Chapter 47 I Only Open My Heart to You (Part Two): The next morning, the four families and five carriages met outside Xizhimen, swaying and rattling until noon...
The next morning, the four families and five horse-drawn carriages met outside Xizhimen and swayed along until noon before finally arriving at Xiangshan Temple.
The journey took two hours, or four hours. Except for a brief stop at a secluded spot to get out and do something, she stayed in the carriage the entire time. When they finally arrived, Shen Wanqing's legs were weak and numb. She stood by the carriage for a while, supporting Yu Lang, before she recovered.
"Grandma is probably not used to it yet, but she'll get used to it after she goes out more often. If you have time in the future, just call me. I can't stay at home, I'm happy to go anywhere."
"The first time I went out after getting married was like this. The first time I went out after getting married was with my mother-in-law to a village outside the city. I was so happy before I left, but I felt so bad after I left. When I got to the village, I didn't even eat before I lay down. I didn't feel like I had lived a full life until I was hungry the next morning."
The two people speaking were Daijia, the wife of Akdun, and Zhaojia, the wife of Eshan.
As Tongjia said, Daijia was indeed more robust than the average Manchu woman, and spoke in a loud and urgent voice; an outsider might have thought she was arguing with someone.
Fortunately, Zhao Jia had been managing accounts with her father since she was a child. She could use an abacus as soon as she could read, and she went out with her mother to inspect the fields and shops when she was eight years old. By the age of twelve, she was able to handle the accounts of the entire Zuo Ling for her father.
Such a shrewd person could tell at a glance whether Daijia was easy to get along with. She picked up on Daijia's words and said this, and the women from several families who were not very familiar with each other before appeared to be a close-knit group in the eyes of others.
Shen Wanqing stomped her still slightly numb feet, took two steps forward, and took the hand of Wanyan Shi, who had been standing quietly to the side. Although she had married two years earlier than Shen Wanqing, she was only eighteen this year, a year younger than Shen Wanqing. She had a gentle and kind appearance and temperament, which softened Shen Wanqing's heart.
Of the Fu Chang family, only his eldest grandson Bao Shan and his eldest granddaughter-in-law Wan Yan Shi came after receiving the invitation. His grandmother said that all the young women who came out to worship Buddha today were young wives, and the older women would not participate. She said that if there were more young people from their families, they would not have enough fun.
"As for you, the rest of us were all confined at home for a long time before getting married, learning the rules. We finally made it to the wedding, and there were so many things to do at our husband's family home. By the time we were finally able to come out and get some fresh air, we almost forgot what the outside world was like."
Every girl waiting to be married goes through this, so Shen Wanqing's appearance, as if she hadn't been out for a long time and couldn't ride in a carriage, was both funny and endearing to Daijia and Zhaojia, after all, every new bride has gone through this.
"I'm alright. My family is from Shengjing, where the rules aren't as strict as in the capital. My mother hired a governess for me, and once I learned the rules, she didn't restrict me anymore. Later, as my wedding date approached, my family sent me from Shengjing to the capital in a carriage. I've been unafraid of riding in a carriage ever since."
Wanyan looked quiet and articulate, her speech clear and her eyes bright; she was clearly not a fool. This was very important to Shen Wanqing, since the Fuchang family was essentially the financial manager of the Zuoling (military command), and if their daughter-in-law was muddle-headed, who knew how many troubles would arise in the future.
“My sister married into Shengjing, and my uncle’s family also lives in Shengjing. Every year they send a lot of things to the capital. I like honey pine nuts and hazel mushrooms from Liaodong the most. They can be stored for a long time and taste good no matter how you cook them, especially chicken stew with mushrooms. I can eat it every day and never get tired of it.”
The carriage could only stop at the foot of the mountain. To get to Xiangshan Temple, they had to walk uphill. Since the women in the family had not bound their feet and were all young, they did not call for sedan chair carriers by the roadside and walked directly uphill.
With Shen Wanqing in charge, she naturally led the conversation. Since everyone was still getting to know each other, there were many things that couldn't or shouldn't be said. The safest and most talked-about topic was food. It's no wonder that throughout history, from south to north, the first thing people ask when greeting each other is "Have you eaten?" That short question truly contains great wisdom.
