When a married young lady returned to her natal family, she naturally had to dress formally and bring seasonal gifts according to custom—it wouldn’t do to arrive empty-handed. Last night, Seventh Miss had instructed Lixia to send word out, having her rouge and powder shops select some premium southern goods. She also chose some air-dried beef and mutton that Xu Fengjia’s friends from the northwest had sent. After paying respects at Leshan Residence and Qingping Garden, Xu Fengjia had already arranged personal attendants to accompany her and prepared the carriage. She then brought the two senior maids Shangyuan and Zhongyuan back to the Yang family—both maids had relatives serving in the Yang household, so whenever there was an opportunity to visit their natal family, she tried to arrange for them to come along.
Though First Master had said that once Ninth Brother and his wife married, he would take the Grand Madam and move back to the imperially-bestowed residence, leaving the large mansion near the Confucian Temple for Ninth Brother and his young wife, Quan Ruiyun had already been married in for over half a year, yet the two elders showed no signs of moving. Naturally, no one would take the initiative to mention this. Seventh Miss entered and went straight to the main courtyard. The Grand Madam and Quan Ruiyun were drinking tea inside. Seeing Seventh Miss, they were naturally delighted.
After the three exchanged greetings, Quan Ruiyun rose to take her leave. “Since Elder Sister has returned today, I should keep you company, but there are still some household matters…”
From her tone, it seemed the Yang family’s household management had already been handed to Quan Ruiyun. Seventh Miss nodded with a smile. “You’re busy!”
The Grand Madam also smiled slightly and instructed Quan Ruiyun, “Since Little Qi has rarely come back, tell Madam Cao to prepare several more dishes that Seventh Miss used to love.”
Quan Ruiyun naturally had no objections. After making her obeisance to the Grand Madam, she lowered her head and withdrew from the room. Though the unique elegance characteristic of Quan family members hadn’t dissipated in her movements, this time when they met, this young matron’s face showed more shrewdness.
When Seventh Miss had last visited, she’d had matters on her mind, and Quan Ruiyun’s natal family had sent someone to fetch her, so they hadn’t been able to meet. Seventh Miss glanced at her sister-in-law’s retreating figure and said to the Grand Madam with a smile, “Though Ruiyun is somewhat older than Ninth Brother, the two of them seem quite well-matched.”
The kind smile on the Grand Madam’s face slowly faded. After a long while, she drank a sip of tea and sighed softly. “She’s already turning twenty this year… Half a year since the wedding, and still not a hint of news from her belly!”
The dissatisfaction in her words was self-evident.
Seventh Miss immediately fell silent and lowered her head to drink her fresh tea.
The Grand Madam looked at Seventh Miss. After a long while, she finally realized—Seventh Miss’s belly also had no news yet.
She couldn’t help feeling somewhat flustered. She glanced at Seventh Miss before covering up with a cough and asking, “Why didn’t you bring Shou’ge and Fu’ge along?”
“It’s already midsummer now—too hot for the journey.” Seventh Miss had no mind to hold a grudge against the Grand Madam. She changed the subject. “When autumn comes, I’ll let the children come see you.”
After the two discussed some idle chat about Fu’ge and Shou’ge, Seventh Miss told the Grand Madam, “I came back this time also because there’s something I want to ask Mother to help with.”
The Grand Madam had already regretted her earlier slip of the tongue. Seventh Miss was so deep in her thoughts that she had probably already offended her. Hearing these words, her heart calmed instead. She said eagerly, “Speak, speak.”
“Before this year’s autumn harvest, our Sixth Branch will finally take over household management.” Seventh Miss sighed. “These past years it’s been Fifth Sister-in-law managing the household… When we take over, we’ll naturally need to go through the accounts. I want to borrow Mother’s connections to hire two accountants from Jiangnan.”
The Grand Madam’s spirits immediately lifted, and even her haggard face gained some radiance.
She questioned Seventh Miss carefully about the circumstances of taking over household management and couldn’t help but praise her. “After all, you’re our Little Qi. Even the strictest mother-in-law probably couldn’t find fault.”
