Chapter 80: No Thoughts, No Fame (9) “Bug Catching”

Chapter 80: No Thoughts, No Fame (9) "Bug Catching"

The constant singing outside was driving He Chun mad. He called for someone to come in and asked, "What are they singing?"

Normally, he didn't listen to operas.

Song Ting had already inquired when he heard the window slam shut. He promptly replied, "They're performing 'Peony Pavilion' now. It was requested by Elder Madam Yu."

He Chun recalled the lyrics and became suspicious, pondering over the members of the Yu family and those who had conflicts with him. "Is that so? What's it about?"

Song Ting answered, "It's a story of a talented scholar and a courtesan, centered around the imperial examinations."

He Chun's suspicions dissipated; women usually enjoyed such stories. He waved his hand dismissively. "Leave now and close the door behind you."

Song Ting acknowledged with an "aye" and hurriedly left.

He Chun lay back on his bed, suddenly feeling stifled. The discomfort was unbearable.

The music continued outside, punctuated by occasional cheers. Without even looking, he could tell it was a lively affair. Compared to the silence in his courtyard, it only accentuated his loneliness.

He closed his eyes, remaining still for several moments before getting up again, pacing back and forth relentlessly within the room. With each step, his irritation grew, still struggling to comprehend how he had ended up in such a predicament.

It had all begun as an ordinary day, with no foreboding signs. The entire mess originated from that casual encounter with Zuo Mingyuan at the tavern, that one seemingly insignificant cup of wine they shared.

He shouldn't have drunk that wine.

Even if he didn't wish to offend the Crown Prince, the latter was not an overly harsh person. Their friendship was decent enough; he should have fabricated an excuse then and there, claiming a family emergency, that his mother was ill, or that something had happened to Chuan-ge – any of those would have sufficed. If the Crown Prince had taken offense, he could have made amends later on.

Why, why did he insist on entering that tavern for just one cup of wine? !

Upon this thought, he couldn't resist punching the wall. The wall remained unscathed, but his hand was bleeding.

Coincidentally, Lady Zhao couldn't contain her curiosity and came to check on him, only to witness this scene. She immediately exclaimed in horror.

He Chun, already troubled, found her clamor aggravating his splitting headache, leaving him with no patience. He yelled, "Heavenly Father, Earthly Mother, for the love of all that's sacred, just be quiet!"

Lady Zhao's lips quivered, and she instantly fell silent, staring wide-eyed at He Chun without daring to speak. It was unclear what was going through her mind.

Feeling annoyed by her gaze, He Chun gently but firmly pushed her away, saying, "If there's nothing else, Mother, return to your prayers and scriptures."

Madam Zhao was already stiff from tension; with his gentle push, her legs gave way, and she tumbled to the floor with a thud.

Zhe Wan was in the midst of accompanying Elder Madam Yu, discussing how the opera troupe's performance had depth that day. She noticed Mother Ming rushing over to stand outside the room, looking concerned.

Elder Madam Yu smiled and said, "Go on, I'll watch by myself for a while."

Zhe Wan replied, "I'll be right back."

She got up and approached Mother Ming, asking, "What's happened?"

Mother Ming whispered, "Madam stumbled and fell accidentally, possibly injuring her tailbone."

Zhe Wan was surprised. "Didn't she go to rest? How did she fall?"

Mother Ming explained, "It happened in Cangyun Pavilion... Young Master was there too."

Recognition flashed in Zhe Wan's eyes. She said, "If it's a tailbone injury, we naturally need to summon a female physician. Just inform Third Madam; she knows what to do."

In any case, Zhe Wan had no intention of getting involved.

When the performance ended and all the ladies had been seen off, Zhe Wan took her time returning. Madam Zhao had already moved to the Mountain and Sea Courtyard, while He Chun stood beside her, his face filled with frustration, regret, and irritation.

On the other side, Song Yueniang was weeping, "Why did Mother trip like that? Oh, heavens, send down a bolt of lightning to flatten that spot, at least make it even so that Mother won't stumble again."

