Unexpectedly, Liu Miantang replied seriously, “I still have some money left from my dowry. I’ve been thinking of buying a small courtyard these past few days—a simple, modest place, just enough to live in. If you feel you can’t tolerate me, I can go live there… It’ll save you from smashing bowls. Though our family sells porcelain, at this rate, we won’t have enough stock to sell.”
Cui Xingzhou was displeased by this. This woman was too headstrong! He had only smashed one bowl, and she was already thinking of buying a house and leaving. With such a temperament, how could she maintain a long-term relationship with anyone?
However, remembering her past abduction to the mountains and lack of experience as a proper wife, he felt he needed to teach her, and thus found some patience. Cui Jiu frowned and said, “Which married couple doesn’t argue? Look at the households on North Street—which one is always peaceful? If everyone followed your example, buying a house whenever they had extra money, there wouldn’t be enough houses in Lingquan Town to sell, and property prices would skyrocket.”
He hadn’t been exposed to mundane matters before and didn’t fully understand marital dynamics. But after living on North Street for a while, he had witnessed the tumultuous relationships in each household. Those ordinary couples were unbearably vulgar; compared to those men, he was much better.
He had only smashed a bowl—was that such a big deal?
Miantang found his words reasonable but had previously believed their household would be above such common squabbles. Realizing they weren’t immune, her eyes reddened again as she said, “In other households, women argue confidently, feeling justified. But before you, my lord, I always fall short by three parts of reason. How can I argue with any satisfaction?”
Cui Xingzhou raised an eyebrow and said, “Nonsense! Would buying a house allow you to argue more satisfactorily?”
Miantang thought seriously and replied, “Not satisfactorily, but it would allow us each to take a step back, without either having to compromise…”
Seeing her earnest expression with clear, wide eyes, Cui Xingzhou felt like smashing another bowl. He said irritably, “In the future, refrain from discussing local officials with the likes of He Zhen, and I won’t smash bowls or scold you, forcing you to use your dowry to buy a house!”
Miantang had spent the night wondering why her husband was angry, never imagining that her criticism of the Prince of Huaiyang was the root cause. She stared at Cui Jiu in confusion.
Having said this much, Cui Xingzhou had to continue his grand fabrication: “The Prince of Huaiyang has always valued public opinion and has informants everywhere. If your loud criticism of a high-ranking official that day were to reach official ears, wouldn’t it cause discomfort?”
Hearing this, Miantang finally understood why her usually gentle husband had been so angry that day.
Her father and brother had been implicated in a bribery case, partly due to their greed but also because of betrayal by those around them. She had heard that her husband had expended considerable effort and money to help her family, nearly becoming implicated himself, and could no longer intervene.
Once bitten, twice shy—her husband had worried and pleaded with unsavory officials on her behalf. Yet she had been so careless with her words, criticizing the Prince of Zhen Prefecture in their courtyard. She indeed deserved to be scolded!
Recognizing her mistake, Miantang’s demeanor immediately softened, and she began to reflect on her earlier negligence in not properly welcoming her husband.
She bit her lip, abandoning her pretense of writing, and hurried behind the screen to prepare warm water and a towel for her husband to wash his face and change clothes.
Cui Xingzhou hadn’t expected Liu Niangniang to be so easily appeased. A mere show of official authority had immediately dispelled her sullenness.
He accepted the towel, wiped his face, and allowed her to help him change, except for his shoes and socks, into comfortable indoor footwear. His mood lightened considerably.
He was busy at the military camp and couldn’t afford to come to North Street and placate her every time. His initial decision to keep this woman stemmed from her rare compassionate nature and his desire to protect her from falling into the hands of the Yangshan bandits again.
He hoped this little woman would continue to be so understanding, and when she learned the truth in the future, she would appreciate his life-saving kindness and care…
Miantang now understood that a married couple was like lips and teeth—how could they not clash at times? As long as her husband wasn’t smashing bowls and cursing in the street out of disdain for her, other issues could be resolved through communication.
However, her husband still seemed somewhat displeased, glancing at the table and asking why she wasn’t using the calligraphy copybook he had given her.
Miantang couldn’t admit that she had been sulking earlier and feared losing face by using her husband’s writing. So she sat close to Cui Jiu, pretending to measure his shoulder width while saying, “The copybook you wrote in your precious free time is so valuable! I couldn’t bear to use it. I thought I’d practice with the one Bicao bought from the shop, and once my handwriting improves, I’ll copy your beautiful characters.”
