Chapter 24: Chapter 24 (Two Chapters Combined)

Chapter 24: Two Chapters Combined

"I'm not saying the Marquis of Dingbei's household is bad, but the Old Madam is pushing too hard, which makes me uneasy. I fear there might be a trap," Yu Shi said, her anxiety lingering.

Pei Yiqing responded, "Indeed, as the saying goes, 'Beware of Greeks bearing gifts.' If the third son of the Wang family truly has such excellent qualities, why would he struggle to find a wife? The Old Madam’s behavior suggests something might have happened in the Wang family, and they want our daughter to be a scapegoat."

In the past, Old Madam Pei had never shown them such favoritism, but now she was so insistent. It was likely that something had gone wrong in the Wang family.

Naturally, Pei Yiqing also told his wife, "If the Old Madam asks again, just say that our Fourth Girl is already engaged to my classmate's son. It’s just that, due to the mourning period, we cannot make it public yet."

Yu Shi quickly agreed.

Meanwhile, despite Eldest Master Pei kneeling and begging Old Madam Pei, she remained stubborn. Thinking it was due to the recent imbalance in household expenses, she first summoned the physician serving the second branch and instructed him to prescribe only essential medicines, cutting off all extra tonics like ginseng, deer antler, and bird's nest.

When Meng Shi got hold of these funds, she first used them to repair the old walls of the family residence. The Pei family’s old estate had been uninhabited for years, and now the entire family was living there. During the recent funeral, the coffin was too large, so they had to dismantle part of the wall, and now they were having it repaired. Additionally, leaky roofs and old furniture needed to be replaced.

This was a reasonable approach, but for the servants who had not received their monthly allowances or any bonuses for four months, times got tough.

The masters found it hard to empathize with the servants, even believing that giving them meals was treat enough. Moreover, since the Pei family was not in decline and still had two officials in the household, most servants had no choice but to accept their misfortune.

She Niang, however, felt this was not right. Everyone has desires, and servants are people too. They work hard and shouldn’t be expected to feel grateful for just two meals a day.

So, She Niang set aside five *qian* (a small silver coin) of silver from her monthly allowance to reward those around her. Of course, she didn’t do this anonymously, explaining, "This month, I’ll be more frugal. This money should help with any urgent needs. If there are no urgent matters, save it. Next month is my mother’s birthday, and I might not be able to spare any money then."

September was Yu Shi’s birthday, October was Pei Yiqing’s, and November was She Niang’s own birthday. Since her birthday came later, she had to prepare gifts for her parents first. As a young girl, she didn’t need to give extravagant gifts, but she couldn’t show up empty-handed either.

In aristocratic families, especially ones like the Pei family, etiquette was particularly important.

Qiu Ju led the servants in kowtowing to She Niang, but She Niang stepped forward to help them up, saying, "I understand your hardships. Let’s hope we can all get through these hard times together."

After distributing the money, everyone was cheered up.

Just then, Xia Mama went to the main room, and She Niang hurried after her. It turned out that Meng Shi had suddenly inspected the kitchen and discovered that the second branch had been reselling all the tonics, even catching a servant red-handed.

Yu Shi exclaimed, "The second wife has gone too far…"

"I heard that the Old Madam said that whatever medicine Second Master needs should be prescribed accordingly, with no additional tonics. Second Wife was dissatisfied and went to make trouble for the eldest wife, who then uncovered her scheme of reselling the family’s tonics," Xia Mama explained, adding that over the years, the second branch had likely resold countless items.

Yu Shi tutted and said, "The eldest branch wants to divide the household, but the second branch refuses. They even demand three thousand taels of silver from the common fund for their daughter’s dowry. The eldest branch is not one to be messed with either."

Xia Mama agreed, "That’s exactly it. We’re all one family. The Old Master’s funeral already cost so much—where would we get that much silver now?"

Yu Shi knew that she and her husband’s efforts had paid off. The eldest branch now wanted to divide the family, but the Old Madam was holding them back, which naturally caused resentment. Thus, the eldest branch was no longer willing to maintain the peace gained through concessions. She was glad she had listened to her daughter and stayed out of it. Without Meng Shi’s status and dignity, she would likely offend everyone, both above and below.

The affairs of the eastern residence soon became known in the western residence as well. Second Master of the western residence had a good relationship with Pei Yiqing. Although Second Master had no official rank, he fancied himself a cultured man, and Pei Yiqing often indulged him by playing chess and engaging in refined discussions.

