Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The meal was quite satisfactory, and Meng Die managed to eat until she was half full. After the feast, everyone rinsed their mouths and washed their hands. The maidservants promptly removed the remaining dishes.

The elderly matriarch leaned against her large chair. "I have no further need of you here. You may all return."

Madam Ning stood up first. "Mother is sending us away right after the meal; does this mean you're tired of us?"

"Indeed, just now, Mother's gaze was fixed on Yun and Die, not sparing us even a glance. I think we've lost all favor!"

The woman speaking was in her late twenties, with striking eyebrows and eyes that blossomed like roses when she smiled.

After the morning greetings, Meng Die learned that this was Madam Wu from the fourth branch; her husband was the younger son of the old madam.

Madam Ning teased, "How shameless to vie for favor with your juniors."

Madam Wu tossed her handkerchief aside. "We have no choice but to compete. Yun and Die are still cherished by their aunts, while we only have our mother's love."

Madam Ning pretended to be convinced. "What you say does seem to hold some truth."

Lady Wu: "What I said is quite reasonable."

"Sigh, you two!" The elderly matriarch pointed at Lady Wu and Lady Ning helplessly.

The room filled with laughter from the womenfolk.

Exiting the elderly matriarch's quarters, Lady Ning held Lady Wen's hand with her left and Meng Die's with her right. The three of them—mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter-in-law—walked slowly towards the eastern courtyard.

Lady Ning tilted her head slightly to glance at Lady Wen. "How has your appetite been these past two days? Have you been sleeping well at night?"

"Thank you for your concern, Mother. My appetite has been excellent these past few days," Wen Shi said, lowering her gaze to her slightly rounded belly, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "I've also been sleeping soundly."

"That's good, that's good," Madam Ning replied, changing the subject. "But even with such a good appetite, you must not overeat."

"Hmm?" Wen Shi was puzzled.

Madam Ning explained, "It's only natural that you wouldn't know. If you eat too much, the baby will grow larger, making childbirth more difficult in the future."

Wen Shi realized the wisdom in her words. "Thank you, Mother, for your guidance."

Having attended to one daughter-in-law, Madam Ning turned her attention to the other, "Did you sleep well last night? If there's anything that feels unfamiliar, feel free to speak up. We're all family, so there's no need to be reserved."

"I slept very well yesterday. Mother cares for me, and I have familiar people around me, so there was nothing I wasn't used to."

Madam Ning nodded in approval, "That's good. I'll instruct someone later to send some serving girls and matrons over to you."

"Alright."

Wen Shi and Meng Die accompanied Madam Ning back to the eastern courtyard. The two sisters-in-law walked together towards their own quarters. Meng Die took the initiative to ask, "Eldest Sister-in-law, how many months along are you?"

"It's almost five months now."

Five months? Meng Die paused. Li Daliang and Wen Shi were married in early September of last year. Today was the nineteenth day of the first month, which indeed marked nearly five months. A look of delight spread across Meng Die's face. "A pregnancy after the wedding night?"

Wen Shi's face flushed, and she nodded slightly.

"How fortunate, Elder Sister-in-law. You have great blessings."

Wen Shi beamed with contentment.

Retreating to her Qixia Courtyard, Meng Die sprawled on the soft couch in the flower hall. After kneeling early in the morning, enduring a carriage ride, and weeping bitterly, she now felt as if her soul had floated away.

Lu Wei promptly poured a cup of tea. "Miss, would you like something else to eat? I noticed you didn't have enough."

Meng Die spoke with faint energy. "I just finished eating at Grandmother's place. Whether or not I'm full, I can't continue. Later, go check the kitchen. If there are pastries, bring some back; if not, it's fine. Not being fully satisfied won't starve me to death."

"Spit, spit, spit. Don't talk about death, it's just children's innocent talk."

Enduring Feng Ma's reproachful gaze, Meng Die surrendered. "Yes, yes, I was wrong."

Xing Huang called from the outer chamber, "Miss, Nurse Zheng is here with her entourage."

