Chapter 45: Arrange

Chapter 45: Arrangements

As the year drew to a close, the old gave way to the new.

On New Year’s Eve, Qingyuan County blazed with lights, and firecrackers popped incessantly.

Both branches of the Wei family were in mourning this year, so the manor was devoid of festive decorations, appearing somewhat desolate amidst the boisterous celebrations.

Considering that the second branch now comprised only Wei Mingxuan and his mother, Wei Mingjin invited them to join the main branch for the New Year’s Eve dinner.

Shortly after the hour of You, Wei Mingxuan arrived with Madam Zou.

Xin He had last seen Wei Mingxuan two months prior. Now, he was noticeably thinner. The once spirited young man had gained a touch of maturity in his eyes after enduring these upheavals.

“Is Concubine Xin fully recovered now?” Wei Mingxuan approached Xin He to speak.

Xin He smiled gently. “Thank you for your concern, Second Young Master. I’m much better. I heard from the Elder Young Master that you’ve taken over the shop businesses?”

“I’m not doing well,” Wei Mingxuan lowered his gaze, his expression somber.

His father was no good at business, and neither was he.

He had once dreamed of mastering martial arts and roaming the world with his sword. His father, on the other hand, had wanted him to pursue scholarly achievements and an official career. Neither had ever imagined he would inherit the family business.

Now that his father was suddenly gone, he had to shoulder the responsibilities of the second branch. But he knew nothing about business. While struggling to learn negotiation skills from the old shopkeepers, he also had to care for Madam Zou, often feeling stretched too thin.

“Fortunately, my elder brother has been helping me all along,” Wei Mingxuan wiped his face and smiled bitterly. “I was never accomplished. If it weren’t for Elder Brother Mingjin’s support, the second branch would have collapsed long ago.”

Xin He felt uncomfortable hearing this and comforted him, “Don’t be so hard on yourself, Second Young Master. The Elder Young Master has his experience, but you have your strengths too. I believe that with time, you’ll do very well.”

“Do you really think so?” Wei Mingxuan looked at Xin He uncertainly.

Since his father’s passing, he had truly experienced the shifting tides of human relationships.

The young men he once rode and played with now kept their distance. Many long-term business partners had severed ties with the family after his father’s death.

Wei Mingxuan visited each one personally.

Those uncles who had once affectionately called him “nephew” now wore different faces.

They said they were in business for profit. They had collaborated with the family out of respect for his father. Now that his father was gone and he had no experience, how could they trust him enough to continue?

Wei Mingxuan desperately assured them that he would manage the shops well, but they remained unmoved.

They only said, “Nephew, your elaborate descriptions mean nothing to us. We care only about profit. If you can revive your family’s business, you won’t need to come to us—we’ll seek you out ourselves.”

Despite these setbacks, Wei Mingxuan still retained some pride.

He knew further pleas were useless. He resolved to revitalize the family business and prove his detractors wrong.

But once he actually started managing the shops, he realized that arrogance alone couldn’t accomplish anything.

In just two months, his confidence had been nearly crushed in the shops. If not for the help Wei Mingjin had sent, the shops would have faced closure rather than prosperity.

Xin He had heard about Wei Mingxuan’s struggles. “The beginning is always the hardest,” she said. “You’re intelligent, Second Young Master. I’m sure with time, you’ll succeed.”

Xin He’s dark, clear eyes held a gentle, clear spring-like warmth as she looked at Wei Mingxuan.

Wei Mingxuan, who had been feeling disheartened, suddenly felt his fighting spirit reignite under her steadfast gaze.

This was someone he had once been fond of. Since she believed in him so firmly, he couldn’t let her down.

Clenching his fists, the light returned to his previously dim eyes. “Thank you for your encouragement, Concubine Xin. I’ll do my best.”

Xin He nodded. Seeing Wei Mingjin approaching, she went to chat with the two concubines.