Pei Yiqing pretended to complain, "The household is in turmoil now. I don’t even want to go back."

Second Master hinted, "Now that your father has passed, there are too many people in your family. More people mean more problems."

Pei Yiqing shook his head, "I’m the youngest, so I have no say in family matters. Otherwise, I would agree to split the family property. To be honest, there are indeed too many people in the household, and it's hard to watch. I’m afraid it might affect my father’s reputation."

"I’ll help you talk to them about it," Second Master said. Having grown up with Old Master Pei, he was reluctant to interfere in the affairs of the main branch and disliked meddling, but he was absolutely loyal to his elder brother and didn’t want any trouble arising.

Second Master and Second Madam came together to persuade Old Madam Pei. While she could still control her own son, she had to take Second Master’s words seriously.

"Fine, fine. A large tree must branch out, and a large family must divide. I might as well do it sooner," Old Madam Pei relented.

Although Old Madam Pei had agreed, while in mourning for a parent, if children divided the family and property, they would be punished with a hundred strokes of the cane. Therefore, they had to wait until the mourning period for Old Master Pei was over.

Pei Yiqing and his wife were very satisfied with this outcome.

Meng Shi no longer had to prepare a dowry for Yue Niang of the second branch. After collecting the rent, the monthly wages for the servants of each branch were distributed again. Lu Shi was so angry she wept well into the night.

"If your father were well, and your grandfather were still here, we wouldn’t be treated like this."

Lu Shi of the third branch next door heard this and felt a sense of satisfaction. When Lu Shi had managed the household, she had often shortchanged the third branch as a matter of course. Now, she was worse off than them.

At least Lu Shi had a son who was diligent and promising. If he excelled in the imperial exams, she could become an honored lady of the house. Lu Shi, on the other hand, had only two daughters, who would marry into other families, and a husband paralyzed in bed. How could she compare?

Now, the tables had truly turned.

The more glorious Lu Shi had been in the past, the more people laughed at her behind her back now. Even her gatekeeper was reported for secretly accepting money to let men in through the second gate. Meng Shi naturally dismissed her immediately.

Without delving further into these family matters, Pei Yiqing received a letter from Shao Tang, saying that his son had begun his studies and was now attending the prefectural school as a stipendiary student (a ranked student).

Pei Yiqing said to Yu Shi, "Brother Shao wouldn’t mention this for no reason. He might be considering a marriage alliance with our family."

"Really?" Yu Shi noticed her husband seemed interested in the Shao family.

Pei Yiqing smiled, "Since he hasn’t explicitly mentioned it, I won’t bring it up either. We can discuss it after the mourning period is over. If I meet the child and he’s truly suitable, we shouldn’t be bound by social status. Nowadays, passing the imperial examinations is the true path to advancement. Those from noble families, aside from those who inherit titles, mostly receive minor official posts through connections, with many rules and airs. Look at Li Niang—sometimes it feels like she’s not very sharp. If she can marry into a scholarly and well-off family, it would be better than those empty titles. Besides, I can still have a say in the matter."

They say marrying upward is good, but you need the capability to do so; otherwise, you’ll live in misery.

Yu Shi felt the same way, "Yes, look at Li Niang studying with her younger sister. She’s two years older than She Niang, but Ms. Duan says She Niang’s academic performance is better. She Niang even helps me with accounts, quickly calculating everything with a little thought. Li Niang isn't quite as good."

In reality, She Niang had only sought fairness and didn’t truly compete with Li Niang for favor. She knew all too well that no matter how capable she and Li Niang were, their parents’ favorite was still their elder brother.

So, no matter how much they competed, what they gained would always be limited.

Essentially, they were in the same boat.

In September, for Yu Shi’s birthday, She Niang personally made her a green satin long sleeveless jacket with a square collar and opposite front panels, edged with light gray embroidery of peonies. Though it lacked pearls or jade, it fit perfectly and was exquisitely crafted in both color and workmanship.

Yu Shi tried it on in front of the mirror and praised, "Our She Niang’s craftsmanship is truly excellent."

Since She Niang hadn’t hidden her work from Li Niang, Li Niang had her maid make a piece of clothing as well, which Yu Shi also accepted with a smile.