"Hmm, all you know is chicken stew with mushrooms. You can say whatever you want before we even enter the mountain gate, but once we're inside, you can't keep saying chicken stew with mushrooms every time."
"What are you doing listening to us talking, old man? You can listen, but you're not allowed to interrupt."
Yu Lang couldn't help but interrupt, making Zhao Jia and the others unsure whether to continue. Shen Wanqing turned around and playfully scolded him a couple of times before returning to their previous conversation.
Several ladies and wives walked in front, followed by Yu Lang and his companions, along with numerous maids and servants. The group almost filled half the road. Ordinary people, seeing them, would voluntarily walk faster or slower, avoiding any attempt to get close to them.
There were few people, so the men behind could hear everything the women in front were saying. None of the men had ever heard their wives talk about what life was like at home before they got married. Even if they had sisters who were waiting to be married, they weren't the ones who were stuck at home and couldn't go out, so they couldn't imagine what it was like to be unable to go out for a long time.
As Shen Wanqing and the others chatted animatedly, E Shan couldn't help but think about how he had devoted himself to promotions all these years, completely ignoring family matters. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was like someone who wouldn't even pick up his dropped chopsticks.
When his wife mentioned going out of town to inspect the fields and shops, the women laughed heartily, but Eshan couldn't help but feel a pang of sadness. Suddenly, he was no longer surprised that Zhaojia had said so many nice things about Shen Wanqing for a little flower dew.
How could she not know that Shen Wanqing was taking the initiative to make amends? It's just that what she prepared had nothing to do with anything Zhao Jia usually did in managing the household. Receiving those little trinkets that women liked made her happy.
Looking up at his wife walking ahead, he saw her smiling as she asked Shen Wanqing for two bags of hazel mushrooms, and he felt somewhat uneasy. The family certainly didn't lack these things; ultimately, it was only because Yu Lang, the commander of the Hesheli family, wanted to curry favor that she had to fawn over Shen.
“When did Ah Lang care about this? As long as you are sincere in your belief in Buddhism, that’s all that matters. Last night, we had fish head hot pot at home. Only after we finished eating did we remember that we were supposed to worship Buddha today. Your sister-in-law and I quickly rinsed our mouths, rinsing them twice. If we couldn’t smell any meaty smell, we would pretend we hadn’t eaten anything.”
Akdun practiced martial arts. From the time he was old enough to understand, his family worshipped Guan Yu and Prime Minister Zhuge Liang, hoping that their descendants would be as benevolent, righteous, loyal and brave as Guan Yu in martial arts and as unparalleled in strategy as Prime Minister Zhuge Liang in literature.
The rest are just going along with the crowd, hoping for divine intervention. If the Buddha protects them, great; if not, that's fate. After all, their family's lives were earned through battle, one sword at a time, and have always been in their own hands.
The only one who remained silent was Baoshan, who was walking at the very back. He was Fuchang's eldest grandson. None of Fuchang's sons were as shrewd and capable as him. They could neither cause any great trouble nor accomplish anything significant. Three of his four sons served as cavalry or infantrymen in the Zuo Ling (military command), and the family received several salaries. They could not become rich, but they were not worried about food and clothing.
Changsun Baoshan, on the other hand, showed great talent in arithmetic from the time he learned to read. When he was ten, he took Yulang with him. Now, Baoshan is actually in charge of many of the money and grain accounts in Yulang's command. Even though he is naturally quiet and reserved, he doesn't feel uncomfortable at all by Yulang's side. He has his own place, and it doesn't matter if he doesn't speak.
Without any formal introductions, they simply walked and talked, and Shen Wanqing gradually got a general idea of everyone's personality.
Daijia was skilled in martial arts but was also meticulous despite her rough exterior; she was indeed a warm-hearted person. Zhaojia was shrewd, capable, and had the best tongue; it's hard to say exactly what her personality was, but she was definitely a smart person.
Eshan and Yulang were just colleagues on duty in the same class. It didn't matter whether she was a good person or not, as long as she was a good person when she was with him.
