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Sister Niu said, "Young Madam, it might not look good if two things are removed." Yuan thought for a moment and said, "Then after the eight cups of wine, add a few kinds of Longchan fruit and serve a few plates of seasonal fruit. Prepare two kinds of tea to welcome guests, flower tea and fruit tea; since the two gentlemen are both old, prepare ginger and orange peel soup and a fragrant perilla soup for seeing them off."

Sister Niu agreed and then said, "Prepare the following delicacies: five-flavor walnuts, delicacies wrapped in peach strips, wrapped pine nuts, lychee blossoms, and wrapped jujube rings; also, serve three plates of seasonal fruits: grapes, pears, and sliced melons. What do you think, young mistress?"

Xiao Yuan asked Cheng San Niang if there were any taboos regarding Master Gan's food, and since most of the dishes were his favorites, she nodded to Niu Sao and ordered her to prepare. A short while later, the stewardess came to ask where the wine should be placed. Cheng San Niang smiled and said, "Usually when we entertain guests, we place the wine by the lake so we can watch the singing and dancing on the pavilion across the water. Our master also enjoys watching that. Perhaps we should leave it where it is." Since it was a banquet for Master Gan, it was natural to prioritize his preferences. Xiao Yuan quickly instructed the stewardess to write it down and then asked Cheng San Niang where she would like to eat. Cheng San Niang replied, "I wonder which male guests you have invited? If there are any strangers, we'd prefer to eat indoors."

Xiao Yuan laughed, "They're all close relatives. There's no need for formalities. But when the men drink, they'll definitely find us women bothersome. Why don't we tidy up the little pavilion next to the flower garden and eat upstairs? We can still see the view from the pavilion." Cheng San Niang immediately agreed, and hurriedly got up, wanting to personally take a few maids and servants to tidy up. Cai Lian stopped her, smiling, "San Niang, don't rush. Someone is taking care of the tables and chairs. You should discuss with the young mistress which opera troupe to invite."

Cheng San Niang was still young. Although usually quiet, she loved excitement. Upon hearing that an opera troupe was to be hired, she immediately sat down again, looking on expectantly. Xiao Yuan pulled out a few opera scripts and handed them to her, smiling, "I hate listening to Southern opera the most. They're so drawn out and slow, each word can take half an hour to finish. I wonder what you're like?"

Cheng San Niang did love opera, but she was used to being timid. When she heard her sister-in-law say she didn't like it, she said she didn't like it either. She only asked her sister-in-law what she liked and what her stepmother liked.

When Madam Qian heard that Aunt Cheng was also on the guest list, she wished she could feign a headache and fever and stay away from the banquet; she certainly didn't care about the show. Xiao Yuan, not wanting to reveal the truth, said, "We've finally found a chance to have some fun, so it's up to us younger generation. Besides singing and dancing, does your husband like anything else?"

Cheng San Niang thought to herself, "My master is fine as long as there are a few prostitutes to keep him company while he drinks, even if he doesn't watch the singing and dancing." But she was too embarrassed to say it aloud, so she said, "My master also said that he would do as his juniors do."

Xiao Yuan was overjoyed and hurriedly asked whether she preferred to hear "talking" or watch "teasing." Cheng San Niang blushed and smiled, "I've never seen either of those." Xiao Yuan waved her hand, "Then let's invite them both. We'll build a stage by the water, and after the singing and dancing in the pavilion, we'll perform 'teasing.' We'll also separate the pavilion with a screen and have the storyteller tell the stories to us women." A Yun, whose eyes had been shining for a long time, ran out to call people before Xiao Yuan could give any instructions. She told the servant at the gate to call a group of teasing performers and then to go to the largest brothel in Beiwazi to invite the most famous storyteller, Qiao Wanjuan.

In the afternoon, everything was ready, and relatives arrived one after another and took their seats. At the table by the water, the host was Master Cheng, the guest was Master Gan, and the original guest was Uncle Cheng, but he had been injured in the leg a few days ago while fighting over a courtesan and was unable to come at home to recuperate. So this time, only three younger relatives, Cheng Mutian, Gan Twelve, and Jin Jiu Shao, accompanied him.

