Chapter 114

Chapter 114

August is the perfect time for eating crabs, and it also marks the Mid-Autumn Festival. Although Yao Niang and Shen Linfeng were born into wealthy families, they were not the type to be overly particular about their food.

Shen Linfeng, finally getting some rest, naturally chose to sleep at home. Despite his ability to liven up the atmosphere in a group, he was the kind of person who would lie down if he could, rather than sit. Knowing he had exerted himself outside, Yao Niang did not pull him out of bed but instead took a sewing stool and sat by the bed to discuss household matters.

"Our young aunt has finally found a match, and we can't go back home. Do you think we should prepare her dowry now and give it to her when we see her?"

Indeed, Shen Mo had finally agreed to a marriage proposal after being very selective for several years. Yao Niang didn't find this strange; Shen Mo's family background allowed her to be picky, and marriage was a lifetime commitment that deserved careful consideration.

Shen Linfeng turned over. "Sure. There's no need to rush sending it specially. My sister's dowry has been prepared by Mother for many years."

"Right. Your sister is now betrothed to the son of the Pang family. The father of the Pang family is currently the Prefect of Shun Tian Prefecture. I never expected them to have arranged your sister's marriage from afar while still in the capital." Yao Niang found it amusing.

Shen Linfeng laughed. "Isn't marriage always arranged by parents and matchmakers? Pang Sheng is also a scholar with considerable literary talent. His father has a smooth career, and their family is one of the prominent clans in Wu Xing. What's wrong with a well-matched marriage?"

Haven't countless couples been matched this way?

Yao Niang thought of her own marriage and looked at him. "When I wanted to test the suitability of my proposed husband, did you think I was shocking society?"

Shen Linfeng shook his head quickly. "Of course not, we are soulmates."

"Perhaps not," Yao Niang chuckled.

Shen Linfeng gave his wife a reproachful look. "You should rest more. You're pregnant and still so busy. Eat less crab; too much isn't good for your stomach."

Yao Niang touched her belly and held his hand. "Do you think people will say we're too lazy because we spend our days sleeping in the mansion?"

"Being a bit lazy is fine, better than being too industrious." Shen Linfeng replied.

Yao Niang reluctantly listened to Shen Linfeng and went to sleep, but having slept too much during the day, she couldn't fall asleep at night. She scolded Shen Linfeng for giving bad advice, but he fell asleep immediately, leaving no time to listen to her complaints.

This time, Yao Niang's pregnancy made Shen Bangyan suffer, as Wang Shi also wanted to conceive quickly. Since she couldn't get pregnant on her own, she naturally pulled Shen Bangyan along.

Shen Bangyan seemed to turn pale at the mention of this. At dinner, Wang Shi personally prepared dishes like stir-fried loaches with fresh chives, garlic oysters, and turtle soup to nourish her body.

"I had someone specially pick the fresh chives and removed the bitter gallbladder from the loaches. They were fried for a long time. You must eat more," Wang Shi said.

Shen Bangyan made a face. "I'll take some myself if you leave them there."

"If I leave them there, you won't eat them. These days you've been busy studying outside, and it's rare for us to eat together," Wang Shi, who rarely expressed her feelings before, now spoke softly and gently.

That night, Wang Shi was particularly enthusiastic, and Shen Bangyan initially put in effort, but later found it uninteresting. Wang Shi then took control and tried a few times herself.

The next day, Shen Linfeng saw Shen Bangyan hesitating at his doorstep and was surprised. "What's wrong with you?"

Shen Bangyan said, "Brother, I have something I need your help with."

"Oh, what is it?" Shen Linfeng, who once suspected Shen Bangyan of sabotaging his wedding, now felt less resentment, remembering that if not for Shen Bangyan's misdeeds, he wouldn't have ended up happily married to Yao Niang.

Shen Bangyan said, "Brother, I remember you have a friend who is a magistrate in Lujiang. I want to visit Lujiang and make some connections. Could you give me your letter of introduction?"

"That's no problem, it's a small matter," Shen Linfeng readily agreed, thinking it was nothing, and asked Rong An to provide it.

He hadn't expected that when he returned home that evening, Yao Niang mentioned it to him, and they both found it amusing. "Didn't you think about how your sister-in-law wants a child? By giving the letter to Bangyan, you've made her think we're behind it."

Shen Linfeng really hadn't considered this. "Did Bangyan leave so soon?"

Yao Niang nodded: "Indeed, he really is quick on his feet. Auntie didn’t know what to do and just covered for her own son."

"I can't control that. He told me, and I couldn't refuse him," Shen Linfeng shrugged.

Yao Niang lightly tapped him: "I think you did it on purpose."

Shen Linfeng quickly walked up to her and asked how she was feeling. Yao Niang pouted, wanting more affection, and the two naturally indulged in their sweet moments.

Lady Wang, seeing her husband escape, felt frustrated but was relieved when Chunluo came with a large bag of silver: "Second Madam, here are three hundred taels of interest money."

Lady Wang was pleased at the sight of the money: "It's better that he's not here; we don't have to be so secretive. Put it away safely."

The family had too many social obligations. Unlike in the boudoir where a few pieces of embroidery would suffice, this year her father's birthday gift had to be both exquisite and grand, costing six hundred taels. This was even before Shen Bangyan entered officialdom, and the family still had numerous social obligations. Every year, they had to contribute incense money to the various sisters-in-law, and without fifty taels, they couldn't make a proper offering.

