Of course, I can't blame my stepmother; she never intended to have so many children. In fact, she gave my four half-brothers even more appalling nicknames: Damao, Xiaomao, Amao, and Maomao. Even the names given to the little dogs raised by Manager Zhou's son were better.
They say a humble name makes for a good life, and that's true. Each of my four younger brothers is incredibly strong, especially Big Mao, who, having just turned ten, could knock his eldest brother to the ground with just fourteen shots. My father was delighted, calling it "a piece of cake." But our aunt, who also happens to be my younger aunt, was very unhappy and dragged the three of us to mourn at my mother's memorial tablet once again.
Why do I say "again"? Because my aunt led us in this activity every few days. If my father could hear, it would be the best. If he couldn't hear, I would cry until he could hear. If I pretended not to hear, I would cry until he couldn't continue.
I'm fed up.
My aunt has always told us since we were young that we should be more careful about dad's new wife, that stepmothers are all black-hearted, that younger sisters will steal dad's favor, and younger brothers will steal the eldest brother's title. She also likes to tell us the thrilling story of Ningyuan Marquis Mansion to inspire us not to take our stepmother and younger brothers and sisters lightly.
Not only that, my aunt often urged us to curry favor with our father, taking the opportunity to ask for everything: farms, shops, jobs, and rewards—the more the better. My brother looked sullen, bewildered. My sister was born a lady from a wealthy family, so she could only wait for others to flatter her. It was better for me to be frank and say directly: I don't know how to do that.
My aunt had to demonstrate it herself.
She didn't have much of a solution, just kept telling my dad how virtuous and selfless my late mother was, reminding him, both overtly and covertly, to keep a diary and not be heartless. I didn't like this, thinking my mother couldn't rest in peace in the afterlife, having died and still being exploited.
My sister was very dissatisfied with my uncooperative attitude. She thought I was a heartless little girl who couldn't distinguish friend from foe. So she tearfully asked, "Have you forgotten our deceased mother?"
This accusation makes me feel guilty and wronged. When my mother passed away, I couldn't even call out to her properly, and I barely remembered anything. I only vaguely remember a gentle and warm feeling towards her. Everyone says my mother is wonderful, the most considerate person in the world, and I absolutely believe it.
Of course, Mom is wonderful, wonderful. But what does Mom's goodness have to do with how good Auntie is, or with my uncle and aunt, or with the other aunts and uncles in the Zou family? Xiaohua and Xiaohuang were born from the same litter. One is very well-behaved, always loving to nestle in my lap and bask in the sun, but the other is very naughty, biting and scratching all over the garden and causing trouble.
Dad has always trusted Mom. It is right to love someone and love everyone in them. Do I have to trust Mom too?
Anyway, I don’t trust the Zou family, including my aunt.
My aunt doesn't like my stubbornness. She keeps talking about "big brother and big sister", and I don't like to listen to her nagging.
She always said that we were her own flesh and blood, that with us, she didn't want anything else. So why did she spend so much money searching for doctors, Taoist priests, and nuns year-round? She took such bitter medicine and used such hot moxa to burn herself, leaving herself black and yellow, looking like Xiao Zhouan's mangy dog, just to have a child?
I asked the nanny why. She smiled lovingly and touched my head: "Our Yujie is really smart, much better than your brother and sister."
That's fine. My aunt actually wants to marry me to my uncle's youngest son?!
Every day she told me how great my uncle's family was and how much my aunt loved me, and she kept asking me 'Are you willing?' every few days, and she also said to my father, 'Yu'er and Shun'er get along best. They play together every day and can't bear to be apart. It's really 'a perfect match'. As soon as I said 'We fight every day, I hate him', my aunt stopped me with a smile, and didn't let me continue, and said, 'They are just kids, the more they quarrel, the closer they become' - it made me so angry!
Nanny said that getting married means living with someone for the rest of your life. Who wants to spend their whole life with that fat guy?!
My little cousin is my third uncle's late-born son. He's overbearing, ugly, uneducated, and a bully. But my aunt treats him like the apple of her eye. She even dares to beat and scold my servants. She's so bold! I want to vomit when I think of his pig-like face!
My sister actually tried to persuade me with her dignified elder sister look on her face, and she told me to remember the kindness of my late mother. I retorted, "Since you care so much about the friendship with my uncle's family, why don't you marry my eldest cousin yourself?"
My sister seemed like an old yellow goose with its neck strangled, and she immediately stopped talking.
Humph, who doesn't know how to be generous to others? I don't believe that if my mother were still alive, she would let me marry that ugly villain! My aunt is also picking on the weak. Knowing that my sister is determined to marry into a wealthy family, she bullies me because I am young and easy to fool.
