Yuxi is making amends with Huo Changqing after being advised by Momo Quan
Gancao walked in and reported, "Madam, that woman is waiting outside."
Only then did Momo Quan explain Zhang Shi's background to Yuxi. "Zhang Shi is from Quanzhou City. She was born into an official family and was literate and well-educated. However, her family fell into decline, and she eventually married into a merchant family named Qian in Quanzhou City. In the eleventh month of last year, her elder brother took his wife and children back to their maternal home, where they were all killed by bandits. Her parents couldn't bear the blow and passed away soon afterwards. Overwhelmed by grief and carelessness, her child somehow drowned in a pond."
Yuxi asked, "How could the child have drowned when there were wet nurses and maids around?" This incident was clearly fishy.
Momo Quan didn't respond to this question, but said, "Esteemed Master Qian took out his anger on Zhang Shi for their son's death by divorcing her and expelling her from the Qian family. With nothing left to live for, she attempted s**cide by throwing herself into the river. I found her by the riverbank." This act could also be considered as accumulating a share of blessings and virtue.
Yuxi thought Zhang Shi was truly unfortunate. Not only did her entire family perish overnight, but her child was also murdered, and she herself was divorced and expelled. If it were Yuxi, she would want to end it all, too. Sometimes, living was harder than dying.
Zhang Liniang entered the room and knelt. "Greetings, Madam."
Yuxi sized her up carefully. It was a pity that Zhang Liniang was now so thin that she was almost unrecognisable. Yuxi wondered how Zhang Liniang had managed to survive the journey from Quanzhou to Yu City. She said calmly, "Get up." After Zhang Liniang stood up, Yuxi asked, "What are you good at?"
Zhang Liniang replied softly, "I can do bookkeeping and needlework." She had never thought that the things she once did just to pass the time would now become her livelihood.
Yuxi hummed in response. "It just so happens that I don't have anyone skilled in needlework around me. Would you be willing to take this job?" Seeing that Zhang Liniang was about to thank her, Yuxi added, "If you want to stay by my side as a servant, you must sign a death contract1." Not even someone brought by Momo Quan could be an exception.
Zhang Liniang naturally had no objections and nodded. "Alright." Having already been trampled into the dust, how could she still have the luxury of choosing?
After Zhang Liniang left, Momo Quan told Yuxi, "Zhang Shi has a good temperament and is skilled in many areas. It was only because the blow was so severe that she tried to take her own life. Once I have trained her properly, she can become your right-hand woman." Yuxi had too few useful people around her, and Zhang Shi happened to have nowhere else to go. Moreover, as she had no family or children, there was no risk of her betraying Yuxi.
Yuxi felt somewhat guilty. "Momo, you're already at such an old age, yet you still have to toil for me?" She had originally intended for Momo to enjoy her twilight years in peace.
Momo Quan smiled. "I always thought I wanted a peaceful and tranquil old age. But now I realise that having nothing to do is actually frightening. Keeping busy keeps the spirit alive instead."
While they were talking, Mama Lan came over, holding Liu-er. Liu-er looked at Momo Quan and smiled sweetly, melting her heart.
Mama Lan laughed, saying, "Momo, Second Miss rarely smiles, but she seems so happy to see you. She must really like you." But Liu-er was not even three months old — what could she possibly know? It was just a coincidence.
Hearing this, Momo Quan's smile deepened. "Second Miss is very pretty, but she's just a little too frail." Liu-er had delicate features and fair skin. When she grew up, she would undoubtedly be a great beauty. A woman with good looks is born with an advantage.
Yuxi's expression darkened upon hearing this, as she explained, "Liu-er was born prematurely. Her digestion is weak, and even now, she still vomits milk quite badly."
Momo Quan gently stroked Liu-er's little face and softly said, "There's no rush. A weak stomach and intestines just need time to recover. It will get better."
Mama Lan had worked for the Duke's household for a long time; how could she not know about Momo Quan's skills? Since Momo Quan said they could be nursed back to health, then it would be fine. Overjoyed, Mama Lan wept, saying, "That's good, that's good." For Liu-er's sake, Mama Lan had been eating poorly and sleeping restlessly for months, which had truly exhausted her energy and drained her thoughts2, yet she was still worried that Liu-er's health wouldn't hold up.
Momo Quan turned to Yuxi and said, "Your body has also become severely weakened. You must recuperate carefully, or it will leave you with lasting ailments."
Yuxi quickly replied, "I've been soaking in medicinal baths and eating medicinal meals recently, and I feel much better now. But now that Momo's here, I'll recover even faster." However, every time she ate her own medicinal concoctions, Yuxi felt as if she were 'alive but not dead3'.
