Chapter 52 A family of relatives and blood, all from the heart…
Cai Xiang nodded in agreement. After a moment, she asked again, "But Granny Wei also knows that the eldest and second masters have a grudge against the Shi family, so why did she rush up to stand up for them? She's not stupid."
Shanhe smiled: "Yes, Granny Wei isn't stupid; she has a long-term vision. Just look at how many relatives the eldest and second masters can still maintain contact with these days?"
Cai Ping chimed in, "I know that. Over the years, during holidays, it's not just Second Master, Fourth Aunt, and Fifth Aunt who I visit! There are also some who live further away, with several turns in between, so we don't usually see them much."
"That's right. The Second Master is the Old Master's half-brother. Although the Fourth and Fifth Aunts are also the Old Master's sisters, they are married-out daughters, so by the time of the First and Second Masters, they are not really close. The closest relatives to the First and Second Masters are actually the Shi family. The Uncle is, after all, the Madam's own brother, and the two masters' maternal uncle. He's not as close as those distant cousins from the Liang family." Shanhe picked up her teacup and took a sip. "Therefore, restoring the old relationship is imperative. Now, all that's missing is someone to make an opening so that one side can take the initiative to soften their stance and repair the relationship. The First Master is feeling uncomfortable right now, but he still brought them in. In fact, he knows in his heart that once they arrive in the capital, relying solely on Elder Ouyang won't be enough. Elder Ouyang also has his own children and grandchildren, but the Shi family is blood relatives."
Cai Xiang couldn't help but sigh, "Yes, Granny Wei is putting on a bad face right now, making the master unhappy, but in the long run, she's actually pleasing both sides."
Caught in the middle, Cai Ping was completely overwhelmed. She looked helplessly at Shan He and said, "So, even if Master punishes her, it's just for show?"
Shanhe nodded.
Cai Ping bit her lip: "Won't she become more and more arrogant in the future!"
As they chatted, Miao'er came to call for help to get Qingyue off the boat. Shanhe quickly led Ercai over, and several maids helped Qingyue off the boat. Once ashore, they realized that the Shi family had brought quite a few people this time; there were four carriages alone, not to mention the servants. As Shanhe was wondering about this, Granny Wei stood beside her, coldly saying, "This is the atmosphere under the Emperor's nose, in the capital."
Shanhe didn't look away, but just smiled and said, "No wonder everyone says that Granny is very knowledgeable."
Granny Wei was now very hesitant to listen to Xue Shanhe's kind words, fearing that she might be hiding something. She gave a reply and went to instruct the servants to move the items.
Watching her busy figure, Shanhe inwardly sighed, admiring Wei Mama's competence and the peace of mind she could entrust tasks to her. At the same time, she thought about the maids and servants Liang Ye had brought. Initially, she had been puzzled by the large number of people, even suspecting it was to better control her. Now, she realized he probably already intended to establish his own household and make a grand display. He was indeed a cunning and scheming man, always thinking three steps ahead. He wanted to establish himself in the capital, find a way to win her over, and keep it a secret from A Shao; he must have done many other things along the way. A man like him deserved a bright future.
Thinking of this, Shanhe couldn't help but gaze deeply at Kyoto again. The world was at peace, the streets bustling, and the population thriving. Stepping onto this land, it felt as if life held many promises and hope. No wonder people said they went to Kyoto to pursue fame and fortune; staying here truly gave him a refreshing feeling, a feeling he had never experienced in Mizhou, Kangzhou, or even Jinling.
She secretly prayed in her heart that the prosperous national fortune lingering in Kyoto would also extend its blessings to her, and that she could then successfully break free from this cage.
After boarding the carriage, they traveled for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn before turning into a quiet street. The carriage gradually slowed down and finally came to a stop at the second gate, whereupon everyone disembarked. Liang Ye and Shi Yuanji, having ridden on horseback, had already parted ways with the women, and even the servants were nowhere to be seen. After getting off the carriage, Madam Zhou immediately assigned people to carry the luggage and began preparing for the evening's family banquet. Shanhe, Granny Wei, and others, led by a stewardess accompanying Madam Zhou, carried their bundles and walked to Cangfengzhai.
