Chapter 6 Being a Concubine is Better Than Suffering Outside…

Chapter 6: Better a Concubine Than a Beggar…

"Not marrying? Unthinkable!" Xiao Lin Shi exclaimed, as if struck by a scandalous notion, earnestly persuading, "With your beauty, if luck favors you, you could even enter a princely estate. Being a concubine there is still far better than suffering outside. If you observe three years of mourning, who would want you then?"

Though she was loath to admit it, her elder sister’s daughter was indeed exquisitely beautiful. Even after the recent ordeal at the Bright Mirror Bureau, her looks remained unblemished, now imbued with a delicate fragility that stirred pity.

Hadn’t her elder sister triumphed over her back then solely by virtue of her looks? Xiao Lin Shi understood men’s minds perfectly. If those nobles and aristocrats were to lay eyes on Ji Chan, many would surely be captivated.

Xiao Lin Shi never concealed her ambition to climb the social ladder. Had her own daughter not resembled her husband too closely, with a rather ordinary appearance, she would have long since paved her way to a good marriage.

Now, with her daughter fixated on Xue Mingtang, this niece was her only hope.

Xiao Lin Shi felt she had considered her niece’s best interests thoroughly—this was clearly a win-win proposition. Yet, A Chan remained unmoved.

After listening to Xiao Lin Shi paint a rosy picture of her future, A Chan finally spoke: "Thank you for your kindness, Aunt. But my mother repeatedly warned me that I must marry as a legitimate wife and never debase myself."

Xiao Lin Shi’s face immediately fell. She snorted in displeasure: "What ingratitude! With your current status, even a scholar’s family would disdain you, yet you still dream of being a legitimate wife? It’s all your mother’s fault, filling your head with such stubborn nonsense."

Xiao Lin Shi began to drone on, relentlessly criticizing Lin Shi, as if unburdening herself of years of pent-up resentment.

A Chan simply sat quietly, neither refuting nor agreeing.

Just then, a maid announced from outside: "Madam, the eldest young master has arrived."

Hearing of her son’s arrival, Xiao Lin Shi showed no joy, only a frown: "Shouldn’t he be studying at the academy? Why is he here?"

Her coolness toward her son was not without reason. Earlier in the year, she had discovered her eldest son staying out night after night. After interrogating his personal servant, she learned that the son on whom she had pinned all her hopes had been lured into gambling dens.

By the time she found him, he had already amassed over a thousand taels in gambling debt. She had to send a maid back home to fetch the money to pay it off, or else she wouldn’t have been able to bring him back.

Upon returning, she told her husband, who gave their son a severe beating and threatened to disown him if he gambled again.

Xiao Lin Shi, equally furious, chimed in with a few reprimands, only to be shoved by her son, nearly falling.

Because of this incident, she now viewed her eldest son with particular displeasure.

Zhao Wensheng, who had just entered, heard his mother’s words and smiled: "I heard you’ve recently developed a craving for river fish. On my way to the academy, I saw a vendor selling live fish, so I bought some and came back."

Indeed, as her eldest son said, during the first three months of her pregnancy, her morning sickness had been severe—she couldn’t keep anything down and suffered greatly. Now, at six months, she had developed a strong craving for the smell of fish.

Unfortunately, fresh fish were scarce this season, leaving her unsatisfied.

Hearing that her son had remembered her preference, Xiao Lin Shi’s frown eased slightly. She said reproachfully: "No wonder you reek of fish. You’re thoughtful, at least."

She gently stroked her swollen belly: "This little one must be a fish-lover. Unlike you—when I was carrying you, I craved sweets."

"I don’t like sweets," Zhao Wensheng muttered, then noticed the simply dressed, fine-featured Ji Chan sitting nearby. A gleam of interest lit his eyes: "And this young lady is...?"

"What young lady? That’s your cousin Ji, from your aunt’s family."

"Oh, so it’s Cousin Ji. Why haven’t I seen her visit before?" Zhao Wensheng’s gaze remained fixed on A Chan.

"Enough. Don’t ask about your cousin’s affairs."

Xiao Lin Shi had no intention of letting her son interact too much with Ji Chan. If he became enamored with her, would they have to arrange a marriage between cousins?

She absolutely could not allow Ji Chan to enter their Zhao family now.

Zhao Wensheng cast several more glances at A Chan before reluctantly looking away.

Noticing this, Xiao Lin Shi’s expression hardened: "It’s time you returned to the academy. Don’t let your teacher report you to your father again."

"Yes, Mother."

"And remember—your father says you lack natural talent, so you must work twice as hard as others. If I hear you’ve been getting into trouble outside again, I’ll have your father send you back to our hometown."

Zhao Wensheng lowered his head and replied sullenly: "I wouldn’t dare."

As he turned away, A Chan clearly saw the anger flaring in her cousin’s eyes.

Once Zhao Wensheng left, Xiao Lin Shi’s attention returned to A Chan. She seemed determined to persuade her to marry, extolling the advantages from every angle and even using herself as an example.