Looking at Yuxi's expression of utter relief, Momo Quan reprimanded her: "Back then, I told you to use your heart and your intention4 on studying pharmacology, but you refused. How could you ever hope to master it when you used your heart in several ways5? Now you're suffering, and it's only what you deserve." Momo Quan taught Yuxi without holding anything back, but Yuxi wanted to study too many things. In the end, she only learned a bit of fur and skin6 of pharmacology. The medicinal meals she made were effective, but they caused unbearable suffering to those who ate them.
Yuxi wasn't angry at the scolding. Still smiling, she said, "Back then, I just wanted to learn more skills to have something to rely on, just in case. Who would've thought..." If she hadn't married Yun Qing, her knowledge would have sufficed. But man proposes, heaven disposes7. Had she known she would suffer so much, she would have abandoned things like painting and focused solely on pharmacology.
Momo Quan told Yuxi, "Stretch out your hand, I'll take your pulse." Throughout her life, Momo Quan had only ever taken this one female disciple, yet this one caused more trouble than if she had taken in ten others. She had no choice but to go through with it; the more one tried to save effort, the more trouble arose.
After taking her pulse, Momo Quan asked Yuxi several questions. After listening to her answers, she pondered briefly before saying, "In the afternoon, have the physician who's been treating you come over."
Yuxi nodded and agreed.
During lunch, when Momo Quan saw the table covered in dishes, she reminded, "I'll let it go this time, but don't be so wasteful again." There were twelve dishes on the table, with only two people and a little Zaozao to eat them—how could they possibly finish it all? It was pure wastefulness.
Yuxi smiled. "Mama Bai has learnt to make quite a few northwestern dishes that taste pretty good. In the future, if you want to try anything new, just ask her to make it."
Looking at the plate of marinated meat in baked bread📹腊汁肉夹馍 (là zhī ròu jiá mó), Momo Quan said with a chuckle, "I've lived in the capital for over twenty years. If I want to eat something, it'll be capital cuisine." She used to crave saozi noodles📹 (臊子面 (sàozi miàn): a type of Shaanxi noodle dish with minced meat topping) and oil-splashed noodles📹 (油泼面 (yóu pō miàn): noodles with hot oil poured over chilli and seasonings), but that was just a passing yearning. If she ate them every day, her body wouldn't be able to take it.
After lunch, Momo Quan went to rest. She had been on the road constantly these past days and was utterly exhausted. Fortunately, Momo Quan was originally from Shaanxi and spoke the local dialect; otherwise, it would have been uncertain whether she could safely reach Yu City.
Yuxi got busy again in the afternoon.
At the beginning of shenshi8, Gancao hurried over and told Yuxi, "Madam, the Old Master has returned." All external affairs were currently handled by Huo Changqing, who was extremely busy, leaving early and returning late every day.
Huo Changqing was very surprised to see Yuxi. Ever since they had parted on bad terms last time, they hadn't spoken privately again. Any matters had been relayed through Xu Wu.
Looking ashamed, Yuxi expressed, "Uncle Huo, I'm sorry." She had come to apologise for what had happened last time.
These nonsensical, out-of-the-blue words made Huo Changqing furrow his brows. "What did you do?" Recently, there had been so many affairs in the military camp that he had neglected matters at the residence.
Yuxi lowered her head and explained, "It's Zaozao's blessing that you're willing to teach her personally. I shouldn't have brought up those ridiculous conditions." Back then, she had drilled herself into an ox horn tip9, always wanting to cling onto something to ease her anxieties. However, looking back now, she realised that her act of clinging onto something while losing people's hearts10 had been a loss outweighing the gain.
Huo Changqing was somewhat surprised; he hadn't expected Yuxi to apologise for this matter. He waved his hand, saying, "It's all in the past. Why bring it up again?" Yuxi's attitude back then had made him uncomfortable, but he also knew that he had been the one to bring up the matter, so if anyone was to blame, it should start with himself.
Yuxi smiled bitterly. "Uncle Huo, I'm not afraid you'll laugh at me. Back then, when I heard that my body was injured and that I wouldn't be able to have children for five years, I was very worried and very scared. I was afraid that Yun Qing would follow Fu Tianlei's example and take in a concubine, and I also feared that I'd end up in the same situation as Chen Shi. During that time, I even had nightmares about becoming her." Yuxi had indeed had that nightmare: she had dreamed that she had become Chen Shi, which had happened on the very night that Huo Changqing had come to speak with her.