Zhe Wan understood now why He Chun was so frustrated.

She smiled, "Yes, one thunderbolt from above, and the ground is levelled."

He Chun turned away in anger.

Song Yueniang felt a sense of satisfaction, but also concern for her mother-in-law. "Oh, what are we to do? It takes a hundred days to recover from such injuries; Mother might have trouble walking now."

Madam Zhao, who had initially been displeased by Song Yueniang's veiled criticism, was now moved by her sincere tears. "Yueniang, I haven't spoiled you for nothing."

The implication was clear: those who knew they had been spoiled would understand.

He Chun's face flushed red, and his breathing grew heavy. When the female physician arrived and treated Madam Zhao, applying medicine and setting her bones, Duke of England also returned, frowning as he asked, "How could you be so careless?"

Madam Zhao still tried to cover up the truth. "I just hurried a few steps."

Duke of England: "Then have a few of your daughters-in-law attend to you. You shouldn't leave the house for the next few months."

He paused and added, "I have some matters to discuss with the eldest daughter-in-law, so let the others take care of you."

He had high hopes for Zhe Wan to gain favor with the Empress Dowager and climb up the ranks in the palace.

Since He Chun's imprisonment, a few opportunistic individuals had emerged, even daring to make veiled insults towards him. It was truly infuriating.

He hastily summoned Lihua He to the study. "Come here, we need to talk more about this."

As soon as they left, the group of daughters-in-law resumed their conversation. Song Yueniang wiped away her tears. "I'll tend to Mother then. I won't be leaving these few days."

Madam Zhao was moved. "You all take turns, it's not appropriate for just one of you to bear this burden."

She looked at Zhe Wan, wanting to say something but lacking the courage, so she could only lower her head in frustration. Zhe Wan responded with a gentle smile. "Mother, you must recover quickly. I noticed He Chun's expression wasn't well just now; he must be worried sick about you."

Madam Zhao: "…"

The words stung, but she had to suppress her discomfort and acknowledge, "Yes, he is filial."

Zhe Wan truly believed that living a long life was indeed advantageous.

She had seen it all.

Rising to her feet, she said, "I still need to tend to the children, so I'll be taking my leave first. Sister-in-law San, you'll have to look after Mother. Yingjie has been staying with me these past few days, so there's no need for you to worry."

Song Yueniang couldn't feign politeness and turned her face away.

Zhe Wan left with Fifth Young Madam. The latter inquired, "Is Eldest Sister-in-law returning home?"

Zhe Wan replied, "No, I'm going to send some festival gifts over to Fourth Sister."

It was for the Dragon Boat Festival. Although it wasn't yet time, she needed to send them early.

Fifth Young Madam asked, "Can I accompany you?"

Zhe Wan linked arms with her. "Of course, help me pick out something. It wouldn't do to send the same thing every year; I want to send something new and interesting."

Fifth Young Madam followed her. Fifth Young Master had instructed her that if they got along, it would be good to get closer to Eldest Sister-in-law. He had said, "Eldest Sister-in-law can even keep Big Brother in line; she's a capable woman."

He sighed, "Now that Elder Brother is suffering, I'll honestly tell you, I'm both worried and secretly pleased."

Before, Elder Brother always looked down on people with his nose in the air and was very conceited.

After he got his young wife, he found it comforting to confide in someone, and couldn't help but say, "Back when I was studying, I was doing just fine. But he insisted on teaching me, telling me where to recite from today, tomorrow, and the day after."

Young Fifth Madam didn't understand his grievance, "Wasn't he trying to be kind?"

The tongue-tied Young Fifth gave an analogy, "It's like him telling me to write with a brush instead of my hand, or to speak with my mouth instead of my butt."

Young Fifth Madam couldn't stop laughing. She found her husband incredibly witty. Though he appeared quiet and reserved on the outside, he actually enjoyed chatting.