Shen Wanqing quite liked Wanyan Shi, this gentle and kind girl. She was like a pool of water; when she was walking by without saying a word, people might not even remember her. But as soon as she opened her mouth, she never said a word.
She had to talk to three people all by herself, and also make sure that none of them were neglected. A couple of times she missed a step, and it was Wanyan who helped her up. She didn't say anything like "watch your step" or "don't talk," but quietly held her arm and carefully protected her from the side.
Such people are just not outwardly expressive. If Shen Wanqing were to say that among all these people, the smartest and most perceptive would be Baoshan and his wife, Wanyan.
They arrived at the temple just in time for lunch in the dining hall. Perhaps they were too tired from the journey, because even though it was just tofu, vegetarian chicken, stir-fried mushrooms, and stir-fried potatoes, eggplants, and green beans, they ate with great relish. Yulang even ate three bowls of radish soup before putting down his chopsticks.
"How come I didn't know you liked radishes so much? Eating too many of these things can help with gas. If you fart too much at night, you can sleep alone. I won't share a room with you."
"What do you mean by 'ventilation'? In public, doesn't the eldest mistress know how to be more refined? It seems she hasn't inherited the scholarly air of the Shen family. She's only fit to be related to a martial artist like me."
Worshipping Buddha is not a social activity. After leaving the dining hall, the four families separate and then meet at the entrance after worshipping Buddha.
Shen Wanqing pulled Yulang toward the God of Wealth Temple. The family already had a Zuo Ling (military command) that could be inherited. As long as Yulang did not rebel before the Crown Prince was deposed, the family's future was not a concern. There was no need to worry about the money. Even if there was so much that there was nowhere to put it, Shen Wanqing would be happy to think about it when she went to sleep at night.
The newlyweds, instead of praying for a child, headed straight for the Temple of the God of Wealth, prompting Qing Shuang and Qiu Wen, who were following behind, to shake their heads in disbelief. Shen Wanqing, as if she had a head on the back of her head, turned back and nodded at them as she walked, saying, "Don't tell Madam and Grandma when you get back. We're not worried, so why are you in such a hurry?"
"Don't worry, Grandma. The people in the East Courtyard are the most discreet and loyal. They won't spread any rumors."
Shen Wanqing did not gather all the servants together to instruct them not to talk too much or spread rumors. In just over half a month, she had already replaced one maid and one servant in the courtyard.
The maid who was sent away was Mozhu. The little girl was young but couldn't keep her mouth shut. She would repeat whatever anyone said to others. Before, Yulang lived alone in the East Courtyard. When he went out, the courtyard was full of servants, so it didn't matter if something was leaked. But now that there was a mistress, it would be absolutely unacceptable to let her gossip like this.
Shen Wanqing had both Feng Mama and Qing Shuang speak to her privately, but it was no use. She nodded repeatedly and promised not to say anything out of line, but after being obedient for a day, she was back to her old ways the next day.
Nothing important got out, and Shen Wanqing didn't have anything important to hide. But this kind of personality is hard to change, and Shen Wanqing didn't have the energy to deal with a little girl. She wasn't there to be a teacher, so she asked Granny Zhou to find her another job in the kitchen.
The work in the kitchen was certainly more tiring than in the east courtyard. The cooks and cooks were in front of the stove all day long, surrounded by smoke and fire, and most of them were not good-tempered people.
She might suffer in the past, but it would also temper her character. If she was shrewd and calculating, she could learn a skill in the future. In any case, whether it would be good or not depended on herself. This was the best place that Shen Wanqing could think of for her.
The other servant was in a similar situation. After replacing these two servants, the master returned and saw that the newly appointed maid had Mo Zhu nod to indicate that she understood. He then let go of her completely.
With Yu Lang's attitude set out in the open and Shen Wanqing's methods so firm, the maids and servants in the East Courtyard all consciously restrained themselves, knowing what they should and shouldn't say, and what they could and couldn't do. Shen Wanqing didn't need to say much; they had already drawn their own boundaries for themselves.