Among the three of us siblings, my eldest brother trusts my aunt the most.
My uncles even thought about letting my eldest brother marry my cousin from the Zou family as the Crown Prince's wife.
My elder brother was willing to do so, but it made my father so angry that he lost his temper on the spot. He first sent my cousin who lived in the house back home, and ordered that no girls from the Zou family were allowed to come without my approval before my eldest brother got married. He then beat my elder brother dozens of times with a stick, slapped my aunt dozens of times, and made her recite Buddhist scriptures three hundred times.
My aunt burst into tears and pointed at my father and said, "My Lord, you look down on the Zou family girls so much. Isn't my sister's last name Zou?"
My father burst into laughter on the spot. This was the first time he spoke so confidently when my aunt mentioned my mother: "That's what your sister said when she was alive. She said that my brothers from my mother's family were useless, and my sisters-in-law didn't look like they could raise good children. It's fine to provide more support from others, but you absolutely can't force your children to get married like this!"
After this incident, my aunt was depressed for half a year, and the Zou family finally stopped plotting our marriage.
The wet nurse hugged me and secretly shed tears: "Your mother has a miserable life. She was born to work hard and has never enjoyed a few happy days in her life. When she was a girl, the old man was weak and indecisive, and the virtuous old lady passed away early. Her brother and sister-in-law wanted to use her to marry into a higher-class family, but she insisted on marrying into the family. After she followed your father, she took care of everything inside and outside the palace. She was always there for him in the palace! My elder sister also advised your mother to take care of herself. But your mother has been accustomed to doing everything herself for more than ten years and is always trying to be the first. How can she change this character!"
I didn't quite understand what he said, but I felt sad for no reason and started crying too.
Not long after, the princess cousin came and the house became more lively.
My eldest brother, at the instigation of someone, demanded that his wife treat my aunt as a proper mother-in-law. The princess's sister-in-law was so enraged she practically flipped the roof off, and my eldest brother was terrified and scrambled about. But it was all in vain; my aunt refused to let my eldest brother go, constantly interfering in his affairs. Today she sent a maid, tomorrow she invited Cousin Zou to stay for a while, just to catch up with him.
The princess's sister-in-law was furious and went to the palace to file a complaint. Then the queen's aunt was furious and asked the maids in the palace to beat my aunt up. My second prince cousin also came up with a bad idea and arranged a marriage for my cousin Zou whose name I couldn't remember. It was said that the future cousin-in-law was not only ugly, but also had a bad family background.
The princess's sister-in-law smiled at my aunt and said, "If you introduce my husband to an extramarital affair again in the future, I will ask my mother to arrange a lifelong event for the Zou family's daughter (the Zou family has many cousins), and you can do whatever you want."
The princess's sister-in-law was powerful, and her aunt was no pushover either. If overt attempts failed, she would secretly hinder her. Then her eldest brother would take advantage of the situation, either ignoring the princess or arguing with her. In a month, her sister-in-law would spend half the month sulking alone in the princess's mansion, and the other half fighting and quarreling with her brother at home. Occasionally, her second cousin would come to help.
Half of the Shen family was in chaos. My father couldn't stand the stimulation, so he moved into Nanyuan to live with my stepmother, and the two of them could have children as much as they wanted.
Because the eldest brother's marriage was not going well, when the sister was planning to get married, her father insisted on asking her stepmother to discuss it together.
The Queen's aunt still loves my sister very much. The two candidates she has are both top-notch. One is the Prince of Wei, who is gentle, noble, talented and handsome; the other is General Bo, who has just returned from the court after making meritorious service at the border, a young hero with extraordinary bravery.
The stepmother spoke straightforwardly, and began by praising the Bo family: "Living well depends on one's background. The Bo family has a simple population, a rich family background, and a good family tradition, so they must be worry-free. Although the Prince of Wei is good, he is still a prince of the imperial clan. He has four concubines and concubines who can be included in the imperial book, and how can he not have all kinds of flowers and plants? Moreover, he is a member of the royal family. Even if he is wronged, who can do anything?"
This time even my father thought it made sense, but unfortunately my sister and aunt completely disagreed. My aunt even told my sister that it was my stepmother who didn't want my sister to marry into a wealthy family. My sister agreed with that.
Later, my sister really had a lot of "good sisters", all kinds of women.
Later, the young General Bo was married to Aunt Gu's eldest niece.
My stepmother also took me to their wedding. I didn't see the bride, but I heard many female relatives chatting and saying that the second wife of the Yuan family was famous for her fertility, beauty and virtue, and her eldest daughter must be no bad girl either.
Later, General Bo and his wife really lived in harmony and had many children.