Lending money at interest was a good method. She also mentioned to Chunluo: "I heard that the eldest sister-in-law has quite a few salt permits from the Salt Monopoly Bureau. She’s quite capable."

Chunluo nodded: "Yes, I heard that only the eldest madam of the main house relies on the estate to support the family, while the others have other ways to earn money."

"Of course, the eldest sister isn’t in a hurry. They invested in a shipping company, and they receive interest every year. I used to think she wasn’t good at these things, but later I found out that her brother handles everything." Lady Wang only lamented Shen Bangyan's lack of ambition.

Chunluo, who was two years older than Qingdai, but Lady Wang was unwilling to let her trusted confidante go, so she kept her by her side. Naturally, Chunluo was also reluctant to become a concubine for Shen Bangyan; they weren’t that lowly to offer themselves as concubines. If Lady Wang didn’t bear a son, none of the concubines would be allowed to conceive.

Unwilling to let Lady Wang use her to curry favor, Chunluo changed the topic to the third branch: "The eldest madam of the main house, Lady Chu, is already six months pregnant. If she really gives birth to a son, how should we send our gifts?"

"If she bears a son, we should send a generous gift. After all, he will be the eldest son of Elder Brother. If it’s a girl, we’ll send a normal gift. Not to say, but Lady Chu is quite resourceful. Her mother and younger brother have already come to the capital. Last time, despite the commotion, it made it harder for others to find fault with her." Lady Wang muttered.

Even Lady Wang found Lady Chu difficult to deal with, let alone the eldest madam. Although she was the principal wife, she and Shen Linqing were only polite to each other, with their hearts far apart, and all their intimate matters were handled by Lady Chu.

The inner chambers were like this, especially since the eldest madam’s family had fallen from grace, putting her at a disadvantage. Now, many in charge of household affairs still resented her. Third Sister-in-Law Han was better at socializing and giving small favors, which made the situation even more infuriating.

To make matters worse, her maternal uncle’s son in Shandong had gotten into serious trouble, fighting over a courtesan and killing someone.

Her maternal uncle had no choice but to seek her help.

"Shandong? Who should I approach?" the eldest madam asked, inviting the eldest master over.

But the eldest master was the most cautious person, usually unwilling to get involved, even when his aunt needed help, let alone in a murder case.

"If Father were still in Henan, it would be easier since the provinces are close. But now that Father has been appointed Deputy Minister of War in Nanjing, even if he wanted to help, he’s powerless," the eldest master said.

The eldest madam, however, said: "Our Shen family is a powerful clan, with relatives who are prime ministers or dukes. Such a minor matter is just a matter of them lifting a finger."

At the time, the law favored protecting one’s kin. If you didn’t help your relatives, people would gossip about you.

Previously, the eldest madam had once used her late father-in-law’s letter of recommendation to help resolve a matter involving a thousand taels. But a murder was different; any execution or death case had to be reported to the Ministry of Justice by the local authorities.

This wasn’t a major issue, but the person her cousin fought over wasn’t ordinary either. It was rumored that his family had a relative who was a provincial governor, which was why they sought help from the eldest madam.

The eldest master asked: "What do you plan to do?"

"I want to prepare a generous gift and visit Uncle tomorrow. As the chief of the Imperial Academy, he has many influential students. If he writes a letter on our behalf, it would be much stronger," the eldest madam said.

The next day, the eldest master took the eldest madam to the second branch and told Second Madam about the matter. After some thought, Second Madam said, "I'll tell your uncle when he returns."

Second Madam didn’t see it as a big deal. The eldest madam might give her three to five thousand taels, which was more than ten years of rent. Nowadays, who wouldn’t want more money? When Second Master returned, she told him, but he immediately refused.

"Zhou Lingguang is probably waiting to catch me in a mistake. Although he’s just a compiler in the Imperial Academy, he’s still an official. We shouldn’t agree to this; otherwise, we might be impeached and ruin our reputation." Second Master naturally valued his position above all else.

If it were a member of the Shen family, he might help, but the eldest madam’s cousin from her maternal uncle’s side was too distant a relation to risk anything.

Although Mrs. Shen Er felt somewhat regretful, she wasn't foolish; money was not as important as an official position. With the title of Jijiu at the Imperial Academy, there was nothing to fear.

Therefore, she said, "Your second uncle does want to help, but he doesn't know the governor or the provincial administrator in Shandong. He also mentioned that the prefect and the censor of that prefecture once had some disagreements with him."

Lady Qing from the main house didn't doubt her sincerity, as Mr. Shen Er had been quite willing to help before.

Since the second house couldn't offer assistance, they could only write to the grandfather. However, even that wouldn't work. The grandfather had already sent Concubine Chu over, which indicated his dissatisfaction with her. If she were to seek his help again for family matters, she might lose face in the future.

Money Mama, who was always perceptive, couldn't help but remind Lady Qing as she escorted her out, "You really should seek help from the true Buddha at home instead of coming to our small temple in the second house. The father of the lady of the main house is the Chancellor, and the Yan family has a relative who is the Minister of Justice. No one would be better to ask for help than them."