Jin Jiu, unlike his father-in-law who was old-fashioned, was a womanizer. He usually tried to avoid coming over as little as possible, but this time, when he heard that Master Gan was one of his kind, he came over without hesitation after receiving the invitation. He even specially chose to sit next to Master Gan and chatted with him for a while. As expected, they were kindred spirits and felt like they had known each other for a long time. The two of them talked about Quanzhou's wine and women and Lin'an's brothels, getting so engrossed in their conversation that they forgot about Master Cheng, Cheng Mutian, and Gan Shier, leaving them looking at each other in bewilderment.

Master Cheng, not wanting to offend his old friend, glared at Jin Jiu Shaozi. But his eldest son-in-law was too slow to react; even with his eyes wide open, he didn't react. It was Cheng Mutian who, observing the situation, quietly ordered someone to inform Xiao Yuan to quickly start the song and dance performance.

The young maidservant ran over with a program list. Cheng Mutian asked Master Gan what kind of dances and music he liked. When Master Gan and Jin Jiushao heard that there were dancers, they both stopped talking and looked up at the same time, asking, "What kind of dances are there?" Cheng Mutian read from the program list, "Dance of Bao Lao, Knife Dance, Sword Dance."

Wu Bao Lao's dance was a comical one, with a group of people in long sleeves, their movements mimicking puppetry, twisting their bodies in a comical way that made people laugh. Master Gan was not a fan of this kind of dance, and he couldn't stand the sword and knife dances either. However, he couldn't say that he only liked watching beautiful dancers perform whirling dances, so he looked at the pavilion far away in the water and said, "It's so far away, we can't see the dance clearly. Why don't we invite a few female musicians to accompany the wine?"

Master Cheng's beard twitched. He thought to himself, "You know I despise this kind of thing, yet you still bring it up. Besides, there are younger people present. It won't sound good if word gets out." That was what he thought, but it was very common for wealthy people to have courtesans accompany them when they drank. Master Gan's suggestion wasn't excessive, so he couldn't refuse him. He could only call his servants to give the order.

Thinking that he should ask his daughter-in-law to invite them so that it could be done through official channels, he said, "Go and inform the young mistress to send someone to the brothel to invite back a few well-known courtesans." These words startled Cheng Mutian so much that he almost dropped his wine cup. He hurriedly said, "Just send a servant to make the trip. Why bother going up to the pavilion?"

The women were all sitting together. Informing Xiaoyuan was the same as telling Cheng Sanniang, so Gan Shier quickly chimed in, "Brother is right. I'll go to the door and tell them."

After saying that, fearing that Master Cheng might have something else to say, he got up and left in a flash.

Jin Jiushao laughed smugly: "What do you mean by being afraid of walking a few more steps? You two are just afraid of your wives." After saying that, he clinked glasses with Master Gan and laughed: "Master Gan and I are more carefree and not afraid of our wives."

Remembering Madam Gan's letter, Master Gan dared not continue the conversation. Instead, he said to Master Cheng, "Your eldest sister is virtuous." Master Cheng liked to hear this. He stroked his beard and chuckled twice. He then took out some homemade fruit wine, filled Master Cheng's cup himself, and said a few words of farewell.

Chapter 116 Farewell Banquet (Part 2)

Upstairs, led by Madam Qian, followed by Second Aunt Cheng, Eldest Sister Cheng, Xiao Yuan, and Third Sister Cheng, they exchanged toasts and waited for the song and dance performance in the pavilion to begin. They waited for half a day, but instead of the song and dance, a group of beautifully dressed courtesans emerged from the flower garden, walked directly to the male guests' table, and very consciously sat down next to each man.

Xiao Yuan was startled and stood up. It wasn't that she was worried that Cheng Mutian would lose control, but rather that she was afraid the women at the table would glare at her. She hurriedly explained, "I didn't call them. I'll send someone to ask right away." Madam Qian, who was used to seeing Old Master Qian hiring prostitutes to accompany his drinks at her maternal home, stopped her and said, "It's nothing for men to have some fun. Don't keep Erlang too tight a rein on him."

Aunt Cheng chimed in, "That's right. Erlang doesn't even have anyone in his house. It's perfectly normal for him to call a few prostitutes to keep him company while he drinks."

Their words were all blaming Xiaoyuan for not allowing her husband to take a concubine. Xiaoyuan herself was resolute and didn't think there was anything wrong with it, but Cheng San Niang was secretly alarmed. Her sister-in-law was right; even if not taking a concubine was the man's own decision, in the end it would still be considered the woman's fault. The simple-minded Cheng Da Jie didn't understand the implication of Madam Qian and Cheng Er Shen's words. She only knew that they were ganging up on Xiaoyuan, so she snorted and said to Cheng Er Shen, "No wonder Second Uncle fought over a courtesan. It turns out he thinks that just serving drinks is too ordinary."