Huo Changqing was taken aback by Yuxi's words, leaving him momentarily stunned.
Yuxi's eyes turned red as she continued, "Since Yun Qing wasn't by my side, I had no one to confide in, so I had to keep these feelings to myself. At that very moment, you came to me, saying you wanted to teach Zaozao martial arts. I immediately drilled myself into an ox horn tip9, convinced that you were using the fact that I hadn't given birth to a son as an excuse to take Zaozao as a pretext, but in truth, you were planning to help Yun Qing take a concubine…"
Huo Changqing furrowed his brows. "If I valued having descendants so much, I would have already forced Yun Qing to marry and have children long ago. I wouldn't have let him reach his twenties without marrying." Huo Changqing had never interfered in Yun Qing's marriage matters, seeing them as a Yun Qung's personal affair. Back then, Yun Qing wanted to marry a girl from the Zhao family, which was entirely Yun Qing's decision.
Yuxi wiped away the teardrop at the corner of her eye and said, "I know, it was me overthinking things and getting myself stuck in an ox horn tip9. Now that I think back, it wasn't very reasonable of me. How could anyone provide a guarantee for this kind of thing?" No matter how much Yun Qing valued Huo Changqing, how could Huo Changqing stop him if he was set on taking a concubine? It could only be said that, as Momo had put it, she had fallen into a mental trap.
Huo Changqing said, "Rest assured, anything I've promised you, I will fulfil it." To him, a promise made was a promise kept—that was his principle.
Yuxi shook her head. "No need. Back then, I wasn't thinking clearly, so I brought up those ridiculous conditions. You don't have to take it to heart. And please, don't mention this to Yun Qing."
Huo Changqing didn't agree to Yuxi's request; this matter still needed to be mentioned to Yun Qing. He had to remind Yun Qing not to let himself be dazzled by outside women; otherwise, the inner courtyard would be set ablaze. Huo Changqing asked with concern, "How are you now? Would you like me to find a physician for you?"
Yuxi shook her head. "No need, I'll adjust my health myself." A physician couldn't solve matters like this—it had to be dealt with by oneself.
Huo Changqing thought that women, whether clever or foolish, always had reckless and chaotic thoughts. "If there's anything, just write to Yun Qing directly. Stop sitting there overthinking by yourself." Hadn't this entire incident been caused by overthinking in the first place?
Yuxi nodded slightly.
Footnotes Full List
- The literal meaning of 死契 (sǐ qì) in English is 'death contract' or 'dead contract'. However, in historical contexts, it refers to a type of irrevocable contract or permanent deed, especially in relation to the sale of property or people. It implies that the transaction is final and cannot be redeemed or reversed.
- This four-character idiom, "殚精竭虑" (dān jīng jié lǜ), describes a state of extreme mental exertion and dedication. It conveys the idea of putting all one's energy, intellect, and effort into something, to the point of complete mental and even physical exhaustion.
- 生不死的感觉 (shēng bù sǐ de gǎnjué): An exaggerated way to describe something being so unpleasant (in this case, the taste of the medicinal food) that it makes one feel half-dead — suffering but not fatally so.)
- The literal meaning of 一心一意 (yī xīn yī yì) in English is "one heart, one mind" or "one mind, one intention." This Chinese idiom describes a state of complete dedication, focus, and unwavering commitment to a single purpose or goal. It conveys the idea of putting all your thoughts and efforts into one thing, without distraction or wavering.
- This idiom, 一心几用 (yī xīn jǐ yòng), describes the act of multitasking or trying to focus on multiple tasks at once. It implies simultaneously dividing one's attention and effort among several different things.
- This Chinese idiom, 只学了点皮毛 (zhǐ xué le diǎn pímáo), metaphorically refers to having only a superficial or rudimentary understanding of something, without grasping its deeper essence, core, or full scope.
- This Chinese proverb, 人算不如天算 (rén suàn bù rú tiān suàn), conveys the idea that no matter how meticulously humans plan or strategise, events often unfold in ways beyond their control, guided instead by fate, destiny, or a higher power. It's frequently used when an unexpected outcome (good or bad) occurs despite careful human planning.
- 申时 (shēnshí): around 3-5 pm
- 钻了牛角尖 (zuān le niú jiǎo jiān) — meaning to become fixated on an issue and unable to think clearly.
- The phrase '抓了东西丢了人心 (zhuā le dōngxi diū le rénxīn)' describes a situation where someone gains material benefits but loses public support, loyalty, or goodwill in the process — a short-sighted gain with a long-term loss.
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