Chapter 3 It's true that having a stepmother means having a stepfather.
Spring is in full bloom, and the weather is getting warmer and more pleasant every day. It is the perfect time to go out and enjoy the flowers and the spring scenery. However, Shen Lingyue can only stay in the courtyard counting bricks, going around and around in circles, just like a little animal that has been locked up in the zoo for too long and has become rigid.
It wasn't until the doctor who came to check on her pulse personally confirmed that the Third Miss had fully recovered that Shen Lingyue immediately rushed to the main courtyard to inquire—
She needs some fresh air! She wants to go out!
If we keep her locked up like this, she'll go crazy like a concubine in the cold palace!
Fortunately, the original owner of this body was also a restless person, so Zhao Lan was not surprised by her request. She asked the maid to open her trunk, took out a stack of silver notes, and handed them to Qing Chan for safekeeping.
"Go out and have fun. Buy whatever you like. Once you marry into the Changning Marquis's mansion and become someone else's wife, it will be difficult for you to go out freely."
With her wedding date fast approaching, she only has two months of relaxation left.
Shen Lingyue felt as if she had heard a ghost story, and got goosebumps all over her body. She couldn't help but mutter, "Then why do you still have to get married?"
She should stay in the Shen family. With such a powerful mother protecting her, she can practically do whatever she wants!
Zhao Lan couldn't help but chuckle, "Don't talk nonsense again. What woman doesn't get married?"
Shen Lingyue hesitated, then thought, "Never mind, there's no point in trying to reason with an ancient person."
If she dared to tell Zhao Lan anything about remaining unmarried and childless to ensure eternal youth and longevity, she would probably be dragged out and burned as an evil spirit in no time.
Sigh, I should cherish this precious single life and enjoy it while I can~
Shen Lingyue got into the carriage, but she was too embarrassed to show too much curiosity in front of the two maids, so she could only steal glances around out of the corner of her eye.
The carriage was spacious, with seats on three sides, covered with thick cushions featuring auspicious cloud patterns, and storage compartments underneath. A cloth curtain hung above the windows, its corner fluttering gently in the breeze as the carriage moved forward.
As if performing magic, Qingchan took out a plate of snacks from the cabinet and placed it on the low table in the middle of the carriage.
Shuangxu asked, "Where would you like to go today, Miss?"
Shen Lingyue couldn't contain herself any longer. She lifted the carriage curtain to look at the street scene outside. Upon hearing this, she paused for a moment and mumbled, "Let's... the usual."
Qingchan immediately answered, "I know, I know! First, go to Xing'an Street to buy the new rouge, then go to Furui Zhai to choose two sets of fabric, and finally go to Furonglou to eat their signature dishes!"
After saying that, she looked up triumphantly, waiting for her young mistress to praise her.
Shen Lingyue clapped enthusiastically, "That's right, that's how it's arranged!"
Thankfully, Qingchan is talkative and naive, otherwise she would have been exposed in no time.
It takes about half an hour to travel from Shen Mansion to Xing'an Street. Shen Lingyue stayed by the window watching the excitement, so she didn't find it too difficult to get through the journey.
The Great Ye Dynasty was a prosperous commercial center, with all sorts of shops lining both sides of the streets. There were also many stalls and peddlers selling their wares along the roadside. The bustling atmosphere reminded her that this was a real world.
The carriage stopped in front of the rouge shop. When Shen Lingyue jumped off the carriage, she lost her balance and instinctively grabbed the wheel for support. The wheel felt soft and elastic to the touch.
She looked down and poked at it a couple more times: "This wheel... isn't made of wood?"
Why does it have a rebound mechanism?
Upon hearing this, the coachman from the Shen family laughed and said, "Miss, you probably don't know this, but these are rubber wheels that the family recently bought. They're much better than wooden wheels; they're sturdy, durable, and don't bounce around."
"Rubber?" Shen Lingyue was even more surprised. Wasn't that stuff an imported product?
Qingchan, the know-it-all, came in handy again: "Yes, yes, it was brought back by the treasure ships after Emperor Taizu lifted the sea ban. It's said to be the sap that grows on a big tree overseas. After it solidifies, it can be used to wrap around the wheels of a car. It's very sought after, and ordinary people can't even buy it."
Shen Lingyue harbored a desire to inquire further. After purchasing rouge and fabric, she sat in a private room at Furong Tower and subtly probed Qingchan and Shuangxu, learning more about the current dynasty.