She only wanted to vent her anger for Xiaoyuan, but Madam Qian was pleased to hear this and laughed, "Our eldest sister is the most capable; she can keep her husband in check." This was a compliment to Sister Cheng, but she didn't appreciate it at all. She pointed to the prostitute next to Master Cheng and said, "Since I am virtuous, why doesn't my stepmother learn from me? I think that one in the white floral dress and purple dress is very nice; why not redeem her and put her in the house?"

Madam Qian was very composed; her expression remained unchanged, and she even smiled slightly: "Your father's temper is quite different from your husband's. He might take in a decent woman, but he wouldn't want a prostitute like this; he would find her shameful."

Sister Cheng laughed at her village: "These days, it's shameful if a concubine doesn't have a few domestic prostitutes to entertain guests when they come to visit."

Upon hearing this, Yuan was both amused and exasperated. It was true that the elder sister was trying to protect her, but unfortunately, her words were not careful enough, which allowed others to take advantage of her. Sure enough, Madam Qian laughed triumphantly: "Erlang doesn't have any concubines in his room. If my wife doesn't feel ashamed, then I don't feel ashamed either."

Cheng Dayi wanted to speak up for Xiaoyuan, but her skills were inferior, and she ended up being humiliated again. In a fit of anger, she threw a cup of wine at Madam Qian without thinking, but fortunately, Cheng Sanniang blocked it, and it only spilled on her skirt.

Xiao Shi hadn't expected that Sister Cheng would have such a fiery temper, daring to fight her stepmother in front of everyone. She quickly gave Cheng San Niang a look, telling her to hold Sister Cheng down, and then smiled at Madam Qian, saying, "Sister Cheng has had too much to drink, her hand slipped."

Madam Qian knew that making a scene would be unseemly. She forced a soft "Mmm" and helped Little Copper Coin to her feet, intending to change her clothes. This was a golden opportunity to curry favor with her. Aunt Cheng wouldn't let it slip by. She quickly pushed Little Copper Coin's hand away and personally helped her downstairs.

Sister Cheng shook off Third Sister Cheng's hand. She said, "Why are you stopping me? It's fine if she can't win an argument with me." Third Sister Cheng was startled. She quickly covered her mouth and called to Xiao Yuan, "Sister-in-law, please persuade Sister-in-law!"

Although Sister Cheng was impulsive, the whole thing started because she wanted to protect Xiao Yuan, and it was all out of good intentions. Xiao Yuan looked at her, unable to bring herself to scold or admonish her, and could only laugh and say, "Let's go to the window and take a closer look. Let's see how much fun those men are having."

These words were exactly what Cheng San Niang wanted to hear. Even Cheng Da Jie, temporarily forgetting her dispute with Madam Qian, rushed to the window first to take a look. She exclaimed in surprise, "Why is there no one next to Er Lang?" Upon looking again, she gritted her teeth, "So there are two sitting next to my husband." Her Jin Jiu Shao was always like this. However, she quickly let it go. Turning to Cheng San Niang, she smiled and said, "Your Gan Shi Er is also without anyone next to him. But your father-in-law has one on each side."

Cheng San Niang looked down. Sure enough, it was so. Her face showed worry. She called over Cuihua and ordered, "Go and fetch a prostitute to accompany the young master for drinks." Xiao Yuan was startled. Touching her forehead, she said, "Are you crazy? Don't you already know what Gan Shier is thinking?" Cheng Da Jie also said, "Don't listen to what I just said. That was about the stepmother. It has nothing to do with you. Gan Shier himself doesn't want a prostitute to accompany him for drinks. What are you pretending to be so virtuous for?"

Cheng San Niang touched the carved windowpane and wept, "I thought that since my husband himself didn't want to take a concubine, he would earn a reputation for being virtuous. But look at my sister-in-law, what did my stepmother and second aunt say about her just now?" In such times, being a woman was indeed extremely difficult. Xiao Yuan could only comfort her, "Let them say what they want. I just won't listen. There's nothing they can do about it."