The following month, for Pei Yiqing’s birthday, She Niang simply made a pair of knee pads from brown satin embroidered with the Three Friends of Winter.

In November, it was her tenth birthday. From last year, when She Niang had her new life, to this year, more than a year had passed. Since she was now a young lady, Yu Shi specially gave her two sets of new clothes and had a set of jewelry made for her. Pei Yiqing gave her a new book and a packet of incense.

Aside from her parents, Li Niang gave her a box of rouge and a box of lip color, Yi Niang gave her a handmade sachet, Shun Niang gave her a fan painted with plum blossoms, and finally, Yue Niang came to give her several bars of high-quality scented soap.

She Niang personally recorded these in her account book and flicked the dried paper, saying, "With this ledger, I’ll know what to give in return later."

Then, she turned to her maids, "I don’t expect you to know many characters, but you should learn some basics so you can help with account books in the future."

Qiu Ju smiled, "Why not have Lan Ruo and Gui Fang learn? They’re young and at the right age to study."

"I think so too. Later, I’ll bring the 'Three Character Classic,' 'Hundred Family Surnames,' and 'Thousand Character Classic' for you to start learning. In a year or two, you’ll recognize all these characters," She Niang said.

The benefits of literacy are countless, while illiteracy brings nothing but disadvantages.

After the harsh winter came the twelfth month. This year, the snow arrived late, but when it did, it fell in thick flakes. Sitting at home, one could almost hear the soft sound of snow falling. Old Madam Pei had already exempted everyone from morning greetings, but She Niang and Li Niang still had to study. Fortunately, the family, fearing the sisters might catch a cold, only allowed half-day lessons.

Now ten years old, She Niang had grown taller and was beginning to look graceful and poised, while her elder sister Li Niang had even more of a young lady’s charm.

Lately, Li Niang seldom visited Old Madam Pei. Since the family division was settled, Yu Shi did not want her daughter to go over anymore, to avoid gossip and people thinking their family was trying to get something out of the old lady.

Moreover, they did not want the old lady to have a say in Li Niang’s marriage.

Even if it wasn’t the Shao family, they would choose a promising young man from a harmonious family of equal status.

As the saying goes, one man’s meat is another man’s poison.

Chen Mama was naturally on edge. The reason she had such clout was largely because she had come from Old Madam Pei’s household. But when Old Madam Pei summoned her and mentioned that the sixth branch was unwilling to marry their daughter to the Marquis of Dingbei, Chen Mama panicked. Yet, she truly had no say in the sixth branch’s decisions. Her position seemed increasingly on shaky ground, and she felt helpless.

For now, She Niang couldn’t easily move against her, as Chen Mama was still under Old Madam Pei’s protection. In fact, She Niang rather hoped Chen Mama would grow anxious and make more trips to Old Madam Pei’s place—a strategy akin to *Duke Zheng overcoming Duan at Yan*.

She adjusted her earmuffs and said to Li Niang, "With such cold weather this year and us still in mourning at home, we probably can’t go anywhere. Why don’t you come to my place? We can warm ourselves by the brazier and roast some chestnuts and rice cakes."

"Sounds good. I’ll come over to your place for a while and then head to bed," Li Niang replied, quite pleased with the idea.

At She Niang’s place, she could lounge around comfortably. After all, it was her younger sister’s room, so she felt entirely at ease and could sleep whenever she wanted.

She Niang laughed, "If you really come, let’s gather a few maids to play backgammon, chess, or card games. We need to find some ways to pass the time. If you come, I’ll shell out for the kitchen to prepare some snacks."

Li Niang eagerly agreed. She also had plenty of snacks and planned to bring them along to share.

The two sisters soon headed to their tutoring session. While waiting for the ink to grind, Mr. Duan had them read passages from *Strategies of the Warring States*: "The Five States Alliance to Attack Qi," "Su Zi’s Advice to the King of Chu," and "Zhang Yi’s Poverty in Chu."

After reading, Mr. Duan explained the meanings and had them recite the texts from memory. Only after they had memorized them and the ink was ready did they begin writing essays.

Mr. Duan did not lower his standards for them because they were girls. Instead, he held them to the same expectations as boys. Although She Niang was not as quick as Li Niang in composing poetry, her essays and policy essays were exceptionally well-written.

