Chapter 68

Chapter 68

Three-Day Return Visit

Yao Niang officially became a member of the Shen family, and Shen Linfeng also ended his honeymoon, starting to go to the office to work.

Early in the morning, before leaving, while it was still dark, Shen Linfeng couldn't bear to wake Yao Niang. After some thought, he squatted by the bed, carefully parted her hair, and began to apply medicine for her.

It wasn't until Yao Niang woke up and Aunt Gu mentioned it that she realized medicine had been applied to her hair.

"He's quite thoughtful; I even forgot about it," Yao Niang felt a sense of being cared for.

Aunt Gu smiled, "Your husband truly cares for you. As the saying goes, when one marries, if the husband is good, even a life of hardship has its hopes."

Yao Niang covered her mouth, "I don't want a life of hardship."

"Of course not, you were born with blessings and wisdom. How could you possibly suffer? It's all my fault for speaking poorly," Aunt Gu teased.

But Yao Niang's heart sank. Now everyone treated her well because her father was a Deputy Minister of Appointments. Even with Yan Ningxin's influence, the Shen family still restrained themselves. But once her father went into mourning, those people wouldn't be so kind to her.

After dressing properly, Yao Niang first went to Lady Shen. Lady Shen often couldn't sleep at night and felt unwell during the day. Even in the coldest winter, a slight movement would make her sweat all over. When she heard her daughter-in-law had come, she mustered her energy to respond, "Why did you come so early? Young people should sleep more and build their strength."

Yao Niang couldn't say whether she was feeling good or bad, only replying, "I'll help you with your grooming."

Lady Shen smiled, "My dear, sit down. They can manage here."

Her attendants said there was no need to trouble the eldest daughter-in-law, so Yao Niang sat aside, eyes lowered. Last month, she watched her sister-in-law stand in proper posture, but now she didn't have to stand, though she still needed to maintain composure.

Lady Shen, of course, observed her daughter-in-law from the corner of her eye. Seeing her sit upright and composed, she couldn't help but nod slightly. No matter what, this daughter-in-law was presentable.

When Lady Shen finished her grooming, Yao Niang stood behind her. Lady Shen said, "Your sister-in-law will soon join us. After breakfast, we'll visit the second house."

"Yes," Yao Niang smiled.

The table was already set with food. Yao Niang helped serve, and several of Lord Shen's concubines arrived, some lifting the curtains, others serving the dishes. Lady Shen then told Yao Niang, "Go ahead and eat, come back after you finish."

"Yes," Yao Niang returned to her room to eat. She couldn't eat too slowly, as this was already a special favor from her mother-in-law. Yao Niang remembered Jie Shi mentioning that when she served her mother-in-law, she often nearly fainted from hunger, so she would eat some snacks before going over in the morning.

This was in a wealthy household with many servants. In smaller families, it was even worse—sweeping, buying groceries, cooking, sewing, and even giving birth, all under the scrutiny of the mother-in-law.

These were just household chores. If the mother-in-law had a sore back, the daughter-in-law had to massage it, and even a mother-in-law who didn't scold or hit was considered good.

Sometimes Yao Niang really felt it wasn't worth it for women, but everyone, including Jie Shi, told her that enduring was the key. Endure, and the daughter-in-law would eventually become the mother-in-law.

By the time Yao Niang finished breakfast and went over, Shen Mo was already there. Lady Shen looked at Shen Mo with affection, and Yao Niang hurriedly approached. Shen Mo stood and bowed, "Sister-in-law."

"Sister," Yao Niang replied with a bow.

They followed Lady Shen to the second house. Lady Shen Er was very busy; the wedding tent was the same one used for Yao Niang's wedding. Today, the bride's dowry was supposed to arrive. Lady Shen said, "There are four rooms in the Yi-character warehouse that I've had prepared in advance."

No matter how capable Lady Shen Er was, the head of the household was still Lady Shen. Yao Niang understood something from this.

Lady Shen Er quickly smiled, "Big Sister, you're so considerate. I don't know what to say. With Feng's wife entering and Yan's wife soon to follow, our two families have only two sons. If they can get along like sisters, it would be perfect."

