Miscellaneous things
Although Hua Shan had given his granddaughter nice things, she didn't need to dress up all the time at home. Shujia always thought it was silly to wear hairpins and pearls all over her head, like a moving jewelry display. She would only wear one or two items, a pair of bracelets or a pair of earrings.
Xiluo Te turned a blind eye to this matter. A girl should cultivate a strong character in her parents' home. She can be quiet, but not weak. If you cultivate a pitiful, masochistic temperament like a little white flower, you will be asking for trouble when you go to your husband's home. There are still too few women in this world who have such an aesthetic value as "pity". If she has a face that asks for a slap, everyone will just follow her.
She hadn't been so controlling when Shuxian married because her husband's family wasn't as prestigious as her own. She was, after all, pampered by them and not afraid of being bullied. Shujia would marry into a higher-class family, so of course she had to pamper her even more and indulge her a little more, so she wouldn't be afraid in the future.
In October, Shi Wenbing's birthday was celebrated, and naturally, the house was overflowing with guests. Xiluo Te asked her daughter-in-law to manage internal affairs. Wendu, being the first to preside over such an event at home, was excited but also a little uneasy. She discussed the matter with Fu Dali that evening. Fu Dali said, "There are precedents. Just follow the rules set by Mother."
Wen Du said, "Mother has her own set of rules, but it's still unclear whether I can order the family members around. For example, the person I used last time is now sick, who should I use?" In fact, I had already thought about it in my mind, who can be used and who cannot be used, whether my companion can take charge of some affairs, etc.
Fu Dali said, "How difficult is that? We have it now. Don't underestimate my sister. I heard that when Mother was in Hangzhou, she was also watching over some things. Even if she can't make big decisions, she knows a lot about the affairs of the whole family."
Wendu took note of the thought, mentally rehearsing it, and then came to chat with Shujia. The weather was growing colder, the days shorter and the nights longer, and Shujia had already lit the lamp in her room. The candles burned brightly, and when one wasn't clear enough, she lit another. They were thick tallow candles. She also had several bronze mirrors placed behind the candles, reflecting the light even brighter.
When Shujia heard that Wendu had arrived, she was puzzled. Since Fuda Li was not on duty today, why were the couple coming here instead of staying at home to increase production and serve the country?
Zichang raised the curtains, and Wendu came in with Rong'er and Jing'er. Shujia asked her to sit down and asked, "The weather is getting colder, sister-in-law, you are a little lightly dressed." Wendu smiled and said, "It's okay, it's just two steps away." She glanced at the book Shujia placed on the table, which was a collection of poems, said a few words, and then got to the point.
Shujia was intrigued when she heard about Shi Wenbing's birthday. Xiluotai had told her that day, "I'm going to transfer some of the responsibilities to your sister-in-law. I'll take a look first. I'm afraid she'll be at odds with me over the purchasing and accounting matters." Shujia asked, "Why not give them instructions?" Xiluotai replied, "If I give them instructions, I won't be able to see her abilities. Someone who surrenders on their own is different from someone I watch over."
Now that Lady Wendu had arrived, she wanted to see what she had to say. Lady Wendu smiled and explained her difficulties: "I really don't know who can be used and who cannot. Mother has handed the matter over to me, and I can't bear to trouble her again. Your brother is always busy with work outside, so I had no choice but to ask for advice, young lady." She then exaggerated Fu Dali's words and praised Shujia a lot.
Shujia thought to herself, you can do it! "I've never been in charge of anything before. My sister-in-law will pick the names of the people in the book and let whoever is in charge of a certain thing take over. My sister-in-law thinks that those who have served under my mother for so many years are all old people..."
Wen Du took note of the precautions, then thought that she would have to manage all the concubines, manage the farm she brought as a dowry, and serve her. Even if she wanted to be useful, there wouldn't be enough people, right? Ultimately, it would be best to use the existing servants in the mansion. So she changed her strategy, originally thinking of replacing them, but now she wanted to subdue them.
Aren't there already rules? Then follow them. I can't get involved in accounting and purchasing. That's fine, just follow my instructions one by one. Her father started out as a clerk and is now a doctor and assistant commander. He did this kind of paperwork, and he brought that style into the family. Everything in the house is meticulously organized. Influenced by this, Wen Dushi is like, "Who does what? It's done, right? Put your fingerprints and sign. That's what you did. I'll come back to you for the audit later." It's like managing files.
