When Yu Miao Qi arrived at the eastward courtyard, her expression was extremely natural. She smiled beautifully as she paid her respect to Yu Si Yu and sat closed to her. Her gaze then paused on the unfinished embroidery of mandarin ducks head-cover in the sewing box.
She picked it up and said with a light smile, “Is Eldest Sister embroidering the trousseau? Why is there only the head-cover?”
Yu Si Yu blushed and snatched back the head-cover as she whispered, “The wedding dress is helped by the embroiderers. This head-cover is simpler. I have nothing else to do but to embroider just to pass the time.”
Yu Miao Qi covered her mouth and bantered, “So, I suppose Eldest Sister’s wedding day is approaching. Younger Sister will congratulate Eldest Sister in advance. Not knowing who is our family’s good son-in-law?”
Lacking of sisters listening to her flaunting, Yu Si Yu blushed and spoke in a low voice, “He is this year’s academic flower scout[1] (third place candidate), a native of Yangzhou and his father is the Salt Envoy of the Salt Transport Commissioner, Lord Fang. Although he is only a fourth-rank external official, his family fortune is superabundant and even better than many huge aristocratic families. While he himself was handpicked by His Majesty to be the prefecture magistrate of Yangzhou and took office a month ago.”
Yu Miao Qi listened very seriously and exclaimed in admiration, “A flower scout? That’s certainly an exceptionally talented and superb looking person. Congratulations to Eldest Sister on finding such a good man.”
She was the first person to feel happy for herself since the discussion of marriage. Yu Si Yu was instantly touched and spoke to her in private, “Younger Sister has fallaciously praised. Mister Fang is indeed promising, handsome and extraordinary, but compared to the current top scholar, Shen Yuan Qi, he is still a little inferior. The top scholar’s look is peerless and can almost compete with our elder brother. That day when he trotted on the horseback through the street, many people were stunned to see him; flowers, purses and fruits were smashed all over the street.”
Everyone loves beauty. Hence, speaking of the top scholar, there were few ladies who had seen him who would not praise him. Of course, Yu Xiang who could only hold one person in her eyes and heart was the odd one out.
Yu Miao Qi was playing with a hollowed-out incense ball. When she suddenly heard the name she deliberately forgot for a long time, she dropped the incense ball with a shaken hand and all those schemes in her heart were replaced by horror.
The two main maidservants standing in front of the door hastily chased to pick it up.
She secretly breathed deeply and her voice trembled slightly when she spoke again, “Eldest Sister said that Shen Yuan Qi is really that handsome?” That person was also very handsome. In the past, he had charmed countless noble ladies that those matchmakers who came to propose a marriage alliance had trampled the Shen family’s threshold. This was a fact, not an exaggeration.
Yu Si Yu covered her mouth and chuckled, “Of course very handsome. I’ve heard when the Emperor saw him, he even adopt a verse from the poem depicting the beauty of the city – husband He Guiyi’s commanding posture, unique and outstanding (what a beautiful bearing, unique in this world) that everyone present responded with hearty laughter, yet he not only didn’t feel embarrassed but sat composedly with a smile and a nod that once again led the Emperor to praise him highly. The Emperor immediately bestowed him the navy blue official gown and ranked him Bachelor of Attendance at the Imperial Academy[2]. This saved him four years of external post and directly becoming an official in the Capital, which was truly a generous favor from the Emperor!”
Anyone’s daughters would have words to say whenever the anecdotes of the top scholar were mentioned.
The more she heard of the conduct and bearing of this top scholar, the more it resembled that person. Yu Miao Qi felt her heart was about to pop out of her throat. With shaking hands, she gulped down a cup of hot tea and continued to ask, “Does Eldest Sister know where he is from?”
“It’s a faraway place. I vaguely heard someone mention it but I’ve actually forgotten it now. If Youngest Sister is anxious to know, I can send someone to find out for you.” Yu Si Yu smiled playfully.
Yu Miao Qi hurriedly shook her head, “No, no. I’m just asking in passing. Eldest Sister should concentrate on embroidering the trousseau, no need to bother about me. It’s late, so I’ll leave now.”
She couldn’t help but swayed as she stepped on the ground, feeling rather unsteady.
If this Shen Yuan Shu was indeed the same Shen Yuan Shu, he had now soared high. There was no telling how he would deal with herself, after all, she had taken Shen family’s life-saving money. If he reveals a word or two to others, how will she still be able to establish herself in the Capital? ! No, no, no. There are many people with the same name and surname in this world. It might not be him. He had already signed an irrevocable contract to be a slave, so how could he still be eligible to participate in the imperial examination?
No way!
Entangled with several feelings of ups and downs, Yu Miao Qi took a deep breath and ran to find Lin Shi for help.
**********
In the side hall of the main courtyard, Lin Shi waited for Yu Miao Qi to walk far before she unexpectedly knelt down in front of Old Madam and firmly said, “Mother, I want to take charge of the household.”
There was no whatsoever surprise emotion on Old Madam’s face. With half-closed eyes, she asked, “You’ve been hiding for fourteen years and suddenly you want to take charge of the household, why is it? Back then, I begged you for many times.”
Lin Shi voiced out word for word, “Fourteen years ago, this daughter-in-law had nothing to live for, but Qi’er is back fourteen years later and I have something to live again. The saying to be a mother is …”
Without waiting for her to finish telling her heart’s grievances, Old Madam raised her hand and slapped her which knocked her to the ground with blood staining her lips.
“To be a mother is to be strong. You have the nerve to mention that in front of me!” Old Madam sat up straight as she picked up her walking stick beside the couch and smacked her hard. “Where were you when Yan’er was forced to despair several times back then and needed your help? You want to live when your daughter is back, but you want to die when your son is by your side. What’s going through your brain? Are the illusory things more valuable than the actual people around you? If you dare to die with Jun Jie back then, I would have admired you, but now I feel sick looking at this attitude! You should be thankful that you have given birth to a good son, otherwise my Yu manor would not have tolerated you long ago!”
Lin Shi didn’t flinched nor evaded, allowing Old Madam to beat her. She took advantage of the short gap where Old Madam paused to catch some breath to speak again, “In any case, this daughter-in-law is now sober and wants to uphold this family again, so that the pair of children can live soundly and happily with no trouble at home anymore.” Why would she not want to reconcile with her son? But it was clear that her son no longer needed her, but her daughter was still vulnerable and helpless which made her feel that she was not entirely useless to be alive.
No trouble at home? You are the trouble at home! Old Madam mocked in her heart as she picked the rosary beads and twisted them with her eyes closed, refusing to speak for a long while.
Lin Shi was still not giving up. She knocked her forehead loudly three times on the ground and threatened, “If Mother does not allow, then this daughter-in-law may have to run to that bastard and expose her identity and see if she still has the face to remain in Marquis Yongle manor.”
Old Madam opened her eyes abruptly with a ferocious expression that was dying to eat Lin Shi alive. She had long regarded Yu Xiang as her own granddaughter after four years of companionship and interdependence with one another. Her most misgiving was exactly Yu Xiang learning of her origin then becoming estranged with herself and Yan’er, then clamoring to leave.
As expected, Lin Shi had really woken up with the return of Yu Miao Qi. But she had woken up partly wrong, as she dared to threaten her mother-in-law. Old Madam took several deep breaths before barely suppressing the urge to smack Lin Shi to death.