Momo Quan sighed softly. "I am old. Who knows when my last breath will be? I am very worried that, when that day comes, you will be t...
Momo Quan sighed softly. "I am old. Who knows when my last breath will be? I am very worried that, when that day comes, you will be trapped inside and unable to get out1, and by then, who will be left to advise you?" Yuxi was wholeheartedly devoted to Yun Qing, and Momo Quan worried that if Yun Qing betrayed her, Yuxi would not be able to bear it.
Yuxi restrained her emotions and responded, "Momo, what kind of thing is that to say? Didn't you say you wanted to watch Liu-er marry and have children?" No matter what, Momo could live until seventy or eighty.
Momo Quan had her own purpose in saying these words, so naturally she would not allow Yuxi to turn corners and wipe angles2: "I also hope that day will never come. But there is no such thing as something one hundred per cent certain in this world. If that day truly comes, what would you do?"
Yuxi shook her head. "There won't be such…" Under Momo Quan's gaze, she could not say another word.
At that moment, Zaozao's voice could be heard from outside. "Mom, Mom, I pick flowers for you." That loud voice immediately woke Liu'er, who had been sleeping.
Yuxi pulled the jade hairpin from her bun and touched the peony pattern on it. She said softly, "If such a day truly comes, for the sake of the children, I will also take good care of myself."
Upon hearing this answer, Momo Quan's expression relaxed considerably. "Yuxi, you must remember these words you just said. Even if you lose your husband, you still have your children." Yuxi was tough and resilient by nature; when it came to other matters, Momo Quan knew Yuxi could overcome them. However, no matter how strong a woman was, she might still find herself unable to pull herself out once she became entangled in love.
Yuxi smiled and nodded. "Momo, if that day truly comes, I know what I should do." Yun Qing was wholeheartedly devoted to her, so she could not betray his affection. As for the future, future matters should be discussed in the future. If she worried and fretted constantly about the future, she would not be able to enjoy the present either.
Hongdou called from outside, "Wangfei, the young lady has picked peach blossoms for you." The fourth lunar month was precisely the season when peach blossoms were in full bloom. In the Yun residence's garden, more than ten peach trees had been planted.
Zaozao handed Yuxi a bunch of peach blossoms, raised her head, and said, "Mom, flowers for you." The Yun residence's garden was Zaozao's playground. Of all the people in the household, she was the most familiar with it.
After saying that, Zaozao pointed at the handful of peach blossoms that Hongdou was holding and said, "Mom, those flowers are for Meimei." Even though Meimei never played with her, she wanted Meimei to have whatever she had.
Yuxi said with a face full of smiles, "Zaozao is so good." She then carried Zaozao off to wash her face and hands and change her clothes. Zaozao's outer coat had to be changed at least twice in one day. It was also thanks to the fact that she had lots of clothes; otherwise, once they ran into a rainy day, there would be nothing for her to change into.
That night, Yuxi asked Yun Qing, "He Rui, have you heard the rumours outside?" Yun Qing was much better informed than Yuxi, and she was very certain that he had known about them for a long time.
Yun Qing knew that he could not hide this matter from Yuxi. "I've already asked Gao Song to investigate and find out who's spreading these rumours. Once it is verified, they will certainly be severely punished." He had not told Yuxi because he was afraid Yuxi would start thinking wildly again. Everything about his wife was good; it was just that she worried too much, which made others worry too.
Yuxi herself would not suppress it, but if Yun Qing stood up for her, she definitely wouldn't stop him. "Herui, everyone is saying that I am a jealous wife, a female tiger3. What do you think?"
Yun Qing turned his head to look at Yuxi and asked, "What I think is not important. The main thing is, do you think you are a jealous wife, a female tiger3?"
Yuxi leaned against Yun Qing and murmured, "Herui, you are my husband. I will not let other women come between us." No woman would willingly share her husband with another woman unless she fundamentally didn't care about him at all.
Yun Qing liked hearing these words. Although her jealousy was a little strong, it also showed that his wife cared about him, didn't it? Yun Qing kissed Yuxi and said, "With such a fine night, let's not waste it on those meaningless matters. Let's do some of the things we love doing." As soon as he had finished speaking, he untied Yuxi's dudou.
The husband and wife tossed and turned until after midnight. Yuxi was so exhausted that she had no memory of how she had fallen asleep.
The next day, Yuxi woke up late again. When she got out of bed, her legs were weak. With Meiyun's support, Yuxi sat down on a stool and massaged her unbearably sore waist, and thought, this was truly the price of indulging desire4!
In this state, Yuxi could not go to the front courtyard either. Otherwise, if the officials below saw her like this, what authority would she have left in the future? However, even in the rear courtyard, Yuxi was not idle. She selected several bolts of brocade from the storeroom, then chose a pair of jade ruyi to give to Sun Hanlian as a reward.
