Chapter 10 Mistakenly Taking His Home as My Own

With the rain pouring down, Madam Ru told her to stay home for the time being. It would be perfect if Miaozhen could help her mother with the housework. Besides teaching them to read, Madam Qiu taught them needlework, bookkeeping, and household management.

Mei cleaned up the two rooms on the west side for the three members of the eldest son's family to live in, and also let Xu Si Niang and Miao Zhen live together.

“It’s only been a few days, let’s be patient and not let our relatives gossip,” said Madam Mei.

Miaozhen smiled and said, "Your daughter knows."

Since Xu Si Niang was soaked from head to toe, Miao Zhen asked Xiao Xi and Xiao Tao to take her for a bath first. However, Xu Si Niang didn't want to be naked and let the maids see her, so she got out of the bathtub by herself. But she didn't bring a towel to dry herself. She found a stack of paper next to her, so she used the paper to wipe herself and then put on her clothes.

Xiao Xi noticed that the dress she was wearing, especially the back of the skirt where the buttocks were almost worn smooth, and knew that Old Madam Xu was stingy. When she entered the room and saw the paper balls scattered all over the floor, she immediately shouted, "A bolt of hemp cloth is only exchanged for a few rolls of straw paper. Our young lady usually uses it sparingly. How come there are seventy or eighty paper balls all at once? What a waste!"

Upon hearing this, Xu Si Niang blushed. Her parents helped her third brother without any money, only eating with him. She herself wasn't diligent in spinning thread, only earning a little spare change to buy hair accessories and cosmetics. Although the third branch of the family's business was good, they were frugal; they used paper sticks or leaves for toileting, let alone toilet paper. Now, hearing Xiao Xi's commotion, she pretended not to know and went to find Mei Shi in the front.

At this moment, Madam Mei and Miao Zhen were talking to the eldest daughter and her mother. Two years had passed, and Miao Yun had grown into a beautiful young woman. She was the most beautiful among the Xu family's daughters. She was wearing a silk dress and holding a polished silk handkerchief with orchids embroidered on a white background. She looked very elegant.

Huang noticed that Mei had acquired new furniture in the past year or two, including a white rosewood daybed with a three-legged floor lamp with scrolling grass patterns next to it, and a tall flower stand with cloud patterns and a bronze incense burner in front of the daybed. It looked quite impressive. Huang also thought that the outer wall seemed to have been rebuilt with flower walls.

Mei said, "I've assigned my maid Xiu'er to serve you, sister-in-law. If there's anything to eat or play with, and I'm not there for a while, just tell her."

Madam Huang smiled and said, "Sister-in-law, you're too kind." But she didn't refuse. She looked around and then complained that her husband was useless. He was a tribute student, but he was not as well off as a mere scholar.

Outside, Fengniang was having someone bring in hawthorn cakes, lily pastries, and several cups of tea. Miaoyun was asking Miaozhen, "Sister, have you started studying the Four Books yet?"

"I've finished reading them all, and now I'm reading the Book of Changes, constantly divining. What about you, sister?" Miaozhen asked.

Miaoyun smiled bitterly: "I'm studying with that young lady, and I understand everything, but she can't even understand the Great Learning."

"No way? What did Lady Qianhu say about her?" Miaozhen was speechless.

Miaoyun spread her hands: "The Lady of the Thousand Households dotes on her a lot. Even when she was learning embroidery from my mother and pricked her hand a few times, I was the one who did the needlework for her most of the time."

“That’s right, my sister must feel so uncomfortable at her house.” Miaozhen felt sorry for Miaoyun and gave her a piece of lily pastry. She added, “I can make abalone with bones now. I’ll make it for you in a few days.”

Miaozhen thought that her older sister was treated like a maid in that mansion.

Miaoyun thanked him first, and then said, "Her family has already arranged a marriage with the second son of General Dingyuan. Her future is already set."

“Those daughters of officials must be a powerful alliance.” Miaozhen didn’t think there was anything wrong with it. In her family, her father said that he would save up a lot of dowry for her in the next few years so that she could marry into a good family in the future.

Breaking through class barriers is not easy in modern society, let alone for families like those in ancient times, so one must be down-to-earth.

Miaoyun felt resentful. She was clearly better than that Miss Qianhu in every way, but she could only be a maid, and now she didn't even have a place to live.

As the group was talking, they saw Xu Si Niang approaching, her hair still wrapped in wet cloth.

Madam Huang frowned immediately. She was already a teenager, how could she have no manners at all, coming out with such wet hair? Madam Mei was also startled and quickly said, "Sister, there are people coming and going in front of here. Please go inside, I'll have someone dry your hair."

Yin Huan quickly led Xu Si Niang into the inner room. Fortunately, they got in. Outside, Madam Ma led Old Madam Li over to play mahjong. Old Madam Li was the wife of a high-ranking official who had returned from the capital after resigning from his post. Her attire was completely different from others. She had come to the Ma family's house because of the heavy rain.

Huang saw that this old lady Li was no ordinary person and was happy to keep her company.

Miao Zhen led Miao Yun to talk behind her, but when they came out, they saw the Li brothers, Li Xilie and Li Ximeng, both wearing amber shirts and oil boots, holding an umbrella but not wearing rain hats, with nets on their heads and hairpins in their hair, and their movements were like those of a young master from a prominent family.

"Young Master Li, Second Young Master Li." Miaozhen, who studied at the Ma family's girls' school, recognized them, but she dared not underestimate the defeated phoenix.

