Chapter 61

Chapter 61

The weather grew increasingly hot and arid, with no rain having fallen in the capital for half a month. One evening, Meng Die paid another visit to her melon patch in the courtyard.

In late spring, Tamu and Li Teer returned to the city, bringing with them several boxes brimming with watermelon seeds from different regions. Meng Die was delighted and, in return, gifted them some dried mushrooms. She promptly instructed her servants to transform a sun-drenched flower bed in the yard into a melon field.

She even went the extra mile by importing sand to mix with the soil, striving to recreate the sandy loam that watermelons thrived in.

Bending down, she inserted a small stick into the ground and pulled it out. Not a speck of soil clung to the roots; only a faint dusting of earth adhered to it.

Lu Wei lowered herself to kneel, echoing the sentiment, "This drought is truly severe. I recall watering the plants just two days ago."

Meng Die straightened up after resetting the measuring stick in the ground. "Fetch a few more buckets of water."

"Aye," the four servants, each skilled in menial tasks, responded in unison.

Xue Qing called out, "Second Lady, there's a bud over here."

"Where? Where?" Xing Huang hurriedly joined in, eager to inspect.

Xue Qing: "Look, right here."

Following Xue Qing's guidance, Xing Huang knelt on the ground and studied the area for quite a while before spotting a tiny, yellow-green bud hidden among lush vines. Rising to her feet, she rubbed her eyes. "Xue Qing, your eyesight is incredible!"

Xue Qing: "Why can't I have a special skill just because you have a keen sense of taste?"

Xing Huang playfully tickled Xue Qing, and the two of them tumbled into a playful scuffle.

Several young maids arrived with water buckets, while Meng Die led a few other maids to water the melon field. Even though they had irrigated it just two days prior, this time, as soon as the water touched the ground, it was instantly absorbed by the soil, not a drop spilling elsewhere.

Pail after pail was poured until the soil was finally moistened. Meng Die wiped the sweat from her forehead. "I wonder when it will rain."

Meihong replied, "It seems difficult with this scorching heat. There's not a single cloud or breeze in sight."

Lu Wei sighed deeply. "Aunt Fan mentioned that many places haven't seen rain for two months now."

Meng Die led the group back to their quarters. The coolness of the room invigorated everyone, and they hurriedly washed up and changed clothes, dispelling much of their heat.

Leaning semi-recumbently on the soft couch, Meng Die said, "Xing Huang, bring me a bowl of plum soup, but add more ice." She then turned to Lu Wei, "The imperial court started relief efforts half a month ago. Unfortunately, the affected areas keep expanding. Procuring food and provisions for the displaced people will be no easy task."

Lu Wei had also changed her clothes. "I wonder how our manor is doing."

Xue Qing replied, "Second Aunt's manor has a large river, so irrigation shouldn't be an issue."

Lu Wei continued, "I was talking about the sugar beets. Didn't Nurse Fan say they need plenty of sunlight? This year, all the sugar beets were planted on the sunny slopes. With such a drought and high temperatures, I'm worried about how they're faring."

Meng Die reassured, "There shouldn't be anything to worry about. If watering was necessary, Head Wang would have informed me that he needed more hands. Since he hasn't mentioned it, I suppose it isn't severe yet. But if the drought persists, it won't be good."

Xing Huang brought Meng Die a half bowl of chilled plum soup. "It's late, Second Aunt. Perhaps you should drink less of this."

Meng Die took a large gulp of plum vinegar soup, letting out a contented sigh. "Nothing beats drinking plum soup in the summer."

Xing Huang watched as Meng Die crunched on the ice cubes. "It's scorching hot and dry. I wonder if we have enough ice for the household this year."

Swallowing the ice in her mouth, Meng Die replied, "To be honest, I'm not sure. Last year, Eldest Sister-in-Law was in charge of the ice cellar. I'll ask her during tomorrow's morning greetings." If push came to shove, she could always order an ice cellar to be built on their estate next year. With a large river nearby, harvesting ice would be relatively simple.

Before Meng Die could inquire, Lady Hou directly asked the question, "Do we have enough ice for the household?"

Madam Ning smiled. "Yes, there's plenty. A few years ago, when we didn't have enough ice, everyone suffered. Since then, I've made sure to have extra prepared annually. Last year, we had three additional pregnant women in the family, so I anticipated needing even more this year and thus made extra provisions."

