Chapter 63: Fetching Water with a Basket
Yanbao was conflicted for a long time.
When she was little, her sister became Ji Mingxiu's "confidant." She often heard her grandmother and mother say that being someone's concubine was better than being their legitimate wife. Yanbao didn't believe it at first. She couldn't even spare the leg of a roast chicken for her sister or her cousin, so how much more so for her husband? Being with a married man was like facing a chicken leg that someone had bitten off. How much you could eat depended on the previous owner's opinion. Who could resist that?
However, she saw with her own eyes that her sister did have a glamorous and glorious life because of that experience, had the opportunity to go to the capital, and had happiness that she could not get on her own or with her family background. Gradually, Yanbao realized that perhaps it was not that bad: being the first wife or the second wife, you are still a man’s wife; being a man’s wife means you have to worry about it and endure it, and there is definitely no such thing as "comfortable and contented". In this case, why not just hold your nose and live in the second room of a first-class family? As my grandmother said to my mother: "You yourself were brought into the family by three matchmakers and six betrothals, and were carried into the house in a big red sedan chair. Look at how you are doing now?"
Shao Yanei was of distinguished birth, a noble and noble position, so without resorting to unusual and risky tactics, she would have difficulty even entering the Shao residence. Furthermore, Shao Yanei was of the right age and good looks, and she truly coveted his beauty. After just one night, Yanbao had successfully accepted Yanru's path, waiting patiently for the Shao residence's sedan chair to arrive at the gates of Guanyan Academy and be carried into the small courtyard with its carved beams and painted buildings.
One day, two days, three days... Yanbao waited and waited, but there was no news. Four days, five days, six days... She could no longer bear it, fearing that Shao Yanei would forget her. She could no longer read and hurried to Qixian's pawnshop to ask her sister: "Sister, what's going on with Shao Yanei?"
Yanru was also bewildered: "You don't know? Logically speaking, you two had a great chat that day, and he wasn't indifferent to you. How come seven or eight days have passed and he hasn't asked you out again?"
Yanbao was anxious: "Is he kidding me? Has he found another slut and doesn't want me anymore? Please ask my brother-in-law for me."
"You can't keep your cool now? What's the rush? You didn't do anything to him. The gold hairpin fell into the well, it's yours, it must be yours." Yanru disliked her sister's petty-mindedness. "You can't keep your cool even when you encounter such a small tribulation. If you really marry into his wealthy family, you'll have to suffer."
Yan Bao said, "The longer the night, the more dreams you will have. The sooner this is done, the better. Go and ask."
Yanru straightened her hair. "Okay, okay, okay. Tomorrow is the fifteenth day of the lunar month. Your brother-in-law's adoptive father is going to take some people to Daiyuan for dinner. Shao Yanei should be there too. I'll ask around for you. Just be at ease. Don't be so impatient. Only by keeping calm can you show the demeanor of a great man, understand?"
After sending Yanbao away with a mixture of coaxing and deceit, Yanru pulled out the mirror and looked at herself in the mirror, feeling sorry for herself. She was somewhat heartbroken that her sister had been treated coldly. So what if her family liked Yanbao? Yanbao had left home, left Jinling, and settled in the capital, where she was surrounded by men born and bred in the imperial city. Her charm and charm were limited to this, and she was left feeling anxious and uneasy. Unlike herself, who always felt at ease at banquets, being praised and admired by men.
After all, the goddess of painting, You Yanru, is not someone that everyone can compare to.
However, a sister is still a sister after all, and Yanbao is good, so Yanru can be even better. Her gloating mood passed, and the next day, she stood at the gate of Daiyuan from noon to sunset, eagerly waiting for Shao Yanei to come and see what was going on.
Xue Jia came out and called her, "It's almost time for dinner. Why don't you go in and take care of things instead of sitting here idle and picking your nails?"
Yanru muttered, "Aren't there servants looking after the kitchen and other things? Why do we have to do it ourselves and pay those servants?"
"It seems so." Xue Jia scratched his head, "But the banquet is about to start, what are you still doing here?"
Yanru asked suspiciously, "Let's start the meal? Shao Yanei hasn't arrived yet? Aren't we waiting for him?"
"Oh, I forgot to tell you." Xue Jia slapped his forehead, "Shao Yanei has something going on at home and can't come. Today's dinner is considered a family dinner. Only my adoptive father, my parents, and my adoptive father's daughter will be here. However, my adoptive father said that his daughter will probably be here later, so let's eat first."