Wei Mingjin was an only child. With Master Wei and his lady gone, the New Year felt particularly lonely. Besides Wei Mingxuan and his mother, Wei Mingjin had also invited the two concubines from Qingwu Court.

These two concubines had been in the household for many years. Though not particularly favored when Master Wei was alive, they were gentle and often offered guidance to newly arrived concubines. Thus, the newer concubines respectfully addressed them as “elder sisters.”

Now, all of Master Wei’s concubines had left the estate except for these three.

Although Xin He had lost the child she relied on, she still lived in Cuiwei Court, surrounded by servants and luxury. The two concubines understood that Xin He was different from them.

But they only wished to live out their years in peace within the estate, avoiding unnecessary conflicts. They never meddled and even treated Xin He respectfully when she spoke with them.

After exchanging a few words, the three women’s gazes unintentionally landed on Madam Zou.

Madam Zou, wearing a cloak, was watching the servants set off firecrackers in the courtyard. Each time a firecracker exploded, she hid behind a maidservant while clapping and cheering, behaving like a three-year-old.

“The Second Madam was such a strong person, yet now…” one of the concubines sighed heavily.

The other added, “If Madam Zou were conscious and aware, she would be suffering immensely. Perhaps it’s better this way—muddled and confused, without worries, finding joy wherever she can.”

Xin He remained silent, her eyes fixed on Madam Zou.

After watching the firecrackers for a while, Madam Zou grew bored and began looking for something new to do. Spotting Xin He, her eyes lit up, and she hurried over, holding up her skirts as she ran.

“Madam, please slow down!” her maidservant called out, rushing after her and bowing to Xin He.

Madam Zou, thirty-seven years old, looked up at Xin He and pointed to the velvet flower and gem hairpin in her hair. “Elder Sister, your hairpin is so pretty. Can you take it off and let me see?”

Xin He reached up, removed the hairpin, and handed it to Madam Zou.

Madam Zou examined it carefully in her palm before promptly sticking it into her own hair.

“Ah, Madam, that belongs to Concubine Xin!” Madam Zou’s maidservant hurriedly tried to intervene.

But Madam Zou ignored her, looking up at Xin He instead. “Does it look good on me?”

“It looks lovely.”

“If it looks good, then give it to me, okay?” Madam Zou took Xin He’s hand, behaving like a young girl acting spoiled.

Wei Mingxuan, who had been speaking with Wei Mingjin, noticed the scene and quickly walked over. “Mother, this is Concubine Xin’s hairpin. Please return it. If you want one, I’ll buy you a new one later.”

“No, I want this one,” Madam Zou insisted, touching the hairpin and sulking like a child.

Just as Wei Mingxuan was feeling a headache, Xin He spoke up. “It’s alright. It’s just a hairpin. If Madam likes it, she can keep it.”

Wei Mingxuan turned to see Xin He standing gracefully under the lantern light. The warm, orange glow enveloped her, accentuating her elegant eyebrows and wonderful eyes, and her soft, beautiful face.

His mother, not clear-minded, had forgotten the past. But Xin He remembered everything his mother had done to her.

Yet, she was still willing to give her hairpin to his mother to make her happy.

Wei Mingxuan felt a surge of deep emotion. He bowed with clasped hands to Xin He. “In that case, I won’t decline on her behalf. I’ll have a new hairpin sent to you later.”

“No need,” Xin He declined with a smile.

Wei Mingxuan was about to say more when Wei Mingjin approached and said, “The meal is ready. Let’s take our places at the table.”

Wei Mingxuan swallowed his words and joined the others at the table.

Since they were at Wei Mingjin’s residence, he took the head of the table. To his left sat Wei Mingxuan and his mother, Madam Zou, while to his right sat Xin He and the two other concubines.

Madam Zou, now not in her right mind and with a childlike demeanor, grew restless after sitting for a while, complaining that the room was stuffy and insisting on going out to play. Wei Mingxuan had the servants accompany her.

