Chapter 35 Chapter 35 With this understanding, Ji Yanlang began to...
With this conclusion, Ji Yanlang began to reflect on why he shouldn't have been angry with Fang Ying.
Compared with the previous sisters-in-law, her family background is indeed inferior. Apart from other things, the matter of giving the house as a gift cannot be hidden from her brothers. Once her brothers know about it, there is no guarantee that they will go back and tell her sisters-in-law.
The second sister-in-law is on good terms with her and won't say anything, but the third and fourth sisters-in-law have always resented Fang Ying and would confront her no matter what. The last time the Deng family's mother and daughter came to Beijing, they didn't see them, and they used this matter to make sarcastic remarks. If they knew that the Fang family accepted the house given by the Ji family, they would definitely not let it go and would definitely ridicule her to her face.
Thinking about it this way, it's no wonder that she was so cautious even in her own room, fearing that even a word of hers would get out and become a topic of gossip for her third and fourth sisters-in-law.
Ji Yanlang had not taken this to heart before. Firstly, seeing Fang Ying manage their courtyard so well, the maids did not dare to go out and say anything; secondly, since he returned home, he did not feel that his inferior family background had any influence on her. Fang Ying pleased his mother-in-law, had a good relationship with his second sister-in-law, and even his second brother praised her. She also commanded awe from the servants. Sometimes he really felt that at home, Fang Ying's words were more effective than his.
But in a large family like the Ji family, where there are many brothers and the relationships between the branches are becoming delicate, sometimes things are not so absolute.
His mother was the eldest princess of Shu. She had assisted his father for many years and gave birth to three sons. Her position in the palace was as stable as Mount Tai. Once the Shu Kingdom was destroyed, it was only because the eldest son died young, the second son had no children, and the youngest son was missing. The concubine and the illegitimate son, who had been obedient to him, became ambitious and fought for power and property openly and secretly.
What’s more, Fang Ying comes from an ordinary family and has no children yet.
In the Ji Mansion, she could only gain a foothold temporarily. At this time, she should be cautious in her words and actions, cherish her reputation, and not be affectionate or flirting with him in front of the maids.
Feeling that he was not considerate enough to Fang Ying, Ji Yanlang bought her a big bag of candied fruits and other snacks when he returned home from office that day. After returning home, he restrained himself and no longer thought about touching her. Instead, he carefully looked over the calligraphy homework that Fang Ying handed in, pointed out her shortcomings, and assigned her new homework.
After Fang Ying wrote it down, she poured him a cup of tea and said with a smile, "Thank you for your guidance, sir." Then she leaned closer and lowered her voice, "Didn't you ask me what kind of intimate gestures I like? This is it."
Her smile was so soft and endearing that Ji Yanlang couldn't help but move his hand, but in the end he just reached out, picked up the teacup, and said pretentiously: "Really? Then tomorrow's homework will be doubled."
"..." Fang Ying estimated and felt that he could accomplish it by doubling the time, so he smiled and said, "I will follow your orders, Master."
"I was just joking with you." Ji Yanlang put down the teacup, not realizing that he hadn't drunk anything. "It's a short day, and the weather isn't good. The room is bright for too short a time. Don't let this hurt your eyes."
Fang Ying had thought he was still sulking when he mentioned doubling it earlier, but was surprised to see him change his tune so quickly. She wondered why he suddenly had a change of heart. Could it be that he remembered he still needed her to look after the Deng family mother and daughter?
Just as he was thinking about it, he heard Ji Yanlang continue, "There's news from the camp. The expedition is likely to begin on the 15th. I estimate that after the emperor reports to the temple, he will immediately march north. We in the cavalry camp will not be allowed to return home until the 13th."
"Then I have to pack your luggage quickly. Tell me in detail what you need to bring..."
Ji Yanlang said, "Just bring two sets of winter clothes for everyday wear. Keep it simple in the military."
"Then you should bring some thicker cotton clothes. I'm afraid what you're wearing now isn't enough."
"That's enough. If you get any thicker, your body won't be flexible enough." Ji Yanlang said with a smile.
Fang Ying didn't quite believe him, "I'd better go ask Mom. You like to show off sometimes."
Ji Yanlang: “…”
"So when are we going to the Deng family?" Fang Ying asked again, remembering, "Tomorrow or the day after tomorrow? Don't put it off any longer. There might be other things to do later."
"Let's see the weather tomorrow. If it's not too cold, we can go."
"It's not that cold. I'll put on more clothes. I can go out by car and go into the house as soon as I get out. I won't be cold."
"It's not as warm in their house as it is in ours. Aunt Deng doesn't want to use charcoal and won't let us light the charcoal pot. She says the warmth from cooking in the morning is enough for the day. It gets cold in the afternoon when the sun is about to set, so it's time to cook dinner."
This is indeed the case in ordinary people's homes. "Is their kitchen stove connected to the kang?" Fang Ying asked.
"Yes, you understand all this?" Ji Yanlang was a little surprised.
"The kang where the servants live in the west wing of our house is connected to the kitchen stove. What's there to not understand?"