Sister Cheng took out a handkerchief and threw it to her, saying, "Wipe your tears. You cry at the drop of a hat. You're such a decisive person at home, how come you've become such a mess once you leave home?"

Cheng San Niang became even more heartbroken: "My master is sitting right below me. If there are no courtesans to keep him company when he gets home, he will scold me severely. I have no good dowry, and my father and brother do not like me. No matter how good my ideas are, there is nothing I can do."

Xiao Yuan and Sister Cheng both had good dowries and supportive families. Hearing this, they were saddened and reflected on their own actions. Were all their advice to Sister Cheng wrong? Were they just people who didn't understand the situation?

Cuihua listened to her mother and sent a prostitute to Gan Shier. Gan Shier turned around and smiled at the tower, then ordered someone to set up an extra stool for the prostitute to sit on.

The three sat down again in silence, none of them having any interest in drinking. As the host, Xiao Yuan couldn't help but comfort Cheng San Niang: "It's just this once. Your master will be returning to Quanzhou tomorrow. You can replace that thing in the house with a book, and everything will be peaceful."

Cheng San Niang finally smiled and said, "That concubine who used to be the top courtesan is really difficult to serve. She wants to wear the best clothes and eat the best food. My husband and I both avoid her whenever we see her."

It seems her life is still relatively comfortable. Sister Cheng downed the wine in her cup in one gulp and called out loudly to the maid, "Why aren't my stepmother and second aunt here yet? They won't keep us from watching the 'kicking' performance." The maid hurriedly ran off to find out what was going on and returned shortly with a report: "Second Uncle has redeemed the courtesan who caused his leg to break and taken her home. Second Aunt rushed back as soon as she received the news. Madam said she's feeling dizzy and won't be coming."

When Sister Cheng heard that neither of them would be coming, she was even happier and kept shouting, "Let's get this party started!" Xiao Yuan hurriedly ordered someone to put a plate of each dish on the table and send it to Madam Qian's room. She also ordered someone to bring Wu Ge and Xiao Si Niang to come and watch the fun.

When the opening gong sounded, Aunt Yu and Madam Sun brought Wu Ge in, but only the wet nurse came to report that Madam Qian was not coming and that Xiao Si Niang was not allowed to come either. Sister Cheng, anxious, was about to get up again, but Xiao Yuan quickly stopped her and whispered, "Si Niangzi still has to live with her stepmother; it's better to follow her." Sister Cheng was still furious, but she knew Xiao Yuan was right, so she could only vent her anger by drinking one cup after another.

Seeing that she had eaten too much, Cheng San Niang stopped her and quietly gestured towards the downstairs. Cheng San Niang immediately understood. Sister Cheng said she was carefree and open-minded, but how many women in the world could not be angry when they saw their husbands embracing courtesans in front of them? Some would show it on their faces, while others would suffer internal injuries from holding back their anger.

With a clang, the gong sounded, and the jugglers came on stage, kicking two bottles first, and then about to kick a jar. Xiao Yuan hurriedly said, "Nobody wants him to show off his leg skills. Didn't they say they can teach animals and birds? Let him perform one for our Brother Wu to see."

The message was relayed, and a table was immediately set up on the stage. First, the waxbills performed a flag-carrying dance, then the tortoises stacked a tower. The animal trainer placed seven tortoises, divided into seven groups according to size, on the table. He beat a drum to teach them to understand. With the first drumbeat, the largest tortoise would rush to the middle of the table and lie down, motionless. With the second drumbeat, the second largest would climb onto its back. And so on, until the seventh, smallest tortoise, climbed onto the back of the sixth largest. They all stood upright, their tails sticking up straight, looking just like a small iron tower.

The animal training performances here are usually only seen in the entertainment district, but how could ladies from wealthy families like them go outside? So they all watched with great concentration.

Wu Ge started crying as soon as he saw the turtles on the stage. He grabbed one, but Xiao Yuan coaxed him, saying, "Those turtles are trained so they can make money. If you grab one, they'll have to train them for a long time before they can go on stage again."

As soon as she finished speaking, the animal trainer who had just been training the tortoise came upstairs and kowtowed through the screen. A-Yun, who had brought him up, reported, "Young Master bought his tortoise and is giving it to Wu-ge to play with." Xiao-Yuan had just given her son a long lecture when her husband contradicted her. She grabbed Wu-ge's little hand, glared downstairs, and said, "Let's not take it. Let's go back."

