you acting so recklessly, he would have definitely kicked you out, even if Cheng Erlang had come to protect you."

Ji Liu Niang, unaware that Master Cheng was a rigid man, stammered, "I just received the eyebrow-drawing book from Cheng Erlang, and I dressed up like this because I was so happy. It's just a pity that your family is controlled by his wife in every way. I was about to make my way, but I couldn't intervene at the last step." After saying this, she recounted how Cheng Mutian had given her gifts while pulling her along and how she was denied entry into the third courtyard.

Madam Qian still hadn't gotten control of the household, and she was already harboring resentment. Hearing her say this made her even more upset. She pointed at her clothes and said irritably, "Go back and change into something proper. When his wife comes back, I'll personally take you there to demand an explanation."

She sent Ji Liu Niang back to change her clothes. Although she was angry that her cousin was not well-behaved, she was also very impressed that she had managed to get involved with Cheng Mu Tian in less than half a month. Indeed, all men in the world are extremely proper on the outside, but love to cheat on each other in private.

Before long, a maid came to report that the young mistress had returned to the mansion and that the side gate of the third courtyard had been opened.

Madam Qian hurriedly ordered someone to summon Ji Liu Niang. Upon looking at her, she saw that she was still wearing summer clothes, and at least this time the bright red bra was no longer visible. So she didn't say anything more to her, took her cold hand, and went together to the third courtyard.

Upon seeing Xiao Yuan, Ji Liu Niang asked before Madam Qian could speak, "Where is Er Lang?"

"How dare you call Erlang like that?" Xiao Yuan's face darkened and she remained silent. Even Madam Qian's expression was not good. She wanted to make Ji Liu Niang the principal wife, but her behavior was like that of a concubine.

The room fell silent for a moment. Madam Qian couldn't bear it any longer and scolded Ji Liu Niang, "You haven't been formally addressed as cousin yet."

Ji Liuniang hurriedly lowered her head and admitted her mistake: "I'm just used to calling you that, I forgot to change it for a moment." Their back-and-forth banter was sharp and cutting, leaving Xiaoyuan both shocked and angry. But Cheng Mutian, upon hearing the doorman announce their arrival, had already dashed out the door. She couldn't go find Cheng Mutian first.

He wanted to get to the bottom of it, but he was completely clueless. He could only suppress his anger, pretend he hadn't heard, and kept telling the maids and servants to bring him tea and snacks.

Seeing that she didn't even respond, Madam Qian was furious. Remembering how Madam Qian held absolute power in the house—not only Ji Liu Niang, but even she, as the mother-in-law, couldn't use things freely or walk freely in the courtyard—her resentment surged uncontrollably. She not only wanted to sell Ji Liu Niang off, but also wanted to flaunt her mother-in-law's authority. So she said, "Originally, if I, as your mother-in-law, wanted to send someone to your household, I wouldn't need to ask you at all. But as soon as I heard you were unwilling, I immediately changed my mind. This is..." "You mean by respect." She then pulled Ji Liuniang to her side, pointing to her delicate, arched eyebrows, and said, "Now it's your own fault for not controlling your man, letting him secretly send our portrait album and stone ink to us, Liuniang. Our family is no less powerful than yours, and we are the legitimate daughters. According to the rules, we should be the principal wife. But I'm not an unreasonable mother-in-law; I won't make things difficult for you. I'll let you be the principal wife without any problems. However, our Liuniang's reputation cannot be ruined in your hands. You must give her a proper title."

Chapter 86 Peach Blossom Eyes (Part 2) [Bonus Chapter]

Look at this stepmother's clever methods, insisting on putting someone in her stepson's room while claiming it's out of respect for her daughter-in-law. Xiao Yuan felt her blood surging, and it took her a while to suppress it. She forced herself to put on a smiling face: "Mother, you're always thinking of your daughter-in-law. I thank you in advance. Sixth Sister is a lady from a respectable family. Even if she becomes a concubine, it can't be done hastily. There should be at least a few tables of wine. Why don't you take her back first, and when Erlang comes back, I'll discuss it with him properly. We must make sure Sixth Sister gets married in style."

Seeing that she was quite sensible, Madam Qian nodded in satisfaction and helped Ji Liu Niang back to her room.

As soon as they left, Xiao Yuan immediately turned cold and ordered, "Send someone to investigate why Ji Liu Niang, with such a good family background, would be willing to become someone's concubine; also ask Cheng Fu about Shi Dai and the painting album."

Cailian hurriedly went to arrange the manpower, and then asked, "Aren't you going to go find the young master and bring him back?" Xiaoyuan did not answer, but turned to ask Ayun, "Why aren't you in a hurry to fetch cold water to pour on the young master today?" Ayun gestured in front of her chest for a while and said, "Ji Liuniang is dressed like that Green Lady, would the young master even look at her? There is nothing for the young master to do here, why bother to look for him?"

Cailian smiled and said, "Ayun has made progress, but I was confused. This matter has nothing to do with the young master. It was all a play put on by Ji Liuniang." She seemed to be answering, but her eyes were looking at all the maids and servants in the room. Those who could enter the young mistress's room were all smart people, and they immediately understood. She said, "If anyone asks, that's what I said."

Upon receiving the news, Cheng Fu, fearing that the maid might spread rumors, came over himself: "Young Madam, weren't Shi Dai and 'Sister Ying's Hundred Eyebrows Painting' meant to be given to you by the young master? How did they end up with that shady Miss Ji?"

Xiao Yuan deliberately put on a stern face: "You're asking me? As soon as Madam and Ji Liu Niang arrived, your young master slipped out the door and hasn't been seen since. He must be hiding something."

Cheng Fu beat his chest and stamped his feet: "Young Madam, don't think that just because I'm interested in taking a concubine, the young master is the same. He's just introverted and doesn't want to deal with young ladies, so he's gone away. I swear to God that the young master has no ill intentions towards you. If I'm lying, let Ah Xiu beat me with a big stick."

Xiao Yuan couldn't pull off Cheng Mutian's stern face. And his words were truly amusing. She broke into laughter: "You know everything. Ji Liu Niang took Shi Daitong's picture album and is convinced that the young master and she are having an affair. What do you suggest we do?"