"Oh, so... all right." Yanru left with a sullen look, then sat down at the banquet table, where she saw a table filled with delicacies and fine wines, many of which were Jinling cuisine. According to Mr. Shi, his business had been extremely successful recently, thanks to the help of Yanru and Xue Jia, so he had specially brought his own famous Jinling chef, who specialized in Jiangnan cuisine, to Daiyuan to prepare dishes for everyone as a token of his gratitude.
Even the most clueless person could tell that Master Shi was referring to the recent setback Zheng Sirui had suffered in official circles, which had caused his shady business dealings to be concealed. To receive Master Shi's unwavering praise in front of her mother-in-law, Wang Xianyi, was a great honor. But thinking of Zheng Sirui in prison, her hair disheveled and clothes thin, looking disheveled and hopeless, Yanru was overwhelmed with emotions, unable to fully rejoice. Her heart was in turmoil, and she perfunctorily clung to her wine cup, "Thank you, godfather, for your compliment."
Wang Xianyi, with a rare good expression, picked up a piece of duck breast with skin and placed it in Yanru's bowl: "This is your Jinling salted duck. Try it and see if it suits your taste."
Yanru was flattered and terrified: "Thank you, mother-in-law. This duck, oh, not only that, all the dishes on this table are so, so good, especially the taste of my hometown, really, so fragrant, so delicious, I love it."
It was a rare sight for the bride and groom to get along so well. Father-in-law Xue Peng smiled broadly, "That's all the better for the bride. By the way, isn't Sister An coming yet? I remember that although Sister An is from Beijing, she has a Jiangnan palate and especially loves salted duck."
Yanru was curious and patted Xue Jia: "Who is Sister An?"
Xue Jia said, "Sister An is my adoptive father's youngest daughter. He has only one daughter, and he loves her dearly. Even after she's been married for several years, he still remembers her love for Huaiyang cuisine, so he hired two chefs from Jinling at a large sum of money and brought the chefs and their families to the capital so that she can eat and drink well when she returns to her parents' home—oh, the chef who made this dish."
"That's great." Yanru was envious. They were all born and raised by their parents, so why were other girls so doted on and still remembered after they got married?
Mr. Shi said, "Don't worry about eating. I told the kitchen to leave half for her. My daughter loves to play. Even after getting married, she still likes to run around and play outside all day. I told her that she would come to Dai Garden to have dinner with me today, but she wanted to go to appreciate the plum blossoms with some noble ladies first. Tsk, she has been spoiled by me and has become lawless, making you laugh. Unlike your new bride, she stays by Jia'er's side all day, never going anywhere, and behaves well."
Wang Xianyi laughed: "That's just Master's angry words. How can my bride compare to Sister An?"
Yanru rolled her eyes and cursed inwardly: I also want to go out and play all day, but you and your son are too stingy and don’t even want to give me a groom and a carriage?
Xue Jia smiled, Xue Peng smiled too, and everyone at the table toasted each other cheerfully. Even the gusts of north wind couldn't dispel Wang Xianyi's bright smile. Seeing Master Shi personally pick up some food for Yanru, she immediately handed him a handkerchief. When Master Shi called for Yanru to drink some soup, she immediately poured him a glass of wine. After praising your daughter-in-law, he praised my son-in-law, and the exchange of glances made Yanru even feel that Master Shi seemed more like her father-in-law than Xue Peng.
Yanru glanced at Xue Peng, then at Xue Jia, and cried out in her heart, "What a sin! My father-in-law doesn't mind. I just think too much."
A table of people were gathered around the table, feeling very intimate and affectionate. Suddenly, there was a movement outside: the sound of horses and carriages, and someone rushed in hurriedly. Master Shi heard the announcement and understood: "Yes, that troublemaker Sister An is here."
Yanru craned her neck, eager to get a quicker look at Sister An. At the end of the dim corridor, the faint outline of a woman emerged. Her hair was combed high, a pearl hairpin swaying with each step. As she approached, under the candlelight by the roadside, she revealed a tall, well-proportioned figure wrapped in a cloak of carved azure silk and a gray squirrel. Her hair was covered in seven-treasure pearls and jade, adorned with a silver-gilt phoenix hairpin. She had a long face, high cheekbones, and raised eyebrows. She lunged at Mr. Shi: "Dad! Dad! Why are you still eating here with them?! We're almost being killed by the Xue family!"
Everyone present was in a state of panic and astonishment. Master Shi said, "You have the blood of the aristocratic Shi Hou family in your bones. How can you be so startled and speak so rudely? How can you be so rude!"