"Oh," Meng Die struggled to sit up.

Nurse Fan turned to greet them, taking the initiative this time, "Good day, Sister Zheng. It's quite an effort for you to come all this way. Please, do come in."

"Wait here," Mrs. Zheng instructed her group before following Nurse Fan into the room.

Mrs. Zheng bowed respectfully, "Greetings to Second Madam. This morning, the gatekeeper received a visitation card from the Cui family, addressed to you, Second Madam."

Meng Die took the letter of visit and placed it on the table. Pointing at the cushion, she said, "Aunt Zheng, please have a seat."

Aunt Zheng expressed her gratitude before sitting down. "There's one more thing. Lady has instructed me to send over the servants for menial tasks. If Second Lady finds anything amiss with their arrangements or if you need more assistance, feel free to inform us directly."

Meng Die replied, "Thank you for Mother's concern. How are the servants usually assigned in the manor?"

Aunt Zheng promptly answered, "The courtyards in the manor vary in size, thus the number of servants for menial tasks differ as well. Both Qixia Courtyard and the neighboring Lanxuan Courtyard are two-compartment compounds. Over at Lanxuan Courtyard, there are four servants guarding the entrance and eight serving the entire courtyard."

Meng Die pondered for a moment. "Here's my thought: Since Second Master is not at home, I won't require much space by myself, so four servants should suffice. When Second Master returns, we can add more staff as needed."

"Very well." These words pleased Mama Zheng greatly. It was as if Second Master had merely taken a long journey and would return home sooner or later.

Meng Die instructed, "Mama Fan, you take over the responsibilities with Mama Zheng."

"Yes."

Mama Fan took over eight servants from Mama Zheng and assigned them their tasks. Mama Zheng led the remaining four maidservants back to report, while Mama Fan entered the room and said, "Second Lady, everything has been arranged."

Meng Die paused.

Nanny Fan addressed Lu Wei, Xue Qing, and Xing Huang, "Now that we've entered the Marquis's residence, let's change our way of addressing each other."

"Yes."

Meng Die leaned back on the cushion again. It was time to adapt. Having chosen this path, she was now the wife of Li Ai from the Marquis Yongyi's household, no longer the eldest Miss Meng.

She picked up the visiting card again and examined it, feeling puzzled. The Cui family was her third aunt's maiden family. Why were they hurrying to visit her right after her marriage to the marquis? Sending a visiting card in the morning and paying a visit in the afternoon was rather impolite.

Yawning, Meng Die decided not to dwell on it. She would find out their intentions when they arrived: "I'll take a short nap."

Drifting off to sleep, she dreamt again. This time, she had successfully defended her thesis, donned her graduation gown, and established her own research team. Meng Die chuckled, "A new life, a fresh start. Keep going!"

After a midday rest, Meng Die's pre-sleep sadness about leaving her family vanished completely. Recalling the encouragement in her dream, she smiled. You've got the job you wanted; she'll live her life well too.

Freshening up and having a snack, Meng Die instructed Xing Huang to keep watch at the secondary gate. In the afternoon, Old Lady Cui was scheduled to visit. She was the mother of Meng Die's third aunt by marriage, and out of respect for her niece, she was willing to extend some courtesy.

News came swiftly from Xing Huang that Old Lady Cui's palanquin had entered the eastern annex. Meng Die promptly led Nurse Fan and others to greet her at the eastern annex's secondary gate.

Upon seeing the visitor stepping down from the palanquin with the support of her daughter-in-law, Meng Die promptly stepped forward, "I pay my respects."

Madam Cui supported Meng Die, saying, "Please refrain from such formalities."

Meng Die, in turn, helped Madam Cui on her other side. "Madam, please follow me this way."

Inside the room, Meng Die invited Madam Cui to take a seat. After a polite refusal, Madam Cui eventually sat down.

Meng Die initiated the conversation, "I've just entered this household and am still unfamiliar with everything. Your visit, Madam, has truly relieved my anxieties."

