Han Jianming brought Ye Shi home, dismissed everyone else, and told her his decision. "If you are willing, then give birth to the chil...
Han Jianming brought Ye Shi home, dismissed everyone else, and told her his decision. "If you are willing, then give birth to the child. If you are not, the child will have to be aborted."
With tears streaming from her eyes, Ye Shi asked, "Master, is there really no better way?" She truly could not bear to be separated from her own flesh and blood.
Han Jianming replied coldly, "This is the greatest concession I am willing to make." Had Yuxi not spoken on her behalf, he would never have yielded.
Ye Shi wiped away her tears, thought for a moment, and then said, "Master, once the child is born, we could establish a god-relative relationship with the adoptive family and remain in contact. That way, I could still see the child from time to time."
Han Jianming replied coldly, "No. Once the child is born, the child will have nothing whatsoever to do with the Han family. If you are unwilling to accept that, then do not blame me for being cold-blooded1."
What else could Ye Shi do? She could only compromise. Whatever happened, at least the child's life had been saved for now. Everything else could be dealt with later.
Seeing that Ye Shi had agreed, Han Jianming said, "Have a good rest. I will go and tell Mom about this." Qiu Shi needed to be informed, lest she become so anxious that she was practically on fire2.
When Qiu Shi heard that the child was to be sent away and would have no connection with the Han family whatsoever, her eyes immediately reddened. "What evil karma3 are we creating!" A perfectly legitimate grandson, yet he would have no home to return to and no parents to acknowledge.🦊
Han Jianming was also distressed. "Mom, I don't want this either. But the risk is too great. If I acknowledge this child, all the heart's blood5 and effort I have poured into everything will fail for lacking the final basketful of earth6." If he bore the reputation of being unfilial and immoral, not only would he be ruined, but so would Lil Boy Chang and the others.
Qiu Shi thought Han Jianming was worrying too much. "The rules in the northwest are not as strict as those in the capital, and there are no censors here. Besides, with Yuxi around, no one would be so overstuffed from eating7 to the point of keeping their eyes on our family." At Imperial Court, matters like this were normally reported by censors in memorials of impeachment.
Han Jianming gave a bitter smile. "Mom, if no one investigates, then naturally nothing will happen. But once someone does, there will be no escaping the consequences." Suppose he intended merely to remain within this one-mu-and-three-fen patch of land8 in the northwest, there truly would be nothing to worry about. But his aspirations were far greater than his current situation.
Seeing that Han Jianming would not change his mind, Qiu Shi could do nothing about it. "This child is not destined to belong to the Han family, but you must find him a good family. Do not let him suffer."
Han Jianming assured her, "Mom, do not worry. Although he cannot return to the Han family, I will secretly look after him." It was unavoidable that the child could not return to the Han family, but Han Jianming was determined to ensure that his child was well cared for. After all, the child was his flesh and blood.
After saying this, Han Jianming added, "Mom, Ye Shi's pregnancy is not very stable, so she needs to take good care of herself and protect the pregnancy for the time being. Once it is stable, we will send her to the estate." Since they had decided to keep the child, they naturally hoped that the baby would be born healthy.
At the same time, Yuxi told Yun Qing about the matter as well. When she had finished, she smiled bitterly. "I said I would not put my hand into it9, yet in the end I still could not stop myself from doing so." Yuxi knew very well that Han Jianming had only agreed to let the child be born because she had suggested it. If it had been anyone else, he certainly would not have changed his mind.
Yun Qing smiled and gently ran his fingers through Yuxi's hair. "I knew from the beginning that you wouldn't be able to stop yourself from interfering." Given Yuxi's nature, it would have been strange if her heart had not softened after being pleaded with like that.
Yuxi raised her head and looked at Yun Qing. "Do you think I am too inconsistent in my convictions?" Rationally speaking, the child truly should not be kept, because allowing the child to live would be dangerous. But she could not genuinely ignore whether Ye Shi and the child lived or died. In the past, when she read books claiming that women were always prone to a woman's benevolence10 and would easily ruin important matters, she had scoffed at the idea. Now, however, she finally understood that feeling herself.
Yun Qing laughed. "You are not inconsistent in your convictions. It's because Ye Shi is your Saozi11, and the child in her belly is your nephew or niece. If a stranger begged you, or someone you barely knew begged you for help, would you put your hand9 into the matter?"
Yuxi shook her head. "Of course I wouldn't interfere." She wouldn't even meet such people, so how could she possibly involve herself in their affairs?
Yun Qing said, "Since a decision has already been made, there's no point in thinking too much about it. With your Dage secretly looking after the child, the child certainly won't have a bad life. If it is a boy and he proves capable, he can build a future for himself. If he lacks ability, your Dage can still ensure that he has no worries about food or clothing." If it were a girl, there would be even less of a problem.
Yuxi nodded. "That's all we can do." Now that things had reached this point, she could only try to look on the bright side.
Yun Qing thought for a moment before asking, "Have the herdsmen over at Xihai, along with their cattle and sheep, all been properly resettled?"