Xiao Lin Shi had always believed that, aside from her children’s lack of ambition, her married life had been excellent. Her husband was devoted to her, and there were no rival concubines or maids to compete with—far better than her elder sister, who hadn’t even known her husband had a mistress.

After listening to Xiao Lin Shi’s boasting, A Chan murmured some polite words of praise.

Then came another remark: "Look at you—you have no skills, no means of livelihood, yet you insist on observing the three-year mourning period for your mother. You’d probably starve within a month."

A Chan reflected silently. Ji Chan truly had no practical skills—no one had ever imagined she’d need them.

As for A Chan herself, she did possess one skill.

It wasn’t something she’d deliberately learned. In the year she was separated from her parents, she had taken only one book from her mother’s desk—a treatise on incense-making.

Later, whenever she missed her parents, she would read it. Over time, she had memorized it entirely.

"You needn’t worry, Aunt. I’ve studied incense-making. I can support myself with it."

"You know how to make incense? Your mother never mentioned it." Xiao Lin Shi looked skeptical.

"It was just a pastime. Even Mother didn’t know."

"Talk is cheap. Whether you can actually support yourself depends on your skill. If you’re so confident, make a calming incense tomorrow. Let me test it."

A Chan declined gently: "Aunt, you’re with child now. It’s best not to handle incense."

She could certainly make an incense safe for pregnancy, but people’s motives were unpredictable. If something happened to Xiao Lin Shi and she was framed, it would be trouble. She wanted no part of that.

"Then make an insect-repellent incense."

A Chan nearly laughed: "Aunt, it’s not the season for insects yet."

Xiao Lin Shi grew impatient: "You keep making excuses. Were you lying to me all along?"

A Chan sighed to herself. She rarely encountered someone as self-centered and impatient as Xiao Lin Shi.

"If you insist, I’ll prepare an insect-repellent incense for you tomorrow."

"Good. I’ll be waiting." With that, Xiao Lin Shi yawned, and Sun Ma hurried over to help her lie down.

Seeing this, A Chan rose to take her leave.

Xiao Lin Shi waved dismissively, instructing Sun Ma to see A Chan out before pulling the covers over herself.

Once outside the main chamber, A Chan waited briefly before Sun Ma emerged with a smile.

Sun Ma escorted A Chan to the Zhao residence’s gate. Ensuring no one was around, she slipped two silver bills from her sleeve and pressed them into A Chan’s hand.

A Chan stared at the two hundred-tael notes in surprise: "Sun Ma, what does this mean?"

Sun Ma smiled and said, "Madam had me prepare this. She said she didn't want you thinking your aunt was unkind. Take the money to buy yourself some new clothes, and use the rest for purchasing spices. If your skills are as good as they say, there will be more benefits in the future."

A Chan accepted the money without much hesitation and replied, "Please thank Auntie for me. I’ll visit again tomorrow."

"Very well, safe travels, miss."

After walking a street away, A Chan was still thinking about Xiao Lin Shi.

This aunt of hers was truly a hard person to describe. If you called her kind, her scheming was practically written on her face—she didn’t even bother hiding her self-interest and shrewdness.

Yet if you called her wicked, among all those in the capital connected to Ji Chan’s maternal Lin family, she was the only one who had bothered to look into Ji Chan's whereabouts and even offered her money.

Perhaps Xiao Lin Shi gave her money for spices just to give her another "useful skill" later, but when you're down on your luck, having anyone remember you and lend a hand was already rare.

Unlike her—from the Northern Wastes to the capital, so much time had passed, yet no one cared whether she lived or died.

Standing on the bustling street, A Chan suddenly felt overwhelmingly lonely.

The passersby around her either wore smiles or hurried along, all with homes to return to after a day's work. But she had no home.

It wasn’t until someone bumped into her that she was shaken from her gloomy thoughts.

Life was too short, and she had much to do. There was no time to dwell on people and pasts that no longer concerned her.

Spirits could waste time, but humans could only move forward.

For now, she needed to exchange some silver and head to the West Market for common spices. Though most incense recipes in that book weren’t meant for ordinary people, she still knew a few basic ones.

A Chan first went to the money exchange and changed twenty taels into smaller silver coins, along with four twenty-tael silver notes.

For ordinary people, twenty taels could last a long time. After browsing the West Market, she bought a pile of common spices, spending less than five taels.

Just as she was leaving, she spotted an uncarved black log at a woodcarving stall.

The vendor said it was fifty-year-old willow wood that had turned black shortly after being cut. Willow wood wasn’t particularly valuable, but this color was rare—if she wanted it, it would cost at least one tael.

After a moment’s hesitation, A Chan bought the log. Willow grown in extreme yin lands might not be useful now, but it could come in handy later.

Since the vendor didn’t offer delivery, A Chan had to hire someone in the market to carry the wood back. The carrier said the log was heavy and Changping Lane was far—he’d need a cart and charged her ten coppers.

A Chan haggled over the price, but just then, a group of Bright Mirror Bureau Guards suddenly burst into the West Market.