After my brothers and sisters got married, my stepmother saw that Damao and I were always playing around in the mud and were extremely naughty. She couldn't stand it anymore, so she sent me to Zheng's Girls' School and asked the teacher to supervise me and help me control my temper.
My aunt was anxious again, but she didn't dare tell my father for fear of being beaten again. She hesitated with me for a long time. I became impatient and asked, "Isn't Mr. Xue a good teacher?" My aunt said, "...He is a very good teacher."
"Will the Zheng family bully me?" How could they do that with my aunt around?
Aunt: "Well, not necessarily."
"Then why don't you want me to go?"
"Madam is deliberately trying to be nice to you! She's trying to win you over!"
I glared and said, "So what?"
My aunt just thinks too much. She is about the same age as my stepmother, but she seems ten years older.
For several years after my brother and his wife got married, their relationship remained cold and childless. Seeing our little one growing up day by day, Dad was deeply worried. That year, the old Prince Wei passed away, and my sister was going to follow the Crown Prince to his fiefdom. Before leaving, Dad specially called the three of us together for dinner.
After a few rounds of drinks, the father who had always been strong and resolute began to cry. The father who had never been polite to my brother suddenly began to cry.
The eldest brother immediately panicked.
Dad said to my eldest brother, "... Consider this as my plea to you. Send Concubine Zou away. You and the princess can't go on like this... The princess is not an ordinary wife. She is full of resentment. She has no legitimate son of her own, and she refuses to acknowledge her illegitimate son. When the time comes, this title..."
My sister and I both understood. My sister started crying and began to persuade him, "Brother, just listen to Dad this time. Auntie...Auntie is not a good person...she has no good intentions."
I didn't shed a single tear, and simply said, "My eldest prince cousin will succeed to the throne sooner or later. If you continue to be so stubborn and neglect the princess, you won't have to wait until there's no legitimate son. After Daddy dies, you won't even have a share of the title. By then, you, the prince consort, will have no choice but to rely on the princess for a living."
Actually, the two prince cousins do respect Daddy, but Daddy doesn't have only one son, my brother. All of my cousins are Daddy's sons. It doesn't make any difference to me who inherits the title, but I just feel really sorry for Daddy.
Daddy was in agony. He truly loved his stepbrother's brothers, growing fonder each day. But in his dreams, our dead mother weighed heavily on his heart. Unable to advance or retreat, he endured the pain until his temples were covered in frost.
He is just an ordinary man, neither so loyal nor so cold-hearted.
Of course, he had deep feelings for my mother, but the passage of time had eroded him, and with his second wife and young son always by his side, he could only do all he could for his elder brother, give all he could, and fulfill the promise he had made many years ago.
Dad cried bitterly, staggering and trying to get up: "...Do I really have to kneel down for you? Please, don't make me too embarrassed to see your mother after I die..."
The eldest brother finally couldn't bear it anymore and agreed while crying.
The next day, my sister left the capital and went on a long journey with her husband to his fiefdom. She never returned to the capital again in her life. Whether things would be good or bad in the future, she could only rely on herself to hold on.
On the same day, a group of women and daughters-in-law tied up my aunt and took her out of the Shen Mansion in the middle of the night, and sent her directly to the family temple and kept her under strict supervision.
When the Queen Auntie found out, she summoned the princess's sister-in-law to the palace and gave her a lecture. The princess returned with tears in her eyes, and her brother left with tears in his eyes. Gradually, their relationship softened. A few months later, the princess's sister-in-law became pregnant.
Dad finally breathed a sigh of relief.
The stepmother remained motionless, as if these tragedies and comedies had nothing to do with her.
In fact, I think my stepmother's life was not easy. She came from such a good family, but she became a concubine at such a young age. Her stepson was unreliable, like my eldest brother, who couldn't even maintain his reputation. A more delicate person would have been worried sick. Yet, she could still command the guards to kill thieves in the dark of night. When she wielded the sword, she looked murderous, majestic, and spirited. She was much better than my trembling aunt and my brothers and sisters.
In fact, the stepmother was not very good at housekeeping and had no enthusiasm for it at all. What she longed for was a quiet and poetic life. However, her children were all lively and energetic, and she had no time to spare in her yard from morning to night every day.
Every time she finished checking my homework, holding a cup of tea, she would sit down in the inner room, wanting to paint a few elegant landscapes or compose a few poems, when -
Da Mao was in the main room stealing Dad's sword and playing with it. Dad didn't dare to take it away by force and could only shout "Guifen, why don't you come quickly!" Xiao Mao was in the side room using ink to make Jinzhu look like a cat. Jinzhu sat on the kang and burst into tears. A Mao and Maomao were wrestling with each other on the side. Baozhu in the side room dropped the copying book, climbed on my head to look at the battle situation next door, and raised her voice "Mom, listen, listen, my brothers have started again." I screamed angrily "You damn girl, come down quickly, don't pull my hair, I'm correcting a typo!"