When she visited her family, she told them, "My husband is great. Although Mother-in-law isn't pleasant, Eldest Sister-in-law is on my side, Second Sister-in-law talks to me often, and Fourth Sister-in-law complains a lot and has a small heart, but she hasn't bullied me."

Her mother then asked, "Then what about your Third Sister-in-law?"

Young Fifth Madam hesitated, "Third Sister-in-law isn't a bad person, but she's in league with Mother-in-law. She looks down on me."

Even Eldest Sister-in-law looked down on her.

Mother replied, "Then keep your distance from her."

The Fifth Young Lady did just that, making her position clear by often accompanying her elder sister-in-law.

The Fifth Young Master approved of her actions, "That's the right way to go. Associate with the virtuous and keep away from the unscrupulous."

The Fifth Young Lady covered her mouth and laughed, "Don't talk nonsense! You'll get us in trouble!"

But she wasn't worried about whether her eldest brother had been imprisoned. She told her husband, "As long as it doesn't involve us, let them be."

The Fifth Young Master chuckled, "Nonsense. Family members are always interconnected. How could it not affect us?"

But as long as the family's foundation remained stable, there was nothing to worry about. He explained the situation to his wife, "Father and Third Brother haven't been implicated. Eldest Sister-in-law still enters the palace as usual. It's only Eldest Brother who has fallen into misfortune."

Frankly speaking, as long as there was still one person holding up the family, no one cared who else might falter.

He shared a story with his wife, "I read this in a book once."

He said, "During times of war, there was a small kingdom that changed its crown prince every year. Whenever they did, they would provide food and reduce taxes for the people as a sign of favor. In the third year, when they didn't change the prince, these benefits ceased. When the new crown prince secretly investigated the public's opinion, he discovered that everyone was dissatisfied with him and wished for another change."

Madam Fifth widened her eyes. "Who do you want to replace him with?"

Young Master Fifth whispered secretly, "I don't want to replace anyone. I'm not greedy. I'll buy rice myself, and I'll buy you a large golden hairpin."

Madam Fifth felt deeply comforted.

She told Zhe Wan, "You don't know, when he bought me this huge golden hairpin, I was both happy and worried that he might be squandering money recklessly."

Zhe Wan shared in her joy, "Living a good life is more important than anything else. Don't worry, money will always come."

Madam Fifth replied, "Yes, I think so too."

She paused and hesitantly said, "Didn't I buy a shop on Gui Yuan Street last time? Now someone has asked to buy it from me."

Zhe Wan said, "It's not time to sell yet; it can still appreciate in value. Don't sell it. If you need silver, just tell me, and I'll lend you some for your needs."

Madam Fifth waved her hands repeatedly. "I have silver, I haven't sold it..."

She hesitated but ultimately remained silent.

Zhe Wan softly asked, "Did you really encounter a difficult situation?"

Fifth Young Master's wife sighed. "Eldest Sister-in-law, I'm not good at keeping secrets. Let me tell you."

Zhe Wan listened attentively. "Go on."

Fifth Young Master's wife: "Fourth Sister-in-law asked me to sell my shop!"

Zhe Wan understood now. "Is that so? You didn't agree, right?"

Fifth Young Master's wife: "No, I didn't. I worked hard to acquire it, and it hasn't even been that long. I'm not willing to sell just yet."

After the New Year, the value would increase significantly, and it would surely rise more in the future.

"If Fourth Sister-in-law were willing to offer me a higher price, that would be fine. But she wants to buy it for the original price, which I found unfair, so I refused."

However, after refusing, she felt anxious. She was afraid of Fourth Sister-in-law's anger and her potential scheming against her. She hadn't slept well for several days and suddenly wondered if she should have sold it.

One should be more magnanimous in life.

In a family of sisters-in-law, why create such unpleasantness? Does she lack a broad perspective?

That would explain her uneasiness.

Zhe Wan laughed upon hearing this. "I used to be just like you."

The Fifth Young Master's wife was surprised. "Really?"