Ah Yun had already taken the smallest turtle and handed it to Wu Ge, then grabbed the largest one for him to touch, and said with a smile, "Young Master just gave the turtle a lot of money to train it, enough for him to not have to work for half a year. He's very happy right now. If Young Madam wants to retire, it will disappoint others."

Xiao Yuan was about to snatch the turtle from Wu Ge's hands when she heard that the animal trainer hadn't been mistreated, so she stopped and laughed, "I think you just want to play with it." She suddenly remembered that A Yun was just a child, and her heart softened. She handed Wu Ge to her and said, "Take him with you to play with the turtle."

Sister Cheng watched this scene thoughtfully and said, "When Sixth Sister Ji gives birth to a son, she'll probably want to play this game too. Why don't I take this opportunity to buy a few?" Hearing this, Third Sister Cheng pointed at the stage and laughed. Xiao Yuan looked and saw that it was a performance of the toad preaching; when the big toad croaked, all the other toads croaked in unison. She and Third Sister Cheng burst into laughter, both saying, "Sister, are you really going to buy some?"

Sister Cheng laughed and said, "I was so focused on Brother Wu that I forgot to look at the stage." Xiao Yuan knew that she wanted to take Ji Liu Niang into her family after she gave birth to a son, so she said, "Let's listen to the talk later, and invite your Aunt Ji to listen too." Sister Cheng thought for a moment and said, "Alright, considering that she is going to have a son for me, I'll give her that face." Seeing that she nodded, Xiao Yuan ordered someone to set up a small table behind their table and invited Ji Liu Niang to listen to the talk.

Chapter 117 Farewell Banquet (Part 2)

The speaker hired by the Cheng family was Qiao Wanjuan, the most famous in Lin'an. Unlike others who frequently changed venues, he had occupied a brothel in "Beiwa," the largest entertainment district in Lin'an, for many years, which shows how popular he was.

After he was seated behind the screen, Madam Sun spoke politely on behalf of Xiao Yuan, saying, "I'm keeping you from making money. Have a cup of tea to soothe your throat first, and then we'll talk about the stories with you ladies." Qiao Wanjuan quickly stood up and bowed, smiling, "Ladies, you're too kind. What's this about making money? I'm just asking for a meal."

Ji Liuniang, unable to see the speaker's face through the screen, was very unhappy and said, "I've heard that famous speakers can earn quite a bit of money per show, much better than us people who can't even see the light of day."

Qiao Wanjuan, a man who came out to make a living, could tell from her tone that she was not a respectable woman, so he did not respond directly to her words, but only smiled: "Zhang the Hermit of the Xining era was extremely famous. Wherever he went, high-ranking officials and nobles vied to give him wine, food and money to avoid being ridiculed. But in his old age, he could not even return to his hometown. He collapsed on the way. It was an old acquaintance who bought him a reed mat and buried him next to a roadside shop—this is the Hermit's grave, and all who pass by are filled with sorrow. Wrapped in two reed mats: Imperial Burial!"

Ji Liuniang sensed the rebuttal in his words, blinked her peach blossom eyes, and was about to speak again, but was hit in the hand by a chopstick thrown by Sister Cheng, and quickly shut her mouth tightly. Qiao Wanjuan continued, "There are four major schools of thought: 'silver words,' discussing scriptures, reciting history books, and being a merchant. I am good at 'silver words,' but I also know a little about the other three. I wonder which one the ladies would like to hear about?"

"Silver Words" refers to telling stories, which are divided into four categories: supernatural, legend, legal case, and martial arts, encompassing the supernatural, the bizarre, and the mysterious; "Talking about scriptures" refers to reciting Buddhist stories; "Telling history books" refers to historical stories; and "Shangmi" refers to solving riddles.

Xiao Yuan asked Cheng Da and Cheng San Niang which kind of story they preferred. Cheng San Niang, who had never heard of such a story before, shook her head. However, Cheng Da Jie, who often listened to this story thanks to Jin Jiu Shao, laughed and said, "We've found a good storyteller. 'Silver Words' is the most interesting. If it were a scripture talker, I would fall asleep. Let's listen to 'Silver Words' first, and have him beat the drum and guess the riddle, shall we?"

Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang both said, "As you wish."

Seeing that they were discussing so enthusiastically, but no one asked her which one she wanted to hear, Ji Liuniang said discontentedly, "I want to hear the sutra discussion."