During the meal, Wei Mingjin and Wei Mingxuan talked, while Xin He chatted amiably with the two concubines from Qingwu Courtyard, creating an atmosphere where everyone got along well.

After the meal, fireworks lit up the sky outside.

The once pitch-black night was illuminated by streaking lights.

Xin He stood under the corridor with her maids, watching the fireworks, while Wei Mingxuan’s gaze unconsciously wandered toward her.

Whether it was in the past, when Xin He was carrying his late uncle’s posthumous child, or now, after she had lost the child, Wei Mingxuan knew all too well that there could never be anything between them in this lifetime.

Being able to catch a distant glimpse of her like this was, to him, a gift from heaven.

Around 10 p.m., Madam Zou grew tired and insisted on returning to rest, so Wei Mingxuan had to leave.

When Master Wei was alive, he would stay up late every New Year’s Eve.

This year, in his absence, Wei Mingjin said to the three concubines, “The night is cold. I will keep vigil before the ancestors in the ancestral hall. You should all return early to rest.”

Xin He and the two concubines from Qingwu Courtyard acknowledged his words and went back to their quarters.

But half an hour later, after finishing her bath and drawing back the bed curtains to retire, Xin He found the person who should have been keeping vigil in the ancestral hall lying on her bed.

Xin He was surprised. “Young Master, didn’t you say you were going to keep vigil in the ancestral hall?”

“What’s the fun in staring at those gloomy tablets during the New Year? Besides, when the old man was alive, he never allowed me into the ancestral hall.” As he spoke, Wei Mingjin patted the space beside him.

Xin He had no choice but to comply and lie down next to him.

Wei Mingjin had been drinking that night, and a faint smell of alcohol lingered on him, though it was not unpleasant.

Leaning against him, Xin He asked curiously, “Why didn’t the Master take you to the ancestral hall?”

When she first entered the residence, Wei Mingjin had been preparing for the provincial exams and had briefly returned to the Wei household, though she hadn’t seen him.

By the time he returned again, Master Wei had already passed away.

Xin He knew nothing about the relationship between father and son.

But from Wei Mingjin’s shamelessness in being intimate with her during the mourning period and the coldness in his eyes whenever Master Wei was mentioned, it was clear their relationship had been strained.

Moreover, during their intimate moments, she had felt old scars on Wei Mingjin’s back. Additionally, on overcast or rainy days, he would absentmindedly massage his knees, indicating old injuries there as well.

But Xin He had heard that Wei Mingjin’s mother had passed away when he was eight, meaning the only person who could have caused those old injuries was Master Wei.

Yet Xin He couldn’t understand.

Wei Mingjin was Master Wei’s only son. How could he have been so cruel to him?

“He Niang wants to know?” Wei Mingjin twirled a strand of her hair, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Xin He’s heart trembled, and she quickly backtracked. “Not really.”

“You change your tune quickly.” Wei Mingjin chuckled lightly, his large hand stroking her back as he said indifferently, “He both hoped I would succeed and feared I would.”

What did it mean to both hope for and fear his success?

Xin He didn’t understand, but Wei Mingjin’s expression was unreadable, so she didn’t dare ask further. Instead, she yawned and nestled into his embrace.

Wei Mingjin leaned against the bed, idly playing with her hair, his eyes downcast.

His father had loved lively gatherings. Every New Year’s Eve, he would have everyone in the household stay up late with him.

His concubines would crowd around him, chattering incessantly, giving Wei Mingjin the impression that his father had fallen into a nest of vultures.

Yet his father, bloated and consumed by lust, remained oblivious, even reveling in the attention of so many women. Wei Mingjin stood among them, observing coldly.

In truth, he had known for a long time that his father would one day die because of women.

And so it happened.

Now, another New Year’s Eve had come, and his father, who had loved bustle and excitement, lay alone underground. Wei Mingjin wondered if he felt cold and lonely.