Madam Cui smiled warmly, "You've just become part of the family, and according to propriety, I shouldn't have come so soon. But there's a matter of urgency that compelled me to rush over."

Meng Die paused, "Madame, what is it?"

Lady Cui glanced at the maidservants attending in the room.

Meng Die smiled, "They are all part of my dowry."

Surprise flickered across Lady Cui's face, "Princess Consort treats you well." Her tone shifted subtly, "Madame treats you so kindly, you should consider the Marquis Manor even more."

Meng Die asked, "How does Madame mean that, exactly?"

Mrs. Cui whispered, "Did your dowry include a shop?"

Meng Die blinked, admitting that she hadn't had the chance to examine the dowry list and was genuinely unaware of this matter. However, she now understood the true purpose behind the Cui family's visit today. Immediately, she began her act, her eyes reflecting an innocent naivety. "Yes," she replied.

Madam Cui's face was filled with urgency as she said, "According to the explicit laws of our Great Yi Dynasty, those who serve as officials are forbidden from engaging in commerce. What kind of family is the Marquis's Mansion that they would be allowed to operate a shop?"

Meng Die's face was filled with fear. "This, this shop was originally part of my grandmother's dowry. My grandfather was an official too. They don't seize a woman's dowry, do they?"

Mrs. Cui wore an expression of condescension. "Let me put it bluntly, how can your family compare with an aristocratic marquisate? Think about your sister-in-law."

Meng Die's face was filled with confusion. "Eldest Sister-in-law?"

Madam Cui nodded and said, "Wen, the legitimate and eldest daughter-in-law of the Marquis household, comes from a family of salt merchants with countless shops. Look at her dowry, did it include any shops? Not a single one."

If it were a matter of not doting on their daughter, that would be one thing, but it's clearly not the case. Setting aside the rest of the dowry, there's a substantial sum of ten thousand taels reserved as the bottom-of-the-trunk silver alone. Consider this: would such a family be lacking those two shops? It's simply to avoid any criticism aimed at the Marquis's residence.

Meng Die's face betrayed her shock. "Criticize?"

Mrs. Cui continued, "A wife engaged in commerce and a husband serving as an official, if accused of collusion between official and merchant, isn't the loss of office and dismissal imminent? That's why your elder sister-in-law's family refused to include the shop as part of the dowry, to guard against such a situation."

Meng Die instantly felt utterly lost. "But, but..."

Aunt Cui rushed to respond, "Oh dear, why are you still stammering?"

Meng Die replied with equal urgency, "Can't a wife manage her own affairs? It's her dowry, after all. Which woman doesn't have her own private savings?"

Aunt Cui barely managed to suppress her laughter. Seated below, she covered her mouth with a handkerchief, her shoulders shaking with mirth.

Meng Die immediately felt deflated.

Madam Cui looked at Meng Die helplessly. "Can one openly talk about private savings? Even if it's private savings, it should be given by your husband. A wife going into business to earn her own private money implies that the man of the house is incapable of supporting his wife. Your colleagues' criticism would drown you in an instant."

Meng Die was taken aback. "Granny, what should I do then?"

Madam Cui smiled. "That's why I'm here. You can't keep this shop, and it wouldn't look good if you sold it openly. People might say the Marquis household mistreats you if you sell your dowry right after marriage."

Meng Die nodded repeatedly.

Finally, Madam Cui revealed her motive. "I have a relative who's involved in commerce. Why don't you sell the shop to him? It'll be done quietly, and you'll get the silver without causing any scandal for the Marquis household."

Meng Die sipped her tea. "Auntie Cui's concern for me has illuminated a clear path."

A smile bloomed on Auntie Cui's face.

Meng Die continued, "In that case, I'll send someone to retrieve the shop's deed and take it to the premises. This way, their transaction won't draw attention, and I'll gain a thousand taels without effort. My dowry won't be much less than Eldest Sister's."