An Jie'er said coldly, "Even though I'm well-educated, I still have to respect others. Dad, do you know that the good daughter-in-law and good son raised by the Xue family are doing evil things outside every day under your name, and almost beat up the nephew of Chong Wang. Xue Peng, Wang Xianyi, do you know that although he is a nephew, the surname of Chong Wang is Zhao."
Zhao was the surname of the emperor. The sons of the Chong Wang family could greet the emperor during festivals and receive lucky money by calling him "uncle".
Wang Xianyi shuddered when her son was about to hit his nephew and cousin, who were both of such character. "Sister An, please don't say such nonsense."
"Hmph." Sister An spat, "I'm talking nonsense? Go out and find out what good things your bastard son has done. He was making things difficult for a little singing girl in the newly bought courtyard of the Shao Mansion. Prince Chong's nephew spoke up for the singing girl, and your son pushed her over and even beat her up? Xue Peng, Sister Wang, do you know how to teach your son a lesson? Since you know your son is an extremely stupid toad, don't let him go out and embarrass himself! Who is Prince Chong? The elite soldiers guarding the city are all under his command. Even if I meet the accountant in his mansion, I have to be respectful. Your son is so shameless that he directly attacked the nephew? Awesome. If you are so capable, don't go out and use my father's name to implicate our Shi family!"
Xue Jia's legs went limp, and he fell to the ground. He propped himself up and sat back on the stool, trembling, "I... I don't know. He, he was singing on the stage that day, dressed like an actor... How could I know? How could I know he wasn't an actor, but a relative of the prince?"
"Asshole!" Wang Xianyi was so disappointed. "I've always taught you that since you're doing business in the capital, you should be smart, find out more, and get to know more people! But you just won't listen!"
An Jieer looked around and saw Yanru. She guessed her identity and said sarcastically, "Sister Wang, I'm not saying that your son is not good enough, but your new wife is quite interesting too. Before getting married, you had an affair with the teacher in the academy, and you even wanted to teach your sister to recommend herself to someone else as a second wife. In front of many people, you let your sister flirt with the young master of the Shao family, and the news even reached the ears of the lady of the Shao family - they have only been married for a short time, who are you trying to disgust? Today, I went to appreciate the plum blossoms with Mrs. Yang, the wife of Shao Yanei, and she made sarcastic remarks about me for a long time. Since our Shi family wants to establish a relationship with the Shao family so much, why go through so much trouble? Why don't you give birth to a younger sister and marry her to your husband? Dad, if I hadn't seen you doing business with the Shao family, I really couldn't swallow this anger. Tell me, you kindly let Xue Jia call you godfather, and he went out and embarrassed himself, and even used our family's name to humiliate our family members and tarnish our reputation? How could such a thing happen in the world! And you, You Yanru, right? Do you, the You family of Jinling, know how to teach your daughters? If not, tell me, and I'll find a better teacher to teach your family about etiquette, righteousness, integrity and shame. "
An Jie'er's chatter went in one ear and out the other, leaving Yanru's mind a mess and a daze. Hearing her hysterically cursing her own family, Yanru sobered up a bit and angrily said, "Watch your mouth! Do you have any sense of propriety? Yelling at my mother-in-law in my own home? After cursing my husband, you curse my own family?"
As if she had just heard a huge joke, it was Sister An's turn to be confused: "What?"
Wang Xianyi and Xue Jia's faces changed drastically. The mother and son hurriedly grabbed Yanru and told her to shut up. Unfortunately, their actions couldn't match their voices, and Xue Jia didn't have time to cover Yanru's mouth. She was righteous and acted like a hostess: "I say, what gives you the right to yell at my mother-in-law in my own home? After scolding my husband, you scold my family? Who do you think you are?"
"Hahahahaha." An Jie'er laughed instead of getting angry, grabbing the ashen-faced Master Shi. "Dad, Dad, listen to what I'm saying, it makes me laugh. The world is really going downhill, with a servant's wife yelling at her master. You Yanru, that carriage with a green tent you ride every day was given to me when I was a kid because I got tired of it. This Dai Garden was bought by my dad. Tell me, who am I and who are you?"
Home. Slave?
In an instant, it was as if her spine was split open and a bucket of ice water poured down. The north wind outside the window howled and penetrated her brain, like a scream. Yanru's tongue was bitter. She looked at An Jie'er and repeated those two words: "House slave?"