This Cangfengzhai was the former residence of the Shi family's matriarch, located right next to the Shi family's back garden, separated only by a wall. Since the matriarch's passing, the residence has been vacant for eight or nine years. When the Liang family came to live with them, due to the short preparation time, the other empty courtyards in the mansion were either too cramped, too old, or located deep in the garden, too close to the young ladies' quarters. After much deliberation, Cangfengzhai was finally chosen as their place.
Granny Wei assigned rooms to everyone: Caixiang and Caiping were in one room; Miao'er, who needed to take care of Qingyue, also shared a room; He Niang shared a room with another maid... This arrangement was quite appropriate for everyone, except for Shanhe's room, which made her hesitate and unsure. Shanhe then said, "I already informed the master on the boat, and I will share a room with Qingyue and the others." Granny Wei was naturally pleased to hear this, and the arrangement of their rooms was thus settled.
They were busy until dusk, when everything was finally put away. But Liang Ye still hadn't returned.
As dusk settled, Cheng Min and the others returned carrying food boxes. Granny Wei immediately inquired about Liang Ye's whereabouts. Cheng Min smiled and said, "So busy! As soon as we arrived, I went with my cousin to pay respects to my uncle. After that, I rushed to see my concubine, and then immediately went to apologize at the residence of Attendant-in-Ordinary Ouyang on Xuanwu Street. My uncle and cousin went with me. I just got back home, and the family banquet has already begun. I didn't even have time to change my clothes."
Hearing how busy Liang Ye was, Granny Wei frowned with heartache: "You're so busy! You probably didn't even have a proper lunch."
Cheng Min laughed and said, "Lunch was at my concubine's residence."
Granny Wei sighed, "That's fine then."
Just then, Caiping was standing nearby distributing dinner to the various rooms. Upon hearing the words "concubine," she couldn't help but interject, "Concubine? Which concubine?"
Cheng Min laughed and said, "Who else could it be? It's naturally our lady's eldest sister, the one from the Meng family of the Marquis of Wenyang."
Caiping was about to ask another question, but Granny Wei interrupted her, "Alright! Alright! Everyone has eaten quickly, so let's tidy things up and get some rest. Caiping, the master will definitely need to take a bath when he gets back, so the hot water should be heated." She paused slightly, "Never mind, Caixiang, you can go and arrange it. You go and tidy up your things as usual."
Upon hearing this, Cai Ping immediately raised her eyes and sneered, "That's right, Cai Xiang is the only one in our house who is truly sensible. The hot water that others boiled is probably poisoned!" After saying that, she turned around and went back to her room to have her meal.
Granny Wei was clearly used to her temperament. She glanced at Caiping's back and stood behind her, saying, "Of course! Just to talk about one thing, Caixiang never speaks with a hidden barb!"
Miao'er, who had been eavesdropping through a crack in the window, couldn't help but chuckle upon hearing this. She turned around to face Shanhe, who was setting the table, and suddenly raised her voice, saying in a clear, crisp voice, "Oh! My wife is so biased! She's giving Qingyue the best meat and vegetables, but I only have so little in my bowl! It must be because Qingyue is so considerate and thoughtful that my wife has become biased."
Shanhe was serving dishes when she heard this and frowned almost imperceptibly. She looked up and glared at Miao'er, but saw a sly glint in her eyes. She knew Miao'er was deliberately trying to provoke Granny Wei, so she said gently, "You're too sharp-tongued, I can't help but be biased. I'm a few years older than you, and I'm getting on in years, so I can't be as quick-witted and eloquent as you. I can't keep up with you either. If I don't win Qingyue over soon, you'll surpass me sooner or later."
Cheng Min, who was listening clearly from outside, couldn't help but curl the corners of her lips. She looked up and saw that Granny Wei's eyes and nose were not what they seemed, so she gave her a slight bow and went out to have her meal with Cheng An and the others.