"Your consideration is impeccable," Lady Hou expressed her satisfaction. "I recall that Fifth Household's child will be a month old in half a month. Should we hold the full moon banquet indoors or in the garden?"

Lady Ning seemed troubled. "I've been pondering over this as well. It would be shaded indoors, but with so many people, it would still be stuffy even with ice. Outdoors, there's a breeze, but the sun might scorch everyone. It's quite a dilemma."

Wen: "Grandmother, Mother, why not arrange it outside? We can set up more shelters to provide shade and a cool breeze."

Lady Ning's worries deepened. "Shelters require glazed tiles, but our household storeroom lacks them. Even if we were to purchase now, they wouldn't be readily available. These things must be ordered in advance."

"Mother, what kind of glazed tiles?" Meng Die interjected. "In my opinion, we could use ramie cloth instead."

"Goat hair cloth?" Lady Ning shook her head subconsciously. "I remember that's what they use in the countryside to build temporary shelters."

Meng Die replied, "They do use goat hair cloth for that in the countryside, but my method is different from theirs."

Lady Ning was curious. "How so?"

Meng Die explained, "In the countryside, they just drape a large piece of cloth over it, and when the wind blows, it flaps around—very unappealing. We won't be doing that. I plan on shaping the goat hair cloth into various forms, like the shape of a big tree. Then we can set up tables underneath, which would be cool and visually pleasing, as well as novel."

"That's a good idea," Wu Clan's matriarch was the first to approve. "When our Qin'er celebrated her full moon, it wasn't this hot, and there were occasional breezes. It was perfect indoors then. But now, it's just too hot inside."

Madame Ning: "Butterfly, dear, I'll leave that matter in your capable hands."

"Very well."

Madame Hou added, "It's been scorching hot lately. Qin'er and Can'er are still so young. Be cautious when using the ice."

"Aye." Both Madam Wu and Madam Wen responded in unison.

More than two months ago, Li Mao and Madam Wen welcomed their firstborn daughter, whom they named Li Can, making her the eldest among their generation.

Over a month ago, Li Jie and Wu's third son was born, named Li Qin.

Half a month ago, Li Kuo and Fang's second son arrived, though he had yet to be given a name.

Meng Die, having taken on this task, naturally put her heart into it. Upon returning from the main residence, she immersed herself in the study, sketching out two or thirty designs - not limited to various large tree forms, enlarged flower patterns, and simpler lotus leaf shapes, among others.

Meng Die's idea was straightforward: in her dream world, bubbles could take on any shape, so using gauze and wooden frames shouldn't pose a problem either. Bubbles were light and easier to manipulate, while her wooden frames and gauze might only require more effort.

She handed the completed sketches to Xue Qing. "Today, you start by matching colors according to these designs. Once you've decided on the colors, tell Sister Lu Wei how much gauze is needed for each item. She can then go shopping with Nurse Fan tomorrow."

"Very well."

Meng Die turned to Lu Wei, "Tomorrow, you and Nurse Fan should visit the carpenters. Tell them I want this structure to be dismantlable yet sturdy, preferably crafted with mortise and tenon joints. Choose durable wood, not cheap willow for the sake of economy."

Lu Wei replied, "Understood."

Meng Die continued, "Mei'er, pay a visit to Nurse Fan's residence. Inform her to prepare a carriage for tomorrow morning. Lu Wei will meet her there before they head to find the carpenters together."

"Aye."

With time pressing, Xue Qing hurriedly completed the dyeing task overnight. She listed down the exact number of bolts needed for each color on a detailed inventory.

The next morning, Lu Wei finished her preparations and left the house promptly.

Meng Die, as usual, washed up and paid her respects to the seniors before returning for breakfast. Then, she went to the Jingcu Pavilion. When she returned from there, Lu Wei had also just come back: "Did everything go smoothly?"

Lu Wei replied, "Yes, it's all taken care of. The purchase of the gauze cloth cost thirty taels of silver in total. The carpenter quoted fifty taels for the wooden frames, promising delivery within ten days. We've given him a deposit of ten taels."

Meng Die nodded: "Have you eaten yet? Go have your meal first."

Indeed, Lu Wei was famished. After a hasty freshening up and a change of clothes, she promptly went to have her meal.

Xue Qing took the gauze in hand and immediately led Mei'er and the others to wash them all thoroughly, removing any surface dye. The weather was scorching, so by the afternoon, they had already dried under the sun, and by evening, they were completely dry.

After retrieving the gauze, Xue Qing guided everyone in cutting and shaping them.