Shujia was a bit stunned. This sister-in-law had the potential to be Wang Xifeng! Actually, any well-run family, business, or team has one thing in common: clear organization, clear responsibilities, smooth information flow, and transparent operations. Whether it was Feng Lazi in the book or the eldest sister-in-law at home, they were just different paths to the same goal.
Shujia remembered this.
Of course, Xiluo Te couldn't let go completely, and she had been watching from the shadows. Seeing that her daughter-in-law behaved properly, she felt relieved. But she also felt that her daughter-in-law had always been honest and dutiful, and now her methods were a bit harsh, which made her feel a little unhappy - a little thought that all mothers-in-law in the world have.
Shujia heard her little complaint: "Your sister-in-law is not an ordinary person. You should treat her well and learn from her, but don't be too strong. Oh, it's been a year since we got married, and there's still no news of pregnancy. I'm so worried."
Shujia: ...You're so eager to have a child after only being married for a year? They're still very young!
Just two days after Xiluotai's nagging, Wendutai found out she was pregnant. Now, Xiluotai no longer had to nag her daughter-in-law. She first told her daughter-in-law not to set rules and then to put aside household chores. She wasn't really involved in household chores anyway—she could focus on the pregnancy. Wendutai's family also sent a large amount of medicinal herbs, and her in-laws even came to visit their daughter.
Wendu's mother was a round-faced woman, and her smile was filled with a mixture of relief and pride. Her daughter had been married for a year, and there had been no news of childbirth. Her family had been even more anxious than her husband's. But now, they could finally rest assured. Even if it was just a daughter, there was an explanation.
After meeting with Wendu, Xiluo thoughtfully gave the mother and daughter space to talk. Wendu and her daughter certainly didn't waste this opportunity. The mother said first, "Now I'm relieved." Wendu also smiled brightly, but when her mother asked, "How do you want your son-in-law to live in the next few months?" Wendu's face drooped again.
Let's say someone is overjoyed to be pregnant and feeling proud, but someone reminds them, "You should consider your husband's physical needs and take the initiative to find him a concubine." How can they truly be happy? Even if the person reminding them is not their mother-in-law but their own mother, it will still affect their mood!
Wen Du's heart felt colder than the November day outside, her temples throbbing. Of course, bridal classes included lessons about managing household affairs, keeping one's husband in check, and taming former concubines. But after a year of marriage, with her husband showing no obvious signs of infidelity and her pregnancy under her belt, wouldn't bringing up this topic be a bit of a dampener when the whole family was so happy?
Fortunately, it was her own mother who said this, and she explained it very clearly: "If you don't take action, and wait for your son-in-law to bring people to ask you to give Foxy Zi a name? You are stupid!" She gently poked her daughter's forehead, "You picked her, and she is easy to use. She can't rebel. What is the purpose of the maid we picked for you as a dowry? Why do you have to choose a family with children? Don't you think about it!"
Wen Du was convinced. The wife sighed, "Do you feel bad? Every woman has to go through this. You should take good care of your little brother. It will be much more helpful than being jealous." Wen Du murmured, "He... isn't that bad?" The dear wife patted her daughter's hand and said, "Your son-in-law is a good man. Of course we know that. Otherwise, you wouldn't have married into our family. But you can't control him too much. You have your parents-in-law above you, your brother-in-law and sister-in-law below you, and a family of maids and servants looking after you. Reputation, reputation is important."
Finally, Wen Du was persuaded by her mother. The next day, she dressed up the maid Rong'er and gave her to Fu Dali when he returned that evening. Fu Dali was a little nervous, a little proud, a little embarrassed, and even a little apologetic to his wife: "What are you doing?"
Wen Du was jealous, but she had to be polite. Fu Dali, though not completely unwilling, had to consider his wife's face, so he spent the whole night being polite. The husband said, "I'm not that kind of person. Relax and take good care of the baby. You are the most important."
My wife said, "I'm not that kind of person. Relax and have more children for the family. That's the most important thing."
After nagging back and forth, Wendu finally said, "You'd better rest first. You still have work to do tomorrow."
Fu Dali's words were stuck in his throat and he nodded in frustration: "Tell them to fetch water and wash their faces."
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After two days, Wen Du finally came to her senses. While her husband's words were righteous and righteous, he wasn't some virtuous and loyal husband. If her wife hadn't spoken to her, she would have likely assumed he was a good man, out of a desire to avoid sharing his story. But now, after hearing her list of reasons, the most important one was, "My son-in-law has his elders, too. You're pregnant and can't attend to them. If they reward one or two people, that's understandable. By then, it'll be too late for you to intervene."