Lady Shen also smiled in agreement.

Lady Shen Er was skilled in conversation, and while talking to Lady Shen, she asked Yao Niang, "Niece, how is my nephew treating you?"

"Please rest assured, everything is fine," said Yao Niang.

Madam Shen Er said to Madam Shen, "Still, you have it better, Sister-in-law. Both you and your daughter-in-law are from Jin Ling, so your customs and habits are the same. Unlike me, my daughter-in-law is from the north."

Though they were both from Jin Ling, Yao Niang did not receive much special treatment. Madam Shen was rather indifferent towards her, but Shen Mo spoke up for her: "Auntie, we southerners now also eat northern dishes, all the same. Whether Mother and Auntie are from the same place or not, we are one family now."

"Well, Miss Mo, truly, sisters-in-law are closer than gold," Madam Shen Er teased.

For a moment, everyone was in high spirits. The courtyard of the second branch, where Shen Bangyan lived, was adjacent to theirs and seemed to have been recently renovated. When they came out, they encountered two women with weathered faces.

"Madam, who are these two ladies?" asked Yao Niang.

Madam Shen introduced them: "These are the two aunts from your second aunt's maternal side."

Yao Niang hurriedly bowed: "I greet Elder Aunt Bi and Second Aunt Bi."

Elder Aunt Bi, who looked to be over fifty, seeing Yao Niang's noble demeanor and graceful presence, could not help but say to Madam Shen, "This must be the eldest lady, truly a beauty."

"You flatter me," Yao Niang bowed.

Even to these two Bi aunts, who did not even deserve the title of 'lady,' she remained courteous without showing any displeasure, which made Madam Shen look at her with new eyes. It wasn't that she was being snobbish; she had seen the fourth daughter of the Yan family many times, who was sweet-talking to them but very short-tempered with those below her. Shen Mo often said the Yan family treated people differently based on their status, but this third daughter was clearly different.

The two Bi aunts were thrilled to see Yao Niang show respect as a junior. The Bi family had fallen into decline years ago and relied on Madam Shen Er's charity. But how much could others provide? Each time they received twenty taels and some clothes, it felt like they were being treated like beggars, having to endure others' attitudes.

Taking advantage of Shen Bangyan's wedding, the two aunts came to seek favors again. To prevent them from causing trouble, Madam Shen Er gave each of them fifty taels.

But these few dozen taels had to cover winter bedding, padded clothes, and New Year gifts, and the money was quickly spent. So, they stayed at the Shen residence, hoping to find another opportunity when Madam Shen Er was in a good mood to ask for more help.

Coincidentally, they met Yao Niang and her group. Elder Aunt Bi, seeing the bride adorned in gold, recalled her dowry of over two hundred pieces and sighed. When she married into the Bi family, the Bi family had kept rows of precious birds and three opera troupes. After her younger sister-in-law's marriage, the family declined.

Everything that could be pawned was pawned, and the family lost everything in an instant.

Madam Shen Er clearly did not want others to see her impoverished maternal family. She hastily exchanged a few words and then invited them to see Shen Bangyan's new room. Yao Niang thought that if this younger sister-in-law was easy to get along with, it would be fine, but if not, it would be difficult.

At noon, after serving Madam Shen her meal, she returned to her room to eat.

After finishing her meal, just as she was about to take a nap, someone outside announced that Lady Qing, the eldest daughter-in-law, had come. This Lady Qing was the eldest daughter-in-law of Governor Shen, whom Shen Linfeng had mentioned. She was from the Wang family, the granddaughter of the former Deputy Minister of War, but not from the same Wang family as the Xinning Marquis.

"How did Lady Qing come here? I should be the one to visit you," Yao Niang got up to welcome her.

Lady Qing said, "You are the new bride, it is only right for me to come and see you. Honestly, when I first married, I was also not used to it. Tomorrow, Brother Yan's wife will send the dowry over. Since you hadn't arrived before, Auntie asked me to handle it. Now that you are here, I think this matter should be yours, and I shouldn't overstep."

Yao Niang had seen such situations too many times at home and had summarized a strategy: to make you feel awkward by stepping back.