Isn't this going against Sister Cheng? She's just a concubine. Where does she get the audacity? Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang were still wondering when Sister Cheng, as usual, rolled up her sleeves, ready to make her move. Ji Liu Niang stroked her already showing belly and slowly said, "The doctor just examined her the other day. He said it's a boy."

These words contained both boasting and threat. But Sister Cheng's carving did not stop. With a "smack," a clear five-finger mark appeared on Ji Liu Niang's face.

"So what if she's a son? Her mother is me and you are her mother." Sister Cheng was about to strike her a second time. Xiao Yuan quickly pulled her back, saying, "She's pregnant, a little discipline is fine. What if you hurt her?"

Sister Cheng withdrew her hand as instructed and said with a smile, "I'll give you face. Actually, it was your face that got hit, not your stomach. It wouldn't have caused any serious damage."

Xiao Yuan called for someone to fetch a cold towel to apply to Ji Liu Niang's face. Ji Liu Niang, however, couldn't wait. She pushed aside the small table and ran downstairs. Sister Cheng sternly ordered someone to stop her, scolding, "You've been staying with your stepmother for a few days now, and your temper has grown? Are you going to complain to her?" Xiao Yuan, fearing they might cause a scene, quickly told the maids to pull Ji Liu Niang down to sit. She also advised Sister Cheng to spare her the trouble for the sake of her unborn son.

Sister Cheng glared fiercely at Sister Ji Liu Niang. She then began venting her anger on the wine again. Seeing that Sister Cheng's anger hadn't subsided, Sister Cheng quickly asked a question to change the subject: "Sister, which play should we listen to?" Sister Cheng glanced at Sister Ji Liu Niang and said, "'Silver Words'—I've heard of most of them. How about we ask him to tell the story of 'The Wrongful Execution of Cui Ning'?"

Hearing this, Xiao Yuan nodded slightly to Madam Sun, who then walked to the screen and began teaching Qiao Wanjuan, who had been waiting for a while, the story of "The Wrongful Execution of Cui Ning." The silver flute playing accompaniment began, and Qiao Wanjuan started to speak: "In the reign of Emperor Gaozong, there was an official in Lin'an named Liu Gui. Due to bad luck and poor academic performance, Liu Gui changed professions and became a merchant. However, being a novice, he lacked the necessary skills and lost all his capital. He married a woman named Wang, but since they had no children, he took a second wife, known as Sister Chen the Second."

Xiao Yuan and Cheng San Niang exchanged a glance. Wasn't Jin Jiu Shao taking advantage of Cheng Da Jie's lack of children to take concubines one after another? Why did she bring up such a scene? Then she looked at Ji Liu Niang, who had been pouting just now, but now had her lips curled up high.

Before they could think it through, a brief interlude played behind the screen, and Qiao Wanjuan's voice rang out again: "One day, Liu Gui took Wang Shi to his father-in-law's house to celebrate his birthday, leaving his second sister at home to look after him. Seeing Liu Gui's destitute state, his father-in-law gave him fifteen strings of cash to help him open a firewood and rice shop. Liu Gui thanked him profusely, allowing his wife to stay at her parents' house for a few more days, while he carried the money home. On his way home, he drank a few cups of wine and arrived home tipsy. Upon seeing his second sister, he joked, fueled by the alcohol, saying: 'I was helpless and had no other choice but to pawn you to a guest, and because I couldn't bear to part with you, I only got fifteen strings of cash. If I get something in return, I'll redeem you with interest; if things continue to go wrong like this, then I'll just have to let it go.'"

The interlude started again, and Ji Liuniang began to have wild thoughts. It was Sister Cheng who persuaded Jin Jiushao to sell her as his principal wife after she gave birth. She glanced at the table and saw Sister Cheng smiling smugly. Her heart skipped a beat. Don't be fooled by Jin Jiushao's seemingly carefree life with women on both sides. At home, Sister Cheng was the one who called the shots. She could decide which concubine to beat or sell, and Jin Jiushao wouldn't dare to say a word of advice.