Veins popped out of her stepmother's forehead, and the pen tube creaked from being squeezed. The final result was often that she would gather her energy and roar like a lion, shaking the roof - "Get out of here!"
The gap between life and ideal is really huge - Mrs. Gu Hou once saw this situation and said so with a smile.
Many people say my stepmother isn't close to me. Honestly, she's not much closer to my two younger sisters either, and she usually avoids being scolded. Everyone has different personalities. There are those like Aunt Gu, with her naturally smiling eyes and playful lips, who would hold Sister Rong in her arms and teach her how to write. And then there are those like my stepmother, who's proud and stubborn, never willing to yield.
At least most of what she did for me taught me a lot.
At school, I made several close and affectionate sisters, learned a lot about how to behave in society, learned to do accounting, and sew simple clothes. When I was in front of the elders outside, I could act dignified and gentle, and smile without showing my teeth.
The only exception was when I had just started school. I encountered a snotty boy in the Zheng family's backyard. He taunted me, "Why would a girl study? Why take the imperial examination? You should go home and do some embroidery." I retorted, "If you're capable, take the exam and let me see." Our disagreement led to a fierce fight. We were both evenly matched, and both returned home bloodied and scolded.
Later, my aunt told me that he was my stepmother's nephew, the grandson of the old Duke of England. A few years later, he passed the imperial examination and came to propose marriage. My father was overjoyed and nodded his approval eagerly, as if he was afraid the other party would change his mind.
After the marriage was arranged, my stepmother came to talk to me for the first and only time in her life. She looked at me with a complicated expression: "You are a good child, with a broad mind and an open mind. You don't take any troubles to heart. This is the greatest blessing."
When Damao knew that I was getting married, he immediately cried as if his father had died.
I heard that my stepmother had a very difficult time giving birth to Da Mao. It should have been very painful, but she couldn't handle the constant stream of hair and beads that followed, so she couldn't take care of him. From childhood to adulthood, Da Mao and I were the closest. We played together, got punished together, and even when he lost his baby teeth, I was the one who accompanied him to throw them away.
Damao cried bitterly for several days. Not only did he glare at his future brother-in-law with vicious eyes, he also treated him like a thief and threatened to teach him a lesson if he treated him badly!
My husband and I have a very good relationship. In front of others, I give him face and never hesitate to praise his virtue, appearance, and achievements. Behind others, he gives me his heart and often lies on the kang for me to ride like a horse.
Many years later, we separated and after consulting with our elders, I went to the ancestral temple to pick up my aunt - her hair was gray, her face was full of wrinkles, and she looked very old.
"From now on, you will live with us. We will stay up all night and celebrate the New Year together. There are many children at home, so you can help take care of them. I will ask them to honor you."
I dare not say that she can live a rich and glorious life, but at least she can live a lively life, with her children and grandchildren caring about her and serving her medicine by her bedside.
My aunt trembled and hoarsely said, "You, you...why..."
At the beginning, she clearly disliked me the most, and I clearly disliked her, but now I have to support her.
"Nothing," I said. "You are my mother's sister, and I raised you for several years."
My aunt burst into tears.
She had lived a ridiculous life for half her life, and in the end, it ended like this.
Extra Chapter 2: Embroidery
In the small, elegant courtyard, a few banana trees transplanted from the south swayed in the breeze. A half-open screen window peeked through the vibrant blossoms and green willows. A young woman in her early twenties, dressed in elegant attire, sat by the window, her head bent, intently threading her needle. A young maid with twin buns approached with a tea tray and whispered, "Fourth Madam, please take a rest. It's already noon. Let me massage your neck."
The young woman raised her head and said with a smile, "Okay." She put down the embroidery frame in her hand, picked up the tea and blew on it gently.
The maidservant pinched and pounded the young woman's shoulders and neck, muttering, "... Your shoulders are stiff, like wood. Grandma doesn't take care of herself. The Fourth Master will be distressed and give us a hard time later."
The young woman smiled shyly and did not answer.
She loved needlework since she was a child and was very good at embroidery. After she got married, she often made clothes and accessories for her sister-in-law, nephews and nieces, as well as her great-grandmother and mother-in-law who lived far away, and won a lot of praise.