The person given by the elders is more important than the one found by Fu Dali himself. You should look at the owner before beating the dog. Instead of waiting for the mother-in-law to speak, why not let your husband take your maid into his room?
Xiluotai was also considering this issue. She certainly didn't want to mistreat her son, but as a self-proclaimed reasonable mother-in-law, she felt it was important to give her pregnant daughter-in-law some face. The Shi family was a wealthy family, and the strife between the mother-in-law and the daughter-in-law was too embarrassing! So she had to give her daughter-in-law some time to think things over. If things didn't work out, she could just give her some side-talk.
It just so happened that the eldest maidservant in Xiluotai's household had reached the age of marriage. The servants in this household were more humane than those in the imperial palace. They could marry in their twenties, either at the master's discretion or through their parents' decision if the master was in a good mood, so they could continue to be employed and reproduce. Furthermore, there were maids in the daughter's and younger son's rooms who were of suitable age. There were plenty of girls of suitable age, and when they were chosen, they had chosen those with good personalities. Any one of them would be a good match for the eldest son.
Having made up her mind, Xiluotai held the maids in her hands and began to observe her daughter-in-law. After hearing from someone in her son's courtyard that her daughter-in-law was interested and that her son had declined, she expressed satisfaction with her son's performance. Her daughter-in-law's approach was reasonable, but she wanted to give her a push, so she suggested hinting at some things.
Shujia was shocked to discover that her father had taken on another concubine—Xiluotai had given Ah Fu to Shi Wenbing. Ah Fu's attire hadn't changed much; she'd been a high-ranking concubine to begin with, and now she wasn't a proper concubine, just a maid. Xiluotai sent someone to notify Shujia, but Xia Xi, who had relatives working for Xiluotai, got the early news. Shujia had prepared two purses as a reward.
After the aunts' reminders and training, Shujia is now very calm. No matter what's going on in her heart, it really doesn't show on her face. She let out a deep breath. What a bastard world! Chunxi handed the purse to Ah Fu: "Congratulations."
Ah Fu took it with both hands, saying, "I dare not." She was old enough to marry, but if she had children, she could marry a servant or a commoner. Compared to being a concubine, it was hard to say whether it was better or worse. How could a girl not have some romantic feelings? When faced with reality, all her heart would be broken.
Shujia caught a glimpse of her mother's smiling eyes and her heart shuddered.
Wen Dushi hesitated for two days, listened to her husband's sweet talk for two days, and finally realized that her husband was not completely unmoved, but was just giving her face. Gritting her teeth, she ran to her mother-in-law to ask, "Mother, do you think this girl is suitable?"
What didn't Xiluo not understand? Well, it was okay for a personal maid to give it to her. It was nothing, she agreed, and comforted Wendu with a few words: "Good girl, I'll do as you say. From now on, you don't have to tell me everything about your courtyard. How have you been these past few days? Do you have enough bird's nest? Your grandmother sent over half a pound of bird's nest the other day, saying it was top-grade blood bird's nest. Take it back and stew it later."
Wendu was filled with mixed feelings.
The next day, Rong'er, led by Wendu's nanny, came to kowtow to Shujia. Xia Xi from Shujia's courtyard got the news before them and came to report it first.
It was November, and the family had already begun preparing for the Lunar New Year. With Wendu pregnant, Xiluo's only helper was Shujia. Wanting to give her daughter some training, Xiluo transferred some responsibilities to her, temporarily removing Guanyinbao from her care. Every morning, Shujia would spend half an hour giving him some elementary lessons, then let him study on his own. After the Lunar New Year, she would hire a teacher for him.
Shujia was checking the items to be distributed to the servants of the mansion for this year's Lunar New Year: red envelopes, clothes, rice, meat, and wine, how much for first-class and second-class, and how much allowance for children not yet employed. The aunts were sewing lace nearby. They were skilled and knew many patterns. Their fingers flew across the colored thread, and in no time, a beautiful lace was completed. Shujia wanted to scratch out all the holes and lock them away at the bottom of a box for safekeeping.
Xia Xi had an aunt living in the Xiluo family's courtyard, and Rong'er had to come in order to kowtow. When she was at Xiluo family's, Xia Xi got the news. She grabbed a handful of copper coins and gave them to the old woman who came running. The old woman left happily. Xia Xi said to Shujia, "Miss, Rong'er from the master's place is here."
