Chapter 4 Why do I still have to work 8 AM even though I've already transmigrated into a book...?
The next morning, before dawn, Shen Lingyue was dragged out of her warm bed.
With her hair a mess and her eyes still sleepy, she asked, "Huh?"
Why do I still have to work 8 AM even though I've already transmigrated into a book?
"Miss, have you forgotten? Madam has instructed you to learn housekeeping from her starting today."
A hot towel was pressed against her face, which made Shen Lingyue a little more awake, but she resisted even more.
"Can't we wait until dawn to learn...?"
The answer is no.
As the matriarch of the Shen family, Zhao Lan had to get up before dawn every day to manage the affairs of the household. Stewards from various departments would take turns to come to the main courtyard to report, and surprise inspections would be conducted every three to five days. Only in this way could the large residence of the Vice Minister be managed in an orderly manner, with everyone performing their duties and daring not to slack off.
This way, she can flexibly use the rest of her daytime time, whether it's going out to a banquet or entertaining visitors... The words "slacking off" and "laziness" are not in her dictionary.
The leisurely life of the mistress in Shen Lingyue's fantasy does not exist.
"Wow, it's so curly..."
Shen Lingyue sat behind Zhao Lan, yawning repeatedly, listening to the stewards come forward one by one to report. She was snoring away like a chicken pecking at rice.
Zhao Lan caught a glimpse of this out of the corner of her eye, her expression a mixture of helplessness and worry. Privately, she lamented to Liu Mama, "Yue'er is still just a child. How can I be at ease letting her marry into the Changning Marquis's household like this?"
Mother Liu comforted her, saying, "Now the person in charge of the Marquis's mansion is our Third Miss's own mother-in-law. She is a second wife and is not very old. I don't think she will hand over the management of the household to the Third Miss so soon. She just needs to serve her husband well and fulfill her duties as a daughter-in-law."
Zhao Lan remained noncommittal. So what if she was her own mother-in-law? At most, she would take sides when Yue'er and Miss Zhou had a conflict. She was no match for her own mother.
Moreover, the incident Qiu Tong caused that day served as a wake-up call for her.
Zhao Lan whispered to Liu's mother, "Go outside and find a few reliable brokers..."
*
Shen Lingyue worked several days in a row as a housekeeper, getting up earlier than a chicken and eating less than a rabbit, which was quite a torment for her.
That day, she was finally allowed to rest by Zhao Lan's "mercy" and was about to take a nap when Qing Chan came in carrying an exquisite double-layered food box, her tone cheerful.
"Miss, look! The eldest young master has sent someone to deliver some snacks to you."
The freshly baked almond cheese has a rich milky aroma as soon as you open the lid. The almond slices are roasted to perfection, crisp but not tough. The crust crumbles when you bite into it, and the filling is rich and silky, melting on your tongue like snowflakes and sliding down your throat in an instant.
More importantly, this dessert is not sweet at all—the highest praise from the dessert world.
Shen Lingyue ate three pieces in a row and felt like she had come back to life. Waaah, food really can heal the soul!
"The young master knows that the young lady has been working hard lately learning how to manage the household, so he specially sent someone to queue up and buy the most popular pastries in the capital. He also said that when he comes home on his next day off, he will take the young lady out of the city to relax."
Shen Ming'an, the eldest son of the Shen family, is currently studying at the Imperial Academy, with a day off every ten days.
Shen Lingyue held the pastry like a little hamster, chewing and smiling with her eyes narrowed.
"Please thank your older brother for me. He's such a kind brother!"
To be honest, she was quite satisfied with the family she had transmigrated into.
Although her biological father had a concubine, she was kept under house arrest by her biological mother, so she couldn't easily cause trouble in front of her.
Although her biological mother seemed a bit strict, she was very caring and considerate towards her.
She also has her own older siblings who are afraid she might be mistreated at home, so they try their best to feed her...
These were feelings she had never experienced before, having grown up tenaciously like a weed after losing her parents in her previous life.
Shen Lingyue took a bite of the cheesecake, and her mouth and heart felt sweet.
"Hey, why is Aunt Liu coming towards our yard?"
The gatekeeper came to report the news, and Shen Lingyue was startled. She quickly closed the food box and hid it, and then quickly wiped the crumbs of pastry from her mouth.
"Quickly, don't let her find out!"
Everyone was in a flurry of activity.
When Liu's mother entered the room, she felt that the atmosphere was strange, especially since the third young lady smiled at her so brightly.
Without thinking much of it, she bowed and said, "Third Miss, Madam requests your presence."
Shen Lingyue couldn't help but feel nervous.
Could it be that she hasn't been paying attention in class lately and keeps dozing off, so her mother can't get angry in front of the stewards, but now she's free to discipline her?
She nervously followed Liu's mother to the main courtyard, where she saw four timid young girls standing in the open space in front of the hall.
Zhao Lan beckoned to her, "Come and take a look, is there anything you like?"
So it was to let her choose her maid.