Yuxi nodded. "Feng Dajun sent men to carry out disaster relief immediately, so the losses weren't severe." Having such a capable subordinate made things much easier for both her and Yun Qing.
Yun Qing smiled. "You can always rest assured when Dajun handles things." It was precisely because Feng Dajun was so capable and trustworthy that Yun Qing had stationed him in Xihai. There were many people of the Yi tribes in that region, and most of them would not truly be willing to bend themselves to live beneath others12. Without sufficient ability, one simply couldn't keep them under control.
Yuxi muttered, "I don't deny that he's capable of getting things done, but he's just a bit too... you know." She knew that Feng Dajun had found himself another two beauties in Xihai, one of whom was even a young woman of the Tu people.
Yun Qing knew Yuxi's temperament. She wished for nothing more than for every man under heaven to treat only his wife well and keep away from all those orioles and swallows13. Yun Qing said, "No person is perfect. Everyone has flaws. Besides, although he has a fondness for beautiful women, he still knows his limits and behaves with appropriate restraint." Although Feng Dajun had found himself quite a number of beauties, he never brought them home to get in Chang Shi's eyes14, nor did he allow them to bear him children. Thus, Chang Shi's life remained quite easy and carefree.
Yuxi said, "I hope so!" Although Feng Dajun's two sons and one daughter had all been born to Chang Shi, who knew what the future might bring? Nevertheless, this was Feng Dajun's private affair. Not only Yuxi, but even Yun Qing had no right to interfere.
Yang Duoming had only half a month's leave, so he could stay in Haocheng only until after the Lantern Festival before he had to leave. Worried that Chen Shi might cause trouble after he left, Yang Duoming decided to settle the matter of Fu Tianlei taking a second wife before his departure.
As an intelligence officer, Yang Duoming found it very easy to identify candidates who met Fu Tianlei's requirements as long as he put his mind to it. Within just a few days, he found a suitable woman.
Yang Duoming explained the woman's background to Fu Qingluo. "This Li Shi is nineteen this year. Her ancestors included high-ranking officials, and her grandfather also served as deputy magistrate of Fu County. However, after her grandfather died of illness, the Li family fell into decline. Li Shi had previously been betrothed; the match had been arranged while her grandfather was still alive. However, the man lost his life five years ago while suppressing bandits. His family wanted her to keep widowhood at the gate15, but the Li family refused. The man's family was influential and openly declared that anyone who dared to marry Li Shi would become their enemy. The Li family could not contend with them, so Li Shi has remained unmarried to this day." In fact, another family once came to propose marriage, but they nearly lost their entire household and fortune as a result. After that incident, no one else dared to ask for Li Shi's hand in marriage.
Fu Qingluo asked, "What is her temperament like? Although my Dasao has a bad heart-eye16, her three daughters, Baihe and her sisters, are good girls. If this Li Shi has a bad temperament and turns out to be vicious, Baihe and her sisters will suffer hardship in the future." As the old saying goes, all stepmothers under heaven are the same17. Although the saying was somewhat biased, it held some truth.
Yang Duoming laughed. "If she were vicious, would I recommend her to you?" It was precisely because he knew Fu Qingluo was someone with a cold face but a soft heart18 that he worried she might be taken advantage of while he was away. That was why he acted with anxious haste to arrange for Fu Tianlei to take a second wife as soon as possible. Once Fu Tianlei did so, Chen Shi's attention would certainly shift to the second wife, and she would stop watching Qingluo so closely.
Fu Qingluo trusted her husband well enough, so she immediately nodded. "All right. I'll speak to my elder brother about it tomorrow."
After hearing what Fu Qingluo had to say, Fu Tianlei immediately sent someone to investigate Li Shi's background. The information brought back showed that Li Shi's circumstances were much as Fu Qingluo had described.
Zhao Zhengqin was somewhat puzzled. "How did the Gunainai19 find this Li Shi?" Fu Tianlei had also been looking for a suitable candidate for nearly half a year, but no matter how many women he considered, he could not find one who satisfied him. This was understandable. He was not looking for a principal wife, but a second wife, and his principal wife was still alive. Any woman from a reasonably good background would be unwilling to accept such a marriage, and Fu Tianlei himself was dissatisfied with anyone whose circumstances were too humble.
Fu Tianlei waved his hand. "My brother-in-law has some connections." Although Yang Duoming publicly claimed to be a merchant, Yun Qing had specifically told Fu Tianlei the truth. Therefore, he knew that Yang Duoming worked for Yuxi.
Zhao Zhengqin asked, "Master, are you going to settle on this Li Shi? Wouldn't it be better to meet her first?" Fu Tianlei hadn't even seen the woman yet. If the information turned out to be inaccurate, it would be too late to regret it afterwards.
Fu Tianlei nodded. "I'll find an opportunity to meet her."
After meeting Li Shi, Fu Tianlei found an official matchmaker and sent her to the Li family to propose marriage. The Li family agonised over the decision for two days before agreeing. Although becoming someone's second wife was certainly embarrassing, it was still better than spending her whole life at home as an old maiden. Besides, with this marriage secured, the Li family would henceforth have a mountain to lean on20.