Her husband repeatedly asked her to do less, but she only smiled shyly. That time, she finally asked back, "Do you know my maiden name?" Her husband, handsome and kind-hearted, suddenly started to tease her, "I know, it's Little Mouse." She feigned displeasure, but her husband, who was beaten so hard that he laughed, finally said, "Alright, alright, I dare not... Well, I heard my mother-in-law call you Erya."
She said shyly, "That's my nickname, I just called it that. I have a proper maiden name, it's Xiu Qiao." She stretched out her fingers and slowly drew two words in the air, with a hint of pride.
"My eldest and third sisters-in-law are so capable, knowledgeable, and insightful. I can't catch up with them even if I flatter them. At least I still have some work that can be presented to others. Let me show off my skills..." She lowered her voice, "It's cold, and Concubine Xiang's legs are not good. I'll make her a pair of leg guards."
Her husband's eyes were filled with love and affection. He leaned close to her ear and whispered, "When it comes to studying and being a good person, I can't catch up with my two brothers. Let's be a perfect couple and stay together forever."
Xiuqiao's heart was filled with sweetness, and she felt as if she were about to fly. Her husband was considerate, gentle, and kind-hearted. There was no one superfluous in the house. Since their marriage, the young couple had always been sweet and happy, always discussing things with each other, and never once had they blushed.
Everyone said that she was blessed. Over the years, many sisters from families that had become rich together with the Shen family had married into wealthy families, but few of them lived as well as she did.
The Sheng family is a family of scholars and all the men in the family have made great achievements. The marriages of the girls are also good, and there are many prominent and powerful officials among their in-laws. They are truly rich and powerful.
The father-in-law was a kind and upright person (in Xiuqiao's eyes). Although he didn't like to see his daughter-in-law very often, he repeatedly taught his sons that they should first manage their family well before everything would go smoothly, and they must not do things that would bring disaster to the family, such as favoring a concubine and neglecting their wife.
Just because of this, my husband's third brother, who was famous for his literary talent in the capital, was beaten and scolded by his father-in-law more than once, and every time he had to rely on his third sister-in-law to save him.
Xiuqiao had witnessed this twice. Once, her third brother, while away from home, fell in with the wrong crowd and was led to a brothel, where he met a "remarkable woman" who sold her art but not her body. Her father-in-law was so frightened that he turned pale and imprisoned her for two months, forbidding her from leaving the house, and forcing her to copy the Sheng family precepts five hundred times—one of which was that no member of the Sheng family was to have anything to do with prostitutes.
In fact, Xiuqiao felt that her father-in-law had gone too far. Most scholars like to pretend to be cultured. Even her nerdy second brother had visited brothels. It was just a casual affair. No serious young man would take it seriously. Why should her father-in-law be so angry? After all, her third brother is her father, and it is too disrespectful.
Unexpectedly, the husband sighed and said, "You don't know, we had a great-uncle, a great-grandfather who left us a fortune, and we even had our own daughter. We had a wonderful family, but it was all destroyed by a prostitute. We younger generations didn't see it, but my father saw it with his own eyes."
Another time, two months before the Spring Examination, a maid serving in the third brother's study was suddenly reported to be pregnant. At that time, the father-in-law was trying his best to urge his son to prepare for the exam. When he heard about this, he immediately got angry and punished all the servants in the third brother's study. He also drove the pregnant maid back to the farm and said fiercely, "If you fail this time, I will not leave either the son or the mother."
Later, the third brother really passed the exam and was among the top few in the second class.
In fact, the third brother is very smart, has excellent literary talent, and is a warm-hearted person. Since the Sheng and Chen families got married, he has been very enthusiastic about taking Xiuqiao, the nerdy second brother, to see the world and attend the Jingyi Conference, and introduced him to many great scholars. The second brother Shen was overjoyed and repeatedly told Shen's father and mother that this marriage was a great one.
What the third brother lacks is the perseverance in his bones. He will fall down from time to time and needs someone strong and decisive to bring him back on track - such as his father-in-law, such as... his third sister-in-law.
In fact, although the third brother loves flowers and plants, he respects the third sister-in-law very much... well, almost in awe of her; however, the third sister-in-law is fair and just in her conduct and has great skills, so she deserves this respect.
At first, Xiuqiao was very frightened for a while because she thought her third sister-in-law was solemn and dignified, and not as amiable as her eldest sister-in-law. But as time went by, she found that her third sister-in-law was actually a very good person, and was willing to patiently teach her the principles of managing affairs and entertaining guests.
She happily told her husband about this discovery, but he laughed and said, "With Third Brother like that, if Third Sister-in-law doesn't keep a straight face and follow the rules, the house will be in chaos. As for Eldest Sister-in-law...you've seen Eldest Brother too. With someone like him, if Eldest Sister-in-law doesn't talk and smile more, how can we live like that?"