Therefore, Yao Niang did not take the bait: "Sister-in-law, you entered the household before me, and you know more than I do. Let you handle it, I don't need to."

Lady Qing, due to Shen Linfeng's untimely death, was often called the eldest daughter-in-law of the Shen family and went out to socialize in this capacity. Now that Yao Niang had entered the household, seeing her young age and the fact that she could not consummate the marriage, and considering the past incidents with the Yan family, she felt somewhat condescending and hoped that Yao Niang would try to claim power, leading to her own downfall.

It took her a long time to realize that Madam Shen was someone who would give you something, but you couldn't take it.

She didn't expect Yao Niang to fall for it. Lady Qing thought she was just timid and earnestly said, "Don't be too modest. The entire Shen household will eventually be under your management. If you don't sort things out now, it will be chaotic later. You don't know, everyone in this mansion has a pair of fawning eyes. When I first arrived, I was bullied a lot. These are heartfelt words, don't take them lightly."

"Lady Qing, what you say makes sense, and I appreciate your concern. Speaking of servants overstepping their bounds, I would like to ask you, how does our household usually add dishes during meals? Do we need to give money to the kitchen?"

I always make full use of everyone who comes to the door.

...

Lady Qing originally intended to persuade Yao Niang, but after leaving, she realized she had told her a lot about the Shen household's rules, including the details of the third branch setting up a small kitchen and even mentioning Shen Mo's failed matchmaking attempts.

Thus, when Shen Linfeng returned in the evening, he asked Yao Niang what she had been doing that day.

Yao Niang recounted it as if reading from a ledger: "After you left this morning, I attended to Mother's breakfast. After that, I came back and had my own meal before visiting the second house. At noon, I stood for a while to observe propriety, then the eldest lady of the Qing family came over, and we chatted for a while. I thought about making you a light robe for spring, but I forgot to measure your size."

"After attending to my mother's breakfast, did you have your own? Didn't you say you get dizzy if you don't eat something in the morning?" Shen Linfeng asked with concern.

Yao Niang smiled, "But that's the rule. I don't want others to criticize you. If my behavior is not proper, your relatives might speak ill of you, so I endure it no matter how dizzy I feel."

Shen Linfeng scolded, "Nonsense, you should take care of yourself first."

"Alright, then I'll have some snacks before going to your mother's place every day. Don't be angry," Yao Niang coaxed him.

Shen Linfeng said, "I think it would be better to set up a small kitchen in the east wing. It would be convenient for you to have some noodles or porridge in the morning. I'll talk to Mother about it tomorrow."

Yao Niang held him back, "Let it be. The younger brother and sister-in-law from the second house are coming soon, and there are countless household matters to attend to. How can I burden the elders with these things? We should wait for a more appropriate time to bring it up, okay?"

Shen Linfeng thought it made sense. He often had official duties and spent the whole day outside. The more he valued Yao Niang, the less his mother seemed to like her. Seeing Yao Niang like this, he said, "How about this: I'll tell the kitchen to send breakfast earlier, saying it's for me. That way, it will be done, won't it?"

"But you don't wake up early either, and you have to rush to the Hanlin Academy. It won't work," Yao Niang shook her head.

Shen Linfeng hadn't expected the first obstacle in their new marriage to be the issue of his wife's breakfast. He scratched his head, "What if I bring some pastries back from the office in the evening for you to eat in the morning? Would that be alright?"

This was acceptable, and Yao Niang finally agreed.

Shen Linfeng felt very tenderly towards Yao Niang's compliance. He held her hand and noticed under the candlelight that her hands were very beautiful, with long, slender fingers, soft and boneless, and smooth skin. He kissed her hand, and when she tried to pull away, he held on tightly.

"We are husband and wife," he emphasized.

Yao Niang blushed, "I know, but other couples don't do this." Her brother had two wives, and he treated his main wife very formally, let alone they hadn't consummated their marriage yet.

Shen Linfeng laughed, "Little girl, we are married now; all of this is natural."

He usually paid little attention to women, but seeing Yao Niang, he even felt a strong desire to see her lying beneath him. No, that would be disrespectful to her; he couldn't think like that and needed to calm down.