Li Niang leaned over to look at her sister’s poem and sighed, "Actually, what you’ve written can be considered above average, but it still lacks a certain creative flair, unlike mine, which feels naturally inspired."

"Come on, the emperor values essays nowadays. Why bother discussing the Han and Tang dynasties? If we rate policy essays on a scale of ten, you barely score a three," She Niang teased her.

Li Niang pouted, displeased.

But after school, the two still enjoyed eating, drinking, and playing together, with Li Niang even taking a nap at She Niang’s place.

Time flew by. After the new year, Eldest Master Pei specifically hired a renowned tutor for his son, Pei Zhen, and had Shun Niang study alongside him. Old Madam Pei also hired a retired court lady from the palace to teach Shun Niang etiquette.

Seeing this, Liu Shi from the western residence quickly sent her two daughters to study with Shun Niang.

Chen Mama jumped at the chance to advise Li Niang, "If you ask me, you should also ask your mother to let you learn etiquette from the court lady. It would be quite impressive for you in the future."

"But this year, we have to study with Mr. Duan during the day. When would I have time to learn etiquette? Besides, we’re not entering the palace, so what’s the point of learning all that?" Li Niang was no fool. She knew the current emperor was nearly fifty, and she had no desire to enter the palace.

Hearing this, Chen Mama said, "The court lady doesn’t just teach palace etiquette. She also covers how to greet different people and palace-style embroidery. It’s a great way to broaden your horizons."

Seeing Li Niang hesitate, Chen Mama quickly added, "Look, even the two girls from next door are going to learn. Do you want them to outshine you in the future?"

"But I can’t juggle both," Li Niang replied.

Seeing that Li Niang was somewhat persuaded, Chen Mama said, "If you’re worried your mother might not agree, why don’t I bring it up with the old lady? That way, we can manage both sides."

Li Niang nodded slightly.

After Chen Mama got the green light from Old Madam Pei, Li Niang said to Yu Shi, "Shun Niang and I have always been close. Today, she mentioned that the sisters from the western residence are coming and asked me to keep her company. I heard the court lady also teaches incense and tea ceremonies and etiquette. Since the afternoon classes overlap, why don’t I go there in the afternoon to learn?"

"What did the old lady say?" Yu Shi asked.

Li Niang smiled, "The old lady dotes on Shun Niang and still has some affection for me, so she agreed."

Since Old Madam Pei had already agreed, Yu Shi thought that although she and her husband had previously refused the old lady, they still lived under the same roof and couldn’t afford to openly break ties. Thus, she consented.

As a result, She Niang and Li Niang studied together in the mornings, but in the afternoons, She Niang was alone.

Lan Re, though young, was quite skilled at gathering information. She said to She Niang, "This Chen Mama really knows how to drive a wedge between sisters. You and Fourth Miss are own sisters, yet she’s encouraging Fourth Miss to keep Sixth Miss company? Leaving you all alone here."

"Don’t say that. She’s just looking out for her own interests. She has connections with the old lady and is willing to pave the way for Fourth Sister. Fourth Sister herself is willing. How can we blame her alone?" She Niang thought about how, in her previous life, Chen Mama had always helped Li Niang, securing her marriage into the Marquis of Dingbei’s household and even fighting for her dowry.

To some extent, it was like Zhuge Liang and Zhou Yu—neither was right nor wrong; they were simply serving their respective masters and had to compete.

Chen Mama, whose influence She Niang had almost cut off, was now making a comeback. Ultimately, Old Madam Pei was still the elder, and her parents couldn’t openly break with her.

Moreover, Li Niang was now racing around every day, covering long distances, often leaving her exhausted. Mr. Duan also clearly took offense at Li Niang, feeling that she looked down on her. As a result, she became even stricter with She Niang, eager to impart all her knowledge and even buying many model essays for She Niang to study.

"She Niang, your essays have been solid since you started learning the craft. We teach the opening, middle, later, and concluding sections just as we do for boys," Mr. Duan said, feeling somewhat humbled but also impressed by She Niang’s intelligence and determination, so she went all out in teaching her.

She Niang, for her part, was a real go-getter. She often sought advice from Pei Yiqing at the dinner table. Pei Yiqing, surprised that his young daughter was so interested in the eight-legged essay, bought her works by Wang Ao, Tang Shunzhi, Qu Jingchun, Xue Yingqi, and other masters, asking her to memorize them until they were down pat.

