Chapter 133 Sister-in-law, I want to become a nun. "How can you repay a debt of gratitude like this?..."
Back in the room, Li Wan sat there in a daze for a while before subconsciously picking up her sewing basket again.
Lan'er is not young anymore, so we should make her some purses and handkerchiefs in muted colors.
Li Wan felt that the matter was over, but Madam Wang did not.
"They're the ones who killed my Yuan Chun!" Madam Wang sat in the clean room, a jade statue of a Bodhisattva on the altar against the wall, but all she spoke of were curses, excuses, and resentment.
"Go and fetch that troublemaking vile woman!"
Wu Xing's wife thought for a moment. This description was clearly how her master described Madam Xing. Should she ask her to go and call Madam Xing?
Oh, it's Grandma Zhu.
Wu Xing's wife hurriedly ran out to call for help, while Grandmother Jia quietly returned to her inner room.
"Yuanyang, do you think we should go back to Jinling?"
Grandmother Jia had asked this question several times, but Yuanyang dared not answer it directly, much less connect the topic with the decline of the Rongguo Mansion. The imperial concubine had just passed away, and with such a humiliating funeral, Yuanyang dared not answer lightly, much less seriously.
“Grandma.” Yuanyang kept her hands busy, pretending to be very busy, so that it would seem casual. “If you want to go back to your hometown, why not wait until next spring when the weather is better? There’s a poem that says ‘go down to Yangzhou in the third month of spring.’ You should at least wait until February. Take your time on the road and enjoy the scenery. When you arrive, it will be the best time to visit.”
Grandmother Jia chuckled softly, "I'm too old for that. Where would I find the energy to travel around?"
“There’s a boat and a sedan chair.” Yuanyang immediately chimed in, her reply utterly sincere. “You’re in excellent health. They get sick every now and then, but the old lady has a strong constitution and takes good care of herself; she’ll live to be a hundred.”
Grandmother Jia hummed in response, her eyes closed as if lost in thought. Yuanyang dared not utter a sound and simply stood there motionless.
"Both thunder and rain are expressions of His Majesty's grace. He must be deeply in love and doesn't want anyone to know that His Majesty has died, so as not to cause him grief. We can't go against His Majesty's wishes, so let's not go door to door to inform them. It's almost the New Year, and they are all familiar families. We don't want to make them have a bad New Year and have to grieve with us... After all, she is my own granddaughter. Let's just pretend she's still alive."
Yuanyang responded with a "yes" and went out to give instructions to the clerks, accountants, and so on.
Grandmother Jia sighed again. To say she was sad was true, but she was already so old. The Duke had died, her daughter had died, her parents had died, and Yuan Chun was not even the first of her grandchildren to die. She had also been confined to her quarters for almost a year. What else could she not let go of?
It's better to keep it a secret. Having someone in the palace will make them more wary of the Jia family, and the Rongguo Mansion can hold on a little longer.
Then Grandmother Jia thought of returning to Jinling again; she had thought about it more than once.
She considered using the excuse of returning to one's roots to have the second wife accompany her back to Jinling. As for the first wife, who had originally been granted a title, they had to submit a petition to the court and wait for the emperor's permission before they could go out. It would be better to leave them in the capital.
The second wife, who had been complaining for decades, occupied Rongxi Hall. Now that it's back to them, let's see what they have to say.
However, Yuanyang must not know about this. She is close to Lian Er and his wife, and if she finds out, the news will definitely leak out.
Later, however, Grandmother Jia wanted to test Yuanyang again, mentioning it several times. But after saying it, she realized she had miscalculated. Her return to Jinling was no small matter; without being instructed to pack, she wouldn't be able to leave for three months. Yuanyang probably knew this was just talk and certainly wouldn't tell Lian Er's family at this time.
“Even capital crimes are punished by execution in the autumn.” Moreover, the Rongguo Mansion is loyal and devoted. Grandmother Jia sighed softly, then called Amber in loudly, “I’m going to rest. If I fall asleep in a while, don’t wake me.”
Amber responded and helped Grandmother Jia lie down, but Grandmother Jia did not sleep. Instead, she kept her eyes open and stared at the top of the curtain.
...Then let's talk about it next year. How can we set off in winter? When Lin Ruhai wrote to say he was seriously ill, she also told Daiyu to wait until spring to leave.
Your Majesty cannot be so ruthless as to eliminate the old ministers, otherwise how will you explain this to the founding emperor when he goes down to meet him?
The Jia family, which conquered the Great Wei Dynasty, was filled with loyal martyrs, and had two members who were dukes, was wiped out by him?
No emperor acts like that. Grandmother Jia breathed a sigh of relief, suddenly feeling much better.