The carpenter had been efficient; on the eighth day, he sent word that everything was ready. Nanny Fan took four servants to inspect the goods, and upon confirming their quality, paid the balance on the spot.

Upon bringing the frames back, Xue Qing, along with Mei'er, Meihong, and Hulu, began to mount the gauze onto the wooden frames in the garden. When they were nearly done, Nanny Fan arrived with a few servants to secure the frames in their designated spots.

For two consecutive days, twenty-five artificial plants mysteriously appeared in the garden of Marquis Yongyi's residence.

Madam Hou and Madam Ning, upon receiving the news that everything was ready, joined hands and made their way to the garden, standing together under the shade of a lotus leaf.

Lady Hou raised her gaze and inquired, "Is this a lotus leaf?"

"I suppose it does resemble a lotus leaf," Madam Ning observed, feeling the shade. "It's truly cool down here, not a bit scorching."

Lady Hou also took a moment to savor it: "More comfortable than my own quarters." She was of a certain age and didn't use much ice in her room.

The two women then moved to stand beneath a peach blossom tree, where they immersed themselves in the scene. The gauze was tinted pink, and as sunlight filtered through it, the area beneath the peach tree was suffused with a gentle blush. Being there made one feel inexplicably delicate and charming, akin to admiring a beauty under the soft glow of a lamp.

Lady Hou laughed heartily, "They must all enjoy sitting beneath this table."

Madam Ning raised her gaze. "It's not just because they all adore it, I do as well."

As predicted by Madam Hou and Madam Ning, the exquisite flowers received universal praise from the guests, who all commented that they felt as if they had been rejuvenated a decade younger while seated amidst them.

Lady Fang's sister-in-law, the Lady of Eternal Peace, wife of the Honorable Marquis, inquired, "This shelter is ingeniously constructed. What materials are used within?"

"Madam, it's a wooden frame inside," the servant replied.

"What is this on the...?" The Countess of Yongning's heir-apparent's wife paused, recognizing the gauze but refraining from further criticism.

It happened that Mei'er was the one running errands here, and she answered confidently, "We used gauze on the outside. Our Second Lady experimented with it for quite some time."

"Experimented for a long time?" another woman asked curiously.

Mei'er explained, "Indeed, at first, our Second Lady thought that the delicacy and grace of gauze would be perfect, so she tried layering various types of it. But gauze didn't block any light, so we switched to silk and satin, which did block light but not heat. Frustrated, we then tried brocade, but it was too thick, casting the area beneath the frame into darkness. After numerous trials, we finally settled on gauze, as it allows ventilation, blocks sunlight, and keeps the heat away. Our Second Lady even mentioned that it was a cost-saving measure."

The women burst into laughter, instantly dispelling the subtle awkwardness that had arisen from Ge Bu's mishap.

"You have quite the sharp tongue, my dear. Which household do you belong to? I must know who has trained you so well."

Mei'er blushed and smiled bashfully. "I am from the second madam's quarters in our residence."

"Ah! No wonder you're so quick-witted. Your second madam is skilled in nurturing people."

Meng Die's innovative shelter design immediately became a sensation throughout the capital. Soon, all those hosting banquets followed suit. Upon learning that Meng Die had created the wooden frame at Youli Carpentry Shop, they flocked there to order their own, bringing prosperity to the carpenters.

The days grew increasingly sweltering, and the affected regions expanded with each passing day. The emperor's face remained perpetually grim, casting a pall of tension over the entire court, as everyone feared inadvertently provoking his melancholic mood and being swept into the wake of his wrath.

Meng Die's manor had also suffered from a few drought-stricken patches in its beet fields. Fortunately, the affected areas were limited, and with Meng Die having recently hired more people, Wang Headman's workforce was ample, ensuring that the beet growth remained on track.

However, the intense heat took its toll. One day, the shepherd, not paying enough attention, lost two young goats to the scorching temperatures. They hadn't succumbed to any illness, so Meng Die didn't order their cremation. Instead, she left it to Wang Headman to dispose of them, and many in the manor enjoyed goat soup as a result.

Yawning, Meng Die rubbed her sore eyes. She yearned for sleep but found herself unable to doze off. Although her room was kept cool with ice, she still felt an inferno raging within her bones, particularly in her palms and soles, making her wish she could walk and hold onto ice.

Yesterday, the physician diagnosed her with a disconnection between her heart and kidneys, a deficiency in heart yin. He recommended nourishing her yin. Meng Die sighed; such a deficiency didn't occur overnight, nor would replenishment be a swift process.