In the final years of the previous dynasty, the emperor was incompetent and tyrannical, natural disasters occurred frequently in various places, and refugees were displaced and in chaos. Several rebel armies rose up in rebellion, and in the end, the ancestor of the Xiao family conquered the country and established the state of Daye.
Emperor Taizu of Xiao was quite a remarkable figure. After ascending the throne, he implemented many unconventional national policies, such as requiring men and women to be at least eighteen years old to marry, prohibiting officials from visiting prostitutes, and allowing men to take concubines only if they were forty years old and childless. He advocated lifting the maritime ban, vigorously promoting high-yield crops such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, and corn, and encouraging women to leave home to study and work…
What's even more fascinating is that Emperor Taizu had only one wife, Empress Zhaohui, throughout his life. The two were a harmonious couple and had three sons and two daughters, a story that has become a legend.
Shen Lingyue was stunned. Could this Emperor Xiao Taizu be from her hometown?
"That's not right. You said a man can only take a concubine if he is forty years old and still childless. So what about our Aunt Liu?"
Qingchan shrugged. "Miss, that was over a hundred years ago. There's more than one empress in the harem now."
Shen Lingyue nodded, understanding; it simply meant the end of the regime with the death of the person.
But I still want to thank my fellow villager for his great contribution! Potato Brain, how could I live without you?! QAQ
She's been eating so many vegetables these past few days that her eyes are practically green with envy, and today she can finally eat her fill and have a good meal.
After the meal, Qingchan poured her a cup of Pu'er tea to aid digestion, then suddenly slapped her forehead.
"Oh dear, look at my memory! Miss, would you like to know what Miss Zhou has been up to lately?"
Shen Lingyue's eyes lit up. A new melon has arrived?
"Tell me quickly, tell me quickly."
Qingchan didn't keep her in suspense any longer. "I heard about it from the street yesterday. Apparently, while Miss was recuperating at home, Miss Zhou argued with her stepmother and almost caused Madam Zhou to miscarry. General Xuanwei was so angry that he locked her up in a manor outside the city to reflect on her mistakes."
Shen Lingyue clicked her tongue twice, "I'm sick and she gets punished, is this imperial decree of marriage poisonous?"
After listening, he felt something was off and asked Qingchan, "Where did you find out about this?"
Qingchan, unaware of the situation, said, "A lot of people on the street know about it."
"That's really mean, that's really mean." Shen Lingyue shook her head. "Sure enough, having a stepmother means having a stepfather."
Even she knew from reading novels how important the reputation of unmarried women was in ancient times. Miss Zhou had just received a marriage decree from the emperor, and rumors of her being disobedient and unfilial had already spread. If the Marquis of Changning's mansion found out about this, would she have a good life in the future?
However, since they are mortal enemies, it has nothing to do with her anymore, and she can even have a small celebration.
Shen Lingyue raised her cup, touched it to the air, and took a sip with relish.
She wandered around outside until sunset, still reluctant to go home.
Finally, Shuangxu and Qingchan teamed up to "stuff" her into the carriage.
Upon returning to the Shen residence, the first thing to do is to pay respects to the mother in the main courtyard; this is called the morning and evening greetings.
Upon entering the courtyard, one sees a young maid kneeling on the stone bricks, repeatedly kowtowing towards the house, her forehead already bruised and purple.
"Please forgive me, Madam! I was bewitched! Please have mercy and forgive me this time. I will never dare to do it again!"
The sound was shrill and blood-curdling, appearing even more eerie in the dim light of dawn, which made Shen Lingyue shudder.
What's going on?
Qingchan suddenly covered her mouth and exclaimed, "Isn't this Qiutong, who serves in the eldest young master's study?"
Hearing the noise behind her, Qiu Tong turned around and saw Shen Lingyue. As if seeing a savior, she crawled over on her knees, grabbed the hem of Shen Lingyue's skirt, and pleaded desperately, "Third Miss, Madam loves you the most. Please, for the sake of the eldest young master, save this servant..."
"How dare you! Who do you think you are, a lowly servant like you, to presume to associate yourself with the young master?"
Liu Mama, who was standing next to Zhao Lan, strode out and pointed at Qiu Tong, yelling, "When we chose you to serve in the study, we thought you were an honest and dutiful person. Who gave you the audacity to disturb the young master's studies? If you ruin his future, the lives of your entire family won't be enough to compensate for it!"