Li Xilie was used to making advances on women, and he was even very kind to a young girl like Miaozhen. He laughed and said, "My old lady forgot to bring her lumbar support, but luckily my brother and I brought it over."

Miaozhen pointed to the main room: "Please go there, gentlemen."

After saying that, she pulled Miaoyun away. When they returned to the embroidery building, Xiaoxi complained that Xu Siniang had used the toilet paper to wipe her body. Miaozhen said, "Since that's the case, we can't let her ruin things in my room. You guys clean up the room downstairs by the window, move my bamboo bed there, and tidy it up for her."

In a humble household, every blade of grass and every tree is precious. When Miaozhen transmigrated, although there was no toilet paper, there was straw paper. However, that straw paper was not cheap. She didn't expect that her aunt would not cherish it. In fact, it was her own straw paper, not hers.

But then Miaoyun asked, "Where are those two young men from?"

“Oh, they’re relatives of the Ma family next door. They used to be high-ranking officials in the capital, but they offended someone and resigned to go home. But even a broken ship has three thousand nails. I heard that the father of the eldest son of the Li family has now gone to Hangzhou to run a school, and the father of the second son of the Li family is a principal in the Ministry of Works. Speaking of which, they are all sons of officials.” Miaozhen said with a smile.

She said it unintentionally, but Miaoyun's heart stirred upon hearing it.

Xiao Tao brought over various colored silk threads, and Miao Zhen picked them up and split them with Miao Yun. The Xu family was just a small household, and the maids didn't have many rules. Xiao Tao asked, "Miss, do you think Miss Ma next door is going to marry into the Li family?"

"It shouldn't be. Mrs. Ma dotes on Sister Yulan. She knows the Li family is ambitious and they're not on the same wavelength." There are also those who marry into fallen families, all for money. After the woman marries into the family, she practically buys her status with money. The dowry is at least three or four boatloads, which would empty the Ma family's pockets.

Miaozhen is ambitious, but she doesn't have unrealistic expectations; she knows exactly what size shoes to wear.

Meanwhile, inside the room, the maids helped Xu Si Niang dry her hair halfway and comb it into a bun. They then told her that the ladies outside were playing mahjong and that she could go back first if she had nothing else to do.

Xu Si Niang was two years older than Miao Zhen. Miao Zhen was ten years old when she turned one month old, and she would be eleven in six months. Now that her birthday had passed, she was already thirteen. She was already well-versed in human affairs, and because her marriage was not yet settled, she was anxious. She never expected to see the two young men when she went out. Her heart was pounding, and she stood there, unwilling to move.

...

Night fell, and Xu Si Niang slept on the first floor. The room was filled with the stench of mugwort. She resented Miao Zhen for not letting her sleep upstairs and for looking down on her. But then she thought that what her third sister-in-law said was indeed true. Her second brother's family always talked about their debts, but in fact they lived very well and knew many extraordinary people. They just didn't want to give her any advantage.

She fell asleep while thinking this, unaware that Xu Erpeng was still writing in his study by lamplight. The later it got, the more inspired he became. Moreover, regardless of wind, rain, or extreme heat or cold, he never missed a day's writing.

Because of this, he had been suffering from insomnia for many years. Fortunately, his daughter was studying medicine and sometimes made him jujube seed soup when he had migraines. Today, she heard that he had some heart palpitations, so she asked her assistant to go to the pharmacy to get Gui Pi Tang. He kept yawning while writing this, so he probably won't have trouble falling asleep tonight.

The next morning, the rain subsided a little, and Miaozhen had already begun cutting clothes. She was preparing to make a paddy field vest to give to Ru Shi, but it was quite time-consuming, and she had been working on it for a month now.

Xiao Tao was taking the breakfast she had just finished eating away when Xiao Xi said, "The eldest son said he wants to invite his friends to our house for dinner, and he gave us money to buy a lot of dishes."

"With such heavy rain, I wonder how they managed to get here?" Miaozhen said with a smile.

Little did she know that Xu Dalang hadn't been doing very well these past few years. He and Huang Shi rarely saw each other and often quarreled. Huang Shi disliked him for being useless, and he didn't want to stay here anymore. Especially yesterday, Huang Shi kept saying that she wanted to buy a house and complained about his incompetence.

Seeing his brother so happy to see his friends, Xu Erpeng thought to himself that he wasn't even this generous when he invited his own brother. What kind of friends were they? They hadn't exchanged a single word with him in years.

But seeing Xu Dalang's high spirits, he didn't say anything.

Xu Dalang met this friend while socializing in Jinling. He came from a prestigious family and was a Juren (a successful candidate in the imperial examinations) who had actually served as a Gongsheng (a student who passed the provincial examinations) at the Imperial Academy. He was considered Xu Dalang's best friend.

He also said to Xu Erpeng, "I can look after you when the time comes."

Xu Erpeng remained silent and continued writing in his study. The rain had been too heavy these past few days, and fearing that the books would get wet, he moved them inside and wrote in his room.

Xu Dalang's friend arrived quickly, wearing a tall hat, a lake-blue silk robe, and wooden clogs. He looked around and said, "Brother Yiming, back then when Magistrate Zhang resigned, you and I went our separate ways, one north and one south. Now I'm pursuing an official career, while you've become a wealthy man. That's quite good."

Xu Dalang originally intended to say that the house belonged to his younger brother and not to him, but somehow he acquiesced: "You are now in a high position in Jinling. If I hadn't heard that you were visiting relatives, I would not have been able to see you. My humble abode is simple and unassuming, please forgive me."