When talking about her elder brother, Xiuqiao couldn't help but stick out her tongue, indicating that she couldn't bear it.
The eldest son and daughter-in-law of the Sheng family were away on assignment. Xiuqiao had only met this eldest brother once, yet she felt even more nervous than when meeting her father-in-law. She wasn't the only one. In front of her father-in-law, her third brother would occasionally joke around, and they would discuss poetry together. But in front of his eldest brother, he could only stand still, his hands hanging down, not daring to even raise an eyebrow.
That year, the third brother's eldest son was able to speak and call people, and his baby voice was extremely cute. Seeing that his father-in-law liked him, the third brother wanted to bring his biological mother back from the farm, "...If it really doesn't work, you can ask my aunt to see the child. After all, he is her grandson..."
I heard that the third brother started crying as he was talking.
The father-in-law seemed to be a little soft-hearted, but unfortunately the third brother was unlucky. It happened that the eldest brother had to return to Beijing to report on his work for an urgent matter. When he learned about this, he immediately glanced at the third brother and he was immediately speechless.
"Why bring him back? He'll cause trouble to others again."
The eldest brother said nothing to his face. He turned and called the youngest brother, and the three brothers spoke behind closed doors. "Look at the sisters in the family. Except for the fourth sister, every one of them is happily married and has children around them. If it weren't for Aunt Lin, the fourth sister's marriage would never have ended like this! As a concubine, not only do you have no respect for the old lady and the mistress, you even disregard the master's opinions. You act recklessly. What do you rely on? It's just that you are your son!"
Xiuqiao had also heard a little about the story of the fourth daughter of the Sheng family. Back then, the young master of the Liang family hugged her in public and made the marriage a success, which was undoubtedly controversial. Although the Liang and Sheng families claimed that it was an accident, many families were secretly discussing it, saying that the Sheng family was not strict in managing the family, and that they allowed a concubine and a daughter-in-law to openly plot against the young master of a marquisate.
Finally, they became relatives, and a veil covered everything, and the gossip gradually died down.
"You're a father now. If you have a concubine in the future, she'll take advantage of your favor and become a bastard, and she'll do whatever she wants. After all, it'll only take a few years for her to come back. Do you think the Sheng family can withstand this kind of abuse?"
The eldest brother didn't speak loudly, his tone was light, but his words were like needles, and they were full of blood. The third brother was sweating profusely at that time, and almost cried in the end.
At this moment, the eldest brother suddenly softened his tone. He personally helped the third brother sit beside him and gently advised, "As men, we rely on our family background before we become adults, and on our abilities after we become adults. You are no longer a child at the feet of your parents. You have a wife and children, and you will have to support a family on your own in the future. If you don't have a firm plan and just act according to your feelings, aren't you just like a woman?"
"If you bear a grudge against my eldest brother, we brothers will have no further contact after our father passes away. Although we are not born of the same mother, we are blood relatives after all. Don't I hope for the best for you two in the future? Even if I can't expect you to bring honor to our family, you should at least be able to stand on your own feet. A real man should put right and wrong first, and affection second. This doesn't mean you should be heartless and ungrateful, but you should keep affection within the rules!"
According to my husband, in the end, the third brother hugged the eldest brother's legs and cried bitterly, repeatedly complaining about his mistakes, and swore to the sky that he would never be confused again and would always put the family first; the innocent younger brother was also reprimanded and made an oath together.
After the husband, who had been scolded silly, returned to the house, it took him a while to come to his senses. He hugged his beloved little wife and sobbed - this was the last attempt that Xiuqiao knew of by the third brother to take Aunt Lin back.
It is said that afterwards, the old lady also wrote a letter to her father-in-law, saying directly, "As long as she is alive, don't even think about taking Aunt Lin back." From then on, even her father-in-law was no longer mentioned.
"Grandma, why should you do this? My eldest brother has already convinced my third brother." Wouldn't this only make your children and grandchildren dislike you?
The husband sighed, "Grandmother is just like that. Although she doesn't like to talk, she's incredibly kindhearted. She's afraid of a rift between fathers, sons, and brothers, so she wants to take all the unhappiness onto herself."
Xiuqiao had not seen this grandmother many times. She was shy by nature and not good at finding topics to talk about, so she didn't know what to say in front of the old lady. She just felt that the old lady was a little cold and difficult to get close to. But in daily conversations, her husband always said that the grandmother was the most sincere person in the family.
After thinking about it for a while, Xiuqiao found that she had actually forgotten Wang. As a daughter-in-law, sometimes serving the mother-in-law is more important than serving the husband - but she does not have this problem at all, because her real mother-in-law stays in the ancestral temple in her hometown all year round.