Meng Die decided to rise from her seat. Lu Wei was sleeping uneasily in the outer room, so Meng Die tiptoed and gently pushed open the door to step outside.

It was almost the fifteenth day of the lunar month, and tonight's moon was exceptionally bright. Meng Die strolled over to inspect the melon field. It had been a month since she first noticed the tiny buds on the vines planted by Xue Qing. The yellow melon flowers had withered, and small, emerald green melon fruits had taken their place.

From the information she had gathered in her dream world, she knew that the slowest-ripening melons took only forty days from flowering to maturity. Even if these were completely unhybridized varieties, they should be ready in fifty days at most. It had already been twenty days, so within another month, she would surely be able to enjoy some ripe melons.

However, there were seven different regional varieties in her melon patch, and they likely wouldn't ripen simultaneously. She would have to distinguish them carefully! To her horror, Meng Die realized she didn't know how to choose a good melon.

Bang, bang, bang – a disorderly knocking sound echoed faintly from the eastern courtyard. Meng Die pricked up her ears to listen. It seemed to be coming from the eastern corner gate of that courtyard. Though called a corner gate, it wasn't just any ordinary entrance; it was a proper gate for the eastern courtyard, not a simple wooden door but a genuine iron one. The pounding was distinct from the sound it would make if it were a wooden door.

A light flickered in the outbuilding of the courtyard, indicating that the night guard had been roused from her slumber.

Two matrons were on duty that night. One carried a lantern and stepped out to investigate, while the other cautiously guarded the entrance. Seeing Meng Die standing in the yard, she waved her hand, signaling that there was no need for her to approach.

Meng Die looked up, noticing that the moon was already high in the sky – it was the middle of the night. Who would knock on the marquis's residence at such an hour? Already devoid of sleep, Meng Die became even more alert.

Within less than an hour, Mother Zhao, who had gone to inquire, hurried back. Mother Wang, her colleague, nudged her with her chin, indicating that Meng Die was present. As Mother Zhao was about to step forward, Meng Die waved her hand and quietly approached them, lowering her voice. "What has happened?"

"Second Lady, it's terrible! The one knocking is Little Cui, Fourth Aunt's maid who came with her dowry. She says Chunni was beaten to death by Fourth Uncle, and Fourth Aunt is in an unconscious state after being attacked by him as well. She barely managed to escape from inside," Mother Zhao recounted, still shaken. "I saw a large scar on her forehead."

Meng Die stood there, stunned. For a moment, she doubted her own hearing. "Did you hear that correctly?"

Auntie Zhao replied, "How could I have heard it wrong? Little Cui repeated it twice. Madam didn't believe it at first, but eventually became convinced."

"This shameless beast must have borrowed the courage of a lion and the audacity of a bear from the heavens." Meng Die turned to Auntie Zhao. "What did Madam say about this?"

Auntie Zhao answered, "Little Cui looked terrible. Madam has ordered a servant to fetch a physician."

Meng Die asked, "Aside from Madam, who else was there when you arrived?"

Aunt Zhao: "Madam, there were people from Madam San and Madam Wu's quarters who had gone over. When I returned, Aunt Zhang from the main house happened to be visiting. I was in a hurry to come back and inform Madam Er about it, so I didn't hear what they continued discussing."

Meng Die pondered for a moment and replied, "Understood." She turned and softly returned to her chamber, hastily dressing herself and loosely tying her hair into a simple bun, securing it with a hairpin.

Noticing Lu Wei's furrowed brow, indicating she was about to awaken, Meng Die softened her footsteps even more.

Two matrons, just about to return to their quarters for more sleep, froze at the sight of Meng Die.

Meng Die said, "Wang Pozi, if Lu Wei and the others regain consciousness, inform them that I've gone to the main chamber. Auntie Zhao, you accompany me there."

"Ah."

Old Lady Zhao pushed the door open again and led the way with her lantern, illuminating Meng Die's path. Meng Die didn't head to the eastern courtyard; since someone had arrived at the main house, Madam Ning would surely have taken Little Cui there.

By the time Meng Die reached the main house, it was brightly lit. As she had anticipated, Marquis Yongyi, his wife, and their heir and his wife were all gathered in the reception hall, questioning Little Cui about the details of the incident.

"Old Marquis, Old Lady, Second Madam is here."