Just as Yao Niang was about to speak, she saw him release her hand. She personally served him a bowl of soup, "Drink slowly, this soup is particularly sweet and fragrant."

"Thank you, Lady Shen."

"You said you like calling me 'Yao Yao,' but you still prefer 'Lady Shen.' Just call me by my name then," Yao Niang chuckled.

Shen Linfeng felt a bit embarrassed.

After dinner, Yao Niang wanted to measure his size. She measured his shoulder width first, then bent down to measure his waist. Shen Linfeng looked down and saw her head below him, his face instantly turning red, not knowing what to say.

When Yao Niang finished measuring, she noticed his forehead sweating and asked, puzzled, "Are you very hot?"

"No," Shen Linfeng shook his head quickly, afraid Yao Niang would notice something.

Yao Niang smiled, "I was planning to soak our feet together to relieve fatigue, but since you're so hot, I'll just do it myself."

She didn't like the strong smell of medicinal herbs used for foot soaking, which could easily make the entire room stink. Usually, she used safflower or cinnamon twigs, which had a mild scent.

Shen Linfeng had already bathed and saw the servants helping Yao Niang remove her shoes and socks. Her slender ankles and rosy toes, small and delicate like lotus petals, were incredibly adorable.

He had never seen a woman's feet so beautifully formed, and he didn't know how to compose himself, unable to turn a single page of the book in his hand.

Yao Niang, however, said to him, "The younger sister-in-law's dowry will arrive tomorrow, and she will enter the house the day after. I thought, since we are now married, shouldn't we privately send a gift to congratulate them?"

She needed to see if Shen Linfeng truly cared for her after marriage. A man might show concern and say he loves you, but the real test is where the money and status lie.

Just like in their family, where Father always accompanied Mother and was extremely concerned about Brother's affairs, in the end, he also favored her with the dowry.

Otherwise, it would all be false.

But Shen Linfeng didn't catch on, only saying, "Sure, you decide."

Yao Niang smiled, "Then what do you think we should send? Should we pick something from my dowry?"

"How can we touch your dowry? No man who uses his wife's dowry is a freeloader. Wait a moment, there are a few trunks in our private room with some of my things. It can be considered my small treasury. I'll give you the key now; you can go over tomorrow to choose." Shen Linfeng said.

Yao Niang was satisfied, "Thank you, my wealthy and handsome husband."

Shen Linfeng laughed at her words, "What 'husband,' you remind me that I hand over my salary to the household. Usually, I invest some money in the exchange shops to buy some permits, which earns me some extra money. Now, I don't have much cash on hand. There are two hundred taels in my cabinet, which you can use for daily expenses or making hairpins."

It turned out he usually invested money in the exchange shops to make a profit. Yao Niang really didn't understand these matters; she just kept her money in the bank to earn interest. Therefore, she admired Shen Linfeng, thinking anyone who could make money wasn't an ordinary person.

However, when he mentioned giving her money, Yao Niang declined, "Let's not, you keep your money for yourself."

"What are you talking about? I should give you money. I really forgot," Shen Linfeng felt that his desire had clouded his judgment, his mind filled with romantic thoughts. He hated himself for making Yao Niang think he was stingy, a miser, which wouldn't do.

Seeing him say this, Yao Niang insisted even more, "I heard from Madam that my monthly allowance is five taels, which is enough for me. Don't worry about me."

Shen Linfeng simply opened the cabinet door, took out the box with loose silver, and placed it in Yao Niang's lap, "Here, take it."

Yao Niang was at a loss, as she was soaking her feet at the moment.

Tonight seemed different. After soaking her feet and reading a book, she went to bed around the hour of Dog. She had roughly figured out his sleeping schedule, so she said, "Go down and extinguish the lamp."

The couple slept in the inner chamber and didn't have maids stay up all night. They would let them in early in the morning to serve.

But then Shen Linfeng turned toward her, staring at her intently. Yao Niang quickly said, "What's wrong? Are you worried about leaving the key with me? I'll give it back if you want."

"No, it's just..." Shen Linfeng didn't know why, but thinking of her jade-like feet made his blood boil. He wanted to ask if he could see them again, but feared Yao Niang would slap him and call him perverted.

