Chapter 3, Chapter 3: "If things don't work out, take the divorce papers and go back..."
Apart from eating two meals a day, Yu'an spent all her time on the household accounts and banquet purchases. When she got tired of sitting, she would get up and look at the orchids by the window.
As Yu'an was wiping the fine dust off the orchid leaves with a damp cloth, hurried footsteps sounded from the corridor. By the time Baozhu, looking resentful, entered, Yu'an had roughly guessed what was going on.
She asked with a smile, "What's wrong? Which steward in the manor gave you a hard time again?"
The accounts that had just been settled were just delivered to the steward by Baozhu.
Baozhu, her face dark with displeasure, said, "This time it's not the manager, it's the son-in-law. He said that our expenses have been too high lately and that we can't be extravagant. The expenses for the birthday banquet have to be halved."
Halving the amount sounds easy, but for someone like Yu-An who gets things done, it's an unwarranted challenge.
As the saying goes, you can't have your cake and eat it too. Since the banquet is going to be a big affair, money is essential. She has already tried her best to save money according to Shen Qiulan's wishes. If it is reduced by half again, then what is the point of doing this?
Yu An: "Did you hear that clearly? Is this what the old man means?"
Logically speaking, Ji Jinghe shouldn't have gotten involved in this matter.
Baozhu said irritably, "It was the son-in-law. I heard it clearly. The manager told me."
"Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice. Girl, I think we don't need to do it. It's a thankless job, and we might end up pleasing neither side."
She now understood that this huge mansion was not only difficult to get along with, but also stingy!
The Chu family has always been known for its frugality. Yu An would have noticed the expenses of the banquet even without Shen Qiulan's reminder. However, given the extravagance, the necessary expenses were inevitable. If she really wanted to halve the budget as Ji Jinghe suggested, she couldn't find any other reason other than deliberately making things difficult.
Or perhaps he simply doesn't know...
Shen Qiulan entrusted this matter to her, and she couldn't ignore it. She could only wait until Ji Jinghe returned later to discuss whether to simplify the process or proceed as usual.
Yu'an patted Baozhu on the back and comforted her with a smile, "Don't look so sad, it's not a big deal."
"Let's not talk about that. I just went to the accounting office to ask for our courtyard's monthly allowance, but they couldn't come up with it because of the son-in-law's excuse. Is that a small matter?"
Baozhu frowned: "Before the wedding, the master repeatedly told me to take good care of the young lady, but now, the Ji family members either give her the cold shoulder or roll their eyes at her every day. I really don't know what you like about the young master. He probably forgot what happened fourteen years ago."
It was something that happened fourteen years ago, and even she could only vaguely remember it, let alone Ji Jinghe. It would be strange if he remembered it.
Besides, she didn't expect him to remember her anyway; this affection belonged solely to her, and she was willing to accept it.
This morning, Ji Jinghe said that he would come back to the courtyard for dinner in the evening. Because of that, Yu'an had people prepare it early, but no one came. Just as she was about to ask Baozhu to ask, Qingque arrived.
"Young Master has been waiting for Young Madam at Rongshou Hall for about half an hour. Why is Young Madam still here?"
Looking at the table full of food, Qingque couldn't help but complain.
His master was waiting idly with the old lady at Rongshou Hall, while the young mistress was leisurely eating her meal.
Yu An was surprised and didn't have time to ask any more questions. After learning what had happened, she hurriedly followed Qing Que to Rong Shou Tang. By then, her back was covered in a thin layer of sweat.
Unsurprisingly, when the curtain was lifted and they went inside, apart from the kind-looking Ji's mother, Ji Jinghe's face was already etched with displeasure.
Yu An pretended not to notice Ji Jinghe's expression and bowed to Ji's mother, who was sitting at the head of the table, saying, "Grandmother, please forgive my lateness."
"It's alright, we're all family, what's the big deal?" Madam Ji hurriedly asked someone to bring Yu'an a round stool. "You're so anxious you're sweating, sit down and rest."
Yu An pursed her lips, slowly sat down on the stool, and couldn't help but glance at Ji Jinghe a couple of times.
"Didn't we specifically send someone to deliver the message? Why is it still late?"
Thinking about the family accounts for the day, plus the extra half hour he had to wait, Ji Jinghe couldn't hide his displeasure, even in front of his elders.
Upon hearing this question, Yu'an looked puzzled, but after recalling Qingque's tone and expression when she relayed the message, she guessed what it meant.
She told the truth: "I stayed in the courtyard for a whole day and never saw anyone come to announce my arrival..."
Seeing that Ji Jinghe was about to speak, Ji's mother quickly stopped him, saying, "Alright, alright."
"I guess the servants at home forgot. Why blame your wife? It's only half an hour. With me here, you won't be bored. Why hold a grudge against your wife?"
Ji Jinghe fell silent, reluctantly withdrawing his gaze from Yu An.
"I think you need to change your bad temper, otherwise you'll drive your wife away one day."