Miao'er happily sat back down, while Qingyue looked at Shanhe and Miao'er with concern and said, "Madam, will this upset Granny Wei?"
Shanhe scooped up a spoonful of rice, topped with meat and vegetables, and brought it to Qingyue's lips: "What are you afraid of? She doesn't think about others when she speaks and acts, so it's no wonder everyone dislikes her."
Qingyue sighed and didn't mention it again while eating.
Miao'er, sitting to the side, couldn't help but ask, "Who is the 'concubine' that Brother Chengmin just mentioned? I've never heard of her before?"
Qingyue also looked at Shanhe with a puzzled expression.
Shanhe then said, “I heard this from the old man when he was still alive. The mother of the two gentlemen, the one who died young, was born to the same mother as the maternal uncle and the concubine. However, the mother was born to the second wife, while the maternal uncle and the concubine were born to the first wife and were several years older than the mother. Therefore, they were not as close as the brothers and sisters who were of the same father and mother and were of similar age.”
"Later, when the concubine got married, the lady was only about ten years old, so there were even fewer opportunities to meet. Moreover, the concubine's husband's family was the Wenyang Earl's Mansion, a noble family with a certain arrogance. They always expected their relatives to curry favor with them and were unwilling to take the initiative to make connections with those below them. Unfortunately, due to the epidemic in Hailing County, the master and lady died young. The old master was also an elder, and it was unreasonable for an elder to fawn over a junior. As a result, the kinship became even more distant."
Miao'er frowned: "We're all family, yet you still have so many worries. Aren't you tired of it?"
Shanhe nodded: "It was out of arrogance before, but now it's out of necessity."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Five or six years ago, the eldest daughter of the concubine, Miss Meng, entered the palace. Three years later, she gave birth to a princess, and now she seems to be a Consort Zhaoyi. The Meng family is now considered to be related to the imperial family, so it is not good to get too close to relatives, for fear that if they make a mistake, they will be accused of interfering in politics as relatives of the empress. So we have to be careful."
The three of them talked, one after another, slowly piecing together a picture of the Meng family of the Wenyang Marquis's residence. Unfortunately, their time at the Liang family was short, and they had no dealings with the Shi or Meng families. What they were saying now was just snippets from casual conversations in the past. Without concrete information, there was no need to continue, and the conversation quickly turned to Cangfengzhai, where they began to discuss how spacious and comfortable it was. Qingyue, still recovering from her injuries, was lying in bed today and hadn't helped with tidying up. Therefore, she only saw a few rooms, and as she listened to Shanhe and Miao'er's conversation, she occasionally interjected with questions.
As they were clearing away the dishes, there was a knock on the door. The three of them turned around in surprise and saw a woman standing behind the door frame. It was none other than Granny Sheng, the head maid who had led them to Cangfengzhai that day and was also Mrs. Zhou's maid.
Madam Sheng asked, "Which one is Miss Shanhe?"
Shanhe slowly stood up, looking flustered, and said, "Mrs. Sheng, it's me. Is there anything I can help you with?"
Madam Sheng looked Shanhe up and down before smiling and saying, "Miss, please change your clothes and come with me to the flower hall."
"The flower hall?" Shanhe frowned. "Isn't a family banquet being held in the flower hall right now?"
Granny Sheng came in and looked at Shanhe's hair: "Your hair should be combed again." Then she answered Shanhe's question: "It's a family banquet. Just now, Master Ye told Master and Madam that he has someone in his room, and that is you, Miss. Madam is calling you over now."
Shanhe's heart sank.
Madam Sheng comforted her, "It's alright, the master and mistress just wanted to see you." She turned to Miao'er, who was standing there dumbfounded, and said, "Don't stand there! Hurry up and help your young lady with her washing and dressing. The master and mistress are waiting."
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Author's Note: These two chapters serve as a transition, introducing the characters and setting the stage for the main events to come; the chapter after that is Liang Shao's solo chapter (no scenes with Shan Shan!), I will remind you in the chapter title.
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