"I see."
Fang Ying smiled and said, "Don't worry, I'm not that delicate. Just wear more clothes and bring a hand warmer with you."
The more she said this, the more Ji Yanlang felt guilty, and the more determined he became to perform a great deed to earn her an imperial decree.
But to prevent Fang Ying from worrying, he didn't say it out loud, and just agreed: "Okay, let's go tomorrow."
"Remember to send someone to tell him first, don't do it again..." Fang Ying smiled and stopped there, without really mentioning the bad things he had done in the past.
"I'll send someone right away." Ji Yanlang stood up and went out to tell the little girl to pass on the message, asking his personal attendant to go to the Deng family and tell Aunt Deng and her daughter that he would bring his wife to visit them tomorrow.
After giving the order, he came back and said to Fang Ying, "Tell my mother about this."
Fang Ying glanced at him. Although she didn't say anything, her eyes seemed to have other meanings. Ji Yanlang unconsciously explained, "I told my mother that she would call you to ask about it later. She was afraid that I would force you to go and let you suffer..."
"Mother wouldn't think so. It's obviously you who is guilty."
"Why should I feel guilty? Forget it, I won't defend myself. Tomorrow you go meet Aunt Deng and my sister, and you'll know whether my heart is true or false."
"If you don't feel guilty, just tell Mom about it during dinner. Why go to so much trouble?"
"..." Ji Yanlang just wanted Fang Ying to take the initiative to talk to her mother about this matter. Now that he had come back, he couldn't say "you go first" and could only respond vaguely.
How could Fang Ying not know what he was thinking? "The Deng family saved your life, and I must be most grateful. If you take me to visit them, I'll just complain it's too late. Why would I be worried about me getting hurt? Besides, what kind of grievance could I possibly suffer? Aunt Deng wouldn't be so unreasonable as to kick me out, would she?"
"No..." Ji Yanlang said these two words and paused for a while, not knowing what to say. Finally, he said, "I just feel it's hard to talk to my mother about Aunt Deng and her daughter again."
"Why?"
"I don't know either."
Fang Ying saw him looking down at the ground, his expression troubled and confused, as if he really didn't understand. She thought for a moment and asked, "Will you feel uncomfortable if I tell Mother about this in front of you?"
Ji Yanlang didn't look up or answer, but his brows furrowed even more tightly, and it was obvious that the answer was "yes".
Fang Ying was puzzled. Could it be that Aunt Deng and her daughter had caused a rift between them? Otherwise, what was there to keep from discussing? Ah, perhaps it was because of that kneeling punishment? That wasn't the case. Although Ji Yanlang had many flaws, he didn't harbor any resentment towards his mother for scolding him.
Or give it a try in person.
"Then I can't wait until you leave tomorrow to tell Mom," Fang Ying made her own decision. "If I really do that, Mom will think something is wrong."
Ji Yanlang had no way to refute, so he had to agree. He sat in the room for a while, then went to Li's place with Fang Ying.
When he saw his mother, he first mentioned what he had said to Fang Ying before, that he would be going to the battle with the emperor on about the 15th day. Fang Ying followed up with Li and asked what kind of luggage he should prepare for Ji Yanlang.
Speaking of this, Mrs. Li had a lot to say, and she didn't finish until the food was served.
So, after dinner, Fang Ying finally found an opportunity to say, "Liu Lang said he would take me to meet Aunt Deng and her daughter tomorrow to get to know them. This way, if anything happens over there, they will be able to take care of me when he leaves for the war."
"I was just about to ask Liu Lang," Li smiled and glanced at her son, "He told us not to interfere in the Deng family's affairs. Has everything been arranged for the expedition to Northern Zhao?"
"It's all arranged." Ji Yanlang said hurriedly, "Aunt Deng has already gotten used to using the two maids, and the Deng girl has learned Mandarin quite well. The family has enough rice and flour. When we go there tomorrow, we'll leave some money for Aunt Deng to spend, and that'll be enough."
Fang Ying, who was standing beside him, became anxious when she heard this - why did he just say these things without saying anything to stop his mother from intervening?
After hearing this, Mrs. Li's smile faded a little, but she still said, "It's Ying'er's first visit, so it's not appropriate to just give her money. I'll have them prepare a gift tomorrow, and you can take it with you."
Fang Ying was about to agree, but she saw Ji Yanlang desperately winking at her. Firstly, she didn't understand what he meant, and secondly, at this moment, only by agreeing immediately would she not hurt Li's feelings. So she pretended not to see it and responded first: "Ah, mother is still thoughtful."
Mrs. Li had already seen her son making eye contact with her, and she couldn't help feeling unhappy. But seeing that he was about to go to the battle with the emperor, Mrs. Li didn't want to be angry with her son at this time, so she held back her anger and just said that it was cold, and asked the young couple to go back and rest early, and have breakfast in the room as usual tomorrow.
It was indeed very cold and windy outside. The couple did not speak on the way back to their room. After entering the room and loosening their coats, Fang Ying said, "What did you give me then? I'm afraid Mother saw it. I think she was a little unhappy."