This was also part of She Niang’s plan. She had heard from Xia Mama that Pei Yiqing intended to marry both sisters to scholars. But how could one tell if a scholar was truly learned or merely pretending? If her future husband couldn’t pass the exams, she wanted to know the ropes well enough to teach the next generation herself.

The famous Song dynasty minister Ouyang Xiu was taught by his mother from a young age. The story of Ouyang’s mother teaching her son by drawing characters in the sand has been passed down through the ages.

If she excelled in the eight-legged essay, even if her husband was incompetent, she could still teach her son effectively. Moreover, she had quite a knack for the eight-legged essay.

For She Niang, learning essays boiled down to one word—study.

While She Niang was immersed in her studies, Li Niang also made some progress. Firstly, she became much more disciplined. Her posture while walking and sitting was completely different from before—her back straight, and she even learned to conceal her sharpness when speaking.

The two sisters from the western residence had some education—after all, the Hedong Pei family was no ordinary household. But palace etiquette was truly intricate. The court lady, who had served in the Bureau of Clothing and even risen to the position of Chief Palace Matron, taught them how to address people based on their attire.

Of course, the court lady also taught them needlework. Li Niang, who had always had others do her embroidery, now found it a pain to be forced to do it herself.

Hong Mama, who served Shun Niang, remarked, "Fourth Miss’s needlework still isn’t good. I heard Fifth Miss has started learning to write essays like a man. It’s better to be like you—skilled in both essays and needlework."

"Mama, please don’t say that. Fourth Sister is quite good at poetry—at least, there’s nothing to criticize. She’s also very pretty. Those two qualities are already enough. Fifth Sister is just as pretty, strong-willed, and excels at everything. She’s extraordinary too. If I weren’t raised by Grandmother, I probably wouldn’t compare to them," Shun Niang shook her head.

Hong Mama knew Shun Niang wasn’t like others who could be swayed by a few sweet words. She said earnestly, "Don’t undervalue yourself. Fourth Miss isn’t as she appears on the surface. I’ve seen her tell outright lies to come here and learn etiquette, deceiving both sides, and she actually succeeded. Someone like her might have smooth sailing for a while, but it may not last. Fifth Miss, taking advantage of Fourth Miss’s absence, has won over her parents thoroughly. She even placed her wet nurse in the kitchen and distributed her monthly allowance to the servants, earning a reputation for generosity. These two sisters are no easy opponents. In my opinion, Third Miss is somewhat better."

Meanwhile, She Niang studied the craft of essay-writing with such devotion that she often forgot to eat and sleep. Her embroidery frame was abandoned, replaced by bookshelves filled with various model essays and commentaries.

By the time of the Dragon Boat Festival, although the family couldn’t host banquets, they gathered to chat, with even the men from the western residence joining. When someone suggested composing poetry, She Niang was eager to participate. She stood up immediately and said, "Uncle, Father, now that our cousins and brothers have started writing essays and are even preparing for the exams, why don’t you and my father set some essay topics for all of us to try?"

"Oh, what Fifth Girl says makes sense. But will you participate too?" Eldest Master Pei’s eyes sparkled with interest.

She Niang smiled, "Why should men have all the fun? I’m currently very enthusiastic about this. Please, Uncle and Father, do not hesitate to guide us. If we can grade them blindly, it would ensure fairness."

Li Niang cursed her sister a thousand times in her heart. Even Shun Niang was nervous, and Yi Niang considered feigning a need to use the restroom. They had some foundation, but the Ling Rong and Ling Yi sisters from the western residence turned pale. They could manage a few poems but had no experience with the eight-legged essay.

They all hoped Eldest Master Pei wouldn’t agree.

Pei Yiqing, however, was nearly applauding his daughter. She had a remarkable talent for the eight-legged essay. All her essays were densely annotated, and she understood that the essence of writing lay in reasoning and vitality, avoiding the flowery language of poetry. Many tended to incorporate poetic elements, making their writing seem frivolous. Though young, She Niang could write lush, vibrant essays without relying on annotations or poetic flair—a rare skill.

What a pity she wasn’t a boy!

But even if she wasn’t a boy, she was still his daughter. He dearly wished for her to be immensely talented, believing that a good daughter-in-law could benefit three generations.

Thus, he immediately supported her, "Elder Brother, why not follow Fifth Girl’s suggestion and give it a try?"