Shujia put down her pen, her accounts almost complete. Hongxiu fetched water for her to wash her hands. Shujia said to Chunxi, "Open the box and take out two purses. They're ten percent less than Ah Fu's." Her private money had originally been managed by the maids, and she, a small family, had no money at all. Later, when the maids retired, the things they handed over never came to her.
Shujia wanted to take the opportunity to get all the keys in her hands, and asked Xiluo Te: "Mother, the maids have gone home. The things in the room are not checked. The aunts are responsible for teaching the rules, so they are not allowed to work hard. Aren't Chunxi and Xiaxi going to be sent out? The maids are all young..." Should I take them myself? Anyway, I am good at math!
However, Xiluo Te's advice to her was, "How can the master of the house hang keys on his body?!" It was too embarrassing. "There are both internal and external accountants in the house, and you can't find anyone in your room? Doesn't Qingjin know how to do it? You can leave it to her. How about this: divide the things into two categories, and each of the people in your room can take one. It's perfect, you can count with them, so you have a better idea."
Chunxi and Xiaxi were old enough and knew what to do, so they didn't argue. Qingjin was now in charge of the money. Shujia, believing the two were the most senior and devoted to her, handed the money to them, hoping to find someone else after they left. Only clothes and jewelry were needed every day, and she couldn't let them make things difficult for her, so Zishang took over.
The purse was turned out, and the people arrived. The nanny came in first to report to Shujia: "Miss, our grandmother asked Rong'er to come and kowtow to you. Grandma asked for your forgiveness. She dared not move now and will come to see you in person in two days." Shujia knew that Wendu was taking care of the pregnancy, and the first few months were a relatively dangerous time, so she naturally agreed that she should rest.
She raised her hand and said, "Please sit down, Madam. How is my sister-in-law? I'll go see her later." As she spoke, a maid from the courtyard brought a footstool for Madam to sit on. Madam took her seat. Lu Ru had already gone to fetch the mat.
Rong'er kowtowed to Shujia, who leaned sideways. Aunt Zheng said, "Reward." Rong'er took the purse and also sat down. Shujia didn't know her well, so she didn't know what to say. What should she ask her? A "newlywed" speech? Is my brother good to you? Did my sister-in-law do anything to you?
All they could say was some polite words: "We are truly a family from now on. Live a good life with the master and the grandmother." Rong'er also understood and agreed honestly. The nanny was not stupid either: "Young lady, you have always worked hard, and we dare not disturb you too much. You also need to meet the aunts and grandmothers."
The nature of their work is the same, but their seniority is different, so it would be better to go and meet them.
"Madam Li has been ill since the beginning of winter. Don't bother her any more," Shujia finally instructed. "It would be better to see the other two concubines."
The nanny said, "We can save ourselves the trouble. The eldest lady is pregnant now, and we dare not visit the patient carelessly. It would be a sin to make her sick."
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Dad taking a concubine and brother taking a concubine are two completely different realms. Shujia wished Shi Wenbing's concubine would disappear. No matter how she came, she would not like it.
As for Fu Dali's concubine, she certainly disapproved, though her dislike was clearly less pronounced than the former. The concubine's existence only diluted her own resources. What did my brother's concubine have to do with me? There wasn't a conflict of interest, only a psychological rift. No matter how unhappy she was, she still had to consider her brother's opinion. People are biased.
It wasn't too bad, so Shujia put down her work and prepared to go out for a walk. She'd go see her sister-in-law first.
Wendu was lying on a beauty couch, the room was warm. When Shujia came in, she didn't dare to be arrogant. She stood up and watched the maids take off Shujia's outer coat and let her sit down. Shujia said, "I came to see my sister-in-law. Don't move."
She didn't look pregnant at all. That's right, how big is she? It would take at least three or four months to see the pregnancy. She glanced at her with a little curiosity. She had always been in awe of pregnant women. Wendu was not in a good mood to begin with, and Shujia's curiosity made her forget her worries and a little shyness: "Girl, what are you looking at? Bring the fruit to me."
Wen Dushi didn't look like she was worried at all, and Shujia felt relieved. It was hard to directly bring up the fact that her brother was a jerk. Even if you did, Wen Dushi wouldn't be able to respond—you're siblings, how could she dare say anything that might even suggest jealousy in front of you? She'd have to say, "I can't serve you, so of course I have to think about you. What are you saying, young lady?" And that would be a minor annoyance.