Does His Majesty need to pick a day to punish people?
Looking at the repulsive-looking Madam Wang in front of her, Li Wan suddenly uttered this remark.
His Majesty certainly picked a date; Brother Zhen next door lost his title on the fifteenth of August.
"What I hate most in my life is deceiving my superiors and showing off in front of me!" Madam Wang's whole face was strained, and the corners of her mouth drooped down.
Li Wan realized that her good mother-in-law didn't seem so sad; she was more angry and embarrassed.
Because she foresaw the crisis in the Rongguo Mansion and the loss of the Emperor's favor, and Yuan Chun's funeral proved this point.
But Li Wan dared not speak. She knelt obediently, head bowed, without making a sound, letting Madam Wang scold her.
"Don't think you can be in charge," Madam Wang said coldly. "As long as I live, you'll never get the chance."
Li Wan returned with the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Ksitigarbha Sutra, along with Madam Wang's instructions: "On the fifteenth of the first lunar month, I will hold a 49-day Water and Land Dharma Assembly. You are to copy each of these scriptures one hundred times so that I can offer them to the Buddha."
Li Wan also wanted to ask Madam Wang: You've been a Buddhist for so many years, do you really not know what scriptures are offered at the Water and Land Dharma Assembly? Which family's Water and Land Dharma Assembly requires the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Ksitigarbha Sutra?
But she still didn't say anything. This was clearly a punishment: she had to copy each of the three scriptures a hundred times. Even if it took two more years, let alone the Lantern Festival next year, she still wouldn't finish copying them. Li Wan remained expressionless and carried the scriptures back to her room.
Since she couldn't make handkerchiefs, purses, and other such items, Li Wan sat there blankly for a moment before going to find ink sticks, paper, and pen.
That evening, Xichun, who lived in the same courtyard as Li Wan, finally made up her mind and knocked on Li Wan's door.
"Sister-in-law." Xichun called out with difficulty as soon as she entered, but when she looked up, she saw that Li Wan's eyes were red, as if she had just been crying.
The two looked at each other, and Li Wan quickly explained, "These candles aren't very good today; they sting my eyes."
Xi Chun's eyes were also red. She gave a wink and went to stand guard at the entrance of Ru Hua's house.
Although there were only the two of them in the room, Xichun still stepped forward and took Li Wan's arm, whispering, "Sister-in-law, I want to become a nun, please help me."
Li Wan trembled in shock, but instead of pulling her arm away, she let go and grabbed the person, saying, "What did you say? Are you out of your mind?!"
Xichun had been thinking about it for a long time and had been observing it for a long time.
But she couldn't help but be nervous at a time like this. She forced herself to remain calm and said, "Becoming a monk can hide some family property. Temple property and official robes can't be confiscated. It can be left for Lan-ge'er to use in the future. When the Jia family was doing well, Lan-ge'er was too young and didn't benefit much. Now that the Jia family is not doing well, he is still not as good as Bao-yu. What about the future?"
"How—how could you? I can't get out either."
This three-step answer reassured Xichun. She said, "There will always be an opportunity. Lan'er is already fifteen and is a decisive person. He can go out. The manor is in such a mess right now. If I secretly change my clothes and go out, no one will notice. He can pretend to be a scholar going to the capital for the imperial examination and take me to a temple to stay. I heard Zhineng mention this before. It's possible. Sister-in-law, I really want to become a nun."
Li Wan remained silent, her heart filled with unbearable panic. But in this situation, everyone had to mind their own business, and who couldn't plan for their own future? Besides, she had always been planning for herself. How much silver had she saved over the years? Even without the Rongguo Mansion, it would be enough for her and Lan'er to live comfortably.
With a few hundred acres of land, one could easily become a minor local gentry.
Moreover, Xichun mentioned "a candidate going to the capital for the imperial examination," which is exactly what Li Wan was looking for.
"The manor is in such a mess now. Back then, male servants were able to sneak into the Grand View Garden at night, let alone now?"
Xi Chun's face was full of disdain: "My brother lost his title, and he didn't even try to come and get me. He treated me like I was dead, and I've long since considered him dead. But over the years, for the sake of his reputation, he has indeed given me a lot of good things, and he's also been considerate of his reputation, never being harsh on me in these areas. But how long can these things last? When my brother lost his title, the gate of our house was sealed off. How much of the Rongguo Mansion will be left in the future? How much of these things will end up in Lan Ge'er's hands?"
Li Wan was in a state of utter confusion and couldn't figure things out, but judging from Xi Chun's words, the matter could be accomplished.