But then again, he thought his father probably didn’t feel lonely.

After all, his second uncle had joined him down there.

On the road to the underworld, the two brothers could keep each other company.

The sound of firecrackers outside gradually faded. When Wei Mingjin snapped out of his thoughts, he realized Xin He had fallen asleep in his arms at some point.

“You sleep so soundly,” Wei Mingjin murmured, gave her cheek a light pinch.

Xin He, deep in sleep, didn’t stir. Wei Mingjin simply held her tighter and closed his eyes to sleep as well.

Xin He slept deeply through the night. The next morning, as she was half-asleep, someone fed her something.

She opened her eyes instinctively and saw Qiong Hua standing by her bed, holding a peeled orange.

Wei Mingjin was no longer beside her.

Seeing Xin He awake, Qiong Hua offered her a dried lychee.

On the first morning of the New Year, the first thing one must do upon waking is eat an orange and a lychee, symbolizing good luck and prosperity throughout the year.

Back when Xin He lived in Xin Youzhi’s household, her second aunt would give her own children oranges and lychees every New Year’s morning, but Xin He was never included.

This was the first time Xin He had ever eaten them.

After finishing, Xin He took out an embroidered pouch she had made herself and handed it to Qiong Hua.

Inside were coins, and Qiong Hua’s pouch contained two more coins than the others.

Qiong Hua accepted it happily, bowed to Xin He to wish her a happy New Year, and then went outside to have water brought in for Xin He to wash and dress.

After freshening up, Xin He summoned the female steward of Cuiwei Courtyard and instructed her to distribute a small box of coins to the servants.

The steward carried out the order, and soon, the servants came to kowtow and express their gratitude for the reward.

Xin He smiled on the surface, but her heart was bleeding.

She now depended on Wei Mingjin's goodwill and actually had very little money to her name. This silver had been sent by Nanny Dou the afternoon before last, intended for her to tip the servants.

Xin He hated to let it go, but she couldn't bring herself to keep the money for herself.

After those who had come to bow in thanks had left, Xin He returned alone to her room and clutched her money box.

The late Master Wei had been stingy; previously, her monthly allowance had been only one tael of silver.

After Master Wei passed away, because she was carrying the child he left behind, Wei Mingjin ordered that her monthly expenses for food, clothing, and other necessities be matched to his own, so her monthly allowance was increased to twenty taels.

But she had been extorted by Zhou Shuisheng before, and now the box contained only the last two months' allowances.

She still had to give half of these forty taels to Qiong Hua. After that, she would have only twenty taels left, and she didn't know how long twenty taels would support her after leaving the Wei family.

But that was a matter for the future; her top priority was to get away from the Wei family first.

With this thought, Xin He walked over to her dressing table, reached into the hidden compartment, and pulled out that item.

It was still there, good.

Now everything was ready; all that was needed was the east wind of the Lantern Festival.

After the New Year, one night, while Wei Mingjin was in high spirits, Xin He tentatively brought up the matter of letting Qiong Hua leave the household.

“You said before that you were used to her serving you?”

“It’s true that I’m used to having Qiong Hua by my side, but she has now reached the age to marry. I can’t let her best years slip away just for my own selfish reasons,” Xin He leaned against Wei Mingjin and said softly. “Just a while ago, I heard Qiong Hua say that her cousin intends to marry her. I thought it would be good to take advantage of the New Year to grant her this favor and release her, so that the two lovers can finally be together.”

Wei Mingjin, in a good mood after their intimacy, was quite accommodating: “She is your maid. If you wish to release her from the household, I naturally have no objection.”

Wei Mingjin being so accommodating took Xin He by surprise.

But Xin He was still somewhat worried. She cautiously pleaded with Wei Mingjin: “Qiong Hua can no longer speak. Now that you have granted her the favor of releasing her from the household, she will surely be immensely grateful to you. After leaving, she will absolutely take the secret between you and me to her grave. Could you truly let her go?”