What to do? Pray for the frail old lady.
It was a strange statement. Even someone as innocent as Xiuqiao knew there was something fishy going on, but she was obedient and timid by nature, and never asked questions that she shouldn't have asked.
While the main mother-in-law is away, there is a deputy mother-in-law to serve at home, Aunt Xiang.
Before her daughter got married, Shen's mother was worried about how she would get along with her stepmother-in-law. She couldn't take it lightly or seriously, but she didn't expect that all her worries were unnecessary.
Concubine Xiang was surprisingly sensible. From beginning to end, she simply addressed Xiuqiao as "Fourth Madam," treating her with the same respect and courtesy she had shown Third Madam Liu, never once commenting on her own son's affairs. Later, Xiuqiao learned that, shortly before their wedding, it was Concubine Xiang who had instructed her father-in-law to properly dismiss the two maids who served in her husband's household.
Xiang was not particularly beautiful, not even close to Jufang, the concubine who served her father-in-law, but she possessed a certain elegance and calmness. When she smiled, she resembled her husband, though her eyes betrayed a trace of care and weariness. Seeing her, even at her age, often standing in front of her father-in-law's house, opening the curtains and serving water and tea, Xiuqiao felt a pang of sadness.
Anyone with good sewing skills generally has good eyesight. Xiuqiao carefully observed Concubine Xiang's figure for a long time, then secretly made a set of intimate clothes. The soft cotton material was finely crafted, just like she would make for her mother. With a grateful heart, she made every stitch with great care. Then, she asked the maid to secretly deliver it to her.
Concubine Xiang collected the clothes and said nothing, but her gaze towards Xiuqiao grew even gentler, with a touch of poignant gratitude. Xiuqiao was delighted, and from then on, she began making small, intimate items: warm hats for winter, waistcoats for summer, soft, comfortable slippers, and delicate handcuffs. Concubine Xiang also secretly sent word to Xiuqiao to stop making them.
Xiuqiao nodded obediently, and after a while, she continued. Soon, her husband knew what was going on. That night, he sat with her in his arms for a long time, his head resting heavily against her neck. She could feel the wetness on her shoulder.
About half a year after she entered the house, Concubine Xiang suddenly fell ill.
It was only an accidental cold, but he had been ill for a long time. The famous old doctor in the capital sighed and said, "You have been overworked and worried, and as time went on, your body has slowly worn down." When he finally recovered from the illness, he had lost so much weight that his clothes seemed loose.
Xiuqiao suddenly remembered that year, the same thing happened to Uncle Shen's wife, Mrs. Zou. The doctor said that she had been toiling away for most of her life, worrying and torturing herself, and her inner self was hollowed out, so she couldn't even withstand ordinary minor illnesses.
Concubine Xiang had a miserable life since childhood. She was sold home without a father or mother and had no one to rely on in the mansion. The eldest wife had a bad temper, so she had to be careful in socializing. Concubine Lin, who was also favored, had to be on guard in every way and dared not show off. She had to tiptoe around for more than ten years, and finally got her son married and started a family, and he had achieved fame, but she still had to continue to endure.
Xiuqiao felt sad. One time when she went to visit a patient, when no one was in the room, she quietly leaned over and whispered in Xiang Niang's ear: "Aunt, you must take care of yourself and live a long life. I separated our family and I was counting on you to teach me how to live and raise my children."
Tears suddenly welled up in Xiang Yi Niang's eyes. She patted her hands weakly and whispered, "You are a good child. It is a blessing for the Fourth Young Master to have you as his wife."
If it were a noble lady from a prominent family like the eldest sister-in-law or the third sister-in-law, they might not be able to lower their pride and status; but Xiuqiao has no such burden at all. She is Mother Shen's caring youngest daughter. She has never learned any advanced etiquette since she was a child and is used to acting like a spoiled child to her parents. Now, if it were someone else, she would be able to do it with ease.
She often took advantage of the fact that no one was around to go up to Concubine Xiang and whisper in her ear.
"Auntie, my husband is still like a child. He studied until midnight yesterday and went to bed before his feet were even warmed..."
"Auntie, I told my husband to have a midnight snack, but he forgot while reading. He didn't listen to me. You can scold him later..."
"... Auntie, my husband's birthday is coming soon. Let's cook for him what he likes, okay?"
Perhaps because she had this thought, Aunt Xiang's spirits gradually improved, and she treated her more affectionately in private. However, she still didn't dare to reveal too much in public. The relationship between the mother-in-law and daughter-in-law was like playing hide-and-seek, and they had a small, warm secret.