Liu Mama said sternly, "The madam has ordered that you be dragged away, given a drug to make them mute, and sent to the estate to work the land!"
"Madam, please spare me! This servant will never dare to do it again—"
Qiu Tong's pitiful screams were muffled by a burlap sash, and two maids roughly dragged her out.
Only a small patch of dark red blood remained on the floor tiles; it was left from her excessive kowtowing.
After dealing with Qiu Tong, Liu Mama put on a smile and walked towards Shen Lingyue, "Third Miss is back. Did you have a good time outside today?"
Shen Lingyue frowned, pushed her aside, and strode into the house, saying, "Mother."
Zhao Lan sat upright at the head of the table, her eyes lowered, slowly blowing on her teacup.
Shen Lingyue couldn't help but call out again, "Mother, what mistake did Qiu Tong make? Isn't this punishment too harsh?"
"severe?"
Zhao Lan put down her teacup, her expression calm. "She had some improper thoughts, wanting to be your elder brother's concubine. If I don't teach her a lesson and make an example of her, who knows how many other girls will try to take shortcuts to climb the social ladder? What will happen to your elder brother's studies? What will people think of our Shen family if word gets back to your future sister-in-law's family?"
“But,” Shen Lingyue opened her mouth, “as long as my brother doesn’t have that intention, no matter how much the maid tries to seduce him, he won’t take the bait.”
Zhao Lan frowned slightly, seemingly puzzled by her words: "Your elder brother is already working so hard studying, do you really want him to be distracted every day by guarding against the scheming of these maids? Yue'er, do you even know what you're saying?"
Shen Lingyue bit her lip and remained silent.
Since she transmigrated, she never thought of Qingchan and Shuangxu as inferior servants. She only regarded them as nannies hired by the family, who also earned money through their labor.
But today she realized for the first time that being a maid was so cheap and insignificant, and that a single word from someone in a superior's voice could decide their life or death.
"Alright, I know that although you are a bit spoiled, you are kind-hearted and have always been lenient with the maids in your room. But you are about to get married and will be managing the household affairs in the future. You can't control these servants just by being kind and soft-hearted."
Zhao Lan pulled Shen Lingyue over, patted her hand patiently, and said, "Now that you've recovered and gone out to play, you'll come to my place starting tomorrow and learn how your mother manages the household."
Although she prepared dowry maids and servants for her daughter, she herself had to stand up for herself so that she wouldn't be fooled by her subordinates.
I hadn't originally planned for her to get married so early, but the Emperor decreed it, so I had to cram at the last minute and learn as much as I could.
Shen Lingyue suddenly felt that the big meal she had eaten today was no longer appealing; it felt heavy and irritating in her stomach.
She whispered to Zhao Lan, "Qiu Tong... it's already hard enough sending her to work on the estate, let's not force her to take some kind of mute drug, that would be too cruel."
Zhao Lan frowned slightly, then relaxed her brow imperceptibly, and said to Liu Mama, who was standing at the door, "Did you hear what the Third Miss said? Do as she says."
"Oh, Miss is so kind-hearted, I'll go right away."
Upon receiving a glance from the mistress, Liu Mama immediately understood and withdrew.
Shen Lingyue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled at Zhao Lan, "Thank you, Mother. I knew you were the best!"
On the other side, Liu's mother quickly left the main courtyard, passed through the alley, and arrived at an abandoned woodshed next to the west corner gate.
This place is far from the main courtyard and secluded, making it the most suitable place to handle matters that should not be publicized.
When she arrived, Qiu Tong was already tied up, her mouth stuffed with cotton cloth, and she was struggling and whimpering. Her face was covered in blood and tears, and she no longer had her usual beautiful face.
Liu's mother pinched her chin and patted her cheeks.
"You're quite something. In a couple of years, ask your wife to arrange a steward for you. Wouldn't that be much better than being a nameless concubine? Why are you doing this to yourself?"
Qiu Tong couldn't speak, she just cried even harder.
The maid brought over a bowl of dark, medicinal soup and asked in a low voice, "Shall we give it to him now?"
Mrs. Liu turned her face away and waved her hand, "Keep it down, I can't stand watching this."
A note from the author:
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Today's gossip-loving Yuezai: My arch-rival got punished, yay!
After recognizing her best friend, Yuezai exclaimed: "Aaaaah! What a vicious stepmother! How dare she bully my precious Yanyan! Kill her! Kill her! Kill her!"
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