Big Sister-in-Law didn't seem like that sort of person.

Zhe Wan replied, "That's because you're still young. Your pride is still fragile, and your heart is kind. You tend to overthink and reflect on yourself."

"But Fourth Sister-in-Law has a thick skin. If she were embarrassed, she wouldn't have brought it up."

She even asked Zhe Wan for it last time.

Zhe Wan said, "Ignore her. She's not asking for the shop for herself, but for her brothers from her maternal family."

Fifth Young Master's wife gaped, her mouth wide open for a long while before she could close it. "Like that?"

Zhe Wan replied, "Mm, both I and Second Sister-in-law tried to advise her, but she didn't listen. So there's no choice but for her to suffer the consequences herself."

She sighed. "I wonder when she'll come to her senses."

Then she said, "Don't worry, she won't bully you either. She's not that wicked yet."

Patting Fifth Sister-in-law's hand, she continued, "Besides, I'm here. Don't be afraid. If you don't want to sell, then don't. It's just a small matter."

When Fifth Young Master's wife met with Fourth Young Master's wife again, she felt no guilt or fear. She observed quietly for a few days and realized that Fourth Sister-in-law wasn't blaming her. She was merely rushing around like a headless fly, trying to buy shops.

It all seemed so inconceivable to her.

When she returned home, she told her mother, "Did you want me to buy a shop for Big Brother?"

Her mother touched her forehead. "You're not feverish, are you? Talking nonsense? Has your Big Brother lost his limbs or his head?"

Fifth Young Master's wife returned home contentedly.

Upon meeting Fourth Sister-in-law again, she appeared to be avoiding Second Sister-in-law as if she had seen a cat.

Zhe Wan listened and chuckled. "Second Sister-in-law is level-headed and gets along well with Fourth Sister-in-law. Seeing her so obstinate, it's natural that she'd want to help."

But after so many years of trying to save her, nothing seemed to change. The following day, Fourth Young Madam still came to borrow money from her, asking for three hundred taels at once.

Zhe Wan agreed with a smile and asked Mo Yue to fetch the silver. After all, Fourth Young Madam was not a rogue; she was a lady who knew her manners. Her face flushed the entire time, and her handkerchief was twisted into a tangled knot. "I... I'll return it to you once I have the silver."

Zhe Wan replied, "Alright then."

However, in the afternoon, Second Young Madam brought her over to return the silver. Although they were sisters-in-law, they had grown as close as real sisters over the years. Second Young Madam's words carried weight, and she told Zhe Wan, "Big Sister, don't bother with her. She brought this upon herself. Besides, does the Fourth Household really not have a single tael left?"

Certainly not. But Fourth Young Madam dared not let Fourth Young Master know, for fear of his reproach. Thus, she had no choice but to borrow on her own.

She knew Zhe Wan was not someone who gossiped.

Second Young Madam took a deep breath. "Big Sister, since you lent her once, there will likely be a second time. The more she borrows, the more trouble she'll get into. It's best not to lend anymore."

Then she added, "I understand that Big Sister lent out of goodwill, considering our relationship as sisters-in-law. Thank you very much for your kindness."

Zhe Wan spoke gently, "Very well, then I won't borrow it."

The Fourth Young Lady wept pitifully, "I truly have no other choice."

The Second Young Lady retorted, "You have no choice? Why don't you just ignore it? Are your brothers on their deathbeds? Are they unable to survive without your help? Why must you beg for silver like this?"

The Fourth Young Lady replied, "But Mother and my brothers will blame me."

The Second Young Lady responded, "Let them blame you! I used to leave you alone because I thought you weren't entirely foolish, but now you've proven yourself thoroughly foolish—"

She continued, "With Eldest Sister-in-law here today, let me ask you, do you still intend to marry your youngest daughter, Fang Jiejie, into that family?"

The Fourth Young Lady lowered her head.

Fang Jiejie was her youngest daughter.

Zhe Wan's expression turned serious, "That would be inappropriate of you."