Cui Xingzhou found Liu Niangniang amusing. She had criticized others for flattering him too blatantly, yet her flattery was even more obvious and fawning.
He listened absent-mindedly, distracted by the hand wandering over his shoulder. He grabbed her delicate wrist, pulled her into his embrace, and asked softly, “After writing for so long, does your wrist hurt?”
Miantang, now close to him, looked at his ink-black eyebrows and eyes, her face flushing and heart racing. She nestled obediently in his arms and said, “It’s a bit sore…”
Cui Xingzhou gazed at her shy, wide eyes and blushing cheeks, suddenly feeling frustrated. He wondered when the Yangshan situation would finally be resolved. Then, he could be open with the young woman and officially make her his, allowing them to do more things together…
Cui Xingzhou’s thoughts began to wander into indescribable territory, momentarily losing focus. However, Miantang still had another concern on her mind. She sniffled and asked, “Husband, is the sound of my drinking soup really that loud?”
Cui Xingzhou massaged her wrist to ease the pain, feeling obliged to return her flattery by praising her “lady-like and elegant dining manners.”
For the time being, the discord in the North Street residence was resolved, transforming into tender affection between the couple.
Outside the room, Mama Li held her breath, waiting for the sounds of an argument. She was surprised that the prince, initially angered by the inconsiderate young woman and ready to leave, had somehow stayed. After returning to the room in a huff and exchanging a few words, they fell silent.
When the couple emerged, it was nearly dinnertime. The prince… was holding Liu Niangniang’s hand as they left the room. Liu Niangniang gazed at the prince lovingly, no longer appearing angry.
Mama Li wondered what method the prince had used to appease her, as the scene resembled the saying “fight at the head of the bed, makeup at the foot.”
Shaking her head, Mama Li vigorously waved her spatula. She felt she was overthinking things—Liu Niangniang and the prince… that couldn’t be a perfect match. She decided to add another scroll of scriptures to her altar tomorrow, accumulating merit for herself while also praying for some blessings for Liu Niangniang!
Meanwhile, the He family’s third Miss, who had been busy socializing recently and rarely seen, had now become idle but no longer visited Zhen Prefecture for tea.
Perhaps she had grown too accustomed to the high-society tea circles, and the sudden lack of invitations left her feeling unsettled. As a result, He Zhen fell ill.
When Miantang received the news, she delayed visiting for a while. The He family had many connections, and as He San Niangniang managed the household for He Er Ye, there would be no shortage of visitors. She decided not to join the crowd immediately.
However, as the He family was a prominent force in Lingquan Town, Miantang couldn’t avoid paying a social call entirely.
So, on a clear early autumn day, she packed two bags of fruits and asked Mama Li to choose an appropriate ginseng from the large box of supplements her husband had bought. She placed it in a brocade box and set out to visit the patient.
He Zhen’s illness had surprisingly lasted over ten days. When Miantang entered the inner chamber to see her, she was startled. The once healthy young lady had lost so much weight that her jade bracelet was barely clinging to her wrist.
He San Niangniang greeted Miantang with a kind expression. After chatting briefly about brewing ginseng for health and other nourishing topics, they ran out of things to say.
Feeling the awkward silence in the room, Miantang made an excuse to leave. However, He Zhen sighed deeply and began to pour out her troubles to Miantang.
“Mrs. Cui, I know you have a perceptive heart and understand the situation. So I can only confide in you about this matter.”
Somehow, she had taken a liking to Liu Miantang, feeling she was someone who could be trusted with her concerns. She began to tell Liu Niangniang about her recent frustrations, unable to share them with others.
“I don’t know why, but Miss Lian has become upset with me. She no longer replies to my letters or invites me over. It’s as if all those things she said to me earlier were just a dream.”
Perhaps fearing that Miantang might think her previous boasting was false, He Zhen even produced the private letters Miss Lian had written to her earlier.
Miantang unfolded the fragrant letter paper and saw that Miss Lian must be a talented lady, with such beautiful handwriting.
Examining the content, it indeed expressed great admiration for He Zhen, with a closeness that seemed like long-lost sisters.
Miantang skimmed through the letter, mindful of her husband’s warning not to carelessly discuss the family members of high-ranking officials.
She smiled slightly and said, “Miss He, for you to have gained Miss Lian’s favor is truly a blessing cultivated over several lifetimes. Others are envious. However, Miss Lian is about to get married and must have many things to attend to. Normally, she can’t spare the energy to continue corresponding and socializing with you. We merchant families should maintain a proper distance when interacting with official families, neither too humble nor too proud. Miss He, why worry so much?”