"When the second sister heard this, she didn't believe it at first, but seeing the fifteen strings of cash piled up in front of her, she couldn't help but be tempted. So, while Liu Gui was asleep, she went to stay at a neighbor's house for the night, and the next day she went back to her parents' house to demand an explanation. The second sister had only walked a mile or two when her feet ached so much that she could no longer walk. Just then, she met a young man carrying a satchel full of copper coins on his back, and the two of them traveled together. They had only walked two or three miles of fields when they were overtaken by two people behind them, and only then did they learn that Liu Gui had been murdered. The second sister and the young man she had happened to be traveling with were dragged to the government office. By then, Liu Gui had already been hacked to death with an axe, and the fifteen strings of cash on the bed had disappeared without a trace. The young man who had happened to be traveling with the second sister was named Cui Ning, and the money in his satchel was exactly fifteen strings of cash."

Qiao Wanjuan lived up to his reputation as the most famous speaker in Beiwazi. He was very experienced when it came to talking about "silver words". When it came to the critical moment, he became calm and composed. He raised his hand to call for the accompaniment to start the music and picked up a cup of tea to sip.

Such a coincidence! Cui Ning is probably in trouble. All the masters and servants in the pavilion were listening intently. They couldn't wait for him to drink tea and urged him to continue speaking.

Seeing that everyone's interest had been piqued, Qiao Wanjuan smiled with satisfaction and continued, "Then Cui Ning and Second Sister were accused of 'having an affair while alone at home; seeing that their household was in dire straits and unable to bear it; seeing fifteen strings of cash, they were overcome by greed, killed their husbands, and robbed the money; then, using their connections, they stayed overnight at a neighbor's house, but conspired with the man to escape together.' The prefect held court, used torture to extract confessions, and fabricated a case, which was then presented to the court. The verdict was that 'Cui Ning was guilty of adultery and murder for money, and was sentenced to death according to the law; Chen was guilty of conspiring with her lover to kill her husband, committing heinous crimes, and was sentenced to be slowly sliced to death and displayed to the public.' Second Sister and Cui Ning had no way to defend themselves and were taken to the marketplace, where they were executed by beheading and slow slicing, and their deaths were displayed to the public."

Why did Cui Ning have to carry the same amount of money as Liu Gui in his satchel? Everyone was lamenting Cui Ning's bad luck, but Ji Liu Niang exclaimed, "Oh dear, it turns out Second Sister was wronged! She and Cui Ning were just traveling together, how could there be any illicit affair? What a pity, what a pity!"

Sister Cheng glanced at her and said, "What injustice? I think the prefect is very fair. If she hadn't been unfaithful and accompanied a strange man, how could she have been misunderstood and implicated the innocent Cui Ning?"

Because of her auspicious name, Ji Liuniang was often ridiculed by the other concubines in the Jin family. This time, seeing Sister Cheng use the word "silver" to make veiled attacks in front of so many people, her face turned red and white.

Cheng San Niang strongly agreed with Cheng Da Jie's statement, saying, "Da Jie is truly insightful; the performance she chose was exceptionally brilliant." If Er Jie was wrong, was Cui Ning without fault? Er Jie wanted to travel with him, something so improper, yet he didn't refuse. Why, when something goes wrong, is all the blame placed on the woman? Xiao Yuan disagreed with the views of Cheng Da Jie and Cheng San Niang, but with Ji Liu Niang present, she felt she had to help Cheng Da Jie, so she turned and ordered someone to give her a reward.

Sister Cheng smiled broadly and added two hundred coins.

After they heard the word "silver," they were about to continue the riddle-solving game when Lou sent someone up to say that the master and young master also wanted to hear the conversation and asked if the young mistress would be willing to lend it to them. Xiao Yuan quickly asked Sister Cheng and Third Sister Cheng and ordered someone to send Qiao Wanjuan down.

While listening to the conversation, Cheng Sanfang's mind was half on the scene downstairs. Now, seeing that there was no more entertainment, she used the excuse of needing some fresh air to walk to the window and peer through the openwork window without the screen covering her eyes at the banquet by the water. Sister Cheng had just displayed her cunning, using a "silver word" trick to subdue Ji Liuniang, and was extremely pleased with herself. She called Ji Liuniang over to help her, and they also went to the window to look at the scenery. She laughed and said, "Sanniang, why are you covering the window? Just look openly. If you don't like any of the courtesans, you can have someone beat them up a few times."

Cheng San Niang tried to appear virtuous, but her heart was pierced with pain. She wanted to smile, but she couldn't manage to force a smile. Seeing this, Xiao Yuan quickly said, "Gan Shier and that courtesan are sitting in their respective seats. They must be just putting on an act out of respect for Master Gan."