The Fourth Young Lady wiped away her tears, "Mother said that our two families should become even closer through marriage."

Zhe Wan responded, "In a marriage between two families, it's customary for the parents to be involved. Has your father... agreed to it?"

Fourth Lady shook her head. "No."

Zhe Wan heaved a sigh of relief and then turned to Second Lady. "Second Sister-in-law, please persuade her."

Second Lady nodded and led Fourth Lady away.

Ying Jie emerged from behind the screen, curiosity written all over her face. "Aunt, why is Aunt Four acting like that?"

Zhe Wan replied, "It's from years of upbringing."

She scooped the girl up into her arms. "Remember when Grandmother asked you to give your calligraphy brush to Sheng Ge? You refused. Then she taught Sheng Ge to snatch it from you, but you ended up hitting him."

Though Ying Jie didn't recall these incidents clearly anymore, they were still vaguely imprinted in her mind. She smiled and said, "Yes, I even ran to Aunt's place back then."

Zhe Wan continued, "You managed to run away, but Aunt Four didn't succeed."

"Think about it—Grandmother isn't exactly treating you badly, right? Your mother treats you well too, doesn't she? They're coaxing you to take care of your younger brother. In time, wouldn't you give in on your own?"

"When Third Brother Zeng took your writing brush, he acted the same way. Your grandmother and mother taught him that he could use yours; did he refuse?"

Of course not, and he would do so with a clear conscience.

Madame Zhao and Song Yueniang were not that extreme, but Lady Four's family was.

Zhe Wan continued, "That's why even after marrying, your Aunt Four couldn't escape... Moreover, after marriage, she still fears your Uncle Four. Look, she doesn't dare to tell him about borrowing money from me."

In the future, when her son grows up, she will fear him too.

The only one she can easily manipulate is her daughter, which is why she's now considering marrying her daughter into the House of Duke Ying to strengthen ties with her own family.

Jing'er couldn't help asking, "Then, can this marriage happen?"

Zhe Wan firmly replied, "It won't."

She explained, "A family like that, Fang Jie won't marry into."

To this, Jing'er suddenly said, "How dull."

How tedious.

She leaned on the windowsill, gazing at the blooming roses outside. "Will Fourth Auntie change her mind?"

Zhe Wan walked over and patted her head. "At your young age, don't think about such things."

Ying Jie sighed in disappointment.

Chuan Ge's eyes welled up with tears.

He returned, clutching his book, followed by He Chun.

Zhe Wan frowned and stepped out. "What happened?"

He Chun exclaimed, "He even went to the pond to catch fish today!"

Zhe Wan turned to Chuan Ge.

Sniffling, Chuan Ge explained, "I didn't run into the pond or catch fish. I just offered a blade of grass for the fish to nibble on."

In the book he read, it mentioned that wolf's tail grass could be used for fishing. His servant, upon going out to make purchases and seeing some, brought back a stalk for him.

He crouched by the pond to give it a try, only to be seen by his father.

Back then, Sheng Ge was still there. Father started scolding him, saying he had "lost his ambition to trivial pursuits" and that he was "utterly foolish."

Since he had last seen his father in a disheveled and defeated state, he was no longer as intimidated by him. Gathering his courage, he replied, "Father, I only came out after finishing my studies."

"This is my first time engaging in such matters."

Yet, Father saw it as him having grown too rebellious. "Disobedient child! You dare to talk back now!"

He snatched up the book that lay beside Chuan'er and hurled it at his face. "Have you read all these books? Can you recite them all? If I pick a line at random and you fail to recite it, I'll beat you to death!"

Chuan Ge'er was dazed from the fall, but he was picked up and brought back by him.

Zhe Wan took a deep breath; something like this had happened in her previous life as well.

She recalled firmly telling Chuan-ge for the first time, in the presence of He Chun, "If you have grievances, don't take them out on the child."

He Chun scolded her as well, "Why weren't you watching him? What if he fell in?"

With his words, Zhe Wan was at a loss for a reply.