The person delivering the rewards had barely stepped outside when Xu Daniu found out about this. He was like a twelve-foot man unable to feel his own head5, so he went to Xu Wu and asked, "What does Wangfei mean by this?" No matter how he looked at it, he could not understand.
Xu Wu did not explain it to Xu Daniu, because he himself did not know either. "This is a good thing for you. For Wangfei to reward things to your wife shows that this matter has passed. Weren't you worried that Sun Yulian's matter would affect your marriage? Now you don't need to worry." In truth, this matter would not pass so easily. One young lady from the Sun family had already had her engagement broken off. Among the great clans, there was a saying: when one prospered, all prosper; when one suffered loss, all suffered loss6. Sun Yulian had made a mistake, and the other young ladies of the clan would also have to pay the price for it.
When Yuxi's rewards were delivered to the Sun family, Second Master Sun let out a breath of relief. "Since Wangfei rewarded Hanlian, she probably no longer holds a grudge over the previous matter." Although Han Shi was somewhat overly jealous, she was fair and stopped once the point had been made.
Old Master Sun sat on an Eight Immortals chair and said, "Old Two, matters of the inner courtyard must absolutely not be neglected again. Otherwise, with these people pulling us by our hind legs7, even if the men of the Sun family fight desperately with their lives8 outside, it will all be a waste." Although Pingxi Wangfei was no longer pursuing this matter, the damage it had caused was still severe.
Second Master Sun nodded and comforted Old Master Sun: "Dad, don't worry about it. After three or five years pass, no one will remember this matter anymore." The Sun family had indeed lost their face9 over this matter, but it had not injured their tendons and moved their bones10.
Old Master Sun said, "For now, we can only think of it this way."
The matter that Sun Yulian had caused not only made the Sun family lose face11, but also left the Tan family with no face12. Madam Tan's endurance was poor, and after she learned that Sun Yulian had run off to declare her love for Yun Qing, she collapsed.
Looking at Tan Chonghua, who was serving by her bedside, Madam Tan said, tears brimming in her eyes, "My son, why are you and your elder sister both so unlucky in marriage matters?" Her daughter's marriage had been through several waves and turns13, and it had not been easy to finally marry her off last year. But when it came to her son's marriage, problems arose again.
Tan Chonghua had spent the past few days by her bedside, tending to her illness, and he looked haggard. "Mom, this matter has already passed. Don't worry about anything else. Just focus on getting better." Sun Yulian's actions had humiliated Tan Chonghua. However, no matter how humiliated he felt, this cup of bitter water14 could only be swallowed down15 by himself. After all, it was he who had taken a fancy to Sun Yulian and begged his mother to propose the marriage.
After Madam Tan finished drinking her medicine, she lay down to sleep.
Tan Chonghua walked out and asked his personal manservant, "What is the situation outside now?" Sun Yulian would rather become Yun Qing's concubine than marry him; this was no less than giving Tan Chonghua a loud slap16 across his face. Therefore, when he learned that Sun Yulian had married an old widower, Tan Chonghua was relieved.
The manservant hesitated for a moment before reporting, "Eldest Young Master, Pingxi Wangfei rewarded things to the Sun family." After saying that, he shrank his neck a little.
When Tan Chonghua heard this, his voice suddenly rose. "Pingxi Wangfei rewarded the Sun family with things? How is that possible?" Realising that he was too agitated, Tan Chonghua worked hard to calm himself down and asked, "Why would Pingxi Wangfei reward the Sun family?" Logically speaking, shouldn't Pingxi Wangfei hate the Sun family?
The manservant shook his head. "This little one does not know. However, the one Pingxi Wangfei rewarded was Miss Hanlian of the Sun family's third branch, the fiancée of Guard Xu from the Yun residence."
Tan Chonghua was not stupid either. No matter who the reward was given to, this reward from Pingxi Wangfei meant that the matter Sun Yulian had caused was now in the past.
Tan Tuo returned home from Tongzhou at dusk. As soon as he arrived, he washed and changed, then ate dinner. During this time, Tan Chonghua's heart remained anxious and restless.
Tan Tuo said indifferently, "Come to the study." He was somewhat disappointed by Tan Chonghua's performance. Fortunately, his son could still be taught; it would just require more thought and effort.
When Tan Chonghua arrived at the study, he lowered his head and confessed, "Dad, I have made the Tan family lose face.
Tan Tuo asked, "What face have you made the Tan family lose?"
Tan Chonghua replied in a low voice, "I did not recognise people clearly17. Back then, the moment he saw Sun Yulian, he fell for her. After returning, he begged his mother to propose marriage without investigating Sun Yulian's background at all.