Whether she was reassured or not, it didn't really matter. Once inside the hall, Shen Wanqing calmed down and stopped talking. She knelt devoutly on the prayer mat in front of the Bodhisattva of the Sangharama and kowtowed in worship.
After bowing, she personally put the purse containing the donation money into the donation box, then knelt back on the prayer mat and kowtowed three more times. She wanted the Bodhisattva to see clearly that the donation was from her, that her heart was where the money was, and that she wanted the Bodhisattva to see her sincerity.
Yu Lang had never seen Shen Wanqing's way of bowing in a way that was both sincere and mercenary. After she got up, he couldn't help but ask, "Isn't she afraid that others will say that Madam Shen is too shrewd?"
"What's there to be afraid of? I come to worship the Bodhisattva, offer incense, and donate money. It's just my sincere wish to the Bodhisattva. I know I'm sincere, and if there are gods and Buddhas in heaven, they will surely know that I am truly sincere. That's enough. Let others look if they want; it has nothing to do with me."
These words sounded somewhat arrogant, but Yu Lang interpreted them in a completely different way. After leaving the God of Wealth Hall, the two entered the Medicine Buddha Hall. Besides money, Shen Wanqing's greatest wish in this life was to live a long and healthy life. She died a confused death in her previous life, and if she could, she wanted to live a full life, no matter how difficult or turbulent it might be.
Since they were already there, Shen Wanqing's principle was that it was never wrong to be overly polite. After leaving the Medicine Buddha Hall, the two of them bowed to each of the Bodhisattvas at Xiangshan Temple, making sure not to miss anyone, showing their sincerity.
"What exactly do you want to say? You've been acting like you're not going to say anything since we came out of the God of Wealth Temple. If you don't say it now, then we won't say anything today."
After they finished praying to the Bodhisattvas, Yu Lang pulled Shen Wanqing towards the back mountain of Xiangshan Temple. There were also maple leaves on the back mountain, and they turned red faster than those outside the mountain gate. It was hard to explain why, but it was the same every year.
“I was thinking about what you said to me when you came out of the God of Wealth Temple.”
"What's wrong? Is that taboo?"
"No, I was thinking about myself. My father died young, and over the years I've suffered losses and received help from others. I've learned many things and principles by observing how others do them and gradually figuring them out myself."
Yu Lang had no intention of hiding anything from Shen Wanqing. He had no father to guide him, and his mother couldn't spare much attention to teach him. He could only struggle on his own in the outside world.
Having experienced many hardships and suffered many losses, he developed a habit of spending money extravagantly to gain favors. His only consolation was that he hadn't picked up an even more fatal flaw. He knew that outsiders would see him as just a bunch of spoiled brats from the Manchu bannermen. Originally, he didn't care about such things, but now that he had Shen Wanqing, he couldn't help but feel anxious and insecure.
“You don’t like hypocritical people, even if they’ve been pretending to be well-behaved since the first day you married into the family. You just mentioned sincerity, and you value that a lot. But I don’t seem to have it. Whether it’s towards my family or my colleagues, I always…”
It is indeed a bit embarrassing to say this, but the reason I brought the three families together to worship Buddha today was definitely more selfish.
The two Blue-feathered officers who were previously in the Guard Battalion failed to be recommended for the Guard Academy, and their lives in the Guard Battalion were clearly not as good as before after he left. Yu Lang kept this to himself and didn't tell anyone. He instinctively attributed it to the fact that he was not strong enough.
If I were someone like Geng E, someone who had a high standing before both the Emperor and Suo Zhongtang, I would never allow my subordinates to suffer such humiliation.
"This trip was originally proposed by Eshan, just for our two families. But I was anxious to accomplish something, so I took it upon myself to send out invitations to Akdun and Fuchang as well. I was only thinking about expanding my own power, but I forgot whether you were comfortable or not."
On the way up the mountain today, I saw several families coming together to worship Buddha in a lively atmosphere. But in reality, none of them were genuinely happy or joyful. They were just people putting on a show, saying nice things to make it look like a group of families getting along well.
Now that he had said it, Yulang finally understood the reason for the awkward feeling that had been stuck in his heart.