Shujia simply told a funny story: "I went to our nanny's house. The other day I had nothing to do, so I went to see her. I happened to see her talking to her little grandson. Her grandson had lost a tooth, and he asked her why. She said that children's teeth fall out when they are disobedient, so my brother must be obedient."
Wen Dushi smiled and said, "This is to coax the child."
Shujia said: "There are more later. The boy asked her, you also lost a tooth before..."
Before she could finish her words, Wen Du's face had already turned red.
These days, women’s happiness is really simple, or rather, there are few things that can make them happy, so they are particularly easy to satisfy with just a little bit of something.
Shujia had actually found time to visit her wet nurse these past two days. She was currently in charge of things, and would be increasingly busy going forward, especially before and after the New Year, when Xiluo Te would have to go to the palace to pay her respects. She wouldn't have much time to look after the house. While it wasn't too chaotic, the increasing population was a nuisance. She'd just have to go out and take a look early.
After leaving Wendu's place, she went to Wuya Ma's house. It was quite far away, and the Shi family servants' quarters couldn't be in the prime location of the mansion; they were all in the corners. Chunxi wanted to call for a carriage, but Shujia said, "No problem, I'll walk there." Chunxi disagreed, "Young lady, you're wearing a flower pot bottom, it's too heavy, and it will be slow to walk. There are other things to do when you get back."
Hiding the carriage and waiting for it took quite a while. When they arrived at Wuya Ma's place, she was bored and nagging the little girl for killing time: "How do you work? You have to wash your hands before serving the fruit. You just touched the feather duster, it's covered in dust..."
From a distance, Xia Xi said, "Mammy, why are you so talkative now that you're home? If you have anything to say, please keep it to yourself. When the young lady comes, talk to her more."
Aunt Wuya was extremely happy and welcomed Shujia into the room and asked her to take a seat. "Why are you here, young lady? I heard that the eldest lady was pregnant, but I didn't go to see her. I'm really old and unlucky." Shujia said, "She was pregnant. I just saw her. If I saw her, it was Aunt Wu who saw her."
Aunt Wuya began to ramble. Although she was retired, she was well-informed. "Grandmother is a virtuous woman. I heard that she gave the maid she came with as a dowry to the master. Girl, you are almost grown up, so learn from her. Grandmother is doing a good job and is a smart person..."
Shujia's heart was already stirring, but she still had a smile on her face as she spoke to Aunt Wuya: "Smart?" Aunt Wuya was in high spirits. Since she had raised the child herself, she said in Manchu: "Isn't she smart? She didn't take the initiative, but waited for the master to bring someone over to her? Or waited for the mistress to reward her?"
Shujia was initially a bit annoyed. What woman, especially before she was even married, would be told, "You need to prepare a concubine for your husband, who hasn't even met her yet?" How could she be happy? Aunt Wuya was her nanny, and they had a good relationship, so she put up with it.
When Aunt Wuya switched to Manchu, she suddenly felt a pang of apprehension. This was a reminder of confidentiality. Shujia was stunned. "Auntie, let me think about it," she said. She was so absorbed in analyzing others that she completely forgot she had to go through this herself.
"Oh, that's right. The girl is getting older and she will have good fortune in the future."
After Shujia's time travel, she had many taboos she didn't like anyone mentioning. Setting aside past ones, the word she hated the most was "fate." But it was Aunt Wuya who spoke, and the old woman seemed to have reminded her of something. She took Aunt Wuya's words more seriously, making a note of them and thinking about them later.
Back in the house, Aunt Zhou whispered, "This nanny is not simple. She is doing this for the young lady's own good. You should think about it yourself." Shujia burst into tears. Having stayed in the Qing Palace for such a long time, these aunts might not speak Manchu well, but they were definitely familiar with it.
Aunt Wu explained, "The eunuchs in the palace are all Han Chinese, but the maids are chosen from among the common people. Some of the bondservants are also Manchus, and some of them can speak Mandarin. We also learned a few words in our spare time, but we're not very good at it."
Shujia bit into her apple and thought, "No, no, no, if this goes on, sooner or later I'll be like Wendu. It's not just about swallowing my pride, it's about showing my face and letting others slap me! You can't not have children (that would be tragic). If you do have children, you have to get pregnant, you have to make your husband wait, and you have to...get him a concubine!"
She still can't accept it! We have to find a way...
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