Chapter 17: The Expectations of Two Mothers

Chapter 17: The Expectations of Two Mothers

Ying Niang's illness had already subsided by the next morning, and Lady Zhen breathed a sigh of relief. The main residence was filled with joy, but no one paid any attention to An'er, who had been bought back. Originally, she was purchased by Lady Zhen to gain favor, but Yan Yingqi hadn't visited her all night and didn't even let her serve him. This had already made Lady Zhen unhappy, and now she had no time for her.

As a concubine, face was everything. If one did not look good, there was no capital left.

"What should we do? Xiao Lian, please go beg the madam on my behalf," An'er pleaded.

If a woman in the household was not favored, she would have no money. Thus, An'er was poor, and even the maids below her did not listen to her, merely shrugging off her requests.

An'er touched her face, feeling desperate. Just then, a housekeeper outside said, "Is Miss An available? Second Madam heard that you developed hives from eating seafood and has specially sent a doctor over."

Unexpectedly, it was Lady Jie who had sent someone over, which relieved An'er.

Later, it was said that after taking a few doses of medicine, An'er recovered, and the incident was finally put to rest. Lady Jie's grievances during this period were finally acknowledged.

Ying Niang could now return to the school to study, but when she arrived, she noticed that Yan Rubei was absent and found it strange. "Why isn't Sister Rubei here?"

Yao Niang covered her mouth and laughed. "Sister Rubei has great news this time."

Yao Niang was puzzled and asked Xin Wan, "What does that mean?"

Xin Wan shook her head. "You were once quite astute; why don't you comprehend now? Don't you cherish Lu Zhao's poem 'Ancient Meaning of Chang'an'? Can't you recall it?"

Seeing that Yao Niang still looked confused, Yao Niang sighed. "Born talents and beauties are meant to be paired; only envy the mandarin ducks, not the immortals."

Yao Niang slapped her forehead. "I really forgot. It must be because of the food your family sent. I didn't expect Sister Rubei to get engaged so quickly."

"Enough, I've also had hives before, but my memory is still good," Yao Niang laughed.

Previously, Yan Rubei and Zhao Fang did not get along. Now that Zhou Lingguang was in trouble, Second Madam feared that Lady Jie would marry Yan Rubei to Zhou Lingguang and quickly arranged a marriage for her daughter.

The weather was cooler, and they now attended school for the full day, not just half. Lunch was delivered to the school, and everyone noticed that Yao Niang ate very little. Her bowl contained only a small amount of rice, a tiny cup of soup, and mostly lean meat or seafood, all in small portions.

"I thought Sister Xin often couldn't eat much, but it turns out you eat even less," Ying Niang said, biting into her own piece of pork.

Yao Niang replied, "That's because I eat a lot for breakfast. My mother prepares several dishes, and honestly, I'm not hungry at all."

In reality, Yao Niang was not allowed to eat too many sweets in the morning. She could only have two pastries at most. Lady Jie was afraid that improper diet during adolescence would lead to acne and weight gain. Having gone through adolescence herself, Lady Jie had seen women ruin their youth due to indulgence.

While appearance is not everything, having a good appearance can be very useful.

Zhao Fang lowered her head to eat her noodles, unwilling to involve herself in the scheming between the Yan sisters, yet she thought of Zhou Lingguang. Her brother still interacted with him as usual, but she had lost interest in other matters.

In the afternoon, Mr. Yu taught painting, which he excelled in. He only taught music and chess as secondary subjects.

Yao Niang indeed lacked talent in painting. While her paintings showed technique, they lacked vitality, unlike Qian Niang, who had natural talent. However, Qian Niang disliked playing the zither and preferred chess, which she found more peaceful. Yao Niang, on the other hand, could immediately understand musical scores and learn a song within an hour.

At school, they learned the guzheng, and during breaks, they practiced the konghou. Yan Yingqi had hired a specialized teacher for the konghou.

In contrast, Lady Zhen did not prepare anything special for her daughter. Auntie Wei said, "Logically speaking, Third Miss is learning the konghou enthusiastically. Shouldn't our Miss also learn it?"

"No, I think women should focus more on domestic virtues. Those frivolous arts, while learned, combined with Third Miss's beauty, might make her too proud. For a woman, virtue and tolerance are paramount. Do all men remain faithful?" Lady Zhen asked.

Auntie Wei immediately shook her head. "Impossible. To be honest, even my husband has been flirting with the widow next door."

Lady Zhen smiled. "Exactly. Being too proud, regardless of beauty and talent, is not as valuable as being gentle and considerate. In our family, we marry as the main wife, so we need to have a broad mind and grace. Even education should not be too deep, as being overly serious can lead to stubbornness."

Auntie Wei was enlightened by these words. Lady Zhen continued, "Look at Lady Jie. What truly attracted Master was her gentle and submissive nature. She used to be stubborn but became gentle and is now favored. Instead of learning those things, we should hire someone to teach Ying Niang how to make tea and cook."

"Madam, you are truly wise," Auntie Wei praised.

Being a main wife means that after marriage, one rarely has leisure. Lady Jie, skilled in cooking and needlework, with a humble demeanor, embodies the essence of a woman.

In Lady Zhen's view, a woman should be graceful and sociable outside and gentle and virtuous inside, becoming a man's capable wife. This is the path taken by many successful matriarchs.

Although Lady Jie now attracts Yan Yingqi, it is partly due to luck. Her son was not spoiled and is intelligent and ambitious. If Yan Jingzhao had been spoiled into mischief, Lady Jie would have no hope. The third branch would have faltered long ago.

Her moves were not to gain favor but for her son's sake.

Currently, the enemy is strong, and she is weak. She should wait for the right moment. Lady Zhen realized that in recent days, she had focused too much on competing with Lady Jie, causing her son's studies to slacken, which worried her.

"Press, pluck, sweep, pick, and stroke are the five techniques for playing the konghou. You will come here every ten days for lessons until you master these techniques, and then we will move on to playing songs."

**

Yao Niang had to travel by carriage to the teacher's home. She heard that he was originally a colleague of her father in the Imperial Academy but retired due to his dislike of bureaucratic work. He was a renowned calligrapher and a second-place scholar, far from ordinary.

Thus, she respectfully said, "Very well, I will follow the teacher's arrangements and practice diligently at home."

Having learned to read musical scores and play the guzheng, she now studied the konghou seriously. After the lesson, she returned by carriage, feeling hungry.

"Don't rush; chew slowly, my dear. How was it?" Lady Jie asked, serving her daughter.

Yao Niang nodded. "The teacher seems to know a lot, but he doesn't seem very humorous. He just teaches me, making it quite simple, unlike Mr. Yu, who explains a lot."

Lady Jie said, "This is someone your father chose, so he must be genuinely talented."

Yao Niang pouted. "But why aren't Second Sister and Fourth Sister learning this? Only I am learning it. Isn't that unfair?"

"Why are you talking nonsense? I heard that the other madam hired someone to teach them tea-making and embroidery. They are learning just as much. Women confined within the inner quarters should find ways to pass the time. These skills like embroidery and tea-making are part of our daily lives and do not require special training, especially embroidery, which can strain the eyes if done excessively."

Lady Jie hoped her daughter would always retain her spirit, finding joy and purpose even within the confines of the household, rather than becoming a stereotypical "virtuous wife and mother."