Shen Lingyue breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Qingchan and Shuangxu are enough for me. As for the other dowry members, Mother can arrange them as she sees fit."
Seeing that her daughter still looked innocent and naive, Zhao Lan had no choice but to let Liu Mama take the person away first, and then took out a wooden box containing a contract of indenture.
"I have already arranged your dowry. These girls are for you to be raised as concubines in the future."
Shen Lingyue suddenly widened her eyes.
What kind of room is this? What kind of room is this?
Zhao Lan sighed and gently advised, "Everything should be planned in advance. Mother naturally hopes that you and your son-in-law will live in harmony, but it is in a man's nature to be lustful. Rather than waiting for him to take someone else and cause unrest in the household, it is better for us to prepare in advance. Anyway, the indenture is in your hands, so you can't do anything about it..."
Zhao Lan continued to list the many advantages, such as better control over the household, gaining a reputation for virtue, and preventing her mother-in-law from interfering in the young couple's intimate affairs...
Shen Lingyue couldn't listen to any of it; she just found it absurd.
Seriously? She's not even married yet, and she's already preparing a concubine for her husband?
First came anger, then an indescribable sense of injustice.
On what grounds?
Thinking this, Shen Lingyue blurted out, "Why can't you allow my elder brother to have a concubine in his room, but you're going to prepare one for your son-in-law? Does that mean my elder brother is a virtuous gentleman, while my future husband is bound to be a womanizer? You're being unfair!"
Zhao Lan was somewhat confused by her accusation. What did this have to do with favoritism?
“Your older brother is already engaged, so naturally I need to give your future sister-in-law's family an explanation and not cause her any trouble before the wedding. As for what will happen to the young couple after they get married, that's up to your sister-in-law to arrange, and I, as their mother-in-law, won't interfere.”
Zhao Lan patiently explained to her, "How do you know that your future sister-in-law's mother won't be like me, planning ahead for her daughter?"
Shen Lingyue was so angry that she forgot to use honorifics and said coldly, "That proves that you are all equally biased and only cause trouble for our daughter."
Zhao Lan frowned. "Shen Lingyue, how dare you speak to your mother like that?"
In a normal family, being called by someone's full name is already a significant threat.
Unfortunately, Shen Lingyue, being an orphan, was unaware of this.
The seemingly peaceful and harmonious family life she had experienced since transmigrating into the book was shattered at this moment, revealing to her how out of place she was in this world.
She got stubborn, held her neck, and refused to back down.
"Anyway, I don't want any concubines. You can give those girls to whomever you like. If you really like them, you can give them to Father!"
After saying that, she turned and ran away, bumping into Liu's mother who had rushed over after hearing the argument.
Shen Lingyue glared at her, "Accomplice!"
"Oh dear, what happened?"
Liu's mother stumbled from the impact, but without even rubbing her back, she hurried into the house and saw Zhao Lan already angrily raising her teacup. She quickly persuaded her to stop.
"Madam, please calm down. The third young lady is still young and can't understand things yet. Please reason with her and don't argue."
Zhao Lan's face was grim, her expression shifting between different angles. Finally, she slammed her teacup down, knocking it against the corner of the table.
"It's all my fault for spoiling her too much. She's become more and more headstrong and willful. Listen to what she's saying! If she were even half as sensible as Yuanjia, why would I have to worry so much about her?"
Her eldest daughter, Shen Yuanjia, was raised with proper family education and was gentle and virtuous. Before she even reached marriageable age, suitors almost broke down her door. She was a well-known talented young lady in the capital.
The eldest daughter and son are both well taken care of, so why does the youngest daughter seem like a wicked burden who's come to collect a debt?
Liu Mama rubbed her chest and said, “Third Miss is still young. What young lady doesn’t hope to be in love with her husband? When she first heard about concubines, she naturally felt very resistant… Madam, please forgive me for being nosy, but you are a little too impatient this time.”
It would be better to send these girls to the estate to train them properly for a while. After the Third Miss gets married and the honeymoon phase is over, she will find that love between men and women is just so-so. Then, Madam can send them over. Wouldn't that be a godsend?
Zhao Lan lowered her eyes, and after a moment gave a bitter smile. "I've been through the same thing. It's just that my mother didn't plan for me like that back then, otherwise Liu Shi wouldn't have come into the family."
Aunt Liu was a concubine brought in by her mother-in-law when she was still alive. It is said that she was a distant relative of her mother's family who had fallen on hard times and had come to this distant cousin for help.
After entering the house, she called Shen Hang "cousin" and "cousin" repeatedly. They spent their days composing poems under the flowers and moon, and she also gave birth to a son and a daughter smoothly. How arrogant she was in the backyard!
If Zhao Lan hadn't been so patient and tolerant, outliving her mother-in-law and having Shen Yuanjia marry into a prestigious family and gain recognition, she wouldn't have been able to smoothly seize control of the household and impose house arrest at will.
With the lessons of the past still fresh in her mind, Zhao Lan was always thinking ahead for her youngest daughter's marriage, fearing that she might suffer any injustice.