In her understanding, it was indeed her responsibility to look after Chuan Ge'er, and it would be a serious matter if he were to fall into the pond. She could only lower her head and say, "I'll make sure he doesn't go near the pond from now on."

During He Chun's half-year confinement, Chuan Ge'er had grown closest to her.

Those days of affectionate mother-son bonding were etched in her memory, occurring precisely during this time. Sometimes, after being distanced from him, she would doubt if she had remembered incorrectly.

In reality, they had never been truly close.

She slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and looked at Mo Yue and Mother Ming, "Take Chuan Ge'er to Mister Wu's place."

Mother Ming replied, "Yes, Madam."

Mo Yue then went to hold Chuan Ge'er's hand, "This servant will escort you there, Young Master."

Chuan Ge'er followed her, still confused.

His mother neither consoled him nor ignored him. He turned to look at her and saw that she had already frowned, whispering something to his father. He strained his ears to catch a phrase: "–If you're angry, don't take it out on the child." Chuan-ge felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He realized he must have been the target of his father's pent-up frustration. As he stepped outside, the voices inside faded. But not too far away, he supposed he could still hear his father if he raised his voice. Yet, he doubted Father would speak loudly. He exhaled in relief once more. At this point, he had no desire to like his father. Lihua Chun acknowledged that he had lost his temper with Chuan-ge.

With great effort, he suppressed his anger and spoke in a low voice, "He really has no ambition!"

Zhe Wan replied, "And you do?"

He Chun held his breath, "How am I not ambitious?"

Zhe Wan responded, "If you were truly ambitious, you'd be reading in the study right now. Why did you run to the pond?"

He Chun retorted, "Am I not even allowed to go near the pond?"

Zhe Wan said firmly, "Then that proves you lack ambition!"

He Chun laughed out of frustration but dared not scold her. Instead, he paced around the room, holding his temper. "Zhe Wan, don't be too infuriating."

Zhe Wan smiled, "If you were even more ambitious, you'd still be kneeling."

She stood up, "You've only been kneeling for a few days."

He Chun fell silent. In a soft voice, he said, "I have no idea how long I'll be locked up."

His legs could no longer bear the strain of kneeling; another bout might render them useless.

The Duke of York had expressed similar sentiments, "Even if you're reinstated, how can a cripple serve effectively?"

Thus, he spent his time in the side courtyard reading books.

These were volumes chosen for him by the Emperor, intended for his study from a young age. He knew them by heart, but still chose to read them again.

The more he read, the more perplexed and agitated he became. Originally planning to take a stroll, fate had him stumble upon Chuan-ge's lack of discipline.

His temper flared, "I have only one son, naturally I yearn for him to excel. But look at him, what kind of example is he setting?"

If he couldn't find a way out, and Chuan-ge proved incompetent, then their fate would truly be sealed.

Zhe Wan fell silent. Though Li He Chun had been confined for less than half a month, his temper had become significantly shorter.

He was beginning to grasp the despair that came with being imprisoned.

It was uncertain when she could leave, or if she would ever be able to in this lifetime.

Just like his situation with taking medicine. Doctor Zheng hadn't given him a clear answer; he didn't know if he could still have children, or when he might have another child.

He felt that his life had become utterly miserable.

Zhe Wan allowed him to wallow in his misery as she left to attend the victory feast at the shop.

This year's flower sales were exceptionally good.

Shopkeeper Zhou commented, "Due to that tune, people would climb over walls to listen. With more listeners, there were more buyers. Everyone gathered, and even the authorities sent people to control the crowd."

Su Shan stood up to pour wine for everyone. "After organizing such a grand event and gaining experience, we can do other things."

Zhe Wan understood. "Are you going to sing a song for tea as well?"

Su Shan chuckled. "That won't work. We've already used the singing trick, so we need to come up with something new."

She continued, "One can't always rely on past successes."

She smiled radiantly, "For people like us, relying solely on our past achievements won't sustain us in the long run."