On the way up the mountain, Shen Wanqing looked just like she did on her first day after marrying into the Hesheli family. She seemed to be wearing a mask, and he wondered if her relaxed demeanor was masking true happiness.
She had just mentioned the word "sincerity" again, and Yu Lang was a little afraid that she secretly thought of herself as a fake person.
Shen Wanqing never expected that Yulang would think so much about her casual remarks. No, no, these thoughts were already in his mind; he just asked them out of the blue.
What should surprise her is that this person actually thought about whether she was truly happy to socialize with the family. This was more comforting than Yu Lang saying "I love you" and "I can't live without you" a hundred times in bed. This made Shen Wanqing feel that this person not only treated her as a wife and a capable matriarch, but also as someone just like him.
"Are you crazy? I said my sincerity is enough for the Bodhisattva to know. In other words, whether I'm happy or not, whether I'm sincere or not, it's only up to the people I care about to know. Is your sincerity so worthless that you have to give it away to everyone you meet?"
"They accepted the invitation and came today, which means they approve of the gathering you organized. Since we don't know each other, it's bound to be a little awkward the first time. Everyone has a first time. Once it happens, it will happen again. Next time, when we're more familiar with each other, it won't be so fake."
Social circles are just circles where you fool me and I fool you; people come and go in the blink of an eye. How many truly confidants can you meet in a lifetime? If Yu Lang is genuinely sincere to everyone, Shen Wanqing will be in real trouble.
"So, in Grandma's heart, I hold the same position as the God of Wealth, the most sincere and honest one, right?"
Shen Wanqing talked for a long time, and Yu Lang only heard about the person I care about. The discomfort in my heart disappeared in an instant.
"Pah, pah, pah! You say I have no sense of propriety? You dare to spout nonsense right here in the temple. What do you mean by 'same' and 'different'? How can you compare them?"
Yu Lang wasn't as stubborn as Chen Wanqing. After his initial excitement, he realized that what he had said was inappropriate. He turned around, spat three times, and then slapped his mouth three times. "It was my fault for speaking carelessly and offending people. My great-grandmother and the Bodhisattva are both very magnanimous and have forgiven me this time."
Shen Wanqing ignored his strange behavior and turned back to walk down the mountain, only her little finger was being held tightly by Yu Lang, who wouldn't let go no matter what.
When they reached the mountain gate, in the eyes of Akdun and the others, they looked like Grandma Shen leading a little dog with a tail down the mountain. Even though the two of them hadn't done anything, it was still hard not to look away.
There are many villas and estates at the foot of Xiangshan Temple. To accommodate the dignitaries who come to the temple to worship Buddha, many of these villas have been renovated to be very livable.
But Shen Wanqing really didn't have time to enjoy the benefits of the 'luxury villa in the suburbs of Beijing' tonight. After dinner, Yu Lang made an excuse that everyone was tired today and that they would go out to see the autumn leaves tomorrow, and took Shen Wanqing back to his own courtyard.
Before Shen Wanqing could even ask him what was in such a hurry, he was already carried into the inner room by the waist. The candlelight flickered red in the warm tent of the spring night. The bed in the manor was not as good as the one at home, and Yu Lang, that little rascal, seemed to have inexhaustible strength. In the latter half of the night, the entire bed board creaked and groaned.
The sound was incredibly embarrassing to Shen Wanqing. For the first time, she clung tightly to Yu Lang's shoulders, begging him to be gentler. She never admitted defeat in bed.
But Yu the puppy wouldn't listen. He just mumbled "uh-huh" and "ah-ah" in agreement, then turned over like a pancake and went back to work. Chen Wanqing was so angry that she kicked him on the shoulder after she finished.
"Are you a dog? Why won't you listen to me?"
"Grandma just found out? Let me tell you, the dog is most susceptible to being teased. If you kick it again, neither of us will be able to sleep tonight."
The candlelight in the room was dim, making Yu Lang's eyes gleam more like a wolf than a dog, which frightened Shen Wanqing so much that she pulled the blanket over herself and burrowed inside. What a joke! If this happens again tonight, there'll be no need to admire the maple leaves tomorrow; these families might as well just reward themselves.
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