"I want you to persuade mother that we don't need to prepare gifts for the Deng family like we do for other relatives and old friends. We can just buy some food on the way and bring it over."
"Then why don't you say it yourself? Who can understand your deep meaning?"
"I'm not afraid that if I tell her, Mom will be suspicious. Look, she told me from the beginning that I don't want her to interfere..."
Speaking of this, Fang Ying began to blame him even more. "Since you heard this, why didn't you explain it on the spot?"
"I...how can I explain?" Ji Yanlang sat down on the couch and sighed. "Tell me, it's not that I don't want you to interfere, but they and their daughter just want to live an ordinary life, not like us, with luxurious clothes and food. Isn't mother going to call me a rebel for daring to teach her how to do things?"
"..." Fang Ying thought about the whole thing from beginning to end and finally understood. "You didn't tell Mother that you never intended for Aunt Deng and her daughter to live a luxurious life from the beginning. As long as they had enough food and clothing, that would be enough, right?"
"Yeah." Ji Yanlang nodded.
"Why? You can explain it clearly to me, so why can't you tell Mom?"
Ji Yanlang sighed, "It's hard to tell Mother. First, I don't want her to know how hard my life was in Jiaozhi. Second, Mother won't think the same way as us. If I tell her the truth, she'll definitely think it's unacceptable to treat a benefactor this way. We ourselves are well-fed, yet we still force our benefactor to live like ordinary people. How can this be tolerated if it gets out?"
"That mother is also thinking about your reputation..."
"I know Mother is definitely doing this for my own good, but I still think this is the best way to settle Aunt Deng and her daughter. They don't need to be too close to our family. I'll visit them from time to time, and in the future, during festivals and other holidays, when it's convenient, I'll bring them to you and Mother to talk. That's enough."
Fang Ying understood what he said, and felt that such interactions would make the mother and daughter of the Deng family more comfortable and at ease. However, "If you never explain things clearly to Mother, she's bound to misunderstand. If these things create a rift between mother and daughter, what's the best solution?"
Ji Yanlang also felt troubled, so he looked at Fang Ying and said, "How about my good wife, teach me how to mediate this matter? What is the best way?"
Fang Ying: “…”
"Help me think of a good idea. Tomorrow, after visiting Aunt Deng and her daughter, I'll take you to Fengle Tower for a visit. How about that?"
Fang Ying's eyes lit up: "Can I go?"
Ji Yanlang raised his head and said, "Why not? I'll take you there, who can say no?"
Fang Ying suddenly became happy: "It's a deal!" After saying that, she was afraid that he would go back on his word, so she added, "Those who don't keep their word are just dogs."
Ji Yanlang laughed: "Don't worry, when did I go back on my promise to you?"
"You didn't promise me anything, did you?" Fang Ying muttered.
Ji Yanlang shook his head: "You little heartless one. Anyway, please give this matter some thought. I'm waiting for your clever plan."
It was difficult to come up with any clever ideas. Based on Fang Ying's understanding of Li, it was better to tell the truth about this matter - there were some things that Ji Yanlang, as a son, really couldn't say, but it was different for her.
Fang Ying pondered the matter overnight. The next day, when no one was in Li's room, she took the initiative to bring up the matter of bringing gifts to the Deng family. "Liu Lang suggested that we don't need to bring any from home. We can just buy some food on the way there."
"That's what you brought." Li's face turned pale when she heard this. "I also have a gift. They've been here for almost a month now. Apart from the gifts they gave me at the beginning, I haven't given them any proper gifts to celebrate their settlement or a meeting gift from the young lady from the Deng family."
"Yes, there's also this. I actually forgot about it." Fang Ying smiled apologetically. "Do you think I should also prepare a gift for the Deng family's sister?"
Li's expression softened slightly: "You are my sister-in-law, so it's only natural that I should give you something. But didn't you give me clothes last time?"
"The clothes didn't say it was a gift. I have a few silver hairpins that I haven't worn yet. I'll pick some out when I get back and give her one as a gift."
Li nodded: "That's all."
"Liu Lang specifically told me to wear more clothes, saying that Aunt Deng is frugal and doesn't want to burn more firewood..." Fang Ying told her some of the things Ji Yanlang had said about the Deng family. "I said to him, since you also feel that you can afford it and don't need to be so frugal, why don't you persuade Aunt Deng? What do you think Liu Lang would say?"
In fact, Li had already heard about Madam Deng's behavior from Aunt Fu, so she asked, "Are you refusing to listen to my advice?"
Fang Ying nodded. "First, they won't listen. Second, Liu Lang said that it's Aunt Deng and her daughter who should live their lives and live according to their own wishes. Only then can they live comfortably. He insisted that they change completely and learn to be like the people in Beijing. They are uncomfortable, and it must be uncomfortable for him to see it. He wonders whether he is bringing them here to enjoy life or to suffer."
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Author's words: Sorry, the old article is almost finished, I wanted to catch up, and ended up delaying the update here...
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