Romantic love? What is that? It's elusive and uncertain; whoever gets involved with it is doomed.
Rather than waiting until your heart is completely broken before piecing things back together piece by piece, it's better not to have given it to anyone in the first place.
*
Shen Lingyue began a cold war with Zhao Lan, locking herself in her room and not allowing anyone to enter.
She stopped attending classes and stopped asking for help. Every day, she would have Qingchan leave her three meals outside the door, and she would sneak in to eat them like a thief.
—She was just protesting, not going on a hunger strike.
She won't come out until she's sent those concubines away.
She's going to give up!
Zhao Lan called Qing Chan over for questioning and learned that Shen Lingyue was eating three meals a day without fail and even asked the small kitchen to make snacks. She almost laughed in anger.
Seeing an opportunity, Liu's mother smoothed things over, saying, "Third Miss is just a child at heart; you don't need to get angry with her."
Zhao Lan pretended to put on a stern face, "Do you expect me, as her mother, to apologize to her?"
When a mother and daughter have a disagreement, someone always needs to step in and help them out.
Liu's mother, confident in her loyalty, racked her brains for a long time before suddenly clapping her hands.
"Madam has been busy with the inner quarters lately. Is she aware of the rumors circulating outside that Miss Zhou is disobedient and unfilial?"
Zhao Lan chuckled after hearing this, "Who told General Xuanwei's mansion to be run by a stepmother? You should really let Yue'er see what kind of life a girl without her own mother's protection lives at home."
She hadn't grasped what Liu's mother meant and retorted, "What does the Zhou family's commotion have to do with our family? You can't expect me to ruin my daughter's reputation too, can you?"
She was just arguing with her daughter, she didn't want her to die.
"Hey, Miss Zhou and our Third Miss have always been at odds. Now that she's in trouble, we can just step in and kick her while she's down, and it'll be good for our Third Miss to vent her anger."
Liu Mama offered a suggestion: "...Once the Third Miss knows that everything you've done is for her, won't she understand Madam's good intentions?"
I understand, it's about shifting the blame.
Zhao Lan made the decision, "Then let's do it your way, the bigger the commotion, the better."
The following day, Liu's mother personally led a group, pulling a cart full of gifts, to the Xuanwei General's residence.
The procession was very large and attracted many onlookers.
The discord between Miss Zhou and Miss Shen was a well-known and exciting topic in the capital. To make matters worse, the two were betrothed by the Emperor to the two brothers of the Marquis of Changning. One can only imagine how much fun the Marquis of Changning would have in the future.
Now the Shen family is sending gifts to the Zhou family in a grand manner. Could it be that they are trying to give in to the Zhou family?
More and more people gathered outside the Zhou family mansion gate. After a while, a woman dressed as a stewardess hurried out.
"May I ask what brings you here today?"
Madam Liu stepped forward, cleared her throat, and said in a strong voice, "Madam, I am from the Shen family. Our two families are fortunate to have been granted a marriage by His Majesty, and we will be related by marriage in the future. My wife heard that your lady had a miscarriage and was very worried. She specially ordered me to send some tonics to express her condolences - as an apology on behalf of my third young lady's future sister-in-law."
When the head housekeeper heard this, she was so angry she almost fainted.
No, this is a private family matter within our General's Mansion. How is it your Shen family's place to apologize?
What apology? They're clearly just here to laugh at us!
When the news reached the inner quarters, Madam Zhou, Lin Qiyu, who was "resting in bed," almost went into miscarriage.
"That wretched girl Zhou Yanyi, I've already chased her to the estate, and her mortal enemy still dares to come to my door to ridicule me!"
If this matter blows up and reaches the palace, will the emperor think that the Zhou family is dissatisfied with the arranged marriage and is deliberately causing trouble before the wedding?
The trusted mother whispered, "The wedding is approaching, and it's not good for the young lady to stay on the estate any longer. Why don't we bring her back?"
Lin Qiyu gritted her teeth reluctantly and had no choice but to agree.
"—When she comes back, we'll force her to go to the Shen family to apologize!"
Zhoujiatianzhuang, on the outskirts of Beijing.
In the coldest and dampest dilapidated room on the west side of the courtyard, a girl covered only by a tattered quilt had a burning fever on her forehead and her lips were cracked.
"water……"
She struggled to get up and reached for the teapot on the small stool beside the bed.
She hadn't eaten for three days and was too weak. With great difficulty, she managed to grab the handle of the teapot, and immediately used all her strength to hug it to her chest, guzzling the tea into the pot without any regard for her image.
I don't know how many days the tea had been sitting there. It was cold and astringent, and it felt like a knife cutting into my throat.
But the girl couldn't let go of this last bit of water. She gulped it down, her bloodshot eyes gleaming with a tenacious will to survive.
She can't die... She has to leave this place... She has to go to the capital to find her...
A note from the author:
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Let's give a big round of applause to welcome Yan Yan!
Countdown to the best friends' reunion √
I hope everyone will like and comment on this post during the seedling stage!
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