The smile froze on Auntie Cui's face. "What thousand taels?"

Meng Die replied, "Didn't Auntie mention just now that Eldest Sister's dowry includes ten thousand taels in savings? Since Auntie wishes to support me, the shop should naturally sell for ten thousand taels."

Madam Cui nearly leapt to her feet. Her daughter-in-law expressed her unspoken thoughts: "Why don't you just snatch it? Your shop is worth no more than a thousand taels of silver at most."

Meng Die looked at her innocently. "Didn't the old madam promise to support me? A thousand taels of silver, is that what you offer to beggars?"

Madam Cui took a deep breath, barely suppressing her fury. "I would love to provide you with additional funds, but our humble House Cui simply does not possess such wealth. My suggestion for you to sell the shop was to spare the Marquisate from criticism and to secure your own standing within it!"

"Oh, I see!" Meng Die swiftly reined in the smile on her face. "I had thought that the elderly madam was showing her affection for me by intending to provide me with some financial support."

Madam Cui was taken aback, "Your marriage into the Marquis's household is a fortune of immense proportions. How could my humble family ever aspire to such heights?" With that, she rose abruptly from her seat.

Meng Die: "Xing Huang, see our guests out." She herself remained seated, not even bothering to instruct her own wet nurse.

This was a direct affront to Elder Madam Cui, who could barely contain her anger. "We came here with good intentions, to advise and strategize for you. If you refuse our help, that's one thing, but do you have no manners or respect for your elders? Is this how you treat guests and those senior to you?"

Meng Die's expression darkened. She could tolerate the criticism of herself, but not the insult to her family. "Elder? What right do you have to call yourself that? I am born into the Meng family and married into the Li family. How are you related to me? I only address you as Elder Madam out of respect for your close ties to my aunt-in-law. Don't take yourself too seriously."

"You say it's for my own good? Then why not simply bring me silver? Selling the shop at a discount to your relatives, that's like drawing a nose on a piece of paper and calling it a face. Trying to intimidate me with your connections in officialdom? You should first look in the mirror and see if you're worthy. Your family hasn't produced an imperial scholar in years, let alone held any official positions. Do you really think you understand these matters better than I do? Your audacity knows no bounds; with just a little encouragement, you act as if you own a dye workshop."

Elder Madam Cui's face flushed with anger. "You..."

"What am I saying? Should I make this matter public and let everyone hear it?" Meng Die picked up her teacup, using the gesture to imply she was bidding her guest farewell.

Madam Cui's chest heaved with anger. Just as her daughter-in-law was about to speak, she seized her by the arm, "Don't think you can rest easy and feel superior just because you've married into an aristocratic household."

Meng Die chuckled with a hint of self-satisfaction, "At least I have the means to ascend if I wish, whereas you don't even have that opportunity."

Unable to endure Meng Die's repeated humiliations any longer, Lady Cui, accompanied by her son's wife, slunk away from the Marquis's residence in disgrace.

Once the individuals had vanished completely from sight, Nurse Fan was immediately beset with worry. "Madam Second has only recently married into the Marquis's household. How will this incident today reflect upon us if it spreads?"

Meng Die spoke with unflappable audacity: "I'm already in the door, and once goods are sold, there's no going back."

Nanny Fan could only laugh through her tears: "How can you speak of yourself like that? But it's true, that Elder Madam Cui is quite a character."

Lu Wei chimed in: "Although the Cui family hasn't had anyone in office these past few years, they did accumulate some wealth during the time of the old patriarch. Why would they set their sights on this shop?"

Meng Die explained: "Those in official positions usually invest in farmland and manors, which yield rent twice a year. In a place like the capital city, rent might only be collected once a year. How can that compare to a shop that brings in money month after month?"

Lu Wei suggested: "Then just buy it outright."

Meng Die chuckled. "In these peaceful times, people have extra money in their pockets, and the shops in the capital have long been snatched up. Prices have skyrocketed. It's not that easy to get your hands on one."

The crowd was left speechless.