Before the words were even finished, the courtesan in the pale yellow dress and purple flower in her hair brought a cup of wine to Gan Shier's lips. Gan Shier smiled at her and drank it from her hand. Cheng San Niang couldn't bear to watch any longer, so she ran back to her seat and buried her face in her hands, sobbing uncontrollably.

Xiao Yuan wanted to comfort her, but Sister Cheng waved her hand and said, "Let's go. Everyone goes through this. You'll get used to it after seeing it so many times."

Chapter 118 The Qixi Festival

After the banquet ended, Ji Liuniang returned to Madam Qian's place to rest during her pregnancy. Xiao Yuan helped Cheng Niang into her sedan chair and then ordered the kitchen to prepare a hangover soup. The male guests were in high spirits and ate until late afternoon. Cheng Mutian drank several cups of wine and returned to his room, where he lay down on the couch, unwilling to get up. Xiao Yuan leaned down and smelled him; besides the smell of wine, there was no scent of perfume. She smiled and asked, "You only dislike concubines, but you're not afraid of courtesans. They all have people with them, while you're all alone. Aren't you embarrassed?"

The woman's words were sweet, but her heart was filled with jealousy. Although Cheng Mutian couldn't hold his liquor, his mind was clear. He silently recited the sentence and said, "What's embarrassing about me? It's Gan Twelve who's embarrassed. The courtesan beside him offered him wine three times. He didn't drink the first two times, and Master Gan gave him a good scolding, saying that he was afraid of his wife and didn't even give his father face. He was almost accused of being unfilial. It wasn't until he drank the third cup with a smile that Master Gan let him off the hook."

So that's the reason. It seems that Cheng San Niang wronged Gan Shier. Xiao Yuan immediately wanted to send someone to tell her, but then she thought that, given Gan Shier's personality, he would probably have already told her to appease his wife. Why should she go and add fuel to the fire?

The next day, Master Gan boarded the ship and set sail. Gan Twelve and his wife saw him off. When they got home, they exchanged three books for their top concubine. Cheng San Niang took one and personally delivered it to Xiao Yuan, saying with a smile, "She is indeed the top concubine. She got one more book than Cui Zhu. I'll give this to my sister-in-law so she can flip through it too." When she saw Li Wu Niang visiting, she quickly ordered someone to go home and fetch another book, and gave one to her as well.

Last time, when Li Wuniang saw her crying over a concubine, she thought she would suffer as much as she did. But now that she saw that the concubine was doing better than her, she felt very bitter. Inspired by Cheng Sanniang's book about exchanging concubines, she went home and sold off the two concubines who had given birth to sons, saying that she would use them to raise money for He Yaohong's next job.

Xiao Yuan was quite startled when she heard the news: "Isn't Third Sister-in-law the one who cares most about Third Brother's feelings? Why did she act like this this time? If Third Brother finds out, he will definitely blame her." Cheng Mutian didn't care: "It's just that two concubines were sold, so what?"

"Master Cheng's two former concubines, the birth mothers of Cheng Da and Cheng San Niang, were sold even after having children, so it's normal for him to have this viewpoint. Xiao Yuan, however, couldn't let it go and worried about Li Wu Niang every day. To comfort her, Cheng Mutian said, 'Anyway, your third brother's post is about to end this year. How about we make a bet? When he returns home, if he doesn't blame your third sister-in-law, I win; otherwise, you win.'"

Seeing that she was certain, Xiao Yuan asked, "What's the prize?" Cheng Mutian leaned close to her ear and whispered, "If you lose, you'll give me another son; if you win, I'll let you give me another son." Xiao Yuan was stunned for a moment before realizing that the two statements meant the same thing. She blushed and raised her hand to hit him, but he had such a serious expression that she couldn't bring herself to do it in front of all the servants. She had no choice but to suppress her embarrassment and anger and wait until they went to their room that evening to punish him.

In the blink of an eye, it's the seventh day of the seventh lunar month, which the Song people called the Qixi Festival. It is said that the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl meet on the Magpie Bridge on this day. On this day, people used to weave bamboo, wood, or hemp straw into a shed, cut out five-colored paper into a multi-story building, also known as the Fairy Tower, and then carve images of the Cowherd and the Weaver Girl, as well as fairies, and place them on it to pray for skill.