Seeing her reaction, An Jie'er immediately understood about half of it: the Xue Jia family often used their father Shi Jian's chicken feathers as a token of authority, borrowing from the Shi family's wealth to act like powerful figures outside, intimidating many people. This foolish woman must have been fooled by Xue Jia and really thought she had landed a rich husband. She couldn't help but laugh and helped her see the truth: "Yes, a house slave. Although your family surnamed Xue didn't directly sell yourselves to our Shi family, you serve my father every day and make a living from our family's fingers. Are you not also a house slave? The racecourse was assigned by my father to help you run the family. The Qixian Pawnshop was funded by my father and managed by your mother-in-law and father-in-law. Daiyuan is our garden for entertaining guests. You and your husband are here to live there and keep us in good stead. Sister Wang, isn't it? Could it be that because my brother and I usually show you some respect and call you sister, and your precious son casually calls my father "adopted father", do the people in the Xue family really consider us your relatives?"
Mr. Shi remained silent, picked up the teacup beside him and threw it angrily: "Bang!" Wang Xianyi and Xue Peng were embarrassed, but did not dare to get angry. They forced a smile, stood up and said nice things.
Yanru was trembling all over, her hands and feet cold. Xue Jia was afraid she would cause trouble again, so he dragged her away before she went crazy. The couple dragged each other back to their room, and Yanru kicked Xue Jia: "You heartless bastard! You and everyone in the Xue family lied to me!"
Xue Jia cursed back: "What did I lie to you about?"
Yanru recounted every incident before the marriage and flew into a rage: "You kept telling my family that you were doing business and had so much silver and jewels, but you lied to me! The pawnshop was a lie, the horse farm was a lie, and even Daiyuan was a lie! I was wondering why Shi Jian always came here for his meetings? I was wondering why he didn't let me live in the main courtyard? I was wondering why you had to ask Shi Jian for everything, big or small. So it was you who lied to me? You became someone's slave and tricked me into marrying in and becoming a slave with your family? You tricked me into being a doorman here! You, the Xue family, are so heartless!"
"Bah, You Yanru, I did say some big words to you, but the betrothal gift to your family was real, wasn't it? The clothes and jewelry I bought for you were real, weren't they? I managed the pawnshop for you, wasn't it? Can you do it? Can you read it? Have you ever managed a pawnshop's business besides giggling while holding the account book? Not to mention the horse farm, you can't even ride a horse, and you don't even want to go there once, and you have the nerve to mention the horse farm?" Xue Jia grabbed her and wrestled with her to the dressing table. He rudely threw out the mirror from the dressing box and held Yanru down: "Xue family, Xue family, our Xue family, You Yanru, before you scold our Xue family, open your eyes and take a closer look at yourself. What you wear, use, and wear, is not from our Xue family? How dare you say that? So what if I lied to you? Didn't you pretend to be a rich girl and lie to me too?"
Yanru was speechless, cursing "son of a bitch" and "scumbag" and so on, punching and kicking Xue Jia. Xue Jia was desperate to win back Master Shi, and was afraid that if he went too late, Master Shi would just walk away without him even having the chance to kowtow and admit his mistake. He pushed Yanru aside and ran to Zhufang Courtyard, leaving Yanru alone in the room.
Yanru's heart was broken. She staggered out of the house and stood in the courtyard, her head buzzing. The sound of the bronze bell from Qiushui Academy, the creaking of her mother's embroidery frame scraping against the ground, the clanging sound of her father's shovel hitting the porcelain basin, the rustling sound of her grandmother flipping through the family tree, the sound of reading at Guanyan Academy... There were all kinds of sounds, but the clearest one was An Jie'er saying, "House slave."
House slave.
House slave.
House slave.
The moon hung high in the sky, just as it had yesterday, a firefly-yellow in the sky, casting a pale halo on the ground. Looking around, pavilions, waterside terraces, flowers, plants, and trees were reduced to mere black outlines in the darkness. A northerly wind whipped through the surrounding trees, swaying light and shadow like ghosts. The remaining bamboo leaves rubbed against each other, making a creaking sound that sounded like a sharp mockery.
All wealth and honor are not hers. All ridicule is hers.
She put in a lot of effort and studied hard, abandoned her lover Liu Xiang, her best friend Zheng Sirui, her dignity and friendship, and hurriedly married into a seemingly extremely noble family in the imperial city. In the end, she got nothing and became the wife of a family slave?
"Steal——" Yanru sneered and looked up at the sky. Chanjuan had been with her since the night of their separation from Liu Xiang. Now her tears were no longer like the tears shed by Chang'e, but only like a huge bronze mirror, reflecting the ugly appearance of the world's busyness and the absurdity of all living things. In Yanru's eyes, her eyes were full of tears and her words were shattered.
In the cold wind, Yanru, wearing only a single layer of clothing, cried out in grief.
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