Lan'er can go out, and unlike Bao Yu who is completely ignorant of worldly affairs, he can even go out in advance to inquire about which nunnery in the suburbs of the capital has a good reputation.
"Why don't you go and ask Miaoyu? She is a nun." After a long silence, Li Wan finally said this.
"She only became a nun because of her poor health. She never wanted to enter the Buddhist order, and besides, she had feelings for Baoyu."
Xichun sighed, "Sister-in-law, didn't you see? The Rongguo Mansion is in such a mess. She could have moved out, whether to the Muni Temple where she was staying or back to Panxiang Temple in Suzhou. Why didn't she leave? She said her master told her to stay in the capital. I guess her master wanted her to stay at the Muni Temple, not the Rongguo Mansion. Her master's ashes are still at the Muni Temple. Shouldn't she escort the coffin back to her hometown? At least she should send her master's ashes back to Panxiang Temple, right?"
"I cannot agree to that."
Xi Chun's heart sank, but Li Wan suddenly grabbed her hand.
Li Wan said slowly and deliberately, "Madam asked me to copy scriptures, but I can't get away. However, for Madam's grand wish, I need to ask Lan'er to go to the temple in a couple of days to get some incense, ink, and paper for Buddhism."
Xichun took a deep breath, her legs already weak. She knelt down and handed over the list she had prepared, tears welling in her eyes: "Sister-in-law, these are the things from my room."
Li Wan took it and said, "I'll burn it after I finish reading it. What about your maids?"
The Rongguo Mansion has already reduced its servants twice on a large scale. Xichun only has three maids and two old women left around her. Jia Baoyu, on the other hand, although he has also reduced his staff by half, still has a total of twenty people.
“If we take them with us, my sister-in-law will inevitably be blamed for failing to supervise them properly. If only I am gone, the blame will fall on them for not keeping a close eye on the young lady.”
Li Wan nodded and said, "It's inconvenient for you to be alone. Miaoyu has a maid and two sturdy old women by her side. I'll ask Lan'er to go outside and buy some people."
"I'll do whatever my sister-in-law says."
"...At least I can relax a bit more now." Back in her room, Xue Baochai smiled. After seeing Yingchun at the Marquis of Zhongyong's residence last time, she was afraid that they might complain about her behind her back.
Fortunately, after so many days of living in fear, my eldest cousin died, and now even if we file a complaint, the Jia family won't have time to pay attention.
"What should we do?" Aunt Xue's words brought Xue Baochai back to reality. "We've spent so much money in the Rongguo Mansion... We should have moved out back then. We could have just rented a courtyard across from the palace. It wouldn't have cost us this much money over the years."
But Xue Baochai was genuinely pleased, because whether it was Grandmother Jia, Lady Wang, or even her sisters, they would often use Yuan Chun to satirize her. Now that Yuan Chun was dead...
"We still need to find my uncle," Xue Baochai sighed.
“This time, don’t—” Aunt Xue hesitated for a moment, then said, “Your brother is really not up to the task. Your father taught you so many skills, and our family is counting on you.”
Xue Baochai, who had been happy for only a short time, became sad again, especially when she thought of Lin Daiyu.
"Could you... my eldest cousin passed away? Such a big event. Even though Lin is married, she should still come back to visit the old lady."
Aunt Xue probably understood what her daughter meant. However, given Lin's current status—a frequent visitor to the Empress, a county princess, and the Marquis of Zhongyong, a favorite of both emperors—even if she forced herself to smile, it would be something that could be discussed in public.
“I’ll try to persuade her privately, see if your aunt can use the old lady’s name to invite her back,” Aunt Xue said. “The old lady raised her for so many years, she must repay the kindness.”
"Third brother, you're so mean! How can you repay a debt of gratitude like this?" Lin Daiyu looked at the ridiculously large amount of candied hawthorns in front of her and puffed up her cheeks in anger.
"My father-in-law gave me a candied hawthorn, and now I'm giving you thirty more, isn't that enough?"
"not enough!"
Mu Chuan took a candied hawthorn and fed it to her: "Try this, I made it myself."
This is made by cooking yams and sweet potatoes, stringing them together with diced apples, and then hanging them with layers of sugar threads.
"Even this sugar is made from sugarcane that I brought back, and the yams, sweet potatoes, and apples are all produced in my Linjia Village."
It's delicious, but...
"This isn't right," Lin Daiyu said doubtfully. "These aren't candied hawthorns; they're clearly candied yams, candied sweet potatoes, and candied apples."
like……
"No problem," Mu Chuan said confidently. "It's all just fruit and candy after all."
-----------------------
Author's note: The main story is almost finished. If you'd like to read the side stories, feel free to click here.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com