After pondering for a moment, she smiled. “As for accountants, there are some in the capital too. If you ask me, we may not need to go all the way to Jiangnan to find them. I could just write a letter home and have Madam Li handle this matter, but these past years, between our two families…”
She didn’t continue, but Seventh Miss already understood: Lord Li probably still harbored resentment these past years. Ever since First Master’s promotion, he had fully expected the position of Jiangnan Governor-General to naturally and rightfully go to him for advancement. Who knew the governor-general position would remain vacant for several years with no one to fill it, while Lord Li’s term as Jiangsu Provincial Administration Commissioner was nearly up. To trouble him with such a small matter at this time—he probably wouldn’t take it seriously.
Besides, the Grand Madam was after all a woman of the inner chambers with a narrow circle of acquaintances. This matter would still need to be entrusted to First Master.
She sighed.
Since her marriage, half a year had passed without seeing First Master.
Seventh Miss didn’t deny at all that she had intentionally avoided First Master. Toward this shrewd and cold bureaucrat, she harbored an ineffable disgust, yet was powerless to change it. No matter what, he was still her father in this era.
“Father should not have court today either, right?”
The Grand Madam looked completely bewildered but called Lidong to inquire. After a while, she received a report. “Master is resting today and hasn’t risen yet. Word has been sent in that Seventh Miss has returned. Presumably he’ll invite you out to meet shortly.”
Just looking at the Grand Madam’s series of actions, one could see that the relationship between the two elders had grown increasingly distant.
Seventh Miss remained impassive and told the Grand Madam about Grand Secretary Jiao. She also reported on Sixth Miss’s situation. “Everything is fine, and she gets along harmoniously with Her Majesty. It’s just that the Emperor is single-mindedly concerned with state affairs and pays no attention to beauty. Everyone in the palace is quite neglected… Sixth Sister is no exception.”
The Grand Madam immediately let out a cold laugh or two.
“Yes, concerned with state affairs is true, pays no attention to beauty—” She stopped halfway through her words and swallowed them back. “Did your Sixth Sister ask after Seventh Concubine Mother?”
Seventh Miss sighed inwardly.
The Grand Madam had truly lived too long in a superior position, especially before her. She never thought before speaking. Now that their positions had reversed, and she was no longer that concubine-born daughter who had to follow her arrangements in everything, the Grand Madam found it difficult to adjust psychologically. Several of her remarks were rather unpleasant.
“She asked.” She lowered her eyes and answered indifferently with two words, then said nothing more.
Seventh Miss’s attitude had never been this cold before.
The Grand Madam’s heart felt quite uncomfortable too.
Previously, when Seventh Miss had been at her side, even if she unintentionally said a few wrong things, Seventh Miss never took them to heart. She was magnanimous—even more open and frank than Second Miss.
Now that she’d become the Heir Apparent’s wife, she knew to show her displeasure. At the mention of pregnancy matters, her expression turned ugly. Just now, when she’d inadvertently criticized Feng Jin, she actually darkened her face and showed real anger—yet she was a legitimate daughter registered under her name! What relation did she have to the Feng family? Back then, hadn’t she looked down on the Feng family…
She was about to say a few words to needle Seventh Miss, but her expression darkened instead.
Thirty years east of the river, thirty years west—today’s Seventh Miss truly was no longer the same person as before.
The two grandsons were still young. If the maternal grandmother and herself were on bad terms, and with her poor health, who else could she rely on if not this stepmother?
If she truly angered her, with Seventh Miss’s temperament, she would silently go two or three years without letting the little grandsons come to the Yang family to see her. What could she do about it? When under someone’s roof, one must bow one’s head!
When the Grand Madam opened her mouth, her tone was much softer.
“You’ve rarely come back. Don’t rush to leave. After lunch, talk with your father. When Ninth Brother wakes from his afternoon nap, you siblings can chat. After dinner, have Ninth Brother escort you back to the Xu family.”
In the past, when would the Grand Madam have actively encouraged Ninth Brother to grow close with his own sister?
Seventh Miss didn’t press her advantage. She smiled. “Mother still loves me.”
The atmosphere in the room warmed again.
#
First Master indeed didn’t send Nanny Tai to fetch Seventh Miss to the small study until nearly lunchtime.
The new residence had ample space. First Master couldn’t wait and, as in his days at Baifang Garden, arranged an elegant small courtyard for himself in a pine grove. When Seventh Miss entered the room, he was sitting cross-legged on the kang, head lowered as he drank tea.
Not having seen him for a year or two, this handsome middle-aged scholar had aged considerably. Not only were there white hairs at his temples, even his face was covered with a layer of ashen pallor. His vital energy and spirit had visibly declined.