Tan Tuo sat in the chair and snapped, "Only did not recognise people clearly? Was it not that beauty bewitched you until you lost your mind18?" After Madam Tan learned that Tan Chonghua had taken a fancy to Sun Yulian and heard that Sun Yulian was both talented and beautiful, she sent people to inform Tan Tuo and invited a matchmaker to propose marriage to the Sun family. In other words, Tan Tuo had not consented to this marriage.
What Tan Chonghua feared most was Tan Tuo acting like this. He immediately knelt on the ground and admitted, "Dad, it is all my fault. I was blinded by lust."
Tan Tuo was extremely angry and scolded him: "I told you a long time ago that there was no hurry for you to get married. It wouldn't have mattered if you'd waited a year or two. You only fancied that woman's face, and without checking anything, you had your mother invite a matchmaker to propose marriage? Fortunately, this matter came to light before the betrothal was finalised. Otherwise, if you had married such a shameless thing into the family, you would have ruined our entire Tan family." Even if this incident with Sun Yulian hadn't happened, he still wouldn't have agreed to this marriage. When marrying a wife, marry virtue19; he would not let his son marry a woman who was only beautiful but had no brains.
Tan Chonghua wished he could drill himself into a hole in the ground20.
Seeing his son like this, Tan Tuo felt terrible inside and could no longer bring himself to scold him. In truth, the biggest problem in this matter lay with his wife. However, Tan Tuo had long been utterly disappointed with Bao Shi, so he did not want to say anything at that moment. "The post of county magistrate in Chunfeng County, under Tongzhou's jurisdiction, is currently vacant. I will speak to Wangfei and have you fill this vacancy!"
Tan Chonghua froze for a moment.
Tan Tuo continued, "Gaining experience in a lower position will benefit you." Originally, he had wanted Tan Chonghua to enter officialdom through the imperial examinations, but he also had no idea when these would resume. As he had not received any definitive news, he decided to let his son gain experience in the real world.
Tan Chonghua nodded. "I will listen to Dad in everything." After a pause, he continued, "Dad, Mom has been ill for several days. Please go and see her!"
Tan Tuo responded, "You don't need to worry about this. Go on." He had no concubines, only Madam Tan. This made many women envy her. However, as the saying goes, 'cold and warmth are known only by oneself21'.
Footnotes Full List
- 陷在里面出不来 (xiàn zài lǐmiàn chū bù lái) — metaphor for being emotionally trapped
- 拐弯抹角 (guǎi wān mò jiǎo) — meaning to speak indirectly
- 母老虎) (mǔ lǎohǔ) — slang for a fierce, domineering woman
- 纵/欲的代价 (zòng yù de dàijià) — metaphor for the physical consequence of sexual indulgence
- 丈二摸不着头脑 (zhàng èr mō bù zháo tóunǎo) — meaning completely confused
- 一荣俱荣一损俱损 (yī róng jù róng, yī sǔn jù sǔn) — literally 'one glory, all glory; one loss, all loss'; meaning members of a group share honour and disgrace
- 扯后腿 (chě hòu tuǐ) — meaning to drag someone down or hinder them
- 拼死拼活 (pīn sǐ pīn huó) — literally 'fight to death, fight to life'; meaning to struggle desperately)
- 丢了脸面 (diū le liǎnmiàn) — meaning to be disgraced or humiliated
- 伤筋动骨 (shāng jīn dòng gǔ) — meaning to suffer serious fundamental damage
- 丢脸 (diū liǎn) — meaning to be disgraced
- 没脸 (méi liǎn) — meaning ashamed or disgraced
- 几经波折 (jǐ jīng bōzhé) — literally 'after several waves and turns'; meaning after many setbacks
- 苦水 (kǔshuǐ) — metaphor for grievances or suffering
- 咽下去 (yàn xiàqù) — metaphor for silently enduring humiliation or grievances
- 响亮的耳光 (xiǎngliàng de ěrguāng) — metaphor for public humiliation
- 识人不清 (shí rén bù qīng) — meaning poor judgement of character
- 美色将你迷得没了神智 (měisè jiāng nǐ mí de méi le shénzhì) — meaning being blinded by beauty
- 娶妻娶贤 (qǔ qī qǔ xián) — proverb meaning a wife's moral character matters most
- 钻到地洞里去 (zuān dào dìdòng lǐ qù) — metaphor for being so ashamed one wants to hide
- (冷暖也只有自己知道 (lěng nuǎn yě zhǐyǒu zìjǐ zhīdào) — meaning only the person involved knows their own joys, sorrows, and difficulties
COMMENTS