The four people inside paused simultaneously. If it had been anyone else, they could have dismissed them with a single sentence. But with Meng Die's arrival, Marquis Yongyi and the Marquise exchanged glances before the Marquise said, "Let her in."

"Wait for me here," Meng Die said before entering the reception hall alone. "Grandfather, Grandmother, Father, Mother."

Madam Hou asked, "It's the middle of the night. Why aren't you resting?"

Meng Die replied, "It's too hot, so I never really fell asleep."

Madam Hou sighed. "Since you're here, take a seat and listen in."

Meng Die expressed her gratitude and sat down. Her gaze fell on Xiao Cui, who had also found a seat. Under the bright light, Meng Die realized that the mark on Xiao Cui's forehead was not a scar but a winding bloodstain. There was a distinct scab at the hairline on her forehead, indicating she must have hit it.

Marquis Yongyi: "Tell me the details."

Xiao Cui wiped away her tears and composed herself before narrating the story: "After serving Lady for more than four months at Duke Cheng'en's residence, she arranged for me to marry the son of the headman of the manor given as part of her dowry. Then, I moved to live in that manor."

"Given that it takes around five or six days to travel from the manor to the capital, we would usually return to the capital every three months to report to Lady. Recently, the weather has been scorching, and our manor suffered severe drought. My husband and I couldn't wait for the regular three-month visit, so we came a full month and a half earlier to report the disaster."

"When we arrived at the duke's residence, Lady was nowhere to be seen. Xiao Xia received us and informed me that Lady has been deeply saddened since her miscarriage, causing her health to deteriorate. I was aware of this, as Lady had lost much weight after the miscarriage, so I didn't suspect anything."

"Xiao Xia told me that Lady has been particularly unwell these few days and hasn't seen anyone. I asked her to wait until Lady recovers a bit and then convey the situation back at the manor, especially since the drought will surely lead to reduced crop yields this year. Xiao Xia readily agreed."

"At the time, I had an inkling that something was amiss. Later, it dawned on me that the filigree pearl earrings Little Xia was wearing were Lady's favorites, and she would never give them away. Moreover, with me having been here for so long, Sister Chunni should have made time to visit me. Why would Little Xia be the one solely attending to me?"

With a concealed intention, I mentioned that it was already rather late in the day, and if we were to leave the capital now, we might not make it to the next town before nightfall, risking an unplanned rest in the wilderness. Therefore, I suggested staying at the mansion for the night and departing early tomorrow morning. Xiao Xia agreed but arranged for my husband and me to stay in the servants' quarters behind the rear screen, not allowing me to remain in Madam's courtyard.

"As my husband and I hastily finished our dinner, I grew increasingly uneasy. After nightfall, I secretly made my way to my mother-in-law's courtyard. The governance in the official residence was always rather lax, so I easily reached my destination. Just as I was about to enter the courtyard, I collided with Little Lan, who had just rushed out. She knew I had stayed behind and had come looking for me on purpose."

Her emaciated form bore no hint of health, and she claimed that she had seized the opportunity to escape when Xiaoxia was drunk and creating a commotion with Lord Seven. She urged me to hasten back to the Marquis's residence and convey the dire news: Sister Chunni has been beaten to death, and Auntie has lain unconscious for two days from the assault.

"At that moment, I intended to inquire about the details, but Xiao Lan gently urged me away, mentioning that someone in the courtyard might have been observing her. If she stayed away for too long, she would be noticed. With those words, she departed."

"I had intended to search for Madam in the courtyard, but I heard Xiao Lan's piteous cries, followed by Seventh Master's berating and scolding. He inquired about her whereabouts just now. Terrified, I hurriedly ran back to the rear annex to inform my husband, who then promptly urged us to leave the noble residence."

We rushed to the back gate, where the matrons on duty were dozing off after drinking. We intended to sneak away with the key, but someone from the estate chased after us, claiming that something was lost. The matrons were startled awake, and in the chaos, my husband and I had no choice but to seize the key and make a run for it. In the scuffle, I hit my head.

"Later on, as we reached the main street, some still pursued us relentlessly—it was Mama Zhang who came to our aid. Only then were my husband and I able to flee to the street where the Marquis's residence stood, at which point our pursuers dared not follow further."

Speaking up to this point, Xiao Cui broke down in tears once more, sobbing pitifully, "I wonder how Little Lan and Nurse Zhang are faring. Elder Marquis and Lady, I beg of you, save Madam, save Little Lan and Nurse Zhang, please."