Only after the Li family agreed did Fu Tianlei tell Chen Shi. "Let's set the date for the third month." The Li family had suggested the third month, as they wanted to use the intervening time to make proper preparations.
Although Chen Shi had long known this day would come, it was still almost unbearably painful when she had to face it. No matter how grief-stricken she was, however, it was something she could not prevent.
Fu Tianlei said, "You're unwell, so I'll have the steward handle the arrangements." Chen Shi was the mistress of the household. Even if she wasn't required to organise the wedding herself, she couldn't avoid being involved altogether.
Chen Shi knew she couldn't refuse. Weeping, she said that it was her fault that she had failed to grow branches and spread leaves21, and that once Li Shi passed through the household door22 for the Fu family, she would get along well with her.
At these words, Fu Tianlei's expression softened considerably. However, when Chen Shi said that she wanted him to ask Yun Qing for another portion of the miraculous medicine, his face immediately turned black23.
Chen Shi cried, "Master, if I cannot live to see Baihe and her sisters marry and have children, I won't be able to die in peace!" At this point, all she could do was bring up the children as her argument.
Fu Tianlei said coldly, "Focus on recovering from your illness. Stop entertaining groundless, excessive and confused thoughts." Back then, Yun Qing had given each of them a portion of that miraculous medicine, which was incredibly kind of him. Asking him for more now would be like gaining an inch and demanding a foot24. He could not lose this face25 for Chen Shi's sake, much less allow her to damage his friendship with Yun Qing.
After saying this, Fu Tianlei turned around and left.
He entered the room and, seeing Madam Chen lying unconscious on the bed, immediately sent someone to fetch a physician. After giving the order, she tucked the quilt around Chen Shi and let out a heavy sigh. Instead of using the time before the second wife entered the household to win the Master's affection, she was still here causing a commotion. This behaviour would only push the Master further away. Ultimately, the one who would suffer the loss would still be herself.
Footnotes Full List
- 冷血 (lěng xuè) — cold blood; cruel, ruthless, or devoid of feeling
- 着急上火 (zháo jí shàng huǒ) — to become anxious and catch fire; to become extremely anxious and worked up
- 造孽呀 (zào niè ya) — to create evil karma or commit a sin; an exclamation of distress over something cruel or tragic
- Oh, she's expecting a boy?
- 心血 (xīn xuè) — heart's blood; painstaking effort, energy and devotion
- 功亏一篑 (gōng kuī yī kuì) — a task fails for lack of the final basket of earth; to fail just short of completing something after investing great effort)
- 吃饱撑着 (chī bǎo chēng zhe) — to be so full from eating that one is overstuffed; to meddle in something simply because one has nothing better to do
- 一亩三分地 (yī mǔ sān fēn dì) — a plot measuring one mu and three fen; one's own small territory, limited sphere or narrow domain
- 插手 (chā shǒu) — to put one's hand into something; to interfere or become involved in a matter
- 妇人之仁 (fù rén zhī rén) — a woman's benevolence; excessive or misplaced compassion that prevents decisive action
- 嫂子 (sǎozi) literally means 'the wife of one's elder brother'. It is used for your own older brother's wife and as a polite, affectionate form of address for a married woman slightly older than you (not necessarily a blood relative).
- 屈居人下 (qū jū rén xià) — submit to living beneath others; to accept a subordinate or inferior position
- 莺莺燕燕 (yīng yīng yàn yàn) — orioles and swallows; a figurative expression for beautiful young women, particularly women surrounding or attracting a man
- 碍常氏的眼 (ài Cháng shì de yǎn) — get in Chang Shi's eyes; to appear before someone in a way that annoys or upsets them
- 守望门寡 (shǒu wàng mén guǎ) — keep widowhood before entering the marital gate; to remain unmarried and observe widowhood for a fiancé who died before the marriage
- 心眼不好 (xīn yǎn bù hǎo) — have a bad heart-eye; to be ill-intentioned, scheming or malicious
- 天下后娘一个样 (tiān xià hòu niáng yí ge yàng) — all stepmothers beneath heaven are alike; a traditional saying expressing the belief that stepmothers tend to treat stepchildren poorly
- 面冷心软 (miàn lěng xīn ruǎn) — cold-faced but soft-hearted; to appear stern or aloof while actually being kind-hearted
- 姑奶奶 (gūnǎinai) — (respectful form of address for a married woman used by members of her parents' family) married daughter
- 靠山 (kào shān) — a mountain to lean on; a powerful patron, protector or source of support
- 开枝散叶 (kāi zhī sàn yè) — grow branches and scatter/spread leaves; a metaphor for producing descendants and continuing the family line
- 过门 (guò mén) — pass through the door; a traditional expression for a bride marrying into and entering her husband's household
- 脸一下就黑了 (liǎn yí xià jiù hēi le) — one's face suddenly turns black; a figurative description of someone's expression abruptly darkening with anger or displeasure
- 得寸进尺 (dé cùn jìn chǐ) — gain an inch and advance a foot; to become increasingly demanding after receiving a concession or favour
- 丢这个脸 (diū zhè ge liǎn) — lose this face; to humiliate or embarrass oneself
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