Having watched her grandson grow up, she knew his temperament best, and seeing him like this, she felt that Yu'an had been wronged.
Ji Jinghe respected his grandmother greatly, and upon hearing the old woman's words, he remained silent. Yu An was also still shaken, secretly relieved that Ji's mother had spoken up for her.
She wasn't familiar with Ji's mother either; the last time they met was on the morning of their wedding day when they were serving tea.
After chatting for a while, they sat down to eat together. Madam Ji was cheerful, unlike when she ate at Wanfang Courtyard, and Yu'an was happy to receive her occasional advice.
There was a strongly flavored dish on the table, with a lot of chili peppers. After taking only one bite, Ji's mother couldn't stop coughing.
Yu An subconsciously reached for the teapot to pour tea, but then she and Ji Jinghe had the same idea, and their hands ended up on the handle of the teapot, one in front of the other.
In a split second, Ji Jinghe had no time to spare and hurriedly poured the old man a cup of tea, while Yu An moved the spicy dish to a distance.
After drinking some tea, Ji's mother gradually recovered.
Ji Jinghe: "It's normal for you to have a lighter palate as you get older. We only eat here once or twice, so Grandmother doesn't need to accommodate us. Just eat as usual."
Mother Ji sighed and waved her hand: "I originally thought you were too young to eat my bland food, but seeing that Yu'an is enjoying it today, I thought I'd give it a try."
The old man was getting on in years, his temples already streaked with gray. After a sigh, he spoke slowly: "I like backgammon, so your grandfather learned to play it. Your father loved tea, so your mother learned to brew it. Isn't that how our family has gotten by, taking care of each other?"
They are intelligent people; they understand the unspoken meaning behind every word.
This is a reminder to them that couples should support and understand each other as they get through life together.
"I called you over sooner because there's something that requires you two to go together."
Earlier, when her legs were still quite mobile, she had consulted the fortune teller for Ji Jinghe at the City God Temple. Now that they had been married for a month, it was time to fulfill her vow. Considering that he had a day off these two days, it was a good opportunity to go.
"Alright, I'll go tomorrow."
Ji's mother repeated, "Take your wife with you."
Ji Jinghe: ...
After the three of them had filled their stomachs, they gradually stopped eating. Before leaving, Ji's mother kept Yu'an behind and said a few words to her before letting her go.
When Yu An went out, she saw that Ji Jinghe was still at the door.
Ji Jinghe glanced at her before leaving, with Yu An following closely behind.
The two went straight back to Banmu Courtyard, remaining silent the whole way.
Ji Jinghe sat down in a chair, poured tea, and asked, "Did Grandmother say anything?"
Yu An paused, thinking about what he had just said, and could only try to find a way to evade the question. Just as he was thinking, he heard him say something else.
“Grandmother is getting old, and I am busy with official duties and cannot personally fulfill my filial duties. You are at home all day. If you have nothing to do, you should visit Rongshou Hall more often and keep her company. You must not be late again like today.”
Ji Jinghe spoke quietly, his tone completely flat. The dim light obscured half his face, making it impossible to see the expression in his eyes. His tall, straight back stood before her, as if constantly proclaiming his resistance to her.
During the two days they spent together, he always had his back to her, and she couldn't find a moment when they were face to face.
Yu An calmed herself down and said gently, "I know, it won't happen again next time."
Yu An changed out of her outer cloak and asked Bao Zhu to bring her water to wash up. She was about to ask about today's expenses when the door opened and Ji Jinghe had already left.
Yu An sighed helplessly and had no choice but to continue washing her hands.
Baozhu gritted her teeth and said, "The whole family has a terrible temper... Miss, after you left, I went out and questioned them to find out who had information that was being withheld and that made you suffer. But no one paid any attention to me."
Yu An smiled, not caring at all: "They intentionally kept it from you, why would they obediently tell you just because you asked?"
The servants of the Ji family have all signed life-or-death contracts with the Ji family and have been protected and favored by the Ji family for generations. In addition, they have all served Ji Jinghe for a long time. If she really makes a big fuss, it will only make her seem petty.
Such a trivial matter can be overlooked by turning a blind eye.
Baozhu just couldn't swallow this insult. Her daughter was kind-hearted and always willing to be gentle and unwilling to argue, but little did she know that the more she acted this way, the more easily she would be looked down upon. This was only the beginning; what would she do if things dragged on for too long?
They thought Ji Jinghe was wronged by marrying her, but they didn't realize that Yu An was also someone else's precious daughter. Her daughter didn't marry to suffer.
Seeing her worried expression, Yu'an comforted her, "You said it yourself, this is just the beginning. If you can't even bear this little bit of grievance now, how will you live in the future?"
“We said on our first day here that if things really couldn’t go on, we’d take the divorce papers and go home.” Yu’an rubbed Baozhu’s cheek and said seriously, “This is a promise, believe me.”
A note from the author:
----------------------
Yu-An: I keep my word.
Please add this to your favorites~ Updates will follow the rankings, and daily updates will be available after VIP chapters [purple heart]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