Seeing him sit up and extinguish the lamp, pulling the covers over his head as if annoyed, Yao Niang wisely didn't ask any questions.

The next morning, they usually folded their nightgowns, but Shen Linfeng's undergarments were missing from the bed. She was puzzled for a while before going to greet her mother-in-law.

Xinning Marquis was known for his military achievements, and his family was prosperous. He himself served as the Commander of the Imperial Guards. Such a martial family, originally, should have arranged marriages between military families. But now, the status of civil officials had surpassed that of military officers. Xinning Marquis had many daughters, and the one who married here, Wang Qi, was said to be a legitimate daughter, whose sister had married into a noble family.

Her dowry was a full 120 palanquins, and it was rumored that the bottom-of-the-trunk silver amounted to ten thousand taels. The gift list was even registered with Shun Tian Prefecture.

Everyone congratulated Shen Er, after all, the bride came from a prestigious noble family, not just any ordinary noble family that looked good on the outside but was rotten inside. This young lady's elder brother had already been enfeoffed as a prince, bringing great honor to Shen Er.

Yao Niang maintained a smile beside Shen Lady, who, however, thought back to when her son was to be married. At that time, Yan Ningxin's status was considered the best. Later, a scandal erupted.

At this moment, after viewing the dowry, Yao Niang served her mother-in-law back to her quarters and saw Zhou Mama approach Shen Lady, saying, "Madam, the Yan family has sent a steward to inform us that their old patriarch, Yan Sima, has passed away. Now, Yan Shilang has reported his mourning period, saying that since our manor is currently celebrating a wedding, they will not disturb us."

"What?" Wang Lady glanced at Yao Niang.

Yao Niang's eyes immediately reddened. She actually had no deep feelings for her paternal grandfather, though he was her true grandfather, whereas the Third Old Lady was not. But in her heart, the Third Old Lady was her real grandfather.

But with the loss of a relative, she felt a pang in her heart.

Even though she had long known about it, after seeking permission from her mother-in-law to return home, she couldn't help but cry with her mother and sister-in-law. Jie Shi comforted Yao Niang, saying, "Your brother and sister-in-law are in the capital. If anything happens, seek your sister-in-law."

"Daughter understands."

But Yao Niang was more concerned about Jie Shi, "Mother, without me by your side, the Third Old Lady is a difficult person. Please be careful in everything you do."

Jie Shi said somewhat dazedly, "Yao Niang, why are you worrying about me? Now that we're leaving, your brother hasn't been appointed to an official position yet, and the Shen family can be quite snobbish."

Yao Niang patted Jie Shi's hand and said, "There's nothing to be afraid of, Mother. Your daughter is strong and quick-witted. If I don't take advantage of others, it's because I'm kind. No one can scheme against me. Besides, Father recommended Scholar Du for the position of Minister of Rites. It's likely that Father will have a bright future. For now, we just need to wait. There's nothing for me to fear."

Jie Shi nodded. "Your father says that Scholar Du comes from a humble background, and his son-in-law is the Commander of the Embroidered Uniform Guard. The Emperor would never allow him to make real decisions. Even if he enters the cabinet, it will be difficult for him to become the Chief Grand Secretary. Returning home for mourning might help your father gain more prestige, which could be a good thing. The court isn't very peaceful these days."

"I understand," Yao Niang acknowledged.

Jie Shi touched her daughter's face, thinking that the Shen family would likely be unhappy, and her daughter might struggle to cope. Worse still, they might not be able to consummate the marriage for now.

Indeed, this was the case. Previously, Shen Mo had received Yao Niang's bracelet and thought that a Yan family girl would be a suitable match for her brother. Now that Yan Yingqi and his family were in mourning, she told Lady Shen, "Marrying the first Yan family girl ruined my brother's prospects and made him a laughingstock. When we marry the second one, the Yan family is already in mourning. Who knows if they'll still have a place here after three years? My brother won't get any help from them at all."

Lady Shen beat her chest and lamented, "I knew this would happen. It's all my fault, my fault for being too soft-hearted and agreeing to your brother's request..."