Previously, Wei Mingjin had said that only the dead could keep secrets forever.

Xin He feared that Wei Mingjin was only paying lip service to releasing Qiong Hua and would secretly send someone to harm her after she left the household.

Wei Mingjin seemed in an unusually agreeable mood that night. He nodded: “Since I’ve agreed to release her from the household, I will naturally keep my word. If you don’t believe me, I can swear on it.”

As he spoke, Wei Mingjin raised his hand to make a vow.

“There’s no need to swear; I believe you,” Xin He quickly grabbed Wei Mingjin’s hand.

She only wanted to confirm that Wei Mingjin wasn’t lying to her. Since he could say this now, it meant he was truly willing to let Qiong Hua go this time. She had to know when to stop and not push her luck by actually making Wei Mingjin swear an oath over this matter.

The next day, Qiong Hua brought her deed of indenture to Xin He.

Both her parents had passed away, and her brothers had long since started their own families. There was no place for her in her family home now, and she preferred to stay with the Wei family to serve Xin He.

Xin He then told Qiong Hua her plan.

After hearing it, Qiong Hua was stunned and took a while to recover.

In all fairness, on the surface, their master did seem like a reliable lifelong partner. But after the incident last time, Qiong Hua couldn’t help but shiver at the sight of him.

It was only natural that Xin He wanted to escape.

But soon, Qiong Hua made a decision. She gestured to Xin He: “I’ll go with you, madam.”

Since there was no place left for her in her family home anyway, and Xin He was planning to escape, she would rather go with Xin He.

“No, it’s too dangerous to come with me,” Xin He refused immediately.

After leaving the Wei family, she couldn’t even guarantee her own safety. If she brought Qiong Hua along, she might end up putting her in danger.

After saying this, Xin He pressed the twenty taels she had prepared earlier into Qiong Hua’s hand and said in a low voice, “This is the private savings I’ve put aside. If you don’t want to go home, take this money and leave Qingyuan County. Go rely on trustworthy relatives, or start a small business—but remember, trust no one easily.”

Xin He was afraid that if she escaped, Wei Mingjin would take his anger out on Qiong Hua, so she had planned an escape route for her as well.

Qiong Hua was touched by how thoughtfully Xin He had considered things for her, but she shook her head, tears in her eyes, and gestured: “I just want to follow you, madam.”

“But it’s too dangerous to come with me. I’ve never even left Qingyuan County myself. I don’t know what we might encounter in the future. I can’t even guarantee my own safety, let alone yours.”

Qiong Hua gestured in reply: “I’ve also never left Qingyuan County, so I want to go with you to see the world outside. I’ve been able to handle hardship since childhood, and I’m not afraid of danger. Besides, two people are better than one. Madam, please.”

As she spoke, Qiong Hua was about to kneel to Xin He.

Xin He hurriedly stopped her. Xin He was truly afraid of implicating Qiong Hua, but in the end, she couldn’t persuade her otherwise and had no choice but to agree to take Qiong Hua along.

Only then did Qiong Hua rise happily.

Since she was taking Qiong Hua with her, Xin He told her the entire plan.

To avoid arousing Wei Mingjin's suspicion, Xin He asked Qiong Hua to leave the household first and find a place to stay, then go purchase a carriage, provisions, and other supplies. On the night of the Lantern Festival, they would meet under the ancient tree in the city and leave Qingyuan County together.

Qiong Hua memorized the plan and nodded in agreement.

On the day she received her deed of indenture, she kowtowed to Wei Mingjin and then left the Wei household.

And as soon as she left, Nanny Dou assigned another maid to Xin He to replace Qiong Hua.

Xin He didn’t protest, but on the pretext of disliking disturbances, she usually did not allow the maid to easily enter her inner chamber.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, the Lantern Festival arrived.