Others might not have known, but Xiuqiao always felt that her clever sister-in-law had noticed it long ago, but she just never pointed it out. Later, when the two sisters-in-law became familiar with each other, the sister-in-law once sighed and said, "Actually, Aunt Xiang... you and Fourth Brother are already very good together."
Xiuqiao understood what she meant.
Although Third Brother was superior to her husband in every way, there was one thing he was vastly inferior to. If Third Brother really took that restless Concubine Lin to live with him when the family split, Third Sister-in-law would be in trouble. Their two families had completely different views. Xiuqiao hoped for a quick split so she could take Concubine Xiang out to enjoy a peaceful life; while Third Sister-in-law hoped for a later split, ideally to outlive Concubine Lin first.
However, what kind of person is that Aunt Lin? She actually bothered Third Sister-in-law, who is so kind-hearted.
It was not until more than a year later that Xiuqiao had the opportunity to meet the legendary Aunt Lin, a powerful figure who was so favored at that time that even the wife of the first wife had to give way to her!
It was a summer morning. As usual, the third sister-in-law was going to the farm to visit Aunt Lin, and Xiuqiao was also going to the village to visit her seriously ill wet nurse. The two places happened to be on the same way, so the two sisters-in-law went together.
Xiuqiao knew that ever since her grandmother-in-law and mother-in-law left the house, Aunt Lin had often caused trouble for her third sister-in-law, and from time to time she would ask people to bring messages, saying that she was sick or dying. The third sister-in-law didn't want to ask her third brother to see Aunt Lin, so she had to go herself.
This kind of thing would certainly not be seen by others, so Xiuqiao was very clever and decided to part ways early to avoid embarrassing her. But that day, the heat came early. She was not used to the stifling heat of the capital, and the sedan chair was shaking violently. Before she was halfway there, she fainted from heatstroke and passed out.
When she slowly woke up, she found herself lying in a side room, with a simple straw mat beneath her. From behind the green bamboo curtain came the sound of low voices. Xiuqiao felt so weak that she could not cry out for a moment. She could only hear two voices outside the curtain that seemed to be arguing:
"...I advise Aunt to be quiet, my husband will not come. The master has already ordered that if my husband dares to come to see you, he will be beaten with twenty boards. If he dares to come again, he will be beaten with thirty boards. It will be so tiring. Aunt and my husband are mother and son after all, so please spare my husband the physical pain." The voice was light and soft, it was the voice of the third sister-in-law.
"Bullshit! I gave birth to him and raised him. Let alone twenty lashes of the cane, even if I died in his place, it would still be filial piety!" A vulgar and hoarse voice said insolently.
Could this be Aunt Lin? How could this be? Xiuqiao thought in a daze.
"Auntie still doesn't understand. If it were your legitimate mother, filial piety would naturally come first, but you, there's an 'aunt' before 'mother'. To put it bluntly, even if my husband were to one day be able to confer a title on my mother, she would first be the legitimate mother, and any remaining grace would then be yours. If you're so angry, don't be someone else's concubine in your next life. No matter how hard it is, at least you'll be married to her legally. This way, you can give birth to a promising son, and you can beat him or see him whenever you want. It'll save you from getting angry here, won't it?"
My third sister-in-law is quite good at talking. She is usually so dignified and reserved, but I didn’t expect her to be so mean and sharp when she turns to this.
Xiuqiao tried hard to wake up from her confusion - she could not hear the next few words clearly, she only knew that the unpleasant voice kept cursing and threatening, while the third sister-in-law was leisurely teasing and mocking, and had the upper hand.
"... Fine, you're relying on someone's support and you dare to be so rude to me. Just wait and see! When my son splits up the family and takes me out to be filial, I'll show you how I'll deal with you!!"
The third sister-in-law suddenly let out a high-pitched chuckle, with a hint of self-mockery, and then said lightly: "If that time really comes, I'm afraid you won't be satisfied."
"What did you say, you little bitch who has a father but no mother?!"
The third sister-in-law lowered her voice and said slowly, "Mrs. Lin, even to this day, do you still not understand why you were expelled from the mansion? My husband is actually the same kind of person at heart as my father-in-law. What they value most is not a virtuous wife or a concubine, but themselves. My father-in-law is obsessed with bringing glory to the family. If you are in his way, you must get out of his way. As for my husband, he enjoys singing to the wind and moon, living a carefree life."
Having said that, the third sister-in-law started to ridicule.
"It will take at least a decade for the family to split up. By then, my husband will have already gained prestige and status. Would he embarrass me, his legitimate wife, for a concubine who is not legitimate? Would he offend my Liu clan? Are my brothers and uncles dead? And my children, by then, will have grown up, studied, achieved academic success, and married well. I am their legitimate mother, so what do you think of me?"
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